Chapter 105

The Republic of Freedom

There was no way Cecilia had just shown up without a reason. I had already seen her face today, and I hadn’t imagined I’d be seeing it again so soon.

“Erens. It’s a nice town. Population, 9,782. Unlike Murdan City, which is choked with pollution due to the steel mills, the air and water here are clean.”

Sitting on the sofa, Cecilia spoke naturally about Erens, as if we’d just been having a conversation moments ago.

“Oh, the stained glass—you're the one using it, right?”

Cecilia’s eyes briefly flicked toward the stained glass hanging at Irena’s waist, then turned to Kairus.

“Still, you’re the one who has to pay for it, Kairus. You understand that, right?”

“Yes. Is it now, by any chance?”

At Kairus’s words, Cecilia gave a slight nod, the corners of her lips lifting a little.

“I’d like to know what I need to do first.”

“Of course you would.”

Cecilia nodded calmly at Kairus’s response, then took a sip of tea.

Erens was such a small rural town, it barely even registered on the map. But just because few people lived there didn’t mean the town had no value.

“It’s a rural town where the people love their home and share strong bonds with their neighbors.”

“I can understand that.”

With such a small population, it was unlikely they had any proper infrastructure. Naturally, they probably received no support at the national level either.

“Because the Aylan Republic prioritizes individual freedom?”

At Irena’s remark, Cecilia nodded.

“You could also call it ‘brought it on themselves.’”

Erens ended up like that because, while other towns were constantly innovating and striving to become prosperous, it did nothing.

It became what it was due to its own inaction—so it was only natural for it to be left behind.

Whether that logic was true or not, I couldn’t say. But the Aylan Republic government likely saw it that way.

“The Empire and the Republic—both countries have their own ways of paving a path for people like us, criminals, to put down roots.”

Listening to Cecilia, Kairus shared his guess.

“You reached out to Erens.”

“Yes. It’s a village abandoned by the state. We extended our hand and provided the support that the nation could not.”

The Rose Garden had connected Erens to water and gas lines and installed a radio relay station.

Thanks to her support, newspaper and milk deliveries had started in Erens, and the postman who used to come once every few months now visited weekly.

“And the cost?”

“We buy the crops they grow at a low price.”

Kairus let out a small sound of amazement.

“Those crops wouldn’t happen to be something like potatoes, would they?”

“Oh my, they are potatoes. How’d you know?”

At Cecilia’s response, Kairus gave a wry smile. Potatoes, huh—figures.

“Do you actually label those sacks as potatoes?”

“Yes. Not only are they labeled that way, but we also buy them at potato prices.”

That was the reason behind all the benefits the Rose Garden provided to the village of Erens.

The Rose Garden purchased all sorts of illegal crops grown by the people of Erens for dirt cheap.

“If it says ‘potatoes’ and we buy them at the price of potatoes, then they’re potatoes.”

“Well, I suppose that makes sense.”

Even if the actual goods weren’t potatoes, as long as the price and item were recorded that way in the paperwork, then they became potatoes.

Kairus had no choice but to give a vague answer. To be honest, he didn’t really care what they were growing in that backwoods village.

What he was curious about was—

“What is it that you want me to do?”

What exactly was the request Cecilia was making?

“The same doubt you just had is one the Republic also has.”

Are you really growing potatoes? Doesn’t look like it—kind of doubt.

“The Murdan Police Department’s Narcotics Division is moving under the command of a prosecutor.”

“Then….”

Cecilia spoke with an expression that suggested it was nothing serious.

“It’d be nice if you could handle it while you’re heading to Erens anyway.”

“When you say handle… do you mean kill?”

In response to Kairus’s question, Cecilia answered,

“Killing the prosecutor in charge is the most certain option. But hey, if you have another way, I won’t stop you.”

“Stained glass is a good piece of battle gear. I’m not sure killing a single prosecutor is enough to pay for it.”

Cecilia laughed at Kairus’s remark.

“I almost forgot to mention—this justice-driven prosecutor is the grandchild of a member of the Aylan Parliament.”

“Oh, great.”

Kairus made a face like he had a headache. That justice-loving prosecutor was planning to dig into one of the Rose Garden’s operations. That alone wasn’t much of a problem. The Rose Garden could just crush it.

The real issue was that this particular prosecutor happened to be the grandchild of an Aylan lawmaker.

“If he’s a lawmaker, then he’d have to know about the Rose Garden. He’d also know about Erens.”

“Then that lawmaker must’ve tried to talk some sense into his grandchild.”

At Kairus’s words, Cecilia looked genuinely sad.

“You’re supposed to listen to the advice of your elders. But this prosecutor was so full of justice, he plugged his ears.”

“So what you’re actually asking me to do is kill the grandchild of a lawmaker?”

To Kairus’s words, Cecilia replied,

“If there’s no other way, that’s what it’ll come to. But, well, I’m not sure you’d be able to handle killing him either.”

“I’ll take it to mean I just have to stop the investigation somehow.”

Cecilia nodded at Kairus’s reply.

“Oh, and this job is a request from the Rose Garden, isn’t it? Will I be getting any support?”

At Kairus’s words, Irena nodded obediently.

“Yes. But only within the limits of the Rose Garden branch’s capabilities in Murdan City.”

In other words, the Rose Garden’s headquarters in Bennett City—Cecilia—would not be providing any support for this matter.

“Understood.”

Upon hearing his response, Cecilia stood up and placed something on the table.

It was an ID card from the Aylan Republic. A forged ID personally handed over by Cecilia—its quality was beyond question.

“Well then, good luck.”

With the farewell commonly used by those who cause the trouble themselves, Cecilia left the office.

“Unbelievable! The grandchild of a lawmaker?!”

As soon as Cecilia left, Irena, who had been silent for a while, clutched her head and screamed.

“And on top of that, she didn’t even mention any kind of payment!”

“Yeah. This is about paying off a debt.”

At Kairus’s words, Irena shivered and looked down at the stained glass hanging from her waist.

“This debt... you're talking about this thing?”

“That’s right.”

Kairus explained the general details to Irena.

“It is a good piece of battle gear, sure, but to think we have to deal with a request involving killing the grandchild of an Aylan lawmaker in return for it…”

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be killing.”

To Kairus’s words, Irena replied,

“But she said he's a justice-driven prosecutor. It won’t be easy to handle him with persuasion or threats.”

“There are many kinds of threats in this world.”

Stretching once, Kairus opened the window to air out the room and spoke.

“The Rose Garden provided us with an ID, so let’s take the early train tomorrow.”

“Alright. Then I’m going to wash up and get some sleep.”

In response, Irena gave him a thumbs up and yawned as she headed upstairs.

A few days later at dawn, Kairus and Irena packed their essentials and boarded the early train.

“Murdan City, huh.”

A three-hour train ride might make it sound like it was close to Bennett City, but it actually wasn’t.

Strictly speaking, it was just that the landmass of the Valorn Empire was so vast that traveling anywhere by train took over two weeks.

“I’m about to order the in-train meal. What do you want to eat?”

“Already? We just got on.”

“You have to order early if you want it to come quickly. Let’s see….”

As she scanned the menu, Irena looked bewildered.

“Wait a second—this is first class, and we still have to pay for meals?”

Kairus nodded at her remark.

“We only bought the first-class seat. Meals are extra.”

Even things like water, sleep masks, and earplugs all cost money.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

Used to the Empire’s trains, Irena looked displeased.

But that was how the Aylan Republic operated. First class was at least better in that it included free seat belts and no limit on carry-on luggage.

From second class onward, even seatbelts were a paid option. Before boarding, passengers had to weigh their luggage and pay an additional transport fee based on the weight.

“Welcome to the great nation overflowing with personal freedom—the Aylan Republic.”

At Kairus’s somewhat sarcastic remark, Irena let out a small sigh. With a loud blast of the horn, the train bound for the Aylan Republic departed.

“Ribs.”

“Dandruff.”

“…You son of a bitch.”

Kairus and Irena sprawled out in the train car, desperately killing time with word games and cards.

The train ran and ran, passing countless stations. It wasn’t until their patience had been worn thin by boredom and monotony that—

They finally arrived in Murdan.

“Ugh.”

As soon as she got off the train, Irena let out a sigh and twisted her back side to side. Loud cracks echoed as her joints realigned with satisfying force.

“Finally, I can breathe.”

After a big stretch, Irena and Kairus finally had the presence of mind to take in their surroundings at the train station.

“The scent of freedom and rights sure is choking.”

The first thing that greeted them at Murdan Station was the thick, acrid air.

“This is a steel city. Of course the air’s a mess.”

Not every part of the Aylan Republic boasted such pristine air quality.

The massive steel mill in Murdan was the clear reason for the polluted atmosphere.

“Was it called Renikoff Steel?”

A company that handled various types of alloy steel, it was fairly well-known throughout the Aylan Republic.

Murdan City housed a colossal steel mill with a monthly crude steel production of 800,000 tons—owned by Renikoff Steel.

“They say in the Daeyeon Kingdom that steel is the rice of industry.”

Irena said this while gazing up at the smoke choking the sky.

“Rice, huh. Then this city must be a massive rice paddy.”

At first glance, Murdan City did not leave a good impression. Industrial cities were inevitably accompanied by smoke, making them unattractive to outsiders.

“The people seem a bit rough too.”

Irena’s observation was accurate.

The majority of Murdan’s population was made up of steelworkers—not just any factory workers, but those who produced steel.

Naturally, the city had a kind of harsh atmosphere—a certain air that hung over it.

“Still, whatever.”

Kairus and Irena had just come from Bennett City.

To them, the sweaty, rough vibe of the steel mill workers felt no more threatening than a group of preschoolers throwing a tantrum.

At least here, there weren’t customs like stabbing someone with a knife just for making eye contact for too long.

“We should deal with the request first, right?”

“Of course.”

Before heading to Erens, they had to take care of the job they were asked to do.

“Lemington Volos, a member of parliament.”

He was from Murdan City and the very person responsible for bringing Renikoff Steel’s massive mill to the area.

Thanks to that accomplishment, Lemington Volos held his electoral district in a tight grip.

And the one Kairus and Irena had to deal with was his grandson, Prosecutor Settern Volos.

Overflowing with justice but lacking common sense, this fool had set his sights on disrupting one of the Rose Garden’s operations.

“I wonder how ironclad his sense of justice really is.”

With their luggage in hand, Kairus and Irena stepped off the platform and headed toward the station’s exit.

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