Chapter 83: The Visitor and the Reincarnator

Chapter 83: The Visitor and the Reincarnator

And then, the timeline returned to the present, at the time of the meeting between Tullius and the envoys of Omnia.

"Those slaves were imported from St. Gallen, you see."

Ano dorei-tachi wa, Zankutogaren kara yunyuushita mono desu yo.

Imported. The moment that word, treating humans like mere objects, reached Yuuto, a seed of displeasure rapidly sprouted within him. Tullius spoke with a tone that wasn't boasting about himself or looking down on others. It was calm, casual, and unassuming. Like observing a bird in the sky and thinking, "It's flying," Tullius naturally regarded slaves as objects. Such thinking seemed transparently evident.

(I see, so this is what Elisha-san meant by saying that he wouldn't fit in with us.)

(Naruhodo, Erisha-san ga ore-tachi to wa awanai tte iu wake da.)

There was no longer the initial reliefor perhaps contemptthat Yuuto felt upon their first encounter. The man sitting before him, despite wearing a harmless facade, was a dangerous being that there was no telling what kind of face he hid underneath. The moment this thought crossed his mind, a feeling of disgust rose up in his chest.

Glancing sideways, Irmaella, too, frowned at Tullius's words. However, the man himself continued with a smile, seemingly oblivious.

"After all, that country is in a state of constant internal conflict. It wouldn't be surprising if the victors often enslaved the people of the defeated side. The cause of the recent war with our country too, they say it was a food crisis caused by the fields being ravaged by monsters. Starving farmers selling their families to make ends meet This is also a common occurrence, isn't it?"

Nanibun, ano kuni dewa nairan tsuzuki desu kara ne. Katta-gawa ga maketa-gawa no tami o dorei ni otosu koto mo ooi nja nai deshou ka? Sore to sennen no waga kuni to no tatakai mo, mamono ni yotte tahata ga areta koto ni yoru shokuryou kiki da to iu ja arimasen ka. Kuenai noumin ga kuchiberashi ni kazoku o uru kore mo yoku aru koto deshou?

"Hmm? Nevertheless, it seems like you purchased quite a large number. I can't recall any historical examples of deploying such a multitude of slaves for farming."

Fuun? Sore ni shite mo zuibun na kazu o kaiireta you desu na. Are dake no dorei o toujita noujou nado, kokon ni rei ga arimasu mai.

In response to Elisha's words which didn't even try to hide her exasperation, he let out a small voice.

"Hahaha. Yes. Given that my territory suffered many casualties in the war, we face a shortage of manpower. Ensuring labor is an urgent task to fill that gap. So, I thought slaves would be a quick solution, simplistically speaking Well, we're investing heavily in reconstruction policies, so as you can see, we're letting go of various things to secure the budget."

Hahaha. Ee, nanibun waga ryouchi wa senshi-sha o ooku dashita koto de, hitode ga fusoku shite orimashite. Sono anaume no tame ni mo roudou-ryoku no kakuho wa kikkin no kadai. Naraba dorei ga tebaya karou to tanjun ni kangaeta made desu yo Maa, fukkou seisaku ni wa taimai o tataite imasu no de, goran no toori iroiro to tebanashite yosan o kumenshiteiru shidai deshite.

Saying this, he looked around the grand reception room, then scratched his cheek with a somewhat embarrassed expression. His gestures portrayed the image of an amiable and gentle young man. Only if one could close their ears to the inhumanity and cruelty in his words, though.

"Lord Marquis I apologize for overstepping my boundary, but could it be that you are treating the slaves somewhat harshly?"

Koushaku-kakka desugita koto o moushimasu ga, isasaka dorei no kata-tachi ni taishite koku na shiuchi o nasatte oide dewa nai deshou ka?

Irmaella said in a tense voice. Tullius then blinked in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

To, osshaimasu to?

"I observed along the way, and it seems that the slaves working in the fields are subjected to inhumane labor. No, let me be clear. Doesn't it appear that they are not merely made to work, but rather tormented under the guise of labor?"

Michisugara haiken shimashita ga, nouchi de hataraku dorei-tachi wa mutai na roudou o shiirareteiru you ni miukeraremasu. Iie, hakkiri to iimashou. Are dewa hatarakaseteiru to iu yori wa, roudou ni kakotsukete sainami kurushimerareteiru you dewa arimasen ka.

Yuuto also recalled the scenes outside the carriage that he witnessed, projecting the images on the back of his eyelids. The emaciated bodies clad in worn-out rags, the individuals swaying while being forced to work. There was a man carrying a water jug full to the brim all by himself. A child, exhausted and collapsing, being lifted up by a supervising farmer, even subjected to punishment. There was a woman dragged into the shadows by a lecherously smirking overseer. Along the path, countless bodies lay motionless like debris. And each of them wore a silver collar around their necks, the glint of which brought back nauseating memories.

The person responsible for all of this was...

"You mean 'that'? Good grief, it's troublesome, isn't it?"

Are desu ka. Mattaku, komatta mono desu yo ne.

He uttered as if it were someone else's problem entirely.

"Troublesome?"

Komatta, mono?

"Yes. Those slaves from St. Gallen are the ones given to Volden's farmers. I wanted them to be used well, but they just fought against us in the war last year, right? Perhaps due to their grudge from it, the people don't treat their slaves properly. They're valuable labor for us, so I'd prefer them not to be wasted, though."

Ee. Ano Zankutogaren-jin no dorei-tachi wa, vorudan no noumin ni ataeteiru mono desu. Umaku tsukatte hoshii tokoro nan desu ga, nanise kyonen ni sensou shita bakari no aite deshou? Sono urami no sei ka, tami-tachi mo dorei tsukai ga arakute ikenai. Kochira to shimashite mo kichou na roudou-ryoku desu kara, mudazukai wa sakete moraitai no desu kedo ne.

And then, he sighed deeply. There was definitely some grief there. Like an adult watching a child throw a tantrum and break a toy, or the lament of someone complaining about the waste of vegetables left uneaten by a picky child. 'It's a waste,' that kind of grief. There was not a trace of sympathy for the victims, an inhumane display of callousness. It truly made one sick to listen to. Irmaella must have felt the same, as she suddenly slammed the table and stood up.

"That that kind of statement is too much!"

Son'na son'na osshari you wa anmari desu!

"Yes?"

Hai?

"Even though they are slaves, aren't they still human beings!?"

Dorei to wa ie, onaji ningen dewa arimasen ka!?

"Well, you're right. But aren't they humans, for whom, no matter how their owners treat them, there would be no problem?"

Etto, sou desu ne. Demo, shoyuu-sha ga dou atsukatte mo mondai nai ningen deshou?

"No, that's not right! Treating people cruelly for no reason is something that should never happen!"

Sonna koto wa arimasen, hito ga hito o mui ni shiitageru nado, atte wa naranai koto desu!

"Sigh, I agree with you on that. That's why I mentioned it's troublesome."

Haa, sore ni wa boku mo doukan desu. Dakara komatta mono da to moushiageta no desu ga.

"Do you not try to do anything to resolve it?"

Kaiketsu o sareyou to wa nasaranai no desu ka?

"I do warn them whenever I inspect the rural areas. I told them to take better care of them. But the treatment of slaves is left to the discretion of the owners in the first place."

Boku mo nouson o shisatsu suru tabi ni chuui o shite wa imasu yo. Motto daiji ni tsukatte kudasai, tte. Demo dorei no atsukai kata wa shujin ni ichinin sareru mono desu shi.

It's useless, Yuuto thought. The conversation between these two was desperately mismatched. Tullius, who saw slaves only as tools to consume as labor, and Irmaella, who believed in the equality of slaves as humans who should eventually be liberated. Although their topic was the same, their perspectives were completely different. At this rate, the two would never come to an understanding.

And yet she was still trying to continue her vain argument.

"Even so, that's too cruel! In the first place, aren't slaves individuals who have committed sins or failed in their duties, and are therefore assigned the status of laborers to receive forgiveness? Even though they are working so hard and suffering so much like that"

Dakara to itte, are wa hidosugimasu! Somosomo dorei to wa, tsumi o okashitari gimu o hatasenakatta kata ga, yurushi o ukeru kueki to shite otosareru mibun deshou? Are hodo ni kurushimi, hataraiteiru to iu no ni

"Aah, that viewpoint was presented by Pope Domenico Vespucci in the 458th year of the Ascension Calendar, right? The one about contradiction between the teachings of Holy King's faith and the institution of slavery."

Aa, sono kenkai wa Domniko Vesubucchi-kyoukou ga nobori-reki shi go hachi-nen ni dasareta kenkai desu ne. Seiou kyou no hakuai no oshie to dorei-sei to no ma ni shoujiru mujun ni tsuite no.

"Huh? Yes."

E? Ee.

"'A slave is a form in which a sinner is bound by the yoke. The master of the slave demonstrates the resolve to act as the representative of the Lord with charitable donations and is a virtuous man or woman who has undertaken that duty. Therefore, the master of the slave has the right to judge and grant forgiveness for all aspects of their redemption and to determine all the hardships imposed on them.' was it. Is that correct?"

Dorei to wa, tsumi arishi mono ga kubiki ni tsunagareta sugata dearu. Dorei no aruji to wa, jouzai o motte tenshu no daikou taru kakugo o shimeshi, sono mi o hikiuketa zennan zen'yo dearu. Shikaraba, dorei no aruji wa sono shokuzai, sono kahi no issai o handan shi yurushi o atae, sono mi ni kasu kueki no issai o kettei suru kenri o yuusuru datta ka na. Atte imasu ka?

""

Irmaella was at a loss for words. Even she, who earnestly studied teachings and was even called the saint of the present time by the people, couldn't deny it. So, paradoxically, what Tullius stated might be correct.

"So, in other words, the tradition that allows owners to treat slaves as they wish is officially recognized by the Church, right? They are free to make their slaves suffer as much as they want to atone for the slaves' sins, and they are also free to never grant forgiveness until the slaves' death That's why I'm troubled. As long as the words of the Pope at that time guaranteed freedom, a mere marquis of a country's words can't stop the meaningless torment of the slaves by the peasants. Well, if the Church has announced a new viewpoint since then, it's a different story. In my memory, I don't recall such a thing, though."

Tsumari wa, shujin deareba dorei o dou atsukaouga jiyuu to iu kanrei wa, kyoukai ga seishiki ni mitometeiru wake desu yo ne? Tsumi no tsugunai to shite dore dake kurushimeyou to jiyuu, shinu made yurushi o ataenai no mo jiyuu dakara boku mo komatteirun desu yo. Touji no kyoukou no o-kotoba ga jiyuu o hoshou shiteiru ijou, taka ga ikkoku no koushaku-teido dewa, noumin-tachi no muimi na dorei ijime wa tomerarenain desu kara. Maa, are kara kyoukai ga mata atarashii kenkai o happyou sareteiru nara betsu desu keredo ne. Boku no kioku dewa, sonna koto wa nakatta to omoimasu ga.

After that, silence dominated the room.

Irmaella hung her head and remained silent. The ethics and indignation she believed in were betrayed by the teachings of the Church, their foundation. Tullius, with a somewhat weary look, seemed to be waiting for a counterargument. The people around were holding their breath, watching the situation. The priests of the envoy, Laubertthe so-called retainer of the marquis' family, the seemingly guard-like swordsmanall were waiting. The female slave in a maid's outfit too, like a statue, did not show any change in her expression, even though none other than her master had said that whether they are suffering or dying, the treatment of slaves is entirely at the discretion of the owner.

In terms of etiquette, this was a situation where Yuuto should yield. As a public emissary seeking an audience with the host for their stay, there was no valid reason for a mysterious figure hiding their face to be among the group. However, Yuuto still resisted. It wasn't just about not wanting this unpleasant person to remember his face; there was a deeper sense of unease. It felt as if meeting this person face to face would lead to something ominous, an unexplainable premonition. He was convinced that it would be extremely undesirable if this person were to see his face, though he couldn't pinpoint why.

However,

"Your Excellency's words are indeed valid Oi, quickly show your face. It would be impolite not to."

Koushaku-kakka no ouse wa shigoku mottomo Oi, hayaku kao o misenu ka. Burei dearou.

The priest's voice ordered while savoring the wine.

No matter how much he disliked it, Yuuto's position left him with no choice. Refusing would mean he would have no choice but to kick the seat and escape, but there was no guarantee that the other party would show leniency to someone who behaved suspiciously.

Reluctantly, Yuuto slowly lowered the hood that concealed his face.

"I am Yuuto Erimiya. Pleased to meet you."

Yuuto Erimiya desu. Douzo yoroshiku.

It was at that moment, when he begrudgingly introduced himself.

At the same time that his face, hair, skin, and eye color became apparent, the man who had maintained an enigmatic half-smile all along, for the first time, changed his expression.

"Y-you are"

Ki, kimi wa

His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth in astonishment. It was as if he had encountered something completely implausiblehis reaction was as if he had just seen a ghost. The color of his eyes rapidly shifted from shock to bewilderment, and then to something vaguely nostalgic.

Yuuto also felt perplexed. Certainly, in a world where Western features were common, his Eastern appearance as a Japanese person might be unusual. However, would it really warrant such a surprised reaction?

Suddenly, he felt a chilling sensation, different from the discomfort he sensed from Tullius. It was a foreboding cold that hinted at a more direct threat to life. Glancing to the side, he noticed that the woman named Uni was staring intently at him.

"It's okay, Uni. I was just a bit surprised."

Daijoubu da yo, Yuni. Chotto odoroita dake sa.

Simultaneously with those words, the cold sensation vanished as if it were a mere illusion. Yuuto reconsidered whether what he felt earlier was just a hallucination. Why did he sense an ominous feeling from a woman who was a complete stranger? He wasn't even a manga character who could detect murderous intent. Along with that somewhat-joking sentiment, the sense of crisis from earlier disappeared from his consciousness.

"Excuse me. I was caught off guard If you don't mind, would you like to talk later, Erimiya Yuuto-san?"

Shitsurei. Omotta yori men-kutte shimaimashite Yokattara, ato de yukkuri to o-hanashi shimasen ka, Erimiya Yuuto-san?

Rather than dwelling on that, the more pressing matter was the fact that Tullius was trying to hold a conversation with him in a surprisingly friendly manner.

"By the way, I heard you're not in a hurry to get married. Don't tell me you have that kind of hobby?"

Sou ieba kekkon o isoide wa inai to kiite ita ga, masaka sou iu shumi datta no ka?

Elisha muttered in a strangely serious tone, but Yuuto hoped it was a joke. Even though he was already someone he found repulsive, he didn't want to think of him as someone who would spit on him on top of that.

Coming to the rescue, Irmaella spoke up,

"Your Excellency, we truly appreciate your kindness, but we are in a hurry."

Koushaku-sama, go-koui wa katajikenaku zonjimasu ga, watashi-tachi wa saki o isogu mi desu.

She positioned herself between Yuuto and Tullius as if shielding the former.

"After spending the night at your mansion, we must depart early in the morning. Yuuto-san also needs time to rest his body."

Hitoban o yashiki de yado o karitara, yokuasa ni sugu ni demo shuttatsu shinakereba narimasen. Yuuto-san ni mo, o-karada o yasumeru tame no jikan o itadakimasen to

"Oh? Leaving in such a hurry. Are you sure it's not necessary to prepare for mountain crossing?"

Oya? Sonna ni isoide tatsu nante, yamagoe no junbi wa daijoubu nan desu ka?

"Eh?"

E?

What was this man talking about? The envoys of Omnia had no plans to cross any mountains. Their route involved heading north, passing through several noble territories, and eventually crossing the border from the domain of Duke Armand. Hadn't he been informed about it too? They thought, perplexed.

Looking around the room, everyone from House Oubeniel showed no signs of questioning Tullius' words. It was only the guests from Omnia who seemed puzzled.

Elisha, apparently sensing something, addressed Turius,

"Marquis Oubeniel, I can't help but think, but has something happened in Armand? Some emergency that would impede our journey?"

buniru-koushaku. Masaka to wa omou ga, Arumando de nani ka okotta no ka? Wareware no ryotei o habamu you na, hijou jitai ga.

"As expected of Lady Balbastre, sharp as ever in matters like these. Yes, that's correct. The reason for our late arrival today is also due to receiving this report and devising countermeasures"

Sasuga wa Barubasutoru-kyou, kou itta koto ni wa surudokute irassharu. Ee, sono toori desu yo. Kyou no chisan wa, sono houkoku o ukete taisaku o nette ita to iu koto mo arimashite

The young marquis said, shrugging his shoulders in a troubled manner before addressing the envoys.

"Just a few days ago, Duke Armand was overthrown, and he has been detained in the capital. It seems that his territory is dissatisfied with this and is preparing to raise an army. If things go awry, not only the neighboring country but we'll also face a civil war."

Tsui senjitsu no koto na no desu ga, Arumando-koushaku wa shikkyaku shi, outo de migara o kousoku saremashita. Ano ryouchi de hako no koto o fufuku to shite kyohei no junbi o susumeteiru sou desu. Heta o sureba, ringoku dake janaku kono kuni demo naisen desu yo.

"What did you say?"

Nan, desu tte?

Irmaella's eyes widened, and then her face turned pale.

If war were to break out, the resentments of the dead and the hatred of the living would empower the monsters. They were sent to avoid such a scenario. Yet, even before reaching their destination as peace envoys, they were confronted with the prospect of war again. Confusion and disappointment were inevitable in such a situation.

"In that case, it seems that the northern route to St. Gallen may be difficult for the time being. If you intend to cross into the neighboring country, you might want to wait for the situation to stabilize and proceed as initially planned. Alternatively, you could consider changing the route and taking the mountain path. Well, in any case, how about staying at our mansion for a while to contemplate your decision?"

Sou iu wake de, kitamawari de no Zankutogaren iki wa toubun muzukashiku naru no dewa nai ka to. Ringoku ni wataru no deareba, jousei ga ochitsuku no o o-machi ni nari tousho no yotei-doori ni sareru ka, sore to mo rto o henkou shite yamagoe no michi o ikareru ka maa, dochira ni seyo, shibaraku touke ni go-touryuu sare nagara go-shian sarete wa ikaga deshou ka?

Stay for a while? In this mansion?

For Yuuto, this suggestion seemed far from a joke. To stay under the same roof with a cold-blooded noble who would say 'It's a waste' first thing after witnessing the exploitation of the peasants, just the thought of it made him feel uneasy.

"What on earth happened, exactly"

Ittai, nani ga okotta tte iu nda

Yuuto's muttered words were more of a complaint directed at no one in particular about this sudden turn of events.

However, it seemed to prompt Tullius to offer some well-intentioned interference.

"We, too, have only received fragmentary information, but if you're interested, I can provide an explanation"

Boku-ra to shite mo, danpen-teki na jouhou shika haitte kite inai no desu ga ne. Sore demo yoroshikereba, go-setsumei itashimasu ga

~~~

To be continued

TL Note:

Yaoyaoyaoyaoyaoyao my luck in Star Rail is *: .. o()o ..:* whilst in Genshin is bruh.

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