Crimson and Merchant 2
During the journey for this inspection, they would not be stopping at the Fortia Territory. However, as the Crown Prince was accompanying them, they could not stay at just any nearby inn and instead chose well-guarded facilities like mansions and monasteries. Given the current situation with the King’s poor health and the limited successors, it was crucial to ensure nothing happened to Riley.
(To be honest, even if all the guards Riley-sama brought along teamed up, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Gild and Olga, and if it comes to using magic, I feel like I could handle things on my own.)
As the peaceful journey continued past the halfway point, Liliana reflected while listening to Riley and Clyde discuss policies. The topic at hand was issues concerning immigration.
“The 'northern immigrants' often have high combat abilities, so they tend to join mercenary groups. However, only young and healthy men are recruited as mercenaries. While some women do become mercenaries, most do not. The real problem is employment,” Riley said.
“Yes,” Clyde agreed, “most of them have no means of earning money other than becoming mercenaries. If the local lord provides subsidies, it could provoke backlash from existing residents, and there are limited lords willing to offer such assistance.”
Riley crossed his arms.
“Specifically, the territories of Baron Kennys and Baron Calvert have implemented policies. The Ealdred Duchy has not done much—rather, it is more accurate to say they have not been able to.”
“It is regrettable, but our Clark Duchy is no exception,” Clyde admitted, his cheeks slightly reddening in embarrassment. It was likely that he hoped to improve the acceptance of 'northern immigrants' once he became Duke. However, the issues were numerous. Riley quietly pointed out.
“Their nature is different from ours. They seem to dislike engaging in agriculture or industry. One reason might be that few of them have learned Slibegrad.”
“The commercial guilds are also reluctant to hire 'northern immigrants.' Their nature is part of the reason, but the time required for training is another factor,” Riley added.
“The knight orders are trying to recruit them, though,” Clyde said.
Knight orders exist in each territory. Unlike mercenaries who are contracted as needed, knights work under the lord’s command. However, not all territories have abundant personnel. Except for some fertile regions, most knights are farmers by trade. This is why some lords have taken an interest in the combat abilities of 'northern immigrants.' Yet, the most capable among them refuse to join, as they likely feel it would restrict their cherished freedom. Those who do join the knight orders are usually less combat-effective or younger members, while adults with established combat skills prefer to become mercenaries.
“Mercenaries have income directly tied to their achievements. There are also conflicts with other knights. Therefore, the real issue is how to handle the employment of those immigrants who cannot fight,” Clyde said.
“—It might be worth considering measures to prevent guild monopolies,” Riley suggested.
A guild monopoly would greatly increase the income of its members but would make it difficult for new entrants, which could be a life-or-death issue for the 'northern immigrants.' On the other hand, restricting guild rights would provoke backlash from existing guilds.
(I suppose it would be best to broadly establish regulations against private monopolies and unfair trade restrictions, and to set up a committee within the guilds for self-management. Of course, that committee should be monitored by a central authority.)
Though Liliana did not intend to share her thoughts, she drew upon her knowledge from her previous life. Market monopolies do not benefit consumers, but the concept of consumers does not exist in this world. History changes gradually, and rapid transformations often lead to backlash, as demonstrated in the history of her past life.
(Wise individuals should learn from history.)
Unaware of Liliana’s internal musings, Riley and Clyde continued their conversation. Riley’s expression showed a hint of wryness.
“Honestly, I would like to expand the knight orders in the capital as well. Though incomparable, both the quality and quantity of the capital’s knights lag behind those of the Kennys and Calvert Baronies. If possible, I would like to actively recruit 'northern immigrants.' Their combat abilities are quite appealing.”
“However, gathering them from across the land would require the cooperation of various lords. Additionally, most of those of an age to join the knight orders prefer to become mercenaries,” Clyde noted.
“That’s true. We also need to figure out how to secure the budget. It’s a challenging issue,” Riley said with a deep sigh.
Liliana, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head.
(—I heard that the Kennys knight order includes descendants of Alvaldi, but this seems to contradict what the Prince and my brother are discussing.)
The image that came to mind was the boy known as Yeori.
The “northern immigrants” with high combat abilities were most likely descendants of Alvaldi. Indeed, looking at Gild, it was clear why they preferred being mercenaries. They disliked power and authority and only followed those they acknowledged or trusted.
(Is there something in the Kennys Border Barony?)
It was puzzling why the descendants of Alvaldi, who preferred being mercenaries, would join a knight order in the Kennys Border Barony, sacrificing their freedom. Liliana couldn’t imagine the reason.
Soon, the landscape, once covered in grassy plains, began to change with more rolling hills. The carriage proceeded smoothly along the narrow roads connecting the villages nestled in the valleys. However, it suddenly stopped without warning. Riley and Clyde furrowed their brows.
“—What happened?”
Riley tilted his head, while Clyde tried to open the carriage window to question the nearby guard. At that moment, the guard’s head was sliced off. Blood splattered on the carriage window, and Riley and Clyde were stunned into immobility by the sudden event.
(Oh, there was no warning, was there?)
On the other hand, Liliana remained calm.
“—In the name of my command, by the principles of the wind, prevent intrusion around us.”
It was Clyde who recited the incantation to cast a barrier. Liliana confirmed that the barrier was in place and took out a bird-shaped talisman from her pocket.
(<Tracking>)
A transparent bird appeared and flew towards Gild, Olga, and Marianne at the rear. She planned to cast a barrier near Marianne remotely and simultaneously determine the number and positions of the attackers.
(<Detection>)
This took only a few seconds. Gild’s training with Kamaki, a former assassin, focused not only on skill acquisition but also on improving emergency response speed. Additionally, Liliana always devised countermeasures for all possible attacks.
Riley and Clyde quickly regained their composure and drew their swords. It seemed they intended to fight by themselves if necessary. Outside, shouts and the clashing of swords echoed.
“An ambush.”
“Doesn’t seem like thieves.”
The attackers' relentless and fierce assault made it clear they were not ordinary thieves. Few thieves could match the strength of the guards.
An arrow shot from afar flew towards the carriage window. Riley’s reflexes were impressive, but the barrier had already been erected around the carriage. The arrow was deflected and fell to the ground without breaking the window. A distant scream was heard—perhaps someone had fallen off a cliff.
Liliana analyzed the local terrain and the positions and movements of the people. There were many enemies. Although the guards brought by Riley were strong, the enemies were more skilled. Only Gild and Olga seemed to be showing any composure. Liliana, or more precisely Petra, felt a slight smile forming as she observed the skills of the two mercenaries she had high expectations for.
(However, it’s troubling that the number of enemies isn’t decreasing despite the guards falling.)
Gradually, the enemies were getting closer to the carriage that Liliana and the others were riding in. Though all the arrows occasionally reaching the carriage were being deflected by the barrier, if the attackers initiated a direct assault, Clyde would likely leap out of the carriage to confront them.
(If this ambush were based on a game scenario, it wouldn’t lead to my brother's death—but it concerns me that several events have already deviated from the scenario.)
Even though some events have diverged from the scenario, Liliana could only recognize what was happening to herself. In the game, Liliana had regained her voice and had her magic run amok, and was to be officially engaged to Riley. However, in reality, Liliana had yet to publicly regain her voice and remained a candidate for engagement. Furthermore, her magic had not gone berserk.
There might also be deviations from the game’s scenario that Liliana was unaware of. It was unclear how these deviations might affect the lives of the target characters.
(For now, it’s crucial to safely get through this ambush. I’d prefer that Riley and my brother remain unaware of my ability to use magic.)
The issue was how much she could keep hidden. If she began using magic to fend off attacks, it was highly likely they would notice. Therefore, it was necessary to either attack the enemies remotely or enhance the physical abilities of those actively fighting—essentially, taking on a supportive role.
(Physical enhancement support is quite draining and requires precise magic control.)
The human body was extremely fragile in the face of Liliana’s magic. If she applied physical enhancement magic recklessly, there was a risk of turning the recipient into a cripple. This was something she needed to avoid. It was one thing to be cautious with guards, but she needed even more care with Riley, the future king, and Clyde, the heir to one of the three great dukedoms. Ideally, she would avoid physical enhancement.
(There’s no helping it.)
Liliana sighed inwardly. With the enemies not yet visible, her options for minimizing damage to her allies were limited.
(<Wind Scythe>)
To perform a physical attack with magic, she ideally needed to see the target directly. In the current situation, she could only rely on the pseudo-thermographic images she had displayed. Liliana activated wind magic targeting the enemy she identified. In the pseudo-thermographic images, the indicators of enemy presence ceased movement. Shadows resembling guards momentarily stopped, cautiously approached, then quickly moved to confront another enemy. They probably checked to ensure that the suddenly fallen enemy was unconscious before binding them and moving on to assist their allies.
Amid focusing on intercepting the invisible enemies, Liliana did not notice that Riley, while occasionally glancing outside, was casting concerned looks toward her.
(Even with my assistance, the enemies remain dominant.)
Three shadows, having evaded Liliana’s wind magic and defeated the guards while avoiding the eyes of Gild and Olga, began moving towards the carriage. With the barrier in place, they should not cause direct harm. However, there would be openings during their attack. Liliana planned to exploit these openings by moving the fallen weapons and using them to strike from behind. She murmured <Gathering> in her mind and moved several fallen weapons to identifiable locations.
“――!”
Enemies approached the carriage from outside, and Riley and Clyde’s vigilance reached its peak upon sensing their presence. Riley was the first to react. Arrows and knives that had been launched simultaneously made contact with and were deflected by the barrier surrounding the carriage. Liliana was taken aback by the sudden sense of unease.
(The barrier is being breached—!?)
Given the timing, it was clear that the arrows or knives must have been imbued with a spell to neutralize the barrier. This meant that the enemies had likely anticipated the presence of the barrier.
Liliana quickly cast another barrier. Riley’s eyes widened in surprise. However, Liliana was unaware of Riley’s reaction. Instead, she realized, just as she completed casting the barrier, that her choice to re-cast the barrier had been a mistake.
“—!”
Liliana’s eyes widened. Just before she re-cast the barrier, something must have rolled at her feet. Immediately after the barrier was completed, the spell’s structure collapsed, and a purple mist enveloped Liliana. The three assassins attacking the carriage were cut down from behind by Gild and Olga, who had caught up. Seeing Liliana surrounded by the mist, Olga’s face grew anxious as she reached out toward Liliana—only to have her hand blocked by the barrier.
“Liliana!!”
Riley’s shout was heard, but by that time, Liliana had lost consciousness and had suddenly vanished from inside the carriage.