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Chapter 200
Incompetence and Ignorance
Summer, with scorching heat beating down.
Seasons flow relentlessly with the passage of time, but Hestia's prosperity remained constant.
Word of Hestia began spreading among the Empire's lower class.
"Have you heard about a place called Hestia Village?"
"Isn't that the land ruled by that Red Dragon?"
Ē ň um̊ӑ. і̂ d
"A scary tyrant ruling the place? Can humans even live in a place like that?"
"Surprisingly, they're living just fine. An acquaintance of mine settled there, and he says it's way better than living in the Empire!"
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"Better than the Empire?"
"You believe that nonsense?"
For Imperial citizens, a village outside the Wall conjured similar images.
Leave the Imperial capital, and you'd be drinking collected rainwater, with no healers so you could only pray not to die from a simple cold—a backward life.
Ӗ ǹũ m̌ а
Since most places were actually like that, it was a prejudice with reason.
"They say clean water comes out in every district."
"Water comes out plenty in the Empire too, what else is there?"
"And you think they'd dig up the ground to sell that water? The better the land, the more taxes you pay. If you end up moving to a place like that, you'll be worrying about food for life and get taken for a ride."
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"That's not true! I heard the water bill isn't even a quarter of the Empire's, so you can even save money!"
"You save money?"
En ŭ ṁ а̌
For the lower class, saving money was an impossibility.
"Still, isn't it dangerous land? Right next to it is land crawling with monsters..."
"The Red Dragon protects it, so it's actually safer. Plus, if you enlist, they let you use magic too."
"You keep spouting absurd nonsense!"
"How can you use magic?"
"What was it... magic ointment? They say there's a staff made with that."
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"Magitech, you mean?"
"Yeah, that! They say if you do reserve force training, you can even touch it."
"So you have to join the army?"
"They say it's only used when monsters invade. And joining the army is actually better! In the Empire, there are truckloads of guys dying to enlist but can't. Even I was like that."
"Hmm... a good place...?"
"Anyway, I'm planning to vacate and pack up everything within a week. I'm gonna try settling in the East too."
W е̊ b ǹov̌е̃ l Énǔ m̌ а́
"Seems like a foolish thought..."
"I'll send a letter. If you change your mind later, come on over. Rather than keep being treated like an outsider here, I'm willing to cross over even if I have to pay the exit tax."
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The Empire's population was leaking out.
They were crossing that Wall—about which they say once you enter inside the Wall, you never come out—to try settling in new land.
It wasn't just the simple lower class making that decision.
"Adventurers say lately they're trying to make a killing toward the Demon's Land."
Е̌n u m а̇
"And they say they treat ironworkers well too. There must be plenty of iron to hammer, right?"
Technicians with ambiguous standing in the Empire were also eyeing the new land of opportunity.
In the end, the Imperial capital had no choice but to discuss this as a problem.
"The current population inflow numbers reported are similar to last winter's levels."
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The newly appointed Acting Emperor, Ureas Arken, asked while seated.
"Is that a problem?"
Еn ǔ m̀a
"Usually, summer population movement is about one-third of winter's. At this rate, we estimate this winter's inflow will exceed three times the norm."
"So?"
"A significant portion of this population is currently leaving the Imperial capital."
"Just looking at the numbers, it's not huge..."
"The most important problem is that population exodus is happening."
"If this keeps showing, the nation's credibility will take a hit."
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Ureas concluded the situation like this:
"Then execute those trying to cross the Wall and make examples of them. That'll work, right?"
"That's not possible. This matter is different from military law."
"Ruling by fear will only intensify citizen backlash. Right now we need to gain the citizens' trust that the Crown Prince couldn't get."
"Then raise the exit tariff threefold to block them from escaping?"
"That'll cause problems for merchant entry and exit too. Backlash will come from the nobles' funding sources, and then the Crown Prince's side will—."
We b̃ ǹ_о v е ľ Е̌ n u m̌_å
"If you're gonna say this doesn't work, that doesn't work, why the hell did you ask? You trying to see how incompetent I am?!"
Ureas threw a fit.
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Ureas Arken was a novice in Imperial politics, just as Valdemar predicted.
His way of cutting unsolvable knots with a single stroke was impossible in Imperial politics.
Just waiting quietly was enough to show Alexander was relatively more competent.
Even so, there were those who wanted to block Alexander's restoration.
Е̃n u m а̌
They were the new forces trying to drive out the existing power structure,
"Oppa."
And Olivia Arken.
She sat beside Ureas and held his hand tight.
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"Don't get so angry. They're just helping Oppa make a wise choice, aren't they?"
"Olivia, what would you do in this situation?"
Ё n̂ u m̈ӑ
"Leave it be for now."
"Leave it be?"
"Hestia is a newborn village. Like how a sparrow has to walk ten steps for every one step a stork takes, trying to imitate the Empire will lead to self-destruction—it's only a matter of time."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. How about using this chance to kick out the vagrants eating away at the Empire, calling them a nuisance?"
"Hmm... cleaning house. Not a bad idea."
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"That won't do!"
Unable to bear Ureas nodding along, a man remonstrated.
"You must look further ahead. This could return as a massive reverse effect from a small flap of wings."
"Why?"
"Checking the living standards of the leaked population, 90% are living better than before. If you drive out the slum vagrants and even their lives improve, Hestia Village will only be recognized as a land of opportunity. Population exodus will accelerate. We must check Hestia Village as much as possible."
Olivia reacted to those words.
Ẃе b n̊ о̃v̆ él̇_ Ѐ ǹũ m̀а̌
"You're imagining too many useless things. Hestia Village is our Empire's pride, and the land that gives the Empire justification to exist on the Serdes Continent. Are you planning to give them cause for independence by checking Hestia Village?"
"Independence declaration won't be possible yet. Hestia Village still belongs to the Empire, and without the Empire they can't establish a proper foothold. They're people who know what strangles them."
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A tense standoff.
Olivia turned her head to Ureas.
"Oppa. Didn't you see with your own two eyes how Alexander Oppa ended up when he tried to check Hestia?"
"....."
Еn ũ mâ
"You can't gain superiority in the succession race with just this war. That's why we must help Regent Ferda and exclude Alexander."
"Princess! I don't know what you're whispering, but get away from him this instant! You vixen!"
The man finally couldn't hold back his anger and shouted.
Olivia asked with a shocked face.
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"Just now... what did you say?"
"I said a woman shouldn't meddle in politics! I've held back and held back, but I'll say it! Do you know rumors are spreading that you're in cahoots with Regent Ferda?"
W̊ е̂ b̃n о v еľ Ё ñùm а
Olivia's face hardened.
She placed a hand on her chest and swallowed.
"Right now... are you saying I'm committing treason? Why would you—!"
"Cut the act! If you're gonna play Saintess, just play Saintess! How dare you in a place like this—!!"
The words didn't continue.
Ureas's sword was pointed at the man's throat.
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"How dare you..."
Ureas's face twisted viciously.
"How dare you insult my little sister to my face?"
"Second Prince, General..."
In the man's eyes flickered a hint of betrayal.
He spoke calmly.
Ѐ nu̇ m а
"General, I'm on your side. Do you know how many battlefields we've crossed together? Don't you know my loyalty is to you?"
"I know. That's why your head's still attached, isn't it?"
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Ureas's hand trembled.
"I want to cut your throat right now."
His face gradually lost restraint.
His hand looked like it would strike the man's throat any second.
Е nu ḿ a_
"Oppa..."
Olivia grabbed Ureas's forearm.
When Ureas lowered his gaze, he saw her face glistening with tears.
"Please... at least stop the killing."
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She begged, trembling like a small animal.
Ureas lowered the sword aimed at the throat.
Ŵ еb̀n о̊v̊ е̄ l̀ Е́ nu̇ḿ а́
"Guards! Drag this man away. Strip his status and exile him from this Empire!"
"Y-Your Highness!"
The man made a face of disbelief.
A comrade of over ten years crumbled just because he insulted his little sister.
Even the last shred of affection he threw out was cold.
"If you catch my eye again, you'll be a corpse."
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He was dragged out by the guards.
Ureas, unable to calm his rage, pointed his drawn sword at the table.
"I know I don't know anything. My work is swordsmanship and commanding soldiers, so of course! But if anyone speaks carelessly about my sister, this time...!"
Screech!
He sliced the entire board with the map on it in half.
"This is what'll happen to you all. Understand?"
Е nu̇m̌ å. i̇d̄
"Y-yes, yes!"
"We'll engrave your words in our hearts."
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Ureas sheathed his sword again.
"Dismissed. We'll discuss war with the Heinckel Kingdom, so prepare for that."
Ureas's close aides' meeting ended.
Olivia wiped her tears with a handkerchief and stood up.
W̃ѐb̌ nо̆ ṽe_l Е̌n̄ ú m_а
As she wiped her damp eyes, they dried as if nothing had happened.
'Ureas's people aren't pushovers either.'
Colluding with Regent Ferda, scheming to inflate Hestia Village—not easy things to notice.
'Still, they don't know Ureas well.'
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They overlooked one thing.
No matter how close a comrade with backs against each other, before his little sister Olivia, they're nothing.
Wӗb̄ ñ о v̇ е̃l̇ Е́n̊ u m а̌
Olivia had made Ureas that way.
If opposing Alexander felt like that, with Ureas it was an intimate sibling relationship.
They were bound by the shared sorrow of being pushed back in the succession order.
Ureas leaned on Olivia when things got hard; she substituted for a mother's role.
That's why blood was thicker than water.
'Alexander is incompetent.'
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That incompetence will catch his ankle someday, and naturally lead to a succession struggle with Ureas.
'Ureas is ignorant.'
Incompetence and ignorance are worlds apart.
Incompetence knows the problem but can't solve it; ignorance doesn't even know what the problem is.
If you don't know the problem, it's easy to exploit.
In the end, Ureas too is just a shoe to use and discard.
Еñù m̆ ӑ
'Increasing Hestia Village's population is just a matter of time too...'
The Black Bandana has been reorganized as a shadow department under Valdrova, continuously controlling information.
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It's also becoming a new rallying point for warriors sent from the Northern Alliance in the name of conquering the Demon's Land.
Right now it's just a branch that can be broken anytime.
But when we look back, it'll have grown too large to cut down.
When that happens, she'll surely be delighted.
Еñ ům а
"Aah..."
An uncontrollable exclamation burst out.
Olivia clasped her hands devoutly before a shrine set in a corridor corner.
Her eyes were surely facing Alte's emblem, but what she saw was different.
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A man with gray hair and blue eyes vaguely rose in her mind.
It was mere imagination, yet Olivia felt ecstasy.
E ǹ u̇ m̀ а . і d
'Ferda-nim...'
She offered a prayer to the god.
'I'll definitely make you happy.'
* * *
"...Even with this situation, it doesn't seem like it'll cause major problems for the expansion construction."
"The Princess is helping with all her heart."
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Pressure from the capital should've flown in long ago, but with Ureas taking power and the Heinckel Kingdom trouble overlapping, things were free.
Ferda just hoped the war he was preparing wouldn't end anticlimactically.
"Any other special matters?"
"One special matter: the Armor Knight has disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
"Yes. She spoke with Adventurer Guild Branch Master Eri, formally withdrew, and went to find her own path."
Е̄n̂ûmӓ
"Hmm..."
Armor Knight.
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The mysterious man who came before Hestia Village even had its name.
He received much, and was suspected and misunderstood just as much.
'The biggest misunderstanding was recent...'
Due to his lacking mental strength, he mistook him for Valdrova several times.
W̌ е̇ b n̆ о v е l̊ Е̊.n̆ ǔ.m̆ а
He committed rude acts and eventually collapsed from exhaustion and had to be carried, causing him much trouble.
'Would've been nice if we could've at least talked.'
He's an unusual figure who lingers in the mind even upon leaving.
Just in case, Ferda asked Isabella.
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"Did you try tracking?"
"....."
W̊е́ b̆ nо v е l̊ E n̊u.m̈ ȧ
The first moment Isabella's words, flowing like water, got stuck.
Try tracking?
Of course she did.
The Armor Knight was one of the most important resources.
Until her identity was known, that was certainly true.
'To think that person would be Valdrova-nim...'
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The informant was Erika.
As a longtime friend who shared hardships, she said it as a warning to be careful.
'Warning my ass...'
Isabella knew about Erika.
This definitely came from a mindset of 'let's suffer together.'
Right now, the fact that she made Valdrova work is hitting Isabella's solar plexus hard.
Wе̃ b̀ n ŏvel Ĕ n ū mӑ
"Administrator?"
"Yes."
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"How did the tracking go?"
"Tracking will likely be difficult. She was originally hard to detect."
"Is that so?"
"I'm sorry to disappoint."
Е̌ n um̃ ȧ
"Not at all."
What's there to be disappointed about?
Isabella gives her all in everything.
"You may go. Keep doing just like this from now on too."
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"Understood."
Isabella bowed politely and went out.
W̆ еb̀n о v̂ е́l̆ E̊ṅ u m̃ а
Ferda looked down at the documents stacked on his office desk.
No, he saw them.
No, he looked up at them.
'This damn work just keeps piling up every time.'
Of course, over 70% were documents he could gloss over, but Ferda didn't trust people properly.
Can't let them pull the wool over his eyes with both eyes open, so he checked everything meticulously.
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His personality made himself tired.
Ferda resolved to pull an all-nighter and opened the first document.
Knock knock-.
Someone knocked.
"Come in."
The door opened carefully.
W̃.е̃b ñо̌ v̂ё l Е̌ nu mа
That was it.
'Echidna?'
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The one who opens the door and doesn't show herself is always that woman.
But today was different.
The glimpse shown wasn't a wide-brimmed hat and gloomy disheveled hair.
Two pairs of horns rising up and glossy red hair.
W̄ӗ b̆ n оv̈ е l̊ Еn um а̃
She was peeking in with the door half-open.
Her behavior was like a rabbit in a burrow.
In Ferda's eyes, those threateningly risen horns looked like black ears.
"Ferda-ssi... are you busy by any chance?"
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Valdrova asked.
"I'm free."
Еnum̂ ã
He closed the documents and pushed them back.
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