Bab 64: Chapter 64
A procession left the lands of Talian. It included Ian and others.
The procession was bigger and busier than Ian had expected.
In Galadin's case, there weren't many people because he only brought a few attendants.
Even when Ian and Belenka joined in, it didn't feel too crowded.
But the scale began to grow bit by bit once a priest joined...
"Are you going with us?"
"Yes, Wizard. If it's an evil curse, I might be able to help too."
The priest joined the journey purely to help Baron Devosi.
Ian was a bit surprised by the priest's religious behavior.
First the Santiago Knights.
And now this human too.
Perhaps the religious people of this era are more humane than expected.
But this was a conclusion Ian could draw because he didn't know much about priests yet.
The reason the priest was heading to Baron Devosi's territory was for the sake of gaining experience points.
The priests of the Empire are a kind of civil servant.
At the top is the Pope, around whom bishops manage the dioceses.
And below them, priests operate in the subdivided dioceses.
A priest from Baron Talian's territory would be equivalent to a local civil servant of grade 9.
Truly pure and devout priests try to serve to the best of their ability, regardless of their status.
Because that's the duty of those who serve God.
However, such faithful priests are in the minority.
Most priests are influenced by human desires to some extent.
They want to be promoted, work in big cities, become someone important, and be respected...
The reason the Talian priest specifically sought out Baron Devosi was to build his track record.
If Baron Devosi is under an evil curse, and the Talian priest solves it?
That's a big achievement.
It would greatly reflect on his performance evaluation, and if he even ends up defeating an evil being, he could even become a Saint.
Saints in this era enjoy popularity like idols.
Idols... popularity...
Doesn't that remind you of something?
Yes.
It's exactly the same context as the idol business!
Some territories, trying to save a failing land, embark on their own Saint project, aiming to produce a Saint from their territory.
If it succeeds, it's a big hit!
So, Lucy dispatched the priest to Baron Devosi without complaints.
If by any chance they catch an evil being, Talian's territory would also soar in value.
Once a Saint emerges from a territory, almost everything about it becomes merchandised.
"This is the Saint's birthplace... This is the spoon the Saint used... This is the hill the Saint liked..."
When modern, frail otakus pilgrimage(by train or plane) to sacred sites...
Real medieval idol otakus trek through roads infested with monsters and bandits to go on actual pilgrimages.
As these people spend their money, even dying territories quickly come back to life.
The madness of otakus is the same in both the medieval and modern times.
Anyway.
Ultimately, the priest set out on the journey for experience farming + a chance to become a Saint.
Naturally, following the priest, servants and slaves tagged along.
Of course, Lucy had intentionally assigned more people to make Ian's travel more comfortable.
And finally, the mercenaries who had been dawdling joined in at the last minute.
"Isn't it better to have more companions on the road?"
They weren't people hired with money.
Their destinations just happened to overlap.
But having more companions was indeed better.
The more, the merrier, especially when encountering monsters or bandits.
The key figures were Galadin, Ian, and Belenka, but with various extras joining, their number exceeded thirty.
A pretty solid party was formed.
"So. Did you say your goodbyes properly?"
Despite the crowd, Belenka was the only one talking to Ian.
The priest and Galadin were too busy chatting among their people, and the servants and mercenaries wouldn't dare start a conversation with Ian.
"Um..."
At the mention of goodbyes, Ian recalled a warm sensation.
Lucy's scent that lightly brushed his lips.
And her warm, soft body.
...Come to think of it, wasn't that his first kiss?
"Judging by your expression, I can tell."
"What can you tell?"
"I just thought Baron Talian is damn lucky, that's all."
"...?"
Lucy being lucky wasn't news.
Belenka seemed dissatisfied with Ian's reaction, pouting slightly.
"You better settle my debt quickly so I can leave."
"What are you talking about now?"
"I don't have the patience to watch the two of you flirt!"
Belenka grumbled, muttering something about 'disgusting couples~' and so on.
Ian was dumbfounded.
Her hardware is the embodiment of a ruthless knight.
Why is the software on the level of a high school girl?
Ian was genuinely curious why someone like her had a talent for swordsmanship.
When God created Belenka, did the coding get tangled somewhere?
As evident from the casual chitchat, the journey went smoothly and uneventfully.
With thirty people gathered, most beasts and bandits steered clear of the group.
Numbers were their strength.
However, the problem arose when enemies beyond 'ordinary' levels appeared.
"Wizard, sir! We're in big trouble!"
Ian, who had been exchanging pointless jokes with Belenka, looked puzzledly at the mercenary who came running breathlessly.
"What's the matter?"
"Bandits have appeared. And there are too many of them!"
It wasn't an overreaction.
Nearly fifty bandits had actually surrounded Ian and his group.
Given that they appeared at a narrow pass, this wasn't their first time ambushing travelers.
"Well, well, we have quite a lot of guests today!"
A man wearing a hat made of beast skin appeared, laughing happily.
If possible, Ian wanted to blast that smug face with a Magic Missile.
Of course, that spell didn't exist in this universe.
Here they were, thirty strong of mostly non-combatants, and there, fifty armed men.
The battle was overwhelmingly disadvantageous.
Ian approached Galadin.
He was about to ask if he had any ideas.
"Ian! Is there no way? A spell to drive those bastards away!!!"
But Galadin was already panicking.
True to his nature as a weak bureaucrat, he was terrified at the sight of the bandits.
Haah. It's all up to me again, isn't it?
Becoming the group project leader had just become second nature at this point.
Ian stepped forward.
"Who are you people!"
To which the man with the hat responded.
"I am Baron Damon!"
'Another Baron?'
It seemed like everyone and their dog was a Baron.
After the world more or less fell apart, from the east end to the west end, there wasn't a land that wasn't in chaos.
Murder, robbery, looting, and arson became part of daily life.
People were killed as easily as breathing, and roamed the world as nothing but skin and bones after their fields were taken from them.
All this chaos ensued after the Golden Empire fell.
The Golden Empire, almost unbelievably for an ancient regime, maintained peace across the world with exceptional administrative and military prowess.
Even though it was underpinned by the exploitation of slaves and the establishment of colonies, the fact that the Empire brought peace to the continent was undeniable.
But then the Golden Empire collapsed.
Heretics, barbarians, and monsters went berserk, and the world deteriorated day by day.
It was as if a deeply rooted tree, the Golden Empire, had vanished.
In essence, the foundation of the world was gone.
A world with a foundation turned into a world without one...
Whoever shouted "I am the foundation!" first became the foundation in this new world.
For example, let's say the Joseon Apocalypse happened and South Korea more or less fell apart.
Then who is the Mayor of Seoul in that scenario?
The President?
A Mayor elected through votes?
Or a four-star General driving around in a tank?
Honestly, it doesn't matter who it is.
If they can restore order and bring social stability, really, anyone will do.
Baron Damon was exactly that kind of man.
Someone who amassed strength in this post-apocalyptic era.
"Baron Damon?"
Even with his panicked face, Galadin tried hard to think.
After all, as a humble liberal arts student, his brain was all he had to offer.
Despite Galadin's efforts, the result wasn't great.
"... I don't know such a person?!"
Galadin didn't know who Baron Damon was.
In fact, he didn't even know where Baron Damon's territory was.
Ian shouted in Galadin's stead.
"My friend says he's never heard of Baron Damon before!"
"Ah! That's possible!"
When Baron Damon laughed, all the bandits laughed with him.
Ian felt chills all over his body.
If these bastards decided to draw their swords and attack... what magic could he possibly use to escape?
Maybe, just maybe, if he teamed up with Belenka, they could somehow run away.
But it was undoubtedly a crazy gamble.
"Baron Damon! Where are you from!"
When Ian shouted, Baron Damon rolled his foot, laughing.
"Where from? Right here!"
"...?"
"This is Baron Damon's territory!"
Ian was speechless at Baron Damon's claim.
The priest murmured.
"Such baseless bandits...!"
The priest knew about the administration of the Empire that had been passed down since the ancient times of the Golden Empire.
This knowledge had not been lost, thanks to its transmission through the clergy.
A territory isn't created like this.
First, the king, the owner of all land, divides the land and distributes it among his vassals.
Then those vassals divide their land among their own vassals, and so on...
This was the feudal system of the era.
Meaning, whether it's Baron Talian's territory or Baron Devosi's, all territories were created and passed down by nobles who had sworn loyalty around the time the Empire was founded.
It meant that declaring, 'From today, this is Baron Damon's territory~' doesn't just make it so.
So, who recognizes this so-called Baron Damon's territory?
According to the laws of the Golden Empire, this self-proclaimed Baron Damon is just an armed bandit.
Moreover, a vile bandit who illegally occupied the Empire's land.
...But.
Ironically, Baron Damon faced no issues pretending to be a Baron...
Because there was no one to punish Baron Damon!
The valley that Baron Damon declared as his territory belonged to no one.
It was just an area he had developed himself by diligently cultivating the land and gathering people.
The Empire was overflowing with undeveloped lands.
The land was vast, but the population was less than crumbs.
By developing it with their own efforts and declaring 'this is my land,' it becomes a newly established territory.
Of course, just developing a new territory isn't the end of it.
If you don't swear allegiance to a higher noble, you're still considered an illegal resident.
If there was originally no Baron in this valley, to whom does it belong?
Naturally, it belongs to the Count!
The Count would want to incorporate this new territory into his domain, so he might march in with an army...
(Though unlikely) if you resist and win, it could become an independent country.
But independence?
Isn't that just stealing land from the Emperor of the Empire? There's a 99% chance of being annihilated.
Therefore, someone with a normal mindset would negotiate with the Count to have their title recognized.
Only if the Count recognizes the title does Baron Damon truly become a noble.
Even then, he's just the Lord of a backwater village at best...
"Who is your liege Lord?"
Ian asked, just in case.
The response was as expected.
"I serve no one! I am a Baron of freedom! Hahaha!"
"..."
'That idiot.'
This is why it's hard for commoners to become nobles.
This self-proclaimed Baron Damon may have gathered followers and built a village, but...
He knew nothing about feudalism or noble society!
While his ability to gather followers was acknowledged, that was the extent of it.
His political sense was severely lacking.
Without education from a young age or smart people around, the limits of a simple commoner's ignorance were clear.
"Travelers! If you use the facilities of the territory, you must pay a fee to the Lord! You do have that much common sense, right?"
Regardless, the self-proclaimed Baron Damon shouted.
It was like he just wanted to collect taxes by establishing a territory.
"The road you're walking on was built with our hard work! So, happily pay the usage fee!"
Or... maybe a highly evolved bandit.
No.
It looks like he's just a bandit, right?
Like a fantasy version of Robin Hood, these guys.
Where are the rest of the Seventy-Two?
"There's no law that suddenly allows this!"
Galadin shouted.
That man.
Did he learn all his knowledge from books?
He was unnecessarily brave in strange situations.
"We used this road recently, and we weren't detained or taxed then!"
"No, Galadin."
Ian tried to urgently stop Galadin, but it was too late.
"Aha! We were a bit busy back then! Thanks for reporting tax evasion! Just pay double this time!"
Galadin shouted in panic.
"Ah, damn!"
"..."
This sh*t.
"Galadin. You seem a bit out of it right now, just shut up and stay back."
"Ah... Yes, thank you, Ian."
Ian sighed deeply and stepped forward.
There wasn't a single trustworthy person around.
In such cases, asserting the authority of a wizard was the best approach.
"Baron Damon. Pleased to meet you. I am Ian, a disciple of Eredith, the wizard."
"A wizard?"
Baron Damon was slightly surprised to hear Ian's words.
Wizards were beings that invoked fear in medieval people.
Baron Damon was no exception.
If he had been an ordinary bandit, he would have been completely intimidated by now, possibly even suffering from a sort of 'wizard reality shock'.
But Baron Damon was no ordinary bandit.
"A wizard, you say! If you're a real wizard, then you might know my friend here?"
The Baron snapped his fingers.
Then, from behind the Baron, a girl with red hair appeared.
"Ian? Ian, you say? Never heard of such a dog-bone name in my life!"
'What's wrong with my name!'
Ian felt wronged.
It wasn't Ian's fault he wasn't famous.
It was just because he hadn't been active for long.
That aside.
Ian slowly observed the girl.
Was she also a wizard?
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone