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Chapter 69 – part 2

It was only natural for him to embezzle part of the harvest. 

He also invited acquaintances from his delinquent days in the city and wreaked havoc in the village.

 

Forcing himself on female serfs was a matter of course, and although there was no concrete evidence, he was suspected of several cases of robbery and murder.

Inevitably, his position in the village worsened over time, and when it became clear that he could no longer stay in the village… what this man did was truly beyond belief.

 

He abducted several female serfs, looted the treasury of my house, and fled in the night.

 

「I’ve hunted down plenty of bounties in quest requests, but there’s hardly anyone as despicable as you. Isn’t that right, Uncle Joseph?」

 

No, seriously, what has become of my family lineage?

The paternal side has this impression that there are hardly any decent individuals… but thankfully, I take after my mother, not just in appearance but also in character.

 

I may not be the epitome of virtue, but at least I have a certain level of decency, and as a hero, I make an effort to maintain that.

 

Well, my quick temper is something I can’t seem to fix.

 

「You’ve become quite cheeky, haven’t you, Cordelia?」

 

「So, what’s the matter? Can’t you get to the point quickly?」

 

He probably came to ask me for money or to leverage the hero’s connections.

At least, it’s confirmed that he didn’t approach me for any decent reason.

 

「You’re so cold… You and I share the same blood, you know?」

 

「I do acknowledge inheriting the despicable part of the Allston family from you, Uncle. But unfortunately, I take after my mother. Can you not bring the criminal vibes into my relatives?」

 

Blatantly rolling my eyes, Uncle Joseph took out a cigarette.

 

「What are you thinking? This is a school, you know? Smoking is naturally prohibited.」

 

「Don’t be so noisy. I’ve been ushered into the VIP reception room as your relative. No one here cares about such trivial things.」

 

With that, Uncle Joseph took out a match, lit his cigarette, and continued.

 

I rested my hand on the hilt of the sword at my waist and swiftly drew it through the air.

 

With a crisp sound, the tip of the cigarette, now aflame, was severed.

 

「Next, I’ll cut off a single finger. It would be wise for you to leave while I’m still smiling. If you’re here for money, go elsewhere.」

 

Joseph blew a whistle as he puffed on his cigarette.

The carpet was scorched, so I’d have to compensate for that later…

 

Ah, this guy is really troublesome.

 

「But, you know, I didn’t ask you for a handout.」

 

「…What do you mean? You’re not here to leverage the hero’s connections, then? That’s not a joke, right?」

 

Uncle Joseph took out a document from his pocket.

 

「Thanks to you, Uncle here has graduated from being unemployed.」

 

「Congratulations. Your job prospects don’t seem promising, though.」

 

「So, the new job is with the Nularis Trading Company, right?」

 

「As expected, not a favorable company, huh?」

 

「But you see, they happen to be one of the influential patrons paying you. I’m here as a representative of the company.」

 

I already knew that.

Graduating from the academy as a hero triggers an intense recruitment battle between major nations.

 

To be eligible to participate in the hero acquisition battle, only nations that invested exorbitant sums in my upbringing fund, dowry, and various other expenses qualified.

 

The Nularis Trading Company, based in the small western country where my village belongs, provided substantial funds to the king. 

In other words, it could be considered an investment for my sake.

 

Originally, my home country had neither the rank nor the funds to host a hero.

However, being from the home country led to a lenient evaluation, and with enough money, I could have a say in hero acquisition alongside major nations.

 

In fact, it would happen in a few years. 

Moreover, my acceptance as a hero by a powerful candidate country was highly likely.

 

So, simultaneously with the clarity in my mind, I was struck by a severe headache.

How far would this man go… is what I thought, exasperated.

 

「…So… what is it?」

 

「Hey, Cordelia-chan? You don’t need to make such a blatantly unpleasant face, you know? Uncle would get hurt. Even so, Uncle here was accepted quite well, in a rather high-ranking position.」

 

「The Nularis Trading Company simply wants to establish connections with me.」

 

「That’s right. Well, once they can push various things onto the hero, they won’t have to worry about the company’s affairs in the future. So, what do you say?」

 

「Do you really think I’ll listen to what you say?」

 

「Even so, the request will take the form of a hero from your homeland, the Vestaha country. In other words, it’s a request from a patron, right? If you refuse this, it will damage the reputation of the country to which that village belongs. To put it plainly, your parents’ positions will become precarious. Inevitably, you won’t be able to refuse, right?」

 

A deep sigh escaped.

I never expected to suddenly have my family taken hostage.

 

After rejecting my uncle’s offer, even if I were to immediately retrieve my family, there was a possibility that I would be accused of something, thrown into prison, and by the time I took action, it would be too late.

 

While resorting to imprisonment would be excessive under normal circumstances, this man would definitely go that far for harassment.

No, even beyond that, he might actively do so to keep them as hostages.

 

As a post-action plan, could I accept this one request and then make my move?

It’s hard to imagine that I would obediently follow his orders, leading to my family being imprisoned.

 

「So, what should I do? I’ll make it clear; this is a one-time deal.」

 

Half in frustration, I spat out those words.

 

「My niece, you’re quick to the point, and I appreciate that.」

 

「So, what should I do?」

 

「At present, in a certain small town, an incident has occurred where an important figure from the Beastman country has been abducted.」

 

「An important figure from the Beastman country?」

 

「A child of a noble bloodline, just about ten years old. Some fool has kidnapped them.」

 

Hmm… I nodded.

Obeying this man and the Trading Company is unpleasant, but it seems like resolving a kidnapping incident.

 

The request itself seems legitimate.

 

「So?」

 

「It’s a request to rescue that important figure. However, we’ve received reports that the kidnappers are quite formidable.」

 

「How many enemies?」

 

「One man and one woman. And… a dog. The report says they are really tough, but can you handle it?」

 

I chuckled.

 

「Who do you think you’re talking to?」

 

「To my niece?」

 

Always treating me like a child.

After settling this matter, I’ll make him regret trying to intimidate a hero in the proper way, and I boldly stood tall.

 

「I am a hero. If you underestimate me too much, I’ll crush everyone, including you, all together, you know?」