A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

218 – War Is a Business (8)

Inspection department.

The one who has sinned will receive the Sword of Gibraltar and his sentence will be reprieved.

‘It sold a lot.’

Future, traitor Gray is one of the most sold items.

‘It’s just a sword.’

The only real object is a sword.

‘I just engraved the appropriate words on the sword, and dozens of swords were sold every day.’

After stylishly inking the phrase ‘Probation of Execution’ on the sword, he places the sword on the shoulder and head of the kneeling criminal and recites an incantation as if he is being ordained a knight.

-If you sin again, the sword of Gibraltar will find you.

-You can commit a sin once. If you commit that sin again, then you will only be treated as an animal, not a human. Animals kill. More than that.

After the fall of the Nostrum Kingdom.

The continent was unified into an empire, but because Nostrum was so large that it was merged, trouble broke out in various directions between the old kingdom and the empire.

Difference in level of civilization.

The empire did not understand the people of the kingdom living in an age of barbarism, and the kingdom did not understand the empire that was only talking about magic engineering.

Thanks to Gibraltar, I have survived until now.

If it weren’t for Gibraltar, I wouldn’t have been able to come over the kingdom.

Because they both had such thoughts deep in their hearts, incidents and accidents occurred whenever the people of the kingdom and the empire met each other.

-What if all the kingdom’s citizens had died?

Someone said that.

-Wouldn’t it be better to just clean out all those barbarians and let us use the land freely?

If that were the case, the entire kingdom would have been stained with blood, but wouldn’t the people of the empire have been able to freely use the land emptied by humans?

The emperor was worried.

After a long time, he easily destroyed the kingdom and created the ‘Unified Habsburg Empire’ and became the first emperor, but he was wary of a large-scale national rebellion occurring in Nostrum, which he had succeeded in annexing.

Rather than worrying about what to do, I guess it should be called annoyance and frustration.

It’s like creating a work of art and putting it on display in an art museum, but you get worried when people who say they want to commit terrorism against that work of art are wandering around the museum.

He ushered in an era of peace, but he was extremely sensitive to the fact that that peace would be shattered within a few years in his own generation.

-Kill all debauchers who encourage discord.

So the emperor arrested people thoroughly.

-It doesn’t matter whether it’s an old kingdom or an empire. All people are equal under me.

Second-class citizens who caused trouble were also caught, and first-class citizens-imperial citizens who caused trouble against second-class citizens in Nostrum were also arrested.

The most common case of being caught is when a traveling imperial citizen insults a kingdom citizen by calling him or her ‘barbaric’, and the angry kingdom citizen threatens to fight the imperial citizen and swings his fist or weapon, causing injury. Br＞

Both were caught.

The prisons of each territory were overflowing with angry victims and perpetrators.

However, we cannot just leave them in prison.

-Take it out! Do you think I came here to travel, to experience prison in this dirty place?!

Most of the imperial citizens who committed crimes while visiting the kingdom and were imprisoned were wealthy people.

-I came here to take a picture. Do you think I came to get hit in the face by a passerby?!

When the road to the kingdom was opened, they wanted to visit the land of Nostrum, which they had not been to for 500 years, with their own feet.

-Send it back! If we don’t pay for the delivery right away upon returning home, our company will go bankrupt!! So, honestly, it’s not my fault that he died! They rush at me, but I have no choice but to shoot!

It was quite common for such people to get into fights with people from the old kingdom, destroy property or furniture, or, in extreme cases, kill people.

-It’s not my fault that I fired the pistol! He said to me, ‘Shoot!’ So I shot!

When looking at the causes, there were many forms of ‘both sides’ fault, but in the end, it was only the traitor Margrave and the Governor of Nostrum who took responsibility for them.

-I’ll give you any amount of money!

-How much?

-Yes, that’s right! I will show sincerity, please…!

So I made it.

Inspection department.

Even though you committed a crime, the sentence will be postponed for about 5 to 10 years, and if you live without committing a crime during that time, the sentence will be postponed.

The emperor gave me the power to execute the death penalty, and I had many free choices in using that power.

It’s okay to cut to death.

You can shoot and kill.

If there is someone who is difficult or a waste to kill, it is a good idea to forgive them by giving them something like jewelry.

So I sold it.

-Um, are you really saying that if you buy this, they will postpone the death penalty for 5 years?

-Yes.

-Buy, I will buy!

Time.

Opportunity.

-I won’t even set foot in Nostrum for 5 years, so please save me!!

A symbol that can postpone the execution of the sentence and extend the time before death.

If you do not commit a crime during that period, you will come before me again and I will rule that you will not be executed.

Instead, it was not possible to just do it, and of course, he had to show ‘sincerity’ to hand over the inspection report.

How much money does it cost to make one sword?

It is not even a sword to be wielded, nor is it just a sword to be displayed as a decoration among ceremonial swords.

Therefore, the production cost was simple, and simply sentencing a prisoner to probation brought in a lot of money that the prisoner would have earned for about 5 years.

Of course.

-Brother, I only have 3 inspection parts…

-Brother. There’s a sword sold at the inspection department. Can I buy it in advance and use it if I commit a crime?

-…You are disappointing me again, little brothers.

The money they made by selling the examination books was actually a plus or minus zero as Noir and Letard began to purchase the examination papers more frequently, but the two were spending so much that they tried to buy several bags a day. As it was filled, it made huge profits.

A world where people can live with money.

Even if the victim’s forgiveness cannot be bought, how can money buy a decision on execution and a moratorium on death?

No money?

In that case, we have no choice but to solve it in another way.

If you don’t solve it, you die.

This is the way traitor Gray did before returning.

This time it’s a little different.

There is only one crime committed through inspection.

The crime of raising a sword against Gibraltar.

It’s just that.

That alone would be enough to purchase swords from numerous territories.

* * *

“So what you’re saying is that you’re going to sell something that’s just shaped like a sword and has the phrase ‘I submit it to Buddhist scriptures’ engraved on it?”

“That’s right.”

“…”

After hearing a brief explanation of the inspection department, Director Bathory was deep in thought with a serious attitude.

“It won’t come in money right away.”

“It’s important to spread the word that it exists. Even those who insisted that they won’t buy it right away will buy it right away if the Marquis de Barcel goes bankrupt.”

“When that time comes, won’t we have to sell it at a higher price?”

“Of course. It’s common sense that when demand goes up, prices go up. Shouldn’t the prices be the same when you buy them during the civil war and when you buy them after the civil war?”

“That’s right. Buying the inspection department now could be seen as a sign that the Gibraltar family might win.”

Buy the inspection department before we win?

It is a return of trust for those who believed in us, and a compliment to our judgment and ability to read the current trends with accurate eyes.

“How many sacks do you need?”

“As many as the number of noble families in the kingdom.”

“Then… It will take at least three days. If you think one bag goes to each family.”

“Is three days enough?”

“Well then. …No, actually, I’m just kidding. One day is enough.”

I looked at him in shock because it took three days, but Major General Bathory calmly raised his hands and took a surrendering stance.

“You’re too naive to say anything. Listen, Gray Gibraltar. When dealing with researchers, you shouldn’t give them too much time. Especially if you’re letting them set their own time.”

“But Director Bathory is not that kind of lazy researcher, is he?”

“I do that, but don’t do that to other people. Understand?”

“Okay. Then, how can the inspection department take pictures?”

“Isn’t it simple? You don’t make it, you just take something on the market and apply a seal.”

“…Ho.”

It’s quite an appealing idea.

“You apply it instead of digging it out? Embossing… Is there some kind of paint?”

“Can’t you just apply paint and that’s it? If you’re worried about it peeling off, I think you could just apply dye and wax or varnish on top.”

“Definitely. Unless there’s a pervert trying to peel it off on purpose…No, no. It’s sold in Gibraltar, and I can’t make it look like that cheap junk.”

“Ha… You mean we have to pay attention to quality? Hmm, does it have to be a sword? Can’t it be made of wood or something?”

“You are so dismissive of the people of Nostrum. If something like that happens, counterfeit products will come out right away.”

If the inspection part is made sloppily, counterfeit products will soon appear.

“The Gibraltar family will manage the list and personally stamp the authentication, but are you saying that counterfeit products are coming out?”

“It’s not directed at us, but it means that there will be people who say they bought the inspection certificate and carry it around to scam others.”

Even at the Gibraltar festival, counterfeit money is circulated around, so I wonder if it is counterfeit because it is an inspection department.

That was actually the case.

There were also people who went around defrauding the kingdom’s citizens by saying that they had bought the inspection book from the traitor Gray, and that they would entrust it to them as they would go to the empire and wait for a few years.

I caught them all and shot them to death.

“Hmm… “

“If you’re worried about sales…”

“I’m not worried. Even if I don’t like it, I have to buy it, right? The noble family that is a relative of the Marquis de Barcelona will also buy the inspection book.”

Bathory raised his hand like a blade and pretended to slit his own throat.

“If I don’t buy it, I become an enemy of Gibraltar. How can I not buy it?”

“That’s it.”

Friend or enemy.

There is no neutrality.

It is a kind of threat that if we do not buy the inspection, they are allies of the Marquis de Barcel and are still prepared to go to war with us.

“Okay. I’ll think about spraying acid on the sword body to make it melt as much as the text, or something like that, but let’s leave that for later.”

“Do you have anything to do while putting off the inspection?”

“Yes, there is. This is the most important thing. Ending the war quickly.”

Director Bathory pointed his thumb outward.

“His Majesty the Emperor wants to come see your face and apologize, but if the war doesn’t end quickly, he won’t be able to come in person. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

“Did I come for no reason? That’s what I came here for.”

“…”

There is no need to go that far.

“Are you saying that if the war is prolonged, His Majesty the Emperor will run here out of sorrow?”

“Don’t you know? I had no intention of intervening in the kingdom’s civil war, but he might appear as a benevolent monarch who cannot leave the people suffering due to the war. He said he had come to end this civil war.”

“…Roughly, when?”

“A month?”

“Does your patience only last one month?”

“I’ve endured a lot in just one month. How would the emperor feel if he got sarcastic this time and said that Gray Gibraltar would not be his successor?”

“…Ha.”

Really.

“Good. So, how are you going to end the war quickly?”

“If you include the budget from the inspection department, I thought it would be okay to spend this amount of budget.”

Major General Bathory clenched his fists and stretched them out in front of him.

“Front strike.”

“So, that frontal blow…”

“Not the bike, more definitely.”

Director Bathory grinned and moved his fist as if something was ‘jumping’.

“You know, the Knights of Gibraltar. Instead of putting them all on bikes, how about just riding them all on one magic automatic ship and then running towards the enemy lines?”

“…If you just run, the enemy’s magic will burn you like a train.”

Hehe.”

Director Bathory smiled sinisterly.

“But what if it was faster than sound?”

“…Yes?”

“Punch it in. Head on. With the maximum power that the current wind stone engine can produce.”

“…”

“Towards Marquis Castle.”

This woman.

“Don’t you think about safety?”

“Wouldn’t there be a problem if we put the master and senior knights inside?”

“What happens to the magic automatic ship after you hit it?”

“It will be ruined.” But, you cleared the mission of being dropped in the middle of enemy territory, right?”

Giving a thumbs up and grinning was ridiculous.

“That’s a crazy idea. Install a windstone engine to make the magic automatic ship run faster than a train, and then infiltrate the enemy camp at a speed that prevents the enemy from reacting?”

“That’s right.”

“Are we planting high-ranking knights and masters within it who can handle that output with a human body?”

“What do you think?”

Director Bathory’s eyes sparkle.

“It’s a crazy idea.”

It’s a crazy idea, though.

“Let’s do it right now.”

It is possible.

Possible means it is not impossible.

* * *

In a moment.

“So… You’re putting the knights on a ship and crashing into Marquis Castle without brakes?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

I submitted a draft plan to my father based on my discussions with Major General Bathory.

“Passed.”

Approved.