A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

234 – How to Dispose of Waste (3)

I was caught being a regressor.

‘8 years was quite a long time.’

In fact, he may have been caught before, but there is no feeling that he actually made a confirmed kill this time.

‘So what should I do?’

I was caught being a regressor?

So is that important to the current emperor?

It is important.

It’s important, but when I look back on my actions so far, it doesn’t seem particularly important that I’ve returned.

I hate St. Geo Nostrum to a suspicious degree.

Suspiciously at odds with Naria Geo Nostrum.

I love Astasia von Tersian to a suspicious degree.

Ah.

I see.

Gray Gibraltar was born in Nostrum, but he was so in love with the princess of Tershian that he went back in time and tried to do something for her.

I don’t know in detail what trigger or method led to the regression, and I don’t know why it occurred-

At least he is not a person who will be harmful to the empire.

The emperor guided all situations to make that judgment, and the result is the 300 imperial shadows that are now before me.

If I were someone who was going to be harmful, I wouldn’t have even sent reinforcements that weren’t reinforcements like this.

Rather, he probably thought of me as an enemy and tried to find the next best successor and hastily raise him.

However, the emperor sent me people who could clearly be identified as being from the empire.

As an ‘administrative bureaucrat’.

“You will be working at the Barcelona Government General from today.”

300 administrators from the empire visited the central hall of the Yeongju Castle, where numerous corpses had fallen just a week ago.

“Some people will patrol in uniforms, some will work as maids in uniforms and aprons, and some will go to restaurants or warehouses in work clothes rather than uniforms.”

There is no answer.

As if what I say is an order, the people carefully selected and sent by the Emperor are in fact like familiars who follow whatever orders I give.

It’s not that I was restricted through magic or anything like that, but I came here with that mindset.

There is no master.

I looked through all 300 people, but none of them looked familiar or had master-level skills.

“Many people died here. Everyone who tried to kill me died.”

Several shadows swallow their saliva and look at each other.

You don’t have the intention to kill me and you don’t have the courage to kill me, but because I have those thoughts, I could get killed.

“Challenge is always welcome. However, if you try to take my life, you will have to risk your own life.”

“…”

“Certainly, if you kill the governor of Barcelona, you can aim to become the next governor. That means you have the ability. But if you don’t want to do that, just quietly become a bureaucrat who will develop Barcelona under me.”

Whether it’s a challenger or something, an empire’s shadow or something else, now is the time to lend a hand to a cat.

“And the most important thing is, don’t cause trouble for no reason. What I need are people who can be my hands and feet on my behalf, not corpses that I have to draw my sword and cut down.”

There is one thing to do.

“From now on, you are officials of the Barcelona Governor-General. Shadows of the Empire, do you understand?”

“””Yes—!!”””

It’s loud.

It’s not that I specifically wanted an answer, but speaking like instructors who raise shadows and answering exactly when you expect an answer-

‘I tried to say it out loud, and it’s not like they don’t understand.’

Being from the shadows.

Among those shadows, those with ‘vague abilities’ were carefully selected by the emperor.

‘Most skills are between low-level and mid-level knights.’

His skills are poor enough to attempt assassination against the Sword Master, but his skills are just right to scare the residents of Barcelona’s territory as a knight and show off his power.

‘It is not for nothing that they say that the emperor carefully selected them.’

There are about 5 people with skills at the level of advanced knights, but that’s it.

‘It’s an off-duty trip. Children who are not even given numbers.’

The emperor deliberately sent people with ambiguous abilities.

People whose abilities are so vague that they don’t even need to manage their numbers are gathered here.

‘They said 300 slaves, and that’s exactly what it sounds like.’

They are literally perfect for doing chores like security or maids.

It would be possible to raise them and make them my people, but-

‘I don’t think it’s necessary to go that far.’

Someday, when the emperor and I become enemies, these are the people who will unconditionally take the emperor’s side.

Unless they are people who have stayed in Gibraltar for several years, such as the Whites who grew up in Gibraltar orphanages, most Shadows are people who will unconditionally side with the Empire when a war breaks out between Gibraltar and the Empire.

That’s right.

These are potential bombs.

They work as officials in Barcelona, but if war breaks out, they can be transformed into 300 middle and lower-level knights of the imperial army who immediately start a civil war.

In many ways, the emperor’s intentions can be seen.

‘300 imperial troops. Do you accept this? It wouldn’t be surprising if they accused it of treason.’

Accepting them rather than expelling them is itself a sign that they will support the Empire more than the Kingdom of Nostrum.

‘I’ll use it. So much so that it turns into a rag, so much so that not a single drop of blood flows out even if you squeeze it.’

In fact, it is an imperial army personally gifted to me by the emperor.

Depending on how they are used, the world’s view of the Governor of Barcelona will change.

“Before assigning roles to each of you, there is something you need to do.”

I snapped my fingers, and a wide piece of cloth fell down behind me.

“Spread the rumor.”

All 300 people tilted their heads when they saw the two numbers written on the cloth.

“70 becomes 0.”

* * *

The knight, Robert, wandered around Barcelona’s commercial district, suitably disguised, and pricked up his ears.

The streets are full of gloom.

A place that should have been originally filled with the lively voices of merchants seemed filled with only gloom, despair, and frustration.

“Ugh. If this continues, I guess we’ll all die too.”

“You really want to kill us too? It was Golden Dawn that was at fault.”

“You and I both had cousins in the Knights of the Golden Dawn. If we were to join together, wouldn’t we all just be cut off like sausages?”

“Oh, no way. It’s Gibraltar though?”

“This is not the Gibraltar we knew. It is the Gibraltar of the Empire.”

“Shh. Be quiet. If you say something like that carelessly, you’ll get arrested…!”

Robert thought.

When you were 11 years old, you said that ‘rule by fear’ is effective for control, but it stiffens civilian activity and creates an unproductive atmosphere.

It is common sense that swearing against a lord would naturally lead to arrest, but it rarely led to death.

It wasn’t like cursing to the lord’s face, and the soldiers who arrested him after hearing such swearing were ultimately knights and soldiers from the fiefdom.

“The taste of people’s lives, huh?”

Robert chewed the hard bread he bought on the street.

Still, since the wheat was grown in Barcelona, one of the three major agricultural areas in the kingdom, it wasn’t like chewing sawdust, but compared to the factory-made bread produced in the empire’s food factories, it wasn’t ‘t a bread I wanted to eat every time.

You just eat it because it’s there. If there were an alternative, you wouldn’t buy it.

The Marquis de Barcel was the most conservative of all places, so he did not put any syrup from the empire on his bread, but now that too will change.

White, thick syrup will be sprinkled on top of plain white bread, or a dollop of refrigerated whipped cream will fill the bread.

It was one of the imperial editorials.

This was a column that commented on the changes in the situation in the Kingdom of Nostrum after the blockade of the Sirene Strait was lifted, the Gibraltar Gorge was opened, and the Orosol Academy was opened.

Although there were stories that some people felt uncomfortable, as soon as Robert read the editorial, he thought, ‘It is no different from the current situation in the kingdom.’

“Ugh, what should we do now when the empire comes in? Aren’t we going to end up like Gibraltar over there?”

“This is Gibraltar too, my friend.”

“It’s Barcelona.”

“I don’t know. They might turn it into something really cool like Gibraltar. I like it, right? At least those trash b*stards from Golden Dawn won’t be acting evil any more.”

“I don’t know. Gray Gibraltar might act like Golden Dawn.”

At that moment, Robert unconsciously gained strength in his hands and crushed the bread with his strength, but he used his wits and caught the bread with both hands as it was about to fall.

Jeokjeok, Jeokjeok.

It was too hard to eat without soup, but Robert chewed the bread as much as he could and continued to listen to the stories on the street.

Worry, anxiety, nervousness.

There was no talk of hope anywhere.

He was worried that he might die, and the traitors had left for the Viscounty of Lemburg Gunther.

He might make a mistake and get killed.

Everyone seemed filled with such worries.

“Obviously…Young Master…”

Robert thought.

Those who are full of despair must be presented with hope that matches theirs.

For that hope, sometimes you have to come up with something truly outrageous and unconventional.

“At that time, obviously… Huh?”

Jeopuk, Jeopuk, Jeopuk.

The army is walking.

People who appear to be in their late teens or early 20s, wearing navy blue uniforms with gray lines, march through the streets in rows and rows.

“The Empire’s reinforcements you mentioned…? No, did you mean the real army when you said reinforcements?”

It’s dangerous.

The residents are already afraid, but it is too dangerous to have people dressed in imperial clothing making such a fuss.

“…”

Should I remonstrate?

However, Gray Gibraltar would not act without knowing.

Still, just in case, if you want to confirm your intention by asking at least once for the sake of Gray Gibraltar –

“…Ah.”

Robert saw.

Pickets held by people who look like imperial troops.

“Tax exemption until next year…?”

70% is erased, and a huge number 0% is inscribed.

“No, that.”

“…What kind of crazy thing is that?”

“…70% of the taxes we pay are 0%? We don’t have to pay? What are you talking about?”

According to the imperial calendar, it is October 1998.

“Is the governor crazy?”

“Shh, shh…!”

“No, isn’t that crazy? You won’t collect taxes? Are you sane?”

“Even if you’re not crazy, be quiet! Before you hear that and come to your senses!”

“…Oops!”

A period of approximately one year and two months.

“Ha, haha… Master. This is real.”

Gray Gibraltar Governor of Barcelona declared.

“Is this correct…?”

Taxes will not be collected on all residents of the Viceroyalty of Barcelona until December 31, 99, Imperial Calendar.

* * *

“You’re crazy, you are.”

“Yes.”

Immediately after the tax exemption declaration, someone came to talk about taxes.

“Although it is called the Government-General, this place is technically a marquis’ territory. Do you think running a marquis’ territory is a joke?”

“No.”

Queen Carmen in person at her her palace her her her her.

“You’re not saying that you’re trying to steal the budget from the Marquess of Gibraltar, or that you’re trying to steal the entire budget from the center of the royal palace?”

“No way.”

“Then what is the purpose of running the Government General’s office by digging for sustenance?”

“Yes.”

Queen Carmen came after a long time, so I presented the business plan I had prepared in advance to Queen Carmen.

“I try to make a living by digging the ground.”

“…Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Sell the land.

The land of Barcelona is so rich in gold that it is given the name Golden Dawn.

“Whether it is a kingdom or an empire, they will let you dig as much land as you want. The Viceroyalty of Barcelona is selling the ‘opportunity to sell land.'”

No one knows how many gold mines remain.

“Wouldn’t it be a gold shower if you succeed, and bankruptcy if you fail?”

Only I know the remaining amount of gold buried underground in Barcelona.

“Mother Carmen.”

If you are caught as a regressor.

Rather, stop using it as a weapon.

“Even pretty trash can be sold at a high price if there is a demand for it.”