Episode 24.9 (1/2)
”I see. So you were keeping watch over me during these past three days.”
”Why were they aiming for you, not Shira.”
”If you think about it carefully, they couldn't have gone for Shira-sama. Think. It would result in wasting a plan laid out by the prime minister office as decreed by the king, and having guide Skalabel's master killed under his very nose. It would utterly ruin his majesty the king's and the prime minister's faces.”
”Not even Zack Zaikaz could escape that huh.”
”Indeed. On the other hand if it was me who got assassinated they shall never make it public. News of a town lord tasked by his majesty getting killed would harm the king's dignity, and hinder this project. My death would be announced to be due to an illness, and the project would carry on after my successor named.”
”Even so, there's no point in assassinating you to Zack.”
”Oh there is. It serves as a grim warning to the neighboring lords. Warning them not to act as they please in the northeastern region. The town lords would surely tremble in fear. Realizing how dangerous it is to dice with Kogurus.”
”I see.”
”Moreover, once I'm not of this world, the yet greenhorn Agito cannot possibly deal with Zack. He'd get all his limbs bound in no time, eventually turning Vouka into another yes town for Kogurus.”
”But the royal capital won't stay quiet either.”
”That's where things get blurry. Prime Minister Office will make an estimation if the trouble is worth the expenditure and labor. And then there's long term and short term angles.”
”I don't get it.”
”Prime Minister Office itself desires to have the king's authority reach into every single part of the kingdom. They wish to make the entire kingdom flourish. But they must plan how will they interfere with the northeastern region and if there is even a need to within the scope of their limited budget and manpower.”
”Fumu.”
”If they believe meddling in with half measures now would result in a chaos that may very well turn into a revolt at the kingdom's northeastern region, they will likely postpone the development of the region. No matter how displeased they get.”
”Is that how it is. So Zack was trying to impede the prime minister.”
”Indeed. He must want to express his anger by killing me. Betting on Prime Minister Office not bothering with all the trouble to resolve it.”
”I think that's quite a risky gamble though.”
”It is. However, this is exactly a turning point where he must take that risk, I'm sure Zack believed that. If he succeeded in pressuring the surrounding town lords and the prime minister office, he could enjoy the privilege of better highways himself, so it is worth the risk.”
”However, Zack lost that gamble.”
”Indeed. Moreover, since you caught the watchman, it will take some time until Zack found out about his assassins' failure. That said, he will likely send another batch of assassins sooner or later. Lecan, as a gold rank adventurer of this town, I have a request for you.”
”I'll give it a listen.”
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >
”Work as my bodyguard.”
”No.”
”Why! Not even you will like it if things go his way, do you.”
”I don't really care whether you die or the highways don't get maintained.”
”Wha?”
”Had Zack gone for Shira, he would make an enemy out of me. But thinking again, that guy isn't going to try that.”
”What do you mean?”
”That guy's got ways to gather info. He must know my relationship with Shira to a point. If he killed Shira, I'd go seek out his life. He must understand that much.”
”Does Zack truly fear you so?”
”Fear isn't exactly right. He simply won't go out of his way to make me turn on him because he cannot calculate my strength.”
”Have you met Zack Zaikaz before?”
”Didn't I tell you? I've gone to Kogurus before. Even talked with Zack there.”
”What kind of man do you think Zack is like?
”To him, everything is a fight. In order to subdue, cut down and grow everything around Kogurus. The success of a trade is nothing more than a mean to him. I got in the way of his plans by chance yet the man offered to hire me.”
”What”
”Zack Zaikaz isn't a man I can get along with on a personal level, but I do not mind with money talks. For better or worse, that's the impression I got from that man Zack.”