Chapter 4. And so their story begins. (6)
4.5 Their Story
[2] Atia Nel Karuan: You can’t run.
“Not yet?”
I frowned a little after receiving the report.
I attacked the organization from the inside, and killed off most of their heads as well.
But we still aren’t done yet?
“T, there are commoners living on the outskirts like a wall. They’re strangely attached to the organization…”
“Commoners? Supporting the organization?”
When I made a confused face, someone next to the reporting soldier explained to me what this was about.
“The Utopia Project. It’s the instructor’s project. If we were to describe it nicely, it’s a project to create heaven on earth, and if we were to describe it badly, it’s human farming.”
“Tell me the specifics.”
“It isn’t actually much. The organization buys slaves and oppressed peasants, then gives them what they want. Doing this generates a satisfactory amount of happiness. By being treated as a proper human, these people stopped thinking of the organization as villains. Rewarding these humans based on merit gave them happiness, and thanks to that, heroes that appeared because of a death in the family stopped appearing. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.”
“In short, it’s a human wall?”
“Right.”
Tok tok tok
I fell into deep thought as I tapped the table with my finger. A human wall. As an empire that emphasizes its citizens more than anything, it is nearly impossible to remove these peasants to attack.
“In any case… who?”
Whilst thinking, I suddenly realized that this man who told me this was someone that I hadn’t seen before.
“Ah, I was the person who was in charge of the finances in the organization. My name’s Geral Hyde.”
“Ah, that traitor?”
“Haha, you mean ‘patriot’? I ran off with all their cash and information. They can’t even revive anymore.”
I sighed quietly as I looked at the grinning man. The reason why evil organizations revived so much was because the heads of the organization was able to use their money and information to create a new one every time it fell.
But Howling was gone for sure. There was no way they could revive in the near future. Why? That man over there stole everything. He ran off with enough money to run the empire for a single month. That much money is enough to run a small kingdom for about a year. It’s an enormous sum of money.
“Well, fine, ‘patriot’. How well do you work?”
“Pretty well. Even the instructor praised me for my financial skills.”
“Good enough.”
It’s good enough if that person took notice of the man’s skills. After all, that person had enough skill with money and office work that I almost began a war with the imperial treasurer just to get that person for myself.
I suppose I’ll just use this guy here for finances, then… and gift the annoying treasurer that person when we capture him.
“Well, that’s that. In any case, where is he? Your teacher, I mean.”
“Probably in one of his secret tunnels. We know there’s 9, but there’s probably more.”
“…So he can… run?”
“If it’s him, there’s a chance.”
If it’s that man… yes. It’s possible. Right. But.
“You think I’d let you run?”
Some people flinched at my words, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was bringing that person in front of me. Once that happens, I’d allow him to be near the beautiful and lovely me, and work in the palace with a very high wage and with great power as well.
In any case.
“Where’s the other one?”
There were two traitors in the organization. One was the finance manager, and the other was…
“The head of the information department, was it? She was the one who contacted me first…”
“Ah… S, she said she was going to get the instructor…”
“She was a girl, right?”
Something felt wrong.
“…Yup.”
“…What are the chances of her running away with him?”
Geral looked away after hearing the question. But after a short while of glaring at the man, he gave in, and answered with a nervous laugh.
“Ha.. haha… w, well… about 92%?”
“…Her subordinates are all here though?”
“We were trained to trust only ourselves. Didn’t you see how we betrayed the Organization in an instant?”
“Yeah? Then…”
Well, I don’t really care about this situation, actually. When this happens…
“Bring him here. If you don’t, you’re all dead?”
Daddy said threatening people with power always worked.
Extra:
Emperor: Hoho, my dear daughter. Do you know what a member of the imperial family needs to do?
Princess: Take care of the citizens?
Emperor: Hoho, that is not the case at all. We just need to be good at two things. Threatening people, and rewarding people.
Princess: Why?
Emperor: People work well when you threaten them. Obviously you have to make them stake their lives. And when they complete their job, you can just give them some pocket money as a reward.
Princess: !!