I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake. Chapter 17

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I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.

Chapter 17

The next morning.

Harrison came to see Caesar and reported on the upcoming schedule.

“First, here’s a list of people I hired at my discretion.”

Caesar checked the list Harrison handed over.

There were three people Harrison decided to hire long-term and one person for short-term employment.

Caesar handed over the profile of the person Harrison hired short-term and said.

“Who exactly is this Dylan person?”

“He’s a famous craftsman who has been working with gold and jewels for about 35 years. There’s no one better at appraising the value of magic gold, regular gold, jewels, and so on.”

“It must not have been easy to bring him on board?”

“It wasn’t difficult to bring him in since he retired a year ago. He might be too old for actual crafting, but as he was a highly respected artisan in Homigraph, there’s hardly anyone who could discredit Dylan’s appraisals.”

In other words, he brought in someone who could inflate the value of Caesar’s jewels and gold.

I should pay him handsomely later.

“Who are the other three?”

“Jake is a security guard and caretaker who will manage and protect Caesar’s mansion. His main specialty is mansion security, and he’s famous enough in Homigraph that everyone would recognize the name ‘Westline’s Fist’.”

“How did you bring him in?”

“Jake’s second son was a bit sick. It seems he was in urgent need of money because he took out a lot of loans for treatment.”

“So in the end, we need to pay him a lot, right?”

“He requested an annual salary of 100,000 del for a minimum of 10 years. And a place to stay.”

“Is he worth that much?”

“There will absolutely be no chance of any mafia snooping around the mansion.”

“Not bad. Tell him he can take any room he wants on the first floor of the house. Having his son and wife nearby will make him guard the mansion as if it were his own home.”

“Is it alright to do that?”

“I prefer the house to be bustling rather than empty. Tell them to feel comfortable moving in.”

Harrison nodded.

“Understood. Additionally, for Caesar’s close protection…”

“Not necessary.”

“Understood. Then I’ll just hire security guards for the mansion.”

After that, Harrison introduced two more people.

One was Jake’s wife, who would be the helper doing various chores like cleaning the mansion, doing laundry, and cooking.

The other was a secretary Harrison could trust and use.

“Who on earth is this Knox fellow?”

“He worked as a butler for the Walterwood family for about 30 years. He was the person who assisted me for 20 years.”

“Did the Walterwood family let such a person go easily?”

“…He left the Walterwood family along with me when I left to become the sheriff of Big Tone.”

Their family is ruthless too.

To cut off a butler who had been loyal for 30 years in one swift stroke.

“What’s his specialty?”

“He’s well-versed in law as he was my legal mentor. Additionally, having dealt with many politicians and nobles, there’s hardly anyone in Homigraph who can match Knox when it comes to etiquette and protocol.”

“So I should take this person when meeting high-ranking individuals.”

“I would usually go myself, but you can take him when there are unavoidable circumstances. Besides that, he’s extremely tight-lipped and loyal.”

“Not loyal to you?”

Harrison’s expression stiffened.

Caesar chuckled and placed the profile on the desk.

“Why are you so nervous? Just as you become my hands and feet, you should have someone to be your hands and feet.”

“…Thank you.”

“But tell him not to cross the line.”

“I will caution him firmly.”

We’ve seen enough people, and now all that’s left is this damn gold talk.

“So, in two days, the council is opening its big mouth to confiscate my gold, is that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Bunch of bastards. How can they rob one person’s private property like thieves?”

“This place has always been like this. If Caesar had simply come to Homigraph for a vacation, it wouldn’t matter how much you sold it for. But…”

“I can’t sell my gold for a pittance. Rather than that, I’d rather attribute it to the Sylvatil family.”

Harrison drew in a sharp breath at Caesar’s words.

“Are you seriously considering that?”

“I never do anything that kills my pride. Then they absolutely can’t touch it, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

Even if this place is a den of wealthy individuals and politicians, it’s impossible to forcibly take away the property of a noble family.

If they did such a thing, Arch Duke would move, saying they dared to tarnish the honor of nobility.

“After that, I can make a deal with the Sylvatil family and keep just enough for myself. Even though I’m of illegitimate birth, the family won’t stand idly by if I go somewhere and get beaten up, right?”

This is probably a plan that other council members haven’t even thought of.

It’s a method that only a noble with strong pride, not a merchant who just counts money, could think of.

“By the way, why was the confiscation proposal rejected in the council? Why did Walterwood and other council members block it?”

“It seems that other council members didn’t like that only the Homi faction members would benefit.”

“So their greed backfired, you mean.”

“Actually, with the news of the war ending, gold prices keep falling. Especially, the demand for magic gold used in siege artifacts will gradually decrease.”

“Is that really so?”

“Pardon?”

From Caesar’s perspective, knowing the future, now is absolutely not the time to sell gold.

It’s peaceful now, but soon those ‘demon‘ bastards will pop up like mushrooms and cause havoc.

Traditionally, heretic inquisitors and holy knights have been catching demons.

However, when they alone couldn’t hunt demons anymore, they outsourced demon hunting to capable aura users, hence the name ‘Demon Hunters’.

Unlike holy knights, demon hunters use ‘artifacts’ as weapons like heretic inquisitors, and what’s crucial in producing these artifacts are magic stones and metals containing magic.

Among them, gold and jewels are considered the best.

This is something that someone born a businessman who has seen the game ending three times couldn’t not know.

“We’re going to sell as little gold as possible. We’re absolutely not selling jewels. It’s not the peak yet. It’s better to take out a loan using magic gold as collateral.”

“Do you have some information you know?”

“I do.”

“Is there a source?”

“Just trust me. Within 1-2 years, gold will be so scarce you won’t be able to sell it even if you want to.”

Harrison found it hard to believe Caesar’s words.

But when told to do something, you do it.

Instead of rejecting Caesar’s words, Harrison decided to propose a compromise.

“Understood. But I think we should release an appropriate amount. The magic tower wants it for research purposes.”

“I know that too. I know we agreed to sell one gold bar each.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Lastly, there’s something we need to do right away.”

“You mean stopping the council?”

“No. That’s a secondary matter.”

Harrison tilted his head.

Is there something more urgent than that right now?

“There are five skulls we need to crack right away.”

“…Pardon? Skulls?”

“I mean the mafia bastards who turned Homigraph into a crime city. We need to split those dogs’ skulls.”

“W-what? Those guys? Why…”

“What’s so wrong about a knight punishing social evils?”

Harrison’s head went blank.

He wondered if this was the same person he had been having rational talks with until now.

Additionally, Harrison could hear a shocking statement.

“So let me see your father’s face. I have some business to discuss.”

He couldn’t understand at all what killing mafia members had to do with business.

But Harrison decided to follow Ramsky’s advice.

“Understood. I’ll try to contact him.”

When told to do something, you do it.

***

Harrison first contacted Walterwood’s office as Caesar wanted.

Saying that Caesar wanted to meet Councilman Walterwood to discuss business.

‘There’s no way.’

Councilman Walterwood is a man who lives so busy that he only sleeps 4 hours a day.

He even holds meetings or receives reports while eating.

There’s no way such a man would meet Caesar, who’s just an illegitimate son of a Viscount family and a wandering knight… Or so he thought.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Caesar Sylvatil. It’s an honor to meet the head of the renowned Walterwood family.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Gregory Walterwood. I’ve wanted to have a conversation with the spirited knight called the Axe of Homigraph at least once.”

Harrison couldn’t distinguish whether what he was seeing now was a dream or reality.

Caesar sat down and began to speak.

“When we talk on the battlefield, we always speak only the essentials. Because we always need to convey information accurately and quickly. So my way of speaking might seem a bit rough and uncouth, but I hope you understand.”

“How could I disparage the habits of someone who has crossed the boundary between life and death countless times? Especially if it’s the habit of a knight who has contributed to humanity, it deserves respect. Feel free to speak comfortably without worry.”

Caesar felt something as soon as he met Gregory.

This man is 100 times more formidable than Councilman Usher Parker.

Despite being an old man, his posture was not slouched but straight, and between his wrinkled eyes, he exuded a fierce charisma like a tiger.

For Caesar, who believed that physiognomy was a science, he could be certain that this type of person was extremely strict and at the same time extraordinary.

“I want to kill all the outlaws eating away at Homigraph.”

Even at this unexpected topic, Gregory continued the conversation very flexibly.

“May I know who you mean by these outlaws?”

“Big Foot, Bloody Gold, Anchor, Clown, and lastly Wings. I want to split all their heads.”

Harrison felt his breath catch in his throat.

He’s finally done it.

“Those individuals straddle the line between lawlessness and law. It’s difficult to simply judge whether they’re guilty or not.”

“If there’s a dot on a white canvas, it’s no longer just a canvas. It becomes a picture. Those guys have committed crimes in Homigraph, and Homigraph has become a picture named crime city.”

“Your manner of speech is quite blunt.”

“That’s why I said it beforehand. I asked for your understanding.”

Gregory took a sip of tea and said:

“Then why not just kill them all without mercy?”

“No matter how much you clean a house infested with cockroaches and rats, you can’t eradicate them all. After some time, they’ll crawl out again.”

“If you know that so well, why did you say you’d kill them all?”

“So I’m trying to clean up just enough to not be an eyesore and live with it. At least it’ll be better than the current situation.”

Gregory’s eyes sharpened at Caesar’s cutting tone.

“It sounds like you’re saying we’ve just left it be?”

“Just left it be? You’re hand in hand with them, sucking the life out of the citizens!”

“Stop insulting us!”

“You lot should know your limits!”

At Caesar’s shout, all the guards pulled out their guns.

To pull out guns in Sapientia.

And I couldn’t even bring my axe.

Long live the councilman.

“What outlaws in this world would come to a safety hotel and shoot? Moreover, what city exists where they kidnap children of those who come to do business from other cities to extort money, or interfere so they can’t do business?”

“It’s not just Homigraph, other cities are like that too! This isn’t just a problem of Homigraph!”

“Can you say the same thing to the men currently fighting in the demon realm, not just to me? What if they come back after risking their lives to exterminate the vicious demon clan, only to find their wives and children killed by outlaws?! Can you handle their anger?”

Damn, I got a bit excited.

But this is really the truth.

When knights, mages, and ordinary soldiers return home to find all their family members dead, they rebel against the incompetent empire in anger.

That’s the beginning of the main scenario ‘The Rebellion of War Veterans‘.

That situation plunges the continent into war, and the empire loses control, leading to ‘Warlord Era’.

That’s only 2-3 years away at most.

Gregory seemed at a loss for words, just glaring at Caesar without saying anything.

“You’re looking at this situation too lightly. Right now, they’re just stupid outlaws, but those returning from the demon realm war are all trained individuals. Once they start rioting, you won’t be able to stop them.”

“…That hasn’t happened yet. It’s just a prediction.”

“Isn’t it your job to predict risks and prepare countermeasures? Not to clean up after problems occur.”

Caesar gulped down his tea.

Meanwhile, Gregory thought for a moment and then spoke.

“So what exactly do you want us to do?”

“I’ll kill them all. Then they won’t run wild like now. Until then, you just need to watch my back.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself? That the mafia straddles the line between law and lawlessness. I’ll kill them all with a suitable pretext, and you cover me legally and politically. In return, I’ll let you have some of the spoils.”

“Spoils?”

Caesar threw his teacup on the floor and spread out a map of Homigraph on the table.

Then he picked up a pen and colored in the Line area.

“I’ll sort out the businesses in the Line area that the mafia is illegally operating and hand them over to the Walterwood family. After that, launder them well and pass them to me. Then I’ll let you keep an appropriate amount.”

It really hurts to share what I’ve earned with blood and sweat with this guy, but if I eat it all myself, I’ll get sick.

It’s safer to share appropriately with a famous political family.

“…Was this your purpose?”

“Your son’s salary is barely enough, you know.”

“It was planned from the beginning, wasn’t it.”

Caesar extended his hand to Gregory.

“So, will you do it or not?”

“I can’t trust all your words. I don’t know if you’re just a man of words or if you have the ability to act as well.”

Gregory took Caesar’s hand.

“But I admit you have quite impressive rhetoric. You’ll hear my answer soon.”

Caesar used psychometry.

Then he could hear the thoughts in the man’s mind.

-He’s not just a madman with an axe.

-I’ll give him a task first, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll pull out.

-I should reject the confiscation proposal tomorrow.

Now that I’ve got backing, there’s nothing to stop me.

It’s time to go and plant my axe in the skulls of those mafia bastards for real.

TL NOTE:

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