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TL: ALT
Chapter 150 – Day 42 of the Strategy Life
East Kenya is home to many orchards. The village where we arrived had apple orchards and cider breweries. There were also a few adventurers patrolling the area.
“Th-There’s a complicated situation,”
Sylvia and the innkeeper explained.
Apparently, until a few years ago, the farmers of East Kenya had been living like slaves. The church and the adventurers’ guild helped them form a union when they saw this. In response, large landowners, such as the Zamurai family, who had come to the demonic land, hired private soldiers, kidnapped farmers from the church, and enslaved them.
Sylvia’s father, the lord of the domain, could no longer remain silent, so he raised taxes on the large landowners and imposed taxes on slave ownership.
Those who can change the rules are powerful, but they are also vulnerable. The landowners hired the “16 of Hashis” and killed the lord. According to Sylvia, the lord isn’t actually dead, but the truth is unknown.
In any case, the lord was killed, and the vampire clan of East Kenya was scattered. This is also why Sylvia came to the demonic land.
However, the noblemen elevated by the large landowners were quickly eliminated by the army, and their property was confiscated. Zamurai, the mastermind, was burned alive with his entire clan. The private soldiers who escaped became bandits and thieves. The bandits we captured yesterday were among those mercenaries who escaped.
Without a lord, chaos continued, and only Sylvia’s whereabouts were known. She was told to return to East Kenya, but she refused. Consequently, a distant relative of the vampire clan was summoned to East Kenya and became the new lord.
Former farmers and slaves now run the orchards and breweries, but they have all been forced to join the merchant guild.
“Does Sylvia-sama have no intention of returning to East Kenya?”
“No. Even if the former lord’s daughter who was once enslaved returned, no one would listen to me.”
Sylvia said this clearly. She did not look particularly pessimistic. It seemed as if she had come to terms with the situation by simply stating the facts.
“The smell is really strong.”
The sweet scent of fruit had been in the air since we entered the village yesterday, but it seemed stronger in the morning.
“Monsters appeared at the pass, so we’re rushing to harvest the crops.”
The innkeeper explained as we watched the carriages pass by on the street.
“W-W defeated them yesterday, you know.”
“Yes, I am aware. However, the appearance of a harpy at the mountain pass means that it is the time of year when monsters teach their young to hunt. From now on, more damage will be caused by monsters coming down from the mountains.”
The innkeeper returned to his work, saying that he had to write a request. Since there was no adventurers’ guild in the village, he would send the request to the guild in the neighboring town.
“If we want to sell weapons, we should go to the next town.”
Hel pointed to Sylvia’s luggage.
“There’s more than one village with orchards. We should have brought more. It’s strange that Makyo came empty-handed.”
“Really? I thought we could get by with what we found there.”
Sasha and the others paid for the inn, and we could hunt monsters in the area for food.
“Outside the demonic land, money talks louder than survival.”
“Come to think of it, that’s true.”
“With money, we can rent a carriage and trade with other territories, not just the army. Once people know there’s work in the demonic land, they’ll naturally want to come there.”
Hel said this to me in a lecturing tone.
“I see. So money is the first priority.”
“D-Don’t worry. Hel and I brought back goods from the demonic land.”
So that’s what the weapons and poison were for.
“Since we’re going out, it would be a waste to only bring dwarf engineers.”
“W-We know about the shipping costs to East Kenya and the elves’ personalities, so it’ll be hard for us to be tricked.”
“You guys really thought this through. Let’s wake up Sasha and the others and head to the next town.”
“Yeah, we’ll sleep in the carriage until noon, so take care of everything.”
With that, Sylvia and Hel climbed into the carriage with their luggage. As usual, the two of them were night owls.
“Good morning, Margrave.”
Sasha and the others woke up.
“Good morning. We’re all ready to go.”
“Yes! Let’s hurry!”
We left without eating breakfast. The bandits we caught yesterday were handcuffed and shackled. Sasha’s men would take them later.
We headed toward the neighboring town at a leisurely pace, keeping pace with the horses.
East Kenya is a fan-shaped area with several gentle rivers flowing through the center. The old man driving the horses told me that the land is well-drained, so there are many orchards.
The neighboring town had many old, impressive brick buildings, as well as merchant and adventurer guilds. Since it was past noon, Sylvia and Hel woke up and headed straight for the merchant guild.
They seemed better at negotiating than I did, so I left it to them.
I followed Sasha and looked around the shops. The weapon shop had a wide variety of weapons and armor, but I didn’t want much of it. The drugstore smelled strongly of herbs, and the ones from the demonic land seemed more effective. The goods that Sylvia and Hel brought would probably sell well.
On the other hand, the general store had many things I wanted, such as paper, writing utensils, and wooden barrels. At the grocery store, I wanted flour and seasonings more than meat and vegetables.
Sasha wouldn’t stop talking to me. She said things like, “These trinkets are cute,” and “Don’t you want anything, Margrave?” I just gave her vague answers. I didn’t have any money, so I let her do as she pleased.
People were repairing buildings on the main street.
“Were these buildings destroyed in the recent civil war?”
I asked the man who seemed to be leading the carpenters.
“No, it’s just interior work. This town has been loyal to the lord’s family for a long time, so it didn’t participate in the war. Some stalls were destroyed by the rebel army, but most are still intact.”
“I see.”
It seems that only the large landowners who supported Zamurai and rebelled had their property confiscated.
I bought a large lunch of skewered meat at a stall that had been destroyed. The goat meat was spicy but not gamey.
I bought lunch for Sylvia and Hel, then met up with them in front of the merchant guild. I gave them the meat and asked how it went.
“How did it go?”
“W-We sold the poison, but we couldn’t sell the weapons.”
“Weapons from the demonic land are hard to sell because of the memories of the civil war. If we go to the castle town, we can negotiate with the merchant guild headquarters.”
“The head of the merchant guild in East Kenya is Marcia, right?”
Sasha’s words reminded me of the redheaded woman. She used to work for Zamurai’s company, but I think she became the head of the merchant guild. Those who betrayed Zamurai have become powerful.
After resting the horses, we headed straight for the castle town in the afternoon.
On the way, a wild bear appeared on the road and blocked the carriage. However, Hel shot both of its eyes with a crossbow, and Sylvia smashed its skull. We collected the meat and magic stones, then hurried on.
We let the horses from the cavalry unit rest when they got tired, applying healing potions to their legs. The horses pulling the carriage maintained their speed, so we took extra care to tend to them.
We covered the distance that Sasha said would take a day in half a day and entered the castle town as night fell.
Soldiers lined up near the gate, waiting for us.
“Are you the party of the Margrave of the demonic land?”
“Yes.”
“We have been waiting for you. Please come in.”
Although it was past the time when the gates were supposed to close, they had kept them open in case the Margrave of the demonic land arrived.
The Lord of East Kenya was waiting at the castle, but we had no business there, so we headed to an inn.
“Hey, shouldn’t we at least say hello?”
“They know we’re here, don’t they? I think it’s fine.”
“No, I mean, it’s better to pretend to be friendly with the other lord so trade will be easier.”
“Oh, I see. Tell them to prepare dinner for us. You’re going to the merchant guild, right?”
“I-I’ll take care of that. Makyo, you go to the castle.”
“Here, take these healing potions as souvenirs from the demonic land.”
The two former nobles tell me various things.
“Yes.”
Nobles are troublesome with their excessive consideration.
I can see the castle, so I hurry on my way. No one seems to recognize me as the margrave. Maybe I should have brought Sasha with me.
“Greetings. I am the margrave of the demonic land. I have come to pay my respects.”
“Huh?”
I tried talking to the soldiers at the castle gate, but they didn’t seem to understand me.
Maybe I shouldn’t have come in my everyday clothes. But it’s too late to realize that now.
Maybe if I change the terrain, they’ll believe me.
“For now, I’ll go inside and check things out…”
I release the magic power from my body. Since I’ve only run today, I’ve barely used any of my magic, releasing only about 30% of it. I use the remaining magic power to interfere with the wind blowing toward the castle and send it into the castle.
The magic stone lamps inside the castle begin to glow brightly.
Soldiers run around the castle, reporting that we have passed through the town gate.
In one room, a middle-aged woman hurriedly changes clothes. She must be the lord’s wife.
In the kitchen, cooks bustle about. They must be preparing a banquet for local dignitaries. Perhaps they’re inviting an elf ambassador. It’s difficult to be a territory that borders a foreign land. I wonder when the demonic land will host a reception like this.
“There.”
On the second floor, in a room that resembled an office, an elderly man with white hair and glasses sat at a desk wearing well-tailored clothes. He had just received a letter and appeared to be taking notes.
“I wondered if he was busy, but decided to just say hello.”
I called out to the soldier holding a spear, “Excuse me, I’m coming in,” and charged into the castle with all my magical power. There was no lock on the door, so it opened easily when I pushed it.
I climbed the stairs and headed straight for the old man with white hair. Perhaps because I didn’t stand out, the passing servants didn’t say anything to me.
“Good evening!”
No one stopped me, so I entered the room and spoke up.
“Hm? Who are you?”
“I am Makyo, the margrave of the demonic land. I apologize for my appearance.”
“Are you a new spy?”
“No, I am the lord of the demonic land. I have proof.”
I sent magic into the magic stone lamp hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the entire room.
“I don’t know if this will prove anything, but are you really the Lord of East Kenya? Are you a distant relative of Sylvia who lives here?”
“Indeed, I am the Lord of East Kenya, Fazaar. I met Lady Sylvia once when she was a child. Are you really the Margrave himself?”
“Yes, I tried to inform the soldiers guarding the castle, but they didn’t seem to understand, so I took the liberty of entering. It’s difficult to tell by looking at my appearance, isn’t it? I apologize.”
“I still can’t quite believe it.”
It was too sudden, indeed. If I had burst into the room like that, anyone would have thought I was an assassin. For now, let’s just get the greetings out of the way.
“We’re passing through your territory on our way to the elf kingdom to pick up a dwarf engineer. As a token of our friendship, here is some healing medicine from the demonic land. It’s very effective, so I recommend using it little by little.”
I placed the medicine on a table next to the door.
“Ah, thank you very much. I hear that the Margrave is an unconventional noble who doesn’t fit the mold… Are you really him?”
He still seems suspicious.
“Yes, I am. I have no intention of harming you. I just came to say hello. We’re neighbors, so let’s be friends. Castle security seems a little lax though, so you might want to be more vigilant before hosting a dinner party with influential people. Well, I’ll be going now.”
I left the room, leaving the Lord of East Kenya with his mouth open.
“I don’t like being so formal.”
I exhaled deeply and left the castle, returning to the inn.
The inn was filled with adventurers dressed in heavy armor. They seemed to be guarding someone. There were also female soldiers on horseback.
“Ah, you’re back.”
One of the female soldiers muttered.
“What? I wasn’t supposed to come back?”
“No, the Margrave has returned!”
The female soldier shouted.
“H-Huh?”Why did you come back?”
“Did you get to meet the Lord of East Kenya?”
When I entered the inn, Sylvia and Hel rushed over to me.
“I just went to say hello. I met him. His name is Fazaar. He’s a cool-looking man with white hair. He said he met Sylvia once when she was a child.
“I-I see…”
“So, what’s all the commotion about?”
“Well, a merchant guild leader named Marcia wants to see you.”
Marcia, the redheaded woman who looked emaciated and haggard, was sitting in the dining hall. She looked so different from how I remembered her that I couldn’t believe she was the same person. Everyone else had already been sent away. It seemed that only Sasha, the rest of us, and Marcia’s guards were left.
“Hey, long time no see.”
“Margrave. Long time no see.”
Her voice was thin. She seemed to be cowering and wouldn’t look at me. She was supposed to be the guild leader, but she lacked vigor. I was worried about her ability to lead the organization.
“You don’t look well. Are you eating properly?”
“I eat what I’m given.”
The food situation must be very bad. The adventurers guarding her looked well-fed. Something must be wrong with Marcia herself.
“Soup or anything will do. Give her something nutritious to eat. I’ll pay you later.”
I called out to the cook in the kitchen. I could hear the sound of cooking coming from the kitchen.
“The guild master seems to be very busy.”
“No, I’m a traitor, so I have to do this much to keep the orchards of East Kenya running.”
“I see. Why don’t you ask your bodyguard to help you?”
I pointed to the bodyguard standing behind Marcia.
“He’s not a guard. He’s an adventurer hired to punish me if I misbehave.”
I looked at the man, but he didn’t deny it.
“The only reason I haven’t been executed yet is because the orchards in various places are producing results.”
If there are no results, she will be executed. The weather can affect the fruit harvest. She may be suffering from indigestion due to stress.
“You seem to be going through a lot.”
“This was the only way for me to survive.”
She looked down and said in a low voice.
“To survive? Marcia, you’re cut out for the demonic land.”
“What?”
When I laughed, Marcia looked up and finally met my gaze.
“I said you’re cut out for the demonic land.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. In the demonic land, the law is to do whatever it takes to survive. Whether that means cheating or bribery, if you can escape, come to the demonic land. Our place is full of exiles.”
Sylvia and Hel laughed quietly. Seeing that, Marcia smiled, showing her teeth.
“So, you came here for a reason, right?”
“Oh, right. Weapons from the demonic land are prohibited in East Kenya. Please use them for the military or for trade with other countries. As for trading with the demonic land, our merchant guild will prepare a carriage for you, so please use it.”
When it came to work, Marcia suddenly regained her energy and began speaking rapidly.
“Understood. We will use it, but since we can’t trade weapons, all we can offer are medicine, poison, Arachnid thread, and other materials.”
“That’s fine. Trading with the demonic land benefits us and doesn’t result in any loss. I have brought a list of the general prices and quantities of the materials. Please take it.”
Marcia handed me a list of goods.
“Please note that the prices change every three months.”
“That’s helpful. Is that all you need?”
The kitchen seemed ready, so I wanted to eat quickly.
“One piece of advice.”
Marcia held up one finger and looked at me.
“Be careful not to use magic in the Elf Kingdom.”
Upon hearing Marcia’s words, the elf Hel made a sour face.
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