The woman running the general store was speaking about the Sinbad Gang, a group that had recently begun to exert its influence from the shadows of the territory, all while evading the watchful eyes of the ruling family.
No, it was none other than Loretta Aldebaran, daughter of the Aldebaran Merchant Group’s leader, a formidable ally who had offered immense support to the Protagonist in the original story.
For reasons unknown, she was now running a humble general store in this very place.
Though this diverged from what I knew of her, I instinctively recognized it as a golden opportunity—one I could leverage time and again!
‘Whatever the circumstances, I must listen to her story here. I must help her!’
I lent her my undivided attention.
The crux of her narrative centered on the commercial district’s ruination at the hands of this gang.
While it was said that shadows lurked in every corner of the world, I had never imagined such scoundrels would plague even this remote territory.
“It likely began after the Lord announced his refugee preferential treatment policy.
Since then, the refugee population has swelled, and it wasn’t long before a man of the Croze tribe, himself a refugee, suddenly gathered a faction and began their illicit activities.”
Of all tribes, it had to be the Croze.
Born as a warrior race, they were not to be underestimated.
Driven by curiosity, I inquired.
“This doesn’t sound like something that materialized overnight, does it…?”
“No, they likely prepared meticulously from the ground up.
Initially, they merely swaggered about like common hoodlums, but before long, they began threatening nearby businesses and extorting protection fees.”
“Hmph, those insane bastards.”
“Yet, if we were to counter with force, the gang’s boss, being a refugee, would ensure that only we face punishment.”
The refugee preferential treatment policy, it seemed, was one that brought more detriments than benefits.
Indeed, the Protagonist of the original story would later openly condemn this very policy.
Refugees were accepted, given homes, and provided with financial aid.
Furthermore, even when not disabled, and engaging in an equal brawl, the refugee party was invariably deemed the victim.
At this juncture, stamping out such elements was a task only a noble could undertake.
One had to wonder why such a policy was ever enacted.
‘This bodes ill, doesn’t it?’
While I endured being treated as an imbecile within my own family, the territory itself was festering from the inside out.
Then, a question arose.
Winz, it seemed, shared my sentiment.
“Then why haven’t you informed the Lord?”
“We did! We must have informed him dozens of times a day.
Yet, there’s been no response.
Has he perhaps abandoned us…?”
This was peculiar.
My father, unaware?
It wasn’t just anyone; the Lord, the very ruler of this territory, couldn’t possibly remain ignorant.
Then, a single individual came to mind.
Miranda.
“…This is clearly Miranda’s doing.”
“Madam Miranda?”
“Considering that woman’s past actions, doesn’t the situation align perfectly?
She despises commoners, constantly emphasizes noble decorum, and utterly disregards anything troublesome to avoid entanglement.”
“That is true.”
“It must have been that b*tch who intercepted every single petition meant for my father.
f*cking hell.”
The curse escaped my lips unbidden.
If not anyone else, Miranda possessed ample influence to orchestrate such a scheme.
It was, frankly, ludicrous that an outsider like her could wield such extensive power.
Loretta’s expression crumpled into a sorrowful frown.
“What are we to do now…?”
Her words encompassed all the commercial districts in the vicinity.
Indeed, they seemed to voice a profound anxiety regarding the entire territory itself.
A sudden *thump*, followed by a drawn-out *creak*!
The door swung open.
A group of people surged in, radiating a palpable, menacing aura.
‘What is this?’
Loretta, recognizing them, exclaimed.
“Oh? Uncle from the butcher shop! And Wilt from the smithy, too?”
“They said a noble came to throw their weight around—where are they?
Are you alright?”
‘Are they speaking of me?’
Loretta swiftly shook her head, frantically.
“No, no! On the contrary, she was listening to my story!”
“Huh, truly…?”
Whether they had misunderstood, the people scrutinized me, their heads tilted in confusion.
The misunderstanding, it seemed, had been cleared.
‘Oh? Wait a moment.’
‘The situation is absolutely perfect, isn’t it?
Ideal for an image overhaul.
I’d be a fool not to seize this opportunity.’
Clearing my throat, I stepped forward to face the crowd.
It was my moment to step forward.
“Esteemed citizens, I am Queen Wednesday, the eldest daughter of the Wednesday family.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
The reactions were precisely as I had anticipated.
“Just as I thought, that good-for-nothing imbecile…”
“Shush, mind your tongue!”
“What does it matter?
Other nobles said we could disregard her, didn’t they?”
“Even so, you fool, we are commoners!”
They shushed one another, casting furtive glances in my direction.
A bitter truth, yet it would soon change.
This damned image.
I shook my head gently.
“No, I wish to approach each of you as a fellow human being.
While I may or may not become the future head of my family, I desire, as a noble, to fulfill my duties to you.”
A bald man among the listeners, his eyes gleaming with a newfound understanding, visibly perked up.
“Hah, and how would you do that?”
“If I fall short, tell me so bluntly, and if there are faults to amend, please inform me.
I understand that my conduct within the family has, at times, been lamentable.”
This was the crucial moment.
I composed my features, infusing my voice with heartfelt emotion.
“However, that was, in truth, for one singular reason!”
“And what might that reason be?”
I offered a knowing, triumphant smile.
“It is precisely to rectify injustices such as those we face today.”
My declaration stunned the crowd into silence.
‘They surely hadn’t anticipated this.’
“What did you say?!”
It was time to activate my Wind Release: Mouth Jutsu (TL Note: A humorous reference to a ninja technique, implying a powerful use of words or ‘Talk no Jutsu’).
“The reason I’ve lived as an apparent imbecile within my family was to conceal my true capabilities.
Had I lived the life of a typical noble, I might have grown arrogant, perhaps even viewing you all as mere insects.
For that is often the nature of the noble world.”
My words resonated, prompting nods of agreement from the crowd.
I, for one, wouldn’t outright deny it.
It was often said that environment shaped a person.
Indeed, anyone who ascended to a position of power inevitably became arrogant.
Just as someone who, only recently, held the same rank as me, might suddenly ascend and treat me with a starkly different demeanor.
Such occurrences were, in fact, quite common.
“But I chose not to.
While my reputation plummeted as a result, I have no regrets.
Because of that, I could avoid excessive scrutiny from my family and emerge as I am today.”
“But you failed to uphold your dignity as a noble, didn’t you?”
“And why, pray tell, is that necessary?”
I countered, posing my own question.
Why, indeed, was a noble’s dignity truly necessary?
Did it save lives?
Did it salvage the world?
I recalled the kind of performance that would undoubtedly win over the common folk.
‘This must be it.’
“Noble or commoner, we are all people.
It is the natural order, ordained by heaven, that commoners serve as the backbone of the territory, and nobles protect those very commoners.”
Following this, I gestured towards the castle, where my family’s ancestral home resided.
That castle, which still stood majestically, was, in truth, a place whose interior had long since festered with corruption.
“But observe! Some nobles within our family are so utterly corrupt that they even intercept petitions meant for the Lord himself.
Is this remotely acceptable?!”
Heads nodded throughout the crowd in agreement.
Furthermore, upon hearing that the Lord had not, in fact, changed his stance, the people seemed to find a renewed sense of hope, their faces showing clear signs of relief.
It was clear how highly these people regarded their family head.
He was undoubtedly a good man, apart from his rather ill-conceived policies.
“Haaah… Milady.
You’re so wonderful, *swoon*♥”
Winz suddenly twisted her body, gazing at me with a syrupy, intense stare.
I was startled, seeing her drenched in sweat and panting with a flushed, eager expression.
‘What is this woman doing? It’s unsettling.’
I managed to continue.
“Do not worry any longer, everyone.
For I have arrived!
As a noble, I will protect you all.
Thank you for enduring until now!”
I even bowed deeply.
The dozen or so people listening gasped in admiration.
Some even clapped.
The reactions, as ever, were varied.
“Now *that’s* a noble, indeed.”
“But why is she suddenly like this?
Did the heat get to her and make her crazy?”
“I heard rumors she’s mad.
Didn’t she mess up her cousin or something?
Ugh.”
“Hey, just believe her.
She even bowed like that!”
Of course, I paid no mind to their chatter.
I intended to show them, and prove it.
‘I will do what other nobles could not, what they would not!’
My image overhaul would be complete with this.
Loretta approached me with an apologetic expression.
“I am so sorry, Lady Queen.
We thought the territory was in this dreadful state because of you, but you had a plan all along…!”
“Then I shall seek a way to dismantle the Sinbad Gang.
I ask only that you all endure a little longer!”
The merchants each offered a word.
“Well… give it a try.”
“Please, we beg of you….”
“But why are her eyes so clear?”
“Lady Queen, please don’t overexert yourself!”
Responding to each of them, I exited the general store.
Winz immediately trailed after me, beaming and hooking her arm around my right arm.
A gentle *swish*.
Indeed, that overwhelming volume… *ahem*.
“Hee hee, do you know how amazing you were just now?
I think I’m falling for you…!”
“Is that so?
Oh, it was nothing much.”
“But how will you resolve this?
Milady is famous in a different sense, so your face will already be known.
Any investigation might be obstructed by other nobles or even the gang members themselves.”
This was true.
My face was already too well-known; I couldn’t simply go in like an Assassin’s Creed character, eliminate everyone, and then make it look like an assassination.
If I were to act, a ‘variable’ was necessary.
If I could only create that variable, my personal abilities would see me through.
Why? Because I possessed the Divine Origin Art.
‘The Divine Origin Art, a power that grants superiority in all aspects of creation and brings forth victory.’
I turned to Winz, who looked concerned.
“Let’s tackle this step by step first.
They’re targeting commercial districts, you said?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s find out which areas they’re affecting and which industries they’re focusing on!”
“Hehe, alright!”
With Winz, who was smiling brightly and practically skipping, I departed from the location.
Time to figure out how to crush them!
****
“Hmph, hmph, ugh…!”
“Old man, does it hurt a lot?
That’s why you should have sold when you had the chance, you f*cking bastard.”
*Creak, squeak.*
Inside a dark chamber.
The only thing moving was an iron lamp chained to the ceiling.
Between the lamp, the contrasting figures of two men were vaguely visible.
One was a man with bronze skin, a robust physique, a shaved head, and red eyes that glowed yellow in the candlelight.
This was Sinbad Arabica, the boss of the Sinbad Gang.
Across from him, a middle-aged man, bound tightly and covered in blood, was visible.
He was losing too much blood.
“Hey, do you know who I am?”
“Si-Sinbad…”
“Sinbad… *sir* is what you should call me, you filthy commoner.”
*Thwack, crack!*
Sinbad kicked him.
The man, tied to the chair, toppled backward.
Seeing this, Sinbad merely laughed.
“Kuhuhu, what a comedian, you piece of shit.”
“P-please, *cough*…”
“Hah? So I sent my boys to tell you.
Hand over that pathetic little bakery.
Why are you so stubborn?”
“Hmph, p-please, save me.
*Sob*, I have a wife and daughters.
How will I earn money without the bakery?”
The middle-aged man was reduced to begging for his life from someone younger than him.
Yet, in his eyes, there was only desperation, not humiliation.
“Oh, really?
Thanks for the good info.
Old man, you’re free now.”
“Yes…?”
“From life.”
*Whoosh, crack! Splatter!*
Sinbad delivered a soccer kick to the face of the fallen middle-aged man.
His face was not just caved in but shattered, brains splattering out.
No one present was surprised by this sight.
Sinbad instructed his subordinates nearby.
“Do you know this old man’s home address?”
“Yes!”
“Go there and bring all the women.
We have to make use of everything, ho ho!”
“Understood!”
With a resounding reply, his subordinates exited the dark chamber.
Left alone, Sinbad spat on the dead body.
His face showed no hint of guilt.
“It won’t be long now.
I’ll take over the entire territory and establish a nation for refugees, using this as our base!”
He clenched his fist.
His dream was indeed grand.
“A nation where only my word is law, hehe.”
In the eerie dark room, an even eerier laugh began to echo.
