Chapter 66
Office Manager Teren had suddenly been promoted by about six steps.
It was good news, but there was one problem.
The fact that he had not been given a letter of appointnt from the count.
“Temporary mayor! Isn't that a matter for the Count to decide!”
Teren didn't want to take on the problem in this situation.
He was quick-witted and knew that the ‘temporary mayor’ might be held responsible for this incident.
“And you say you executed the mayor. Was that your judgnt, Sir? The position of Romain's mayor was legally appointed by Count Alstian…”
“Teren. There is much to be done.”
“No. This is not my duty…”
“I said there is much.”
Shing.
At the chilling sound, Teren unwittingly closed his mouth.
The law is far, but the fist is near.
That truth applied equally in the back alleys and in the city hall.
A glance.
The several corpses silently decorating the office also helped his judgnt.
“Very well. I will act as the acting mayor, at least temporarily. But I am rely fulfilling that role…”
“Teren. Your first task is to inform all of Romain's guards that ‘Ganesha Edropin’ is an ally.”
“Are you listening to what I'm saying?”
“Teren. I will explain briefly.”
Reinhardt looked Teren straight in the eyes and spoke, putting strength into each word.
“I have judged that the corrupt mayor Albert had no accomplices. I will report as such to the Count.”
“Why are you telling such a thing…”
“Please help so that my judgnt does not change. Do you understand?”
Teren was quick-witted.
A person without wits couldn't have risen to a high position like an office manager.
So, the knight's words.
It was a warning to follow orders quietly if he didn't want to die along with the mayor.
Having clearly realized his position, Teren answered vigorously.
“Very well. Ganesha Edropin is our ally. I will imdiately inform the Captain of the Guard.
What else must I do?”
“I will tell you Ganesha Edropin's location, so secure her. You must not use coercive ans.”
“But I know Ganesha. There's no way she'll follow quietly…”
“Tell her that Knight Reinhardt is looking for her. That should be enough.”
It seems they had a prior arrangent. Teren thought so and nodded.
“Understood. Next?”
“There must be a place where patients infected with the plague are gathered. Identify them all and hand them over to Ganesha Edropin.”
“Fortunately, that is a matter that I, as the office manager, was in charge of. I should be able to prepare it quickly.”
“That's a relief. Then go out and get moving. Temporary Mayor Teren.”
At Reinhardt's gesture to leave imdiately, Teren could only sigh and rush out.
And Reinhardt, left alone, sat down at the mayor's desk.
He took out a sheet of fine letter paper, spread it out, picked up a quill, dipped it in the inkwell, and took it out.
He had to write a letter.
It was news for the true master of this city, Count Alstian.
***
The city of Romain is a land belonging to the Alstian County.
The mayor is appointed directly by the count based solely on ability, regardless of origin, which ant that they were in an employer-employee relationship.
The mayor had to pay attention to making the city run smoothly, develop it further, and, as a result, do their best to increase the amount of taxes collected.
That's why he was put in the mayor's seat.
But Albert did not do that.
In fact, that was the situation in most cities.
The nobles were wealthy, and to them, the taxes from a small city, no matter how much, were not worth paying much attention to.
Thanks to that, Reinhardt had been able to fly the mayor's head off without hesitation.
Because he had an incredibly solid justification.
‘Just add a few embellishnts… this should be enough.’
Reinhardt put the densely filled letter into an envelope and sealed it with a heated seal.
He then handed the letter to the man waiting beside him.
“Teren. Deliver this letter to Count Alstian.”
“...Can you tell the contents?”
“My judgnt has not changed yet. The mayor of Romain committed nurous evil deeds on his own accord.”
Temporary Mayor Teren pursed his lips and nodded heavily.
“I will deliver it without any issues.”
“Did you find Ganesha Edropin?”
“She was at the place you ntioned. I had to sweat a lot to prove that we had no hostility towards her, but…”
“Did you say the na Reinhardt?”
“Of course, I did.”
“Then there would have been no need to sweat. I do not like such a way of speaking. Use that tone of exaggerating your own rits for the person who will succeed the mayorship.”
“...I understand perfectly.”
Teren sweated and nodded.
It wasn't just because the knight possessed a sharp sword.
‘This is not sothing a single knight could do on his own.’
It was a hypothesis he hadn't thought of at first.
But now that Teren thought about it, the knight nad Reinhardt seed like a person dispatched by Count Alstian.
To protect his own neck and position, he had no choice but to cooperate to the best of his ability for now.
“Then the treatnt of the plague must have begun.”
“Yes. Also, we have taken out and delivered all the items from the city hall warehouse that could help the mage.”
“What is the combat situation?”
“That too has been mostly cleared up.”
“Good. Prepare to inform the citizens of Romain of the whole truth.”
The whole truth.
At that expression, Teren flinched and looked at Reinhardt.
“How much should I tell them?”
“Everything.”
The answer was firm.
Teren's expression darkened, but Reinhardt emphasized again.
“You are to tell them everything. You must not hide even a little. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“Sit down and do your work. You are to protect this position until the situation is resolved.”
Reinhardt left the anxious-looking Teren at his desk and departed.
It was to put an end to the trouble of the past few days.
***
The change was all too sudden.
Ganesha Edropin was originally in a position akin to a public enemy of the city of Romain.
The guards chased them, and the mbers of Redfoot chased them.
The only place they could breathe comfortably was a small, dark hideout in the slums.
But the situation changed rapidly.
It all happened after a knight nad Reinhardt arrived.
Her long-held wish was fulfilled, and the nacing guards treated her as if she were a noble.
That is.
It ant that there was no longer anyone in this city who was hostile to Ganesha.
“No, not there! In one place! Gather them as close as possible!”
I don't know what's going on.
Even while thinking that, Ganesha tried to concentrate on what she had to do at this mont.
“What are you doing now! I told you to gather the patients in one place, not to stack them on top of each other! Do you think these people are a pile of firewood?”
“Ye-yes!”
“We're sorry!”
At her command, the guards of Romain moved in perfect order.
Just by looking at their expressions, you could tell they were flustered.
It ant that they, as much as Ganesha, felt awkward about this situation.
“This is enough. Everyone, step back.”
But whether they did or not, the instructions were faithfully carried out.
Dozens of patients lay down, filling one side of the square.
Then, magic unfolded from Ganesha's fingertips.
Flash.
A brilliant light descended upon the patients.
The red spots, the evidence of the plague, disappeared in an instant, and their pale complexions brightened.
Dozens of humans were liberated from the plague at once.
Most of them were still unconscious, but they would recover soon enough with enough rest.
“Next!”
“This was the last one, ma'am mage! We are checking if there are any more people we haven't found yet!”
“The last one?”
“That's right! Ma'am mage!”
“Don't call ma'am mage. If you find more, bring them here.”
“Understood, ma'am ma... no, yes! I will bring them!”
Thump.
Ganesha collapsed, half-exhausted.
It was the first ti for her to use magic so continuously.
Thanks to the potions supplied by the city hall, she didn't have to worry about running out of mana, but mana was not the only thing needed to use magic.
It was a feeling as if her ntal strength was depleted.
But at the sa ti, an elation she couldn't suppress filled her chest.
She saved them.
With her own magic, the suffering humans.
She had used magic openly in front of everyone.
The sense of liberation that fact gave her was more intense than the pleasure of having achieved her revenge.
Ganesha got a mont to sit and rest. She couldn't leave her spot, as there might be more patients.
While sitting and resting for a mont, Ganesha looked up at the sky and thought to herself.
‘What did I want?’
She was called a doctor.
The doctor of the slums.
That na contained respect.
Because it was proof of her dedication to the outcasts of the city.
Then had she stayed here to treat them?
She thought about it for a mont, but no.
She had certainly lived a dedicated life, but that was not the goal she truly wanted.
Then was it revenge?
Did she stay to bring down Betty Pollard, who had taken her life away?
But this ti too, she shook her head.
‘No.’
When she faced the fallen Betty Pollard, she was satisfied.
But that was all.
Like eating when you're hungry, or sleeping when you're tired.
She felt exactly that level of satisfaction.
Then.
“Have all the patients regained their health?”
Then she heard a familiar voice.
Where she looked back, there was Reinhardt.
A person who looked as if a true knight from the distant past had been brought to this era.
“Yes. For now. But the soldiers are searching. There might be more.”
“You've done a great thing. There must have been hundreds of patients.”
“I just…”
“I have clearly realized through this incident why mages are so precious.”
The mont she heard those words.
A strange feeling welled up in Ganesha's chest.
It was a feeling like an underground stream gushing forth with force.
Wetting the parched earth, and breathing life into the world.
‘Mage.’
One who performs miracles at their fingertips.
One who pursues truth, yet twists providence.
Only then did Ganesha realize.
What she truly wanted.
At this mont, having cast off the shackles that had bound her mind and body for so long, what she had to do.
But for now, there was a more urgent matter.
Ganesha opened her mouth, gazing at the people bustling around.
“You did sothing again, Sir Knight, didn't you?”
“Yes.”
Even to the out-of-context question, Reinhardt readily affird.
Ganesha continued with an expression that said she knew it.
“Thanks to the support from the city hall, I drank the precious potions like water. I learned for the first ti in my life what it ans to be full of mana.”
“That is a relief. Were there no inconveniences? The soldiers were cooperative, I hope?”
“To the point of being burdenso.”
“It would be best to get used to it. Unless you plan to leave Romain, of course.”
“Why is that?”
Ganesha asked back in confusion.
“First, I will ask. Do you plan to leave Romain?”
It was a question that didn't even require thought.
“I will not leave this city.”
“Then a great responsibility will be given to you, Ganesha. If you do not refuse.”
“A great responsibility?”
“I have sent a letter to Count Alstian. I told him about the suffering Romain has had to endure recently, and I also wrote down the na of the person who made a great contribution to solving it.”
“Wa-wait a mont. By that, you an, surely…?”
It was news that was so sudden it was hard to understand, but the righteous knight continued without even giving her ti to think.
“It will be an opportunity to do what you wanted to do. An opportunity to help many people.
Romain needs you, Ganesha.”
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