Kays Translations

Chapter 125 Meeting with the Lords

After returning from their mission, Drago and Maria had a light lunch before heading to the Lord's mansion.

The Lord's mansion was located a bit north of the city’s center. Surprisingly, it wasn't far away, and they arrived in about ten minutes by carriage.

They were greeted by a massive gate and a spacious garden, with a mansion that had a Western-style design in the background. The exterior seemed sturdy and could serve as a refuge in times of need.

Merinard, who remained in the carriage, spoke to the gatekeeper, and the gate was immediately opened. It seemed like they had received prior notice.

One might have expected an exchange like, "Who are you?” or “It's rude to remain seated in the carriage!" but in reality, such events were privileges enjoyed only by the main characters of stories.

As we proceeded to the front of the mansion:

There were butlers and maids lining up at the entrance of the mansion. In front of the door, a person who appeared to be the Lord was there to greet us.

(Seeing it in person, it's quite like this, huh? Everyone is well-dressed, and I'm starting to feel a bit nervous... Oh, I need to use the restroom...)

"Keisuke-dono, nice to meet you. I am Wolfox, the Lord of Keimos. Thank you for coming today."

"I'm Keisuke, the Village Chief of Nanashi Village. It's an honor to meet you, Lord. I'm not very familiar with etiquette, so please forgive me."

I had thought Drago would be the one to make the initial greeting, but the person appeared rather decent. The manner of speaking was polite, not overly formal, and didn't exude any aura of intimidation.

(But Wolfox... Is it a wolf or a fox? I can't tell. Judging from his ears and tail, he looks wolfish, but...)

Upon appraisal, he was revealed to be a 26-year-old wolf-type demi-human with a level of 45 and the Skill "Body Enhancement Level 4."

"Drago-sama, Maria-sama, it's been a while."

"Yes, indeed, you've truly taken the appearance of a lord. I, too, feel relieved to have recommended you."

"I wouldn’t call what you did a recommendation. You pretty much forced it on me."

"Haha, well, that's fine. Now, Lux, please guide us."

"Of course, right this way, everyone."

It turned out that Drago had unilaterally replaced the Keimos Lord just before he retired. This Wolfox person was formerly Drago's close aide.

It should have been quite difficult to change the Lord. I couldn't help but admire Drago even more, albeit belatedly, for his accomplishments during his time as the Chairman.

(All of this after witnessing the bratty kid performance the other day... The contrast is overwhelming.)

◇◇◇

In the VIP room, we moved the conversation while sipping on what appeared to be expensive tea. There was no one else present except us and the Lord. The Lord himself had taken care of the seating arrangements.

"Once again, thank you for coming today. We're in quite a predicament due to the pressure from the Assembly... Oh, and there's no need to be overly formal here. I've heard about the Village Chief's personality from Drago-sama. You don't need to be on your best behavior."

"Is that so? I'm hearing for the first time today that you know Drago-san."

I hesitated briefly and then immediately sent a telepathic message to Drago.

['Hey, Drago, if this was going to happen, you could have told me beforehand. I've been unnecessarily nervous, you know?']

[‘Kukukuku, my apologies. I thought that not revealing our connection would help us avoid potential biases. You don't need to act out of courtesy; handle it as you like, Village Chief.']

"Village Chief, from the looks of it, it seems that you weren't aware that there was a change of administration."

"Oh, I didn't know, huh. Maybe I asked Merinard about it?"

"Yes, to preserve my honor, let me say that I informed you of the change immediately."

"Seriously?"

Well, never mind, they were discussing something important. I had to focus.

"In that case, the request is to increase the supply of food."

"I see... By the way, about the incident where the slaves bought by the Merry Company were requisitioned. Was that at the Lord's instruction?"

"...Yes, that's correct. Although it was an order from the Assembly, I issued the directive personally. I'm truly sorry."

"Could you please explain what the order was specifically?"

"Sure, you see..."

The Lord then explained the following:

- After a while following the appearance of the orcs, it was communicated to all the Lords to purchase all the slaves. This included those owned by the citizens.

- There was an obligation to report the number of purchased slaves, and it was impossible to falsify the reports. (Auditing by individuals with the Truth Eye Skill was part of the process.)

- The collected slaves were distributed to the five major cities and made into serfs.

"So that's how it was. By the way, why was it forcefully requisitioned from the Merry Company?"

"You might not be aware, but this town is the birthplace of Ryuunosuke. His influence is strong, and naturally, both I and the Merry Company are under close surveillance."

"Indeed, you'd raise suspicions if you didn't treat them the same as others. Also, it seems like sending an emissary afterward would be too risky, doesn't it?"

"Yes, you never know who might be listening and watching... I've heard that Ryuunosuke has a special skill as well."

The general outline of the conversation was in place. Moreover, this Lord was in Drago's employ. Now, all that remained was to ensure that he wasn't being manipulated by Ryuunosuke.

"I apologize, but I can't simply trust everything the Lord says."

"I see..."

"So, please allow me to make two verifications."

"Verification? If that's what it takes to gain your trust, please go ahead."

"First, please wear this."

Saying this, I handed him the 'Barrier Necklace.'

---

Barrier Necklace

A rare necklace with an embedded barrier jewel.

Wearing it activates the following effects:

- Deploys a barrier that repels undetected attacks.

(Physical attacks, magic attacks, status-based attacks)

Activating the barrier consumes the mana stored in the jewel.

Can be recharged by absorbing mana from within the village.

---

Even if he was under the influence of a mind-control skill, it was uncertain whether this could break the mind control, but if we interpret 'undetected attacks,' it might be effective. He probably wouldn't have self-awareness of being mind-controlled.

I observed for a while as he wore it around his neck, but there was no reaction from the necklace, and there was no change in the Lord himself.

"There doesn't seem to be any particular change."

"Huh? Is that it?"

"Yes, the first verification is complete."

"I see... Understood."

"Now, Lord, the next step is for you to become a villager."

"A villager? What do you mean?"

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