Chapter 192: ???????????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????? (10)

Chapter 192: Nobles of the Capital (10)

Fortunately, Johan did not draw his sword and swing it around. No matter how irritating it was to be caught between the two tribes, Johan’s patience remained steadfast.

Johan mediated between the Hurik and royal folks. The two tribes, drunk as they were, had no choice but to accept Johan’s mediation.

“By the way, count, are you really working under the Emperor?”

“Is there a problem?”

“I find it hard to believe a warrior like the count working under the Emperor.”

Hurik spoke bluntly without hesitation. Yet he himself held the position of Vynashchtym and served the emperor.

But Hurik’s doubt was understandable. He had seen many imperial guards serving the emperor, but never a warrior like Johan.

Wherever he came from, bringing someone like him here was surprising indeed.

“Aren’t you working under the emperor as well?”

“Ah, that’s right!”

As if recalling something, Hurik slapped his palm with his fist.

“What a timely coincidence! count, here is a chance to repay me for saving your life.”

“?”

“I’m planning to ask the Emperor for more gold in exchange for the blood and iron I provide. What do you think if count comes along? For a warrior like yourself, shouldn’t he pile up gold to equal your weight?”

“. . . . . .”

Seeing Hurik so boldly suggest they pressure the Emperor, Johan grew a bit nervous.

‘He opens his mouth without asking, how carefree indeed. . .!’

“I have no complaints.”

Johan was almost entirely sincere. He had already obtained everything he wanted promised. With nothing left to desire, there was no reason to join hands with Hurik.

Moreover, hadn’t he come to stop Hurik from making trouble in the capital in the first place?

‘He starts talking before even asking. . . how convenient.’

“No complaints? There should be complaints! It’s warriors like me and my men who protect these Vynashchtym b*stards!”

Seeing the grumbling Hurik, Johan prepared his next question. Would he really answer something like this obediently?

“Even if we just show up and make demands, they won’t listen. Do you have some kind of plan?”

“Count! Do you take me for a fool? Of course I have a plan! Among the nobles in the capital, there are those who have offered to help me, they will aid in persuading the Emperor.”

“Oh.”

Johan nodded. There were also many nobles related to the republic side, so it was no surprise that there were imperials related to the duchy side.

“I’m curious who it is. Can you tell me their name?”

“If the count is curious, I can at least let you know that much. Hey. Bring it here.”

The attendant looked at Hurik in dismay. When the imperials contacted Hurik, they must have thought their identities would obviously be kept secret.

Isn’t that a given!

The duchy needed someone in the capital who could argue on their behalf, and the imperials needed military force in case of emergency. It was a good deal for both sides, which is why they joined hands in the first place. . .

“You’re not bringing it!!?”

“I will, I will bring it.”

The attendant who knew Hurik’s temper hurriedly ran off. Even if the royals caused a commotion later, his neck was on the line right now.

‘The bear beastmen are. . . more uncouth elves.’

Even when elves used coarse language, they still acted with basic courtesy. It was the result of deeply ingrained customs. The blood may be hot but the accumulated honor bound them like shackles.

In contrast, the bear beastmen simply blurted out whatever came to mind and did as they pleased, unrestricted. Put together, the two seemed quite similar.

Johan took the name and nodded.

“I see. It’s them.”

The most dangerous people to be warned against and driven out as soon as they returned to the capital!

“Hurik-gong. These people cannot be trusted much. They are the kind to gobble you up when useful and spit you out when not.”

“It’s not like I have tremendous faith in those b*stards either. But they’re still useful so I join hands with them! Until I get what I want, don’t I have to hold hands with those oily pigs sometimes?”

“Of course, but if it’s not disadvantageous, what’s the point in doing that? When there are more trustworthy partners.”

“Who?”

“Is he not in front of you?”

“Huh. . . the count? The count will help me?”

“No, it’s just. . . I can’t properly demonstrate the magic in a setting like this!”

“Ah. Because of the summoned monsters?”

Johan understood what Jyanina meant. While the duchy people might accept it, some of the imperials might freak out.

“Can you not just end this gathering somehow?”

“It’s possible but didn’t you want the duchy to recognize your abilities? If you just end it here, they will never recognize you no matter what you say in the future, you know?”

“Not as important as my life.”

“I see. I can do at least that much.”

Being seen as a braggart was better than dying. Jyanina sighed in relief. It was the first time she felt so relieved to have an acquaintance with the count.

No matter where you went, it was difficult in many ways without connections to the influential people there. Thankfully Johan was there, otherwise if she made a mistake. . .

━Pfft hahahaha! What? Really? Something so ridiculous. . .

━Even the shaman in our town wouldn’t make such a mistake!

‘What the hell did he say. . .?’

Seeing the duchy people burst into laughter at Johan’s words, she became uneasy.

Just what did he say?

????????????????????????

As soon as Johan returned to the capital, he acted like lightning. After speaking to the emperor, he arrested the nobles who were involved in this incident.

“Even if we don’t kill them because of other people’s gaze, we should at least confiscate their assets and exile them.”

The emperor also agreed. Johan called on the nobles he had befriended and suggested dividing up the assets some of the nobles had.

At the same time, he also called on the nobles he had gotten close with during this hunt and instigated them.

You may share the same dragon blood, but that doesn’t make you the same people. Their disappearance will not threaten the public. If you help me with this matter, I will not forget your kindness.

As long as he had backing, Johan could practically do anything in the capital. After all, he was the one who practically commanded the soldiers.

The suddenly arrested nobles were so confused that they couldn’t even make proper excuses.

━What is the meaning of this, count! The nobles are. . .

━I have persuaded the nobles.

━The other nobles. . .

━I have also persuaded the other nobles.

━. . .That makes no sense!

“If you don’t believe it, feel free to check. But now, the only thing you can do is to either quietly admit your crime and be exiled, or resist to the end and be executed. The choice is yours.”

━The duchy. . .

“I have also persuaded the people of the duchy, so stop bringing that up.”

“!!!”

The nobles could only gape at Johan’s words that he had taken all of the allied troops that had come into contact with him. They couldn’t understand what kind of magic this foreigner had used.

‘I told these assholes to go hunting and keep them in check, but what the hell are they doing?! Not a single word from them!’

Even if the nobles had been bribed, it was hard to believe that the nobles who had participated in the hunt had just stayed still. If something like this had happened, they should have noticed earlier and reported it.

They couldn’t even imagine that Johan had perfectly roasted the nobles who had participated in the hunt in that short time.

Having finished his work, Johan was able to heave a sigh of relief. He can take it easy with work now.

“Now I can relax a bit.”

Gaoalkana looked at Johan in awe.

Johan’s actions over the past few days had been nothing short of impressive. The way he enthusiastically cleaned up Vynashchtym one by one was almost like a portrait of a consummate politician.

“I. . . didn’t think I could do much. But seeing Johan makes me change my mind a bit.”

“Now that you know, are you going to behave more diligently from now on?”

“Yes. I promise.”

Seeing an outsider devote himself to the work as if it were his own caused even the usually wanton Gaoalkana to feel a sense of shame.

“You’d better not run away at night.”

“. . . . . .”

Gaoalkana was about to throw the glass she was holding, but stopped herself. She had just made a serious resolution, and yet. . .