Chapter 85: Sabotage
AZbzsEven in an era that sings of peace, war never changes.6ORrY
39FjLT5Some fight to obtain what they do not have.IEbf0D8
h8YOthers fight to protect what they already possess.jUc
udlJ9mPerson against person.a9si
g4dlGroup against group.UsSfOu
WySpzNation against nation.hkb
nzNThe victors obtain everything, and the defeated lose even more than that.1QidFn
Yx661The same happened to that small peaceful village devoted to wheat farming.FT6E1Wd
JUGIYWithout even being able to taste the golden flavor of autumn, they ended up becoming refugees forced to wander through the wilderness.Luig5
nC00cIIn the middle of a plain where an icy wind blew, they huddled together sharing body heat to survive the winter.MV4
XrHWhen they saw the three men sent as emissaries return, they welcomed them joyfully.Tl0N
pngduGBut that joy did not last long.hGy
gvMSThere was no hope on their faces.C8PT
MhnQn“It seems that village won’t work either.”Y6WCjba
4gg3“They say they don’t have food either?”hOJl09e
nMbcU8“Well, it was obvious, wasn’t it? It looks like they themselves will barely survive the winter.”JZ9lz3F
YiD8YyWinter makes people’s hearts cruel.Hzj
6gHYCmAfter the abundance of autumn, only a ruthless period of endurance remains, and to overcome that cruelty, people inevitably become selfish.9VLJS
Og14In such a situation, for those who had become refugees, the only thing waiting for them was practically death.EVLYUQ
crfI5Gz“Those damned bastards. If they’re humans and believers of Alte like us, they could at least share a little food…”YtN
doGO5J“May the light of judgment fall upon those bastards…”wBm
cXXHHB“That’s enough.”59Z2rh
8VCzWhen voices of resentment toward the village began to rise, a man intervened.EdkA
TkFf3WFHe wore half plate armor and was the only one who possessed military equipment.CoixviP
kwBVg“They’re trying to survive too, what else can they do? They probably don’t have enough food either. Lately the Empire is a disaster and corrupt officials are doing whatever they want.”OYp5
pyr4rF“Even so, we have weapons. If we had asked for at least a little…”3L8tLv
L9Qn0Lv“Don’t be stupid. We should be grateful they let us walk out of there alive.”xyF
bPbXv8“Leave? And where else are we supposed to go?”Ybx
trYEveryone looked toward the vast plain.Ej9N
FejOThe winter land was dry and desolate.7AS
6SbBkThe only thing left for them was death.7KeBT0L
nfmB“How about we go south? At least it’s warm there.”KUh6W7
vKpFROfJust as in the far north there are lands of ice and frost giants, in the far south there are lands of fire and lava giants.wCMOi2
FF4ueAEThere is no such thing as a cold winter there.vTsNH3B
HMVThe village chief shook his head.J2q
zpAO“That’s not a good idea. They say the south is warm during the day, but even colder at night. I heard many people died after underestimating the temperature difference. And besides…”9JSM
RvzYO“Besides what?”vH1POy
B9XKZiO“They say the southern bandits wait precisely for this season.”Oni
TO8fSThey would not be the first refugees unable to endure the winter cold who tried to cross southward.McgIvg
3ZkxThe bandits were surely waiting to rob them of their belongings or sell them as slaves.PlV1O
2ZvcI4“Then what are we supposed to do? Stay here waiting for death?”lcoO7
zch1MiDThe refugees grew frustrated at the man’s attitude.Yc4
L2VE6l6But the village chief was equally desperate.7IRDY
bns9SHis duty was to become the light capable of finding the best option amid such terrible conditions.mhtFw5
IAw52SsAfter thinking for about three minutes, he finally spoke.6G9
g1OYT“We’re going to the Far East.”8MY4RZ
aZm7JutEveryone was horrified by that decision.XTA
GdVv“The Far East? You mean the Demon Land?”9AqCle
brMium“You want to go to the place where people can’t even live?”hZ3sx
3aJLLMThe man looked at them while explaining.tPs
X9mHd9A“They told me in the village we visited recently. The Empire is looking for workers for the Far East. It seems the regent there is building a village. They say the pay is good and there are enough places to sleep too. They probably have enough food as well. If we contribute, they’ll likely accept us as residents.”RlK
oSeZ5“Even so, going to a land where monsters appear…”ndD
NsMuEveryone hesitated while looking at one another.VHYpJ1F
jdRRphFThe man let out a sigh.HDrM
y9GhJust moments ago they had shown hope toward absurd options, but now they became indecisive before a real possibility.1hSFZ
DB9P0The man asked them.hJCh1kL
KyDWuf“Then are you going to stay here waiting to die?”4axYM
Bdmf“…….”gphB9tX
Wb1I2D“Even if we keep bothering other villages, it’ll be the same. Unless we become thieves, we won’t be able to buy food with a few coins. And I refuse to become a beast wearing human skin. I won’t allow any of you to become that either.”5I3Oi
taPn“…….”tWAGQf
eKGS0“In the Far East there will at least be work. At minimum they’ll give us money to buy food to survive today and a place to sleep. For people standing on the edge of death, that alone is more than enough, don’t you think?”rCl
yUEW0Even though they felt rejection toward the Far East, nobody could answer.hefhWb
JZkJust as the man said, they had no other alternative.0gY2ilT
WaLkrcBecome a band of refugee thieves and abandon their god?FEw75D
QzLWDOr head toward a barren land in search of a new hope?idrZ
4AhtWhether they died one way or another, they had to choose the place where at least a little more hope remained.OVu
aOOuu***34jHIg
RTCIdIsabella entered Perda’s office and presented her report.mEn3
EydkcJ“I report that 30 refugees have arrived from a village called White Bridge.”1Xz
0XJEsNoWhite Bridge.PHk61
DbK1wM8A village located in the central-western region of the continent, within the Duchy of Yurei.mU9ZcD
90VK“This is already the third group of refugees from the Duchy of Yurei. How much available labor do we have?”JssI1Us
5ED“A total of six families arrived. There are 15 people fit for work, 1 elderly person, and 14 children.”uX5ULpC
Pzpf2“Are there any specialized workers?”jLmL8
sPr“White Bridge was originally a village near a quarry. Some of them are stonemasons, so they possess construction knowledge.”YR7igUz
UTS“Stonemasons, then they’ll be useful. Understood. How many more people can we receive?”NENt2b
qeH“According to what I confirmed…”cwF6Yrt
k6zE1Isabella checked some documents before responding.y4i
K38MBdE“We will be able to accept around 300 more people.”LtpWKF
RcgiQ“There are many buildings.”2y7k
LNAx3“An enormous amount. Under normal circumstances, with this number of refugees, at least half of them would have had to live in tents.”Jer
hgIPerda rose from his seat and walked toward the balcony.4BR
vlOluWhen he fully opened the doors, the freezing wind rushed in as if it had been waiting for that moment.qsVUX0q
NX9uJThe dry and cold air licked the remaining moisture on Perda’s face.z0joi
PTS6LxEHe could clearly feel it piercing through his skin.1wIa7
MsK7QYzThe season of death was slowly approaching.VCN86
j9OVl‘And the refugees keep increasing as well.’c1x5dB
6plJYTThe season when the most refugees appear and the most people die.Vr4lEeA
dFDCcXAnd for the Far East, where population was scarce, that was also an opportunity.KQIg
FJfPerda looked down from the balcony of his office.lkUzXB
R4zS8VNIn a place where only dry branches and thorny fields should have been visible before, open plains and buildings now stretched out.L3lULT
29SM4wWhere there had once only been disordered forests, inhabited homes could now be seen.VQiZ
RNd5And he could also see the thirty newly arrived refugees gathered around a brazier.8Z4
VbGq0JGWith Perda’s approval, officials distributed relief supplies before them.Y6Bm7nM
v0pTears of emotion ran down those faces gaunt from hunger, and smiles of joy bloomed there.hyex
3gd14Thus, in an instant, three hundred people had formed a population and this had become a village.N0R
CzBI‘It’s becoming something worthy of its name.’1ZRSBPr
AYvAHestia.2Au
ZUTGXLThe woman who protects the fire.WOHWZ
o7KKThe name of the city that had overwhelmingly surpassed every option proposed by Isabella.VdeO
JumQYdTwenty buildings had already been constructed, and the structures originally created as public spaces were beginning to transform into shops and inns, slowly forming a commercial district.sJY
mePOGAnd that had been made possible thanks to several favorable factors.ChqRO
3l0‘The support from the south was the most important.’3Rw1
zolDnSpWhen he first heard that Hallim would support them, he did not expect much.chk
bOTAfter all, “support” normally only consisted of placing a tiny spoon on top of the plate and adding an elegant line to a résumé that some bard would later sing about.ZMS
6HHBOhHowever, when Hallim’s delegation arrived, he was able to see just how sincere they were.TRoN0
mSkFuJHundreds of workers, endless lines of construction materials, and even elephants.QOwoQf
vrse1OIt was a completely different scale from the support provided by the Pascal Company.p9zh5wM
ITxrXD‘Did Isabella say it was terrifying to imagine what they would ask for in return?’dr21
AmMkOwxEven Isabella, who normally handled everything with absolute calm, had said something like that, so he could imagine the level of support they were receiving.VVyQ
FSoFMoIn any case, using the materials brought from the south, they quickly began erecting buildings in Hallim’s architectural style.qMSZ
tMJtuIn barely two weeks they constructed accommodations for delegations, commercial stalls, and more than ten new buildings.WU6i
Mlz7y‘And besides that, of course…’FP8
iE51RrCThere was a place where enormous piles of logs floated in the air.GkwfF
8QPmkWatching carefully, one could see the sturdy figure of a man among them.4HBxkg
hufIvaThat fellow dressed in armor, completely out of place at a construction site.0ycvO
LXv3sWhoever he was, he was undoubtedly the greatest contributor.JB25V0W
UXD‘Who the hell are you?’lfhQrhI
sX63QHe would suddenly appear, carry ten logs at the same time, and disappear swiftly.Zu4Y
t9oDPerda had even considered offering rewards to anyone who managed to see beneath that helmet, but nobody had ever seen the inside of the armor.xnK
d0Y8LlWhen the work ended, he disappeared immediately.tLOm
8baf8GSometimes he did not even show up, and other times he left the construction site halfway through the day and ran off somewhere, but even so he always did more work than the money he received justified.UJlWO9
DDBs‘The obligation of one who possesses power…?’bDM
EtkService toward the weak.FgXaie
9kl6People even praised his conduct, saying he possessed a noble knightly spirit even while performing simple physical labor.KW1HEa2
2DInz4r‘He’s probably just trying to obtain a noble title.’Ghenx3O
onhq1k3Thinking someone would act like that out of pure kindness was foolish.fqfg
OI77qPerda was already preparing himself for the demands that man would make equivalent to the value of his services.wFFHv2G
rVR2ij8“Was there anything else out of the ordinary?”AKmTg
UrmqqT“If we’re talking about unusual matters, it’s not a serious problem yet, but there is something.”MTg
3wMsPt“What is it?”PSzJ
YCI“It seems there were issues with the food and monster supply line. Deliveries are approximately four days behind.”cGS
sXnzSurFour days.uWL
FpIGKTransportation was poor and mobility options were limited.hgO
oijpW1But even so, that represented a major problem for Perda.4O9SvTw
PUeu0CPerda had agreed with Stephan that all supplies for the duchy would have absolute priority.Cya
frVAnd “absolute priority” implied strictly meeting delivery dates.Y3ab
sIhIt was not a one-day delay, but four.8ihtRB
dErE0That meant something had gone wrong with the contract.nbGzr8J
FMR3Z‘Stephan.’k5cF0x
YPsQMm7As a merchant, he was an intelligent man.HyGC
3Jx4iPPHe knew how to calculate well, and the strategies he proposed were not bad either.yBblgg
99rGUBD‘But that’s all.’nlc3ruq
tei4Stephan had a passive and conciliatory personality.FreS
WfJdAnd for what Perda needed to build, that personality was a major obstacle.VdE
bO5n‘Should I get rid of Stephan?’WoCD
eKA3RPerda had nothing to lose.k2jP
rMxJrwyEverything Stephan had invested could be repaid in treasures.Xxd
R6W4ZIlMoreover, Hallim was actively driving the territory’s growth, so partnering directly with them was also a viable option.ov6E
EZ0uHAnd deep down, Hallim was probably hoping for exactly that.sblrx
HOS‘Getting rid of him would be easy.’oYgmlYz
hvblQoOWhile Perda reflected on that.PVzZvV
3y8wQ3Knock, knock.oiUcf
rFaPjGP“Lord Perda.”iEDw
CwwXoSwRuri called from outside.yw6o7
BAvPcv“Stephan Pascal wishes to see you.”ile
okqixlSpeak of the tiger and he appears.PaR
ERD2JP“Let him in.”XlynxW
naYt5yThe door opened and a man entered the office.Kq2bH
WYh3It was difficult to believe this was the man Perda knew.zoLW
z8L1W2TStephan Pascal.0q3
WjN3GWhen they first met, he had the typical appearance of a corporate heir, with a full and elegant face.mdI
dljiBut now there was no trace of that appearance left.Mjr
Grt1He looked like a refugee who had not eaten properly in days.D9sFWVS
WgpCm5Perda immediately understood that something serious had happened.2ma2nN
bnFo“This is the first time we’ve seen each other since the exhibition, Regent.”F4txdif
epwGePerda decided not to react.TBBh
W3D5h“We were just talking about you.”c4xmsUH
3gi“It’s because of the delayed supplies, right? Yes, I apologize for that. And besides…”9yGDeb
h1VIt was difficult for him to continue.vZK
PVklC“Our relationship with the Pascal Company should end here.”po0
QfvIt was a request to cancel the contract.bSg
ml9BPerda touched his face upon hearing it.9Wiw
CXQB5eNo matter how much he thought about it, he did not understand.rbD
BuKHe himself had considered canceling the contract, but Stephan was not the one who should say that first.XUr6
LO35iBPerda only needed to secure a new ally.Z7366cC
xjO5But Stephan would lose absolutely everything.E89AS
G0MYFIt was an irrational decision.AlR
lnmBThat was why Perda did not simply answer, “Alright.”gg99
x84Bc“Why?”yzOcm95
KqsHe asked.9DMya
I7tHrglAnd Stephan answered.nGHre
W3umC“This has already gone beyond something I can handle.”YeOwR
jImC3Ex“What exactly are the things you can handle?”coi
45i“The things I’m capable of doing and what I possess.”6fvcX7
b8uZ“What I expect from you has not changed. Everything is still the same.”tPmO
I0PcWAe“…….”iZmc
aO6C“The only one who changed here is you.”YbX1PM
KuprStephan could not answer.ULBf
27YhTPerda leaned his body forward.6WUd6
X0QC“If your reasons are convincing, I’ll cancel the contract whenever you want. So explain it to me. What exactly happened?”lFU
39d7sThe words began to forcefully spill from Stephan’s mouth.fDySHD
Uxw1He told him what had happened during dinner with his father.QlRST
jGI2The conflict with his brothers related to Hallim.RFS
rkj2And everything he had lost because of it.n1BBLl
vMJFinally, Perda was able to understand the situation Stephan had been hiding.M2O
yI6VPK“So Merchit became furious with you and you declared that you would monopolize everything related to Hallim.”CXiic7x
P3uKdU“……Yes.”nS7y3
meUdDg“And because of that, all the mercenaries protecting you disappeared and everything started going to hell.”L8Pay
yQBTarIf one understood how the imperial system worked, it was perfectly possible.XPGEH
4GqKJust as commerce was developed, mercenary companies also operated as major corporations.vFOcJ6
a6etOThe Pascal Mercenary Company, founded by Merchit Pascal, was undoubtedly one of the largest in the industry.YVvLOFh
DRtzd6Its mercenaries alone exceeded ten thousand, and counting subcontracted companies, they reached more than thirty thousand men.oSoh
W5idZAComing into conflict with Merchit Pascal had enormous consequences.VvqA
OfdWLqsThe swords and shields protecting Stephan disappeared all at once.gmfy
CQibM“And even though you tried to fill that void, problems began exploding one after another.”PGUQ2
S0n8Lh“That’s right…”MlPE
pRfWhen security weakens, the entire structure collapses.J6ZN
z7mLVEven the priority supplies destined for Perda were stolen.gHZQ
TjNYdtIt was like an exhibition without windows.irm
iptm2“So even the caravans headed to the duchy were attacked.”9gE
PTgsAt last the reason for the delay became clear.WQJ2
wdVA7u“I found out two days ago. The caravan was attacked and Sandy as well, Coven too…”slXUWyU
pndStephan could not finish the sentence and covered his face.x7KqgC
1iVfsw7That incident was what finally broke his will.4Jjn
OV3aYl“I can’t continue anymore. From the beginning I was never someone capable of doing something like this. Wanting the Pascal Company… wanting to monopolize magitechnology… none of those were things that should belong to me.”EYC
TRGNNR“…….”O5BR
5o1qr“So I’ll give up, Regent. Thank you for giving someone as useless as me a chance—”NzahaL
p0wri“That monopoly.”BVjDJtd
uw2uPerda interrupted him before he finished.ScMf
d2m“Was it something necessary for us?”HTERO
1vJTMA“M-monopoly?”coLhbLd
RepY“Yes. Was it necessary to protect our interests?”QQw
9CaEFStephan thought about it.iw7bdO
mWhy3iBWas it really necessary?QGPkpt
G9FrF1SPerhaps they could have shared the profits without needing to monopolize anything.uEWiiw9
B2zl“Think carefully about the reasons you had that day and then answer.”ntaxSr
6Ee1GStephan recalled that moment.A6WeJH
CNWAnd finally answered.MNwbKr9
oQiQq“……Yes.”y9iOauA
lQW5“Then you fought to protect what was ours.”fBUto
ojY“…….”kQEAxu
SmbRj“It was the first time you fought, and in the end you were defeated.”KFj
ujfGh“That’s right.”Sli
HaOM“Are you ashamed of having failed?”gHnTuo8
zouStephan lowered his head.CrsT
cBqNm2“It’s humiliating.”UgbB3t
eOH“And because of that you tried to run away from this situation by canceling the contract?”qccFFmP
727“I wasn’t running away.”w4NX2AY
UegUBu8“Yes, you were. You’re choosing compromise instead of facing the pain.”Va2AO
mYA4mwc“That incident also made me realize who I am.”ai11Z
NrzStephan let out an empty laugh.V06R
rMWYmyWHis eyes had no light in them.Nm38A
1P86jTq“I have no talent, I’m greedy, and I don’t even have the courage to cling to something. Only after losing everything do I react. I’m a third-rate failure.”Z1ZlXu7
Dh0094bSelf-loathing and hatred toward himself.7aH
hjuE7Perda could see the enormous weight crushing Stephan’s hunched back.7gF
9IhOqBecause he himself had gone through something similar.oK9HYQ
cjFHqk“That’s why you didn’t come to me?”mKSYp
XsVi“……Yes.”5Sa33p
WnRw4Because he feared his incompetence would be exposed.MBlHSW6
JxWKBecause he feared showing his weaknesses and having them despised.RbZ5A
azQEgThe fear grew and grew until it completely crushed him.a2ilhei
aGz“Stephan.”rHRk
KLF“Yes, Regent.”dNq
6BLYdm“I only asked you for one thing. Do you remember it?”U9Ofwfd
ayrOf course he remembered.F87bgE
EoaThose words were still engraved in his mind even now.SL3q
6Hs“That I become the owner of the Pascal Company… that’s what you said.”FIu9QE
Wwo2RL“That was our contract. And what did you do to fulfill it? You supplied goods to the duchy.”LJ46eA3
fsN“That’s right.”0ps34yC
kMDzzO“You filled the supply shortages throughout the duchy and opened trade routes. None of that could have been easy. And even so, you persevered.”Q6MaDl0
4Dq“…….”HMF
NhQ2“All to become the owner of the Pascal Company.”mxlEq
XdnStephan remained silent.yv9f
HgxLbIf he opened his mouth, he felt all those pent-up emotions would explode.4UR6a19
RFpVtCcPerda continued.Z1rVpK
BisI“I’ll repeat it once more. We made a contract.”4ap
Wz7v“…….”1dxIJVj
EStf8ai“You supply goods to the duchy and I make you the owner of the Pascal Company.”P7w
mzzwFDThose were the same words that had pressured him before.zgjyWz
a1eBut now, for some reason, they no longer felt like a burden.xoNrpMn
T58ebS“That means that as long as you fight to become the owner of the company, I will stand on your side.”FYg6
INWrvM7And in that instant, Stephan felt the weight crushing his shoulders disappear.O8fY
odX“So I’ll ask you one last time.”A3nuS3
hpQPerda spoke calmly.4oqK0
rIeFeq6“Do you truly want to give up and abandon everything?”WCIYMBM
Ux7PbM7Stephan’s dead eyes slowly regained life.sUS
QMzEverything he had come prepared to abandon appeared before him once again.pDXsIke
TkWjt8UStephan was a merchant.IsXI
PC4HVWWho could possibly feel happy after losing everything?IZgEGTb
fBFHe did not want that absurd happiness of detachment.1ut
2D7cHe wanted to use failure as a stepping stone toward success.BTQ8Z1J
9k1M4rk“Ugh…”s5gUHGT
erbNTears began running down his face.UOi2J
HvZMeb1And together with all that sorrow rising from his throat, he finally let out the true desire he had hidden since childhood.kr7
EuG“I want… to become the owner of the Pascal Company.”YsLh
UKnc8lStephan cried bitterly with his face pressed against the marble floor.6m6a
2epEZHe could no longer keep speaking.IpIMfV
JElVWzPerda looked down at him and spoke quietly.5C4
WSQj“Administrator Isabella.”C4ZGXU
OGhxIsabella, who had observed the entire situation, adjusted her glasses.rGc
HexThtD“Yes.”yI9DH
mGKx2“Summon all the nobles of the Far Eastern Duchy to the Eastern Front Alliance meeting.”bsoT6
lsp4Ls“Understood. What reason should I register for the summons?”hiFDo
vtcVPerda answered calmly.gqtLpP
qVN“Sabotage against the entire duchy.”kSW3FL
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