CHAPTER 269: GOOD DEEDS BRING GOOD FORTUNE

Marquis Dren was receiving a report with a deeply furrowed brow.

“The population continues to flow out towards Whiskers territory. As a result…”

“Enough.”

Marquis Dren raised his hand to cut off the speech.

“So you’re saying our marquisate is being outperformed by some insignificant local territory?”

“…”

“Our businesses are suffering losses, the population is flowing out, and issues that should be resolved through us are being handled via Whiskers?”

“…”

The subordinate couldn’t bring himself to answer. All he could do was maintain silence.

However, the enraged Marquis Dren roughly pressed his subordinate. The steward standing nearby couldn’t bear to watch and slightly turned away.

Bang-!

“Speak!”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Thwack-!

As soon as he answered, Marquis Dren threw his scabbard. The reporting subordinate was hit directly on the forehead and began to bleed.

Drip-.

The one giving the report was not just a simple subordinate. He was in charge of overseeing all of the marquisate’s businesses.

That’s why Marquis Dren was even more furious.

“Damn it! I didn’t give you full authority to hear this kind of report! Losing to Whiskers territory? I’m hearing the name Whiskers for the first time right now!”

The enraged marquis glared at him as if he would kill him.

“We’re supposed to be crushing other Twelve Families, and you’re telling me we’re being held back by some mere local nobility? This is absurd!”

Marquis Dren called another subordinate standing behind. The comprehensive report was a session to receive reports from three subordinates who had been granted authority.

“Knight Commander, how much has their territory grown?”

“Originally, all the nobles in that area were quite similar, but among them, the Count Yurahan family was the largest force.”

Marquis Dren knew Count Yurahan well as a cunning man.

“Even that Count Yurahan family has been absorbed into Count Whiskers’ territory. In effect, the Count Whiskers family has unified the territories of all nearby noble families.”

“So? How large has this territory become?”

“It has reached a level similar to ours. Of course, it’s not as developed as we are, but…”

At this point, the Knight Commander paused briefly. He knew that his next words would certainly intensify Marquis Dren’s anger.

“Based on my personal observations, it’s just a matter of time.”

The Knight Commander had gathered information by examining various parts of Count Whiskers’ territory. And he couldn’t help but be surprised.

Usually, when a family rapidly consolidates power and expands territory like this, there are inevitably many side effects.

Differences of opinion arise between the newly expanded territory and the existing territory, or the nobles who have joined and their subordinates create obstacles with their territoriality, slowing down processes that should be moving quickly.

Naturally, various problems tend to crop up, and most lose momentum while trying to solve these issues.

However, in Count Whiskers’ territory, none of these problems were visible.

They were growing like monsters, maximizing only the advantages, and at the center of it all were firmly established businesses.

Using these businesses to build a solid financial foundation, they were quickly resolving the side effects that should naturally follow, based on that financial power.

“In terms of growth rate and size, there are no noble families in the area that can match Whiskers except for us.”

Bang-!

Marquis Dren stomped his foot hard.

Then he roughly wiped his forehead.

“Damn it. A mere local noble dares to challenge our marquisate? Those lowborn without any legitimacy! I must show them what power a family belonging to the Twelve Families possesses.”

“Um… My lord. That’s not all.”

The steward, watching Marquis Dren who looked ready to invade immediately, spoke while gauging his reaction.

Marquis Dren was shocked by the steward’s subsequent words.

This was even more shocking than the report he had heard earlier.

“What…?”

“Count Whiskers’ territory is receiving support from the imperial family. Not only that, but a branch of the Holylight Order has also been established there, and it happens to be a branch that received a seal directly from His Holiness the Pope.”

Even within the Holylight Order, branches are clearly ranked.

Branches managed by bishops.

Branches managed by archbishops.

Branches managed by cardinals.

And at the top, branches directly managed by the Pope.

However, excluding the papal see, there are very few branches directly managed by the Pope.

And to think that the branch in Whiskers territory was one managed by the Pope.

“Why, why has such a branch been established in Whiskers territory? And what’s this about imperial support? Is the imperial family involved? With a mere local noble family? This is nonsense. Our Dren bloodline also carries imperial blood. But we’ve never received an imperial seal.”

Most high-ranking noble families have imperial bloodlines. Of course, you’d have to trace back quite a few generations, but it was because of this bloodline that they could become high-ranking nobles and maintain their traditions.

However, the Marquis Dren family had not received any support from the imperial family.

So how could a mere local noble’s territory receive support from the imperial family?

Marquis Dren simply couldn’t understand it.

“I hear that the Holylight Order branch has been elevated recently. Several archbishop-level officials have already been dispatched… Based on the additional information I’ve gathered, it’s possible that the branch might even be operated by a cardinal.”

“This is absurd! Why would a branch directly managed by His Holiness the Pope be established in such a local territory! And a cardinal? Isn’t it an archbishop who runs the Holylight church we’ve established in our territory?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The steward was also shocked. A territory supported by the imperial family and touched by the Pope’s influence.

A mere local territory had become an opponent that couldn’t be carelessly meddled with.

Marquis Dren also knew well what the steward knew. That’s why he frowned deeply.

The marquis sighed and then stomped the ground hard.

“Prepare grandly. I will go to Whiskers territory myself. I’ll see with my own eyes and make a judgment. And…”

Marquis Dren said.

“We need to thoroughly understand the businesses that Whiskers territory is running. Then, we’ll start working on the areas that aren’t properly protected by them.”

“…Yes, I’ll prepare right away.”

***

“Why are you doing this!”

“Why? Do you really not know? You dare to conduct business without the permission of the marquisate?”

“We are simply selling items legally received through collaboration with David Merchant Guild and Garnet Merchant Guild!”

At the edge of Whiskers territory.

Originally, this was quite an underdeveloped area, but it was developing rapidly along with the growth of Whiskers territory.

Suddenly, soldiers in armor appeared there.

In the center of their armor was a symbol proving they belonged to Marquis Dren’s family. Three lines. Each had its own meaning, but that wasn’t important in the current situation.

“We are merely carrying out the orders of the esteemed Marquis Dren! If you have any complaints, formally address them to the marquis!”

Bang-!

The marquis’s soldiers began to destroy everything they could get their hands on.

Those working inside looked at the shop owner, trembling with fear.

“This place has been operated by us from before! Asking us to give up this place is no different from making everyone working here lose their jobs in an instant! They have families to support!”

“Who cares! Do we need to worry about such lowly things? What? You want us to care about the people working here? How absurd! Do you know whose order this is and still dare to resist? This is a direct order from the marquis! He said to deal with those upstart Whiskers people who have arrogantly expanded this far!”

A large soldier pulled out a mace. At a glance, he seemed to be a soldier playing a vanguard role.

Tremble tremble-.

At that sight, Tainpro, the shop owner, trembled. If he were hit by that mace, he would surely die. The small sword at his waist couldn’t do anything.

“Get out of here!”

He had to escape from this place first. As a common citizen, there was nothing he could do, so he had to escape and inform a high-ranking official of Whiskers territory about this situation.

Crack-.

However, he couldn’t run away alone.

If he ran away at that moment, those who had only lived for themselves might be dragged away.

“Aren’t you going to get out?”

“No, you can’t. This place is not-, Arghhhh!”

“Stop it!”

Tainpro unconsciously stepped forward.

“What a funny guy. You’re trembling all over, yet you dare to stand in our way? Shop owner, didn’t you hear? I said get out.”

“If, if you want to lay hands on these people, you’ll have to take me down first!”

Tainpro drew his sword.

“Our lord will definitely not… stand by and watch this happen!”

“Don’t worry. That great lord you speak of will be dealt with by our marquis. You should know your place. How far are you trying to reach? But let me ask you one thing. Why are you going this far? Do you have multiple lives?”

Tainpro fell silent at those words.

The soldier was right. This wasn’t courage, it was recklessness.

Nevertheless, Tainpro couldn’t back down.

He had lost his parents in an accident. He had five siblings left. As the eldest son, he had to feed four younger siblings in place of his deceased parents.

But he was only thirteen years old, and having four lives depending on him was a huge burden.

Still, he had to work. The jobs that such a young person could do were very limited, and since there were no other places willing to employ him, he had to do jobs that everyone else avoided.

As a result, there were countless instances where he wasn’t paid. Some days, they couldn’t even afford to eat.

He would starve himself, but he couldn’t let his younger siblings go hungry, so he was buying food for his young siblings on that day.

It was raining heavily, and as he was trying to hurry home, he tripped over a stone and fell.

Normally, he would have just cursed once and moved on. But for some reason, tears came that day. Everything was so hard.

Someone approached him in that state.

It was a big hunter who smelled of beasts. He had various weapons and was wearing a fur hat on his head.

-Why are you crying?

He said, looking at the fallen Tainpro.

Tainpro, sobbing, told the hunter about his situation in a muffled voice.

His young siblings. The food he had bought with the money he earned today was now inedible. How hard everything was.

After listening to Tainpro’s barely understandable words, the hunter searched his pockets. Then he took out all the money he had and gave it to Tainpro.

-If you cry, your siblings can’t cry. So don’t cry. This should be enough to buy dinner tonight and have some left over. Buy them something delicious.

How cool that back looked as he turned and left after saying that.

From that incident, Tainpro thought he wanted to live like that hunter.

More precisely, he wanted to live cool.

Just as he had been saved by that pure goodwill, he too wanted to help someone, and that became his goal.

And 12 years had passed since then.

Tainpro had been helping those in difficult situations, just like that hunter who had been his benefactor.

“Why am I blocking you…? Because I want to live cool.”

“Haha, hahaha! Alright, try dying cool then. Don’t regret it!”

The soldier grinned and tightened his grip on the mace.

“Having a hero complex alone isn’t enough.”

The angry soldier swung his mace at Tainpro.

Swish-!

The mace was swung with a heavy sound.

However, that mace stopped precisely in front of Tainpro.

“Seems like you don’t even have the hero complex that everyone has.”

“Ugh, ughhhhh-!”

Ethan, who had caught the mace with one hand, lightly pushed the soldier’s body. The soldier flew through the shop wall and crashed, immediately losing consciousness.

It was only natural since Ethan had pushed him with the power of Counter Radiance.

“Uh, uhhh…”

Tainpro looked at Ethan. Although his outward appearance was completely different, the feeling he gave off was indeed the person he knew.

“Y-Young Master Ethan…?”

Ethan nodded.

“That was very brave.”

After saying that, he gestured to Yerica and Schudlen standing behind him. Following his gesture, the two guards stepped forward.

Looking at the dumbfounded Tainpro, Ethan said,

“Good deeds should be rewarded with good fortune.”

Author's Thoughts

Hi everyone, I've completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price!