64 – Episode 64
# 64
A group of carriages left Talien’s land. It was Ian and the others.
The caravan was larger and more complicated than Ian had anticipated.
In the case of Galadin, there were not many people since only a few agents were brought along. Even with Ian and Velenka joining, it didn’t feel like there were that many.
But as the priests got involved, the scale gradually grew…
“You want to come with us?”
“Yes, my lord. If it is an evil curse, I can also intervene.”
The priest accompanied Viscount de Bourcy on the journey purely to assist him.
Ian was slightly surprised by the priest’s religious behavior.
The Order of Saint James was the same. And this human too.
Surprisingly, there seemed to be many decent humans among the religious people of this era.
However, Ian could only come to this conclusion because he still didn’t know much about the priests.
The reason the priest was heading towards Viscount de Bourcy was purely for experience farming.
Imperial priests are a type of civil servant.
At the top of the clergy is the Pope, and there are bishops who govern dioceses.
Underneath them, there are priests who operate in specialized dioceses.
If the priest of Talien is compared to a local government employee, they would be like a grade 9 official.
Truly pure and devout priests do their best to serve regardless of their position. It is their duty to serve God.
But such faithful priests are few in number.
Most priests are influenced by human desires to some extent, whether big or small.
They want to get promoted, work in a big city, become a high-ranking person, be respected…
The reason the priest of Talien was looking for Viscount de Bourcy was simply to build up achievements.
If Count Debussy is under a wicked curse, is it going to be resolved by Talien priests?
If they manage to accomplish something big.
Not only will it have a significant impact on personnel affairs, but if they can truly eliminate the wicked presence, they might become adults.
In this era, adults are as popular as idols.
Idols… Popularity…
Does something come to mind?
That’s right.
School idols.
Idol business and the context are exactly the same!
In some territories, in order to revive a declining territory, they carry out a project to produce not school idols, but adults of the territory.
Once they succeed, they make a big splash!
That’s why Lucy dispatched the priest to Count Debussy without any hesitation.
Because if they happen to capture the wicked presence, Talien territory will also experience a boom.
Once a territory produces adults, almost everything becomes merchandise.
This is the birthplace of an adult… This is the spoon an adult used… This is the hill an adult loved…
When modern otaku, weak as they are, go on a train or plane pilgrimage to holy sites with a clickety-clack…
True medieval idol otaku pass through streets teeming with monsters and thieves on a real pilgrimage to holy sites.
When those people start spending money, even dying territories quickly come back to life.
The madness of otaku is no different in the medieval era or the modern era.
Anyway.
In the end, the priest embarked on a journey, aiming to farm experience points and seize the chance for adulthood.
Naturally, the attendants and slaves followed along with the priest.
Of course, Lusy deliberately had more people accompany Ian to make his journey more comfortable.
And finally, the mercenaries who had been hesitant until the end joined as well.
“Wouldn’t it be better to have more people, Gil Dong-mu?”
They weren’t people hired for money. It was just that their destinations coincided.
But Gil Dong-mu preferred having more people.
When encountering monsters or thieves, the more people, the better.
The key figures were Galadin, Ian, and Belenka.
But various extras stuck around, so the number exceeded thirty.
A fairly solid party was formed.
“So, did you say your goodbyes?”
There were many people, but only Belenka conversed with Ian.
The priest and Galadin were too busy chatting with their own people, and the attendants and mercenaries had no reason to talk to Ian.
“Well…”
As soon as he heard the words “goodbyes,” Ian recalled a warm sensation.
The faint scent of Lucy brushing against his lips. And her warm, soft body.
…Come to think of it, wasn’t that their first kiss?
“Judging by your expression, I can tell.”
“What about it?”
“It was just that I thought Talien Viscount’s luck was disgustingly good.”
“…?”
Lucy wondered if it was just her lucky day or two.
Belenka, displeased with Ian’s reaction, pursed her lips slightly.
“You should quickly earn your worth and leave, Ian.”
“What are you talking about again?”
“I mean, don’t you have any self-respect to watch you two acting all lovey-dovey like that!”
Belenka grumbled, muttering something about “dirty couples” and whatnot.
Ian was dumbfounded.
No, the hardware itself was ruthless and cold.
Why was the software at the level of a high school girl?
Ian sincerely wondered why such a talent in swordsmanship was bestowed upon her. When the author, God, created Belenka, did the coding go wrong somewhere?
As can be seen from the idle chitchat, the journey went smoothly and without a hitch.
With thirty people gathered, most beasts and thieves avoided the group. It was because of the gang’s reputation.
But the problem arose when enemies beyond the “usual” level appeared.
“M-Mage! We’re in big trouble!”
Ian, who was usually joking around with Belenka and sharing empty banter, raised an eyebrow at the mercenary who rushed over in a hurry.
“What is it?”
“T-Thieves… they’ve appeared. But the numbers are too many!”
It was not a mere bluff.
It was a group of thieves that surrounded Ian and his party, numbering close to thirty.
They had deliberately set up an ambush in a narrow passage, indicating that they were skilled in robbing people for a day or two.
“Well, well, looks like we have a lot of customers today!”
A man wearing a hat made of animal skin appeared, laughing heartily.
If he could, Ian wanted to shoot a magic missile at that face.
Of course, such magic didn’t exist in this world due to inconsistencies in the universe.
On this side, there were mostly non-combatants, about thirty people, while on the other side, there were fifty armed individuals.
The battle was overwhelmingly disadvantageous.
Ian approached Galadin.
He was about to ask what he was thinking.
“Ian, is there no way? Any magic to drive them away?”
“…”
But Galadin seemed to have lost his appetite already.
As someone from a weak scholarly background, he was overwhelmed with fear upon encountering the thieves.
Sigh. Is there no one else?
It was only natural for Ian to take charge of the group project.
Ian stepped forward.
“Who are you people?”
Then the man with the hat answered.
“I am Viscount Damon!”
“Another viscount?”
What a ridiculous viscount he was.
#
After the world went to ruins, there was no land left untouched from the east to the west.
Murder, robbery, looting, and arson were everyday occurrences.
People lived as if they were taking breaths, being killed left and right, wandering the world with their fields and rice paddies taken away, reduced to mere dry skeletons.
All of this happened because the Golden Empire had fallen.
The Golden Empire had governed the world peacefully with its remarkable administrative and military power, to the extent that it was hard to believe it was ancient.
Although there was a shadow of exploitation and colonial construction of slaves underneath it all, the fact remained that the empire had brought peace to the continent.
But now, the Golden Empire had fallen.
Fanatics, savages, and monsters ran amok, and the world grew desolate with each passing day.
There was a deep-rooted tree called the Golden Empire, and it had disappeared.
In other words, the foundation of the world had vanished.
The world had transformed from a foundational world to a non-foundational world…
The one who shouted, “I am the foundation!” became the foundation of the world from that moment on.
For example, let’s say an apocalypse occurred in Korea and the Republic of Korea fell into chaos.
Then, who would be the mayor of Seoul in that situation?
The president? The mayor of Seoul elected through a vote? Or a four-star general driving a tank?
Honestly, it doesn’t matter who it is.
As long as order is restored and social stability is achieved, it doesn’t matter who it is.
[Damon Viscount] was such a man.
A powerful figure who had risen to power in the post-apocalyptic era.
“Damon Viscount?”
Galladin desperately wracked his brains, even with a panicked expression. As a lowly scholar, he knew he had to use his wits to be of any use.
But despite Galladin’s efforts, the results were far from impressive.
“…I don’t know such a person?!”
Galladin had no idea who Damon Viscount was.
No, he didn’t even know where Damon Viscount was.
Ian shouted on behalf of Galladin.
“My friend says he’s never heard of someone called Damon Viscount before!”
“Oh! That could be possible!”
When Damon Viscount laughed, the thieves all laughed together.
Ian shivered from head to toe.
If those guys drew their swords and attacked Ian’s group… What kind of magic would they need to escape?
If they joined forces with Belenka, maybe they could somehow make a getaway. But it was undoubtedly a gamble of insane proportions.
“Damon Viscount! Where did you come from!”
When Ian shouted, Damon Viscount laughed and spun around.
“Where? Right here!”
“…?”
“Right here is where Damon Viscount is!”
Ian was at a loss for words at the words of Viscount Damon.
The priest muttered to himself.
“Those shameless thieves…!”
The priest knew about imperial administration since the time of the ancient Golden Empire. This was because the transmission of ancient knowledge had not been severed through the religious order.
A fiefdom is not created in such a manner.
First, the king, who is the owner of all the land, divides the territory and allocates it to his vassals. Then the vassals divide the land among their own vassals, who in turn divide it among their vassals…
This was the feudal system of this era.
In other words, whether it was the Talian Marquisate or the Deboche Marquisate, all the fiefdoms were created and passed down to the nobles who pledged loyalty to the empire since its founding.
So? Who recognizes this Viscount Damon?
According to the laws of the Golden Empire, the self-proclaimed Viscount Damon is just a common thief with a sword. Moreover, he was a despicable robber who illegally occupied imperial land.
…However.
Ironically, Viscount Damon had no problem pretending to be a viscount…
Because there was no one to punish Viscount Damon!
This secluded valley that Viscount Damon declared as his fiefdom did not belong to anyone. It was simply a fiefdom that he developed by working hard in the fields and gathering people.
The empire was overflowing with undeveloped lands. The land was vast, but there were only a few people living there, barely enough to be called crumbs.
By developing it with his own efforts and declaring “This is my land,” it became a newly established fiefdom.
Of course, it didn’t end with just developing the newly established fiefdom.
If one did not pledge allegiance to the higher nobles, they were still considered illegal residents.
If there had originally been no marquis here, whose possession would this secluded valley be?
Of course, it belongs to the Viscount!
The Viscount will want to incorporate this newly formed territory into his sphere of influence, so he will lead his army to invade…
(Although it’s highly unlikely) if we withstand and win, we can become an independent nation.
But independence? That’s stealing the Emperor’s land, isn’t it? There’s a 99% chance of being wiped out.
So, the owner of a rational mindset wants to negotiate with the Viscount to be recognized with a title.
If the Viscount acknowledges the title, then Damon will finally become a true noble.
But he’s still just the owner of a rural estate, like a village chief…
“Who is your lord?”
Ian asked, just in case.
From Noble mtl dot com
The answer that came back was as expected.
“I serve no one! I am the Viscount of Freedom! hahahahaha!”
“…”
‘What an arrogant guy.’
That’s why it’s difficult for commoners to become nobles.
The self-proclaimed Damon, though he may have gathered followers and built a village…
He knew nothing about feudalism and noble society!
His ability to gather followers was acknowledged, but that’s about it.
He lacked political sense too much.
Without receiving education since childhood or having intelligent people around him, the limits of his ignorant peasant background were clear.
“Alright, travelers! If you use the facilities of the territory, you must pay the fee to the lord! That’s common sense, right?”
Either way. The self-proclaimed Viscount Daemon shouted.
It seemed like he had created the territory just to collect taxes.
“The path you’re treading was made difficult by us! Pay the fees with joy!”
“…”
Or… perhaps they were highly developed bandits.
No. They just seemed like plain bandits.
This is a fantasy world. Those bastards.
Where are the rest of the seventy gold coins?
“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
Galladin shouted.
That human. Did he only learn everything from books, being unnecessarily brave in strange situations?
“I used this road not long ago, and back then they didn’t detain or collect taxes!”
“No, Galladin.”
Ian tried to urgently silence Galladin, but it was too late.
“Ahahahaha! We were a bit busy back then! Thanks for reporting the tax evasion! We’ll just pay double this time!”
Galladin shouted in dismay.
“Damn it!”
“…”
Damn it, this nonsense.
“Galladin. You seem a bit out of your mind right now, so just shut up and stay behind.”
“Ah… Yeah, sure. Thank you, Ian.”
Ian took a deep breath and stepped forward.
There wasn’t a single person who believed him.
In times like this, it was best to assert the authority of a magician.
“Viscount Damon. Nice to meet you. I am Ian, a magician and apprentice of Eredis.”
“A magician?”
Viscount Damon was slightly surprised upon hearing Ian’s words.
Magicians were beings that invoked fear in medieval people. Viscount Damon was no exception.
If he had been an ordinary thief, he would have been pushed aside by now. Complaining about symptoms like magician’s reality shock.
But Viscount Damon was not an ordinary thief.
“A magician! If you’re a real magician, then you must be acquainted with my friend too, right?”
The Viscount snapped his fingers.
Then, a girl with red hair appeared behind him.
“Ian? Ian, you say? I’ve never heard such a ridiculous name before!”
“What’s wrong with my name!”
Ian felt unjustly treated.
It wasn’t his fault that he wasn’t famous. He just hadn’t been active enough.
That aside.
Ian carefully observed the girl.
Is she also a magician?