Chapter 17: Fear
Having returned from Minami Village, we were resting at the dilapidated Baumgarten mansion. The journey had just been sitting in a freight wagon, but as soon as we arrived at the mansion, a heavy fatigue washed over me. Cornelia, for instance, was so exhausted upon arriving at the mansion that she immediately fell asleep.
“Haa…”
I want to fall asleep too…
“You must be tired, Young Master. It’s sudden, but…”
But, I have to hear the report from while I was away. I’ll go to sleep after listening to Old Man’s report.
“I paid the remittances to the villagers of the main village, with the education fees deducted. The results are excellent. We were able to make it known that we are not just taking the children but also providing them with an education, and the backlash against you, Young Master, has considerably lessened.”
“Yeah.”
“However, there are still strong demands among some mothers to have their children returned.”
“Are the summer and winter breaks insufficient? Those who wish to should have been returned to their parents, right?”
“Perhaps, I believe they are dissatisfied with not being able to see their children’s growth up close. Increasing the breaks and returning them to their parents might not have much effect…”
“I see.”
Is that how it is? I was actually more worried about parents emerging who see their children as money-making trees and keep having kids who don’t receive parental love…
Well, it’s better if my worries don’t become reality.
Cheers to the apparently loving people of the Baumgarten Territory.
“Also, another complaint has come from the church.”
“Again? What a narrow-minded bunch.”
Normally, merchants coming to the Baumgarten Territory don’t hire escorts. It’s exceedingly dangerous, but there’s a trick to this.
The merchants come by following the church’s carriages.
The church’s carriages are well-guarded so that they won’t be defeated by bandits or monsters, no matter what. In short, the merchants are traveling cheaply by letting the church clear the way and not hiring escorts themselves.
Naturally, if they do such things, the church’s impression of them isn’t good. But some merchants even publicly declare that money is heavier than life. It seems they don’t stop even when the church warns them.
And so, complaints come to me, telling me to make them stop.
Frankly, the merchants who transport goods more cheaply are more important than the useless bunch from the church. I’ve even subtly encouraged them to do it more.
“Just ignore the church’s complaints.”
“Is that alright?”
“It’s fine. More importantly, Old Man, about this recent expedition, did you hear?”
“I’ve received a report from Achim. I couldn’t quite believe it at first… Apparently, Lady Cornelia defeated over a hundred Goblins by herself…”
“That’s right.”
I acknowledged that Achim’s report was not mistaken by giving a solemn nod.
“Good heavens…”
Even though it was his son’s words, he must have been half-convinced, half-doubting. Old Man muttered as if gasping.
“So, however… The problem is how Cornelia will be perceived by the people of the territory. I want to protect Ria’s heart.”
Power that is too strong breeds fear. If Cornelia becomes a symbol of fear, it will undoubtedly have a negative impact on her heart.
I won’t let that happen! I want to protect not only Cornelia’s body but her heart as well!
“As an initial response, imposing a gag order is conceivable, but…”
“But, they also say you can’t put a door on people’s mouths. If we impose a gag order, we might be suspected of having something to hide.”
Besides, Cornelia is very happy that she was able to defeat the Goblins this time. Cornelia, who was bedridden for many years, feels apologetic about that.
“With this, I won’t let them call me a burden to Baumgarten anymore!”
Anna, who was once Cornelia’s personal maid, probably said that to her. I really can’t forgive that Anna. I want to execute her right now.
But Cornelia’s goal is to prove Anna wrong. If I execute her without permission, Cornelia would probably worry about it.
Cornelia is too kind.
Moreover, Cornelia recognizes that defeating the Goblins was a good thing. It was the first time Cornelia, who was always unable to move from her bed, was able to do something helpful for everyone by herself.
If we were to impose a gag order on that, what would Cornelia think?
She might worry that what she did was wrong.
That said, it’s also unforgivable for the people of the territory to forget the debt of being saved by Cornelia and view her with prejudice.
Now, what to do…?
Even so, there aren’t many moves we can make from our side.
“Perhaps the priority is to take the initiative and create a foundation for Cornelia’s achievements to be viewed positively…”
We could announce from our side that Cornelia defeated as many as a hundred Goblins, and at that time, say something like, “Cornelia, who has been blessed with such a powerful Gift, is beloved by the gods. With Cornelia here, there’s no longer any need to fear monsters. Come, let us all praise Cornelia!”
It would be good if we could steer things in that direction…
Originally, because it’s a landlocked island surrounded by mountains, the Baumgarten Territory suffers a lot of monster damage. In the past, villages have even been destroyed. Transportation is also poor, and since there aren’t any monsters that would bring in money, adventurers don’t come.
We didn’t have a standing army either, so we had no choice but to defend ourselves, but Cornelia’s existence might become the hope of the people of the territory.
Once her position is solidified, it’s highly probable that Cornelia will be accepted.
Because people believe what they want to believe.