Published: September 2, 2025
※8/13 Typo corrections made.
This is Satou. A friend of mine who was struggling with job hunting once got hooked on a shady self-improvement seminar and was about to ruin himself by pouring money into it.
It seems that brainwashing has a long history. It exists in another world too, but the methods are a bit different.
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Thanks to Pochi, the distance to the baron's family had gotten closer, so while skillfully guiding the old man, I tried to confirm various details with the baron...
"So, you didn’t order the collection of congratulatory money?"
"Of course not. I heard from the Governor that this year was a poor harvest. If we did that, the villagers would starve."
In fact, elderly people were being abandoned as a way to reduce mouths to feed.
"Are you aware that every village has so many people selling themselves that merchants avoid them?"
"Hmm, none of the villages are wealthy, but we haven’t taxed to the point of starvation. This year, at the Governor’s suggestion, food was distributed."
The villagers I met—from serfs to village heads—were all emaciated. I couldn’t imagine the village leaders embezzling.
"Today, a girl ran out in front of a carriage and was run over. The coachman was told not to stop the carriage even if it ran over commoners. Is that true?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
He affirmed it.
However, the baron's face was gloomy. It didn’t look at all like he had an attitude of "commoners are trash."
"Satou, there is a reason for that. Two years ago, my sister and I were in a carriage that ran over a child. We immediately stopped to help, but we were quickly surrounded and nearly kidnapped."
"Is that the time you met me? I heard the child and the people who surrounded you were from a gang of thieves called the Muno Liberation Army hiding in town. Though, I only learned they were thieves later from the Governor."
"That time was wonderful."
I casually ignored the young lady and hero’s lovey-dovey stories. According to the young lady, similar incidents happened five more times. She and others met twice directly, but maids and officials were targeted several times. Especially the last time when the official was targeted, they deliberately made the carriage swerve and overturn before attacking.
Strange. Maybe the Muno Liberation Army was already wiped out, but no one in the city belonged to such an organization. Of course, the underworld people are there, so it’s hard to judge if they are thieves by punishment or reward, but no one had “thief” in their affiliation.
"Was the border immigration tax also the Governor’s idea?"
"Actually, in recent years, there have been tragic incidents where children and daughters from villages within the territory were kidnapped and sold as slaves in other territories. Because of the Governor’s suggestion, heavy taxes were imposed on unlicensed slave traders or those without the village chief’s permit to prevent crime at the border."
Perhaps out of goodwill? Every noble wants to avoid losing subjects, so there must be practical reasons.
"By the way, I don’t see soldiers or knights at the gates or inside the courtyard?"
"Yes, demands came from villages and merchants lamenting increased thefts by bandits, so I sent the entire army out to fight bandits. The Governor said that as long as the main gate is closed, there’s no problem even if bandits attack, so I approved."
Doubt.
You just said the carriage was attacked by bandits hiding inside the city.
There are fewer than 10 soldiers in the city now. Only one knight. No matter how much they say the entire army is deployed, there are too few left behind. Honestly, impossible.
"Is the bandit gang hiding in the city really okay?"
"The Governor said they’re okay, so they are."
"And no matter how many bandits come, this Holy Sword will defeat them."
The false hero backed up the baron. Then more lovey-dovey talk with the young lady started again, so I ignored it.
The Governor, huh. They seem to trust him quite a bit.
Hmm? Come to think of it, everyone only says “the Governor.”