by Ryota Hori
It was a city that developed through the weak trampling on the weak. That could only be occupied by people who live that way. Ryoma couldn’t imagine a more distorted idea.
To him, this city was a place that never should have existed. No one should live in a place like this. This was all just a stepping stone in Ryoma’s journey.
I’ll grow stronger... I swear it!
Hatred flared up in Ryoma. Bottomless, righteous wrath at this unreasonable, maddened world.
With the Malfist sisters following him, Ryoma ran through the streets as black smoke and screams swirled all around them. He was doing this to put an end to everything. Angry shouts and howls were echoing from every direction.
“Shigesuke, regroup with Sakuya. Koutarou, come with me. We hunt down the stragglers.” Gennou quickly gave orders, and the shadows around them quickly dispersed in different directions.
Ryoma and the Malfist sisters slew Andre, one of the three pirate leaders. The problem was the remaining two.
Now, the question is where they run to...
The Igasaki clan had already seized most of the city in their initial attack, so escaping would be difficult. But the enemy wasn’t foolish enough to think they’d walk away with their lives if they surrender.
In which case, they had only two paths they could take to escape. The cliff staircase — which was guarded by Boltz — or the sea, and by extension the harbor.
“Master Gennou... We found the other two. They are headed for the harbor.”
One of the people Gennou sent ahead returned, prompting the old ninja to run toward the harbor as well as the city burned around him. And as the blue, sparkling sea came into view, Gennou could hear the sound of clashing weapons.
“That’s...” He murmured to himself.
Apparently, their soldiers were engaging the pirates. Gennou sent the ninjas that followed him a hand signal, and the next moment, kunai flew through the air, piercing the pirates’ backs.
♱
The citadel city of Epirus. A man walked through the filthy back alleys, and entered a love hotel. The large man wordlessly threw a silver coin onto the reception counter. He was wearing a hood, as if to hide his identity. The owner of the establishment, who was currently cleaning through the kitchen, simply regarded the man with his eyes and nudged them upwards, signaling the second floor.
He didn’t ask who the man was. The whole affair was arranged ahead of time.
“Room 204.”
As the large man headed up the staircase, the hotel’s owner whispered at his back. Having said what he needed, the owner then looked away and returned to his business. His attitude made it clear that in his line of business, adopting a see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil approach was necessary.
Many customers visited the establishment with the intent of not being seen here. And while this was a love hotel, some people didn’t necessarily come in with people of the opposite gender. For all the owner was concerned, so long as he was paid the details didn’t matter. He knew that the secret to a long life was keeping his nose out of other people’s business. The demon of curiosity could take away a person’s life with swift fickleness.
And so, the owner simply took the coin the man left on the counter, put it into his wallet and returned his gaze to the kitchen. If one were to ask him what he saw on that day, he would likely reply thus:
“An inn like mine doesn’t get any customers.”
♱
“It’s been too long, Lord Mikoshiba. I’ve heard you disposed of the pirates not too long ago. Congratulations.”
When the man entered the room the owner had mentioned, he was greeted by Simone, who rose from a chair and bowed her head respectfully. She was clad in a red dress with a deep cleavage, and her lips were dyed a glossy crimson with lipstick. The skirt of her dress was open along the sides, granting Ryoma’s eyes a good view of her white legs.
That day, Simone showed herself with an outfit that was as sensual and degenerate as what the prostitutes walking the streets were wearing. Even those who knew her would hesitate to say she was the same person as the woman who led the Christof Company.
“Yes, it’s been a while, Simone... News reaches you as quickly as ever.”
He’d only just reported of his success at subduing the pirates to Count Salzberg and his wife, and yet Simone already knew of it. Ryoma took off his hood, revealing a bitter, somewhat exasperated smile.
“The rumors have been circulating for a month or so already. The sudden drop in the pirates’ activities was all the proof I needed. And then I heard you returned to Epirus.” Simone finished her explanation and regarded Ryoma with a smile.
After a certain day a month ago, she’d stopped hearing stories of how people were hurt by pirate raids. Naturally enough, the more quick-witted merchants rapidly began gathering information, and Ryoma saw Simone as both a purveyor and a spy. Between all the information she had gathered so far and Ryoma’s return to Epirus, she quickly came to the right conclusion.
“But really, Simone, you certainly picked an interesting place for a meeting.” Ryoma said with a wry smirk as he sank his body into the sofa.
Simone returned his smirk with the whimsical smile of a child who had successfully pulled a prank. The two of them meeting face to face at this point ran the risk of arousing Count Salzberg’s suspicion. With that in mind, Simone brought up this hotel as a place that would allow them to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
While he was in the lowest rank of Baron, Ryoma was still a noble. Simone, as well, was the acting president of a large company which, despite being on the wane right now, once served as the leader of Epirus’s trade union. This place was far too shabby for people of their positions to meet.
“It’s a perfect place for a clandestine rendezvous, though.”
But it was indeed a fine place to avoid unwelcome eyes. It was an area of the city that wasn’t so much dubious as it was outright illicit, but one could get away with anything here so long as they paid a handsome fee.
And so, it was the right place to avoid the spies Count Salzberg placed on the two of them. Even if Ryoma was worried, he could always just shrug any accusations off by saying he had spent his time with a prostitute. Going out to buy a woman’s services was as good a reason to hide one’s identity as they came, after all. Incidentally, Simone was supposedly shut off in her estate, recovering from illness.
“Well? How’re preparations on your side going?” Ryoma cut to the heart of the matter, while internally being struck dumb by Simone’s appearance.
There was a limit to how much he could look at her straight on while she was dressed like that, but there had to have been a reason she asked for them to meet personally like this despite the danger it presented.
“We’ve already bought two ships, which are currently docked in Myspos.” Simone took a map out of a leather bag she carried and spread it out on the table.
Myspos was a port town on the eastern tip of the Kingdom of Helnesgoula. While it couldn’t quite match up to Pherzaad, which was the largest port on the western continent, it was still one of the largest ports available.
While Ryoma built a stronghold in Wortenia, Simone began preparing her ships in Myspos.
“Two ships, huh...? How large are they?”
“Two galleons, the largest I could find on sale. Their crews are all seasoned sailors that are also experienced in naval combat.”
“I see. Well, a bit drastic, I’d say.”
“I kept the possibility of converting them into war vessels in mind.” Simone answered Ryoma’s implicit question flatly.
It was a way of saying that despite the fact those ships were purchased using the Christof Company’s funds, she didn’t mind Ryoma using them as a naval war force if need be. Ryoma eyed her with a slightly exasperated smile.
“That’s a crazy gamble you’re taking here.”
Ryoma knew he’d already thrown his lot in with Simone, which meant they would eit
her sink or swim together. Even still, he didn’t expect this much consideration or graciousness out of her. Those trade vessels were by no means cheap, so telling Ryoma he could use them for war if he needed to was a show of great resolve.
Simone regarded Ryoma’s words with a silent smile and directed a questioning glance toward him.
“And what of the port?”
Upon deciding to cooperate, the two of them clearly defined each other’s roles in the agreement. Simone was to secure ships and a stream of goods for the peninsula, while Ryoma was to remove the pirates and establish a port in the Wortenia peninsula. Ryoma already dealt with the pirates, but Simone hadn’t received any reports regarding the port.
She didn’t doubt Ryoma’s abilities, but it had only been a few months since he headed into Wortenia. It was only natural she would feel anxious. But Ryoma’s smile remained composed.
“Yeah, it’s all good. We’ve got stores and houses, and even a wall. We just need more people,” he said.
At that answer, Simone fell silent and eyed him fixedly with unflinching eyes.
It looks like he really is ready...
She could tell he wasn’t lying, and heaved a deep sigh. In the few months since she met him, this man created an infrastructure in that cursed land.
This man...
If she were to put a name to the feelings filling her heart, it would be fear... No, awe. Fear was linked with rejection, while awe was linked with obedience. His facial features weren’t quite those of a handsome man, and while his physique was impressive, he otherwise looked like an average young man.
But Simone knew. He had exterminated the pirates. She only had fragmentary information so she didn’t know the details, but she assumed that none of the pirates or their families were among the living. She used one of the merchants in Myspos to send people into Wortenia and check. That town, which was hidden in an inlet, was burned to the ground, and the charred buildings and corpses were left as they were.
That man described the image of the birds pecking into the burned corpses as a hellish sight. Simone thought the pirates’ fate was a ghastly one, but she did think it was their just deserts. Her take was that while she didn’t believe in adhering too closely to the law, she didn’t think it was to be ignored either.
True, there were some unreasonable and illogical laws, but as a whole, laws were necessary for government. And had Ryoma and his comrades shown mercy to the pirates, Simone may have elected to stop cooperating with them. The pirates were useful as a fighting force, yes, but some of her subordinates had their family members abducted by pirates and would never forgive them.
Had Ryoma chosen to ally with the pirates, it was clear to see it would have resulted in a major problem sooner or later. And yet, Ryoma chose to wipe them out. She thought him to be a bit soft since he’d liberated the slaves he bought, but apparently he was fully capable of ruthlessness when the situation called for it. His heart was capable of coldly discerning risk and merit.
My judgment of him... was correct. The thought crossed Simone’s heart.
She took his hand as if grabbing onto straws in her attempts to keep the Mystel Company afloat. But as it turned out, his hand wasn’t a straw, but a firm rope. A person who was only kind or only ruthless could never govern over people for long. Only a man that was graced with both those qualities could stand at the summit.
A hegemon...
The word surfaced in her mind, and a jolt ran down her spine.
“What’s wrong?” Ryoma asked with a hint of concern.
Apparently she’d kept her gaze fixed on him, which flustered him somewhat.
“Nothing, my apologies.”
“You all right?”
“Yes.” Simone bowed her head.
Ryoma looked at her, not quite convinced, but continued speaking.
“Well, our city’s pretty much built, so we just need residents.”
They’d already had buildings ready to accommodate people, so all that remained was to bring people into this town he’d built.
“Understood. We’ll bring in the slaves from Myspos as fast as we can.”
“Yeah, did you pick them according to what I asked you?”
“Yes, a thousand healthy boys and girls, aged ten to fifteen. We have them secured on site already.”
Purchasing slaves from Xarooda and Helnesgoula as opposed to in Epirus meant they were less likely to be noticed by Count Salzberg. It was for this same reason that Simone purchased her ships from Myspos.
“All right. The monsters’ fangs and skins should do well enough for the fee, right?”
Simone nodded wordlessly. Fangs and skins collected from the monsters living in the Wortenia Peninsula sold for a fairly high cost. They had to be hunted periodically, and so their skins and fangs made for important local export products.
“By the way... Rumor has it you’ve encountered some demi-humans. Is that true?” Simone asked.
It was a casual question asked out of curiosity, but Ryoma’s expression changed upon hearing it.
“Who told you that?” He glared at her sharply, which elicited a sharp intake of breath from Simone.
He wasn’t looking at her as he might at an enemy, but the cold, sharp light emanating from his eyes was real. A silence hung between them for some time, after which Ryoma’s gaze softened.
“Ah, sorry... It’s just that that’s a bit of a complicated issue.” Ryoma apologized with a smile, realizing he was pressuring Simone.
He didn’t intend to intimidate her, but the mention of that subject made him glare at her despite himself.
“Just what happened? Did you really meet the demi-humans?” Simone asked, taking a deep breath in an attempt to steady her breath.
For all Simone was concerned, the demi-humans were an extinct species. In fact, that was what all people on this continent thought, with the exception of a select few. There were occasional rumors that they still existed in the unexplored regions of the continent, but it was all in the realm of gossip.
Simone didn’t truly believe Ryoma met any demi-humans. She thought it was just a groundless rumor, borne from crossing an existing theory that the demi-humans had a hidden community on Wortenia with the fact Ryoma was made governor of the peninsula.
She only brought it up as a conversation subject and didn’t mean anything deeper by it, but given Ryoma’s reaction, she realized it was probably more than just a rumor. Exposed to Simone’s questioning gaze, Ryoma explained, though not without heaving a sigh.
What he’d told her was a story that was by no means vague or ambiguous. And the more Ryoma told Simone, the darker her gaze became.
Because it was the story of the demi-humans, and the dark hatred they harbored toward mankind...
Epilogue
The moment she opened the door, Lady Yulia distorted her face unpleasantly at the air that filled the room. It was the stench of a woman, and the sweet, sickening aroma of aphrodisiac that clung to the skin. It was the aroma of a musk imported from the central continent and broiled together with a stimulant.
It was clearly evident what was going on in this room. Count Salzberg was enjoying himself in a rather blatant and gaudy fashion. As he sat on the sofa and enjoyed a glass of wine, his disheveled hair made it clear just how intense the tryst he’d just engaged in was. Lady Yulia walked into the room and approached the maid who was squatting in the corner of the room. The girl had her face in her hands, and after helping her fix her clothes, Lady Yulia sent her out of the room.
The talk she was about to have wasn’t something the servants had any business hearing.
“I see you’ve been quite indulging yourself... Beloved.” Lady Yulia said with a sigh as she sat down on the sofa.
She looked at her husband, trying to gauge his mood from his facial expression. Even when confronted by his wife’s cold gaze, Count Salzberg showed no signs of regret or remorse. And at this point, Lady Yulia herself felt no anger. She was mostly just exasperated.
>
“Hmph, as if this could even count as indulgence... Mmm, delicious. Would you like a glass, too?” Count Salzberg sank his body composedly against the sofa and took another sip of wine.
The wine remaining at the bottom of his glass was red in color. It was made from the finest grapes gathered from Helnesgoula, which were kept for many months under the correct temperature and refined into the finest wine. Count Salzberg kept this bottle for a special occasion, and the fact he opened it meant he was likely in quite the good mood.
“My word, beloved... Honestly, I cannot bring myself to be as optimistic as you are.” Lady Yulia wordlessly refused his offer and whispered bitterly.
Count Salzberg laughed out loud. He could easily discern what concerned her.
“Really now? I, for one, think the future holds interesting prospects in store,” he said, his face brimming with the confidence of the strong and powerful.
The pride of one gazing down on the weak from high above. His meeting with Ryoma Mikoshiba that afternoon must have pleased him greatly.
“He’s a useful man... Apparently he got rid of the pirates. That already makes him much more useful than that stupid queen, Lupis, who’s content with sitting back and doing nothing in the capital.”
“Yes, I understand that much... But you should know that a sword that’s too sharp must be handled with caution.”
Her words held the implicit meaning that said sword could eventually turn its sharp edge against them.
“I won’t deny that, but we can always have him dealt with. In which case, it would be wise to squeeze as much use out of him as possible... Wouldn’t it?”
His eyes were thick with greed, but his mind was clear and coldly calculating. The fact Ryoma was able to remove the pirates was proof he had the power to maintain public order and peace. Even if it’s in a cursed land crawling with monsters, a leader that proved himself capable of maintaining the peace would draw people to him.
In other words — developing the Wortenia Peninsula was perfectly possible.