CH 21

༺ If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (3) ༻

If a family has been harmed due to a mistake by the Prosecutor’s Office, you have to offer a benefit that goes beyond what the family lost. That’s what I learned before joining the Prosecutor’s Office. It meant that there were many families that the Prosecutor’s Office had affected mistakenly.

However, from the perspective of a family that has been mistakenly prosecuted, cursing their situation seems to be inevitable. The problem was that the families that could actually resist until it was proved that they were innocent were few in number. Most of them died almost instantly.

This is why Earl Yorun was fortunate, as was I. The Earl Yorun managed to survive and received substantial compensation. I dodged the bullet of receiving the title ‘The guy who blew up an Innocent Earl.’ There was an Executive Manager who, by mistake, blew up 5 or 6 families, and he ended up being executed.

“Oppa, are you alright? Your expression seems dark.”

“Ah, I’m alright. It’s nothing.”

Louise’s worried expression brought me back to my senses.

It seemed like my expression had turned grim as I remembered a situation that still made me nervous. 

That’s why I made the 3rd Manager stick his head on the ground in front of everyone. If things went worse, he wouldn’t have gotten executed, but he still would have received a huge punishment.

So it was no surprise that I felt weird after realizing that the daughter of Earl Yorun, the victim of that incident, is friends with Louise.

‘It feels like she knows that I’m the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor’s Office…’

Irina stopped Louise from keeping me there the first day I met Louise when I wanted to leave. At first, I just thought that she was a quick-witted girl. But now that I think about it, she was just afraid of me.

Of course, I had sent the 3rd Manager to Earl Yorun’s house and made him ask for forgiveness and give him the appropriate compensation. I also sent a letter myself expressing my regret and apologized to him. And everything had ended well officially. But from Irina’s point of view, the leader of the organization that almost destroyed her family had appeared before her. I had nothing to say, even if she became scared of me.

“Now that I think about it, Irina sometimes asks about oppa. Do you know each other?”

I almost sighed after hearing Louise’s question. Irina’s probably scared that someone she doesn’t even want to see in her dreams is hanging out with her best friend. She probably asked in fear of meeting me.

“No. She probably asks because she’s surprised that the Prosecutor is working as an advisor.”

I couldn’t just say, ‘My subordinate almost destroyed your best friend’s family.’ But Louise started to get suspicious. She’s probably worried that I have a problem with her friend, and she wouldn’t be wrong if she thought that. Which was unfortunate.

‘Should I go talk to her?’

Damn it. That’s probably going to make her even more afraid. But to improve the relationship, I should at least try to talk to her.

While Louise looked at me with suspicion, I couldn’t say anything.

The day I received sharp looks from Louise, I received a contact through a communication device I had obtained recently as I felt sorry about using the Vice Principal as a messenger.

“Sir Villar? What makes you call me during such hours?”

“I apologize,  I’ve made the call despite knowing I couldn’t bother you.”

What Villar told me was a tragic story.

As the three essential people from other countries decided to picnic outside the Academy, their bodyguards couldn’t stay still. But the three of them had refused until the end.

‘Are they stupid?’

That was my first thought after Villar finished.

The bodyguards were in charge of protecting them at the expense of their lives if necessary. There was no way they would stay behind just because you told them not to follow you. But from the point of view of the bodyguards, the ones they had to protect kept refusing. So they were put in quite a tricky situation.

Sir Villard had called me to tell me this bad news.

How could they even refuse to be watched from a distance? Even if I had completely cleaned the Dungeon, not even I knew what could happen. I had agreed to go on a picnic because I thought the bodyguards would accompany us. There was no way I was willing to do all of the protecting.

I almost cried, looking at Sir Villar’s expression. Because the higher-ups were idiots, those that were underneath them suffered. That fact was also applicable to other countries besides the Empire.

That’s why I suggested that the bodyguards hide in the forest near the hills where we would have the picnic. From there, they could easily figure out if someone else was there. And from the outside, they couldn’t tell that their bodyguards were there.

“It should be perfect for hiding.”

– Thanks for your suggestion. 

I didn’t feel like this was something worthy of being grateful for, so I replied with a smile. It made no sense that the bodyguards had to hide from the people they had to protect in the first place. If someone outside saw the situation, they would think they were assassins. Those bastards.

While sharing the pain of those underneath, we silently cut the call.

The non-awaited morning of the picnic came. Erich and Louise said they would bring the food that would be eaten while looking at the cherry blossoms, so all I had to do was go to the picnic. 

But I wasn’t relaxed because of the conversation that took place yesterday. Is this what they called plus-minus equals zero? I’d rather struggle physically.

I felt sad looking at the bodyguards marching toward the forest in the early morning. I said that if they were found out, they should tell them they came to subjugate the Dungeon as there was a Dungeon after all…

After hearing the word Dungeon, Villar made an expression that seemed like he would go running at any moment. So I told him I had already subjugated it yesterday. His face changed after hearing that. Then he said thanks for the consideration. It was nothing. We civil servants should help each other out.

“Since everyone is here, let’s go.”

Unlike the bodyguards that left early in the morning, the pastry club members left in a carriage provided by the Vice Principal once it was time for the picnic. It was one where the six of them could ride comfortably. I sat next to the coachman.

I noticed the coachman’s body was trembling, but I felt he understood my situation. Not even I feel comfortable staying next to those six. He stopped trembling almost immediately when I gave him a couple of silver coins.

“I’ll take you there as fast as possible!”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Safety first.”

I didn’t mention that if a single person inside the carriage got hurt, he would lose his neck.

Anyway. After he became less anxious, he seemed more motivated. As expected, the money treatment is the best; that was something I learned from Duke Gold.

After that, I sat silently next to the coachman. He’d just managed to relax. So if I tried to initiate a conversation, he would become nervous again. But since the coachman became silent, I could hear the conversation from inside.

“Dungeons appear out of nowhere on the fields, sometimes.”

What kind of bastard is talking about the Dungeon flag I already solved? Is it you, Rutis? Judging by the voice, that seems to be the case. He caused quite a bit of trouble due to his mouth in the original novel.

“Isn’t that the reason why artifacts were made? It’s become hard to see Dungeons since a few years ago.”

This time, it was Lather who stuck some nails in my heart. That’s right. It’s rare to see Dungeons, and I never imagined one would appear here at this time.

“I’ve never seen a Dungeon. What kind of place is it?”

“Ms. Louise, it’s better for you not to see one. The beasts inside the Dungeon are quite aggressive.”

For some reason, the flow of the conversation changed to Dungeons. So Louise and Ainter also kept talking about them. He probably didn’t want to miss the opportunity to continue a conversation.

“There’s a record that says that even a small Dungeon needs at least 10 soldiers guided by an experienced soldier to subjugate it.”

“Woah, there’s a record like that?”

“The Dungeon emerged in our territory after the development of artifacts, so we were quite surprised.”

I’d also heard what Erich had said. Was it 10 years ago? That’s why Lord Krasius was made fun of by his friends. They asked what one has to do so a Dungeon opens in your territory.

But surprisingly, soon, a Dungeon appeared in the territory of his friend that had made fun of him. So the lord of the Krasius family didn’t let the opportunity to make fun of him go.

“Well. That’s from the perspective of soldiers; I’m sure we should easily be able to subjugate a Dungeon.”

‘What a son of a bitch.’

After hearing what Rutis said, I almost jumped inside the carriage. Leaving the subjugation aside, if one of them got hurt while doing that, all their bodyguards would lose their necks. A minor bad decision by the higher-ups can cause an earthquake to their subordinates.

This is what’s wrong with the people who had everything given to them since birth. They can’t understand those that are underneath them.

I closed my eyes. Let’s just sleep until we arrive there.

“We’ve talked so much about Dungeons that it makes me want to explore one!”

“…”

I didn’t hear anything because I was sleeping. What a bastard.

During the journey to the picnic spot, I couldn’t hold back my tears and cried inwardly.