IHBWAT 12

Chapter 12

Slave Knight

Cliff’s target this time was Beluman’s hidden wealth.

But once again, things did not go exactly as he had hoped.

Did he hide his assets somewhere else?

He collected the gold and silver coins he found, but the amount wasn’t particularly large. To begin with, such currency held little value in the Elimis Territory.

The territory was isolated from the outside world.

As a result, bartering was far more common than transactions using money. Beluman’s true wealth should have been grain rather than cash.

Yet he didn’t possess nearly as much grain as expected.

“He must have hidden it.”

Still, there were other things Cliff could claim.

“…Are these the promissory notes he took from the villagers?”

These were the infamous debt notes that had reduced people to slavery.

The more he examined them, the more absurd they seemed.

This really is a world where human lives are cheap.

People had sold themselves or even their children for prices far lower than he’d imagined.

One surprising detail caught his attention.

Women’s prices were lower than men’s.

He had assumed that women—especially young women capable of bearing children—would fetch higher prices.

“Ah, when they’re actually sold, that’s true.”

“When they’re sold?”

“Well… women require greater investment costs. They’re physically weaker, and some die during the long journey.”

In short, they bought cheap and sold high.

The explanation came from Aren.

Cliff lifted his eyes from the debt notes and looked at him.

“It seems Beluman’s wealth was less than expected. Do you know if he had hidden assets?”

“As far as I know, he didn’t.”

“…I see.”

Cliff nodded and turned away.

“As I said before, all of the traitor Beluman’s property belongs to me. If any additional assets are discovered, report them to me immediately and surrender them.”

“It shall be done.”

Aren answered without hesitation.

Cliff acted as though he believed him and walked away.

But in truth, he didn’t fully trust Aren.

“…Keep a close eye on him. There’s a high chance he’ll try to go somewhere.”

Aren had been Beluman’s escort.

Perhaps the man who had stayed constantly by Beluman’s side would eventually lead them to Beluman’s secret storehouse.

The debt notes Cliff had obtained were handed over to Nigel.

“How should these be handled?”

“The debts themselves are real. Those who repay the principal will be freed. Those who cannot will become slaves according to the agreement. They will become the property of House Elimis.”

“It will be done as you command, Acting Lord.”

The outrageous interest charges were removed.

Even so, some people would still be unable to repay their debts.

Lord’s Dignity

Description:
Through your achievements, the people now trust and place their hopes in you. However, a ruler must also make his subjects believe that he can protect them.

At present, the territory possesses only a pitiful military force.

Bandits do not fear the guards, and the people place no trust in them.

Raise an army that will change their perceptions and demonstrate the lord’s authority.

Conditions

• Train 50 private soldiers.

• Eliminate the criminal organization.

Rewards

• Lord Experience: 50

• Territory Experience: 100

The quest still appeared whenever Cliff closed his eyes.

I still haven’t fulfilled the conditions.

That was Cliff’s conclusion as well.

Even so, the atmosphere within the territory had changed drastically.

Beluman, who had once been even more feared than Cliff himself, was dead.

His head had been displayed publicly.

It had only been for a single day, but that alone was enough.

Now everyone in the territory understood who its true master was.

Even Aren, who had inherited Beluman’s organization, spent his days bowing and scraping before Cliff.

“The territory is finally starting to look like a proper territory.”

“The new Acting Lord is truly incredible.”

“Even the soldiers’ eyes have changed.”

Following his original plan, Cliff selected fifty soldiers.

He bestowed uniforms and cloaks upon them.

Simply seeing those men walking through the territory filled the villagers with admiration.

The way people looked at them had completely changed.

Gone were the doubtful stares from before.

With their appearance, they resembled knights rather than ordinary soldiers.

At the very least, they look impressive.

That alone gave them authority.

Their presence throughout the territory became a powerful deterrent against crime.

Especially so in the immediate aftermath of Beluman’s death.

One of the assignments they had been given was this:

“How is Aren?”

“So far, nothing suspicious. We monitored not only Aren but also the executives who met with him, but we found no unusual behavior.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

Was he simply being overly cautious?

No. The quest still hasn’t been completed… There must be a reason for that.

Aside from Beluman’s group, Cliff couldn’t think of any other criminal organization.

But several days had already passed.

If even constant surveillance uncovered nothing suspicious, continuing to devote manpower to it would be wasteful.

“You’ve done well. There’s no need to watch him anymore.”

“Yes, Acting Lord.”

Cliff ordered the surveillance on Aren to cease.

Two days after the surveillance ended—

Damn it. That man is unbelievably suspicious.

Standing by the window, Aren frowned.

He had always felt eyes watching him.

The soldiers had tried to conceal themselves, even changing their appearance, but they had constantly remained nearby.

As the leader of the territory’s only criminal organization, how could he fail to recognize the faces of soldiers?

“But now it’s finally over.”

He relaxed.

All of the soldiers watching him had disappeared.

Even then, he behaved himself for another day.

But now that he had confirmed the surveillance was truly gone, there was no reason to delay any longer.

Together with the few men he trusted, he began to move.

“Whew. It’s been a long time since we’ve taken this road.”

“Keep quiet. Even if the watchers are gone, it wouldn’t do us any good if the night patrol caught us.”

“Heh. Don’t worry. I know the guards’ patrol routes by heart.”

One of the first things they had done while currying favor with the lord was learn the soldiers’ patrol schedules.

That knowledge allowed them to slip out of the village unnoticed.

The absence of walls around the settlement proved fortunate in circumstances like these.

Let’s move.

Aren hurried onward.

After traveling northwest from the village for more than two hours and climbing through the mountains, they arrived at a mountain lodge.

This was his destination.

“Hoo…”

Aren exhaled nervously.

People believed that Beluman’s swords had been men like them—

mercenaries hired from outside.

And that wasn’t entirely wrong.

But the real thing was someone else.

Beluman valued his wealth more than his own life.

Perhaps because of that, he had built a lodge in this dangerous mountain region, where Shadow Wolves might appear at any moment.

And he had assigned one man to guard it.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

The sound of a blade cutting through the air grew louder as they approached.

Soon they saw him.

A man standing in the clearing before the lodge, swinging a sword bare-chested.

He had long hair.

His body was covered in scars and dense muscle.

Although he had clearly noticed their presence, he remained focused solely on his swordsmanship.

“I’ve come to inform you that you have a new master.”

The man finally stopped.

He turned to look at Aren.

His gray eyes held no emotion whatsoever.

No matter how many times I meet those eyes, I can never get used to them.

They resembled an abyss.

Those eyes fixed themselves on him.

This man was Beluman’s greatest treasure.

If he had guarded Beluman instead of the lodge, Beluman would never have died so easily.

Compared to a handful of hired mercenaries, this man was incomparably stronger.

“…What became of my former master?”

“He committed treason against the lord and was executed.”

Aren deliberately omitted the fact that he himself had killed Beluman.

Though Beluman and this man hadn’t been close, one never knew.

He might refuse to obey the enemy who killed his master.

Of course, the man’s own wishes mattered little.

Once a slave’s brand had been engraved, he could not escape his master’s control.

I already secured his slave contract and marked it with my blood. From now on, he’s my slave. And… as strong as he is, he may even surpass the lord himself.

Having met both Cliff and this man, Aren was certain.

This man was stronger than Cliff.

Perhaps weaker than the knights from outside.

But within this territory, no one could defeat him.

The man’s lips curled into a grin.

“…I see. So my master is dead.”

“Didn’t you hear me? I’m your master now—”

“Did you know something?”

The man abruptly interrupted him.

Their eyes met.

Aren froze.

Something about the man’s eyes was different from before.

“People think that if a new owner drips blood onto a slave scroll, the contract changes hands. But that’s not true. If it were that easy, ownership of branded slaves could be stolen far too easily.”

“W-What…?”

Aren’s face stiffened.

The man continued.

“In other words, my contract with my former master, Beluman, has not yet ended.”

Then the look in his eyes changed.

“And I’ve disliked you for quite some time.”

That was the end of it.

Aren had no time to think.

He only experienced a strange sensation.

After all, he had never before felt what it was like for his upper and lower body to separate.

Slash!

A fountain of blood erupted.

Before anyone realized it, the man was standing where Aren had once stood.

Bathed in Aren’s blood, he thought:

“Hmm. It’s been a while since I’ve cut down a person. More importantly, now that my former master is dead… what should I do?”

In an instant, he had become masterless.

Yet it was truly unfortunate.

Even so, a slave’s brand could not simply disappear.

If it were up to me, spending the rest of my life here wouldn’t be so bad…

The problem was food.

The mountain offered little to eat.

The lodge still contained supplies, but eventually they would run out.

His gaze shifted in another direction.

The person over there… is that fool’s watcher? Someone the lord stationed here, perhaps.

The man chuckled.

“If a master is executed for treason, then all of his property belongs to the lord. It seems my new master will be the lord of this land.”

A man who possessed the qualifications of a knight yet had become a slave.

Or a slave who had learned the techniques of knighthood.

Such men were called Slave Knights.

And this man—

Theobald—

was one of them.