Chapter 1.19 - Kind and Cruel

Chapter 19: Kind and Cruel 

As I walked along Sigren to the square, I contemplated Able’s intentions for this task. Of course, I knew Abel giving me this task to solve my problems. However, no matter what, to hand over the lord’s authority to a girl would raise other’s suspicion.

‘Honestly, wouldn’t Jeron be better than me?’

At the very least, with Jeron, everything could have made things more smooth. Because I could tell just by looking at the gazes of people looking at me as I went to the square. Puzzled, surprise, doubt, ridicule… no matter how dull someone’s nerves were, it was hard to ignore such a blatant gaze, especially for kids. Because at this moment, I felt very uncomfortable.

After all, this was a child’s body.

‘Well.. I just need to take care what I was ordered to do.’

So I had no choice but to put the thought of Abel’s intention in the back of my head. What was right in front of me at the moment was more urgent.

First of all, how to punish was the most problematic. In fact, the amount of punishment to punish these mercenaries who caused the incident was very important.

It had to be a literal example. So it could be a warning that if someone did the same thing, they too would end up like this. Moreover, there were many foreign mercenaries at the Fourth Wall. If this went well, it could help to bring the town to justice.

However, if it was too weak, it would have the opposite effect. If the opponent who has done the wrong thing got more than the loss or ends up with minor punishment, other people would usually think ‘then, i can do it too.’

That was what human psychology was.

I pondered on how to match the northern way of thinking.

As Abel said, it was not an exaggeration to say that the enemy would pay back ten times more. Rather, I saw the situation of being punished more than that. If someone was caught stealing, the punishment could not always be cut the wrists.

However, this case could not be finished if it was not at that certain level.

‘As expected, maybe cutting is the answer…’

I glanced at Sigren who was walking next to me. Looking at him, I felt that I should have just told him to go back.

‘Or maybe banish them out of the walls?’

Heilon was a duchy where the monsters crowded just a little outside the wall. Banishing ordinary people with nothing on their hands meant they would be the meal of the monsters.

I nodded at myself. These two punishments were very appropriate. Not that they got two of the punishments simultaneously. Rather, those mercenaries could choose which of the two punishments. At least they had the right to choose what they will receive at their own expense.

“Fiona, we’re here.”

“Huh? Ah.. that’s right.”

I looked up at Sigren’s words.

People gathered in the village square. Some had already heard the rumors and whispered about me.

“That girl is the Duke’s representative?”

“I wonder what the Duke is thinking…”

They talked so loudly that Sigren, who was next to me, made an angry expression.

I gently grabbed his wrist to calm him down and looked straight ahead.

“Can you get out of my way?”

“….”

The villagers then continued to open the way with a long face.

Sigren glanced at me while grumbling.

“Aren’t you upset with this situation?”

“Being angry won’t solve anything.”

“Alright… anyway, good speed.”

Even if he said that Sigren stood beside me with a vigilant look. He looked like a knight escorting me.

‘Even though he is still young, he’s a male protagonist after all.”

I wanted to pat him on the head because I was proud of him, but the situation was not favorable.

“Wait!”

At the time, as soon as I heard a soft voice in the crowd, someone grabbed my hand.

“It’s okay.” I whispered to Sigren, blocking him who was about to jump out defensively.

The person who caught my hand was a woman in her mid-twenties. I couldn’t see any hostility in the clear eyes that stared straight at me.

She lowered her back and put herself at my eye level.

“Young lady, I don’t know who made you take on such a rough job…. They’re not easy people.”

It was words containing pure worries without any pretense.

“But, don’t you feel uncomfortable when people like them run around in the village?”

The woman slowly opened her mouth.

“Even so.. I can’t just watch a child deal with such a dangerous people.”

Right, I was just a normal kid on the outside. These kinds of pure worries should naturally come to me. And actually, I felt that getting this kind of pure concern was not that bad.

“It’s fine.”

I laughed softly. Perhaps she wanted to give me at least a warning because it seemed like to her I was just going without knowing anything.

“May I ask your name is?”

“Char….Charlotte”

“Thanks for your concern, Charlotte.”

I let go of Charlotte’s grip gently. Seeing my resolute statement, Charlotte stepped back even though hesitation was still on her face. I think she now realized that she had no right to meddle anymore as I came as the Duke’s representative.

I looked at Charlotte for a moment and then walked out of the crowd.

When I came out to the very center of the square, I saw five mercenaries held by the soldiers.

Of course, they didn’t wait calmly.

“Damn it! Let go of me!”

“Ha! Without us, you guys would be the meal for monsters!”

To subdue one mercenary, almost two or three soldiers were used. Regardless of their ugly behavior, their physical strength seemed to be formidable.

A mercenary who spotted me spit and shouted. “What’s up with that kid?!”

There was also someone who was looking at Sigren next to me and grunted.

“What, there is also rice-thief? Are you still alive?”

“….” Sigren stared at them quietly.

I gently stroked the back of his hand as if to comfort him and walked forward.

All the mercenaries are huge. It was not an exaggeration to say that they were more than three time my body. They bullied ordinary people with that size of that body and abused young Sigren. In fact, there were more crimes they comitted beside bullying these people. Robbery, assault, harrasment of the women, it could be said they committed everything other than murder. If I were to recite them one by one, my mouth would hurt.

I stood in front of them and spoke cheerfully.

“I came under the order of Duke Abel Heilon. Please stop doing meaningless resistance.”

Otherwise, the soldiers would have trouble holding you.

I thought my words were nice to hear verbally, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be the case. The resistance grew stronger. In the end, one of the soldiers was even beaten by the elbow of the mercenary.

“Ugh…”

Indeed, it was the moment what Sigren told me earlier made sense. ‘Dont bother to use nice words.’

Anyway, I still thought we should use polite words at least one or two.

“Will you be quet?”

“What kind of little bastard are you dare to give me order?”

The man stood up and started yelling loudly that even his blood vessels was seen.

“YOU TREATED US LIKE THIS HUH?!?! IF THE ALL MERCENARIES LEAVE THE VILLAGE, YOU! ARE! ALL! OVER!”

“RIGHT! WHO STOPPED THE MONSTER WHEN THEY ATTACKED!”

“….”

I see… this conversation could not be done through words. I meekly gave up and moved the magic in the air.

BOOM!!

A lightning bolt fell right next to the mercenary who was running rampant. The mercenary fell down in shock for a moment. Well, everyone would also have the same reaction if a bolt of lightning struck right next to them.

“This.. what is this..” The mercenary muttered in embarrassment.

I looked around at the audience and opened my mouth. “Great. Everyone should also sit like this.. Or you do not want?”

Next, I clapped my hand lightly continually.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A second away after each of my clapped hands, a small but threatening lightning bolt fell indiscriminately on the floor next to the other four mercenaries. Pieces of rock bounced everywhere.

“….”

When I saw that the five mercenaries—unintentionally the soldier also—sit down, I smiled proudly.

“Be quiet, get down on your knees.”

I looked around and for some reason, the villagers in the plaza were also quiet.

It was weird though, there was no need for everyone to shut their mouth.

After I encountered Sigren’s eyes, whose face was stiffened, I looked forward again with an awkward smile at the sudden silence.

Anyway, thanks to this power, it became easier to proceed with the work. I should’ve done this earlier.