episode_0048

After leaving there, I headed towards the direction where the knights who were investigating the attack by heretics were located.

When we arrived there again, the knight who had instructed us to find out the characteristics of the place where the heretics attacked was already waiting to report.

But after researching.

The opinion was that no common ground could be found.

I checked the documents myself just in case, and found that there was no real connection.

‘I guess I’ll have to borrow Lena’s power.’

Although I can’t ask you to completely help me with my situation right now.

It was clear that the investigation of the patterns and knife marks should be left to Lena.

Heretics talk about the pattern, saying it is their own symbol, but there may be something they are unaware of, and it is highly likely that the knife mark also has some meaning.

I immediately took out the crystal ball and contacted Lena.

“Lena. Do you know that I am currently in the Kingdom of Dillun?”

[yes.]

“I found unusual knife marks and patterns here. They say that the devil is the true god and that the crazy heretics who attack people should symbolize themselves. Because I’m suspicious. I’ll send someone right away, so please investigate it.”

[Is there anything else you would like to ask?]

After thinking about it for a while, I suddenly remembered Arien’s party.

First of all, I was sent to the outlaw zone, but since I didn’t know the exact situation, I was very curious about the situation there.

“Hmm… Just finding out about the party situation?”

[I will contact you as soon as I find everything.]

“Thank you. Please help me.”

After losing contact with the crystal ball, I immediately put it into my arms.

‘What should I do now?’

In fact, there was nothing I could do right now.

You never know when the heretics will attack again, so you have to be prepared.

How can you prepare for a situation where you don’t know exactly where an attack may occur?

‘It’s not like there’s no way.’

Although it was impossible to cover the entire kingdom, there was a way to sufficiently cover the capital.

Basically, the locations of heresy’s attacks were irregular, but one thing was regular: they were all within the metropolitan area.

In that case, there would be no problem if I brought in paladins and other subordinates I trust and put them in charge of each area.

Actually, it’s impossible right now, so I’ll skip it.

‘other ways… merchant?’

Basically, people who engage in business as a business are called merchants.

And such merchants have quite a lot of money, and as much as they have.

There was a lot of tiles that could be moved, including quite useful information.

‘There are some who look down on me as a commoner, though.’

One thing that cannot be ignored as a merchant is that it is a world in which wealth is a reality, so the greater the value of the merchant’s top, the more power he or she will receive in return.

Even though they are nobles, there are quite a few people who run the upper level.

‘Lena also runs the upper level.’

However, because it is a very important job, it seems that it is a bit inferior to those who are known as top merchants and big merchants. I remembered that he had said that if he hired trustworthy employees, he would seriously increase the size of the top department.

anyway.

‘For now, we have no choice but to get help from a fairly large company.’

If there is a problem, this is not an empire, but a kingdom.

I need to be in contact with a superior in the kingdom who absolutely knows about this merchant, and I don’t know if I have that kind of connection…

‘Oh, there is.’

This is the royal family’s network, which can be said to be better than any other network.

He is also the most influential first prince in the succession structure.

Of course, there was no guarantee that he would help, but I was certain, not sure, that the first prince would help.

After making a quick decision, I headed to the palace where the first prince would be.

***

While I was on my way to meet the 1st Prince, I thought I should first deliver a letter containing information about the emblem and country to Lena for investigation. After saving people for a while, they were sent to the empire.

After that, I headed to the palace where the first prince would be.

The 1st prince welcomed me, who came to see me without any intention.

I knew that it wouldn’t be a problem to kick him out because he came right away without any thought, but since the first prince had already visited without warning before, I was also confident.

In fact, the 1st Prince also did not look particularly upset.

Rather, it was a face full of curiosity.

“What brought you here? And that too in such a hurry.”

“I need help.”

The first prince’s eyes showed a bit of confusion when he heard that help was needed.

It seemed like it never occurred to me that I would ask for help.

I also did not originally think that I would ask the First Prince for help, so I understood his reaction.

The First Prince asked with slightly more serious eyes, as if he knew that this was not a light matter.

“What kind of help does the warrior need?”

“Results of today’s investigation. Nothing was saved except some patterns and marks. I have entrusted the investigation of the patterns and marks to a trusted subordinate, but if I continue to do so, the people will probably have to live in fear of being attacked by heretics.”

It is not just a matter of fear; it later leads to distrust of the goddess.

If that happens, not only will the kingdom be filled with chaos, but the situation will reach an extreme level.

If I wanted to, I would have mobilized all the paladins, but it was impossible to suddenly gather all of them in a kingdom that was not actually an empire.

“So, I would like to borrow the power of the top.”

“You are saying that you will somehow fill the empty hole with the enormous power of capital. But basically, those at the top are those who operate for profit. No matter how much of a warrior you are, they will not move unless they receive compensation.”

Know.

The top isn’t a charity, and there’s no reason for me to help them at the cost of huge losses just because I’m a warrior.

But even so, we had to borrow help from the top.

“I know.”

“Also, in a situation where there is no clue as to who is driving the heretics and it is not known when the heretics will attack, it is judged that such a decision may cost an unimaginable amount of money and manpower. I would like to ask if there is any reason for the hero to pay that much. This is the reason for doing useless things in other countries, not in the empire.”

There is nothing wrong with what the 1st prince said.

In a situation where there is still no clue as to who is running the heresy, there is no telling when the heresy might attack. Moreover, this was not an empire, and there was no reason for the kingdom to suffer such losses.

In order to have enough money to move that much of an army, you have to move a top that can be called a colossus.

You have to pay a corresponding price.

Because doing that in a foreign country, not even an empire, was almost foolish.

An action that results only in loss without any benefit.

That is what I am about to do.

In fact, it is a situation where we cannot even dream of profit.

But the reason for pushing ahead is none other than that.

“There can be no innocent victims, right?”

The simple reason was that victims could not be created.

One is killed for the mere fact of believing in a goddess.

People who simply want to live better, eat more, and live comfortably die because of just that. I know that this is an unreasonable situation from their perspective.

Rather, the wish to live well leads to one’s own death or the death of friends and family around oneself.

I couldn’t just watch it.

Although I did not realize my sense of duty as a warrior, if I, who had awakened as a warrior, could not save them, who on earth should they expect?

Even for those who cannot reach the salvation of the goddess they believe in so much.

As the representative of the goddess and the recipient of her power, I had to move to prevent them from dying.

“And whether it is an empire or a foreign country, they are the same people. Since when did a warrior save people by considering the country? To me, whether you are a citizen of the empire or a citizen of another country, you are just a person who wants to live.”

It was foolish to distinguish between countries in the act of saving someone.

What is important about who is in what country?

The important thing is that they need someone’s help.

I just respond to that.

“Also, Prince 1 said there was nothing left. But that’s wrong. Their smiles remain, and their daily lives remain.”

If that was the case, it would have been enough business.

A normal daily life where they can live happily and without any worries.

Is there anything else as valuable as that?

No matter how much capital and manpower are poured into it.

As long as I could protect them, it didn’t matter what the loss was.

“Huh. This is an answer that makes me feel embarrassed for asking this question.”

Prince 1 chuckled.

Then he held out his hand to me.

“We will help you. I also do not want the people of the country for which I am responsible to suffer.”

I held the hand that the 1st prince held out.