Heh heh heh. What a moving scene.
…No, really, my heart was racing on the inside.
I should be praising these kids for their perfect timing.
And while I’m at it — my own brain, for assembling the situation on the fly.
The truth is the kids had brought this proposal to me beforehand.
Children that they are, they were worried.
Who’d have thought they’d volunteer to sell themselves? There’s no better deal for me.
Of course I accepted in two breaths.
And with this, Mio realized her own love. The children get to stay with their beloved Mio.
I get a labor force that does what it’s told.
Nobody is unhappy. A perfect, happy ending, isn’t it?
For now, anyway.
“Hey, hey, how long are you crying for? Pack your things.”
Once the crying had mostly settled, I lobbed the first words of hell into the room.
Everyone looked up at me, blank-faced.
“Lord Veret…? What do you mean by…?”
“What else? You’re all moving to Veret territory — my homeland.”
“V-Veret territory!?”
“Yes. We’ll arrange the housing. Just bring your things.”
I don’t believe in verbal promises.
So I’ll move them to Veret territory where they can’t escape.
“And I’ll attach a tutor. From here on, you’re not just playing — you’re studying every day. Subordinates without knowledge can’t produce results.”
”…………”
Mouths hung open at my terrifying decree.
For kids at the age to play, having their free time stolen and being forced to study to work for me — nothing but pain, right?
But it’s already decided.
I’d noticed during play that they hadn’t been receiving proper education.
At this rate, they’re not assets.
So I’ll make them ones.
By the way — if any of them tries to flee, the tutor will report to me. That’s the plan.
Mio and the rest are completely in my hands.
“Alice, did I say anything strange? Reasonable demand, no!?”
“Yes, a splendid decision.”
Heh heh heh. Alice has no intention of pushing back either.
I helped Mio and the others this time as a favor to Alice.
Which means: she owes me one too.
Everything has gone perfectly.
“Carriages will come to pick you up in a week. Be ready.”
“P-please wait, Lord Veret!”
“What?”
“What… what am I supposed to do from here on…?”
You come with the kids and work as their guardian, but — well, all right. Let me borrow a line my horrible boss in my past life used to say.
“Figure it out yourself.”
“M-myself…?”
“That’s right. Figure out what you should do for me.”
“What I can do… for Lord Veret…”
I doubt anyone’s going to push back, but if they do, dealing with it is a pain.
“I have class tomorrow. Let’s go, Alice, Mashiro.”
I cut off and walked out of the orphanage.
I heard Mio mutter something behind me at the end, but I pretended not to hear.
Regretting your request now is too late.
In the end, what defeats evil is a bigger evil.
“What now, Ouga? We still have some time before the carriage.”
“Going to discipline that guy I left lying around. There’s a lot I need him to do.”
“Discipline him… how?”
“Obvious, isn’t it?”
I drove my fist into my own palm with a smack.
“Violence.”
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“Big bro! Let me work under you, big bro!”
"""…………"""
The three of us exchanged looks.
When we got back to the tavern, Aliban had already regained consciousness.
And these were his opening words.
“What’s your angle?”
“It’s nothing! I — I fell for big bro’s strength!”
”…Ho?”
“I understood when we fought… big bro is the man worthy of standing above all people!”
“I see, I see.”
This guy gets it.
That’s right. I am the kind of corrupt lord fit for ruling commoners and living the upper-class easy life.
“Right then. You’ll follow my orders, yes?”
“Of course! My life is yours, big bro! I’ll be your slave!”
From the look of it, he genuinely worships me.
In that case, no training necessary.
For form’s sake I checked with Alice for any signs of deception. She agreed.
“Good, good. All right, Aliban, here’s your first job.”
“Yes! Thank you, sir!”
“Aliban — go discipline the local hoodlums in every district.”
”…Eh?”
I laid out the work I’d had in mind for him.
To summarize: he’d circulate through the poorly-policed districts, beat up the bad guys, and gather them all under me.
When troublemakers suddenly vanish, sadly, no one finds it strange.
I’d then restart the underground arena with the collected fighters.
I become the bookmaker. The “rake in cash” plan can begin.
If the fighters are mine, I can match-fix all I want!
The venue isn’t even destroyed — no need for new investment.
Naturally, this is being kept from Alice — I’ll fudge on the underground arena bit.
I’ll find a moment alone with him to talk later.
I’ll also ask about the source of the [Body-Strengthening Doping Extract] then.
“Understood. So I just do what big bro did today — clean up the villains?”
“Right. Just copy me.”
“The duty entrusted to me by big bro… I will fulfill it.”
Mm, motivation is a good thing.
That ties up the main pieces.
“Oh — you’re staying like that for the week.”
“Eh.”
A natural precaution until Mio’s move is complete.
So don’t make that lonely face.
And so, having completed every mission, I left Inivent behind.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Ouga does not know.
“My name is Aliban! I have come to this town by the order of Lord Ouga Veret! Tell me where the men who trouble you are — I will deal with them!”
That as Aliban brought local thugs together district by district, the streets grew safer — and as he proudly named himself Lord Ouga Veret’s subordinate, Ouga’s reputation among commoners climbed sky-high.
Ouga does not know.
“Everyone, let us pray today as well. To the [Savior] who delivers true [Salvjudgment] upon us — to Lord Ouga Veret — our gratitude.”
"""Yes, Sister Mio."""
That after agonizing over what she could do for him, Mio — devoted now in zeal — founded with the children the Royal Self Faith, a creed declaring he is the one fit to be king, and that the faith would spread through Veret territory and the commoners beyond.
“Heh heh heh! There’s nothing better than a job well done, eh, Alice! Mashiro!”
“A splendid performance, Lord Ouga.”
“For real! Ouga, you really are amazing. I’ll work harder too, like you.”
The man laughing in the carriage still does not know.