Chapter 31 : Niran (2)

The landlord ended up collecting all the silver coins.

“Keep wearing the robe. And if anyone picks a fight, please take it outside! It’s already hard enough to get by these days.”

The middle-aged man with a scruffy beard wore a sullen expression.

It was probably because things were really bad these days.

The man who put the robe back on nodded slightly and asked,

“Don’t worry about it. But is there any leftover Northern Mountain wine? It seems a bit excessive for just beer.”

It was true.

With three silver coins, two men could drink their fill of beer and still have some left over.

“We’ll have to see if there’s any left. Stay here; I’ll be back shortly.”

“Do as you wish.”

“Thud.”

The gray-haired man with the sword—Tristan—raised one corner of his mouth and looked at Krork.

At the same time, his expression twisted even more than before.

“If you spend like that, who wouldn’t?”

“Then you’re going to scowl and intimidate them into resolving things?”

“I could be nastier.”

“Hmph, do you think this money was given by Doryeon-nim?”

“Ha, even if not Doryeon-nim, surely the Deputy Commander cares about it?”

“That’s…”

When Nedian’s name came up, Tristan was at a loss for words.

Surely, Glenn Doryeon-nim had handed them ten silver coins to gather information.

That was about the same as a day’s wage for a scout like him, but it was still a lot to just hand over as pocket money.

Neither the Republic of Lepent nor the Lion Knights had the financial means to spare.

Anyway, they had already spent nearly a third of that amount since starting the task.

Not a good sign.

Thinking of the strict Deputy Commander, it was indeed not promising.

That thought twisted Tristan’s brows even more.

“Looks like there’s some leftover. This is all that’s left, though.”

At that moment, the landlord returned carrying a leather pouch he had been dreaming about.

In an instant, he filled two cups and handed them over.

“Need anything else?”

To be this generous with only three silver coins—

Krork opened his mouth with a slight hint of dissatisfaction.

“The merchant said business hasn’t been good.”

“Does it look like it? Normally at this time there shouldn’t be any empty seats. But whoa—”

Looking now, empty spots appeared here and there.

Especially when excluding the quiet mercenaries, there were quite a few vacancies.

“Is it because of what you said earlier? That the North is restless?”

“The North? Well, it’s rarer for it to be quiet. You know that well enough.”

“That’s true. But then why?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

He lowered his voice, as if reluctant to say it.

But this was something that had to be heard.

“Three silver coins should be enough to tell me, right?”

“It’s not that. Hmm, good. Come closer.”

Krork and Tristan leaned toward the middle-aged man.

It was quite noisy around them, so it was necessary to speak secretly.

“Of course, it’s because of those damn protests.”

Krork and Tristan’s eyes sparkled.

By Glenn’s order, this was the reason they were secretly gathering information like this.

The unrest and the protests.

What was the real cause? What was the goal of the protests?

“It’s the price of wheat. That blasted wheat price!”

Wheat was quite an important staple in the continent.

Especially in these turbulent times of civil war, it served more than just as food.

It was even used as a form of currency—in other words, a kind of monetary concept—and naturally, wheat prices had been continuously rising.

But even so, the wheat price in Niran until recently was absurd.

Just a few months ago, a sack of wheat cost about three to five silver coins.

That was high, but understandable given the circumstances.

However, prices steadily rose to ten silver coins two months ago.

Then one month ago, it jumped to twenty silver coins per sack.

Naturally—

“That price is ridiculous. An outrageous price with no justification!”

“Is someone deliberately raising the wheat prices?”

“Of course it’s those holding the wheat. Thanks to them, we’re all suffering. As the wheat price soars, the prices of everything else have gone up alongside it!”

As time passed, the gap within the city became more pronounced.

Those who owned wheat and those who did not.

Those with wheat quietly sat and amassed money.

Of course, most commoners did not have wheat.

They barely managed to live day by day—what more could they ask for?

It was already a chaotic time across the continent.

When staple food prices like wheat began skyrocketing, people in Niran started starving to death.

Tristan nodded in rough understanding of the situation.

“So, the royal palace tried to intervene?”

“Yeah, the king himself stepped in because it was getting out of hand. Thanks to that, prices are gradually stabilizing—but”

The merchants holding wheat, who were still actively buying and selling, rebelled.

They said, why should the royal family meddle in a problem that would naturally resolve itself?

At first, only a few gathered at taverns, raising their voices.

But gradually, their numbers grew—and soon they occupied the square, shouting.

Those who jumped in late, seeing the soaring wheat prices, were biting the bullet.

“Has the royal family taken no measures?”

“Exactly. It’s maddeningly frustrating. I heard they even gave permission to use the square. The watchmen who used to show up every week have disappeared… What on earth are they thinking?”

The landlord sighed, slapping his chest.

…But if that’s the case, why even gather and whisper?

Krork stretched his bent back and asked, tilting his head.

“But doesn’t this have anything to do with your business? I don’t think the protests are even happening here.”

“I heard there are other noble clans behind the protest groups. And there are quiet mercenaries and scum everywhere in the square and city. They often beat or capture dissenters. How do you think the atmosphere in the city is?”

“Hmm? Even so, the royal family just stands by? What are the guards doing?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

That was definitely strange.

At that level, shouldn’t the royal knights or the guards have been deployed to suppress it immediately?

In the first place, it was hard to understand that dissenters would even gather and raise their voices.

If that happened in Lepent, those people would be sent straight to the front lines to fight the orcs.

“Hmm…”

Tristan, who was listening, also felt something was off.

“Those incompetent merchants pooled money to hire mercenaries. I’ve done the same.”

At the spot where the landlord nodded, Tristan exchanged glances with Krork.

“That’s why these days, clashes happen frequently at night. People are dying left and right.”

“Chaotic times indeed.”

“Yeah, and with rumors spreading about the 7th Legion too—it’s madness.”

At this, Tristan’s eyes gleamed as he asked,

“The 7th Legion? What’s the story there?”

“Haven’t you heard? Someone new came to the Northern Empire’s 7th Legion. I think the name was—something like Rusche…”

“Hmm? The Rusche Family of the Empire? Could it be the ‘Iron Hawk Knights’?”

“Oh? The Mesui Sect?”

Krork chimed in.

He was a well-known figure among knights.

“Ah, right! That was definitely the name.”

The Northern Empire’s 7th Legion was stationed between Arian and the empire’s border.

But Arian was a militarily weak state.

What did that imply?

It meant it was a rather useless legion.

In fact, even within the empire, it was known as a nominal post mainly for gaining experience.

“So why would they send an ‘Iron Hawk Knight’ there?”

The Iron Hawk Knights were well-known imperial knights in Lepent.

They were the leaders of the Mesui Sect and founders of the Soaring Iron Hawk Swordsmanship.

“There are various stories, but I don’t know the exact reason. Anyway, from our point of view, it’s unsettling.”

Is it to keep Arian in check? Isn’t that too much?

The more he thought about it, the more complicated it became.

“A tangled neighborhood.”

“Indeed.”

Krork agreed with Tristan’s mumbling and raised his cup in a toast.

***

Around mid-afternoon, just past noon.

After settling at the best-looking inn, Glenn immediately set the knights into motion for information gathering.

The captain of the city gate guards ‘willingly’ provided the information he knew, but it turned out he didn’t really know much.

At the same time, Glenn himself began his investigation.

Accompanied by Nedian, they headed toward Niran’s central square.

They had heard it was the site of ongoing protests.

The square they arrived at was fairly lively, even though it was almost evening.

Angry soldiers were holding something and shouting passionately.

“Lower the wheat price!”

“King, don’t meddle in the market!”

“Leave wheat prices to the market logic! Royal family, get lost!”

From what they heard, this was a protest against the wheat price dropping.

Watching this, Nedian wore a slightly bewildered expression.

“…Is this really allowed? They’re openly insulting the royal family.”

“Well, Arian is a republic after all.”

“A republic?”

“A system where influential families in the kingdom gather to decide the king. I think they call it ‘Won Ro Won’? Anyway, these sorts of protests are possible because they have other families supporting them. They’re probably opposed to the royal family.”

“…It’s hard to understand.”

Such a thing was unthinkable in the Republic of Lepent.

It was basically declaring a full-scale rebellion.

“Something like that, I suppose. I want to find out more, but for now, let’s withdraw.”

There was a reason why the two quietly stayed in a corner of a building.

“There’s a strange number of people picking fights everywhere.”

Many people on the streets were challenging them.

Even though Glenn was wearing the Lion Knights’ emblem and even a hood, how had he not been caught?

Had rumors spread at the city’s entrance?

“Could the guard captain earlier have ill intentions…?”

“No, in that case, I think I’d rather be dead.”

What on earth had he done?

Nedian didn’t bother to ask.

“Hmm, in my opinion, it feels like someone’s stirring things up.”

Glenn, lost in thought, said casually.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I think someone wants us to lose our temper or cause trouble.”

“Who could that be?”

“We’ll find out soon enough.”

Leaving that behind, he turned his back, still looking troubled.

***

Glenn tapped his fingers on the table on the inn’s first floor.

He had been sorting through the reports in his mind and finally spoke the conclusion aloud.

“So, to summarize, the Stauffen family tried to control the wheat prices, which caused the protests?”

The guard captain earlier had definitely mentioned wheat prices, so this was likely true.

Nedian nodded.

“That’s a reasonable conclusion.”

“Hmm, have you also found out who’s behind the merchants causing the unrest?”

“That’s hard to say. After all, we’re outsiders. I suspect, as Doryeon-nim said, they’re families opposing the royal family.”

Probably so.

Glenn nodded slowly and looked toward Monica, his squire.

Monica had volunteered to visit the city church for information gathering.

“Have you heard anything?”

“As expected… a high-ranking priest of the Imperial Church is visiting the city.”

“A high-ranking priest?”

Not good.

The Imperial Church—that is, the Nikerba Church’s high priests—were quite influential.

“Do you know their purpose?”

“I heard it’s just proselytizing.”

“They wouldn’t only be doing that.”

“That’s right… ahem. Prince Glenn, you should be more careful with your words.”

“I’ll remember.”

Nikerba Church’s proselytizing activities.

A tiresome excuse often heard even during the Reconquest Era.

Those bastards would spread their damn religion even if they went to hell.

“Anyway, many people are uneasy because of the ongoing protests. I also heard the royal palace has granted permission to use the square.”

Hearing Monica’s words, Nedian added,

“Krork and Tristan said the same. The palace suppressed some merchants with the wheat prices, but when the protests broke out, it was strangely quiet.”

“That’s… definitely suspicious.”

What was the Stauffen family’s real intention?

From the start, that had been Glenn’s concern.

The unrest that was occurring, the palace suddenly banning deployments on the day he arrived—

He felt there were mixed intentions.

And if that was the case, the current King Konrad Stauffen was the most powerful person involved.

He had been famous even in his previous life for his political acumen.

Was that why he was so sharp?

Even when Glenn had met him once, he wasn’t an easy man.

“Doryeon-nim, will you wait until entering the palace like this?”

“…No. I need more information first.”

In truth, there was no other way.

But forcibly entering the palace was impossible.

What Glenn wanted was smooth negotiations with the Arian kingdom, not coercion.

“We want that too, but I doubt the residents will cooperate easily.”

“That’s true. Heh.”

How many Arians would kindly respond to a duke’s questions?

Most would throw a tantrum just by looking at the pale northern skin.

It was a blessing if they didn’t spit in your face.

That said, he wasn’t the type to recklessly throw money around either.

As Glenn fiddled with his eyebrow in thought,

“D-Doryeon-nim!”

“Hmm?”

A knight waiting outside the building hurriedly entered.

His face was clearly flustered.

“Master, someone is here to see you. That is…”

“Stop stammering and just say it straight.”

Nedian’s expression turned cold at the knight’s fumbling in front of Glenn.

“It’s Isabelle Stauffen!”

Glenn’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

It was an unexpected name.

Isabelle Stauffen.

The third daughter and second youngest of the Stauffen family— in other words, a princess of the kingdom.