Chapter 15
Jallang Depor (2)
“It wasn’t the Lord’s intention, I know that. It was the treasurer and the scribe’s doing—especially the treasurer. But what matters is that you gave them permission, my lord. You were afraid of them.”
“Damn bastards! They take so much money, yet why can’t they even repay the debt properly?”
Muttering to himself, Ian belatedly realized Linda was standing before him and coughed awkwardly.
“No, what I mean is, yesterday the treasurer suggested doubling the taxes.”
“My lord! That would be disastrous. The people’s feelings are already bad enough. If you raise the taxes twice over, no one knows what might happen.”
Startled, Linda raised her voice.
“Don’t worry. I already nailed it down that it won’t happen.”
“Well done. You must never allow it.”
“But it’s strange. The atmosphere outside the castle didn’t seem so bad.”
While practicing warp, Ian had wandered through the outer villages and had seen the townsfolk merrymaking late into the night.
“You visited Cammu?”
She widened her eyes in surprise, but Ian raised a hand and pointed toward the window.
“No, not that. Just that from here, looking out the window, the village seemed lively, so I said that.”
“You have sharp eyes. But you’re right. Compared to other villages, Cammu pays relatively little tax. Of course, taxes have gone up, but not to the point where the people can’t endure.”
“So they made distinctions.”
Ian rose from his chair and walked to the window.
The castle and Cammu—what could be called the heart of the domain—were where the lord and high officials lived. For their safety, they had imposed different rates of taxation.
Linda stepped closer as Ian opened the window and looked out. Her words came unrestrained.
“Except for Cammu, my lord, not a single village in the domain welcomes you.”
“They must be wishing me dead, then.”
“…”
“How amusing. Very amusing, ha-ha-ha!”
Ian gave a low laugh and rested his hand on the windowsill.
At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to drag the treasurer, who had dared suggest doubling taxes again, and snap his neck.
“Where do the villagers who can’t pay taxes get sent to work?”
“The lord’s mines. There, without proper food, they labor under harsh conditions, sometimes even dying. Who could love a lord like that?”
“Haah… this is insane.”
Shaking his head, Ian sighed as he gazed outside.
The enormous debt was a problem, but the people’s hearts were an even bigger one.
At this rate, he might be overthrown at any time.
“I thought once I recovered I’d travel the domain, but if I go, I’ll just get pelted with stones. Do these treasurers and scribes really work for me?”
From the very first talks about mercenary recruitment, he had felt they regarded him as nothing more than a puppet lord. Seeing how things truly ran only deepened that mistrust.
“I’ve heard your judgment. Now tell me about those around me. The treasurer, the scribe, and the captain of the guard—are they trustworthy?”
“The treasurer is a snake of greed, the scribe is an old fox. Both care more for their own safety than for you, my lord. You’ve often lamented that you were little more than a puppet under their control. That it was very hard on you.”
“Was that so?”
Ian’s eyes darkened.
“But the captain of the guard hasn’t abandoned his loyalty. Only… I’m not sure if that loyalty is genuine.”
“Why the doubt?”
Ian turned back from the window.
The captain, able to wield Force, commanded the absolute support of the few soldiers who could still fight. Even Rondo, standing out in the corridor, radiated boundless respect for him.
If no one else, the captain of the guard at least needed to be on his side.
“He’s never involved himself in the affairs of the domain. All he’s done is protect you and train the soldiers. That alone is great, but if he had stepped up more actively, you wouldn’t have suffered so much under the treasurer and the scribe.”
“A regret, then.”
“Yes. A regret. He has power, yet doesn’t use it.”
Linda spoke her heart plainly.
The conversation died, and Ian stood in silence, staring at the map of the domain on the wall.
By Linda’s account, among nearly two hundred villages, not a single one liked him.
It was like living on an isolated island, content only with food and a bed.
Still, he didn’t sink into despair. This was a world he’d stumbled into by accident. With or without him, it would go on its own way.
And yet—
It felt rotten.
“Linda, thank you. I’ll have a carriage prepared. Use it to go to the village.”
“It’s fine. I have strong legs, don’t I?”
“Do as I say.”
Ian called someone to ready the carriage.
Before leaving, Linda paused at the door to look at his back.
He looked like a volcano about to erupt.
“Did I speak too plainly? He seems shaken.”
Feeling guilty, she softened her tone and encouraged him.
“It’s not too late. If you change things step by step, the domain will follow. You’ve changed, my lord. So the domain can change too.”
“Thank you.”
“Please enjoy your lunch. You need your health to govern. I’ll return in the morning, my lord.”
When Linda left and shut the door, Blanzor approached Ian as though waiting.
—Did you see? A powerless lord is nothing but prey for his underlings, false Ian.
“Stop with the ‘false Ian’ nonsense. Aren’t you sick of it yet?”
Ian sat back down and reviewed the letters Linda had taught him before he forgot.
Lunch would be brought when ready.
But soon he flung the pen aside and shot to his feet.
No matter how he thought about it, this wasn’t right.
Under the guise of repaying debts, the treasurer and other officials were sucking the villagers dry and making even the lord a laughingstock.
For someone who wanted to live a life guaranteed by his title, this was a deadly blow.
“Those bastards are ruining my future.”
Ian snapped his head toward Blanzor.
“What should I do?”
—I told you. This is what becomes of a powerless lord.
“I can’t just let it stand, can I?”
—You have no strength. The only ability you have is teleportation. Do you think with that you can wipe out the treasurer and his lackeys? And the scribe and his faction? And who will clean up after? The people do not support you. You are alone.
“What if I get the captain of the guard’s help?”
When Ian mentioned the captain who had gone to hunt bandits, Blanzor’s reply was cold.
—He was never yours to begin with.
“What do you mean? How can you be sure?”
—Fool. It was he who killed the former lord.
“What!”
At the end of a red-soiled canyon through which a small river ran.
This canyon marked the eastern edge of Alberne. Beyond it was Lobellon territory, where Alberne’s soldiers could not tread.
“They’re all dead.”
The women and children the bandits had taken as hostages now lay corpses scattered on the ground.
“They broke their promise, Captain.”
Hessem, an Alberne guard officer with round, hawk-like eyes, reported with anger.
The bandits, once four hundred strong, had dwindled to fifty as they fled. In desperation, they had raided a small village, kidnapped dozens, and tried to bargain with the pursuing guards.
“What should we do? They’ve crossed into Lobellon.”
From horseback, the middle-aged guard captain, Jallang Depor, studied the corpses. His voice was deep and heavy, without a flicker of emotion.
“Bury the bodies. We return to the castle.”
Though Hessem and the officers disliked the order, they had no choice.
Relations with Lobellon were poor. The bandits clearly knew this and had fled there deliberately.
“Ah! What’s this!”
Some soldiers digging graves ran to Hessem, who soon returned grim-faced to Jallang.
“Captain, the bandits left a message as they fled.”
“A message?”
“You should see it yourself.”
His voice was sharp, like a wolf about to snap.
Jallang narrowed his eyes and dismounted, striding toward the murmuring soldiers.
There, pieces of flesh and sinew ripped from bodies were arranged into letters upon the ground.
[We will return to avenge our fallen brothers.]
Nearby lay several mutilated corpses—the owners of the bones.
Jallang stared at the grotesque writing, then calmly gathered the bones and laid them in a pit.
“Mount up. We hunt them again.”
In a forest clearing, dozens of bandits huddled, discussing plans.
Most agreed to pass through Lobellon and leave the kingdom entirely.
“Boss, let’s go to Tolinan and pass as mercenaries. We can even make up a proper company name.”
“Right. Then we’ll gather more men and form a larger band. With better horses and weapons this time. The only reason we lost to Alberne despite our numbers was poor gear. Am I wrong, brothers?”
But his boast drew little response.
They had seen Alberne’s well-trained troops. Better weapons alone wouldn’t guarantee victory. On the first day, half of them had died or been crippled.
Without hostages, they would never have escaped through the canyon to this Lobellon forest.
“Still, boss, is it safe to rest like this? I’m uneasy.”
“The lord of Lobellon desires Alberne. If he has an excuse, he’ll bring troops at once. Unless he’s a fool, he won’t waste the chance. We’re safe.”
The old leader with sharp eyes sipped wine, dismissive.
“Sorry to say, I’m rather good at foolish things.”
A cold voice rang from behind. The bandits jolted to their feet, weapons drawn.
In that instant, arrows whistled from every side, piercing throats and faces.
“Argh!”
“Ghhk!”
As men fell, the guard captain strode in.
Until now, he had never fought directly against the bandits. But this time was different.
His face was ice, the cross-shaped scar on his brow seeming deeper. His cold blue eyes locked on the bandit chief.
“Die!”
A bandit roared, shield raised against arrows, and charged. But he was hurled back instantly. His body slammed into a tree, splitting apart, entrails spilling.
None even saw when Jallang had drawn his blade.
He walked calmly forward until he stood before the bandit chief, who leaned against a tree.
Thunk.
Planting his bloodied sword in the ground, Jallang rested both hands on the hilt and stared silently.
“Why kill us? You could’ve let us live.”
“I have my pride. Do you think my men would follow me if I ran like a scared rat?”
The chief glared into the captain’s icy eyes.
“The corpses… you flayed them alive to carve the bones out.”
“Heh heh heh. It was delightful. I imagined your face when you saw it.”
“I wasn’t surprised. Because I knew I could do the same to you.”
Slash!
In a flash of silver, the chief’s sword arm flew off.
Before he could scream, a stone was jammed into his mouth, shattering teeth and gums.
Bound tightly by ropes, his limbs fixed to the earth, the bandit chief could not move.
Looking down at the terrified man, Jallang removed his helmet and handed it to an officer.
“Even in war, there are lines not to be crossed. You crossed them.”
“Mmmph! Mmmphh!”
“I know who you are. Where you sent the stolen wealth. Your captured men told us everything.”
“Mmm! Mmmphh!”
The ropes held fast.
“Your family will die at the guillotine before they can even spend a coin of it.”
Drawing a dagger, Jallang slit open the man’s thigh, exposing bone, and slipped his hand inside with a pale smile.
“Still enjoying yourself?”
