I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game-Chapter 26
While riding the carriage back to the castle, the servant repeatedly asked me if I had any injuries.
Even if I had, it was only a bruise from being knocked over by the big guys, but it would heal in a day or two, and the pain wasn’t that bad, so I didn’t bother to talk about it.
... ... I thought that if I mentioned that I had an injury here, things would go in an irreversible direction.
“That, Count Gwynne? You said you were going to invite that family to the castle... ... .”
“Yes. I’m going to formally punish you. It’s treason.”
“I’m just asking just in case, but what kind of punishment is usually given for treason... ... .”
“In a wartime situation like ours, treason against the state is usually punished by the extermination of the entire family.”
I let out a deep sigh as I watched the servant talking nonsense with a calm expression.
This was a medieval game world where reason and common sense were intertwined. In addition, there was a war going on that would determine the fate of the entire continent.
As soon as I heard the word ‘treason’, I felt an ominous feeling... ... No matter how much it was like that. The annihilation of the clan.
... ... Things were already going in an irreversible direction.
“That seems a bit extreme... ... .”
“I heard that Bin was almost killed by those people. The blade touched the tip of his neck. If that guard had put just a little more strength into his fingers, Bin’s life would have been lost. The hope of humanity that the great monarch risked his life to kill was so vain... ... .”
The servant spoke as if he was calming down a child’s tantrum.
“I think Bin should think more about his own worth. Lir is a good magician, but from now on, you should officially bring guards.”
The servant sighed, his forehead wrinkled as if he was still dizzy when he thought about it again.
“... ... You don’t think I could really have been killed by those idiots, do you?”
I shamelessly lied, even though the feeling of the cold blade still lingered on the tip of my neck.
Even if they had tried to kill me, I wasn’t the kind of person who would sit back and watch one family after another being put on the guillotine.
There must be innocent children in their families, right?
I didn’t want to get those children involved.
“No matter how great a magician is, they are vulnerable to surprise attacks. They are no different from warriors who train their bodies every day. In fact, I heard that even Lord Lir was in a big crisis during the last expedition when he was attacked by Tauros, who was much lower level than him.”
The servant brought up basic common sense on the battlefield. It was true a hundred, a thousand times over.
“But the punishment is too much.”
Even so, I persisted.
‘People are dying because of me.’
Because this thought would not leave my head.
“You shouldn’t talk to me about that.”
The servant closed his mouth, looking out the window as if he had nothing more to say.
“... ... What should I do?”
I looked at Lir, who was sitting next to me, and lamented the situation that had become too much for us to handle.
“... ... .”
As always, she pulled the brim of her hat up to hide her face.
I was speechless at the excellent defensive strategy that was comparable to that of a turtle, and just covered my face with both hands.
... ... Somehow, I ended up sending a noble family to the gallows.
Why on earth does everything I do go so wrong?
A promising member of the Black Star party almost got killed. That was also the case for the young lady of the count's family who had accumulated wealth and honor in the capital for a long time.
Since the matter was serious, the elven queen and the human emperor personally called them to the audience room and asked them to come and punish them.
Normally, the dwarven king and the orc chieftain should have been present, but unfortunately, they were currently unable to come running after quitting their respective jobs.
"Yes. It must be you. The idiots who almost killed our promising young man."
The elven queen's cold voice filled the audience room.
The Gwynne clan members lowered their heads to the floor as if they were ashamed and couldn't say anything.
The emperor also looked at them quietly and tapped the handle of the chair with his finger.
"You guys, from what I've heard, you're quite notorious. If you're even one day behind on your rent, they'll cut off your ankles... ... “They say that they used double-sided contracts to impose excessive taxes on the common people, and even forced those who couldn’t read to sign contracts and enslaved them.”
The human emperor had become a completely different person than usual. As if he were the King of Hell, his crumpled face clearly showed traces of deep agony from the last war.
“Do you know what kind of era we live in and do such things? In a time of war, you call yourself nobles?”
The Guiner family that I heard from the emperor was a much more vicious family than I thought.
They cleverly changed the terms of the contracts to impose excessive taxes on merchants who rented buildings and land, and they even forced blind people to sign double-sided contracts and threatened to cut off their limbs if they didn’t properly fulfill the terms of the contract... ... .
They were no different from a crime cartel straight out of a movie.
‘... ... It was so ridiculous that thoughts like ‘Maybe it would be better to just execute them.’ flashed through my mind.
I should have known that this family was not in their right mind when a girl of about thirteen or fourteen suddenly started talking crazy, like cutting off ankles and beheadings... ... .
“Well, let’s put all those petty crimes aside. Just the fact that they put a knife to our promising candidate’s neck is enough to warrant the death penalty. Instead of wasting time reciting petty crimes, let’s quickly sentence them to death and wrap things up. Isn’t our time too precious to deal with these filthy people?”
The criminals flinched at the Elf Queen’s sharp words. She seemed more annoyed by the fact that they tried to kill me by holding a knife to my neck than by the countless evil deeds they had committed.
“Your Majesty... ... Please spare our lives... ... !”
“Shut up.”
The queen snapped, as if she didn’t want to listen to the pleas of dirty sinners.
“Do you know what you almost did? That brat is the one who will end this war.”
Oh, yes... ... You don’t have to bring up that story again... ... .
“In just two weeks since taking the position of general, the wizard who solved the continent’s food problem and returned is the brat you see before your eyes. He is a hero who has accomplished in just two weeks what you filthy bastards could never achieve in your entire lives.”
No, well... ... If you fly and crawl your entire lives, that’s probably all you can do.
“If you don’t have any abilities, at least don’t cause trouble. You don’t have a child. Attempted assassination of the general? Hey, you, the eldest daughter of the Gwynne family. What you tried to kill today wasn’t a worthless brat like you, but the future of all humanity.”
No, no. My life is not worth the same as all of humanity.
Your Majesty is overreacting... ... .
“That’s right.”
Heh heh, why is even the Emperor doing this?
This is driving me crazy.
“I’m sorry! I really didn’t know you were such a great person! You act so much like a commoner... ... !”
“Are you saying that commoners are beings that can be killed at will? Are you saying that’s an excuse, now?”
The Emperor laughed in disbelief and asked back.
“That, that’s... ... !”
The young lady of the Gwynne family simply slumped her head to the floor as if she had nothing to say.
Even in this situation, it seemed that in her heart, commoners were beings that could be treated as they pleased... ... .
... ... This really is a family that can just let them die, isn’t it?
“Don’t you have anything to say? Personally, I recommend the guillotine, but if you want, I can change it to a public burning.”
The Elven Queen turned to me, who was watching everything from the corner of the audience room, and asked.
Hehe, even the Queen is offering a brutal choice.
“... ... .”
I closed my eyes tightly for a moment.
From what I heard from the Emperor, they were a truly hopeless family.
They were a criminal organization that used their title as counts to commit all sorts of crimes, and some of them thought of commoners as toys that they could kill whenever they wanted.
“Still, I think it’s not my fault for speaking informally to someone I just met.”
Nevertheless, I defended them without opening my tightly shut eyes.
Most of them deserved to die... ... but there must have been children in their families who had been born without committing any crimes. There must have been some of their relatives who had lived ordinary lives without committing any crimes.
The annihilation of the clan was too barbaric a punishment for me, who had lived as a modern person for nearly 20 years.
“You are a general of the Allied Forces. It is no problem to speak informally to the Count.”
“I also led the situation so that they would pick a fight. Of course, I didn’t think they would suddenly put a knife to my throat... ... I don’t think that Young-ae is completely at fault.”
“Huh. You mean that Young-ae is not solely at fault? Then do you think that you are somewhat responsible for the current situation?”
The Elf Queen looked at me with a snicker. She seemed to be getting irritated because the work that should have been finished quickly was taking longer than expected.
“Hmm. Well, there is probably about 1 percent... ... I guess not?”
I slowly opened my tightly shut eyes and spoke.
“Are you trying to joke with me?”
The Elf Queen looked at me with a truly annoyed and annoyed expression.
Da.
“No, well... ... I hope you don’t punish me by executing all of my family members. I think I’ll have a hard time sleeping if I think about someone dying because of me.”
“You’re too soft. You’re too humble for your abilities. A human with a childlike personality needs only one swordsmanship.”
The elven queen looked extremely disappointed with my decision. She seemed to want me to be more merciless and cool-headed in my judgment, but what can I do?
This is me.
Wouldn’t it be even stranger if I, who has lived with modern morals and ethics for nearly 20 years, suddenly completely adapted to the trends of the Middle Ages?
“But I don’t want people to die. Especially not because of me.”
At my bold answer to the queen, the emperor erased the deep wrinkles on his face and burst into laughter.
“25 years ago, when I first spoke to the Sword Master, he was saying the same thing.”
“A mere seven-year-old kid was talking nonsense, and I almost died from a headache... ... It seems like it’s the same situation this time.”
The Elf Queen shook her head from side to side, holding her head with both hands, as if her head hurt, unlike the Emperor who was smiling broadly.
“It seems like geniuses who are on different paths have something in common! Well, it only seems like a good omen to me.”
The Elf Queen sighed in response to the Emperor’s words.
What the hell, why are you comparing me to a monster like Sword Master?
Don’t do that, that’s a terrible magician who only knows one magic... ... .
“I’ll be looking forward to it, General Bin.”
“Uh, um. Yes... ... ?”
I also seem to have amplified these people’s expectations in a needless way.
... ... Even the current expectations are too much to handle, and if I didn’t have the [Calm] trait, my heart would have burst and I would have died long ago.
Why on earth do my words and actions lead to such strange misunderstandings?
This is all because of bad luck.
... ... Really, 10,000 luck.
I should have invested 10,000 more stat points in luck... ... !
“... ... Anyway, I refuse to lose sleep over unnecessary guilt. My body isn’t that strong.”
After saying that, I quietly closed my mouth again.
The Elven Queen and the Human Emperor talked amongst themselves quietly, and then, as if they had come to a conclusion, they ordered the criminals to raise their heads.
Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.
“Originally, everyone in your family, including your servants, should have been beheaded for this serious crime, but... ... Well, I don’t want to see our ‘good kids’ losing sleep over unnecessary guilt.”
The Elven Queen spoke, emphasizing the word ‘good kids’ unusually loudly.
Her face still had a discontented expression. She seemed to want to drag their necks under the guillotine right away and make the world aware of the fate of those who committed treason.
Judging from her conversation with the Emperor, it wasn’t because she was a murderer who simply liked executions.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
It was because executing nobles was ultimately beneficial to the United Empire.
In fact, the Gwynner family was not just a slightly arrogant earldom family. It was a kind of family cartel that planned and executed crimes systematically.
Publicly executing a family that had strengthened its position through crime would be a warning to nobles who, like them, grew their power through crime.
“What a pity, you scum. Personally, I wanted to hang them in the square and burn them slowly with a low fire one by one.”
The Queen of the Elves clicked her tongue as if she was truly sorry.
It discourages the nobles who are illegally increasing their power, and solidifies the empire’s position.
In a wartime situation like the current one, it was simple common sense that you could learn in middle school classes that strengthening the position of the central government was essential.
What, didn’t Goguryeo lose to Silla because it failed to centralize power? Didn’t it?
Well, that’s not true.
Since I was a child, I was a person who had stopped studying, so I couldn’t remember exactly which countries fell because they failed to centralize power.
Just knowing that centralization was important in a wartime situation was something to be proud of.
“Confiscate all of the property of the Counts of Günner and strip them of their titles. Also, sentence the key figures involved in the family’s crimes to life imprisonment.”
“In addition, I will grant the confiscated property, real estate, and employees to Bin Kyung, the victim of this incident.”
... ... ?
What did our Emperor just say?
“Yes?”
“The land they were managing alone was over 20 square kilometers. What would happen if the owner of that land suddenly became ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) vacant? Wouldn’t someone have to manage it?”
“No, I’ve never managed land before, and I can live off my monthly salary... ... .”
“Tolerance. Compassion. You have shown me the two important virtues that a person who has amassed wealth must possess. That is enough.”
The Emperor cut me off and said that. It was as if my opinion was unimportant.
“No. No, no. Aren’t there other important things besides those? How to manage money, how to manage land, and how to investigate the people who work on that land... ... I, I just want to focus on getting stronger... ... .”
I risked being rude and refuted the emperor’s opinion.
I also had to review contracts with the residents and merchants, and check if there were any assets tied up in collateral at the bank... ... It was clear that inheriting that much money would cause a mountain of trouble.
I didn’t want to worry about useless things like managing the territory. Right now, I had to focus entirely on raising my specs.
The high-ranking demons and the overlord were eyeing my life. However, compared to the strength of the enemies targeting me, my strength was extremely weak.
Just two weeks ago, didn’t I have to gamble my life in front of the high-ranking demons in order to survive?
I didn’t expect that kind of luck to work over and over again.
So what was important to me right now was not money, but the ability to survive in this crazy world.
“Well, I’m only registering it in your name, so you don’t have to worry about managing the land. To be honest, I’m not giving you the land because I expect you to be a good landowner. I’ll just give the main land management to your assigned servants. They’re capable people, so you don’t have to worry too much.”
The Elf Queen looked at me, who was flustered and stammering, and explained the situation a little more directly.
“That’s a bit burdensome in its own right... ... .”
Why are you registering it in my name when it’s not my land?
If something happens, I’ll be the one to blame... ... ?
“Don’t be too burdened. I was planning on giving you a decent piece of land soon anyway. You’ve already made a great contribution to the Enker Plateau.”
The Emperor also smiled as if he was slowly becoming aware of the situation, and interrupted the Elf Queen.
“... ... Ah. Yes... ... I understand.”
Seeing that they were not even eating, it seems that the Emperor and Queen were worried that if they gave the vast land of 20 square kilometers in the capital to other nobles, it would only increase their power.
As I said before, in a wartime situation, it was essential to weaken the power of the nobles and strengthen the position of the central government.
It was a much more reasonable choice for them to give land to me, who was firmly on their side, rather than giving land to other nobles and needlessly increasing their power.
... ... No matter what, aren’t you making up excuses too roughly? What are tolerance and mercy? Tolerance and mercy. According to that logic, every priest on this continent should own about 5,000 pyeong of land in the capital.
“Congratulations, you have acquired a nice piece of land! Hehe.”
Judging by the Emperor’s attitude that continued regardless of whether I grumbled or not, it seemed like I had no choice.
“Oh, yes... ... Thank you... ... .”
In that way, I suddenly became a lord with a whopping 20 square kilometers of land and a building inside it. And that too in the capital.
From now on, I had the responsibility to protect the lives of the countless residents living on that land.
With the enormous economic gains and the heavy sense of responsibility that came with them, I could only blink my eyes.
‘Even a general’s salary would have been enough.’
... ... I wonder if there has ever been a more appropriate moment to use the word ‘Gye-reuk’.
