Chapter 226: We Built a New Mansion (2)

"You don't know how to fill out the takeover pledge?"

"I don't know."

The official didn't look like he expected much. Eve also nodded her head proudly. There were no criminals here right now. There was only poor Eve, who had unintentionally been dumped with an entire territory, and the poor official, who unintentionally had to teach her about the handover procedure.

"Then, I will just arbitrarily draft it myself this time. Since Delmon Territory currently has no lord, problems keep arising, so we urgently need to find a person in charge. Then, I will write up a simple pledge form first, so you just need to sign it yourself and get the signature of the temporary representative from Delmon Territory."

"Temporary representative?"

"Yes. There is currently a representative in Delmon Territory as well."

"Then, can't we just make that representative the lord?"

The official's expression became subtle. Eve, who had habitually spat out informal speech, reluctantly added a word while recalling Lucius's face.

"Sir."

Only then did the official soften his expression and nod his head as he answered.

"Since Bellix Karin arrested all the local notables, including the knights, at the time of her arrest, the village chief is currently serving as the acting lord."

"Wow."

Surprisingly, the lord position was one that had only responsibilities and no power without military force. It would be no exaggeration to say that a lord without a private army was a shortcut to letting ruffians run rampant. Eve was certain that Delmon Territory had currently become a hotbed of corruption that only filled the village chief's belly or a hotbed of violence oppressed by ruffians. Or perhaps both.

"This is no time to be saying 'wow.' It means that even at this hour, the territory residents are suffering under ignorant people. I will quickly fill out the form, so please just sign it. Let's see... may I use the office desk for a moment?"

"Yes. Use it."

Eve and the official were now in the office. Eve would have rather sat Sieri down in this spot, but since she couldn't trust bastards called officials from the royal palace, she stepped up herself. It was uncomfortable using formal speech, but she was barely enduring it by recalling Lucius's face.

The official sat at the office desk and began looking for documents to write the contract on. Seeing him only scanning the top of the desk without daring to rummage through the drawers, Eve spoke out of frustration.

"The middle drawer."

"Ah, thank you. Let's see... Waaagh!"

The official, who had opened the drawer, leaped into the air with a piercing scream. The dildo that had been roughly crumpled and shoved into the drawer sprang out like a spring and flew through the empty space. Eve felt her face heat up. She had put it in there to tease her husband, but the wrong guy had found it. The official clutched his heart and panted as he pointed at the dildo.

"W-W-What is that!"

"...It's my husband's item. He has that kind of hobby."

"Ah, yes..."

Eve apologized to Lucius in her mind. Eve naturally nudged it with her foot to hide the dildo under the desk. The official, who had taken a deep breath to forget the situation from a moment ago, shook his head from side to side and pulled out some paper. In his hand was a pen stamped with the royal family's emblem. Taking his seat, the official began to write down the pledge form in a single stroke.

The pledge form was drawn out with a precise penmanship like a machine from his fingertips that moved like a copier. Eve was looking at the pledge with an amazed expression. It was because she kept having the illusion that it was really made by magic or a machine. Having finished the pledge in just five minutes, the official handed the pledge to Eve with a proud expression.

"Please sign."

Eve began to read the pledge with a sharp gaze. The contents really weren't much. It contained details stating that Delmon Territory would be incorporated into Peta Territory from now on, and that the representative of Delmon Territory must understand that his property and social standing would be subordinated to Peta Territory. Because the section labeled 'compensation plan' was blank, Eve pointed at this part and asked.

"What is this compensation plan?"

"Usually, we bestow an amount of reward money to the territory representative who managed the territory during that time as a token of appreciation. Normally, the reward money is settled in proportion to the lord's one month of tax, but since it's extremely rare for a commoner to serve as a territory representative like this time, even I don't know how to calculate it."

"Can't we just pocket it?"

"You may do that. Because it is an 'agreed' reward money. If you mutually agreed not to receive it or if the representative did a poor job, it is fine not to give it."

The official nodded his head, actively supporting Eve's opinion. As Eve signed the pledge, the official stood up from his seat and spoke.

"Then now, let's head to Delmon Territory. Even now, the people of the territory are suffering at the hands of an ignorant representative."

Leaving the official who was going down ahead behind, Eve packed her scimitar and pistol. Then she woke Elsi, who was sleeping on the first floor. Elsi, who had been sprawled out sleeping on a bench, tilted her head and asked Eve, who had suddenly woken her up.

"Mermaid. What's going on."

"Let's go kill some people."

"Is it a fight?"

"Yeah."

"Wait just a little bit. I'll change my clothes and come out."

While the official was waiting in front of the carriage like that, Eve and Elsi came outside fully armed. Seeing the pistol fastened to Eve's waist and the scimitar with a stark blue blade, the official put on an uneasy expression and spoke.

"Even so, it will be a dilemma if you try to kill them first without any intention of reaching an agreement."

At those words, Eve let out a chuckle and muttered.

"Bullshit. I'll bet Elsi's breakfast that the territory is fucked up."

Elsi stared at Eve with a flustered look. Eve slapped Elsi's buttocks with a smack and spoke.

"I'm joking. Let's go quickly."

Since Delmon Territory was the neighboring territory right next to them, it took no time to get there. The official, who only had the duty to confirm the signature on the takeover pledge, looked a little shrunken by the murderous intent and vigor of Eve and Elsi. The carriage they rode crossed the boundary line and headed towards the Delmon Territory border outpost.

There were no guards at the old outpost, and it was full of cobwebs as if no one had entered for a long time. Because the territory outposts of each side were far apart, it couldn't be checked from Peta Territory. Also, because one had to go through Amur Territory to get to the Eastern Plains, Lucius was also in a situation where he couldn't know how internally rotten Delmon Territory was.

Elsi, who had only poked her head out of the carriage to scan the surroundings, spoke.

"There is no presence."

"Looks like it. Did wolves drag them all away or something?"

The official stared at the territory border outpost with a displeased face. The coachman put on an uneasy expression at the dreary atmosphere and pulled the reins. Not long after passing the boundary line, the first village revealed its appearance. Eve got off the carriage and scanned the surroundings.

Surprisingly, the village atmosphere wasn't that bad. As Eve and Elsi got off the carriage, the gazes of all the villagers turned this way. It was because a mermaid hybrid and a beastfolk were a rare spectacle in this territory. The people's attention was focused on Elsi, the beastfolk, in particular.

"Mermaid. People are staring."

"I'm jealous."

Eve answered apathetically and checked the aspects of the people. Soldiers were having a drinking party in the corner. To Eve, they looked like soldiers guarding the boundary line, but since there was no physical evidence, she decided to leave them alone for now. As Eve and Elsi got back into the carriage, the coachman pulled the reins and departed. In this method, Eve and Elsi went around three or four villages.

The atmosphere was all similar. There were no threats going back and forth in the villages themselves, and there were no signs of corruption in particular. Eve fiddled with her pistol and clicked her tongue.

"Fuck, why. Why are there no rogues?"

"Isn't it a good thing if there are no rogues?"

"No, there have to be rogues for me to kill them. This makes bringing my sword out for once unrewarding."

Eve spoke while tapping the scabbard of her scimitar with her other hand. The official made a statement with conviction.

"Lady Peta. Rogues are also living beings. They just received wrong education growing up and fell down the wrong path. For such people, reformation is important, not corporal punishment."

"The Royal Knight Order thought differently."

Even now, looking at wheels reminded Eve of the Wheel of Repentance. Those vivid screams and joyous shouts. That scene, which truly looked like something you'd only see in hell, had planted a deep impression on Eve. The official, perhaps stung by the words 'Royal Knight Order', turned his head and spoke.

"Everyone has a different method of enforcing justice. I also think the method of the Knight Order is too radical."

"But it's too peaceful here. Mermaid said it was a scary place where rogues wandered around and killed people, but there's no sign of that."

"Right. Is that territory representative doing an incredibly good job?"

"It just looks that way temporarily. Problems are bound to arise."

The official didn't seem to like this situation. In fact, as he said, it had only been about three months since the lord of Delmon Territory had disappeared. Three months was long if you considered it long, but it was a short duration for the rogue problem to become a public issue. Furthermore, since there were no rogues in the direction of Peta Territory, it was natural that they couldn't meet criminals on the road from Peta Territory to Delmon Territory. Eve clicked her tongue and grumbled.

While they were conversing, the carriage passed through the mansion's main gate. The guards who were standing in front of the mansion were leaning back leisurely in the doorway, but when the carriage looked quite luxurious, they were startled, fixed their posture, and spoke.

"Who are you?"

The official got off first and spoke.

"I have brought the acting lord who will be officially appointed. Where is the current territory representative?"

The guards froze up stiffly at the words 'territory representative' and trembled in anxiety as they met each other's gazes. Eve and Elsi, who got off belatedly, felt anxiety from those gazes. The official spoke.

"Where is he?"

"A-Ah, o-over there!"

They looked at the mansion following the finger. Just in time, the mansion's main gate opened, and someone appeared. It was an elderly person with a bushy beard. He gave a goofy grin with a face heavily drunk on alcohol and spoke to the guards.

"Mark! Karl! Come on in! Let's drink some alcohol! There are still 18 barrels of alcohol left! Huh? When My Lord isn't here, we should drink heavily like this!"

"What's with that bastard."

Eve gripped the scabbard of her scimitar in annoyance. The drunk elderly person looked at the official and spoke.

"Aigo! Mark! Who are these people! Aigo, I told you as a joke to bring some women, but did you really bring them? But, was there a beastfolk brothel in this neighborhood? Tsk... Mark! Give these people some money and send them back, even if I'm drunk, beastfolk are a bit much. Hey, bro. Sorry about this."

The old geezer said so while tapping the official's shoulder. The official and Eve made eye contact. After exchanging glances for a moment, Eve tripped the old geezer's leg and made him fall.

"Eok! What's this! Aigo! Aigo, I'm dying! Who are you! Who are you, you bastard!"

"I'm your master, you fucking bastard."

Eve scanned her surroundings. Seeing how messy the mansion was, it seemed like there would be a lot of work.