Episode 25.6-7 (1/2)
”Can you not just send someone there?”
”No one is available sir.”
”None at all?”
”An elderly adventurer had tried to settle the dispute, but they would not take him seriously at all. Yet we have no soldiers to spare.”
Originally, something like this isn't an issue you bring to the town lord himself, but to one of the three commanders. But none of those commanders are present.
An awfully tired expression came up on the town lord's face. He must have been dealing with lots of these trouble. But they've been endless. Naturally he'd get tired.
”I'll go handle it.”
”Lecan. Would you really.”
Lecan stood up, put the <Sword of Rusk> he hung on the wall to his waist, and wore the overcoat from the hanger.
Another male official was standing by the door.
”Lead the way.”
”Yes. If you'd please.”
Two groups of men are having an intense verbal dispute somewhere surprisingly close by the town lord's mansion, a crowd of onlookers has formed around them.
Looking closer, there are two carts in the center. One is loaded with heaps of stone, another with heaps of wood. Both have thick long ropes affixed to them, they're both sturdy carts that can carry many people.
Lecan approached the two big men staring down in the center. These two are obviously the two sides' head honchos. You can't settle this kind of quarrels without going straight to the individuals leading the groups.
The two have impressive mass of muscles with statures to match. They're almost as tall as Lecan. The mason boss is wider horizontally, and slightly shorter vertically. His physical strength must be quite something. The carpenter chief is slimmer, but he's got a sharp look on his bony face.
”I'm here as a proxy of the town lord. Explain the situation. First, you talk.”
Lecan decided to listen to the mason boss's side first.
”We 'ere transportin' excess stones from the construction site at the town lord mansion to the highway. Then those guys came outta nowhere bargin' in takin' the middle road, tellin' us to move outta way. Like they own the whole damn road or sumthin'!”
”Got it. Next, your turn to talk.”
”Good sir. We were bringing in the highest quality woods for use at the guest house at the town lord's mansion, see. So fer' good fortune, we gotta take 'em the best road, see. Besides, just take a look at how long those woods are. We cannae' just change course willy-nilly. Theirs mite' be heavier, but their cart's shorter. They coulda just move aside fer' a bit, and everything's gonna be swell.”
”And ya coulda just wait till' we got to that corner over yonder! But no ya didn't wanna and butted right in! Ya folks just been itchin' for a fight from the start, ain't ya!”
”Gawddangit! Ya dumb blockhead! Like 'ell we could wait till this nice woods rot, ya oaf!”
Lecan silently drew his <Sword of Rusk>.
The two bosses were taken aback by this before stepping back.
”W-whatcha tryin' to pull!”
”Good sir. Yer' pulling out yer' sword. Ya wanna go?”
Lecan asked while pointing his sword.
”Oy, Mason's boss.”
”W-whatchu want.”
”Can't you turn around the left or the right?”
”No can do. Look at 'em rope length. You gotta start bit by bit tens of steps away if ya wanna change direction of this heavy cart. Nuthin' can be done once they got stuck like 'dis.”
”I see. Oy, Carpenter's boss.”
”What do you need. Good sir.”
”Can't you turn your cart to the right or left.”
”Don't joke around sire. Ain't no way woods this long could fit either sides. Where'd we gonna find that much space in this path.”
Both carts can be pulled back if you just refasten the ropes. But these two would absolutely refuse that.
The carpenter chief wouldn't want to back down for the sake of good fortune, nor would he be willing to give up the middle road.
The mason boss believed that since they took the road first, they had the right to it, no falling back or stepping aside.
Neither of the two looks like they would concede. Their subordinates are also present here. Even if this was settled by leaving one side disgruntled, it could turn into a riot.
”Alright, I got it. Then carpenter chief, you just need to go straight ahead from here right.”