Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 349: The Fate of the Villains
The number of Flaming Crabs around Caxart’s salt lake continued to fall as adventurers carried out daily subjugations. Salt producers had finally begun restoring their damaged facilities.
“The losses suffered by the salt producers appear greater than we expected,” Tauro said during dinner with his foster father.
Count Graunewald was temporarily administering Caxart while summoning a suitable replacement mayor from the territorial capital, leaving him exceptionally busy.
“The situation is much worse than the reports suggested,” the count replied. “Many facilities were almost completely burned and must be rebuilt. Even after construction, workers who fled will have to be recalled or replaced. New employees will need training before production can resume.”
He didn’t conceal the severity of the problem from Tauro.
“The merchants are releasing stored salt to prevent prices from soaring, but their reserves won’t last forever. If production can’t restart in time, the shortage may create disorder throughout our territory and the entire northwestern region of the kingdom.”
“Then simplifying the production process could prevent that shortage.”
“Certainly. Caxart uses a labor-intensive salt-field method. Sand is spread over clay slabs and sprinkled with lake water. After the water evaporates, workers collect the salt-bearing sand, dissolve it in more lake water to create concentrated brine, and finally boil the brine in large kettles. Shortening that sequence would allow production to recover much sooner.”
“I may have a solution.”
Tauro removed a fist-sized sphere covered in a magic-circle pattern from [Magic Storage] and placed it on the table.
“Is that a magic tool?” Count Graunewald asked.
“It’s a prototype water-purification tool. When submerged, it adsorbs impurities and leaves the water clean. I abandoned the project because finding drinking water with magic was already easy, but I should be able to alter the circle so that it adsorbs salt instead.”
“Then the salt could be recovered from the sphere and dried without the entire sand-and-brine process!”
“Exactly. I’ll build a prototype. If it works, I want to lend the tools to the salt producers without charge. It should help compensate for the damage caused by the former mayor.”
Huot Colon’s failure was also, in part, the responsibility of the lord who had trusted him and failed to discover the corruption sooner. Count Graunewald understood the consideration behind Tauro’s proposal.
“We could also offer interest-free loans for rebuilding,” Tauro continued. “Several producers lack the funds to restore their facilities even if the monster threat disappears.”
“In the confusion, I overlooked that. We’ll finance the loans with the property confiscated from Huot Colon.”
The count smiled warmly.
“Tauro, thank you. I’m fortunate to have such a capable son.”
“I’m fortunate as well, Father. I’m glad to help.”
After a moment, Tauro remembered another matter.
“What will happen to Huot Colon and the others?”
Zion’s testimony and the recovered documents had proven their crimes.
“Huot Colon has already been stripped of his title and reduced to a commoner. Considering the embezzlement, the manufactured monster outbreak, and the crimes committed with Gray Vultures, a death sentence is unavoidable.”
Count Graunewald’s expression hardened.
“The members of Gray Vultures have likewise been condemned to death for their previous crimes and their use of forbidden slave magic. The deputy branch manager remains imprisoned while the Adventurers’ Guild decides how to handle him. Headquarters will probably request his extradition.”
“To the Royal Capital?”
“Yes. His actions damaged trust in the entire Adventurers’ Guild. Headquarters will want a major trial in the Royal Capital rather than leaving the matter to a provincial branch. That’s why his final punishment hasn’t yet been decided.”
The decision respected the guild’s authority while strengthening Count Graunewald’s relationship with it—a shrewd political choice from one of the neutral faction’s leading nobles.
“Will Zion need to testify again at that trial?” Tauro asked.
Tauro wondered whether Zion would have to return to the Royal Capital.
“Zion… Ah, the blue-haired boy who testified against them. There was something unusual about him.”
“We’ve decided to welcome him into Black-Gold Wings.”
“I see. You gave that boy a place to belong.” Count Graunewald’s face brightened. “As your father, I’m proud of you.”
Tauro was pleased by his foster father’s approval, but one detail remained impossible to explain.
I can’t tell him that I left Zion in the Dragonfolk Village to be made stronger…
The thought of the training Zion was enduring made Tauro feel guilty all over again.