A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

26 – Has the soul changed?

The San Togo Rabbit Detention Center was on fire. The immense and hellish stronghold built by the former emperor had been thoroughly destroyed by the well-armed rebels numbering in the thousands. The rebels were made up of peasants and hunters from the southern primeval forest, who had come down to the green hell after suffering from noble plunder.

And the leader of these rebels, the legendary Seoric, who caught monsters in the jungle and was known as a great southern hunter, raised his arms and shouted.

“Traitor Randor imprisoned numerous comrades here, in this hellish stronghold, and left them to starve to death!! But we will no longer endure this!!!! For years! We have hidden in the jungle and gained strength!! Now it’s time to show that strength!!!!”

With their characteristic white hair and black eyes, the typical features of the people from the southern region, he was voicing the fury of thousands of people driven by evil.

“Death to the emperor!!!! Death to traitor Randor and the nobles who have sucked our blood!!!! And death to this cursed land of the empire that has swallowed so much blood!!!! We will never stop until we have avenged the lives lost!!!!”

Thousands of guns were aimed towards the sky, firing in unison.

And an even louder cry of fury tore through the southern jungle.

Well-trained southern hunters armed with firearms, and the thousands of rebels trained by them. The uprising that started in the jungle soon shook the entire empire and the number of rebels swelled to tens of thousands within three months.

The rebellion of these farmers that struck the western region of the Ayram Empire quickly reached Randor’s ears, and he immediately ordered Calia’s Iron Blood Corps to suppress it.

Future historians would refer to the war that was about to begin as the “Vile War.”

-From the novel “The Downfall of the Ayram Empire: The Beginning of the Rebellion”-

“Prisoner number 351892 is now released.”

The sound of guards opening the iron door with iron keys echoed somberly in Seoric’s ears. Ten years of imprisonment. However, his focused gaze and menacing aura had not diminished in the slightest.

The legend of the southern hunters.

He was a man with a terrifying record, claiming that with just one bullet and one hunting rifle, he hunted down the monster called King Tiger that had killed his father in just three days when he was ten years old.

The reason he was here was simple.

The village where the southern hunters lived had no lord. However, in order to sell the spoils and meat of the monsters they hunted in the green hell, they had to go down to the land where there were lords and engage in trade.

But there were nobles from the empire who, like bandits, cunningly robbed them by demanding exorbitant taxes.

And not long after, bullets pierced the heads of three noble plunderers, and from that point on, hundreds of hunters rose up, raiding the warehouses of the plundering nobles and distributing the goods to the people.

In the unprecedented turmoil, Prince Adran personally conducted an investigation, but he could only sentence Seoric and hundreds of rebels to ten years in prison for the crime of causing an uproar and looting the noble warehouses.

“So, do you have any evidence that I or any of the hunters here killed the noble scum?”

In principle, killing nobles was a capital offense regardless of the reason, but Seoric was an intelligent person who had a good understanding of the legal system.

He understood the legal system well. In the current situation, all they had as evidence was a deformed bullet. It was clear that one of the skilled hunters had killed, but Adran could not identify who that hunter was.

Based on the circumstances and the atmosphere, it was obvious to anyone that Seoric had done the killing, but without any evidence, it was impossible to arrest him for the crime of killing nobles. In the end, they were sentenced to ten years in prison for the crime of causing chaos and looting the noble warehouses.

“It was filthy to meet you. We shall never meet again.”

Although he had a worn appearance from being imprisoned for a long time, Seoric walked confidently out of the prison, causing the guards to flinch. As he walked out of the main gate of the San Togo Rabbit Detention Center, hundreds of fellow rebels who had been released ahead of him were waiting for him.

It was a messy and chaotic village, but the determination to survive was so strong that it couldn’t be matched by anyone.

“Sir Seoric.”

“It was a harsh time. Everyone suffered.”

The rebel soldiers, with their white hair and black eyes, were all hunters from the southern region. Cut off from their families and ignorant of the outside world for over ten years, they were eager to return to their loved ones.

“Wait!! Wait a minute!”

But someone stopped them. Seoric openly furrowed his brow at the sight.

“Who is this? Isn’t he the pet of that pig-like noble, Nuri? What is going on here?”

Despite his best efforts to blend in, his demeanor and speech couldn’t hide the fact that he was from the noble family. Although it was a sinister voice, the messenger from the noble family showed no fear.

“The leader of the rebels, Seoric, right? I want to have a conversation with you.”

“I have no interest in conversing with pigs. Consider yourself lucky that I don’t have a gun in my hand. If I did, I would have shot a bullet through your head.”

“It’s about the traitor, Landor. Listen, it’s not a bad story.”

At those words, Seoric stopped in his tracks.

“……..Do you want to hear it?”

With a grin, the messenger led them away from the rabbit sanctuary. The rebels and nobles, numbering in the hundreds, began to have a discussion.

“Don’t you want to kill the traitor, Landor?”

“I do. Of course. I want to kill him and put a bullet in the heads of all the Imperial nobles too.”

The messenger took something out of his pocket.

It contained a heavy pouch filled with gold coins, forged identification documents, and a few magical items.

“An enemy of our enemy is our friend, isn’t that what they say? I can’t agree to killing other nobles, but for Landor, I’m willing to help. These disguises, forged identification documents that I bought with a hefty price from the Dark District, and the bag of holding. Inside the bag of holding, there are forged identification documents that all of you can use. I will give you these, in return, put a bullet in Landor’s head and burn his city.”

Seoric burst into laughter upon seeing this.

“Good. I’ll listen to you. Go hunt down Landor like you said. But remember this.”

Seoric growled.

“After Landor is dead, you and your nobles who serve Nuri won’t be an exception.”

“We’ll see about that when the time comes. First things first, kill Landor.”

Landor.

The man who gained power by deceiving the Emperor and Princess.

While he wasn’t directly responsible for the plundering of the southern hunters, Seoric considered Landor to be the biggest threat.

He held the power of the puppet emperor and the might of Karia, who was known as the strongest in the Empire. If he didn’t disappear, there was a possibility that the looting by the nobles would escalate to the point where it would seem like a whimper compared to the tyranny they would impose.

The goal of Seoric and his rebel comrades was to overthrow the system itself, which consisted of nobles and the Emperor.

From that standpoint, Landor was one of the targets that had to be eliminated.

“Right now, I’ll do as you wish. Where is Landor located?”

Seoric, who thought it would be in the capital, receives an unexpected answer.

“He will be located near the Raco Mountain range, in the region of Earl Elond and the commercial city of Porto.”

“…Earl Elond? Why would that traitor be in one of the wastelands of the west?…”

Seoric, in a tone indicating his lack of understanding, tilts his head but soon shakes it.

“It doesn’t matter. Wherever he is. Kill him. And after he’s dead, it will be your turn.”

The messenger, after handing over the prepared items as if they were eerie, quickly rides away and disappears.

“What kind of person is he? Seoric?”

“He tried to hide his identity, but it’s obvious considering the situation. They must be sent by Duke Fellings. Prince Adran or Princess Selene wouldn’t handle things this way. I’ve investigated thoroughly and know well. Also, their way of speaking seems to be from the western continent.”

The hunters admire Seoric’s accurate reasoning and judgment. Seoric quietly gazes in the direction where the messenger disappeared, then turns his body.

“Belingham, let’s return to our hometown. That foolish nobleman has generously given us gold coins. He gave them to us in a hurry, but someday, these coins will strangle our necks.”

Seoric begins to make his way to Bellingham, the city of the southern hunters, his longing for his hometown reflected in his expression.

“Mika, my love. How much suffering has she endured during these ten years?”

He thinks of his wife. The face of his wife he imagined every day while he was imprisoned in a cramped cell for ten years.

What has happened?

How difficult must these ten years have been without her husband?

He hurries back to the village of Bellingham, thinking of seeing his wife and their young son and daughter.

And what he encounters upon returning to the village is the sight of hundreds of rebels.

“Oh, my goodness!!! Oh, my goodness! My son!! My son!!!!”

“Honey!!!”

“Father!!!!”

Their families, with plump cheeks and glowing skin, dressed in clothes made of luxurious fabric that they couldn’t have imagined before, run towards them, shedding tears.

“Seoric!! Seoric!!!!!!!”

Seoric’s wife, Mika, is embraced by her husband, shedding tears. Seoric, too, holds his wife tightly, shedding tears, but the shock surpasses the joy of reuniting with his wife, and he couldn’t help shedding many unexpected tears.

“That… Mika?”

“Yes! It’s me! My husband!! Look at the state of my face in the world!! How could… How could this…”

Mika, shedding tears of admiration, looked incredibly beautiful. She was dressed in clothes made of high-quality fabric, and her radiant white hair had an even more brilliant shine.

Her skin was smooth, and the faint scent of noble makeup and perfume tickled the nose. Her already large breasts seemed to have grown even bigger, and she exuded vitality.

“Come in! Let’s eat first!”

Mika takes Seoric inside their house, dragging him along.

The house, made of shabby wood, was completely gone, replaced by a grand house made of brick in the style of the Aillam Empire.

“Woah, the house… has changed a lot.”

“I operated a poultry farm and made some money! These days, fast food restaurants are very popular in the commercial city of Porto! They say that chicken is in high demand! Hoho! Our Bellingham village is known for livestock, right? I made a lot of money selling chickens to the merchants’ guild!”

“Chickens? Fast food restaurants? What… is all this?”

“I’ll tell you later! For now, sit down, honey!”

The wife immediately prepares food for her exhausted husband. There, Seo-rik was even more astonished.

“Honey, wait a moment. Isn’t that pepper? Where did you get the kind that the nobles in the capital eat?…”

“These days, a trade route opened in the Laco Mountains, and spices from the western continent became very cheap.”

Deliciously cooked dishes with plenty of pepper and spices are served. Seo-rik hastily devours them.

It was a taste completely different from the nightmare of the Santorabbit Prison’s food.

“It’s delicious. Really delicious, Mika.”

“Eat a lot, honey.”

After a meal that made him feel like his stomach was about to burst, Seo-rik was able to take a bath in hot water.

“The marble fireplace also acts as a boiler. Water brought in from the waterworks enters the fireplace through these pipes and comes out here immediately. As soon as you turn on the tap, water comes out, you know!!”

“…Isn’t this expensive? Where did you get all this?…”

“We bought it from the merchants’ guild! Now wash up, honey!”

As soon as he opens the tap, hot water pours out from the showerhead. Seo-rik showers in the hot water, dumbfounded.

When he comes out, his wife gives him clothes made of very luxurious fabric.

To him, who always wore clothes made only of hunted animal skin, it was a shock in itself.

“Did you get these clothes from the merchants’ guild too?”

“Yes! A lot of fabric has come in from the western continent, so the price of fabric has become very cheap. Thanks to that, you know.”

After eating, bathing, and the evening hour approaching, Seo-rik untied the knot of his relationship with his wife after ten years.

The couple, who spent several hours in the sophisticated wooden bed, lying together and embracing each other, spent a hot night.

“…You’ve suffered a lot all this time, Mika. Now that I’ve returned, I will never leave you alone.”

“Just a few years ago, I definitely struggled. But not these days, Seo-rik. It’s all thanks to Lord Randor and the merchants’ guild.”

Seo-rik’s expression wrinkled at his wife’s words.

“Lord Randor…?”

“Yes. He created a trade route, created jobs, and made our village prosperous. Recently, we even fought against the evil nobles of the Binyard Party. Our village has changed a lot thanks to him. If we didn’t have fast food restaurants, there wouldn’t have been a poultry farm business, and we wouldn’t have been able to live so wealthy, right?”

Seo-rik couldn’t regain his composure at his wife’s words.

No, why would the novel mention the traitor who was once the emperor’s favorite in the capital?

“Tell me more…Tell me in detail, Mika. What exactly happened?”

So Mika honestly spilled everything.

Randor’s breakthrough in the trade route. Eating the sultans and his brothers. Fighting the Vineyard Party, building a cinema, and creating various jobs.

Recently, they even opened a fast food restaurant which explosively increased the consumption of chicken, making the southern cities, which relied on farming, extremely wealthy. They also mentioned how Seolic’s son and daughter were attending the elementary school in the Portu Commercial Zone.

“Glen and Rio are learning the alphabet in the elementary school in the Portu Commercial City?”

“Hoho! Yes! Rio is really good at studying! I heard he receives a lot of praise from his teachers! They said if he gets good grades, he can go to the academy in the capital to study!”

“Wait… you’re saying Randor did all of that? Really?”

“Yes!”

Seolic’s expression became confused at his wife Mika’s words.

“What on earth?”

Was his soul switched? It was an unimaginable idea.

Of course, Seolic couldn’t even believe that his own imagination was real, even in his dreams.