Chapter 124 (1/2)

“So everything’s been packaged up rather convincingly. Fine. So what really happened? Here I am making a great first impression, but they’re still regarding me as a weakling. Not only that, they’re trying to hara.s.s me?”

Isaac’s question was met by Rivelia’s exhausted sigh—its gravity akin to the weight of an entire lifetime.

“As you suspect, the Directorate of Strategy took the lead on this, but before you misunderstand, I’d like to say that this mission received approval from the Queen beforehand.”

“Yet the Queen hadn’t said anything to me?”

“It was done in secret, since it was obvious you’d reject it if you found out.”

“… s.h.i.+t. I can’t say anything against that. So what’s the reason they only told you and not me?”

“Well, the Directorate of a.n.a.lysis has predicted that New Port City would grow exponentially more volatile and dangerous as time goes on.”

“What? I mean, why are they calling a perfectly functioning city a potential danger?”

“… Are you seriously asking that?”

“That… no.”

Rivelia’s look of disdain agitated Isaac for a moment, but he closed his mouth. New Port City may have looked like it was thriving on the outside, but in reality, it was standing on thin, almost non-existent ice.

Part of Cordnell’s repertoire was crying that they’d all be bankrupt whenever he showed his face, after all. When Isaac’s thoughts reached this point, he cringed and shouted.

“Did they pa.s.s the bomb to me?”

“They said you should clean up your own mess.”

“… s.h.i.+t.”

All the profit from the casinos, taxes, and even the smuggling business went straight into city funds. Even that wasn’t enough to get them out of the red; they were paying off one loan by taking out another.

But the city maintained its high employment rate and all sorts of city welfare policies because Isaac didn’t need to care about the future. He simply needed to survive until his time as Lord’s Representative finished. Everything after that was none of his business.

Isaac partly orchestrated this out of spite to screw over those who sent him here, but to think that it would come back to bite him. It was a gut-wrenching blow to receive.

Isaac had briefly read up on relevant articles to efficiently abuse his power as Director. One of them said that any missions that directly affected one of the Directors required a majority vote among the other Directors and the Queen before starting. And if it was deemed a failure, the mission would be put to a halt and buried immediately.

“Then Strategy would have initiated the proposal, and the Queen approved it. So that leaves Surveillance and a.n.a.lysis. I don’t know about Surveillance, but a.n.a.lysis would most definitely agree. So I’ve been caught with my pants down, completely unable to do anything.”

Isaac grumbled, but Rivelia squeezed out a faint mumble as she ducked her face.

“You’re close, but it was a.n.a.lysis that initiated the proposal, not Strategy.”

“… What?”

Isaac was stupefied by Rivelia’s answer. Her face bright red in embarra.s.sment, she started to explain.

Duke Pendleton cared not about the future of New Port City at first, but the situation changed when Rivelia was involved. When time pa.s.sed and the New Port City bomb exploded, Rivelia, who was the mayor of the city on the surface, would have a tarnished record.

This problem was pointed out the first time she was elected as Mayor of the City, but Duke Pendleton didn’t consider it a problem back then since he could just dump all responsibility on Isaac when it happened.

But things changed when Rivelia became the Vice-Director of Security. If Duke Pendleton made Isaac responsible, Rivelia would be roped in with him.

This was enough to make Duke Pendleton, the overprotective father, displeased. But when he heard what happened in the Forbidden Lands and how harshly Isaac treated Rivelia in their first mission, his temper exploded. This is when he decided to pull Rivelia out. Not only that, Duke Pendleton tried to adopt the two children Rivelia brought with her, only to have them all leave for Isaac instead.

Duke Pendleton now had added a misunderstanding that not only her real daughter, but his foster children had left for the same man. That was the last straw. So he brought up the crisis potential of New Port City and offered a solution on how to defuse it.

Of course this was kept secret from Isaac, the rascal. Strategy jumped on the wagon immediately, while the Queen reluctantly agreed with a.n.a.lysis’ argument that one should clean up their own messes. Surveillance refused outright. So by majority vote, Isaac was t.i.tled a Baron and became the Lord of New Port City.

“… What does me becoming a Lord have anything to do with damsel’s extraction?”

“On the surface, you are now a Baron of a rural fief, Director. And I am the princess of the Pendleton Family. Having a Princess of Dukedom work under a mere Baron not only looks bad, the entirety of n.o.ble society would rise up against it. The Pendleton Family now has the justification to pull me out from New Port City.”

A whistle of astonishment and awe escaped Isaac’s mouth. That was how far an overprotective father could go when he had power.

“So this is all because of the damsel?”

“… I apologize.”

Isaac smirked in response to Rivelia’s apology. Though this bomb grew more dangerous the longer it was kept under covers, Isaac just needed to survive the one more year that the Queen asked for. Everything after that didn’t matter.

“Well, you don’t have to be sorry about it. It’ll make my job easier now. I think everything will settle down if you disappear, damsel. How about it?”

Rivelia, who was curious at first when Isaac started speaking, defiantly answered Isaac’s subtle suggestion with a serious face.

“I refuse.”

When news of Isaac’s lords.h.i.+p over New Port City spread, the city was in a festive mood.

All of its citizens were aware the current prosperous rise was brought upon by Isaac and that it was only for a limited time. The citizens found it a shame that such times were about to pa.s.s, but this changed when Isaac was t.i.tled the official ruler of New Port City. They hailed Isaac, believing that these good times would continue ever onwards.

On the other hand, the atmosphere on the rooftop of the City Hall was as grim as a funeral. The city’s administrative body had gathered there after the news. Lanburton and Rizzly, the representatives of the elves and the North Bears, respectively, were indifferent, as this was none of their business. But Cordnell, who was in charge of the city’s finances, looked as if he’d lost his mind, while Krent clawed at the grips of reality right next to him. Opposite to the two sat Soland and Kalden, who would let out a deep sigh each time they whispered to one another.

“Wow! So you’re a Lord now, sunbaenim? Then make me the captain of the knights!”

“Me too!”

“… M, me too.”

The struggles of the administrative body were of no concern for Reisha and Kunette, who nagged at Isaac. Julia also shyly raised her hand after carefully looking at her sister, only to drop her hand immediately when Laila sent a ferocious glare at her. But this seemed to have irritated Cordnell, who stood up and roared like a lion.

“Screw the knightly orders! Where do we even have the money! We’re all screwed!”

Hik!

Kunette yelped a hiccup, while Julia burst into tears out of fright.