The rumor spread quietly, yet swiftly, throughout the northern town.
The rumor was that the northern town was discussing its subjugation and incorporation into Razek Amamiya.
The residents of the town anxiously awaited the outcome.
The sentiment was in favor of incorporation.
For the past ten years, it had been a common topic among merchants that the northern town had been left behind by the other three towns.
For traveling merchants, more vigorous towns meant more business opportunities.
Therefore, traveling merchants were highly sensitive to rumors in the towns.
And through these traveling merchants, the rumors were being brought to the attention of the townspeople.
The merchants were well aware that the northern town had been suffering under the strict rule of the nobles.
After all, the taxes were higher compared to other towns, so there was no need to investigate further.
Nevertheless, the northern town had developed and stood shoulder to shoulder with the other three towns because it served as the gateway for goods from the North Continent.
The nobles of the northern town profited by monopolizing the goods entering the Central Continent from the North Continent.
This structure remained unchanged even after the establishment of Razek Amamiya.
In fact, it is said that the nobles, fearing change, had repeatedly refused to be incorporated into Razek Amamiya.
In reality, the Church’s influence was also a factor, but ordinary citizens did not understand that to that extent.
They simply received the Church’s blessings through the filter of the nobility, and therefore, ordinary citizens faithfully believed in the Church.
The situation in each town was conveyed through the traveling merchants who came seeking goods from the North Continent.
Although there was a disadvantage in being incorporated into a nation, the other three towns had achieved results far beyond that.
Stories were emerging of individuals who had seized new business opportunities and undergone a complete transformation in their lives.
Similar stories were also emerging not only from the three major towns but also from towns and villages that had joined over the past decade.
Of course, there were also towns and villages that had declined, but the proportion of such cases was far lower than before Razek Amamiya ruled the continent.
After all, the presence of Razek Amamiya’s subjugation forces had drastically reduced damage caused by monsters.
That alone made incorporation worthwhile.
Knowing such stories through rumors, the ordinary residents of the northern town had therefore secretly looked forward to the news of their incorporation into Razek Amamiya.
They thought that this would allow their town, where a sense of stagnation prevailed, to change.
With that expectation in their hearts, the residents awaited the outcome.
However, the most recent information that came in just the other day was that the discussions had ended in failure.
The detailed content of the discussions was not revealed.
Only the outcome, that it was simply a failure, was disseminated.
If things had been as they were before, the residents might have accepted the result with disappointment.
But their accumulated feelings and the thought that they could not afford to fall further behind the other three towns combined, and finally, the residents erupted.
***
Lucas sighed, gazing down at the scene from his office.
Many residents had gathered in the plaza in front of the building where the administration of the northern town was carried out.
The reason was to protest against the higher authorities who had refused incorporation into Razek Amamiya.
Lucas had not been idle since that meeting.
He had also ascertained, through his own channels, that the residents’ dissatisfaction was growing.
However, by the time he noticed, it was already too late, and by the time he realized it, the rumors had already spread with considerable momentum.
He knew that forcibly suppressing them would only lead to further backlash, so he could do nothing.
The current scene was the result.
It had not yet escalated to rebellion, but if left as it was, it would undoubtedly explode eventually.
“So, Razek Amamiya had already noticed at that time.”
Lucas recalled the face of the representative from Razek Amamiya who had attended the talks held a few days prior.
He didn’t know how Razek Amamiya had grasped the situation in the northern town.
Perhaps they had learned about it through ordinary rumors among merchants.
What was not being done was by the upper echelons of the northern town.
They had failed to grasp the situation of the town they governed.
Lucas’s own channels also consisted of information sourced from merchants with direct connections.
He couldn’t help but think that if he had obtained this information earlier, things might have been different.
The residents had always harbored dissatisfaction towards the nobles, so perhaps they had failed to notice it escalating.
“No… the result would have been the same.”
Rumors from merchants are seeds that lead to business.
No matter how much they tried to suppress them from above, they would quickly become an open secret.
Furthermore, they probably could not have resorted to forceful measures.
After all, among those merchants were even prominent figures who supported the town’s commerce.
It was impossible to suppress the activities of all merchants.
“Regret comes too late, as they say.”
Lucas understood that there was no use in flailing about in this situation.
After all, more than a third of the town’s population had gathered in the plaza.
Of course, he hadn’t counted them precisely, but it was a number that made counting seem absurd.
If they were to suppress this situation with force, the town would cease to function as a town afterward.
“What will you do?”
His retainer, who had served him for many years, asked him as he sighed.
He was accustomed to Lucas’s thinking, so he approached him at a timing that wouldn’t interrupt his thoughts.
“There’s nothing to be done. Things will proceed as planned.”
“…Understood.”
Lucas clearly noticed the slight hesitation in his retainer’s voice for just a moment.
Lucas knew this person well.
“Will you oppose it?”
When Lucas asked, the retainer quickly shook his head.
“No. We prepared for this. If we intended to oppose it, we would have done so from the beginning.”
“Is that so?”
Lucas chuckled softly at his retainer’s words.
They had a long relationship.
Because of that, they understood each other’s thoughts very well.
“Still, their movements are slow. Are they still sleeping?”
To Lucas’s flippant remark, the retainer briefly smiled before returning to a serious expression.
“I believe they will be here soon.”
“Well, it would be problematic if they weren’t,”
As the two of them were talking, a noisy commotion began from outside the door.
“They’re finally here, I suppose.”
Lucas understood that those they had been waiting for had arrived with that sound.
***
Lucas inwardly smiled, seeing that the individuals who entered the office were approximately the members he had expected.
“What are you doing, Lucas!”
Given the situation, the outburst was understandable.
Lucas’s retainer glared at the person who had called out to him, the lord, so casually.
Lucas suppressed him with a look and adopted a somewhat vacant expression.
“Doing what?”
“The foolish populace is causing a disturbance! Why aren’t you suppressing them?!”
Calling the town’s residents “foolish populace” showed that they still didn’t grasp the situation.
Lucas, though inwardly exasperated, did not show it on his face.
Without such composure, one could not fulfill the role of a lord.
“That’s a strange thing to say. You, and those noblemen behind you, should have the authority to command the town’s guards, shouldn’t you?”
Lucas was implying that they should move the guards themselves instead of telling him to.
“Th-that is…”
Seeing the officials become suddenly hesitant, Lucas shook his head.
“Mobilizing the guards in this situation would only further escalate the disturbance. It would be better to wait until things calm down a bit.”
In reality, he wasn’t sure if things would calm down, but he said something that sounded plausible to soothe the people in front of him.
What Lucas wanted to calm down now was not the residents gathered in the plaza, but the officials.
“I-is that so? Understood.”
“For now, remain silent and wait for the commotion to subside… Ah, and be sure not to forget to station guards, just in case.”
The officials nodded as if convinced by Lucas’s perfectly reasonable advice and left the room.
“Well, from here on out, it’s a race against time, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Shall we begin?”
“Ah. Please proceed as we discussed?”
“Understood.”
After seeing off the officials, Lucas and his retainer spoke, and then began to move to fulfill their respective roles.
