Chapter 50
East of the Hyperen region.
"What a wonderful opportunity this is!"
Someone exclaimed in an excited voice in front of a dense wooden fence.
"Under the protection of the prestigious Bederman clan, masters of fire magic! An opportunity to travel comfortably along a well-maintained road without any worries about monster attacks or bandit raids!"
He dramatically spread his hand in the air.
"Anyone can enjoy this opportunity by paying just a small fee. It's no exaggeration to say that people living in this era are truly blessed!"
At that, the senior guard next to him sighed.
"Where did you learn that weird stuff again?"
"Weird stuff? I've been watching some street plays on my way home from my day shift lately, and they're quite entertaining."
The junior guard grinned and said,
"How is it? Do you think I have some talent?"
"Cut it out. It's giving me goosebumps. You're just full of energy and getting strange ideas because work has been easy lately. There's no place better than here, so don't even think about quitting."
"Aye, I know. But the number of people has definitely decreased quite a bit since the tolls and fees went up."
"That's right. Especially the number of merchants has decreased a lot, so our income has also decreased."
"That's right. It's nice that work is slow, but our pockets are a bit empty."
The job of the guards at the route's entrance was simple.
Stop people trying to enter the route managed by the Bederman clan, inspect their luggage, and let them in after receiving the toll and fees.
The toll was a fixed rate, and the security fee was calculated flexibly by assessing the value of the goods the user was transporting.
This fee included the cost of a service that compensated for losses if goods were lost due to accidents within the managed area.
Because of this, individual users mostly paid only the toll, while users pulling merchant wagons or transport wagons paid the fees more often.
'That's why there were people who said they wouldn't pay the fee or asked for a discount because they didn't need loss insurance. They all regretted it later. Heh heh.'
Initially, there were merchants who protested that the double charge of toll and fee was excessive.
But those merchants would invariably be attacked by monsters or robbed by unidentified thugs at least once within the route...
So, the merchants had to find a way to save money while still properly paying the fees.
'And that was by giving us a small amount of money on the side. Heh heh.'
The fee was calculated according to standards, but ultimately, the guards inspecting the luggage were the ones who decided the amount.
So, the merchants chose to bribe the guards and receive a larger fee reduction than the bribe amount.
However, since the already expensive fees had increased this time, some merchants chose to use other routes even if it meant a loss of time.
And the income of the guards who received bribes decreased.
"Well, it's okay. Since the fees went up anyway, we can make up for it all if we just catch one big fish."
Large merchant groups or peddlers sometimes sold goods on the go, but their main source of income was still deliveries.
To keep to these delivery dates, merchants meticulously planned their routes in advance.
"If they suddenly change their route now, their dates will be pushed back one after another. There's no way they'd even dream of going around. Heh heh heh."
"And it's not like they'd go through the monster-infested swamp."
"Exactly. Honestly, it's not just because it's our jurisdiction, but even objectively speaking, there's no better way to cross to the southeast than this route."
"That's right. Haa, I wish 'that thing' would come quickly so I can buy that liquor I've been eyeing."
"Ah, you mean 'that thing'?"
The junior guard smirked and said,
"I was quite surprised to hear about that. The higher-ups knew all along that we were taking bribes."
"Of course they know, you idiot. You just need to stay within the lines, within the lines."
'That thing' that they had been instructed about by the Bederman clan's finance minister was the merchant wagon belonging to the Siers clan.
The overall plan was as follows:
"First, take the bribe and reduce the reported quantity of White Magic Stones to lower their fee. And if you just report to the inside, the others will take care of the rest."
White Magic Stones were the most expensive item on their delivery list.
If they were to significantly reduce the reported quantity, the Siers clan would save a lot of money and would likely jump at the offer, thinking it was a windfall.
However, the Siers clan's merchant wagon that entered after paying the bribe would be attacked by thugs somewhere along the way, and the White Magic Stones would be stolen.
"Exactly the amount we underreported. Hahaha!"
Normally, they should be able to receive loss compensation for an accident that occurred within the route, but since the recorded amount of White Magic Stones would remain the same, they wouldn't receive a single penny.
"Ah, Senior. But what if those guys suddenly refuse because they seem strong? Given the finance minister's personality, I feel like if we don't succeed with this, he'll try to hold us fully accountable for taking bribes..."
"You just need to guide them smoothly without making it obvious. Don't bring up the White Magic Stones right away. Just Be natural."
"The time has come for my acting skills to shine!"
"...I'll do it. You just make sure to check the quantity properly."
"Understood. With your way of speaking, Senior, it's bound to succeed. Hehe... I'm already excited just thinking about all the money we'll get."
"Don't get too excited. Even if we don't get much from 'that thing,' there are still many large merchant groups that haven't come yet. We can squeeze some out of them."
While they were having such a conversation.
A baggage wagon arrived after a long while.
"Oh, finally one's coming."
Clatter.
The baggage wagon stopped in front of the wooden fence.
"Ah, you must have had a long journey."
As the guards approached, the merchant rubbed his hands together and greeted them.
And quickly handed over a pouch of money.
"Here's the toll, and... this is just a small token of my appreciation for the two of you who are working so hard."
"Hehe, we're not really supposed to accept things like this. But if you insist, we'll have to take good care of you."
"Thank you very much. Hehe."
The senior guard, along with the junior guard, skillfully assessed the goods and appropriately reduced the fee.
"Thank you! Then..."
"Ah, just a moment."
"Yes?"
"Have you heard any news about the Siers clan's merchant wagon? It seems like it should have arrived by now, but I haven't seen it."
At that, the merchant seemed to recall something, saying "Ah," and then opened his mouth.
"It seems those people went towards the southern swamp."
He bent a few fingers and added,
"If they managed to cross, they've probably arrived in Ashbone by now."
* * *
Immediately after arriving in Ashbone, the first place Kain visited, before the constabulary, was the telegraph office.
"You want us to immediately send a message across the swamp to the merchant groups in the Hyperen region...? But that route has monsters and bandits... Huh? You've taken care of them all? Chief! You need to come out here for a moment!"
As soon as he entered, Kain made an unbelievable request without batting an eye, so the chief himself came out to hear Kain's story.
"Good heavens, all of this was obtained by catching monsters... and this here..."
"Ugh, ugh..."
"This matches the descriptions given by people who suffered damage from the bandits. You really caught them...! Understood. I'll send a telegram right away."
Along with the information that the swamp route was now considerably safer, and having received the money Kain had added to prioritize the immediate dispatch, the chief immediately sent the telegraph operator on his way.
The content of the telegram was short and clear.
[Notice to merchant groups: All monsters and bandits along the current travel route through the swamp have been eliminated. Merchant groups wishing to avoid the eastern route managed by the Bederman clan can now travel through the swamp.
*Recommended only for merchant groups employing at least a 3-star mercenary band.
*Safety not guaranteed. Choice is yours.]
The idea to send this telegram had come to him before entering the swamp, when he had briefly stayed in the Hyperen region and overheard a conversation between Fohn and a merchant.
-Wow, there are a lot of really big merchant groups here... Whoa, are there usually this many merchant groups in one area?
-Ah, no, not usually. Everyone's doing this because of the fees the Bederman clan raised this time. That's why we're trying to go through the swamp too.
-S-so those merchant groups are also going to the swamp...?
-No. It seems they're trying to hold out as a group as much as possible until the other side lowers the fees even a little bit. The other side also makes a living from the fee business, so if the backlash is severe and there are no users, they might lower them.
-B-but... the other side must know that the merchant groups have to go deliver their goods anyway...
Fohn was right.
No matter how much they held out, they would eventually have to move to meet their delivery deadlines, and there was no way the other side wouldn't know that.
-Even knowing that, people's hearts aren't so simple. They absolutely hate paying double the fees right now. And there's also a possibility, however small, that they might actually lower the fees. Everyone will probably push their trading schedules here and plan to move when the delivery deadlines approach.
'It's an incredibly inefficient judgment.'
It would be more advantageous for them to simply follow Kain through the swamp.
'But the larger the merchant group, the more they have to lose, so they wouldn't want to take unnecessary risks.'
In fact, Kain himself had encountered unexpected events in the center of the swamp.
So, Kain had postponed his decision until the risk of monsters and bandits was eliminated, and decided to send the telegram when he was almost in Ashbone.
'Actually, I was even hesitating right up until I arrived here.'
Even though he had cleared a path, it wasn't as if there were no monsters at all.
And if something happened while they were crossing after hearing Kain's words, it could become troublesome later.
-Kain! So, you're going to send a telegram to the merchant groups...?
-Why, are you worried about the merchant groups? Fohn, I understand your desire to help others, but this isn't a matter you can decide based on your feelings...
-No, this will definitely benefit us in the long run. If we build relationships with the large merchant groups gathering in the Hyperen region at this time, we can expand our influence more broadly in the future. And I asked more, and apparently there's someone from our territory among those merchant leaders. It's not entirely someone else's problem. Besides, the more merchant groups succeed in crossing the swamp besides us, the more it will prove that the swamp is safe. If that happens, many more people will use the swamp in the future, and the shameless Bederman finance officer who doubled the fees will suffer a corresponding blow. They need to know that if they do such things, they will be punished, so they won't do it again.
He didn't particularly agree with the idea that being punished would prevent them from doing such things again, but Fohn's argument was reasonable in its own way.
So, Kain had decided to send the telegram on the premise that 'the final choice was left to the merchant groups.'
'Now that it's sent, the rest is up to them.'
Having decided not to worry anymore about uncontrollable variables, Kain left the telegraph office and visited the constabulary as originally planned.
And he handed over the bandits and collected the bounty.
"Did you really catch all of them?"
"Oh, those guys gave us so much trouble... Thank you so much, Master Kain!"
Since they would likely uncover more crimes as organization members rather than just bandits, these individuals would probably spend the rest of their lives in prison wearing mana restraints or doing hard labor.
After that, everyone finally took a long-awaited rest.
"Ugh, finally I can sleep in a soft bed!"
"T-tired... I-I have to go out with the merchants tomorrow..."
"Seriously, sleeping in a sleeping bag kills my back."
"Ugh... I'm going to go in and sleep first, so don't wake me up no matter what."
Due to the fatigue accumulated from crossing the swamp, everyone was ready to fall asleep as soon as they entered the inn.
'Good. Now I can move independently.'
He planned to move before the news of the capture of the bandit, no, the low-level member of some organization, spread far and wide.
'However, before that...'
Kain first unpacked his luggage in his room and took out a low-grade magic stone he had acquired in Hyperen beforehand, activating a light soundproofing barrier.
Then, he sat cross-legged in the middle of the room.
"Now it's finally a bit quiet. Then..."
Kain took out a glass bottle from his pouch.
It was the glass bottle containing the Sense Tonic he had taken from Regwin.
"Let's see just how crudely they made this."
And he took one of the Sense Tonics inside and put it in his mouth.
