Ch.230The NPC Who Confirms the Butterfly Effect. (9)

One year ago. Ponia, when Jack’s group was leaving Aigram, heading toward Neyti while leveling up Ira.

“Your Majesty. With this, the selection of lords for the final territory and the formation of the knighthood is complete.”

“Phew. Then, with this…”

As King Grand Ponia of Ponia wiped his face and looked at the chancellor handing him the documents, the chancellor slowly nodded once, bowed his head, and spoke.

“I congratulate Your Majesty on defeating the worst monster parade in Ponia’s history and completing the purge of corrupt nobles and lords.”

The king quickly reviewed the documents and finished writing the final appointment letter while simultaneously acknowledging the chancellor’s words. Then he let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“…Haah. I would have preferred if those congratulations were rightfully mine, but you know well that I am not the one who deserves them.”

“We have already provided the ‘greatest’ contributors, the Sherpa Unit, with compensation payments, improved positions and duties, as well as extended paid leave. Your Majesty expressed a desire to personally commend them, but you know it’s impossible to recall them all to the capital at this point.”

As the chancellor spoke with a bitter smile, the king frowned sourly. For three years, they had received help from those who had been persecuted simply because they lacked education. It had been a crisis that could have collapsed the nation itself, but thanks to the mountain keepers’ outstanding individual combat abilities and experience, along with the king’s determination to completely cut out the corrupt nobles, they had been able to win the war against monsters and reclaim the territories.

However, this was not a situation where one could shout, “And that’s it! Now everyone raise your glasses in celebration!!”

In the meantime, there were reports of demon worshippers and demons of the Seven Deadly Sins appearing in the neutral trading city of Aigram, and the restoration of collapsed territories and rebuilding people’s livelihoods was still far from complete. Just because they had solved one internal problem didn’t mean there was time to rest.

“Sigh. By the way, Chancellor.”

“Yes.”

“You just said the selection of lords for the final territory is complete, but what are these documents that follow?”

“Actually, we now need to select the next lord for the border region that has been reduced from a territory to a small town-sized area due to the damage…”

“Hmm. I understand your point, but do I really need to point out that the name written here is the issue?”

Grand Ponia, who had been organizing the received documents, put down his pen at the last document and showed it to the chancellor, pointing out the name of the next lord written there.

And seeing it, the chancellor smiled even more bitterly than before and spoke.

“A name that looks very familiar, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but rather than looking familiar somewhere, I believe this person is standing right in front of me?”

“Haha, Jace Goodwin. Well, there aren’t that few nobles with the surname Goodwin…”

“Chancellor, do I look like I have time to joke with you right now?”

The king frowned at the fact that his right-hand man, the chancellor, had submitted his own name as the next lord for the border territory—or rather, what was currently just ruins awaiting restoration—without any explanation.

However, despite the king’s reaction, the chancellor continued undeterred.

“…Your Majesty once said that this issue with the mountain keepers began during your predecessor’s reign.”

“I did.”

“Then, the fact that I, who have served as chancellor beside Your Majesty and your predecessor, bear some guilt in this matter is something I cannot hide.”

“No, that’s…”

If one were to assign blame, it couldn’t be said that the chancellor, who should have overseen and verified the internal affairs of the nation, bore no responsibility. However, the king himself had already apologized to the people for this, so wasn’t it too extreme to demote the chancellor to such a remote place? Especially to a border region that hadn’t even been restored yet. Moreover…

“I understand what you’re saying, but don’t you still have the ability to make amends for that mistake through your work as chancellor by my side? This is too…”

“Your Majesty. When you declared you would cut down the corrupt nobles with your sword, I thought it was a dangerous decision that might split the country in two.”

“……”

The man who would never normally commit the disrespect of interrupting the king spoke calmly, looking directly at him with serious gray eyes.

“However, Your Majesty… and the mountain keepers saved the country and its people in ways that far transcended my old, rigid thinking. In this crisis, I was merely dragged along, cleaning up after events as they unfolded.”

“…Chancellor.”

The king, unable to think of any further objections, quietly called to him, but the chancellor simply smiled kindly and continued.

“For the next chancellor, I recommend Count Beod Taylor. Despite being only in his early thirties, he is exceptionally capable. The mountain keepers in his territory were treated normally, and he personally managed his domain well, minimizing discrimination between professions. Moreover, he will be a greater asset than an old man with rigid thinking like myself in bringing the new wind that Your Majesty will lead in Ponia’s future.”

“…What about the Taylor territory?”

“Haha. Don’t worry. Actually, Taylor’s son turns 16 this year. He may be a bit young to take over as lord, but he was raised watching his father. The territory will certainly be fine.”

“The handover…”

“Haha. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve actually been receiving his help in managing this mountain keeper situation. During that time, occasionally…”

The king’s attempts to block his proposal by raising various reasons and issues were, ridiculously, all countered by preparations the chancellor had already made. While claiming he had grown old and feeble, how could someone who had so thoroughly prepared for his own “demotion” possibly be considered senile?

The king felt genuinely bewildered, and at the same time…

“Your Majesty. Please allow this sinful old man to spend his remaining days caring for the victimized people.”

The king could only be certain of how earnest the chancellor’s determination was as he bowed his head and spoke. Finally…

“…Jace Goodwin, hear me.”

“Yes!”

“…One month from now, after the handover of the chancellor position, your surname will be stripped of Goodwin and changed to Tapun, making you Jace Tapun. This is a royal decree, and from that day, you shall immediately depart for the ruined Tapun territory to care for the people and devote the rest of your life to restoring the domain.”

“I shall obey Your Majesty’s command.”

And so he was demoted from chancellor to a provincial lord. One year later, after using all the skills, connections, and resources he had cultivated as chancellor to restore the territory…

“Can you tell me why the mountain keeper of Mount Ponia wants to return to Poria?”

The former chancellor and current Lord of Tapun Territory, Jace Tapun, smiled kindly, thinking that his life might not end with just restoring his territory, now that he was face to face with “Mountain Keeper Jack,” the starting point of all the events of the past five years.

*

I’m screwed. I’m fucked. I’m screwed. I’m screwed. I’m fucked! I’m screwed!! I’m ruined!! Let’s run!!!

Was it because my intelligence had become 7? Inside my head, seven Jacks who looked exactly like me were all declaring that I was screwed and fucked, insisting that I should play some running music and flee immediately. Meanwhile, in reality, I first tried to play dumb.

“Excuse me? I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I’m Adventurer Jack…”

“The mountain keeper from Mount Ponia in Poria territory who lost his father Setan to illness at age 12, then lived with his frail 5-year-old sister with red hair and purple eyes, beat up the village head and some thugs at age 15, formed an adventurer party with Ray Sol in a border city and moved to the Empire, where he met Princess Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman and became companions, then moved to Aigram where they lived for a year before moving to Neyti. Adventurer Jack. I know you well. But weren’t you a mountain keeper for three years?”

Oh, for God’s sake. Who posted my personal information online? Should I sue? This is basically stalking, damn it! My expression froze at the words of the elderly man who seemed to know my life history inside out. Damn. This guy is absolutely certain! I’m truly fucked!

“Jack. This is…”

“Heh, so you’re a nobleman who knows Jack better than I do myself?”

As I stood frozen, thinking I was completely done for, Miho and Chikuyo began to show hostility in their voices. Ignoring our reactions, the elderly man laughed heartily and continued.

“Haha! Let me tell you first, I have no power to do anything to you folks. Even if all the knights in our territory attacked together, they wouldn’t be able to defeat you—that much was clear just from hearing that you stopped the mountain keepers yesterday.”

“That’s why I’ve already sent them all to the restoration site,” he added as he moved away from me and sat down on a sofa in the study, inviting us to sit across from him. Damn, should I sit or not? In a situation where it wouldn’t be strange if this was a trap to capture me, I remained stiffly tense.

It wouldn’t be difficult to simply break through and escape by force, but if this person who knew everything about my sister heard my goal and decided to label me as a demon worshipper, it would certainly complicate Ira’s life as well.

“Don’t be tense. As I said earlier, I’m grateful to you. Thanks to you, not only were the people protected, but we were also able to find such outstanding individuals as the mountain keepers. I’ll tell you everything, including that part. Why don’t you sit down?”

“…Sigh. Alright.”

Feeling I needed to assess the situation, I reluctantly sat down in front of him, with Miho and Chikuyo sitting on either side of me. Then there was a knock at the study door.

[Lord, I’ve brought the tea.]

“Ah. Please bring it in.”

The middle-aged woman who had guided us earlier appeared pulling a tray, quickly served tea in front of us, and when she noticed me looking suspicious and not drinking, she discreetly took a sip from each cup she had served us using a teaspoon to show it was safe, then quickly left. My goodness, could it be…

“Haha. She knows who you are too. She was my personal maid who assisted me even when I was chancellor at the royal court.”

“…Huh? What? You were a chancellor, my lord?”

“Not anymore. After learning the full story of the mountain keeper incident, I was demoted and sent down here.”

With that, the gray-haired elderly man began to tell his own story first, saying it was to build trust.