35.Celebrity 【出戻りは肩身が狭い】
再び国境警備の兵を配置し直してから、一二三たちは一度フォカロルまで引いた。兵たちを休ませたり、投槍器の修理や改修を行う。
一二三の見立てでは、本格的にヴィシーが挙兵して来るには1ヶ月近くが必要だろうと見ている。
本来それぞれの街を守るために分散している兵を糾合するだけでも相当の時間を要するうえ、明確な国家元首も居ない以上、指揮権で揉めるのは目に見えている。
軍の編成にもたついている間に攻め入る事も考えた一二三だが、フォカロルの統治だけでもそれなりに忙しかったうえ、ヴィシー内でもオーソングランデに近いエリアでいくつかの都市国家が一二三への恭順の意思を示して来ているので、その処理も必要だった。
「こちらにつくと言われても、無条件に受け入れるわけにはな。しばらくはヴィシーとの戦いは続くだろうから、具体的なやり取りはそれからだな」
「かしこまりました。では、使者にはそのように伝えます」
恭順を伝えに来た使者には、オリガが対応していた。
一二三が対応しても良かったが、考えることが多かったので一時的にオリガに取りまとめ役をやってもらう事にして、戦後に考えると決めた。
「大体、俺は為政者とかそういう器じゃないんだよ。早めに文官奴隷を教育しておいて良かった。これが今から人集めをしていたら寝る時間も無かったな」
オリガを見送ってから、応接のソファで身体を伸ばした。
採点は非常に厳しく、まだアリッサは合格をもらえていなかった。
「そ、それより一二三さんにお客様......なんですが」
「その......カーシャさんです」
来たか、と一二三はアリッサに見えないように嗤った。
「その、王都まで一二三さんの活躍は伝わって来たよ。ヴィシーの軍隊をほとんど被害を出さずに撃退したってさ」
「ああ、そうか」
応接に通されて、カーシャは一二三と向かい合って座ったが、会話が続かない。
重苦しい空気の中、何も言えないカーシャを一二三は見透かすような目で見ている。
「......で?」
しどろもどろになっているところに、ドアをノックして入ってきたのは、オリガだった。
「アリッサから、来客と聞いたのですが......」
カーシャの姿を見つけたオリガは、思わず立ち止まった。微笑みを浮かべていた顔は、すっと表情を消す。
「来たか。まあ座れ」
一二三は敢えてどちらにとは言わず、手も動かさない。
迷いなく一二三の隣に座ったオリガに、カーシャは悲しそうな目をした。
「それで、何の用で来たの?」
「あ、あのな......やっぱり一人で冒険者やってても限界あるし、今更誰かと組むのも違うかなって思ったから......」
「あれだけの恩を受けておきながら自分勝手に抜けておいて、また一二三様に拾ってもらえると思っているの?」
一二三は黙ってやり取りを聞いていたが、このままだとオリガが一方的にカーシャを責め立てて追い返して終わりそうだったので、そろそろ助け舟を出そうと思った。
「まあ、来るもの拒まず去る者追わずと言うし、別にまた雇うのは構わん。人手も足りていないからな」
「一二三様!」
しれっと許可した一二三に、すがるようにオリガが抗議するが、その手に手を重ねて落ち着かせた。
「お前の仕事も大分増えた。顔見知りなら能力も知っているし、仕事の割り振りもしやすいだろう。まだ次の戦いもあるからな。お前にあまり無理をさせたくはない」
「一二三様......」
自分への気遣いだと言われ、オリガは一二三の手にさらに手を重ねて頬を染めた。
わかりやすい奴だと一二三は思い、カーシャはそんな白々しい台詞を吐いた一二三を怪しんだ。
「まあ、領軍には戻さない。出戻りに指図されても気分が悪いだろうからな」
これでも、士気とかには気を使っているんだぞ、と言って一二三は笑った。
「しばらくは、俺の護衛兼秘書として、手伝いをしてくれ。部屋はこの館の中に用意する」
「あ、ありがとう。頑張るから、よろしく」
「ある程度は、相手の思い通りにさせることも重要だろうな」
オリガには一二三が言う意味がわからなかったが、彼が何かの確信を以て行動しているとわかったので、それ以上は何も言わなかった。
ヴィシーからの追跡部隊が壊滅したという知らせは、敗走してきた兵を受け入れた街から中央委員会へ素早く伝えられた。
対応のために収集されていた委員たちは、その知らせを聞いても冷静だった。
ある程度、一二三に関する情報を集めていたので、300程度ならはね返されても不思議ではないという認識ができているためだ。だが、追跡の為の兵がいたずらに減らされた事には不満だった。
「隊長に任じた男の判断ミスだな。死んだ奴にどうこう言っても始まらないが」
「でもこれで、相手が使う武器もわかったし、次の本格的な奪還作戦の為の威力偵察だと思えばいいのではないかしら?」
「所詮は小さな街からの寄せ集めの軍だったからな。追跡はできてもロクに戦闘にならないのは仕方ない」
既にデボルドが使者としてやってくる前に、ヴィシーは武力を以て抵抗する事を決めており、戦いになることに対して全員冷静に受け止めている。
「それにしても、新しい子爵......一二三と言ったか。この男は危険だな」
「逆に言えば、その一二三という男さえ死ねば、オーソングランデを止められるんじゃろう」
「でも、親書はたしかにイメラリア王女の署名があったようだけれど?」
過去、イメラリア王女と顔を合わせた事がある委員もおり、政治とは無縁で民衆に優しい少女だという印象だったが、この一連のオーソングランデの動きにはイメラリアの影が見え隠れしている。
王の死で何か思うところがあったのか、一二三という人材を見出したからなのかは不明だが、王位継承予定の王子を差し置いて、積極的に国を動かしているようだ。
「いずれにせよ、翁の言うとおり一二三を押さえる事ができれば、一方的な講和とはならずに済むだろう」
「目標としては一定の戦果を上げて、対話を求めるタイミングを図るという事で良いのね?」
「それで、こちらの兵はどれくらいの数になる?」
その質問に、控えていた侍従が全員に書面を配布した。
「15,000か。ローヌからアロセール迄を押さえるオーソングランデの兵は、例の子爵領軍と国境警備をあわせても200かそこらだろう。過剰じゃないか?」
「300が100にほぼ無傷ですりつぶされたのだし、奪還した街へ残す人員も必要だから、過剰とは言えないわ」
「余裕があるに越したことは無いが......やれやれ、金が出て行くばかりじゃのう」
そう言った年配の委員の脳裏に、ふと疑問が浮かんだ。
(オーソングランデは何を目的にヴィシーを攻めるのじゃ? 領地を広げるためか? 表向きは報復という理由だったが、メンツの為というには苛烈すぎる)
まさかイメラリアと一二三との間に回復不可能な溝が存在するとは思わない彼には、そこが想像できなかった。
「どんなに急いでも、集結に3週間はかかります。それから部隊を整理しますから、実際に奪還作戦を始めるのはひと月程先ですな」
「ふん、それまでに物資などを集めなければならんか。忌々しい」
ヴィシー建国史上最大の兵力集結を前に、委員会は高揚した雰囲気だった。普段は利益の取り合いで喧々囂々、場合によっては罵り合いの場だったのが、利益よりも勝利を求める事で皮肉にも意識の統一ができた。
これまで委員会の話し合いがここまで円滑に進んだ事は無かったと、奇妙な充足感すらある。
「では、あとは我が国の兵士たちに期待するとしよう」
全員が頷いて、委員会は閉会となった。
カーシャが案内されたのは、オリガやアリッサと同じレベルの個室だった。
立派なベッドと文机が設えられ、広さも王都で利用していた宿の部屋を三つ合わせても足りなそうだ。
「なんだか、住む世界が違っちゃたのかねぇ」
ベッドに腰掛け、呟いたところで先ほど案内してくれた侍女がやってきて、一二三の指示でこの館の案内をすると言う。
領主館1階は、全面的に改装が施され、いくつかの会議室と事務室があり、正面入口は出入りしやすいように大きく解放できるように拡張され、入口を入った正面に5人ほどの職員が並んで受付をしていた。
「ギルドみたいに職員が並んでるけど、何をやってるんだい?」
「一二三様の指導により、街の住人は全て登録され、出生や死亡、婚姻は届出をするようにと義務付けられました。あれはその為の受付です」
スラスラと答える侍女の声は平坦だが、一二三への畏敬は感じているという話しぶりだった。
「出生や婚姻には祝い金、死亡の届出には見舞金が支払われます。皆最初は半信半疑でしたが、館にあった美術品を惜しげもなく売却され、職員の対応も良くなったと、住民たちからは概ね好意的に受け止められていると伺っております」
まだどうしていいかよく判らない様子の住民に、笑顔で説明する職員たち。親族の死亡届を出しに来た老婆は、職員にお悔やみの言葉をかけられて、涙を流しながら笑顔を見せていた。
カーシャからは見えないが、カウンターの奥にはカイムやブロクラ、パリュのデスクがあり、しっかりと仕事ぶりをチェックされているので、職員もまだぎこちないながらも懸命に応対している。
一二三はああ見えて、領民には優しくしているのかと、今まで知らなかった面を改めて感じ取ったカーシャは、それが何かのカムフラージュではないかと期待を込めた疑いの目を向けている。
一二三が悪者でなければ、自分がやろうとしていることに耐えられなくなりそうだからだ。
「では、次は二階をご案内させていただきます」
二階の執務室や倉庫スペースまで案内され、自室まで送られてからカーシャはベッドに飛び込んだ。
不正は限りなく減り、住民には公平かつ丁寧に対応する体制ができつつあり、混乱なく整然とした行政が敷かれつつあるのは、素人のカーシャでもよくわかった。
それは表向きで、一二三に何か恐ろしい狙いがあるのかも知れないが、今の自分には面と向かって一二三を非難する材料は見つけられないとカーシャは思う。
パジョーは一二三の存在そのものが戦争を引き起こす要因になると断じて、カーシャに協力を求めてきた。話を聞いたその時には、オリガが自分より一二三の傍にいることを選んだショックもあって納得したが、現実に一二三が行っているのは善政だと思う。
首を振って、頭の中に浮かぶ疑念を振り切る。
「一二三さんが無茶をしなけりゃアタシの出番も無いんだ。余計な事を考えて、追い出されたら元も子もないしね。ゆっくりオリガと話して、仲直りすることを考えようかね」
それに、明日からは一二三の側について仕事を始めないといけない。思ったより順調に一二三を観察できる配置につけたのは幸運だった。あとは、怪しまれないように仕事を頑張ろうと結論づけたところで、急いで移動した旅の疲れがでたのか、そのまま夕食に呼ばれるまで、カーシャは眠った。
「スラム?」
「ええ、概ね戸籍の作成は完了致しましたが、スラムだけは治安の問題もあり、文官が立ち入りすることが難しいようです」
戸籍担当の文官奴隷パリュからの報告を説明するオリガは、デスクに座る一二三の横に立つカーシャを一瞥もしない。これまで何度かカーシャから接触しようとはしたものの、けんもほろろに避けられていた。
「そういうエリアがあったんだな」
「スラムはある程度大きい街にはどこにでもあるよ。王都にだってあるわけだし」
戸籍も作らない程度の政治体制である以上、犯罪や貧困によって通常の生活圏からはじき出された連中というのは一定以上存在する。特にこの世界では、街を出て街道から少しでも離れれば魔物に襲われる可能性が跳ね上がる。
奴隷あがりで金がなかったり、犯罪などで逃げ出した連中が入り込む暗黒街はそれなりの人口を抱え、毎日何人かが死に、同数程度の何人かが転がり込む。
「冒険者崩れも多いから、ギルドが受理しないような胡散臭い仕事を請け負う連中なんかもいるだろうね。王都だと、一二三さんが潰した“隠し蛇”って奴らも、大半がスラム出身のはずだよ」
「街の人々から集めた情報では、スラムを束ねている集団はいるようです。人数までは把握できませんが、誘拐や強盗などの犯罪が起きていたようです」
今は、新たな領主の出方を見るために大人しく潜伏しているらしい。
兵達が数人ずつ巡回したが、兵を見たスラムの住人は立ち並ぶあばら家に引きこもって出てこようとはしなかったらしい。
どれくらいの人口がいるかは判らないが、放っておけばまたぞろ街へ出てきて犯罪を繰り返すようになるだろう。
「一二三様のお許しが頂けましたら、私が全て片付けて参ります」
「それはちょっと危ないんじゃ......」
オリガは、目線でカーシャを黙らせた。
「オリガ、少しはカーシャと仲良くしろ。共同で仕事を頼む事もあるかもしれない。それと、スラムの掃除は俺がやろう」
「一二三様のお手を煩わせるわけには......」
「オリガ」
名前を呼んで話を遮った一二三は、オリガをまっすぐに見つめて笑った。
「これは俺の仕事で、俺がやりたい事だ」
「......かしこまりました」
立ち上がった一二三は、腰に刀を差し、いつもの道着の上からマントを羽織った。王城から届けられた、領主である事を示す為のもので、左肩に王家の紋章と、右肩に一二三の家紋として新たにデザインされた刀と鎖鎌をモチーフにしたマークがデザインされている。
「スラムとやらに行ってくる。二人共、あとは任せた」
頭を下げるオリガとカーシャに見送られ、一二三はマントを翻して執務室を出て行く。
急速に整えられる領地の体制を頭の中で見直しながら、一二三の気持ちは次に起こるであろうヴィシーの反撃に思いを馳せる。一二三の予測が当たったとして、一ヶ月は、短い。
「......本格的に準備を始めないとな」
丁寧に準備をしてこそ、ローヌでの戦いのような興奮があるのだ。今度は一万か二万か。少なくとも、一二三が退屈するような事にはならないだろう。それに、パジョーを始めとしたイメラリアの手勢の動きもあるかも知れない。
あれがいい、これをやってみようと、微笑みを見せながら足取り軽く歩く姿は、まるで美しい女性とのデートを前に落ち着かない様子に見え、館を出て行く姿を見かけた一階の職員たちは、領主の機嫌が良いことを微笑ましく思っていた。
Chapter 35: Celebrity
After once again rearranging the defense at the national border, Hifumi withdrew to Fokalore. letting the soldiers rest while the spear throwers were repaired and improved.
According to Hifumi's prognosis, if Vichy was really raising an army, they'd need around a month before they arrive.
Even just rallying the troops split up in order to protect all their cities would take a considerable amount of time, and since there isn't a clear head of the state, there will be disputes regarding who gets to be in command.
Hifumi thought about attacking Vichy while they were slowly assembling their army, but he was busy enough with governing Fokalore. A couple of city-states situated within Vichy, but close to Orsongrande, had shown up to show their allegiance to Hifumi, and it was necessary for him to deal with them.
"Even if they come here, we can't unconditionally accept them. We'll soon be continuing our war with Vichy, so any specific exchanges will have to wait until after that."
"Understood. I'll convey that to the messengers."
Origa was the one who interacted with the messengers.
Hifumi could've done it as well, but as there were many things to think about, Origa was temporarily given that role. They can decide what to do after the war is over.
"I don't have the ability to be a politician to begin with. I'm glad I decided to train those civil official slaves ahead of time. If I were to try and gather people now, there wouldn't be any time to sleep."
After seeing Origa off, he stretched out on the reception sofa.
Since Hifumi's very strict when grading, Alyssa had yet to receive a passing grade.
"Th-that aside, you've got a visitor."
"Well... It's Kasha."
So she came. Without letting Alyssa see, Hifumi sneered.
"Ehh, the talk about your endeavors have reached the capital. How you repelled Vichy's army without any losses."
"Aah, I see."
After being let through to the reception, Kasha was sitting down, face to face with Hifumi, but the conversation wasn't continuing.
Within the heavy atmosphere, Hifumi was observing the quiet Kasha as if he could see through her.
"...... So?"
As she became flustered, there was a knock on the door, and Origa entered.
"Alyssa told me there was a visitor..."
Discovering Kasha, Origa instinctively stopped, and she quickly lost the smile on her face.
"So you're here. Take a seat."
Hifumi deliberately didn't mention in what seat, nor make any hand gestures.
As Origa unhesitatingly chose to sit down next to Hifumi, Kasha showed a hint of sadness.
"So, what's your business, coming here?"
"W-well, you see... I'm quite limited working alone as an adventurer, and partnering up with someone else now feels a bit..."
"After receiving such a big favor and selfishly leaving, you think Hifumi will let you back again?"
Hifumi was listening to their exchange in silence. If it kept going as it currently was, it would just end with Origa one-sidedly throwing accusations at Kasha, who would end up being chased away. It's about time to give her some timely help.
"Well, 'accept those who comes to you, and don't chase those who leave', they say. I don't really mind employing you again. We're lacking manpower, after all."
"Hifumi!"
Seeing Hifumi approve as if nothing had happened, Origa clung to him to protest, but Hifumi put his hand on hers to calm her down.
"Your workload has increased considerably. If it's an acquaintance whose abilities you know, it should be easier to divide the workload, wouldn't it? Besides, there's also the next battle. I don't want to work you too hard."
"Hifumi..."
With Hifumi showing concern for her, as well as holding her hand, Origa blushed.
What an easy to understand person, Hifumi thought, while Kasha raised some suspicions about him, saying such transparent words.
"Well, I won't reinstate you in the territorial army. Having someone who left just to later return giving orders would be a bitter pill to swallow, right?"
Even if it's like this, we've got to take things like the morale into consideration, Hifumi said with a smile.
"For the moment, I'll have you be my guard and secretary, so please give me a hand. A room in this mansion will be prepared for you."
"T-thank you. I'll do my best, so please take care of me."
"It's important to meet the other side's expectations to some extent, at least."
Although Origa didn't understand what Hifumi meant, she did understand that his actions were backed up with confidence in something, so she didn't say anything else.
The news about the annihilation of the pursuit unit from Vichy was quickly relayed to the central committee from the city accepting one of the fleeing soldiers.
Hearing the news, the committee members who gathered in order to deal with the situation stayed calm.
From the news they've collected about Hifumi, it wasn't a mystery about that they were repelled as the pursuing soldiers only numbered 300. They were, however, dissatisfied with the loss of soldiers due to them fooling around.
"It was a miscalculation by the appointed commanding officer.  But it's pointless to place the blame on a dead man."
"But we now know what weapons they're using, so isn't it fine thinking of this as reconnaissance for the upcoming all-out recapture operation?"
"After all, it's just some troops gathered from small cities. They're able to pursue, but aren't good enough to have serve a purpose on a real battlefield."
Even before Debold came as an envoy, Vichy had decided to resist with force, so everyone calmly accepted that they were going to fight.
"At any rate, that new viscount... Hifumi, was it? That man is dangerous."
"If you look at it from the other side, if that Hifumi dies, won't we stop Orsongrande?"
"But, the letter was signed by princess Imeraria, was it not?"
Amongst them, there were a couple who had seen princess Imeraria in the past. She had given them the impression of a girl unrelated to politics, and kind towards the populace. But these chains of events in Orsongrande have been sending mixed signals.
They didn't know whether it was because she thought of something after the king's death, or because Hifumi was discovered, but she disregarded the prince who was supposed to inherit the throne, proactively moving the country herself.
"Either way, like the old man said, if we can stop Hifumi, we can end this without some arbitrary reconciliation."
"As the goal is to exceed a certain amount of military gains, we need to plan when to request a dialogue."
"So, about how many soldiers are we going to send?"
In response to that question, the chamberlain who was taking notes distributed a document to all the members.
"15000, huh? The Orsongrande soldiers we need to stop from going from Rhone to Arosel would be the viscount's territorial soldiers and the border security, around 200 in total. Isn't this excessive?"
"100 of them crushed our 300 soldiers just about uninjured. We need to leave personnel in the recaptured cities too, so I wouldn't say it's excessive."
"It's better to have some flexibility, but... aren't we just throwing money away?"
Saying that, doubts started appearing in the elderly committee member's head.
(What's Orsongrande's goal with attacking Vichy? To expand their territories? Their official reason is retribution, but it's too severe to just be a matter of honor.)
By no means could he even imagine that it was because of an irrecoverable rift existing between Imeraria and Hifumi.magic
"No matter how much we rush it, the gathering of the troops will take around 3 weeks. After that, we need to organize them in units, so we need around a month before the recapture operation can be started.
"Hmm. Until then, materials needs to be gathered. How annoying."
In front of the biggest gathering of troops since the founding of Vichy, the committee was in an uplifted mood. In the place they were normally noisily scrambling for profits, cursing each other, their wishes for victory above profit was ironically what brought them together.
Until now, the committee's discussions have never proceeded smoothly, so they were having a strange sense of satisfaction.
"Well then, all that's left is to place our hopes in our soldiers."
Everyone nodded, and the meeting was finished.
The room Kasha was shown was on the same level as those Origa and Alyssa were living in.
The room was equipped with a splendid bed, and a low desk. The size of the room was at least three times bigger than the room she was living in at the inn in the royal capital.
"Somehow, it's like we're living in different worlds."
Sitting down on the bed and mumbling that, the maid who showed her to the room gave her a tour of the mansion, as per Hifumi's instructions.
Having received a complete restructure, the first floor had a couple of conference rooms and offices, and in order to make the passage through the entrance easier, making more space, it received an expansion. Inside was now a front desk, with five staff members working side by side.
"It looks like at a guild, when they work side by side like that, but what are they doing?"
"According to Hifumi's instructions, we're registering all the citizens and we're making it obligatory to report births, deaths, and marriages. The reception desk is there to deal with that."
The maid smoothly responded in a flat voice, but you could hear her respect for Hifumi from her way of talking.
"If they report that someone was born, or married, we give them some congratulatory money, and in case of death, they receive some monetary condolences. In the beginning, everyone were sceptical about it, but after generously selling off the mansion's artwork, and the staff members becoming better at receiving them, I heard that most of the citizens are receiving it favorably."
For those who didn't understand what use all this had, the staff members were explaining with a smile on their faces. For the old woman who came to report a relative's death, a staff member was expressing their condolences with a smile, while shedding tears.
Kasha couldn't see it, but behind the counter were the desks of Caim, Brokla, and Paryu, checking that they worked hard. Because of that, even if they were clumsy, the staff members did their best.
Seeing Hifumi being kind towards the populace like that, Kasha was once again seeing a side of him she hadn't seen before. But isn't this just a camouflage of some sorts? She shifted her attention towards her doubts filled with some expectation.
If Hifumi wasn't a bad person, Kasha wouldn't be able to make herself do it.
"Well then, I'll introduce the second floor next."
After being shown the offices and storage spaces, and led back to her room, Kasha threw herself on the bed.
The level of injustice has drastically fallen, and without any chaos ensuing, an impartial, yet thorough, system was imposed in a well-organized way. Even Kasha understood all of that.
Although that's how it looks, Hifumi might have some terrifying goal in mind, but after speaking to him face-to-face just now, Kasha couldn't find anything to criticize him for.
As Pajou was sure that just the existence of Hifumi will be the primary factor in wars being caused, she sought Kasha's cooperation. After listening to Pajou back then, as well as the shock from when Origa chose to stay by Hifumi's side rather than return with her, she accepted. But in reality, she thought that the governing Hifumi was doing was good.
Shaking her head, she dispelled the doubts arising.
"Unless Hifumi does something unreasonable, it won't become my turn. If I think of too many unnecessary things and am driven out, it will all have come to nothing. I should also talk with Origa, trying to reconcile with her."
Besides, she had to start working by Hifumi's side tomorrow. Getting a better than expected opportunity to observe Hifumi was a stroke of luck. Now, what remains is to work hard in order to not be suspected. Trying to quickly get rid of the fatigue from traveling, Kasha slept until she was called for dinner.
"The slums?"
"Yeah. The creation of the family register is mostly completed, but there's a problem with the public order in the slums, so it's difficult for the civil officials to enter."
Origa explained the information she got from Paryu, the civil official slave in charge of the family register, to Hifumi as he sat by his desk. She didn't as much as glance on Kasha who stood next to him. Kasha had tried to get in contact with Origa a few times already, but she was brusquely warded off.
"So there's an area like that."
"As long as the city is of a certain size, there will be a slum. Even the royal capital has it."
The political system, aside from not having created a family register, had plenty of people who were forced out from the sphere of a daily normal life due to crime and poverty. Especially in this world where if you leave the city and stray a little off the highway, the possibility of being attacked by a monster skyrocket.
Slaves and penniless people run away from things like crime, entering the underworld, which in itself, would employ its inhabitants. Every day, people are dying, but the same amount of new people are streaming in.
"There are many wannabe adventurers, so there will be people undertaking shady jobs the guild won't accept. Like the "Hidden Serpent" guys you crushed in the royal capital. Those kind of people mostly come from the slums."
"According to the information collected from people throughout the city, it seems there is a group managing the slums. We don't know what their numbers are, but they are involved in things like abductions and robberies."
For now, it seems they were laying low in order to get a grasp on the new lord's attitude.
There had been patrols of a couple of soldiers before, but when the inhabitants of the slum saw the soldiers, they went inside their rows of shacks, and didn't come out, apparently.
They didn't know how big of a population there was there, but if the slums were left alone, wouldn't they once again emerge in the city and commit crimes?
"If I receive your permission, I'll go settle that problem."
"Isn't that a little danger..."
Origa's gaze caused Kasha to turn quiet.
"Origa, get along a little with Kasha. I might entrust you with work where you need to work together. As for cleaning up the slums, I'll be doing it."
"I can't be causing trouble to..."
"Origa."
Calling her name, interrupting Origa, Hifumi looked straight at her and smiled.
"This is my job, and it's something I want to do."
"...Understood."
It was something delivered from the royal castle, to show that you are the lord of a territory. On the left shoulder was the royal family's coat of arms, and on the right shoulder was Hifumi's newly designed family crest. It was a symbol with the motif of a katana and a kusarigama.
"I'm off to the slums. I'll entrust it to you two afterwards."
Seeing off Kasha, and the bowing Origa, Hifumi left the office with a wave of the mantle.
While revising the system to quickly put the territory in order in his head, he then thought about the likely coming counterattack from Vichy. If Hifumi's estimations were correct, they just had one short month.
"...I must begin doing the preparations in earnest."
As Hifumi was carefully preparing, he felt the same kind of excitement as from the fight in Rhone. This time, is it 10000? 20000? At the very least, he wouldn't be bored. Moreover, under the influence of Pajou, Imeraria's troops might be joining too.
That would be good, so let's give it a go. Hifumi smiled as he walked with light steps, like a beautiful girl who couldn't calm down before a date. The staff members on the first floor who saw Hifumi walk out, pleasantly thought that him being in a good mood was something nice.
Summoned Slaughterer
呼び出された殺戮者
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/summoned-slaughterer/
Action Adventure Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Psychological Romance Shounen
Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Arrogant Characters Average-looking Protagonist Beastkin Beautiful Female Lead Betrayal Calm Protagonist Clever Protagonist Cunning Protagonist Dark Demi-Humans Demons Determined Protagonist Different Social Status Dwarfs Elemental Magic Elves Enemies Become Allies Enemies Become Lovers Evil Protagonist Fantasy Creatures Fantasy World Fearless Protagonist God-human Relationship Gods Kingdom Building Kingdoms Knights Love Interest Falls in Love First Magic Beasts Magical Space Male Protagonist Marriage Monsters Nobles Obsessive Love Overpowered Protagonist Politics Power Struggle Protagonist Strong from the Start R-15 Royalty Ruthless Protagonist Samurai Schemes And Conspiracies S*aves Strong Love Interests Strong to Stronger Summoning Magic Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Transported to Another World Underestimated Protagonist Unique Weapon User Unique Weapons Wars Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4399ci/
井戸正善／ido