How to Live as a Tyrant’s Spoiled Brat Chapter 107

How to live as a tyrant's spoiled brat Episode 107

(107)

In mid-February, the wind was still cold and bitter, but to the man on the boat, it was just a spring breeze.

The Northern Duke Severic led a fleet of hundreds of ships and sailed northward along the river.

The strong wind blowing from behind made his blue hair and thick uniform ripple again.

'Valencianus.'

He was a man with white hair, golden eyes, and an inhuman appearance in many ways.

He was a villain so great that even the most infamous invaders would run away just from the rumors, but he still enjoyed power despite the rumors being widely spread.

Severic could see from this fact that Valencian had some kind of competence.

'The places where that name appears particularly often are slums and red-light districts.'

Those two were the biggest headaches for any lord.

Because the poor cannot produce, and the red-light district only consumes.

In terms of population, they both swell, with the imperial capital being the largest metropolis on the continent.

He predicted that the red-light district and slums of the capital city, Soletalraon, would be an incurable hellhole.

However, what the plainclothesmen he sent reported back was quite different from what he had expected.

The slums were now so prosperous that it was embarrassing to call them slums, and they were using their high population density as a weapon to monopolize subcontracting work for large workshops.

In the red-light district, which was much smaller than expected, there were no slaves, no suspicious drugs, or no tobacco to be found.

'They say he went in and out every day to hunt humans and engaged in games that are too embarrassing to even mention. Is 'going in and out every day' the only correct part here?'

Severic remembered what Valencian had said a few days ago in that fancy tavern.

'As a mere knight and administrator, I dare to speculate. Isn't the imperial family trying to subjugate the North economically?'

If it were him, he might have panicked and said something, used his status to get out of the situation, or even pulled out his sword.

Of the three options above, the first isn't even a proper option, and Severic does the second and third better.

'If Valencianus had been just a rascal, he would have been in big trouble right then and there.'

Severic and Lucena would have taken Valencianus to an audience with Emperor Jerilis, where they would have questioned the imperial attitude and sought more support.

But he said so.

'Yes. It's all my instructions.'

'You got it right. I wanted to make the North economically dependent on the Imperial Family forever.'

With inhuman golden eyes shining calmly.

Severic and Lucena realized at that moment.

It was the logic of an iron wall as strong as the great fortress in the north.

No matter what I said to him, the result would be nothing more than running into a wall and sinking into a swamp.

If your opponent is an expert at dogfighting and wallowing in the swamp, there's no need for them to respond.

In any case, they had to replenish the remaining granaries in the North before they were emptied.

Lucena came up next to me.

“The South is still steaming. The South I know is a place where the hot sun beats down all year round.”

“Isn’t our hometown always full of breath? The south that Kyung thinks of is far down from the capital.”

“I really want to go there someday. With Your Majesty.”

After saying that without even smiling, Rushena began her report.

“The maid named Rudy seems to be something of a maid-assassin. She always carries a long-lost weapon, a magic gun. The young knight with red hair is also a skilled man who suits that armor.”

Severic looked at the parting river and asked.

“If you fight Kyung, can you win?”

Lucena hesitated for a moment and then shook her head.

“Skill is one thing, but the gap in skill is too big.”

“Okay.”

That's enough.

Severic nodded calmly.

It was the job of a monarch to bear what his subordinates could not bear.

“What about Archduke Valencian?”

“I’ve barely left my cabin since I got on board. It seems like I’ve been practicing meditation all day.”

“Call me tonight. I’m about to enter the territory of the numerical enemies.”

Valencian was nominally the commander-in-chief of the imperial transport train.

Of course, it was literally nominal, but I still had to tell you what needed to be told.

Because I could have expected some help.

* * *

Valencian's eyes, sitting across from us at the table, shone with enthusiasm.

“Just leave it to me. At the very least, I will prevent any ships from approaching this ship.”

Severic was taken aback by her unexpectedly proactive attitude.

I almost felt guilty about my plan to economically subordinate the North.

Of course, looking into those golden eyes, it was clear that he was not a creature who felt anything like guilt.

'Isn't that guy completely crazy?'

Lucena thought that Valencianus was delighted that he could burn someone to death.

'I can't figure it out. Are you the type that is only true to the moment? If that's the case, then I can understand a little.'

Severic thought Valencian was a very principled man.

Of course, if Valencian had heard both of them, he would have laughed in vain.

'I should show off my cool side this time to restore my image a little. Thinking back, those words were just a nitpick to gain the upper hand, but I was too nervous, which is not typical of me.'

The fight for dominance is enough to show that I am not an easy task.

If you go too hard you'll be called crazy.

'Don't think too much about doing well. I've always been the type to prove myself with actions rather than words. Now that the numbers are coming out, I should definitely show it.'

I wish I could be friends with you.

That evening the fleet entered a large lake.

It was a large lake with a horizon visible on all sides.

Valencianus had been out on deck since early evening, moving around, with Tentia and Rudi by his side.

Tentia swallowed the questions rising to her throat and relayed only what she had heard from Lucena.

“The lake is so large and there are so many islands, and there are so many families surrounding it that it’s hard to subdue the bandits together. There are also many privateers who receive permission from the lord, or even support, and attack merchants who trade with hostile families.”

“The armament and size of the ship are not that great. One fire spell will sink them all. Be careful, sir. If you fall in, you will sink.”

“There is a solution for everything. The knight is brave, but not ignorant. Don’t worry too much.”

But bringing up the article ended up resurrecting the questions I had been trying so hard to keep hidden.

“His Royal Highness the Duke of Valen.”

Tentia swallowed and took a step closer.

“Don’t raise your voice. It’s scary.”

Valencian leaned against the railing, smiling and joking.

“Why did you lie?”

“When did I ever lie?”

“You had nothing to do with the northern grain aid, did you?”

Sacrifice and glory.

A knight who disappears while bearing the dishonor of his lord was also one of the romantic aspects of knighthood that Tentia had in mind.

However, Valencian was a man who was so far removed from chivalry that he would gouge out his opponent's eyes during a fight.

There was no way that he would suddenly do something so 'detrimental'.

“Why wasn’t I involved? I told you. I directed everything.”

“After the kidnapping incident, all His Highness the Grand Duke did was meet the ‘eight survivors’ and have fun, right?”

“… … .”

Tentia continued to ask questions because she didn't understand.

“There are rights and duties. The Valen I know would try to minimize the latter and maximize the former. Of course, I already know that Your Highness is not a villain to the core. But this time, Your Highness has gained nothing. Why do you only want to take responsibility?”

Rudy also looked at Valencianus while listening to Tentia's question.

Valencian checked the water and, seeing that there were still no water, he let out a small sigh and opened his mouth.

“Your logic was perfect. I thought it wouldn’t work if I tried to force things there. I thought it would be better to be a little shameless in order to gain the upper hand. Anyway, I just had to get through that situation.”

"still."

“It’s not completely wrong to say that I did it all. In fact, I guess it was my fault too.”

"yes?"

Valencian began to spout his sophistry once more.

“Why do you think food prices in the capital city have risen so much this winter?”

“The crops are bad… … .”

“It’s because of the old slums. The number of people in the capital has increased.”

“!”

“Originally, the poor people who came from outside had no money and starved to death because they couldn’t get food, but we helped Cornell and gave them a way to make money. They had more mouths and more money, but the food remained the same, so of course the price went up. Isn’t that amazing? If you look at the flow of money, there’s a reason for everything.”

Tentia was left speechless.

Rudy also opened his green eyes wide in confusion.

“So how could this not be something I did? I did my best then because I had to save people, and I’m just doing my best now. If I do that, I might end up saying something a little cowardly and shameless.”

Tentia let out a small sigh and answered.

“… … I feel like I should definitely say something a little cowardly and shameless.”

Valencian nodded, buttoning up his uniform.

“Archduke Severic would not be such a person, but if someone like me were the Archduke of the North, what would he say in this situation?”

Tentia answered, wondering whether or not this would be considered insult to the Imperial Family.

“You might ask, ‘Are we starving the soldiers of the North, the shield of the empire, for the sake of the poor?’”

“Yeah. If it were me, I would definitely say that.”

Valencian said with a somewhat sad smile.

“But Archduke Severic didn’t say that. He just let it go when I said it was all my doing. He’s a noble man. He’ll be happy to help me the next year, and the year after that.”

Tentia felt a subtle romanticism in those words.

“Let’s just say it was all my doing, and I’ll let it slide… … I see. Don’t you think you’ll become a noble man who would be willing to help His Highness the Grand Duke Valen?”

Valencian shook his head firmly.

It was something I shouldn't even have dreamed of.

“That is the way of Archduke Severic, not the way of Archduke Valencian. I have seen too much malice in man. It is simply unbelievable.”

Tentia thought that was just nonsense like inhaling and exhaling, so she just let it go.

But Rudy narrowed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought.

“Mr. Valen, you’re only 18 years old, how can you talk like that? It must be something you’ve experienced.”

But her doubts didn't last long.

Because the man standing on the mast shouted for the fleet to sail away.

“They are enemies!”

* * *

The pirates boarded a boat slightly smaller than a transport ship.

They had no interest in large ships that were empty of money and full of human weapons.

With hundreds of transport ships moving in a row, it would be a profitable business if you could steal even one or two of them.

“Take any boat… …! Eek?”

The leader of the pirates drew his sword from the bow and shouted.

A white-haired, golden-eyed man standing on the tall mast of a large ship.

“Royal family?”

Ten long spear-like flames rising from behind the man's back.

Wedge!

Just being able to fire a spell over 100 meters was a feat in itself.

However, as if to show off his royal power, he simultaneously launched ten flaming spears at his enemies from over 400 meters away.

Pervert!

An explosion occurred in the ship pierced by the fire spear, and ten ships sank in an instant.

“That son of a bitch!”

Several captains turned the bow of the ship and headed toward the captain's ship.

“Are you crazy? Come back!”

“If we leave it like this, the captain will die too!”

“I will avenge my brother!”

The captain closed his eyes tightly.

Those guys didn't know the fear of knights because they only played the numbers game from the beginning.

The action captain boarded the captain's ship with a sword in his mouth.

“Welcome. I am Tentiara, a knight of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Valencian.”

Waiting for them was a knight in heavy full-body plate armor.