Chapter 9

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: There Is No Mercy 9

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"Yes. Five hundred thousand people. If I use my authority as acting lord and draw funds from the businesses under my management, it should be more than enough, don't you think?"

"Of course it's sufficient. There won't be any shortfall. But..."

"Butler, can you prepare and select the items I mentioned?"

"Preparation is possible. But what do you plan to use all those supplies for? Five hundred thousand people... It's not war materiel, and the scale is too vast."

I'd anticipated a reaction like this.

How should I explain it?

I pondered for a moment, then circled back to change the subject.

"Butler, do you know our Brilloxen family's annual budget?"

"I know the approximate figure."

"How much is it?"

"Around 100,000 imperial gold coins..."

"And our annual revenue?"

"About five times that."

I flashed a smile.

The butler stared at me, his face clouded with confusion at my smile.

"Exactly. It's an enormous profit. Considering the empire collects a total of three million gold coins in taxes each year, our revenue is staggering. But is that truly the result of our own efforts? No. It's simply because we own the mines in the Gray Mountains standing behind us. That's not our strength—it's just good fortune. Isn't it?"

"The Brilloxen Count donates every year as a way of giving back to society. Even beyond that, we contribute to orphanages and temples across the empire."

"I know. But I don't think only those people deserve help. I want to see the world a little more broadly."

"Hmm..."

The butler let out a groan, his face troubled. I met his gaze with a firm expression.

"Are the supplies I mentioned so massive that they'd drain our territory's budget?"

"...No. In truth, it won't make much of a dent. In fact, the donations from you, my lady, are usually five times larger. It's just that transporting them all at once would be difficult."

The butler paused, his face thoughtful as he gathered his thoughts, then spoke slowly.

"May I ask where you intend to send the supplies?"

"Harmonia."

"Riplton?"

"Yes."

"Indeed. If it's there, they might be in dire need, just as you said. Hmm... Riplton."

The butler stroked his chin, closing his eyes in deep thought for a long while before finally nodding.

"There's a large bank operated by our Brilloxen family in that region. I'll instruct them to gather the supplies there."

As expected, he was a flexible man.

He didn't pry into my reasons.

He only considered feasibility and methods.

Since I'd often accompanied my father on donation runs, there was nothing suspicious about it.

And if need be, I could cover it with my personal funds, so no real issue.

Gathering the supplies was the only challenge.

"But transporting them all at once would be tricky. Harmonia's mountains are notoriously treacherous. Getting everything there would be nearly impossible. It'd be better to divide it into four or five shipments."

"I'll leave that to you."

"When's the earliest we can send the first batch?"

"If we issue the notice today, we can gather them within three days."

"Mm... Good. Gather them as quickly as possible."

"Understood."

At my signal to leave, the butler bowed and withdrew.

I gazed at the empty space he'd left, then turned my eyes to the window.

The Thieves' Guild Buck's final words lingered in my mind.

I smirked, thinking of the events soon to unfold.

"Nice weather."

Clouds were drifting in bit by bit.

Sitting in the carriage, I peered out the window.

The persistent drizzle made climbing the mountain look grueling.

'Are you planning to go yourself? The rainy season is approaching. It seems arduous—why not send someone else?'

I wondered why the butler's words of dissuasion, as he tried to stop me from preparing to depart, came to mind.

The clear weather from days ago had vanished, replaced by thick monsoon rains soaking the mountains.

The mercenaries we'd hired in advance, along with the dispatched knights and soldiers, all wore weary faces, wary of monsters appearing.

The road to Riplton was well-paved, but the terrain remained rugged.

Opening the window, raindrops splashed onto my face.

"You'll catch a cold. Please close the window, my lady."

The knight named Riphert tugged at his rain cape.

I glanced at him briefly, checked our ascent, and spoke curtly.

"How much longer?"

"Half a day at most. But the rain has made the path slippery, and the horses are tired. We're rotating them to pull the wagons, but... it'll take a bit longer."

Half a day.

I looked up at the sky.

The downpour showed no sign of letting up.

"Still, it's worrying. Heavy rain like this muffles sounds. The smell might wash away too, but not noticing monsters until they're close would be disastrous."

"They regularly exterminate them in Riplton, so they shouldn't appear, right?"

"Summer in Harmonia is torment for monsters. Animals get hunted by humans, thinning their numbers, and they don't eat fruit either. So hungry monsters venture out here and occasionally attack people. Of course, with our large group and weakened monsters, they're unlikely to charge... but who knows."

Riphert grinned.

"When you're starving, what can't you do? Attacking a heavily armored party is no big deal for them. To monsters, humans are just walking meat."

He looked up at the sky, readjusting his dripping rain cape and pressing it down firmly.

"It's summer, but the air is chilly. Your clothes are thin—close the window. We'll arrive without issue."

I couldn't refuse his repeated concern.

I acknowledged him, closed the window, and sat back in the carriage, breathing shallowly.

Bored, I leaned back and gazed at the roof.

The black-painted carriage roof evoked someone.

A laugh bubbled up.

Just imagining Bellieta's twisted expression was delightful.

Bellieta, who always took everything from me.

This time, it was my turn.

I closed my eyes, staring out the window.

Fortunately, no monsters attacked.

By the time we crested the mountainside, the rain had eased, sparing us a late arrival.

As we passed Harmonia's hills into Riplton territory, a knight who had received our telegram greeted us.

Following their guidance past Riplton's walls into the city, a wave of puzzlement hit me first.

I opened the window, stuck my head out to survey the city, and furrowed my brow.

"Riphert Knight."

"Yes, my lady."

"Is this really Riplton?"

"Yes. I visited once before—it's the same."

The same?

This is Riplton?

The rumored barren wasteland of Riplton shattered before my eyes.

The cityscape I saw exuded the vibe of a vast, clean metropolis.

People's faces were bright, and though the rain might have closed some, many shops were open.

I even spotted bustling restaurants doing good business.

"...This is Riplton?"

Wasn't it supposed to be a ghost city? I scanned around with a baffled look, then turned back to Riphert.

"It's quite lively."

"Despite everything, they've put in immense effort over 150 years to build a city where people can live. Naturally. But the infertile land and enclosed terrain stifle growth—hard to get other goods. Merchant caravans don't reach here."

I glanced at the horse-drawn wagons, then nodded.

"That over there is the castle where Archduke Riplton resides."

It was enormous at a glance.

The castle towered far above the massive clock tower in the city center, majestic.

The largest castle I'd ever seen.

Larger than the emperor's palace.

Dark clouds and rain made it somber.

It looked like a monster dwelt within. I swallowed dryly and nodded.

As I leaned back in my seat, recalling what I'd say to Aden Riplton, the carriage stopped.

Riphert knocked on the window to announce our arrival and slowly opened the door.

Stepping down carefully on the stairs, a cool breeze swept over my head.

Emerging from the stuffy confines cleared my mind.

And there, right before me, stood the massive castle.

This was Lierg, the heart of Riplton, famed as such.

Seeing in person what I'd only viewed in illustrations felt profound, but there was no time for sentiment.

A man emerged from the castle.

A neatly dressed middle-aged man.

He approached us and bowed.

"You've had a long journey—welcome."

"Sorry for the sudden visit."

Though we'd sent word ahead, it was still abrupt.

Especially leading such a large procession.

Yet the man, who seemed to be the head butler, showed no surprise.

"It's fine. More importantly, it's chilly outside. Please come in. I'll guide you to His Excellency."

I nodded and followed him inside.

Having the head butler greet me and bring me to him was likely because he wanted an explanation for the current situation.

Trailing silently behind him into the castle, the interior struck me as surprisingly modest compared to the grand exterior.

For such a vast place, there were no paintings on the walls, no porcelain anywhere.

Considering the castle's size, it would require a certain number of servants, yet I saw very few.

Are they all working elsewhere?

I glanced around as I followed the head butler, but until we reached his office, I didn't spot more servants.

The numbers seemed excessively low...