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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: The People of Cron
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Time had passed since the incident with the Lion Family.
Fortunately, contrary to my worries, the Lion Family's response was quiet.
It was so subdued that I wondered if this was really the same boar-like Lion Family I'd seen in World Archive. I felt relieved.
The real problem, if any, was in my territory—more precisely, in my office.
After the clash with the Lion Family... Noah had started clinging to me unusually close.
"My lord, I've finished organizing this month's finances. Please take a look."
Before, she would stand properly in front of me and give her report by the book.
Aside from that inscrutable bright smile as she looked at me, there was nothing special about it.
But now...
"My lord, I've sorted out the budget allocation for migrant support. Could you check it? Oh! There are some tricky parts, so let me explain them to you."
She said that while pressing right up against my side to explain.
Having her explain was fine.
But with her large breasts pressing against me so firmly that I could feel them, I couldn't concentrate.
And on top of that, catching the hydrangea scent wafting from Noah... oh man...
It felt like indirectly experiencing the temptation of a succubus preying on an adventurer.
"The key point is the tax adjustment plan for migrants and support funds. I've classified free folk who can afford relocation costs from those who can't, and adjusted the tax rates accordingly."
Noah was saying something.
But not a word of it entered my ears.
I felt it every time I saw her, but Noah was unrealistically beautiful.
No, beyond pretty—she was as gorgeous as the goddess of beauty herself.
How could anyone be that stunning? Was it because this was another world?
"My lord... My lord! Are you listening to me?"
"Huh...? Oh! Yeah, I'm listening. Got it, I understand everything. Let's go with this direction."
Anyway, having a beauty like Noah clinging to me was an absolute delight.
But lately, that sly smile of hers sometimes sent a chill down my spine.
It felt just like that gaze from a nurturing game like Princess Maker.
...Probably just my imagination?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
While I enjoyed these little events and savored this brief happiness,
as expected from the World Archive world that never leaves its characters in peace, an event triggered.
A few days later, Hart came to me with a grave expression.
"Bandits have started appearing."
"Bandits?"
Didn't our knights wipe them all out?
As if reading my thoughts, Hart continued his explanation.
"The bandits within our territory were completely eradicated by Captain Rikain and the knights."
Hart explained while looking at the map.
He had marked the subjugated bandit groups with skull icons for clarity within our territory's borders.
Seeing it laid out like this, our knights had truly crushed the bandits.
Good call providing support.
While I was lost in thought, Hart pointed toward our territory's border.
"However, bandits who seem to have infiltrated from outside the territory have begun appearing."
"Infiltrated from outside?"
"Yes. They're showing up in the border area between our territory and the Lion Family's."
"Any casualties? Have any of our beloved subjects been harmed by these bandit scum?"
If those bandits had touched my precious people, I couldn't just sit idly by as their beloved lord.
In response, Hart calmly replied.
"Fortunately, no subjects have been injured. However... the free folk trying to migrate to our territory have suffered heavy losses."
"The free folk were hurt!?"
Listening to Hart's details, the situation was dire.
Some of the free folk heading to our territory had been attacked by bandits, found dead with slash wounds.
The bodies had been looted clean, and the women had suffered unspeakable atrocities.
"Can we protect the migrants?"
"It's not easy. Even deploying all our knights, we can't cover every migrant."
Hart explained using the map.
Marking the bandits' appearance zones, even to my eyes, they spanned a vast area across the border, making it hard to respond effectively.
Their movements felt almost like a trained army in their intelligence.
"All we can do is encourage migrants to gather and travel safely during the day as much as possible."
"I see... For now, implement that to minimize harm to the migrants."
"Yes, my lord."
Coming from a place where you could roam freely at night, this really drove home that I was in another world.
"Also, tell our subjects to stay vigilant with bandits around and flee if there's any danger."
"Yes, understood, my lord."
And so, I discussed bandit countermeasures with Hart.
After Hart left, I turned to Noah, who had been quietly listening from the side.
Seeing her flash that sly smile at me again, my heart pounded, but I hurriedly spoke up.
"Noah, for the sake of our subjects, should I prepare anything more?"
I subtly probed to see if there was a way to increase spending.
Noah smiled slyly and replied.
"In my view, you don't need to prepare anything special, my lord."
"Really?"
"Yes. The people of Cron are already thoroughly prepared."
Noah gazed out the window as she spoke.
As both treasurer and heir to the White Merchant Guild, she seemed to see things invisible to me.
I asked her.
"What do you mean, 'prepared'?"
At my question, Noah looked startled for a moment.
Then, with an expression like she suddenly understood everything, she smiled.
"Your skill at playing dumb is truly masterful, my lord. You've prepared for this in advance, haven't you, and now you're saying that?"
"No, I..."
"Ah... it's because of the Lion Family, right? I understand. If you say so, my lord, I'll play dumb too."
What the hell was she talking about?
I really had no idea!!
I couldn't understand a word Noah said, and though I wanted to press her, pride as lord held me back.
And soon enough, I learned what she meant.
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Garche really liked this mission.
Before being "hired" by the Lion Family, he had been a bandit.
Living carefree in the mountains, preying on passing travelers and merchants, he had the misfortune of targeting a Lion Family carriage.
That's when he met Hadem Lion, the famed "Lion of Hell" of the Lion Family.
That day, his bandit crew was annihilated, and he barely survived—only to be forcibly conscripted into the Lion Family.
During what amounted to abusive training, Lagos, deputy to Lord Hadem, approached him with a secret mission.
To become a bandit again and harass the Cron Family.
Garche accepted immediately.
Escaping hellish training to bandit freely again? Only a fool would refuse.
After that, days were blissfully fun once more.
He first struck free folk heading to Cron territory.
This served Lagos's order to handle fleeing free folk for the Lion Family, and entering Cron territory directly was too risky.
From years as a bandit, he knew the drill: start with small raids on the border outskirts to scatter the guarding knights, then go for the big prize.
After ten-odd minor raids on the border fringes, Garche spotted his prey.
A cart carrying salt and taxes to the capital had departed.
These were usually ironclad with knight escorts, but this one left late with minimal protection.
Garche rallied his men for the ambush.
On a full-moon night, in the chilly pre-dawn air stinging his nose, the cart's lantern light appeared.
"Boss Garche... er, I mean, chief, they're here."
"Yeah, I see 'em. Looks like we'll be feasting like kings tomorrow night, heh heh heh."
Even from afar, the cart brimmed with valuables.
He'd heard he could keep whatever they looted.
Sell that haul, and he could party in the city till he dropped.
Garche drew his sword and bellowed.
"Charge!! You lot!! Time to hunt!!!"
"Wooooaaahhh!!!!"
"Let's go!!! Hyah!!!"
At Garche's signal, his men surged toward the cart.
This moment thrilled him most.
In the darkness, as they charged, people turned to terrified rabbits, scrambling away.
That godlike power over life and death—he lived for it.
"Kuhaha!!! Rape the men, kill the women!!!"
"Run all you want, you rabbits!!! Hahaha!!!"
Mid-charge toward the cart, something felt off.
The cart folk weren't fleeing.
Normally, they'd bolt in panic at the sight of us—what were these guys?
As he pondered, a sudden boom rang out.
Bang-!!
"Arghhh!!!"
With the explosion, a subordinate beside him tumbled from his horse.
Garche had seen this before.
That was definitely...
"A gun!"
"They've got guns!!"
Knights' guns—magical tools he'd only seen, never used due to cost. And these cart rabble had them.
Before he knew it, the cart folk had drawn gleaming swords and spears, charging back armed to the teeth.
"You rotten scum, do you know whose goods you're messing with?!?"
"Daring to touch our lord's property!! You're all dead today!!"
What the hell was this?
Garche couldn't comprehend.
Intel said commoners, but their gear screamed elite.
"Hah!! Retreat!!! It's a trap!!! They've set a trap!!!!"
Bang-!!
"Where do you think you're going!! Come get your necks chopped off!!!"
Garche abandoned his men and fled for his life, while the stragglers were captured by Cron's folk and met gruesome ends.
And to their dying breath, they never knew.
That their attackers were truly just ordinary Cron commoners.
Hearing of bandit sightings, Cron's people had armed themselves with their own money to protect themselves and the lord's assets.
Even buying two rifles each worth a full year's wages.
The reason was simple.
Rising daily wages gave them money for weapons,
and booming merchants provided the trading guilds to buy them from.
But Cron's people did it all in secret.
They feared if the lord found out, he'd empty his own coffers to support them again.
Feeling they'd received too much already, they believed it was their turn to guard the lord's wealth—and prepared covertly.
That day, Cron's people annihilated the bandits, forging a legend and gifting bards another song.
And that song would invite her to Cron.
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