Chapter 71

To understand why a coalition against Fasa was formed, one must go back a few days.

At that time in Fasa, tension had been quietly escalating ever since the issue of disbanding the mercenary company was mentioned in the State Council meeting.

The Black Company was Fasa’s one and only military group.

Moreover, its leader was not even a Fasa native, but a foreigner.

To think they would meekly accept an order of disbandment would be either idealistic or foolish.

And Mayor Rapacio and Albe Corsini were neither.

From a politician's perspective, a crisis of state subversion or civil war must be avoided at all costs.

That was why daggers had been the most effective medicine in Apennia all this time.

As a result, suspiciously dressed swordsmen took up positions in every alley, their eyes gleaming.

Of course, sometimes screams were heard, or corpses were discovered in the back alleys.

─Get that bastard!

─R-run!

─Gah!

The people of Fasa had now grown accustomed to hearing strangely specific shouts coming from the back alleys.

However, that too did not last for more than a few days.

Before Fasa could explode with tension, Levona intervened, and the problem was resolved in a strange direction.

“Mr. Mayor, a letter has arrived from Levona.”

“From Levona? They’re a pain to deal with……. Why all of a sudden?”

“The ambassador hinted that it’s an important letter.”

“Aish. I don’t like this. Alright. Give it here.”

Mayor Rapacio, though annoyed, had no choice but to accept the letter.

If it was a letter brought by the Levonan ambassador, it was sure to contain important news.

The letter went something like this.

「May blessings be upon your nation.

This time, our Levonan fleet suffered too much damage while catching Tospol, making it difficult to maintain the fleet.

But we’ve already caught Tospol, right? I don’t think there’s a need to maintain the military agreement any longer?

The alliance… its service is terminated.」

“Gyaaaah!”

The contents within made the people of Fasa, from top to bottom, scream.

“This is absurd!”

At the sudden notification, Fasa’s conspirators screamed, shocked as if the world had gone dark before their eyes.

All their carefully laid plans had been blown away.

What was the reason the Fasa government had tried to strike at the mercenary company in the first place?

It was partly because the mercenary company was a hippo that devoured finances, but more accurately, wasn't it because the company's existence had grown large enough to endanger the government's survival?

In other words, the Black Company was not an easy opponent for them to handle on their own.

So, if worst came to worst, they intended to borrow Levona’s hand to deal with the mercenary company, but Levona had flipped the table and left before the conspirators could even do anything.

The conspirators found it hard to come to their senses in this situation.

Separately, the citizens of Fasa were, of course, in an uproar.

“What! Mayor Rapacio! How did you handle the diplomacy!”

“What are you going to do about this disaster! How will you take responsibility!”

As the seemingly solid alliance was suddenly dissolved, the anxiety felt by the citizens was much greater.

Naturally, the citizens, who judged that Mayor Rapacio must have made some mistake, flocked to the city hall to protest.

He truly had no popularity.

However, Mayor Rapacio could not give a proper answer to the protests.

Because he didn’t know either.

Even when he tried to find out, all of Levona's diplomatic channels, including the Levonan ambassador, were out of contact.

If it were a Fasa citizen, he could at least grab and question them, but the Levonan ambassador was a foreigner, so he couldn't just seize and interrogate him.

With the national diplomatic lines cut, the citizens, with their feet on fire, hurried to find private channels.

Through them, they found out only one thing.

─Governor Canella and other Levonan politicians were angry with Fasa!

As this fact became known, the political situation in Fasa descended into chaos.

And the breakdown of the Fasa-Levona alliance was more than enough to look like an opportunity for other nations.

“Heh heh. Is it finally our turn.”

“It has been a long time of contempt and persecution.”

“How long have we endured. We have waited only for the day of revenge.”

Good things rarely happen one at a time, but bad things come holding hands with friends.

As the rumor spread that Levona and Fasa had terminated their military agreement, the nations of Apennia, which had been quietly suppressing their anger, rose up.

***

The nations of Apennia were currently very angry with the situation.

Getting their merchant ships plundered by pirates was an infuriating affair.

The merchants responsible for the nation’s commerce were suffering damages.

But then Fasa suddenly became wealthy.

And through the absurd method of pirating the pirates.

They were even successful.

From the perspective of the nations that had suffered damages from pirates, it was truly a difficult thing to watch with open eyes.

It’s vexing.

So very vexing.

It is the way of things to be jealous when a neighbor does well.

It was even more infuriating because they got rich not by using their own money, but someone else's.

The victimized nations, unable to bear it any longer, requested the return of their cargo from Fasa.

They couldn’t make demands of the pirates because they couldn't find them, but Fasa was a neighbor living in the same town.

“Give us back our goods that you took!”

“Give us back our money! You bastards!”

Moreover, Fasa was a renowned weakling.

They would surely have no choice but to accept the demand…….

…There was a time they thought so.

“No. Go back. We can’t return it.”

“Ho ho, we are complying with maritime law. In Fasa, articles found at sea are recognized as one hundred percent the property of the finder.”

The Fasa court, in one mind and one accord with the Fasa government, refused.

Naturally, the victimized nations protested.

“Hey, not everything that comes out of your mouth is speech! If we capture a Fasa vessel, will you recognize it with that precious law of yours?”

“Really? Is that so, Levona?”

“What is it? Stop bullying the weak one and get lost.”

“Fuck.”

Oops.

It was unknown what strings they pulled, but the toughest guy in the neighborhood had appeared.

Somehow, Fasa had already bought off Levona.

It was truly a barbaric era where justice could not be found.

“Dirty and cheap bastards.”

“Truly vexing, for real.”

Though they had many complaints about Fasa's shitty attitude, the victimized nations, not being in the same weight class to face Levona, had to retreat while swallowing their tears.

It seemed as if the matter would end there.

Until suddenly, the military agreement between Levona and Fasa ended.

“What? They don’t have a backer anymore? I don’t know why, but this is an opportunity!”

“Without Levona, Fasa is worth a shot.”

No matter how great an achievement they had in eliminating Tospol, compared to Levona, Fasa was traditionally a nation several steps below.

Naturally, most people thought that Levona had played the leading role in the subjugation process, and Fasa was merely an assistant.

Even if they had a brief moment of brilliance by creating a mercenary company, how amazing could it be?

Of course, war was still not an easy matter, so they first tried to resolve it diplomatically.

“Are you going to return the money you’ve been freeloading off us after a beating, or will you just give it back?”

Instead of throwing a punch right away, they started with a conversation, so they could indeed be called civilized people.

But from Fasa’s perspective, it was not like that at all.

It was a situation where they were suddenly being extorted right after being struck by a thunderbolt from Levona.

It felt like their minds were going numb, but with the diplomatic pressure threatening war if they didn't return the money, there weren't many options for the Fasa government to choose.

Financial ruin, or war.

Whichever they chose, it was an option that would lead to a great disaster.

To return it as demanded, they had no money as it had already been spent.

Even if they somehow met the demand, would the other nations that suffered from pirates just stand by?

Wouldn't the bills just pile up?

In the end, there was only one thing Fasa could do.

“In…, in….”

“In? Insane?”

“You crazy bastards! You were the ones in the wrong in the first place!”

The claim that it was just for the captured cargo to belong to Fasa according to maritime law, was interpreted as, ‘If you don’t have the ability to protect your cargo from pirates, don’t come crawling out to sea!’

As a result.

The Anti-Fasa Coalition Army raised its banner and rose up.

It was the prelude to war.

***

“I’m ruined. I’m truly ruined.”

Mayor Rapacio felt his political life coming to an end.

Just for making some hardline remarks in the council, he was about to take all the responsibility for the outbreak of this war.

“Damn bastards. How could they do this to me? Who was it that earned money for them like a dog!”

In fact, everyone knew that Mayor Rapacio hadn't done much, but in his mind, he was the one who had contributed the most.

Mayor Rapacio urgently visited the Corsini Family.

His calculation was that they would help since they had been co-conspirators until just a while ago.

And Mayor Rapacio only received a hearty scolding.

“Mayor Rapacio! What are you going to do about this situation! How do you plan to resolve this situation!”

“Well, this isn’t my fault either…….”

“Would this have happened if you hadn’t accepted a drifter like Leon Gryph into the city? If you hadn’t babbled on about a mercenary company or what have you, we would have just been at peace!”

“Well……”

“Show our guest out!”

Albe poured out a series of rebukes and insults, then forcibly kicked out the speechless Mayor Rapacio.

Although Fasa was small, Mayor Rapacio was the head of state.

Even if he was scheduled to be fired soon, such poor treatment was not something to be shown to a head of state.

However, the power and confidence of the Corsini Family surpassed his.

Mayor Rapacio, who had no power to resist, had to turn his steps, trembling with humiliation.

Though stabbed in the back by the backer he had trusted, Mayor Rapacio was in a state where his survival instincts were maximized in order to survive.

Mayor Rapacio did not give up and set out to find a way to live.

“Leon Gryph.”

“Yes? Mr. Mayor, what did you say?”

“I must meet him.”

As the head of the city's one and only elite military group and the one who brought prosperity to Fasa, he might have some method.

No, he must.

Mayor Rapacio was shameless enough to ignore things like having conspired to assassinate Leon with the Corsini Family.

Public office is a jungle.

You can’t survive without a thick skin!

“The Captain said not to let anyone in. Please return.”

However, Mayor Rapacio was chased away without even being able to set foot on the threshold of the mercenary headquarters.

Mayor Rapacio pleaded with the troll standing guard.

(He was too scared to argue.)

“I’m not just anyone! I am the mayor of this city.”

“Yes, I know that. But orders come first.”

As he bickered with the troll, a shout was heard from inside the building.

“Rhom, you bastard! I told you not to let in any peddlers! Do you want a beating?”

The troll guard, with a frightened expression, shut the door, and Mayor Rapacio, who was suddenly treated as a peddler, felt the world go dark before his eyes.

To call him a peddler!

It was the first time he had received such treatment.

And in that unjust treatment, he became certain of his future.

For them to treat the mayor this way, the city must have already entered a state of anarchy.

An aide, who still hadn't grasped the situation, asked from behind with a worried voice.

“Mr. Mayor, what should we do? These fellows are being quite nasty, should we call the city guard?”

“Forget it.”

“Pardon?”

“Are you mad? If the citizens see the mercenary company and the city guard clash, what will they think?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Of course, Mayor Rapacio had only acted that way because he had many things to feel guilty about.

He didn't think the city guard would win against the battle-hardened mercenaries even if they were dispatched.

In the first place, the city guard was under the Corsini Family’s jurisdiction, so there was no way they would be dispatched.

After much deliberation, Mayor Rapacio came to a conclusion.

“To the Signori Palazzo.”

“You mean the Signori Family?”

“Yes. That’s the only way to survive.”

Mayor Rapacio was a man who did not know how to give up.

It was also unavoidable since his actual life was on the line.

Walking down the street, Mayor Rapacio broke into a cold sweat.

‘Perhaps Leon knew everything. He knew it would all turn out like this. I have to go, get on my knees, and beg. And the only person who can mediate is Matriarch Costanza.’

***

Fortunately, the Signori Family did not turn Mayor Rapacio away at the door.

But the moment he faced Matriarch Costanza, Mayor Rapacio felt his knees go weak.

Matriarch Costanza was a renowned heroine in Fasa.

The story of how she raised the family, which had fallen into a predicament after the death of the previous head, to its current position was already a legend.

Although her smiling face had become more frequent recently with the pirates being crushed, her original demeanor was a face so cold it was indifferent to others.

“To think you’d show that shameless face, Mayor Rapacio. But why have you come to me? Why didn’t you go see your friend, Corsini?”

‘This old hag already knew.’

Mayor Rapacio was shocked, his face turning pale.

But that was that, and this was this.

Now was the time to cling to Matriarch Costanza’s knees.

“I have already been to see him. But I was only met with insults and was chased away. Now, the only one who can save the city is you, Matriarch!”

“What can a mere merchant like me do?”

“You can arrange for me to meet with Lord Gryph!”

“I knew it, but you are truly shameless. Didn’t you want to disband the mercenary company?”

“The city’s fate is hanging by a thread! The only one who can save the city from this crisis is him.”

Matriarch Costanza gazed at Mayor Rapacio.

Mayor Rapacio swallowed nervously.

His fate depended on what words would come out of that mouth.

Matriarch Costanza paused for a moment before opening her mouth.

“The Signori Family’s bill will be very expensive.”

“I am aware.”

“It might be more expensive than you think?”

“I will bear it nonetheless.”

“Well, do as you please.”

Mayor Rapacio was not in a position to negotiate terms.

Having been abandoned by Corsini, it was not the time to worry about his political life.

If things continued like this, his neck was literally going to be cut off.

Losing face was better than dying.

He was prepared to obey even if it meant groveling like a dog.

Matriarch Costanza called her eldest son, Emilio, and gave an instruction.

“Emilio, guide the Mayor to Lord Gryph.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Matriarch!”

“Let me give you one piece of advice. It would be best to be honest with him.”

“I understand. I shall do so.”

Mayor Rapacio made a huge fuss, almost kissing Matriarch Costanza’s hand, before leaving the mansion.

Once the surroundings became quiet, Matriarch Costanza smiled faintly.

“Indeed, that’s Leon Gryph. A lump of fortune has rolled in.”

Screaming because a war has broken out is for amateurs.

A true merchant is one who seeks profit even in the midst of war.

Matriarch Costanza was already pondering how to make money from this war crisis.

But, would all of this have been possible if it weren’t for Leon Gryph?

“The more I see him, the more I covet him.”

She thought he was just a wolf cub, but he seemed to be at least a lion cub.

The only regret was that the Signori Family, in its current state, seemed unlikely to be able to hold onto Leon.

Leon Gryph was sure to become a much bigger figure in the future.

Matriarch Costanza had such a premonition.

“I should have seized the opportunity when it came. It’s a pity how things turned out.”

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