Translator: AkazaTL
Pr/Ed: Sol IX
***
Chapter 125 : Neither Broken nor Bent……
"They aren't wavering?"
"That is correct, my lord."
The adjutant, who finished the report, hurriedly bowed his head.
Whenever Kunde was angry, the area between his eyebrows would tremble, and right now, his temples were trembling exactly like an aspen leaf.
"……The reason?"
"There are several complex reasons, but the most decisive reason is identified as the fact that the Zodiac governnt is supplying food purchased in large quantities at a fixed price."
"……I see."
Only recently had Wind Tail barely succeeded in suppressing the civil riot of the Mahatdur.
And the action Kunde took imdiately after that was to manipulate the price of grain flowing toward the Zodiac.
Zodiac's food self-sufficiency rate was slightly below 80%.
He believed that the way to deal the biggest blow to Zodiac, which relied on the outside for more than a quarter of its necessary food, was to play tricks with food prices.
"The rchant guilds in this vicinity won't trade with Zodiac at all, so the ones who sold food to the Zodiac governnt must be the rchant guilds based in the northern or western parts of the continent?"
"That is my understanding. The rchant guilds in the southeast would be mindful of us, but our influence does not seem to reach the rchant guilds in the northwestern regions……."
Yes, this was understandable.
No matter how much Wind Tail was among the 5 Great rchant Guilds of the continent, it was impossible to control rchant guilds whose activity areas were completely different.
"But for those northwestern bastards to transport food all the way to Zodiac, the freight charges would be considerable? To make them endure that much shipping cost, Zodiac would have had to purchase a large amount at once. Did Zodiac have that much financial leeway?"
However, what Kunde really could not understand was that in just a few months, Zodiac's financial power had improved to an extent that could not be compared to before.
Unless they dug up so state-owned bonanza sowhere, such a dramatic turnaround should be impossible?
"W-we are also in the process of investigating the reason, so we will report as soon as the circumstances are identified."
"Don't limit the investigation only to the vicinity of Zodiac; find the reason even if you have to scour the entire continental comrcial sphere. There will definitely be sothing suspicious."
"Understood, my lord."
"How much was spent on applying pressure to the minor rchant guilds?"
"The cost used this month will be a little over 30,000 gold coins……."
Kunde waved his hand and cut off the adjutant in the middle of his report.
It cost more than he thought.
Yet they had achieved no results.
"Send more personnel to the Veradora border. And tell the ones doing the searching and collecting. Tell them to go a bit further into the territory and collect more valuable items."
Initially, he had no intention of provoking Veradora any further than this.
But because expenses occurred in an unexpected place, it seed he had to change the plan.
Gulp, gulp!
Kunde, who sent his subordinate out, emptied the wine glass that was about half full in one breath.
Clang!
"Phew……."
Kunde, who threw the glass just like that, let out a rough breath.
In every single piece of the shattered glass fragnts, the image of a middle-aged man with a flushed face was clearly embedded like a mosaic.
***
"Give four of those."
"Which ones shall I give you?"
"Two black rice and two sesa ones."
"And for the spread? I have honey and cream, which one shall I give?"
"Hmm…… please give honey."
"Alright. I'll make them right away, so just wait a mont. Young man!"
Mikhail stood in front of a street stall selling freshly baked bread and smacked his lips.
While out to see the market, he had been captivated by the temptation of the cast-iron pot puffing out steam and the honey sauce emitting a sweet aroma.
"Old man, how has business been lately?"
"Business? Business is always the sa."
"Hey, but seeing your bright expression, it looks like business is doing pretty well these days?"
"Hehe, this young friend has a way with words. Actually, it's definitely worth living these days. In the past, I'd tremble every day while earning my daily living because I didn't know when the price of flour or eggs would rise. These days, I just tell them the amount I need and the country brings it right away, so there's no need to worry."
"Ah, is that so?"
"Indeed. In the past, those rchant bastards from other countries would throw a fit saying they wouldn't give items or couldn't give them if things didn't go their way even a little. But now, the country fixes the price for six months and brings the items promptly, so not having to be mindful of those rchant guilds is the best part. This is all thanks to the grace of our Grand Duke."
Mikhail, who heard the words 'Grand Duke' from the old man's mouth, asked back.
"Old man, as far as I know, the one who established this supply policy was not the Grand Duke of Reichart but the Chief Minister. Then, shouldn't you be thanking His Majesty and Chief Minister Lord Sheldrick instead of the Grand Duke?"
"Aieee! What are you talking about? No, of course I'm very grateful to His Majesty as well. But still, for people like us, there is no one but the Grand Duke. If the Grand Duke hadn't driven out those wicked noble bastards one by one, would we have been able to live comfortably like this?"
"No, but the Grand Duke has already stepped away from internal affairs for……."
"I don't know. I don't know. I don't understand those difficult words, but anyway, for people like us, there is only the Grand Duke."
In front of the old man who kept nodding his head while handing over the bag containing the bread, Mikhail eventually had to show a smile.
From his past experience, the place where one could best understand public sentint was a market like this.
As a result of Mikhail directly checking while putting in the footwork, the support of the Abysin people for the King and the Grand Duke was beyond being firm and reaching a nearly explosive level.
'He doesn't look the part, but does he go around spraying honey on people?'
Even while sucking on the honey sauce dripping down the surface of the thick bread, Mikhail's head was full of the proposal Hein had made.
'To tear Wind Tail into pieces…….'
Actually, he had inwardly thought it was impossible to put this boast into action, no matter how much it was the Grand Duke of Reichart.
But as his stay in Abysin grew longer, that thought gradually changed.
If it were the Grand Duke who had changed a nation's capital, no, a whole nation this quickly, he might truly be able to put it into action.
That thought kept rearing its head.
Pop!
After completely removing the air from the bag that had held the bread, Mikhail crumpled it up and threw it into the trash can.
And as he set out to see the market again, he muttered to himself.
"Maybe playing around comfortably like this won't last that long."
***
"Wow, it's only been a few months, but it feels like it's been a really long ti!"
Sherazade let out an exclamation at the panoramic view of the Reichart Inner Castle unfolding before her eyes.
It had not even been a year since she left the land of Reichart.
However, Sherazade, feeling a longing unrelated to ti, examined the scenery entering her vision with sparkling eyes.
"Master, but why did we co here? You said we were going south. This is north?"
"Since I managed to find so ti, there is sothing I want to check with my own eyes."
The gaze of I, Hein Reichart, reached the training ground located inside the inner castle.
Expanding outward toward Veradora was of course important.
But that was because it was necessary to strengthen the internal stability before that.
As a part of that thod, it was necessary to directly confirm the change in value of the most precious item possessed by Zodiac.
"Go to the inner castle first. I'll stop by sowhere for a mont."
"Okay. Then see you later, Master!"
After parting with Sherazade, I, Hein Reichart, imdiately galloped the horse toward the training ground.
"Hiyah!"
"Heave-ho!"
As the training ground grew closer, the very familiar sounds of shouting seed to flicker in my ears.
***
"Why do you think that is?"
"Uh, forr Family Head. That is. You see……."
At Redin's question, Pierce fell into thought while scratching his head, which was cleanly bald without a single hair.
The words he had heard most frequently while receiving swordsmanship guidance from Redin for the past month and a half were these.
"Why do you think so?"
"For what reason did you take that action?"
"What is the basis for judging and moving like that?"
Redin asked and asked the mbers for the reasons for their actions during swordsmanship guidance.
At Redin's continuous questions, the mbers initially thought these repetitive questions were ant to rebuke them.
However, it did not take long for them to realize that the thought was wrong.
Whenever they repeatedly thought to give an answer to Redin's questions, they felt as if the cracks in the wall blocking their front were slightly visible.
Even if they gave clumsy answers or were delayed, Redin never once hurried them.
He waited silently for them to give an answer, and if they really could not find one, he would give a hint so they could find the answer themselves.
Thanks to such thoughtful guidance, the mbers were gradually learning how to break down the walls blocking them on their own.
Of course, that did not an his guidance was always this gentle.
Crash, bang!
"Ugh!"
Sotis he educated the mbers by using the form of a duel, and on such days, the training ground would be shaken to its foundations by the screams let out by the mbers.
Even on days when duels of 1 vs 30, or 1 vs 50, or even 1 vs 100 took place, the result was always the sa.
The mbers sprawled here and there and Redin in a clean appearance without a single stain.
"Still, it's getting better bit by bit."
"I am…… simply grateful…… for those words. Forr Family Head……."
Was the word of encouragent Redin gave after the duel ended the only consolation?
"Ugh!"
And today's morning training was no different from the duel three days ago.
"The life of a sword formation is breathing. But when one cares too much about strength, one often misses this. Be careful."
"Huff, huff, I will keep it in mind, truly keep it in mind. Forr Family Head."
Redin, who had turned the mbers who participated in the duel into the state of limp rags, moved busily to the annex located near the training ground.
Because all the personnel who finished the morning training had gone to the main building to eat, the annex, where people rarely ca and went anyway, beca even more difficult to see any sign of people.
Click.
And in that place where Redin arrived, cutting through the silence of the afternoon,
"It has been a long ti."
"Have you been well in the anti?"
The Reichart father and son had a reunion after a very long ti.
"How did you handle the affairs of the capital and co here?"
"I stopped by for a mont on my way to official business after obtaining permission from His Majesty."
Desolate greetings were exchanged, so much so that it was hard to believe they were those of a father and son eting after several months.
"I heard that you are faithfully assisting His Majesty. I heard you went to the Empire? You must have worked hard."
"I rely did what I had to do."
Even though Redin did not resent and I did not find Redin uncomfortable, the words exchanged between the two were not many.
"Did you receive the sword well?"
"Yes. It was a very good sword. I nad it 'Lunatic'."
"It seems like a good na that suits the sword well."
The son asked about the well-being of the sword held in his hand instead of his father's well-being.
The two were still taciturn until they finished a cup of tea.
However, their actions were not simply lazy.
My gaze continuously examined Redin's breathing, movents, and eyes.
I had thought that the Famous Sword of Zodiac would still be intact, but thinking about it and directly confirming it were separate matters.
Click.
And around the ti the second cup following the first also showed its bottom.
"There is nothing to worry about. I am not yet broken."
Redin, who had long since realized the intention of my visit, spoke in a calm voice.
"Father……."
"I am a criminal who committed the sin of disloyalty to the late King through a foolish choice, but that does not an my heart as a knight is broken. Hein, if there is a place where I am to be used for this country, you do not have to hesitate."
I suddenly rembered the day I first t Redin.
"Because I am neither broken nor bent yet."
The mory of that day when I thought of a wild beast trapped in a cage while looking at Redin.
If there was anything different between then and now, it was only that the noose that was binding him looked much looser.
"Also, if I am to break, that place will be the battlefield, not so swamp of the past. And……."
Redin reached out and slightly grasped the hilt of the sword.
Lunatic.
The sword harboring a wicked energy as much as its na slightly revealed itself and emitted light.
"If you want to confirm, I will respond as much as you like."
On Redin's lips, there was a cold smile like a crescent moon revealed after pushing away the ink-black clouds, a smile I had never seen until now.
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