Chapter 161: Who to Rely On
“Soleil, please stop moving the bag of sweets for now,” I said, chided by Kin.
“Kiel too,” Kin added.
Cough cough. Silver, also reprimanded by Kin, stopped following the bag of sweets with his gaze.
“I will definitely find out where those sweets came from…” Silver muttered, looking frustrated. Kin and I exchanged sympathetic glances.
I wondered if Kin had figured out who the maker was or if he thought it was just “sweets.” Unlike Silver, he seemed to enjoy the taste but didn’t have any particular attachment to it.
“Well then, shall we look for the Lord?” I suggested.
“Huh?” The two of them looked at me, puzzled.
“I’m not well-versed in territory management, and if things get tough, I’m ready to just run away. The residents wouldn’t want a Lord like that.”
“You are already being welcomed, you know,” Kin pointed out.
“It can’t get worse than the initial state,” I added, recalling how this entire island seemed on the verge of disbanding.
“You might be imagining the lawless lands of Nakahara, but as long as you don’t fail in business here, you’ll be fine. If you attack without justification, you’ll be cut off from trade.”
“Sure, there might be some business-related pitfalls.”
“I see, so while I might end up having to sell the territory, I won’t have to worry about soldiers attacking and slaughtering everyone,” I mused.
“That’s not an absolute guarantee,” Kin replied.
“Well, if it happens, it would likely be the people in the mansion targeted, while the common folk should be safe.”
“Alright, I get it. Let’s find someone to act as a proxy for the Lord,” I said.
“…So we’re really going to look for someone?” Silver asked, sounding skeptical.
I mean, being a Lord involves mediating disputes among residents, which sounds like a hassle. What jobs are actually necessary? When it comes to a nation, it’s usually about the separation of powers: legislative, executive, and judicial.
The laws could probably be adapted from those of this island. For the executive branch, I guess I’d need to handle tax collection, issue identification cards, and maybe build public facilities? Wasn’t it the Roman Empire that provided entertainment (circuses) and bread?
…Wait, I’m getting confused.
“First, let’s find out what laws currently exist on this island,” I said. Most countries base their laws on the ancient imperial laws of a long-gone empire. But aside from that, cities have merchant laws, city laws, customary laws for each rural area, and most importantly, the territorial laws set by the Lord.
“From what I gathered from the residents, it seems they’ve been interpreting and applying laws from eighty years ago to suit their needs. There hasn’t been much interference for quite some time, especially after the walls were abandoned; it’s not a lucrative land anymore.”
Kin handed me a note he had prepared. —It’s incredibly rough! And there are some bizarre laws too!
“What’s this about not eating nut tarts on the summer solstice?” I asked.
“That’s a law prohibiting the ancient tree worship,” Kin explained.
“The summer solstice was an important festival for tree worship, and families would celebrate by eating nut sweets,” he continued.
I thought it was ridiculous, but it seemed there was a reason behind it. So, it was indirectly banning the worship.
“Should we keep this one?” Silver pointed to a line.
“What does it say? If the daughter is beautiful, she must serve the Lord on the eve of her wedding… What the hell!!!” I slammed the note onto the table in frustration.
The wind from my outburst made the flame of the lamp flicker. The lighting on this island is a kind of lamp with a plate attached midway through a jar, with a wick inserted. It uses fish oil, which smells pretty bad and produces a lot of soot.
“Well, let me think. Do you have anyone in mind who could act as a proxy for the Lord?” Kin asked.
“If it’s a man, that’s one thing, but if it’s a woman, why not check out a brothel?” Kin suggested.
“Why a brothel…?” I asked, bewildered.
“When nobles find themselves in financial trouble or fall from grace, they often sell their wives or daughters. Most of them dislike working locally, so they’re often gathered in Naruadeid,” Kin explained.
“Sometimes they’re directly sent to famous brothels too.”
This conversation was getting a bit too grim!
“Are you not interested in acting as a proxy for either? Both would be fine too,” I pressed.
“I’d rather not, as it would make things complicated,” Silver declined.
“Not my style,” Kin added.
Damn them!
“Ah, there are a few former noble sons around, though,” Kin mentioned.
“However, if you go there, you might be misunderstood,” he warned.
Damn you, Kin and Silver! Smirking like that!
“So about the bag of sweets…!”
I looked at Silver, who had turned into a cat eyeing a shiny object, and Kin, who seemed troubled, and felt a sense of relief.
“If you don’t want to go to a brothel, there’s always the slave traders,” Kin straightened up and said.
“Naruadeid deals with all sorts of things, you know.”
Encouraged by Kin, we headed to the slave traders in Naruadeid. I had thought that slave hunting and trading were banned in urban areas compared to Kanum, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
However, what I saw for the first time was supposedly better than the slave trade. The first time I saw it, they were selling body parts, which was just too much for me.
It was better, but I left quickly.
That atmosphere is just too much for a Japanese person!
“Suddenly, could you please teach me about territory management? Also, could you tell me where to scout for a Lord? Just one thing, please. Oh, and Ash, this is for you,” I said, offering a bottle of wine and a parfait.
“…Note?” Dinoss called out the butler’s name, placing a finger on his forehead.
“I have no idea how this came about,” the butler replied, as usual.
“Hmm, it feels wasteful to not touch it,” I thought. Alright, Ash is on board.
If I could get help from a duke’s daughter, that would be a huge advantage.
“…Can I ask what you’re doing?” Retze asked, looking at me with half-open eyes.
“Secret,” I replied.