Chapter : 30

Typically, bishops of this era were one of two kinds.

Either thoroughly corrupt and obsessed with money like Bishop Marco, or truly devout, banded together in faith, and sincere in carrying out God's will.

And this bishop, it seemed, was the latter.

“The citizens of the city are not guilty, Your Excellency, the Margrave. They are pitiable beings swayed by incompetent and greedy council members and the Chairman of the city council. Please forbid looting and protect them.”

To think such a person actually existed. Considering the state of this era, he was a truly rare individual.

For a bishop to make such a request to me in this situation was genuinely putting his life on the line.

‘Interesting.’

A person with such a strong will would likely handle any task assigned to them with great tenacity.

Moreover, a bishop, and the clergy under him, were people who had received a very high level of education by the standards of this era.

‘I needed people anyway, what a stroke of luck?’

For talent, no, a slave(?), to just roll in on its own. It was a very auspicious day.

Perhaps my feelings were showing, as the bishop suddenly flinched upon seeing my face.

“Huuuummm….”

I snorted, rested my chin on my arm, and asked playfully.

“So, the citizens are not guilty…. Well, that could be true.

Very much so. But isn't that issue a right of the victor anyway?”

“Th-that is true. But….”

“But? Look here, bishop. I spent a vast amount of money starting this war.

In fact, this war wasn't even started by me, but by the city. Where on earth am I supposed to recoup the damages I've suffered?”

“……”

For a moment, the bishop’s mouth shut tight as if he were a mute who had eaten honey.

A fact the bishop also knew well.

That was why he couldn't refute my question. All he could do was try to buy my sympathy with a gloomy expression.

Of course, that didn't mean I intended to destroy the city.

Crushing a city of this size was a great burden for me as well.

It was one of the few cities in my domain. If I rebuilt this city well and developed it into an intermediate trade route, it would be a good region for collecting taxes for a long time to come.

‘Of course, I need to lower this damn infamy stat too.’

Thinking that, I looked at the bishop again.

The teasing stopped here. It had been fun, but I had to wrap things up, didn't I?

“What will you give me if I listen to your words?”

“Pardon? Our diocese is quite small for its size and has little to offer….”

“Ah, I know. Would I really demand money from a clergyman?”

“Then what is it that you want, Your Excellency, the Margrave?”

At the bishop's question, asked with a tilted head, I chuckled and rose from my seat.

“What do I want?”

“?”

“There's only one thing I would demand from clergymen like you. Pay with your bodies.”

“?????”

In a way, if I could make the notoriously disobedient clergymen work as I please, wouldn't that be a profitable business?

‘Hehehehe.’

I planned to work them like slaves for a while.

* * *

-Tiriring.

[The City of Markel regains its stability.]

[The citizens' support for your good governance increases.]

[The rebellion level of the City of Markel decreases. The citizens will willingly follow your policies.]

[Infamy decreases. However, your infamy level is still high. You need to be cautious.]

Finally, the situation calmed down.

The damn infamy stat went down, and the city that was burning to ashes was now bustling with the winds of reconstruction.

The citizens had worried about looting, but by my strong will, the soldiers only focused on maintaining public order in the city.

In fact, when they cracked down on the city's criminal organizations, the citizens even became friendly towards the soldiers.

The soldiers who couldn't loot might have harbored discontent, but I quelled their dissatisfaction with massive rewards.

It was all thanks to the assets confiscated from the members of the city council and its chairman.

The bishop and the clergy under him knew so much about the hidden money of the council members; thanks to them, the confiscated assets were a vast sum of money, unimaginable to have come from such a small city.

“Ugh….”

“Why? Are you tired? If you want to quit, you can give up, Bishop.”

“N-no, sir!”

The bishop, who was organizing documents with hollow eyes, said with a start.

In exchange for my promise not to touch the citizens, I made one promise with the bishop.

To help me with my work.

Day and night, even without holidays, continuously. If he gave up, the promise would be null and void.

Sunday rest? There was no such thing. Rest when the sun sets? What nonsense. They could light candles and work.

For the bishop and his subordinate clergy, it was their first taste of the harsh modern life of working overtime.

‘Hehehe. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world, Bishop. Don't even think about resting for a while.’

Letting out a devilish laugh inwardly, I read the documents they handed me.

There were surprises and ups and downs like with Treasurer Palmer last time, but now, a modern document format, albeit crudely, was being applied to this city as well.

It had become much easier to grasp the city's situation than before.

‘Let's see.’

The city's situation was quite good, just like the system alarm indicated.

Although some residential areas of the city were completely burned down by the fire, it became an opportunity to clear out the slums that had sprung up like mushrooms. This was a chance to reorganize the city.

Furthermore, by building factories on that site and accommodating the refugees from the slums, the approval rating was soaring to the sky.

Moreover, with the rumor that the war was over, the trade network was revived, and the city's finances were becoming plentiful again with massive trade taxes.

But this was limited to the City of Markel alone.

‘I couldn't get as much out of this as I thought.’

Although it had recovered, the financial level of the City of Markel was far from enough to cover the costs of the army I had raised.

Winter was coming soon.

I needed to disband the army and prepare for the next year, but money was short.

The money extorted from the city council members was only enough to quell the soldiers' discontent.

‘I guess you really have to completely plunder a city to maintain an army.’

I felt like I understood why medieval armies looted cities after conquering them throughout history.

Of course, that didn't mean I was going to break my promise with the bishop and loot the citizens now.

‘Well, I guess I'll have to fill it with my own money.’

In a way, it seemed like a loss, but looking at it from the perspective of recovering influence, it wasn't all that bad. If I thought of it as an investment of sorts, wouldn't it be a gain?

I tried hard to think that way, rationalizing it to myself.

But it seemed there was someone, no, a beastman, who didn't think so.

“Meeeh~!”

The goat beastman, Bishop Marco, flaunted his characteristic greed and burst into my room.

“My esteemed lord, meer. This doesn't make sense, mee~eh~! Please leave it to me, meeeh! I will handle it splendidly!”

“What are you talking about?”

“No, I heard everything, meer! My goodness! How can you, my lord, take the least amount of treasure, meer! It makes no sense.”

I don't know where he heard it from, but Bishop Marco jumped up and down as he spoke.

His concern was commendable, but if he thought of me that much, couldn't he have just not accepted the ruby scepter?

The thought suddenly popped into my head.

Hiding my inner thoughts, I said to Bishop Marco.

“Treasure is something that comes and goes. Seeing my vassals happy is my joy, more than increasing my own wealth, Bishop Marco.”

“Meeeh~. My lord….”

At that, Bishop Marco's square pupils became moist. He seemed quite moved.

“This Marco will solve all of your worries, my lord, meeer~.”

“How so?”

“Meeeh~. Please leave everything to me, meer! Please grant me permission to conduct clerical activities in this diocese, meeeh~.”

“Clerical activities? But… isn't there already a bishop here?”

“Isn't he busy working under you, my lord, meer! I will offer comfort and also earn money. Meeh!”

“Hmm….”

Should I believe this, or not?

I looked at Bishop Marco with narrowed eyes.

I had a soft spot for this guy, but something about him made me uneasy. But soon, I nodded my head.

On one condition.

“Alright. But you cannot earn money through coercive or forceful acts against the citizens. Understood?”

“Meeeh~! I will be extra careful not to tarnish your honor, my lord, meer! Thank you for believing in me, meeeh!”

* * *

To be honest, I didn't have high expectations.

How much more money could possibly come from here?

That's why I thought that even Bishop Marco wouldn't have any particularly brilliant ideas.

But what do you know?

-Tiring!

[Infamy decreases –1]

-Tiring!

[Infamy decreases –1]

-Tiring!

[Infamy decreases –1]

-Tiring!

[Infamy decreases –1]

Suddenly, at some point, the system notification window for infamy reduction started popping up and continued to do so.

That wasn't all.

A considerable amount of money was continuously flowing to me through Bishop Marco.

At first, it wasn't much, but it grew like a snowball, and now it was at a level that could not be ignored.

“What on earth is Bishop Marco doing? Is he dragging soldiers around and extorting money or something?”

Puzzled, I called Chamberlain Hamil and asked.

“Not at all. Far from being coercive, the citizens are all moving voluntarily.”

“Hah, no way?”

Money voluntarily given by the citizens? It was hard to believe.

I was even suspicious that Chamberlain Hamil might be colluding with Bishop Marco and lying.

Then, Chamberlain Hamil said as if he were wronged.

“No, it is surprisingly true, my lord.”

“Then what on earth did he do?”

“He… visited the slums and the citizens affected by the fire, gave alms, and preached sermons.”

“????”

No wonder the infamy stat was going down, he must have been busy handing out money. That's why the praise for me was rising so much.

Then a thought suddenly occurred to me.

‘Then how is he earning money?’

It was true he was doing something uncharacteristic of Bishop Marco, but then how on earth did he earn the vast amount of money coming to me?

As if reading my thoughts, Chamberlain Hamil laughed as if it were absurd and said.

“He made people weep with his sermons, and then, telling them to repent, he sold indulgences. It seems a bishop is not just any old title. Hahaha.”

“???????????”

Indulgences?

The indulgences that I know of?

As expected of this goat beastman….

He was a being who showed greed beyond anything one could imagine.