I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#14. The Great Heist (2)

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【The vassal Levarb Family swears for generations to come, with the posture of dogs and horses, to serve their liege lord the Mörsolt Family with body and soul, and firmly pledges to tribute fifty percent of each year’s production in provisions or goods on the last day of the year. Should this not be upheld, the penalty shall be calculated at 33.3% compound interest annually. This document is written in the blood of the first Family Head of Levarb… and is verified by the guarantee of His Imperial Majesty and the covenant magic established by the Magic Tower Mages.】

Featherback continued speaking in his characteristically indifferent tone.

“From now on, I intend to collect debts from those wretched thieves. With compound interest, no less.”

Compound interest is terrifying.

Moreover, the interest rate is a whopping 33.3%.

One could believe it was a contract made with the Demon King.

Furthermore, judging by the Imperial Seal and Magic Tower Guarantee Form, this appeared to be a contract at least a hundred years old.

The current amount was beyond imagination.

Judas gasped in bewilderment.

“Wait, you’re not going to pay debts but collect them? Are you serious, Young Master?”

“That’s right. I’m demanding they pay the tribute they’ve been secretly withholding for a hundred years. It’s repayment for the grace our ancestors bestowed upon them a thousand years ago.”

An era when myths and legends lived and breathed.

The humans of the Northern Region suffered from harsh climate, barren environment, and terrifying monsters.

The supernova who appeared then was none other than Camus Mörsolt, the Founder of Mörsolt.

The northern tribes united around the Demon King Slayer who defeated the ancient Demon King, the terror of the Northern Sky.

The Founder of the Levarb Family was one of those followers.

The five knights once called ‘Mörsolt’s Fingers.’

The First Rebarb was a loyal hound who fought bloodied in Mörsolt’s stead.

Though now they had fallen to become old, fat mongrels who bare their teeth without recognizing their master.

Judas stammered.

“Su-surely the Levarb Family was once a vassal family to the Mörsolt Family. But that relationship ended ambiguously a hundred years ago. To suddenly bring this up now is completely unreasonable nonsense…”

“The unreasonable nonsense comes from Levarb’s mutts who lent 30,000 gold and want 100,000 gold back. And demanding my master’s ancestral mountain. That’s truly bullshit, isn’t it.”

“But that’s a legitimate contract, isn’t it? It’s completely different from forcibly bringing up a relationship over a hundred years old…”

“Legitimate contract? Unreasonable? Don’t you see the seal here, administrator. The Emperor’s seal is unreasonable, but a mere vassal family’s money games are legitimate contracts… Don’t you know that traitors can be subject to summary execution?”

“…”

Featherback’s cold words pierced Judas’s heart like an awl.

Not only the knights but even the administrators were swallowing dry saliva.

Everyone knew the history of the Mörsolt and Levarb families, so they understood well how the situation was unfolding.

Incidentally, the right to execute traitors in the borderlands belongs to the margrave.

Namely, to Count Soleil Mörsolt.

Slowly…

Several administrators who had been standing behind Judas began to back away and move to either side.

As if they had nothing to do with this situation.

Eventually, Family Head Soleil opened his mouth with his eyes closed.

“A thousand years ago. In the past, the ancestor of Mörsolt selected loyal subordinates and granted them land. And the subordinates pledged tribute as a sign of gratitude and loyalty.”

“….”

“Yes, that’s right. Until exactly 100 years ago.”

“….”

“But to try to stab their master’s family in the back by taking advantage of a crisis. Where else can you find such creatures worse than dogs? Hmm? Yudi Administrator.”

At Family Head Soleil’s words, Judas began spouting whatever came to mind.

“But Family Head! Th-the situation is very different now from then. I understand your frustration, but Levarb is already a more powerful family than us! Isn’t this a world where money equals power?”

“Money is not power. If money were power, we should be able to drive away the monsters of the Northern Region with money.”

“In the end, isn’t that just wordplay! Those mere monsters, if we buy mercenaries with money…”

“No matter how good money is, there are no people who would sell even their lives. As you say, where are the mercenaries who would fight monsters that don’t yield even a grain of wheat as war trophy?”

“….”

“Fighting monsters is ultimately done by Mörsolt’s knights and soldiers. They sharpen their swords with a sense of mission, not money.”

At Family Head Soleil’s words, the surrounding knights and soldiers widened their eyes.

Blue veins were also bulging on the back of Cardona’s hand gripping the sword handle.

Family Head Soleil spoke.

“Demanding the ancestral mountain where our ancestors are buried is an insult tantamount to a declaration of war! We cannot just quietly endure it.”

Then shouts erupted from among the knights.

“That’s right!”

The knights who had been enduring and holding back while watching the administrators’ misdeeds all this time.

They all poured out their resentment in unison.

“Exactly!”

“Those Levarb bastards are worse than the demon race!”

“Those Lebarb bastards are worse than demons!”

“A dog that doesn’t even recognize its owner should be boiled alive!”

The knights had served and bled on the harsh northern lands without any reward.

Nevertheless, all the resentment and anger from having to endure the condescending treatment of those bookish bureaucrats doing paperwork in their warm castles erupted like an active volcano.

The head of House Soleil looked back at Federbeck.

“Son.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“What should be done about an old, greedy dog that tries to climb on top of its master’s head?”

Feedback bowed his head and answered.

“We’ll have to pull out the teeth and cut off the head.”

“I think the same as my younger sibling!”

Cardina, who was beside him, shouted.

Family Head Soleil nodded his head.

“However, Levarb’s power is not to be underestimated. They have many private soldiers raised with money.”

“….”

Featherback sympathized with Soleil’s concerns.

However, Featherback’s concerns were in a slightly different direction.

‘Dispatching core forces against small fry like the Levarb Family would be a waste.’

Mörsolt’s forces needed to be conserved a bit more.

Only then could they block the Demon King and his minions who would soon be revived.

When there wasn’t even enough time to train knights and raise strong soldiers, where would they find time to go around punishing money-grubbers who only played with their abacuses?

‘But that doesn’t mean we can leave the Levarb Family in the rear either.’

Even if they could be suppressed for now, they were the type who would eventually stab them in the back.

It was only natural since they were the ones who had lived comfortably and well-fed under Mörsolt’s protection for years, only to immediately betray them.

When facing the Demon Army, entrusting rear Administrative Supply Management to such people made no sense.

This was because faithless allies in wartime were more dangerous than enemies.

Featherback recalled several other families in his mind that could replace the Levarb Family.

Fortunately, they still existed.

Several faithful families that he could trust to watch his back.

Although they weren’t shining now, with just a little nurturing they would quickly distinguish themselves.

‘To do that, we first need to remove the obstacles blocking their light.’

Featherback planned to completely eliminate the Levarb Family.

Eventually, Featherback spoke to Soleil.

“Father. How about dispatching an envoy first before sending troops?”

“An envoy? You mean an envoy to declare war?”

“No. I’m referring to a debt collector who will demand payment while pressing for the debt.”

“There’s no way they would repay the money.”

Soleil said the same thing as Yudi Administrator.

Eventually, Featherback stated his business.

“I would like to go and try it once myself.”

“…!”

At those words, everyone had to be shocked.

Going to an enemy who owed them debt and instead demanding they hand over money.

It was an impossible act unless one had spare lives.

However, Featherback was volunteering for that role without changing his expression one bit.

“I will go to the Levarb Family and collect the debt. If that doesn’t work, I’ll at least declare war and return.”

“It’s walking into a deathtrap.”

“If you could send just one person to run errands for me, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

“One errand boy? Who?”

Family Head Soleil asked with a puzzled expression.

“I’ll go!”

Cardona, who was beside them, stepped forward asking to be sent along, but Featherback lightly ignored her.

Soon after, Featherback looked at one person.

“I’ll take that fellow.”

“…!”

The person Featherback’s fingertip pointed to was all too clear.

The goatbeard old man who suddenly found himself with no one around him.

“No, Young Master! Why me…!?”

Yudi Administrator stood there with a face pale as a sheet.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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