This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 72

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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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Chapter 72

“Help! Save me!”

Thud thud thud thud thud!

The sound of the knights and monster running was so loud that the ground shook.

“Gasp! The monster is coming our way!”

“Ah. It’s fine.”

Just then, the Captain and knights passed in front of us. And the monster passed by too.

“Huh?”

“What?”

The monster seemed to pay no attention to us at all. Moreover, the monster was herding the Vice-Captain and knights into one place like a border collie herding sheep.

Raven laughed as if it was nothing.

“I know a bit about that monster’s characteristics. It unconditionally follows those carrying weapons.”

“Waaaahhh!”

Thud thud thud thud thud!

At the same time, the Vice-Captain and knights passed in front of us once more. The monster did the same.

And even in the midst of all this, the Vice-Captain who heard Raven’s words quickly threw away his weapon.

“E-everyone drop your swords!”

Clang, clang!

The knights dropped the swords they were holding without hesitation.

And Potter, Carter, and Cosette, who were rolling their eyes, quickly put down what they were holding.

“Haha, those are hardly what you’d call weapons.”

“Waaaahhh!”

Thud thud thud thud thud!

Just then, the Vice-Captain and knights passed near us again.

“W-we threw away our swords, so why are they only chasing us!”

Then Raven raised his voice as if for them to hear.

“That monster originally only follows the target it first marked. So if you want to live, it would be better to get away from here entirely.”

At that moment, the monster grabbed the Vice-Captain by the hair.

“Kraaahhh!”

Even while screaming in pain, the Vice-Captain didn’t stop running. As a result, the monster’s hand was left holding a clump of hair torn from the Vice-Captain.

“Re-retreat! Retreat!”

The Vice-Captain began running straight toward the village. His subordinates hurriedly followed behind him.

The Feudal Lord’s Knights and the black monster soon disappeared from our sight.

“…”

The surroundings became quiet in an instant.

Whoooosh—

The gentle forest wind rustled the leaves of nearby trees.

Chomp chomp.

Despite the monster’s rampage, our horse was peacefully grazing. The jars loaded in the cart’s cargo area hadn’t suffered even the slightest impact.

“Something feels like an unbelievable situation just happened… but the Feudal Lord’s Knights seem to be in big trouble.”

Raven smiled brightly at my dazed muttering.

“Oh right, I forgot to mention this first. That monster rarely kills people.”

“…What?”

Raven’s following explanation was truly unexpected.

“That guy is a monster that eats monsters.”

“Ah, so that’s why there were no casualties even though the Gate opened.”

Baron, who had crossed his arms, nodded knowingly.

“So it wasn’t just rock moles.”

“However, it has the characteristic of herding and playing with human groups when it finds them. As long as you don’t attack first, it’s fine.”

After finishing his explanation while listening to the knights’ screams growing more distant, Raven turned the cart horse’s head around.

“We should head back now.”

We exchanged greetings with each other and got on the cart.

Before departing, Raven, who held the reins, pointed with his chin at the swords scattered messily on the ground and said to Potter.

“Collect the swords they abandoned and take them to the Knight Order while telling the Captain what happened. Then you won’t have to worry about any retaliation afterward.”

After hearing Potter’s answer that he would definitely do so, Raven started the cart.

Each time the cart wheels rolled at a moderate pace, a rattling sound echoed softly from the bottom of the jars secured well in the cargo area.

Listening to it made me naturally start humming.

Baron, who had been staring up at me, smiled cheerfully when our eyes met.

Oh my, what a cute little thing. How can I not pat his head when he’s this adorable?

That’s when it happened.

“Ah, there they are sprawled out over there.”

Where Raven was pointing, the Vice-Captain was sitting collapsed as if he’d lost his mind.

‘Good heavens.’

I couldn’t help but frown at the clear traces of moisture on the dirt ground connected to the Vice-Captain.

I could also see the knights scattered a few steps away. Having been thoroughly roughed up while being chased by the monster, they were gasping for breath frantically.

“Come to think of it, that’s interesting.”

Baron suddenly threw out a question loudly as if something had occurred to him.

“That knight knew everything but waited until the Vice-Captain got beaten up before reporting it, right?”

Raven chimed in with a look of realization.

“That’s right? Now that I think about it, it was a situation he could have prevented.”

‘Baron, you’re a genius, aren’t you?’

Sure enough, a suddenly ominous light entered the Vice-Captain’s vacant eyes. Baron had spoken so loudly that it was clearly audible.

At the same time, one of the gasping knights received that gaze and looked at Baron in shock.

“So it was you. If you had stayed quiet, you might have gotten by.”

Baron grinned at the knight while waving his small hand.

“It seems like you and the Vice-Captain have some remaining conversation to have. Let’s see how well you handle it.”

Baron’s words made me inwardly click my tongue.

In the midst of all this, he’s making the Vice-Captain deal with the knight who tattled?

Seeing the Vice-Captain’s face turn bright red and the knight’s complexion turn deathly pale, it seemed certain that the knight’s future had become very dark.

‘I knew he was smart, but isn’t this too smart?’

However, I was also inwardly worried.

‘We’re getting by like this for now, but what about after today?’

Wouldn’t one of them, or both, try to retaliate?

Immediately, a scuffle broke out with the Vice-Captain. Even in his weakened state, he was punishing the subordinate who had tattled.

Meanwhile, thanks to the cart wheels rolling without rest, we naturally grew distant from their commotion.

As I kept watching their condition with my head turned, Raven asked.

“Hailey, you don’t look very pleased?”

“Ah, people like that are usually persistent. Won’t they try to retaliate?”

“Ah.”

Raven urged the horse forward as if there was nothing to worry about.

“The workshop will go to return the swords to the Knight Order, so we won’t have to see them anymore.”

“What?”

“They dropped their swords as a group. They’ll have to explain to their superiors why their swords were at the workshop.”

“Ah, do they hold them responsible for losing their weapons?”

“Of course they’ll be held responsible for abandoning weapons in a combat situation. But it won’t end with just that.”

Raven continued his explanation with a bright smile.

Anywhere a monster sets foot is dangerous, but knights belonging to a domain usually have designated patrol areas.

“If the workshop had been in their patrol area, we would have heard that they came looking the very next day. But they didn’t.”

In other words, it meant he had deserted his assigned mission area without permission.

“Until now, he could have made excuses if there was no evidence, but this time that sword is strong proof of his unauthorized desertion.”

“….”

“It also includes violation of weapon management responsibility, failure to engage in combat, and breakdown of command structure. If he tries to explain why the sword was there, everything will be exposed.”

The swords issued to the Lord’s Knight Order have engravings indicating who the owner is, so they can’t be removed.

In other words, it was possible to trace back all the atrocities the Vice-Captain had committed against Potter and determine right from wrong.

“He has a history of using violence against domain residents for unjustifiable reasons, and then for private revenge, he even deserted his mission area despite it being an emergency situation with monsters appearing? Under military law, that’s severe disciplinary action.”

“Birds of a feather flock together, so couldn’t they just turn a blind eye?”

“With that much evidence of desertion, there would be too many eyes watching for them to avoid punishment.”

Raven laughed refreshingly.

“Also, the time for the Northern Gate special conscription order is approaching.”

“Special conscription order?”

“Yes. That’s separate from military service records.”

For the purpose of defending the Northern Gate, it targets already trained domain forces, and there are often conscriptions at the Emperor’s discretion.

“The Lord must select and send the required number from the knight order. If he refuses, taxes become heavier.”

No matter how much being a knight was one’s profession, facing all kinds of monsters at the front lines was a completely different matter. Because of that, it was natural that no one wanted to go.

“It’s a natural opportunity to remove problematic members. It also allows them to maintain the appearance of actively cooperating with His Majesty the Emperor’s orders.”

If a special conscription order were to come down, the Vice-Captain and the knights under his command would be the first candidates for transfer from Snoril.

“If that happens, there would be no worry about retaliation. It would also serve as an example to other knights.”

That was my response, but when exactly that would happen was uncertain.

However, if Raven was right, the Vice-Captain would keep a low profile for the time being, and it was reassuring to know that even bullying had an expiration date.

* * *

And the next afternoon, when I came out to go shopping with Baron.

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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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