Chapter 132 – The Ruler of Mulg
Translator: ranzan
Cruz looked at us all with a serious face.
「Wait, so am I the baddie?」
「You’re the bad one Cruzth?!」
Collette asked, and the started punching Cruz lightly.
「ryaa ryaa」
Shiggy started mimicking Collette, flapping away at Cruz’ shin.
「Moo Moo」
Moofy also went to chomp at Cruz’ hand.
No real malice in it. But if Moofy had a chance, she would bite at your hand.
Cruz suddenly looked as if she would cry.
「I’m sorry for being a bad ruler!」
「It’s not a joke.」
「I know!」
Luka scolded her and Cruz crumbled to the floor.
「I know that you had to leave it to a deputy, but I think you’ve been far too irresponsible.」
「Yes ma’am!」
「Did you choose a good one?」
「It was some former bureaucrat from the ministry of the interior I was introduced to. I wasn’t paying attention.」
「You met and chose him?」
「Yeah, I did!」
Now Yureena began questioning Cruz gentily.
「And what did you think when you met him?」
「Um… he looked like a smart old guy.」
「You didn’t feel anything evil from him?」
「No. He seemed nice.」
「I see. That’s strange.」
Yureena looked confused.
Cruz had said that he wasn’t a bad guy simple because she never thought he was a bag guy.
Vi-Vi was listening to the whole exchange and said,
「I don’t think you should trust by LOOKS, Cruz.」
「I…I didn’t!」
「Well, you messed up that schemer with someone who legitimately sells potatoes.」
「Y…yeah…」
I guess I agreed more with Vi-Vi than Yureena.
It was easy to see that Cruz was easily fooled by bad guys.
『Cruz’ got some bad eyes when it comes to judging others.』
「That’s NOT TRUE!」
Cruz shouted out at Femm.
Luka, who was thinking seriously, now asked the chief.
「Was the assistant’s assessor the same guy as last year?」
「Yes, the same. The same for the last few years.」
「Well then!」
Luka nodded, convinced.
I didn’t know what she was convinced of.
Yureena asked before I could.
「Luka, what is it?」
「Well, that’s why the ruler of Mulg’s assessor changed.」
Cruz was given the territory of Mulg right after the defeat of the Great Demon.
Only a bit of time before taxes.
「The ruler and her assistant changed, but the assessor didn’t.」
「That common?」
「Not unusual.」
According to Luka, even if the central power such as the ruler and assistant change, all the others don’t.
So when the ruler changed, everyone on the outside still keep their job.
「I see…well that’s good news.」
I said, but Cruz was surprised as usual.
「Is it good news?」
「The relationship between Cruz’ assistant and the assessor is new, so it might mean that there is little chance that they’ve begun conspiring together.」
「I see.」
Luka then said with a nod of the head.
「So, while the new assistant is in place, he might be trying to fatten himself up while everyone’s scrambling under the new leadership.」
「So, looks like someone’s still going to get their butt kicked.」
「Yup.」
Millet was angry.
I then asked Yureena and Luka.
「So…why did the ruler change?」
The reason why Cruz got the region was because of her killing the Demon Lord and kicking the crap out of the Great Demon.
But…if that’s the case, then why did the former ruler lose his territory?
「Well, it’s a long story, but you know the former ruler hated devils, right?」
「Yeah.」
It was why no one handed Vi-Vi, who was trying to create a massive boar to resurrect the Demon Lord’s army with over to the ruler.
If she was handed over, she’d get the death penalty.
「The former ruler was a powerful aristocrat and he was the central one in trying to drive out all the devils.」
「So he was a big deal?」Cruz said.
「But the central government, the royal family and the ministry are actually for peace with the devils.」
「So the royalty is actually different.」
「They weren’t going to allow her to be killed.」
Even if you went against the wishes of the royal family, it wasn’t enough to lead to you being crushed by them.
He was a big ruler.
There must have been a decisive incident that led to his territory being taken away.
「He almost killed a devil child that passed in front of his procession in the capital.」
「OH NO!」
「Almost…but he definitely would have. An adventurer plead with the guards to stop him.」
It was refreshing to hear that someone was willing to stick their neck out for a devil even in front of the orders of a big ruler.
Whoever did it had some guts.
「And the child?」
「She was brought to the church, and since I was there healing, I healed the child, who is fine now.」
「I thank you myself…as a devil.」
Vallimie said as she and Vi-Vi both bowed to Yureena.
「Don’t worry. I’d do it for any race.」
「Again, thank you.」
Yureena turned red. Thank her for anything and she’d blush.
Luka continued her explanation.
「The local devils and a group of adventurers moved to censure the ruler. It almost turned into a rebellion.」
「I had no idea.」
I’ve been to the capital over and over and never noticed.
「They never came to blows. It was a petition, but the petition itself was put in such angry words that both sides began to stock up arms.」
「Wow, some deal!」
「Yes, and the Bureau of Peers started an internal investigation. It seems the ruler had amassed quite a bit of wealth illegally.」
The Bureau of Peers is an organization in the ministry of Justice that censures, punishes, or reward the nobility.
It’s job is also to investigate the nobility from time to time.
「Illegal wealth?」
「Yes, even as a ruler, also with a key part of the company, he used his role to enrich himself.」
「Amazing. Even though he doesn’t have to pay taxes to the royalty, with this peace he doesn’t have to pay to raise troops.」
Just as Vi-Vi said. If he just sat put he’d make enough on his own.
Any noble can live comfortably.
「Well, he made excuses, but his title was reduced from marquis to earl, and his territory confiscated.」
「I see.」
「So, some of the confiscated territory returned to the royalty, and some went to Cruz.」
Cruz’ greatest achievement was killing the Demon Lord. But it was actually the defense of the Devils that had gotten Cruz her turf.
By giving the land to Cruz, the royals had shown the anti-devil nobles who they were siding with.
At the same time, a devil like Vallimie was given a title and her land recognized. By doing so, the royals were showing the lengths they were going to for peace with the devil race.
One reason for them to recognize Vallimie’s land was the fact that she had her own military might and did not need protection from the crown.
「Well! I’m glad that you’re my ruler now!」
「Eheh!」
Cruz laughed happily at the chief’s words.
「Leave it to me Chief! I’ll get that assistant in line right away!」
「Glad to hear it!」
「Let’s go see this assistant of mine again!」
There was a mischievous glimmer in Cruz’ eye.
She grabbed her Holy Sword in haste. A little to quickly.
「Wait a second.」
「Huh? Why?」
Luka grabbed Cruz and Cruz looked up, confused.
I said kindly to Cruz,
「Cruz, think of a better way.」
「Yes, sir, Al!」
Even as a ruler, she was obedient.
Then Vi-Vi asked Cruz,
「Is there any way to contact him?」
「Hm?」
「Like a magic tool? To call your office with?」
「You know, I think there was!」
Something like Luka had before.
A very expensive tool, but something a ruler would have.
If there was war, the assistant would need to contact the capital to request soldiers.
「You can call him with it.」
「Oh yeah!」
She rummaged through her magical bag.
The assistant would be at the local branch. Just one call, that’s all.
The local branch would be closer than her actual place to live.
「Here! No…that’s not it. Not this either…」
She began pulling a bunch of crap from her bag.
A lion’s head piece, a model of a basilisk made in mithril. Very beautiful though.
Very realistic tails and ears.
What the hell was she using those for?
「Cruz! Stop pulling crap out of your bag!」
「I KNOW! I KNOW!」
That’s all she could say.
「You’ve got such a huge house, put all this damn stuff in there!」
「But I don’t know when I’m going to use it!!」
When is she going to need a mithril basilisk?
「ryaaa!」
Shiggy seemed to like it though. She was riding on top of the model, flapping away.
「Wuff!」「Moo mooo!」
Femm smelled the ears.
Moofy was trying to put on the lion’s head, but the thing ended up hanging from Moofy’s horns.
Seems like Cruz was even more popular with Cruz now.
「THERE!」
Cruz finally found the magic tool.
She looked proudly at us and picked the thing up.
「This is the latest model, it can transmit information by different types of vibrations.」
Wow, even more advanced than something Luka had.
Luka’s adventurer guild transmitter only had one type of vibration.
「The adventurer guild has this latest model too! I just have to pick it up next time I’m in town!」
For some reason, Luka was flailing to make an excuse. She didn’t need one thoguht.
The guild’s a big organization. It wasn’t that big of a deal.
「It’s not that hard to make something low-life like that.」
Vi-Vi said with a tilt of her head.
Why are they all trying to boast? It’s just a freaking vibrating rod.
Maybe Vi-Vi should set up shop selling these girls different types of vibrating sticks…geez.
「Okay, for now just call your closest branch office.」
「But there are only two kinds of calls. Come to the capital and deploy soldiers.」
「Well, YOU CAN TELL US THAT AHEAD OF TIME!」Luka screamed.
「Sorry…」
I patted Cruz’ head as if to say sorry.
「Let’s go directly to your palace. Then you can call your advisor yourself.」
「Sure!!」
So we all decided to go to Cruz’ palace directly to see her assistant.
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