Subscriber of the Gods Episode 269
Episode 269. If you do good things, good things will happen.
Marquis Dren was receiving the report with a very serious expression on his face.
“The floating population continues to flow out to the Wickers Estate. As a result… … .”
“stop.”
Marquis Dren raised his hand and interrupted.
“So what you’re saying is that our Marquis is being pushed around by some insignificant local fief?”
“… … .”
“Our business is suffering, our foot traffic is leaving, and the issues that should be resolved through us are being resolved through Wickers?”
“… … .”
The subordinate couldn’t bring himself to answer. All he could do was remain silent.
However, the enraged Marquis Dren roughly pushed his subordinates. The general next to him could not bear to watch so he turned around slightly.
Boom-!
“say!”
“Yes that’s right.”
Pfft-!
As soon as he answered, Marquis Dren threw his scabbard. The subordinate who was reporting was hit in the forehead and began to bleed.
Gulp-.
The person reporting was not a simple subordinate who only reported. He was the one in charge of the overall business of the Marquis.
That’s why I was even more angry.
“Damn it! The reason I gave you full authority was not to hear reports like this! Were you pushed by the Wickus Estate? This is the first time I’ve heard the name Wickus!”
The enraged Marquis glared at him as if he was going to kill him.
“How can we, who should be trampling on the other twelve star families, be held back by a mere local noble?”
Marquis Dren called over another subordinate who was standing behind him. The general report was a place where reports were received from three subordinates who had been given authority.
“Commander of the Knights, how big has their territory become now?”
“Originally, the nobles of that region were all similar, but among them, the Count Yurahan family was the most powerful.”
Count Yurahan was a fox-like man whom Marquis Dren also knew well.
“That Earl of Yurahan has also entered the Countship of Wickers. In fact, the Earl of Wickers has unified the lands of all the noble families in the vicinity.”
“So? How big is that land?”
“They have reached a similar level to us. Of course, they are not as advanced as us… … .”
Here the Knight Commander paused for a moment. If he spoke again, it was certain that Marquis Dren would become even more angry.
“Based on my own observations, it’s just a matter of time.”
The Knight Commander searched the various places in the Wickers County to gather information. And he couldn’t help but be surprised.
Originally, when you rapidly consolidate your clan and expand your territory in this way, many side effects inevitably follow.
There may be differences of opinion between the newly expanded territory and the existing territory, or the nobles who joined and their subordinates may be acting territorially, blocking work that needs to be done quickly.
Naturally, various problems would arise, and in most cases, momentum would be lost while trying to solve these problems.
But in the Counties of Wickers, such problems were not seen at all.
It was growing like a monster by maximizing only its strengths, and at the center of it all were firmly established businesses.
They are making sure to build up funds through those businesses, and using that financial power as a basis, they are quickly sorting out the side effects that should follow.
“In terms of growth rate and size alone, there is no other noble family in the vicinity that can compete with Wickus.”
Boom-!
Marquis Dren stamped his foot hard.
Then he roughly swept his forehead.
“Damn it. A mere local noble dares to look down on our Marquis? You lowly family with no legitimacy! I must clearly show you what kind of power the family belonging to the Twelve Stars possesses.”
“I… … Marquis. That’s not all.”
The general spoke while watching the Marquis of Dren, who seemed ready to storm in at any moment.
Marquis Dren was astonished by the General’s subsequent words.
This was more shocking than the report I had heard before.
“what……?”
“The County of Wickers is receiving royal support. Not only that, it has also established a branch of the Holy Light Church, and it is said that this branch has received a seal from His Holiness the Pope himself.”
Even the branches of the Holy Light Church are strictly divided into levels.
A branch managed by a bishop.
A branch managed by the Archbishop.
A branch managed by a cardinal.
And at the very top there is a branch directly managed by the Pope.
However, excluding the Vatican, there are only a handful of branches directly managed by the Pope.
But the branch in the Wickus estate is managed by the Pope.
“Why, why did such a branch come into existence in the Wickus territory? And what about the imperial support? Is the imperial family involved? A noble family from a local region? That’s ridiculous. Imperial blood also flows through our Dren’s bloodline. However, we have never received the imperial seal.”
Most high-ranking noble families have imperial bloodlines. Of course, it goes back quite a few generations, but it was by relying on that bloodline that they were able to become high-ranking nobles and maintain the traditions.
However, Marquis Dren was not receiving any support from the royal family.
But the estate of a local noble family receives support from the imperial family?
Marquis Dren could not understand at all.
“I heard that a branch of the Holy Light Order has recently been established. Several archbishops have already been dispatched… … Based on the information I’ve gathered, it seems that a cardinal may be running that branch.”
“That’s ridiculous! How can there be a branch directly managed by His Holiness the Pope in such a local territory? And a cardinal? Isn’t it the archbishop who runs the church of the Holy Light that we have established in our territory?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The governor was also shocked. It was a territory that had the support of the imperial family and the influence of the Pope.
A mere local fief has become an untouchable enemy.
The Marquis of Dren also knew very well what the General knew. That was why he was so impressed.
The Marquis sighed and stomped hard on the ground.
“Make it grand. I will go to the Wickus estate myself. I will go and see it with my own two eyes and make a judgment. And… … .”
Marquis Dren said.
“We need to understand each and every business that the Wickers Estate is engaged in. Then, we can start working in places that are not properly protected by them.”
“… … Yes, I will prepare it right away.”
* * *
“Why are you doing this!”
“Why are you asking this? Are you really asking because you don’t know? How dare you proceed with the business without the permission of the Marquis?”
“We are simply legally receiving and selling the goods through collaboration with David Top and Garnet Top!”
The end of the Wickers Estate.
Originally, this place was quite backward, but with the development of the Wickus Estate, it was developing at a rapid pace.
Suddenly, soldiers wearing armor appeared there.
At the center of their armor was the emblem that identified them as the Marquis of Dren. Three lines. Each had its own meaning, but it was not important at the moment.
“We are only carrying out the orders of the stern Marquis of Dren! If you have any complaints, please speak to the Marquis formally!”
Boom-!
The Marquis’ soldiers began to destroy everything they could get their hands on.
The people working inside looked at the store owner in fear.
“This is our place that we have been running for a long time! If you tell us to give this place up, everyone who works here will lose their jobs in an instant! They have families to support!”
“What do you know! Do you have to worry about such lowly things? What? You want me to worry about the guys working here? How ridiculous! Do you know whose orders these are and why you’re rebelling? The Marquis himself gave the orders! He said to deal with those Whikers from the provinces who came here with the arrogance to do so!”
A large soldier pulled out a hammer. At first glance, he looked like a soldier serving as a vanguard.
Brrrrrr-.
The shop owner, Teinpro, trembled at the sight. If he was hit by that hammer, he would surely die. There was nothing he could do with the small sword on his waist.
“Get out of here!”
First of all, he had to run away from this place. There was nothing he could do as a commoner, so he had to run away and report this to the high-ranking officials of the Wickus Estate.
Kwaaak-.
But it was not something I could run away from alone.
The moment you run away, those who have been looking only at you may be dragged away.
“Why don’t you go away?”
“Ah, no! Not here! Kkaaaak!”
“Stop it!”
Teinpro stepped forward without realizing it.
“What a funny guy. You dare block our path while you’re shivering? Didn’t you hear, shopkeeper? Didn’t you hear me telling you to get out?”
“If you want to lay a hand on these guys, take me down first!”
Teinpro took out his sword.
“Our lord will absolutely not… … turn a blind eye to this!”
“Don’t worry. Our Marquis will take care of that great lord you’re talking about. You should look for a place and stretch your legs. How far are you going to look? But let me ask you one thing. Why on earth are you doing this? Do you have multiple lives?”
At those words, Teinpro fell silent.
The soldier is right. This is not courage, it is recklessness.
Still, Teinpro could not back down.
He lost his parents in an accident. He has five siblings left. As the eldest son, he had to support his four younger siblings in place of his deceased parents.
But he was only thirteen years old, and the thought of four lives being in his hands was a huge burden.
Still, he had to work. There was very little he could do as a young boy, and since there was no other place to hire him, he had to do work that everyone else avoided.
As a result, there were countless cases of money being stolen. There were even days when I had to skip meals.
It was a day when I was buying food for my younger siblings because I was starving but I couldn’t let my siblings starve.
It was raining so hard that I was trying to hurry and ended up tripping over a rock.
Normally, I would have just cursed and let it go, but for some reason, I cried that day. Everything was difficult.
Someone approached him like that.
He was a large hunter with a beastly scent. He carried several weapons and wore a fur hat on his head.
-Why are you dragging your feet?
He said as he looked at the fallen Teinpro.
Teinpro cried and confessed his situation to the hunter in a hushed voice.
Younger siblings. The food I bought with the money I earned today is now uneatable. It’s too hard.
The hunter listened to Teinpro’s difficult words and searched through his pockets. Then he took out all the money he had and gave it to Teinpro.
-If you cry, your siblings won’t be able to cry. So don’t cry. This will buy us dinner tonight and we’ll have some leftover. Buy us something delicious.
How cool was the sight of him turning around while saying that.
From that incident, Teinpro began to think that he wanted to live like that hunter.
To be exact, I wanted to live a cool life.
Just as he had been saved by that perfect goodwill, he also came to have a goal of helping someone.
And 12 years have passed since then.
Teinpro has been helping those in difficult situations, just like the hunter who was his benefactor.
“Why are you stopping me…? Because I want to live a cool life.”
“Heh heh, heh heh heh! Okay, go ahead and try it out. You won’t regret it!”
The soldier smiled and tightened his grip on the hammer.
“Even dogs and cows need heroism.”
An angry soldier swung his hammer at Teinpro.
Wheeeeeeeek-!
The hammer was swung with a heavy sound.
But the hammer stopped right in front of Teinpro.
“I guess he’s a guy who doesn’t have any sense of heroism, even if it’s just a dog or a cow.”
“Keep, keepeeeeek-!”
Ethan, holding the hammer in one hand, lightly pushed the soldier’s body. The soldier flew through the wall of the store, crashed into the wall, and passed out.
It was natural, since I pushed with the power of reverse divergence.
“Uh, uh uh uh… … .”
Teinpro looked at Ethan. Although his appearance was completely different, the vibe he was giving off was that of someone he knew.
“Uh, Master Ethan… … ?”
Ethan nodded.
“That was very brave.”
As he said that, he gestured to Yeri and Shudlen, who were standing behind him. Following the gesture, the two escorts stepped forward.
Ethan said, looking at the dumbfounded Tainpro.
“If you do good things, good things will come back to you.”
fantasy,
