Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 129: Sidestory – The Aftermath of Melania and the Others (2/2)
“Mercenaries! We paid you a lot of money! Work harder!”
The one shouting was Count Sisik. He was yelling from behind a large rock near the city of Burgia.
“Yes, show them the power of gun magic!”
Despite being on the battlefield, Viscount Laszlo who is dressed inappropriately for the situation chimed in.
“Is this alright? If this gets exposed, won’t we be condemned later?”
Baron Lecouvreur spoke up anxiously.
“Now is the perfect time since that evil dragon’s brat has left the country. There shouldn’t be much resistance. The country was just invaded by the Empire and is now busy with the next royal election. Nobody will care about what happens in a small town. Besides, the ones gathering in this town are from the north and east.”
“I see, if it’s the north and east, we should be fine.”
The three nobles had forgotten that the next king, Olivia, hailed from the north.
Obviously, such actions would be thoroughly investigated later, leading to execution at worst, or at least a significant confiscation of their assets.
However, those long accustomed to the ways of the west had not noticed the advent of new values.
“It still infuriates me. Ten gold coins just to have those Kyrgyz repair the contract relics? Absurd!”
“It’s outrageous. They must be punished for their arrogance.”
“Indeed. They are parasites trying to profit off of us without effort. Considering that, our actions are justified.”
Such was the mindset of the Alcanorum Trading Company. It’s a common story: one’s actions are deemed righteous, while others’ actions are denounced as immoral.
“Do it!”
At Count Sisik’s command, the mercenaries unleashed their gun magic.
In the long peace of the west, civilians turned mercenaries were not uncommon. Though some went to war, many found work as guards for merchant caravans.
After all, war carried a high risk of death.
The gun magic unit, consisting of over 300 mercenaries, rivaled the forces of a substantial county or viscountcy.
From the shadows of the rocky hills, they launched their gun magic simultaneously.
“Break the magic defense barrier! Keep firing, and it will shatter!”
The mercenaries continued their barrage, observed from behind by Count Sisik, Viscount Laszlo, and Baron Lecouvreur.
The magic defense barrier was rapidly weakening.
“Just a little more. Wealth will be ours again.”
“Thinking back, I’m glad that woman died. Watching the ship shatter was quite satisfying.”
“The next western hegemony will be ours.”
Just as the three were certain of their victory, a shadow leaped from the city walls.
A figure descended from the sky, landing directly above the mercenaries with a thunderous crash that split the ground.
Suddenly, before them was something unexpected.
It was a magic steel golem.
Riding atop the golem was a dwarven woman with hair as red and black as the magic steel.
“What is that!?”
“It’s a golem!”
“I’ve never seen one that color before…”
Count Sisik gave orders to the panicking mercenaries.
“Just attack it, quickly!”
The mercenaries regained their composure and fired their gun magic at the golem.
“How’s that!”
After the dust settled, the scene was clear.
The golem was unscathed.
Even top-tier attacks could not harm a magic steel golem, let alone second-rate magic.
“Shoot.”
Following Fagra’s calm command, the magic steel golem’s red eyes glowed, and moments later, a red beam was fired.
The mercenaries frantically dodged the beam, which left behind a river of molten magma.
“Wahhh!”
“What is this thing!?”
“We weren’t told about this!”
The mercenaries scattered like spiders, fleeing the scene. The golem had deliberately fired slowly, otherwise half the mercenaries would have been incinerated.
These mercenaries had avoided the battlefield. They fought for money, not to die.
“What… is that…”
“I-I don’t know!”
“Let’s just run!”
As the Alcanorum Trading Company members tried to flee, their bodies froze.
“My body… won’t move.”
Turning around, they saw a puppet boy standing on their shadows. The puppet’s mouth was split, giving the impression of a sinister smile.
“A Kyrgyz puppet?”
“Heh. Such lowly beings are no match for our gun magic.”
“Indeed, it’s quite a scare…”
Ad
All three raised their right hands and fired their gun magic.
In response, black chains shot out from the puppet’s limbs, instantly wrapping around the three spells.
“What the…!?”
The black chains crushed the gun magic.
“Scotty, tighten the restraints.”
Melania commanded.
The puppet stepped harder on the shadows, causing the three men to collapse to the ground as their bodies were constricted.
Even then, as they tried to crawl away, they felt a cold blade at their necks.
“Resist and I’ll cut your throats.”
From behind a rock, Melania and the Kyrgyz appeared, all dressed in black and masked.
The three men nervously looked back to see the puppet clinging to their backs. Its eyes were emotionless, and it wouldn’t hesitate to slit their throats.
“Oh, if it isn’t the esteemed members of the Arcanorum Trading Company!”
Alfred appeared from behind the Kyrgyz, clapping theatrically, holding several sheets of paper in his right hand.
“You… you’re the acting lord. The one who gave that insolent response!”
“Your master is just a baron, yet you act so high and mighty.”
Ad
“Do you think you can get away with treating us western nobles like this!?”
Alfred’s smile grew even more unsettling.
“We merely defended ourselves. We never imagined the culprits would be you all. But did you know? Civil wars among nobles are forbidden.”
“What are you talking about? It was those fleeing mercenaries. We have nothing to do with it.”
Count Sisik protested desperately.
“Do you think such childish excuses will work?”
Alfred immediately tore one of the papers.
“This is the contract for the prosthetic limb for riding beasts that was presented recently. You have just lost a northern noble client. For every intolerable word you utter, I will tear another contract.”
The three men gaped in shock.
“What!?”
“Do you think you can get away with such tyranny? Do you not care what happens to that insolent brat in society!?”
“This is outrageous. Contract relics are under our jurisdiction!”
Alfred lightly waved his index finger.
“Arcanorum Trading Company was merely entrusted with managing the tower’s relics. It just so happens that the Kyrgyz are the ones capable of repairing them. There’s no rule that we can’t do the repairs. Besides, you’re still free to take on repair jobs, right?”
Alfred tore another sheet.
“But I cannot tolerate the term ‘brat.’ Insulting my master is unacceptable. The contract I just tore up was for the White Fairy’s Eye.”
The faces of the three men stiffened. Losing that contract meant losing half their clientele in the country.
“W-wait, wait! Let’s discuss this calmly. It’s not like we can immediately develop new trade routes across the country!”
“Yes, let’s have a drink and talk this over!”
“Even if we handle the repair of contract relics, without the Kyrgyz…”
Alfred’s smile remained unchanged.
“No, I want your decision now. We cannot waste time; prompt decisions are a virtue.”
The three men, pinned to the ground, exchanged glances, unable to make a decision.
“You ingrates! Have you forgotten that we took care of you, and now you turn your blades against your benefactors!?”
Unable to bear it any longer, Baron Lecouvreur shouted insults at Melania and the other Kyrgyz holding them down.
Without missing a beat, Alfred tore another contract.
“The Kyrgyz are the subjects of the territory of Oridelv. Insulting the people is tantamount to insulting Lord Lucius. You have now lost the contract for the Song Spirit’s Harp.”
Sweat poured from the three men, and their speech quickened.
“Ten gold coins just to repair a contract relic is outrageous! Plus, twenty thousand gold coins per Kyrgyz for gun magic support in the tower is far too much!”
“This is extortion! There are standards, you know.”
“If you just let us take four or five of the commoners, we can become business partners!”
Alfred exhaled deeply, filled with profound disappointment.
“Haaaaaaah… Weren’t these prices set by you in the first place?”
Alfred slowly moved forward, getting close to the faces of the three men pinned to the ground.
“When Lord Lucius took out a puppet, he paid the same amount as a customs fee. Therefore, I expect you to pay the same amount to Oridelv as a customs fee. Now, since each of the Kyrgyz have brought two puppets, you owe a total of twenty thousand gold coins. This is an entirely fair transaction.”
Indeed, when Lucius had wanted to take a puppet from the tower, it was they who had set the price. At that time, they never doubted they would continue to receive the money, but now, the situation was reversed.
Desperately, the three men protested.
“Impossible! We can’t pay twenty thousand gold coins just to take some lowly commoners to the tower!”
“It far exceeds the subsidies we receive from the government!”
“The more we do this, the more we’ll incur massive losses!”
Alfred placed his index finger on his lips, speaking softly.
“You are standing at a critical crossroads right now. If you truly understood the situation, knowing that only the [Manacles of the Gun Magic] contract remains, you wouldn’t be saying such things.”
He held the last contract, ready to tear it at any moment.
The three men were nobles without their own territories. Their wealth was solely due to the business of the Arcanorum Trading Company.
They had received numerous conveniences from western nobles because they managed the gun magic contracts for the noble children.
Ad
But if they lost the Kyrgyz and the contract relics, they would be left with nothing. No longer able to arrange or assist, the western nobles would have no reason to rely on the Arcanorum Trading Company.
Moreover, their position was precarious since they were formerly part of the Adelaide faction. Hence, they had resorted to such drastic measures.
For nobles, downfall can come in an instant.
When they fall, the grudges they have sown will inevitably return.
They faced not only personal ruin but also the potential assassination of their entire family. Even if they managed to survive, a life akin to slavery awaited them.
“Ugh!”
Count Sisik gagged at the overwhelming situation. It was like choosing between jumping off a cliff or running down a steep slope at full speed. It was understandable that he felt like vomiting.
“You! Are you… in your right mind?!”
“Even the devil would be a better option!”
Count Sisik gritted his teeth. Trembling, he finally managed to speak in a strained voice.
“…Let’s… accept.”
The other two men were wide-eyed with shock.
“Count Sisik!?”
“Are you sure about this!?”
Count Sisik, his eyes bloodshot, glared at the other two.
“If we don’t comply, it’s our ruin!”
Immediately after, a completely out-of-place sound echoed.
*Clap clap clap clap clap clap*
It was Alfred’s applause.
“A wise decision. By the way, disrespectful attitudes towards the Kyrgyzs will not be tolerated. Moreover, the accompaniment is only allowed up to the fourth layer. Naturally, the cost of dispelling curses is on your side. If you need access to the fifth layer or higher, you’ll have to request it through Lord West to my master.”
“I-I understand!”
Released from the puppets, the three reluctantly signed the contract and began walking away with heavy steps.
The group watched the dejected backs of the western nobles.
“Is this really okay? They’ll likely try something inside the tower.”
Melania voiced her concerns.
“When that happens, feel free to deal with it seriously. That’s why we gave all the Kyrgyzs first-class false cores.”
“…Understood.”
Melania said, glancing at Scotty, the powerful puppet standing beside Noct.
“Sooner or later, they will fall. They’ve been too dependent on their vested interests and too lazy. If someone is to squeeze out their wealth, it might as well be our master. We need more money.”
Alfred continued.
“In the end, it’s all about money, isn’t it?”
Melania seemed unable to reconcile with the idea.
“Yes. Our master will undoubtedly attract many more people to Burgia.”
Melania turned to Alfred in surprise.
“People?”
“Yes, that’s right. Lord Lucius will surely do so. He took me in when I was half-mad, abandoned by my family, and regarded as a weirdo by those around me. And he trusts me.”
“…Lord Alfred.”
Melania responded, touched.
“He embraced the Dwarves who had been persecuted by others and then brought in the Kyrgyz who were oppressed inside the tower. Lord Lucius can’t help but reach out.”
“……”
The Kyrgyz and the Dwarves all fell silent.
The people of Burgia were the same. Most had come from the desolate villages of the north and east, struggling to find food.
Having never seen Dwarves or people from other countries, they couldn’t help but be wary. In truth, Lucius’s policy of accepting such people was risky, but he sought to find a way to take in those with nowhere else to go, even if it meant being seen as the villain.
“For those who have been abandoned, they have no idea how much it means to be helped. Truly a troublesome person. He easily sacrifices himself yet goes to great lengths to help complete strangers. At the very least, we must be of some assistance, producing a myriad of plans, a thousand strategies, a hundred trials, and ten results,”
Alfred concluded, with an expression that said, “Good grief.”
“Yes. That’s certainly true.”
Melania removed her mask and broke into a big smile.
Her face read as if it said he had found a new place to live.