Chapter 82: Seven's Beat (1)

Chapter 82: Seven's Beat (1)

The capitalno, the former capital of Volden Province, Volden.

(TL Note: Yep, remember that the province and former capital city of Volden has the same name.)

Tullius Shernan Oubeniel, who had recently inherited the lordship, chose to maintain Marlan, his old home base, as the administrative center of the province, which had led to the city falling into rapid decline. However, plans for the redevelopment of the roads within the territory had just begun, and there was also the necessity to prioritize the recovery from the war damage of the previous years before anything else. For these reasons, the city of Volden was still the key transportation hub of the province. Consequently, the delegation sent from Omnia would also have to pass through this city, and the meeting with the provincial lord, Tullius, would take place here.

The meeting location was the former lord's residence, coincidentally the place where Elisha had met him for the first time last summer. It was an old, somewhat dilapidated mansion perched on a small hill away from the city.

(How can I put it... It's even shabbier than I expected, or should I say, run-down?)

(Nante iu ka omotta yori mo boroi tte iu ka, shoboi?)

Although he thought it was rude, Yuuto couldn't help but have that impression as he stepped into the mansion. He had imagined that a promising new marquis and the ruler of three provinces would have a grand and opulent estate. However, upon entering, he found the interior to be extremely modest. As far as he could see, the furniture and furnishings were minimal, and there were even sun-bleached marks on the wallpaper where it seemed like paintings and ornaments had been removed. It felt as though the mansion had either been seized by debt collectors or abandoned hastily, resembling the aftermath of a hurried departure.

"Well, it's quite embarrassing. This mansion was supposed to be vacated by the end of this year"

Iya, o-hazukashii. Kono yakata wa kotoshi-chuu ni hikiharau yotei datta mono deshite

The man who appeared to be one of the lord's retainers, tasked with guiding the diplomatic delegation, explained while repeatedly wiping his face with a handkerchief.

Even Yuuto had the impression that a noble, and a high-ranking one at that, were wealthy. In fact, in this world, being a marquis meant they were in a position to enjoy a significantly affluent lifestyle. The fact that he would showcase such a bare and empty mansion to foreign diplomatic envoys seemed rather shameful.

"This is quite something. 'Wretched is the lot of a government official', was it?"

Taihen na mono da. Sumajiki wa miyazukae, ka.

(TL Note: This is what Elisha said: , which is a proverb in Japanese that means 'It is better to work for oneself than to work for someone else', but when translated literally it's 'Wretched is the lot of a government official'.)

Elisha beside him blurted out, but even if she said that, Yuuto wasn't quite sure how to respond. After all, wasn't she in a position of a government official herself?

Yuuto tried to evade the question by wearing a vague, wry smile.

"Count, no, Marquis Oubeniel-dono holds quite a distinguished position, doesn't he?"

buniru-hakushaku, ie koushaku-dono wa zuibun to ii o-mibun na no desu na?

Suddenly, one of the members of the delegation who had been guided alongside him chimed in.

"To think that he would make us wait like this after coming all the way from Omnia... I wonder what could be the reason for that. What do you say, uhh"

Harubaru Omunia kara maitta ware-ra o, kou mo mataserareru to wa hatashite ikaga na jijou dearu no yara. Dou na no desu ka, eetto

"My name is Laubert."

Rubru to moushimasu.

(TL Note: Ohhh Laubert I missed you!!!)

"ah, yes, Laubert-dono. We're very curious to hear an explanation for that."

sou sou, Rubru-dono. Zehi tomo sono atari no setsumei o ukagaitaku omoimasu naa.

They're starting again, Yuuto thought, as he felt a sense of annoyance. The priests within this delegation were generally of this nature. It was said that Cardinal Emilio Callandra had a hand in their selection, but they were most likely his entourage. There's a saying that dogs resemble their owners, and it seemed to hold true here.

"Well, we deeply apologize for the inconvenience. However, I believe he will arrive from Marlan in no time, so"

Iya, sono ten wa makoto ni moushiwake arimasen. Desu ga, mou ma mo naku Maruran no hou kara kaketsukeru to omoimasu no de

"Even so, it's quite odd that he didn't station himself in this mansion. We did inform you in advance that our delegation would be passing through your territory, didn't we?"

Ikura nan demo kono yashiki ni tsumete inai to iu no wa okashii deshou. Jizen ni ware-ra shisetsu-dan ga ryounai o tsuuka suru to no tsuutatsu wa, o-tsutae shita hazu na no desu ga?

"Exactly. At this rate, the extent of his lordship's piety will be knooops, I spoke too much."

Masa ni. Kore dewa ano gojin no shinjin no teido ga shireotto, kotoba ga sugimashita ka na.

"We're terribly sorry."

Sumimasen.

Yuuto marveled internally at the bureaucrat, who introduced himself as Laubert, who kept bowing his head with a perfectly blended expression between forced smile and gratitude amidst the barrage of verbal attacks.

(If it were me, I'd definitely lose my temper along the way.)

(Ore dattara, zettai tochuu de kireteru na.)

It was truly commendable to keep dealing with them, even in the midst of being surrounded by such haughty and vexing individuals, all without displaying the slightest revulsion.

Then, at that moment,

"Stop this."

O-yamenasai.

Irmaella, the representative of the delegation, raised her voice firmly.

"Originally, the decision to send this delegation was rather sudden. Imposing ourselves upon someone as busy as the lord of three provinces and relying on his generosity, it is us who should be in his debt, don't you think so? Furthermore, to insist on immediate personal hospitality, it seems somewhat presumptuous in my estimation."

Moto moto, konkai no shisetsu haken ga kimatta no ga kyuu na koto na no desu. Sore o san-shuu no taishu to iu o-isogashii kata no shita ni oshikake, sono go-koui ni amaete iru no wa watashi-tachi no hou na no dewa? Kono ue, hayaku jiki jiki no kantai o to semaru nado, isasaka samoshii furumai ni omoeru no desu ga.

She spoke with an air of detachment that contrasted starkly with her usual meekness. In her presence, she embodied the image of a nun suitable to be dubbed the saintess of the present age by the people of the church.

"Irmaella-sama B-but"

Irumaerra-sama Shi, shikashi

"But what?"

Shikashi, nan desu?

"No, it's nothing."

Ie, nan demo arimasen.

In the end, she managed to prevail over her older subordinates and make them withdraw.

Her purity and unwavering determination bore no resemblance to her unpleasant father. If anything, these corrupt priests seemed more fitting to be Callandra's children. Not to mention her looks, it was fortunate that she really didn't look like him at all.

(Why am I trying to see her in a favorable light?)

(Tte, nande koitsu no koto o ii you ni kangaeyou to shite iru nda yo.)

Yuuto chastised himself for starting to feel a slight fondness for her.

He mustn't forget. It was Irmaella who had performed the hero summoning and dragged him into this world. He could harbor some resentment towards her, but there was no reason to hold her in high esteem. He reminded himself not to be swayed just because she had a somewhat cute face.

Beneath the deep hood that concealed his face, Yuuto went through various expressions when the distant sounds of hoofbeats, wheels, and neighing reached his ears.

"I apologize for the wait. It seems the master has finally arrived."

O-matase itashimashita. Youyaku shujin ga touchaku shita you desu.

Laubert must have heard it too, since he said it with a sigh of relief.

After a while, before the delegation who had been led to the miserable-looking reception room, came that person, walking in a somewhat hurried manner.

"Hello there, everyone from the Omnia Empire. I apologize for keeping you waiting. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm the lord of this land, Tullius Shernan Oubeniel."

Iyaa, Omunia koukoku no mina-san, o-matase shite moushiwake arimasen. O-hatsu o-me ni kakarimasu, boku ga touchi no ryoushu, Turiusu shurnan buniru desu.

The man who appeared was not as big a deal as he had imagined. Yuuto had expected someone older, given his prestigious title as a marquis, but his cheerfully smiling face was brimming with youth. He couldn't have been more than in his early twenties. While his appearance was pleasant enough, it lacked a certain imposing presence, appearing more nondescript than handsome. If he hadn't been dressed in fine, noble attire and adorned with numerous expensive-looking accessories like rings and the likes, he could have easily passed for a foreign exchange student in Japan.

(Isn't Elisha-san being a bit too threatening?)

Shikashi henkyou haku-kakka. Rouhou mo gozaimasu.

The kneeling retainer spoke, trying to provide a glimmer of hope.

"The mercenaries who responded to our call are indeed small in number, but instead, there is a promising individual among them."

Yobikake ni oujita youhei wa sukunaku gozaimasu ga, sono bun, kitai ga moteru mono ga orimashita.

"Oh?"

Hou?

The Margrave raised an intrigued eyebrow. Mad mercenaries who willingly joined the fight against Heiderlecht were either desperate to the point of being unable to choose their enemy or battle-thirsty warriors seeking formidable opponents. It seemed that his subordinates had found the latter among the gathered mercenaries.

"A mercenary group that claims to come from Canales has an elven mage in their possession, whom they keep as a slave."

Kanaresu kara kita to iu youhei-dan ga, erufu no madou-shi o dorei to shite kakaete orimasu.

"An elven mage!"

Erufu no madou-shi!

Speaking of mages, they were living weapons capable of taking out several people at once with a single incantation from a distance. Just having one of them as an ally was more reassuring than having ten or even a hundred ordinary soldiers. And if that mage happened to be an elf with exceptional magical abilities, they might even have the potential of a force equivalent to a thousand. It was only natural to have such high expectations.

"But, a slave, huh? I've heard that elf slaves are difficult to control, though."

Da ga, dorei ka? Erufu no dorei wa oshi nikui to kiku ga.

"It's true that their proficiency in magic means they could potentially remove the obedience collar. However, from what I observed, I believe there's no need to worry about that."

Mahou ni takete iru to iu koto wa, fukujuu no kubiwa o kaijo sareru osore mo arimasu kara na. Shikashi, watashi no mita tokoro dewa sono shinpai wa go muyou ka to.

According to his retainer, it appeared that the elf slave in question had been thoroughly tamed by their owner, a mercenary. The slave's expression had lost all signs of vitality, and they obediently followed orders without needing to use the magic in their collar. It seemed like they had undergone extremely subtle and harsh training.

"But it makes me worried instead Can a slave who has been mentally broken to that extent be useful in actual combat?"

Gyaku ni fuan da na Soko made kokoro o orareta dorei ga, jissen de yaku ni tatsu ka?

In matters of life and death, it was not just about physical strength, skills, and intelligence; the mental aspect played a crucial role. Many ancient military texts persistently emphasized the importance of soldiers' morale. On a battlefield where both allies and enemies put their lives on the line, unwavering determination in critical moments was essential. The wellspring of that determination was the will to survive. Soldiers who had too much of it could be troublesome, attempting to escape or refusing orders out of fear for their own lives, but having too little was also problematic. It would be unbearable since they would calmly accept their demise, potentially dragging their allies to death.

Furthermore, slaves who obeyed out of fear could easily lose control when subjected to even greater fear. If they had been following orders because they were scared and then were commanded to act against an even more terrifying force, they might not remain as obedient as they were before. This was what concerned the margrave.

However, his retainer smiled confidently.

"If there were just one elf slave, there might be cause for concern as you mentioned. However, the mercenary group in question has five elves in their service."

Erufu no dorei ga hitori to araba, sono you na kigu mo gozaimashou. Desuga, kudan no youhei-dan wa go-nin kara naru erufu o kakaete orimasu.

"Five!?"

Go!?

The margrave widened his eyes as if he couldn't believe it. Elven slaves were expensive, and it was possible to build a new fortress or two in the margravateand a splendid one at thatwith the price of just one. To buy a group of five of them at once, the financial resources required for that were unimaginable.

"Are these individuals truly a mercenary group? They wouldn't be trying to sell us slaves under the guise of mercenaries, would they?"

Sono mono-ra, hontou ni youhei-dan ka? Yomoya dorei no oshiuri nado dewa arumai na.

His concerns took an unusual turn. With such substantial wealth at their disposal, they didn't need to engage in a risky and potentially unrewarding profession like being mercenaries. They could purchase property in a peaceful countryside, surrounded by the elven slaves, and enjoy their retirement in peace. Or if they needed more money, they could always sell one of the five elves. If they desired more wealth, they would be better off engaging in a legitimate business. Normally, one would opt for one of these routes.

"No, without a doubt, they are mercenaries. And they are quite the battle enthusiasts. I had a meeting with their unit leader, and the impression I got was that he was very much a rough-and-ready type. He can endure the smoke and dust of the battlefield, but he can't endure the peaceful life that comes with gold and women."

Ie, magire mo naku youhei desu. Sore mo soutou na sen-kurui to mimashita. Butai o hikiiru mono to mendan shimashita ga, sono inshou wa tadashiku ara ni shite no. Senjin ni nureru tekkaba ni wa taeraredo, kane ya onna de erareru annon nado ni wa taerarenu to itta fuzei desu.

"Well, that's something."

Nanto mo maa

The margrave let out a sigh, a mixture of amazement and exasperation. He was struck by the peculiar persuasiveness of it all.

The belief that the more insane you were, the stronger you became was a famous jinx in adventurer circles. This could apply to other fields as well. Incomprehensible talents could be perceived as madness, or they might be obtained at the cost of one's sanity. To have the financial means to acquire expensive slaves and yet continue to immerse oneself in a dangerous job like being a mercenary was nothing short of madness. Moreover, to survive while being insane meant that their talents were most likely genuine.

"Well, it seems they could become powerful aids."

Sore wa mata, kyouryoku na suketto ni narisou dewa nai ka.

"Yes, indeed."

De, arimashou.

"Then, where are these mercenaries? I'm rather curious and would like to see them in person."

Shite, sono youhei wa doko da? Sukoshi kyoumi ga waita. Kao o mite okitai.

When the margrave urged to arrange an audience, the retainer seemed somewhat hesitant.

"Well, as luck would have it, they're currently recruiting."

Sore ga, oriwaruku bohei ni dete orimasu.

"What? They're recruiting?"

Nani? Bohei to na?

"It seems that they injured their foot soldiers in their previous job, and they're looking to make up for that."

Nan demo, izen no shigoto de zouhyou o sokonatta yue, sono hoten ga shitai to ka.

As mercenaries engage in combat as their profession, a reduction in their numbers is unavoidable with each job they undertake. Some may die in wars, others may suffer injuries that render them incapable of continuing, or some might succumb to the fear of battle and desert. Thus, there's a need to replenish the ranks with new recruits.

"If it's for those reasons, then it can't be helped. Let them know they should visit once they return."

Sono you na riyuu deareba, shikatanakarou. Kikan shitara kao o dasu you, tsutaete oke.

"Understood."

Ha.

With the retainer taking his leave, the margrave rested his chin on his hand.

He was also a warrior from St. Gallen, the land of forests and elite soldiers. Controlling such fierce fighters as mentioned in the report would be challenging, but at the same time, he liked it. To have five elves attending to them in the midst of battle, they must be an unapologetic war lover. Such individuals were undoubtedly greedy, rapacious, arrogant, and most importantly, strong. To face, interact with, and have them under their command was an honor for any warrior.

He chuckled while thinking about encountering such a yet unknown strong warrior that had joined under him.

"Hiring recruits in our battle-impending region, huh. Most of the able-bodied population has likely been taken into the army In that case, those mercenaries would go on a wild goose chase, I assume."

Gassen no sematta waga ryou de bohei ka. Chouhei ni taru dake no tami wa, sudeni arakata ga gun ni torarete iru kamo shirenai ga da to shitara, kudan no youhei ni wa muda ashi o fumaseta koto ni naru na.

If they seem to be struggling, depending on the outcome of the meeting, he might consider allocating some of his own troops. Regardless, having five elven mages is an extraordinary asset. He considered that he should extend them some convenience.

He eagerly anticipated meeting these mercenaries.

However, his expectations were about to be shattered in the worst way possible.

~~~

To be continued...

TL Note:

Yea new 'masterpiece' lesgoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

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