Over the past two days, Shane stayed at the Viduron Castle and was able to hear various information about Arunvida from Mimir.
This included basic details like the monsters that appeared nearby, the main areas where the Blue Orcs were spotted, and their characteristics.
Among this information, he also learned about the dispositions of the residents of Arunvida.
Basically, weren’t the residents here those who were brought for bad reasons?
Because of this, Arunvida was known as a place teeming with people of bizarre and unheard-of temperaments.
As a result, Mimir gave Shane advice related to this in a somewhat worried tone.
Since Shane was dispatched from the Academy and belonged to the command department, he was scheduled to be assigned to one of the remaining scouting teams that had a vacant team leader position.
“What is this? A noble coming as a commander? This is a fuking disaster, a fuking disaster.”
“You expect us to listen to this little bastard? Even if we are criminals, how is this different from a death sentence?”
“Fuk*, little bastard. If you make even the slightest mistake in front of us, know that your pretty face will end up like those swollen orc bastards! Got it?”
And just as Mimir had worried, the scouting team members didn’t seem inclined to easily accept Shane.
The scouting team members all had rough appearances, and they scowled and spat out harsh words at him.
In the first place, they thought they had hit rock bottom.
If you came to Arunvida, it meant you committed serious crimes and were sentenced to live here for life.
“This reminds me of that time.”
“What, you bastard?”
“This punk is laughing while the elder is talking. Seems like he doesn’t understand the situation.”
“If you can try, just try touching me! I’ll make your life here a living hell.”
Didn’t they say birds of a feather flock together?
Communication between such people was very brisk, so once he was marked, rumors would quickly spread throughout Arunvida and that would make similar situations unavoidable wherever he went.
At that moment, Shane raised one corner of his mouth in a sneer despite all their insulting remarks.
“Those who think they’re at rock bottom don’t realize there’s another bottom below.”
“What is he saying now?”
“Huh, unbelievable. I guess we can’t settle this with words.”
“Let’s see how long the new brat lasts.”
However, there was one thing Mimir didn’t know.
In his previous life, Shane had been someone who had dwelt in the very depths of the abyss, a place where one could endlessly fall.
Because of that, he knew very well how to deal with such people.
“First, I need to pull them up to the level of a human.”
As usual, Mimir was checking documents for the morning’s work when a secretary arrived with papers related to the territory’s affairs.
“Welcome.”
“Yes, Sir Mimir. Here are the activity logs of last week’s scouting team and documents regarding the remaining supplies.”
“Alright. By the way, is that one adjusting well?”
“Ah… that person.”
The secretary had a puzzled expression on his face at Mimir’s question.
The person Mimir mentioned was none other than Shane.
By now, a few days had passed since Shane arrived in Arunvida.
After learning about Arunvida over those days, Shane joined one of the scouting teams whose leader position was currently vacant.
I hope there are no issues…
But that would probably be difficult.
Of course, Mimir could warn the people here beforehand, but knowing their nature, they wouldn’t truly accept Shane anyway.
They would ostracize Shane in a way Mimir knew but couldn’t prevent.
Due to the poor reputation of previously dispatched personnel among the residents, there was no way to stop such things from happening.
From the residents’ perspective, the dispatched personnel shared no sense of camaraderie with them and consistently looked at the residents as if they were filth scattered by drunkards.
After repeatedly witnessing these people fail to adapt to the harsh environment and then act ridiculously arrogant toward the residents, a tradition had formed to treat the dispatched individuals this way, without consideration of Anastasia’s name or anything else.
Since they had come for other purposes anyway, the residents intended to keep them in check and just pass the time.
Many dispatched personnel couldn’t endure this lifestyle and left without completing the period of dispatch, or they were stuck in one place and literally only filled the time before leaving.
Just thinking about that time… gives me a headache.
When one of the sons of a political noble belonging to the imperial family returned with a mental illness, Mimir faced a great deal of criticism.
Additionally, various rumors spread around the outside world which caused the already small dispatched support situation to worsen as no one wanted to volunteer for the dispatch.
Of course, Mimir had considered this issue multiple times, but such problems were not easily resolved.
While Mimir was lost in these thoughts, the secretary wore a complicated expression on his face.
“It seems he is getting along with them for now.”
“For now?”
“Yes… I’m not sure what happened, but the scouting team members were being cautious around him.”
“Hmm…?”
It was puzzling.
Aren’t they the ones who think they have nothing left to lose?
That meant they wouldn’t easily succumb to external pressure.
“That’s unusual.”
“Come to think of it, I heard he headed to the southern border area a while ago. Since then, the scouting team members have become relatively docile.”
“Is that so? The south… Ah, I think I understand now. He certainly has a clever side. Then we can be at ease for now.”
“I’m glad to have been of help.”
When he heard the secretary’s words, Mimir showed a faint smile. He felt a burden lift from his shoulders.
“By the way, Her Highness hasn’t been seen for a few days.”
“Yes. I wonder what she’s up to this time…”
She would show up every now and then, but she would avoid conversation with the excuse that she was busy with something.
“Well, it’s not the first time she’s acted like that, so there’s nothing we can do. Hmm.”
However, didn’t he get headaches every time that happened?
He wondered where she went.
But with so much work piled up, Mimir eventually lost interest and buried himself in his tasks.
What do people instinctively do when they start to gather?
They establish a hierarchy.
They start to unconsciously identify and elevate a leader to prove their worth.
And the more desperate the people, the stronger their tendency to rely on a leader.
Of course, there were also cases of rebellion.
“So, you came to see me?”
“Yes.”
If the leader maintained overwhelming charisma, the chances of rebellion were very low.
“This is ridiculous. To be defeated by a mere youngster who just had his coming-of-age ceremony.”
Felice, the large man who played the role of leader in Arunvida, said this while looking at the scouting team members standing around with bruises.
“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. As long as the deal you’re proposing is good, I’m fine. So, let’s hear the terms of the deal first.”
A deal.
Shane proposed a deal to Felice.
There was a way to subdue him by force, but there was no reason to resort to such methods.
Shane knew from past experience that this only led to more troublesome resistance.
“I guess you don’t need money.”
“Oh, you catch on quickly. Yes, that’s right. Here, money is even less useful than the remains of a monster lying on the roadside.”
As Felice said, money was unnecessary in the isolated Arunvida region.
There was no way to use it, and besides the supplies coming from the castle, they had no other resources.
“I’ll give you a preferential right.”
“Ha, preferential right? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“My family plans to establish trade here before the end of the year. Then the value of the gold coins you just said were useless will skyrocket.”
“Do you expect me to believe that? Do you think we know nothing just because we live in a place like this?”
“Believe it or not, it doesn’t matter. By the time you regret it, it will be too late.”
Felice listened to Shane’s words and quietly closed his mouth.
It wasn’t because he suddenly trusted the young man standing before him.
But what was it? That confidence in his voice.
So he decided to listen a little more.
“How long?”
“Two months.”
“What?”
“In two months’ time, there will be many changes in this territory. Wait until then.”
“Well… You’re quite the brazen brat.”
Out of nowhere, he beat up his subordinates and then offered to make a deal, but the content of the deal was far from satisfactory for Felice.
“Well, fine. I’ll wait.”
However, unexpectedly, Felice accepted the proposal.
He had once before received a similar proposal, which had led him to his current position.
That woman spoke in a similar manner…
Thanks to her, he had been able to solidify his position.
Felice thought of Anastasia, the princess who came to him a few years ago and boldly suggested that he support her.
“Of course, I can’t just give you something for nothing. If I just give without receiving, my subordinates will start thinking they can do whatever they want. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right.”
“The only thing I can do for you is to tell the others not to mess with you. Gaining their recognition is your job.”
“Fine, let’s do that.”
That was enough.
As long as no one interfered with what he was doing, things wouldn’t get complicated in the future.
“Then go. Next time we meet, you better have something worth my while.”
Having received Felice’s order to retreat, Shane left without hesitation and glanced back at the scouting team members who were awkwardly following him.
“The deal with him is over. Now it’s just between us.”
“Wh-What are you talking about?!”
“Did the commander really sell us out to you?!”
Naturally, there was resistance, but Shane responded without even a frown at their complaints.
“If you didn’t like it, you shouldn’t have committed a crime.”
“You son of a…”
“Why isn’t that mute guy saying anything?!”
“Hey, you newbie! Aren’t you angry at all?!”
At that moment, the three scouting team members shouted at someone standing in a corner.
The man whose entire body was covered in armor was said to be a newly assigned member not long ago, but he seemed to be unable to speak for some reason.
He had only written his name on paper and introduced himself as Shasha.
“……”
He also remained silent when Shane arrived.
“Damn mute.”
In the end, seeing Shasha not even thinking about moving, the three members fell silent and looked at Shane.
Their glares which were filled with a vow to never acknowledge him seemed amusing to Shane.
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