Chapter 192 : Chapter 192

Chapter : 192

Let ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍me start with the result.

Count ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Steffen did not hold out for very long. Before much time had passed, he sent a surrender envoy and declared his intention to yield.

At ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the same time, word arrived from the Holy See that an armistice agreement had been concluded between the northern noble coalition of the Holy Empire and the Holy Empire’s Emperor, so it seemed he had heard the news in advance.

“Although ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍I surrender, I ask you, as the victor, to grant a generous disposition that allows the defeated to keep his honor.”

Handing ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍over the seal of the County of Campania and the scepter hall, Count Steffen spoke as such. He had already been an age where his hair was turning gray, but in that short span he looked as though he had aged ten more years.

“Thank ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍you for your decision, Count. If you were another noble, you would have resisted to the bitter end, insisting on preserving your domain, only for it to be futile. But Count Steffen, did you not choose to disgrace yourself for the sake of your subordinates’ safety? That is truly noble and honorable!”

‘Huh? His surrender had that kind of meaning?’

‘I thought he surrendered because he had no chance. The Emperor even abandoned him.’

The vassals around me looked as though they disagreed, but what could they do when I declared it so?

“Why? Is it not so? If anyone thinks differently, speak.”

“Uh…. No, Your Grace.”

“Now that I think of it, it truly is honorable! To shave down his own honor for the sake of his subordinate vassals!”

They nodded vigorously as they replied. Watching them, I opened my mouth again.

“Right now I hold the advantage with the Holy See and the confederation of cities supporting me, but if Count Steffen had received proper support from the Emperor, even I could not easily guarantee victory. Even when he was at a disadvantage, did he not chill my very liver? The Count’s brilliant struggle will spread even to the eastern barbarians and shine with honor.”

“Mmm…. Thank you for the praise, Margrave of Bellua.”

Thanks to that, Count Steffen—who had been swallowing his humiliation in silence—seemed to feel his heart ease, if only a little.

‘An honorable knight. One loved by God…. So it was not for nothing. Indeed….’

It was not common for the victor to look after the defeated.

All the more so when the victory was as complete as this.

Of course, now that I had already won, I could afford to be more generous to Count Steffen. Just as I was doing.

“Though we fought with blades drawn, I do not believe we need to be cruel to one another. If you can provide only a reasonable ransom, I will release you from confinement at once. I will also provide a villa for you to stay in while you are detained, and I will allow you to bear arms freely. I will assign attendants, so request whatever you require. I will not particularly restrict free communication with the outside, either.”

“……!”

Count Steffen looked genuinely startled by my terms.

And no wonder. With hostility of this degree, it was customary to demand an excessive ransom or to treat the captive like a criminal under near-imprisonment.

But to allow arms and assign attendants? Even to guarantee free contact with the outside? It was practically the same as saying I would treat him like a visiting noble.

Count Steffen stared at me, eyes widened.

“Will that truly be acceptable?”

“Why would it not? It is merely what one ought to do, as a noble who knows honor.”

In truth, there was another reason I was being so generous.

Namely—

‘I am different from the Holy Empire’s Emperor.’

I needed to display a form of leadership unlike the Holy Empire’s Emperor, who ruled through cold calculation and ruthless terror.

Especially in order to move Count Steffen, who had been disappointed by that Emperor’s decision.

Look at him even now.

“Ah…. To be so generous even to an enemy…. Margrave of Bellua, you are truly a noble who knows honor.”

The rigid mask of his face softened into a bright expression, touched to the core.

‘Heh. Good, good.’

Even for me, treating him that well was no small burden, but it seemed to have worked.

When you give, you had better give decisively and all at once.

As I thought that, Magician Agpiel, who had been listening quietly beside me, poked my side and asked in a cautious voice.

“What are you thinking? Count Steffen is, no matter what, the Emperor’s confidant. If he can freely send news outside, all our information will be carried to the Emperor.”

“Ah, I know, Magician Agpiel. But I am aiming for something else.”

“?”

It was true.

There was a reason behind this generous treatment. Did he think I was mad enough to loosen everything for no purpose?

“Because I want Count Steffen.”

“??”

“Count Steffen is an excellent cavalry charge commander, is he not? I remember how much trouble I had with the cavalry charges he led. In my domain, I have only experts centered on infantry. If I recruit him, he will fit perfectly.”

The organic coordination of pike infantry and crossbowmen, and on top of that, the crushing single blow of the cavalry I had only just begun to expand.

If that happened, it would be rare indeed to find anyone on this continent who could stand against my army.

That was the grand dream I entertained.

“To drive him into a corner, and only now try to persuade him by showing a different face from the Emperor…. You truly are the stuff of a ruler. A ruler. You are exceptionally good at foxlike, insidious schemes, at that.”

Of course, Magician Agpiel clicked his tongue at my design.

“…….”

---

The County of Campania had fallen into the hands of the Margrave of Bellua!

This tremendous news soon struck the entire continent like a blow.

-A new holy power has emerged!

-This is our chance to break free from the Holy Empire’s Emperor’s oppression! Nobles, draw your swords!

Like this, certain enthusiasts went about loudly proclaiming that the order led by the Holy Empire’s Emperor was collapsing, and that a new order would be born.

-Hmph, what nonsense! Hegemony does not wobble so easily. The Holy Empire’s order, too, was forged over a long span of three generations.

-Sudden expansion is that much harder to control. How will that young noble handle such an enlarged territory?

-Exactly. And is it not land across the sea? This is not truly the Margrave of Bellua’s expansion, but rather the Holy See’s expansion in practice.

However, the cautious nobles did not give such aggressive expansion a high score.

Even governing a single small domain, incidents and accidents erupted day after day.

So if one suddenly expanded into such a vast land, collapsing quickly was the natural outcome. How many peerless geniuses had fallen to overexpansion? Not a few. They all predicted that the Margrave of Bellua’s rise would be a brief flare, and that he would soon tumble.

And yet, whether optimistic enthusiasts or skeptical nobles, they shared one thought.

-The Margrave of Bellua’s rise is no ordinary thing!

-We must take his hand. One way or another, we should use him!

In other words, even if it might be temporary, they had begun to acknowledge the value of a man called the Margrave of Bellua.

Even with abundant support, to seize and govern a county the size of a kingdom as a single power?

And to take it from the mighty Holy Empire’s Emperor?

To them, it proved that he was an outstanding figure worth discussing as yet another alliance card.

In the already complex political structure of the continent, it was a truly enticing option—capable of introducing a major shift into their rigid power blocs.

-Go! To the Margrave of Bellua!

-We must move faster than those bastards. Hurry and contact the Margrave of Bellua at once.

Thus, countless great lords and nobles across the continent—and even the kings of small kingdoms—were all frantic.

They wanted, by any means, to secure a connection and proceed with something resembling an alliance.

And because of that, there was one man who profited enormously:

Viscount Pierre Bardi.

“What? We received another message today?”

“Yes, Viscount Pierre Bardi. An envoy from a small eastern kingdom came and asked us to speak well of him to the Margrave of Bellua. In return, he says he will grant trade rights to his kingdom.”

“Hmmm. This is good for us, but… we are not getting tangled in something troublesome, are we?”

“How could that be? They are all approaching in order to meet the Margrave of Bellua, are they not? It is all thanks to Your Lordship’s foresight. Haha. For the Viscount’s house’s fame to rise this high!”

There had been a reward for helping this expedition in every way.

From small eastern kingdoms to the many city-states along the Apennine Strait, they began offering Viscount Pierre Bardi countless benefits, all begging him to arrange an audience with the Margrave of Bellua.

He had inadvertently established himself as the power broker with a direct line to the Margrave of Bellua.

But unlike Viscount Pierre Bardi, who had stumbled into a windfall, there was another group that took a sudden bolt from the blue—and panicked.

“Good heavens! What is happening?!”

“People are refusing to trade with us at all.”

“What should we do? Should we go and try meeting the Margrave of Bellua, even now?”

“I heard he is so devout that he cuts off the heads of infidels the moment he sees them….”

“What are you talking about!”

“Hm? Is that not true?”

“I heard that when he sees infidels, he draws up the devil’s power and destroys them all. They said it is not something as boring as simply cutting heads.”

“Hoh. Is that true?”

They were merchants from an across-the-sea infidel nation, who had traded actively with the southern part of the County of Campania.

As soon as I—famous for piety, and effectively the Holy See’s sword—had seized the County of Campania, baseless rumors spread that I would expel all infidels.

Moreover, although the southern nobles had not yet received a direct order, they began avoiding meetings with the infidel merchants, mindful of my lofty reputation.

For the infidel merchants, who had amassed immense wealth through intercontinental relay trade, it truly was a bolt from the blue in the dead of night.

“Ah, this is driving me insane.”

“Do we have to risk our lives and try meeting the Margrave of Bellua?”

“Oh, are you going to go?”

“Have you lost your mind, you maniac? Are you trying to throw me into a deathtrap?”

“N-no…. You were the one who said it….”

“Enough, enough. Stop. Stop arguing and let us draw lots. Whoever draws the winning lot will go meet the Margrave of Bellua.”

“T-that… that… we must not rig the drawing.”

“What? What do you take me for? How dare you!”

“Enough! You played tricks the last time as well. This time our lives are at stake, so I will watch closely.”

Thus the infidel merchants trembled as they held a serious “discussion” about how to respond.

Meanwhile, I—

“What? The tax revenue collected in the County of Campania suddenly dropped sharply?”

“Yes, my lord. Compared to last year, it has fallen by half.”

“No, was the farmland Count Steffen destroyed really that extensive? Was Magician Agpiel not going around restoring it?”

“W-well…. They say the volume of trade with the infidels in the southern region dropped sharply, so the tax revenue fell.”

“?”

“They say a rumor spread that you will expel all infidels, so the local nobles and merchants are avoiding trade?”

“??????”

I was busily filling the air with question marks at the report.