Chapter 105: Life or Death
Z2v7“What do you mean by that?”r6AoSjW
5ZkcbZO“It looked like it would cause panic if I told the others, so I kept it to myself, but do you realize that what you did was practically suicide?”xVyxE
bJ0m6Hanson replied arrogantly.v1bLHom
u9QBf“What danger was there? After all, if the administration so much as touched a hair on my head, they would be the ones to suffer the consequences…”VNZ2
vrU3X“What are you talking about? A moment ago, you were on the verge of losing your life.”1chh5
v2bFt94“Administrator Isabella didn’t do anything. How was I going to lose my life?”xmAUS
k6Uz2WB“Maybe someone like you wouldn’t understand, but I used to be a mercenary. I traveled all across the continent of Serdes taking any job that paid. Once, I encountered some Dragon Spawn.”E5uUUgr
MeSStDUnder normal circumstances, it would have sounded like nothing more than bragging.2Cj60rZ
TXax46OHowever, the eyes of that middle-aged foreman carried a ferocity no liar could fake.bM1K
fdNI1“That day, we were hunting an ogre. Since it was a valuable target, we had brought many mercenaries and prepared everything meticulously. It was quite a difficult battle. Its regenerative ability was more or less on the same level as our preparations. Then an unexpected guest appeared. A Dragon Spawn.”9yF
Pw5mbThe foreman swallowed.3Zjc
QOX“It seemed the ogre was also his target. In the end, we wound up attacking it together. Well, it can’t even be called a joint operation. The moment he appeared, he immediately cut off its head. While we were fighting, he had already finished the job.”N4vXHVU
hI7zCx“And what does that have to do with this?”eLjKCb9
9cz5ZNo“Listen to the end. That’s only the beginning. After killing the ogre, he cut off one of its ears and tossed it to our mercenary captain.”t4h
n8l32X3“The proof of subjugation?”d4DeIEZ
GY4YT8v“That’s right. Since he had taken all the credit, it was a kind of gesture of goodwill.”02YU
ZMm“Sounds like a situation that ended on friendly terms. Why are you telling me this?”gTDE
m5jSt7“We thought so too. But it wasn’t. Our captain had once been a knight. And he was also an idiot. He got insolent with that Dragon Spawn. Do you know what happened?”LeS
o4ZaCWith a stiff expression, he made a throat-cutting gesture.PGsLT
VrMG2q7“He cut off his head.”82Jj
oP5“……”ZX8w
zs2f“Do you think only he died? No. After cutting off his head, he killed ten more people before stopping the massacre.”ZxW02
rN2i“Why would he do something like that…?”uJdt
8vXE“It’s simple. Because he answered him disrespectfully. To them, a young and weak creature trying to preserve its pride is something unforgivable. Are you beginning to understand what you did?”XL8SlU
rYMThe foreman gestured with his chin toward a certain place.1nxfr
W9InZjIt was where the Armored Knight had been sitting.NGelQ
rMq4K“If that important person hadn’t stopped her, not only would you have died. Several more people here probably would have ended up dead as well.”NTlWpjP
RDb9After saying that, the foreman slung his tool over his shoulder and left.xMdA
zEE1Hanson could not follow him.f9RaJ1
PhNHe remained there, replaying those words in his mind.v4t
fLQkjfThinking about how absurd his behavior had been.4VC
oXQ‘Even so, I was right.’zePTNRd
emTAfter all, he hadn’t died thanks to the Armored Knight.PGIYoe
sSvwREOne way or another, things were still moving in the direction he wanted.IfmPz
ZHDOy***F5DjjH
86mOMeanwhile, Isabella continued reflecting on that strange feeling.I4kh
Tzz‘For a moment, my instincts took control of me.’11Mnws
3IfThe instincts of a Dragon Spawn converged on a single thing honor.uYXWJ
1SkfThe most noble beings beneath the heavens are father and mother.dz2BM
7SGqztfAnyone who stains their names must be punished as an example.YXZ7X
BulAnd anyone who kills their children must be pursued to the ends of hell and executed in the most painful manner possible.d3ygH1
SVrjLTThat nature had taken control of her for a moment.gTxU
ZIzAi6And it was inevitable.3rQL
XDzjuEven among humans, Dragon Spawn established categories.ii7
kcveThey gave respect to those who deserved respect.Ixuk
jRT6Everything else was not much different from dogs or livestock.uZNTyCD
Qg1The only advantage those beings possessed was their ability to hold a rudimentary conversation.jIk
osXIsabella, daughter of Lorga, was no different.pR7ul
YGoShe respected Perda because he was Lady Valdrova’s fiancé and, in addition, a capable regent.eFEelIw
ioZTcShe respected William because of his extraordinary martial skill and an even more impressive mental fortitude.2R50In8
NpyBut Hanson?gvANbFp
FQAzHe was no different from any ordinary human.iaSiw
Bd0In other words, he was on the same level as a dog that could talk.dbOm
aKuJ8oAn insolent dog that, instead of wagging its tail when given a treat, tried to bite its master’s hand.Tsk
g44She had worked to find a peaceful solution, obtained the necessary approval, and personally come here.uZQIbZ
xIaAnd yet, that man demanded more.ZZR
6ugWqA dog that bites people must die.NVuWu
hsoBThat thought had taken hold of her.mQ5
SCEhAnd she had almost killed Hanson.e9v101b
x6SrLVdMaking an example of him would have been enough.T9NuWHS
fCwK‘Until that man stopped me.’ykycf
oDWoThe Armored Knight.TDU2
Q5nlMvTall.l6QuftP
qXjAYDkBroadly built.mktH
DjMoOWearing armor that could not be penetrated even with vision magic.744t
WaTsJAt first glance, it looked like a piece forged by the village blacksmiths, but it was obvious that it had been made from first-rate materials.RIo
E2vU‘If that man hadn’t stopped me…’7UF
AoCZ5hIsabella would have acted according to her instincts.IQyJB
YCRMHanson’s head would have ended up rolling across the ground.0yODRXe
RbKeqxfOr, if he were lucky, he would have merely ended up with a shattered body.gCNcZz
fbXzEEither way, it would not have been a good ending.CoU87C
lQD2pN‘I thought he was clumsy and simple-minded, but his intuition is surprisingly sharp.’TP6
PrjQJxpIsabella also began to take an interest in him.aGmUg
xw6kgIt would be a waste to leave someone like that as a mere laborer.OPIR
OIV***aBY
JmOcThe Armored Knight, Valdrova, thought.Zbjkw
5dIewFW‘Why is everyone sitting here?’mtnfXxF
iRhIt was before Isabella entered.0VdZ
kPPuAWThe atmosphere was strange.BD7KAvr
q4AWhat she saw were people at the foreman level.EeMplX
61MUAThey were crammed into a narrow office, waiting for something.7czgb
tpnG‘I’m sure Supervisor Hanson explained it…’N4csT
raAmnzRBefore all of this, Hanson had said several things.gYmoo
1uIBut he had talked so much that she failed to understand the main point.32EUrG
aQ3She only understood one thing clearly.khUAL
vfL“We desperately need Sir Knight’s help.”pYHlA
2ph2DiIThey desperately needed help.whD
9sdkrZSo even though she didn’t know what was going on, she decided to help.siiG60O
1J4xpGS‘Because it’s for the sake of this village!’50sxkV
lkMcEyShe had assumed she would have to use her strength for something.fLkp
wGP8Q1dBut all she did was sit beside Hanson.iZdAdl
wFIxHwSNo matter how she looked at it, this did not seem like a situation that required help.1PqzU84
9jQ2Ua‘How boring.’Y95
OQyvSShe felt as though her muscles were stiffening from not moving.3UZdzA
rpPShe wanted to stand up, but the atmosphere kept her completely still.rDegxsK
gId‘I’ll wait a little longer…’OY0VL
FcpAnd so she spent hours sitting there.ob4
sNqn9ORA short while later, someone entered.ZxyGD
NhbE2‘A daughter of Lorga.’lVe
2MWZghyAt the same time, she remembered Ruri’s warning.P2G2bS
Hc9bO“My Lady, under no circumstances must anyone discover that you’ve been working here as a human subordinate. Especially that damned group of water lizards.”enn5
F78y1QRuri’s expression had been fiercer than ever.eLy66
BgyZShe didn’t dare ignore it.TPo
dX1CZWShe became nervous for no reason.JPOlit6
OQStThinking that perhaps she would be discovered.m119NH
QC6azMeanwhile, the conversation continued.9r2PL
8uQWhen Isabella was finishing speaking, Valdrova finally managed to catch her words.mZgI
PQgWd“End the strike and return to your work.”dz9DZx
zG16vPRWork.KxeBZLL
7HEByxDIn other words, go back to working.6wLZ
ZKyQOnly then did Valdrova understand.75D
63uoK‘So that’s what it was!’Zs4
pnKyBZ8The reason everyone had been waiting was because that daughter of Lorga had told them not to work.sRJ
XFRwa9aThat was why they had gathered there.gfnL
PQ7‘So they were so angry because they were being prevented from working.’xhNyGVx
q3xNJEven Valdrova would have been angry.IDs
DKDf1kbShe felt pleased with herself for discovering she had something in common with the workers.vO8nS8
s1TYv‘Now we can go back to work.’5CLe
Pz8WZBut then—yrO3Pjr
bdSJ“We can’t do that.”5wxmy3G
21twa2HHanson refused.bGc8LqZ
N4l‘Why!?’6ynl
qqbfPThe one who had told them not to work seemed to be the daughter of Lorga.9gQ49g
5eoleThen why was he refusing now that they were being allowed to do so?qbgXF
Ht81Valdrova could not understand.vhm
ERN‘Why don’t they want to work when working earns money?’vs4koXm
azUypAIf you work, you earn money.rmto
tIsIf you have money, you can eat delicious things.coK
DbhIKAnd on top of that, they were being offered even more money.XICXR1
103CShe couldn’t understand why anyone would refuse that.MNQ
JqGGZEspecially because—jPGWxC6
LasoIre‘I want to work.’15S2wKO
ezyValdrova wanted to see another building completed as soon as possible.Uysq2zl
T2YrwzIn the end, she had no choice but to move and give Hanson a few light taps on the shoulder.JiWs
UMc1Fortunately, she managed to get the idea across.t6RZ
Aen3AHanson did not continue arguing.9XIrao
f1hgPdyThe foremen headed out once again to return to work.QbFLa
dKxlValdrova looked up at the sky.gu4vv
5RvEMaThe sun had already tilted noticeably toward the west.cuMkR
Qs9iix‘I have to finish today’s quota as soon as possible.’6Gh
ECaIt was not as though anyone was chasing her.pMa
Z0rShe simply liked working.CzVmz0
nWCIflDThat was why she preferred Mondays to Sundays, when everyone rested.lEl
ADzZCU‘Time to get back to work.’ZE7Oe
M45hlValdrova.V779qYW
8LysCjThe Red Dragon.cq5iof
rmbjToday as well, she happily headed to the construction site.MBr
8AhFZdx***dT9T
CFK0The day of the assembly.esW3bL
wJXMVThe building that was intended to become the Hestia branch of the Pascal Trading Company was being used as a meeting hall.pU3V
rsKB1rThe reason was extremely simple.LppsNFH
Rm8ckLrPerda did not want to allow those insolent people into his home.Qj0cJ3
p4hRuri agreed as well.Tujf
vojeAnd Isabella finally gave in.U8egB
hi5Though Isabella explained the reason differently.qfkQy
uoFShe presented it as a demonstration of confidence in Hestia’s construction projects and an opportunity to observe the village’s actual situation.veHH
ZAnSJ2Since Perda already had a good reputation, it was not difficult for people to believe that he was concerned about the citizens.QAGH7
HOlHis public image continued to grow stronger.3sd
VaGAfter finishing his morning preparations, Perda headed to the meeting place.0e6vzJG
LO1The moment he entered, everyone present stood up and showed him respect.IUW
DwtSEA“We will now begin the assembly.”28QP9
ttJ9YzCAs soon as Perda took his seat, Isabella assumed the role of moderator and opened the session.wqBl
fglPP5xWhile she went through the necessary formalities, Perda observed the faces of those present.kkk
FODZdThere were already many people seated in front of him.3KWcbD
o2ZT1r7All of them wore headbands bearing the slogan.erJ
M2LiKh“Life or Death.”h9HsaYm
lMwlq‘What if I just killed them all?’OIGIRqR
MhaxUThey were practically begging to be killed.CqjZR2
LYVAIWouldn’t it be a courtesy to grant their wish?fdDEg
0NRZOr at the very least, make them suffer until they wished for death.NeOL
Gfd6CdHaving to limit himself to talking instead of doing either of those things was unbearable.8cz
1Me6Ts7Still, he had expected that much.9rx
3Fve9What he had not expected was to see a certain person.mxp5cgR
QVzA face that was far too familiar.bCqO2u
hbP1XPaNo.vtXXn
j51UMore accurately, a helmet that was far too familiar.l11klAX
LrsuE‘The Armored Knight.’mVhJ4
Fs823elHis feelings toward him were complicated.IHFI9r
Nsd3Pw9He was the man who had rejected the knighthood that Perda himself had offered.LYMdE
5PQAVSkIt would be a lie to say it did not bother him.ppna9P
VpeAfter that entire conversation, he had rejected his goodwill.hwTUa
Vcd16aE‘No. I can understand him rejecting it.’SLQ3w
7mlMBut for the reason to be participating in something like this and muddying the waters—HFxW
OnnIUY‘Don’t tell me…’jD2KM
xd0oOpgPerda considered a possibility.QHUl
XdY‘What if that guy is the real instigator behind all of this?’A33s6ae
n0UIt was possible.8WK
5Z9mSXWhat if he was not merely aiming for the title of knight, but also sought to become a noble with his own territory?3QUk1K
eRIgMYThe Empire was full of people like that.S9B
Y4THjWhat if he was carrying out some grand scheme for social advancement?Oody
HzsNx‘Besides, he takes no risk himself.’4kC
lyAlHe could use Hanson as a decorative figurehead and quietly withdraw if things went wrong.gOLO
ucV0‘Pathetic.’0ow4
wOsThe feeling of betrayal transformed into contempt.WNJx5X
o3yHMHe had thought the man was someone noble.CT6j9r
uvKMBut it turned out he was nothing more than a vulgar opportunist.jh0i
xZE82‘One day, I’ll rip your mouth off.’dfphyas
gGkVPerda looked at the Armored Knight with a gaze filled with hatred.4Txuegy
kpj92Valdrova, inside the armor, noticed that gaze.YYQx
WPKt0wT‘Perda is looking at me…’EB3r
CnRMHPWThere was not a trace of kindness in those eyes.a6clx
cq0VQ4eAnd yet, she did not dislike them.GQr1cU
S4qnDIShe forcibly suppressed the rapid beating of her heart.iasY
SgWfOnce the meeting had officially begun, the first to speak was Hanson, the representative of the workers.iRc5
iOUC“We wish to express our sincerest gratitude to Lord Regent and the administrator for listening to the voices of the people.”94RRnWF
2Y1BCHanson read from the speech he had prepared.nviZN
LzFdG“Last autumn, we came to these lands to help build the village of Hestia as simple laborers.”CiRN
FAfipfThe opening was, at the very least, a reasonably inspiring story.opGw329
heZ“However, the recent unfortunate events left thirty casualties, plunging the village into great confusion.”hINAlh
KG8LThere had been some confusion.OpaLX
ZvVpCbBut not nearly enough to justify such an exaggeration.Dj5D
Ef2NePerda did not know whether Hanson was unaware of that fact or simply shameless enough to pretend otherwise.8AZ5G
rakY“With all due respect, we beg our wise ruler to hear the pleas of the common people. First, we request a wage increase for construction workers. Second, we request the establishment of a construction guild.”D9Mz
8vpRBThey appeared to be two demands.L08XfG
9jooGBut in reality, there were three.y5HB5
LNJDjMoney.0SlP
2ZQoIVOA shelter.iil
zdu1g‘And power.’AkN
MyLgKklWhere people gather, power emerges.8RUG
SKOc1WGuilds and associations are institutions of power created under the pretext of representing the voice of the people.5lBL8
LTayL‘It’s obvious someone wrote this for him.’w7xi
F7wJudging by the vocabulary and the way he was reading it, it was impossible to believe Hanson had written it himself.q6O
A8Ql‘Did that guy write it?’bpAD4Vh
mx0tVIf he could write something like this, Perda’s theory about the mastermind behind everything gained credibility.QR9
tsjU‘In any case, everything is unfolding exactly as expected.’UXHIX
XABzTMore precisely, exactly as Stephan had predicted.Qv6b
dfXDAs someone who had managed major companies under his father’s guidance, he immediately understood the situation.fZJ
4fP0474“And if…”WEbO5
hXL4yNmPerda asked,pVWEp16
4NTE“What would you do if I simply ignored all those requests?”ZMuo
lgPBHanson stiffened upon hearing the question.cqDn
cUi52FThough Perda was young, his eyes carried a pressure that did not suit his age.91K8WH9
Q2VQBecause of that, Hanson discreetly signaled to Valdrova.D6SW
wdbR9‘My turn.’QvU7
6SRU5HThen she slowly moved and placed her hand on the paper and pen.Q6NaON5
dr1What she needed to write was the slogan everyone wore on their foreheads.K32Y
DIle‘It was “Life or Death”… right?’DPiL
OLlH5HoValdrova became nervous.YVRtiQL
uEYFmAll eyes were on her.Hgd0x
lRWFJTAShe thought there would be no problem.1R7H
iWEShe only had to write a few words.qyDbfOx
Bw4DXsuBut then—4FCrN
qSmOGM‘…How was it spelled?’lVb
wlFYWShe forgot.QdKn
m8UrCOr rather, she had never really known.lDbU
OEYXqReading was one thing.kGEA
XQDShe could recognize letters.fpw3X
weMvBBut writing was completely different.EOqx
ymgnGIt was as if she could receive information but not produce it.ZNO5Q
sL5And that was only natural.tPPi
yYf47eaIn her entire life, she had written only a handful of times.7fs
c4UShe had never practiced.rKSbp
k1JO11uNor did she properly remember spelling.u4A
qri63d0‘Life or Death. Life or Death.’YD06qoG
4WWShe repeated the phrase over and over in her head while trying to reproduce it.nXInQJ
DNGAnd what she ended up writing was.RoFq
KRb8o“Life or Deat.”zi1M
quuW“……?”3pZBYHr
pcv“……?”9mMx4UI
50KETsCrude-looking handwriting.D9k
gHlMMAnd on top of that, misspelled.U3m
dV3BA3Both Perda and Hanson broke out in a cold sweat when they saw it.k4b
Orxf0Looking at those words, Perda reached a conclusion.B4PQXMw
mBwQx‘So he wasn’t some master strategist after all.’cdjdAp8
0uLH1His contempt instantly turned into pity.F38
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationWhy I am getting second hand embarrassment
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationHe really wish to die 😒