The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 18

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

Chapter 18

“You received word about the Sebon Kingdom dark mages’ illegal warp, didn’t you?”

“Uh, huh?”

Baron Hawin rolled his eyes.

He had received the message, but hadn’t bothered to inform the territory residents about it.

[We’ll open an illegal warp for you, so let’s exchange people for wheat.]

In fact, he was currently secretly inquiring about orphans who could disappear one day without anyone caring.

Because the time when they would truly have to starve was approaching.

“H-how do you know about that…?”

“Rumors were already spreading in the capital. That dark mages had created illegal warps and would be making contact everywhere for human trafficking. The Magic Tower had been on high alert from the beginning.”

The capital was where all information gathered.

Especially since the Magic Tower dispatched teachers to the Academy. So it wasn’t unreasonable for Brisa to know in advance.

“Now that the Magic Tower can’t monitor things, it’s obvious they’d contact the Central Region first since self-sufficiency is difficult here, right? But I didn’t receive any contact. Probably because I’m of Riente bloodline.”

The Riente Kingdom had fallen because of the Sebon Kingdom.

So from Sebon’s perspective, there was no particular reason to contact Brisa.

“But we need wheat too.”

Brisa explained calmly, then pointed to one of the knights. It was a female knight with red bobbed hair who looked less healthy than the other knights.

“This child insulted my family. Rather than just driving her away, I’d like to sell her to those dark mages and get some wheat in return. However, I don’t know how to contact them.”

“Hmm.”

“How about selling these intruders along with her? We’ll split the wheat fifty-fifty in return.”

The intruders’ eyes widened in an instant.

Before their fierce protests could pour out, Brisa made her proposal to Baron Hawin.

“Make your decision, Lord.”

Brisa deliberately called him ‘Lord’ instead of ‘Uncle.’ It meant the decision was entirely in his hands.

“That’s ridiculous!”

Baron Hawin shouted with bulging eyes.

He clenched his fists in genuine rage.

“Fifty-fifty? We have far more territory residents! You only have one! And we’re even opening the warp!”

He wasn’t saying he wouldn’t sell the territory residents.

The intruders stared at the baron in stunned disbelief.

Was he really… going to sell them to dark mages? Just for following orders?

They pleaded with Baron Hawin.

“What about my daughter? Baron! I’m her only guardian!”

“My elderly mother is at home! Without me, she can’t even move around!”

“I have seven children… Without me, they’ll all starve to death!”

Baron Hawin didn’t even pretend to listen to their words and got angry at Brisa instead.

“Do it as agreed! I won’t compromise! You’re the ones who need this!”

That’s when it happened.

In the midst of that commotion, a knight approached and whispered to Brisa.

She nodded toward the knight and said indifferently.

“Then let me negotiate just one thing.”

“What is it?”

“There’s an old man outside the door eavesdropping on our conversation.”

Baron Forman, who had been eavesdropping outside, nearly fainted.

“If we leave him alone, rumors will spread throughout the territory, so sell that person too. In exchange, that wheat goes to us.”

Simultaneously, the knights rushed out and dragged in the disguised Baron Forman.

Baron Forman had no chance to do anything about it.

But something was strange.

Before entering the room, a knight attached something to Baron Forman’s face.

“Change your voice and say it’s a burn scar.”

And without a chance to respond, Baron Forman was dragged along.

Indeed, Baron Hawin didn’t recognize him. It was because of his shabby attire, hat pulled down low, and hunched back.

In that state, Baron Forman was panicking, not knowing what to do.

“So that illegal warp.”

Brisa said calmly.

“It connects to Milfen Port in the Western Region, right?”

…Western Region?

Baron Forman swallowed dryly.

He knew Baron Hawin had received an illegal warp proposal, but he didn’t know the location was a port in the Western Region.

“No. It’s Delfoben Port.”

Baron Hawin, who had answered Brisa, turned his head to Baron Forman and asked.

“Who are you?”

So if he took that warp now, he could go to the Western Region?

Baron Forman made a quick decision.

“Th-there’s nothing to eat at home, so I came to the wa-warehouse to steal some corn… huff, huff…”

The former information agent gave the performance of his life.

“A thief then.”

The expertise built from his career immediately shone through.

“The old man’s got some nerve. Sell him off.”

Baron Hawin, who easily reached a conclusion, looked at Brisa and declared as if doing a favor.

“You can take portions for two people then. I won’t compromise any further.”

“Fine.”

Brisa said calmly.

“Then let’s sell them now. We can sell them right away, can’t we? How do we contact the dark mage?”

“…Follow me.”

Baron Hawin took the lead.

Brisa followed behind.

Behind them, the intruders with gags in their mouths, the knight named Wendy, and Baron Forman were all dragged along in a line, led by the knights.

‘Once I reach the Western Region! If I can just set foot on western soil!’

Baron Forman couldn’t contain his surging heart as he thought.

‘I’ll be able to make an emergency protection request!’

Though he was a baron, he was Grand Duke Nogen’s closest aide and Leopold’s maternal grandfather.

He possessed several of the rare Emergency Protection Request Tracking Incense.

As soon as he arrived in the Western Region, if he secretly used that tracking incense, the western military forces stationed nearby would come.

‘Delfoben? Dark mages are conducting human trafficking there?’

If Hilberry knew, he wouldn’t stand for it, but right now, unfortunately, because of the monster wave…

‘Your Grace.’

Baron Forman swallowed dry saliva as he thought.

‘I will return with important information.’

His brain, which had momentarily stopped from shock upon hearing the word “Western Region,” finally began working again after leaving the baron estate.

‘But…’

He had finally grasped the situation.

‘Why on earth did this knight hide my identity?’

Up ahead, beautiful platinum hair swayed in the starlight.

The girl looked around once, then pulled on a robe to conceal her appearance.

Baron Forman felt a chill as he watched her retreating figure.

‘Just how far ahead is this young lady seeing?’

* * *

A hill near Delfoben Port in the Western Region.

Lightning like beast claws tore through the pitch-black night.

“Squeeeeeeeal!”

“Caaaaw! Caw caw!”

“Kieeeeeeeeeek!”

Green bodily fluids scattered along with the monsters’ screams.

A black-haired boy chased after the fleeing monsters.

“Lord Leopold, behind you!”

Before a knight could finish shouting, lightning flashed once more.

It was the special ability 【Void Slash】 that flowed through the direct bloodline of House Nogen.

【Void Slash】 was an ability that sliced through air to attack multiple enemies across a wide area.

Against monster waves, it was more powerful than an entire unit of ordinary knights.

“Kiaaaaaaak!”

Every time his golden eyes flashed, monster corpses scattered about.

The boy who had instantly annihilated the monsters near the hill finally let out a tired sigh.

The boy sitting on the rock had handsome features. He had shown great talent in appearance since childhood.

Golden eyes coldly swept over the monster corpses.

As always, the monster corpses and bodily fluids soon disappeared back to the other dimension.

The plants on the hill looked fine, but since they had been touched by the fluids, they couldn’t be eaten for about two weeks.

Even the tiniest mushrooms would only be safe for the villagers to gather and eat after two weeks.

Still, it was fine. The Western Region was a bountiful land, so there were no starving people anywhere.

“This is very strange.”

The adjutant caught up and shook his head back and forth.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a monster wave last this long. And of this scale, no less.”

“…Is Warp still not working?”

“I heard from a nearby lord that the Magic Tower deliberately stopped its operation.”

With Warp being completely down, Leopold’s Knight Order had also lost contact with the outside world.

They couldn’t even contact Grand Duke Nogen. So Leopold was surviving on his own with his knights.

Fortunately, the Western Region was a territory capable of self-sufficiency. They didn’t need to worry about food.

Moreover, after clearing out the monsters, the roads opened up and travel became possible, so every village they reached cheered “We’re saved now!”

However, having come all the way to the edge of the Western Region like this, news was slow to reach them.

Leopold asked without any change in expression.

“Then it’s not just the Western Region where Warp is acting strange? The Central, Eastern, and Southern Regions too?”

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