Chapter 17
After Reina's trait blossod, every day beca a repetition of the sa routine.
I'd wake up in the morning and run around the Lord's Castle until I was on the verge of collapse, followed by personal training and then a sparring session with Reina or Lina.
I had already reached a level where I could leisurely defeat Lina using two traits, but I wasn't happy at all.
“This is a complete failure.”
Watching a squad mber leave with a bowed head, I grumbled to Lina in a low voice.
“Why?”
“Hah… Honestly, I thought I’d get at least one, but this is already the 15th person.
I feel like I started this for nothing.”
Even though I had already awakened 15 traits, I hadn't obtained a single one among them.
“I’m definitely thinking about sothing wrong.
What could it be?”
“Duke, I’m sorry, but I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lina looked at with her characteristically indifferent eyes.
She was a child who smiled so brightly when she was with the other mbers, so why did she change so much whenever she was around ?
Thinking it was sothing I couldn't possibly understand, I mumbled a vague answer.
“It's just one of those things.
The way of the world is all about give and take, you know?
But it's quite frustrating when I keep giving and get nothing in return.”
“Didn’t Sally just thank you?
What more do you expect from kids who ca here because they have nothing?”
I coldly averted my gaze from her eyes, which now looked at as if I were a complete snob.
As far as I knew, the trait 'The Capable Incompetent' copied a trait when the person being taught genuinely felt they had learned sothing.
In that case, having received sincere gratitude just now, I should have obtained a trait.
‘Does that an she doesn’t think she learned from ?
That can’t be right…….’
In the first place, I was the one who found a weapon that suited their trait and provided the secret art, so no matter how selfish a person was, they couldn't deny such an obvious fact.
“Ah!
I’m missing sothing… What on earth could it be!”
As I was shouting in frustration, a young girl approached timidly from a distance.
“Excuse ……”
‘Her na is…….’
It was the child who had threatened Rick that she would poop if he didn't let her have an interview on the last day.
The mbers still found it difficult to talk to , so I hadn't managed to morize all their nas.
In fact, I had never spoken to them except when teaching them one-on-one.
When I glanced sideways, Lina opened her mouth with a look of pity.
“Puck, what is it?”
“I’m here to see the Young Lord.”
At those words, Ian’s face brightened as he welcod Puck.
“Ah, you found a weapon?”
“Ah, yes!
There’s that, and also… uh, um, thank you so much!”
Ian’s eyes wavered as he saw the child bow so deeply that her head touched the floor, accompanied by a vigorous shout.
‘What did I do?’
Lately, all I had done was train at the training grounds and do physical conditioning, so I couldn't even guess what she was thankful for.
I looked at Lina again, but she just shrugged, seeming not to know the situation either.
“What is it?”
I had no choice but to ask the still-bowing Puck, who answered in a tearful voice.
“I-it’s just, I received a letter that my parents received the money and were able to buy dicine…….
They said they’re okay now!
Thank you!”
“You’re… thankful for receiving the contract paynt?”
“Yes!
I didn’t think you’d really give it, so thank you for giving it to !”
What kind of infamous reputation was I known for that she couldn't believe she'd receive the promised contract paynt?
Vowing to one day check every single rumor spreading in public, I asked Puck again.
“Money and dicine?
Are your parents sick?”
“Pardon?
Ah, yes.
My father hasn’t been able to work since he was attacked by a demonic boar.
My mother works as an herb gatherer instead……”
That alone was enough for to understand the situation.
In this deford domain where most of the inco was generated from hunting demonic beasts, a man getting injured ant the entire family was shaken.
“What about treatnt?
The Lord’s Castle should be providing support for hunters injured by demonic beasts, shouldn't they?”
To that end, support for hunters and soldiers was thorough.
The sick were treated by calling a cleric, and if they couldn't be cured, they were given seed money and sent to the large city of Lier in the rear.
The Moner family’s domain was more of a front-line outpost against demonic beasts than a proper domain, so a lot of attention was paid to the safety and welfare of its residents.
“Th-that’s… they said we had to pay money to apply for treatnt……”
Ian’s face contorted for a mont as he looked at Puck.
As his unrestrained killing intent was released, cold sweat ford on Puck's tearful face.
“I’m sorry.
I did sothing wrong!”
“No.
You don’t need to apologize when you’ve done nothing wrong.”
After suppressing his murderous intent, Ian soothed Puck and sent her away first.
‘Is one person not enough of a warning?’
Roberto’s role was clear.
It was to send a warning that the ducal family would no longer turn a blind eye to cri.
All the investigations currently underway in the Lord’s Castle and Roberto, who was still drying up and dying in the square, were ergency asures to stabilize the domain by preventing injustice and corruption.
‘I was holding back because it’s not ti to move yet.’
It seed the warning letter I sent because I lacked the power to move imdiately was quite inadequate.
‘It can’t be helped.’
If the dog-like bastards want a dogfight, I have no choice but to go and bark back.
Having made his decision, Ian looked at Lina and gave an order.
“Lina, tell Reina to help Puck’s parents receive all the support they are entitled to.
After that, check if any other mbers are facing similar difficulties, and if you tell Reina about them too, she will handle it well.”
Confirming the thick killing intent seeping through his voice, which was so cold it sounded like he would draw his sword at any mont, Lina bowed her head and replied.
“Yes, my Lord.”
One corner of Ian’s mouth curled up as he left the training ground.
* * *
The Lord’s Castle Auditor's Departnt was going through its busiest period since its founding.
In the middle of investigating the corruption of Administrator Roberto, which the young lord had uncovered, 40% of the already short-staffed auditors had abruptly submitted their resignations.
Of course, no one was unaware that those who applied for retirent were the auditors who had been taking bribes, but since they had all worked in the sa building, the Auditor's Departnt quietly buried the matter and focused all its efforts on solving the mountain of problems before them.
Everyone was doing their best, but one's best doesn't always yield the best results.
The head of the Auditor's Departnt, who had developed a bald spot from the lack of progress, suddenly began to hound his subordinates.
“Hey!
Go out and get sothing!
What did the Giyom rchant Guild and the Jiks rchant Guild say?!”
“Of course, they say they know nothing about it…….
They even blocked the entrance with rcenaries when we said we would just go in and look at the docunts before leaving.”
“Aaaargh!
Then what are we supposed to do!
Did you contact the Security Forces?”
“They’re short-handed as well right now… and they said there was an order to avoid provoking the rchants’ Association if possible.”
“Bullshit!
The mad young lord says he'll have our heads if we don't find any cris, but we're told not to touch the actual culprits?
Fuck, I should just quit!”
The departnt head, who had been agonizing over the unsolvable problem with a scowl, continued speaking.
“So, next, what was next on the list?”
“Uh… that, the clerics refused to provide treatnt… and apparently they bribed the administrator to prevent it from being reported.”
“Hah!
One side is untouchable due to money, and the other is untouchable due to sanctity?
This domain is in a fine state!”
As the departnt head, whose irritation had reached its peak due to the frustrating situation, shouted, Ian, who had been listening to their conversation while using Ghost Step, let out a small sigh and opened his mouth.
“Indeed, this domain is in a fine state.”
“That’s what I’m saying.
Phew, what was the next item on the list?
It was the clerics and the rchants, so what’s next, our young lord’s drug connection?”
The departnt head, who had been covering his face with both hands and trembling with helplessness, flinched at the familiar voice he heard from sowhere.
Through his slowly spread fingers, he saw a sowhat familiar face.
‘Sharp eyes, a villainous smile, an overall ruthless and ruffian-like impression, just like…….’
“Head of the Auditor's Departnt?”
“…I greet the Young Lord!”
As the departnt head, despite his pale face, straightened his back and saluted sharply, all the remaining auditors in the departnt began to salute one by one, watching for cues.
“We greet the Young Lord!”
* * *
“So the clerics are refusing to provide treatnt?”
Ian asked with a frown as he entered the office of Bain, the Head of the Auditor's Departnt, following his guidance.
“Ah, yes.
In fact, the domain provides them with money under the pretext of maintaining their dignity, but since there are so many injured people, they repeatedly work through the night……”
“Heh, they’ve devoted their bodies to God and use holy power, yet they need money?”
“Yes.
They say they need more money to secure their holy power.”
“Crazy bastards……”
It was no secret that the clerics of Lost Chronicle were corrupt.
Probably if you grabbed anyone in a rural domain and asked, you wouldn't find a single person who thought well of clerics.
However, it was different here in the Moner domain.
This was because the Pope himself had declared the Moner domain a hall of penance and ordered all prospective clerics to treat the sick according to God's will.
Although, if you delved deeper, it was nothing more than the Pope, who didn't want to support the Holy Nation's troops in the Demonic Beast Forest in another country, pretending to be disappointed and throwing in prospective clerics who couldn't even treat properly.
“Hoo… then can’t we just give them a few more pennies and tell them to continue the treatnt?”
“Well, their dignity maintenance fees have already been raised several tis.
There are even nurous cases where, in small villages far from the Lord’s Castle, they have been given the authority to act as the village chief.
But because the bastards insist that they cannot provide treatnt unless a donation is offered to God each ti they treat soone……”
At those words, Ian, lost for words, looked at Bain.
“So those vermin have been watching my people die because of a few pennies……”
Bain, who had been nervously worrying that Ian’s madness might flare up, shot up from his seat at Ian’s unusual deanor.
“Please do not worry, Young Lord.
We will resolve this well.”
Of course, he had no solution whatsoever.
The self-important clerics were unlikely to humble themselves now, and he couldn't think of any good way to persuade them.
He just thought he had to do his best to reassure the madman before him so that he wouldn't make the mistake of antagonizing the clerics.
Believing that this domain, where thousands of injured people appeared every day, would have no future if it were abandoned by the clerics, Bain continued in the most confident voice he could muster.
“When you speak of clerics, are they not those who listen to the will of God?
If I contact the Holy Nation and send a petition about their indulgence, the clerics will then follow the will of God, so please do not worry.”
Even as he spoke, Bain prayed that the madman, who was said to resort to violence at the drop of a hat, would not have his fit of madness explode right before his eyes.
Perhaps his prayer reached the heavens.
Upon hearing his words, Ian was greatly pleased and repeatedly patted his shoulder, saying.
“That’s right, that’s it!
Shouldn’t those bastards hear the will of God directly?”
For a mont, an ominous premonition that the crazy bastard was about to do sothing washed over him, but Bain bowed his head with a smile.
Bain, a retired soldier, sincerely cherished this domain where he was born and raised.
Therefore, he thought it was a better choice for the young lord to throw a debaucherous party with his concubines or build a drug den than to ss with the clerics.
Unfortunately, with his head bowed, he did not see the murderous glint in Ian's eyes, and he could not even begin to imagine what it ant for the clerics to hear God's will directly.
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