826 – The Empire is the Continent – 6

A hell of a paycheck created by the previous Ashylon lords. A system that stimulates national sentiments and induces endless bloody competition. Even a crazy coliseum that allows legal fistfights so that the anger and hatred is not directed at oneself.

‘I knew he was crazy.’

I didn’t know he was this crazy. Could it be that some of the Second Prince’s achievements were the work of the previous Ashlon family? Could it be that he was the one leading the way, but people mistook it for the Second Prince’s work?

‘This is loneliness.’

I drank my coffee in one gulp to soothe my burning stomach.

This familiar and ugly system. No matter how you think about it, it’s loneliness. The only difference from ordinary loneliness is that it’s a jar that anyone can enter and leave, and new competitors appear without stopping, causing endless fights.

It’s embarrassing. The Inspector General didn’t know that there was hell in the Imperial Territory.

At the same time, it is scary. If I had realized this hell too late, how much more mature hell would I have seen?

“How could this mess have been maintained? How could it have lasted for decades?”

“Although the competition is fierce, it is profitable if you somehow win. It is also about making customers in the huge market called the Empire, and sometimes noble families or large merchants place large orders.”

“is it.”

It was a terrible story, so I nodded with a complicated feeling.

I already don’t like the foreign kid next to me, but if I crush that kid, I’ll get money? For money-crazy merchants, there’s nothing more appealing than that.

The thought of losing has long since disappeared from his mind. Those who fear failure would not have lived as merchants or crossed the border to the empire.

“Besides, this has become quieter compared to the past. It would be better if it were under the direct control of His Majesty the Emperor, but if it were still ruled by someone like the previous head of the family… Oh my.”

The president shivered as if his teeth chattered just thinking about it.

I don’t have the energy to be surprised anymore. The massive solitude I just heard about has calmed down a bit. What was it like back in the Ashlon days?

‘He was a competent local official.’

There was one consolation, though. If Northern Hausenz had been quiet since becoming a direct imperial fief, the current chief provincial governor, Winston, was a capable man.

In fact, if he was truly capable, he would have eliminated this hell itself, but it was a hell created by a man who was once the overwhelming number one among the Marquis. It continued for decades. If he could eliminate it with only the ability and authority of a senior provincial governor, that would be even stranger.

“Thanks for the good information. I really need to be careful when I go out.”

“It’s strange to say such things after hearing such harsh words, but I am still kind to customers and tourists. What merchant in this world would pick a fight with a customer?”

“Yeah. That’s true.”

It was true, and for the first time, I felt my face, which had been hardening in real time, softening.

That’s true. When merchants fight each other, it’s competition, but when they fight with customers, they’re crazy as hell.

“It’s fortunate that this place is friendly to its guests. I will also give a small gift to the friendly owner, so please take it without hesitation.”

With those words, I flicked a silver coin, and the president’s back bent into a perfect right angle.

“Thank you, sir!”

Judging from the fact that he accepted it without any specifications, he seems to be a boss who is used to dealing with noble guests.

The nobles are a people who get angry when a tip is refused. They have shown a favor for money that was only a small amount to them, and that favor has been rejected. They are blinded by the thought that they have been ignored by a commoner.

Of course, I am not a person with that much noble blood. I have more memories of being an ordinary citizen than of being a noble, so how could I imitate the mindset of a noble?

“Oh, give me another cup of coffee. I drank it too quickly.”

“Yes! I’ll bring it right away!”

The additional coffee order was about 30% more than the original order.

This is why I like tips. It saves my face, saves the boss’s wallet, and saves my stomach.

“Excuse me, Minister.”

Anyway, after the boss put down his second cup of coffee and stepped aside, Eri quietly opened her mouth.

“Once you finish this, go there.”

It was a pronoun, not a clear noun, but I instinctively knew what it was referring to.

A mini-colosseum where merchants legally shed blood. This is definitely where it’s talking about. Eri’s instinct, which loved the basement, is calling out for a colosseum.

“Do we really have to do that? There are so many other places to see. If we’re going to do it, wouldn’t it be better to go to a better place?”

So I desperately tried to persuade her. Since giving birth to Ferenc, Eri has been learning to be gentler. She is still somewhat immature and lively, but she is definitely keeping her distance from cruelty.

In that situation, if you go to the Colosseum, Eri’s instincts that she had suppressed with great effort will awaken again. It is hard to suppress an instinct that has fallen asleep once and then awakened twice. It is possible because she has maternal love, but it will take a lot of time.

“Traveling is about seeing what you want to see! Where else can you see things like this?”

“That’s true, but.”

But logically, Eri is right. Traveling is about eating what you want to eat, seeing what you want to see, and doing what you want to do. If there is something you can only enjoy at your destination, then it is right to enjoy it.

If it weren’t for the Colosseum, I would have taken the lead and taken you there. How can a local attraction be the Colosseum, and one that’s actually in use? You go to Colosseums all over the world just to see the architecture, not to see lions and gladiators fight inside.

“Do I really have to go?”

“yes.”

“You’re not interested in anything else?”

“Not yet!”

I picked up a snack with a bitter smile at Eri’s lively answer.

“Then I should go.”

The cookie that came into my mouth along with the declaration of surrender tasted bitter.

It was definitely a sweet snack, but it tasted bitter.

The Colosseum was located to the west, just as the president had said.

‘It’s a small building.’

However, contrary to the description of a small building, the building that greeted us boasted a grand size compared to other buildings in the vicinity.

Sir, are you tricking me? Should I have tipped you in gold instead of silver?

“Today is the showdown between Albrecht of the Kingdom of Ryuton and Kazimierz of the Kingdom of Bazen! It will begin in 30 minutes, so please show a lot of interest!”

“The betting odds are amazingly 1 to 1! Exactly 1 to 1, not rigged or rounded up! No one knows who will win!”

‘I’m going to turn around.’

Even as soon as I entered the building, I heard a dizzying scream.

A shout that seems to treat the merchants’ fistfight as a normal event. A delicate touch that even encourages betting, in case it becomes boring to just watch.

You fucking Assylon, what the hell kind of mess did you make to be this quiet?

‘Should we force a closure?’

I had that thought for a moment, but quickly shook it off.

I would like to tear down this ugly building. But if I were to remove the gathering of darkness in the Hausenz Circle, darkness would only appear in new places. Then, it would likely gather in secret rather than openly.

No, it’s not because of this crazy coliseum that the merchants are fighting in the streets and turning their anger towards the Empire. Without it, the Hausenz Circle and the entire Northern Hausenz region could turn into hell.

“Minister, I bet─”

“don’t do it.”

He grabbed Eri’s shoulder tightly as she tried to run away.

“Why! If it’s 1 on 1, it’s a chance to test my judgment!”

“Don’t do that, you don’t have to.”

There’s no need to have an eye to see who will win…

In the meantime, I feel like crying when I see Eri sticking out her lips as if she regrets it. That dead Ashlon b*stard is making the living Karl sad. He is a really bad b*stard.

…

‘bet?’

But something is strange. The fact that there is betting means that there is gambling, with money involved. In the empire, any gambling establishment larger than a certain size must receive permission from the government and undergo periodic inspections.

But I have never heard of a gambling house in the Northern Hausenz area. Not only when I was the Inspector General, but also since I became the Inspector General, I have never heard of a gambling house.

‘If the scale is small, then there is no need to report it.’

Before entering the building, I recalled the size of the building that I had vaguely seen.

Its height and width stand out even compared to other buildings in the area. Just looking at the size of the building, it has clearly surpassed the line set by the empire. Furthermore, judging by the enthusiasm of the participants, the scale of the gambling is by no means small.

“Eri.”

“yes?”

“Have you ever heard that there’s a gambling house in Northern Hausenz?”

Still, just in case, I opened my mouth slightly.

But Eri was the first section chief of the Information Department. She might know information that I don’t.

“…uh?”

‘No.’

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. It seems that this casino didn’t exist in Eri’s memories.

“Oh, what is this? Is this some kind of illegal gambling?”

“I’m really going to turn around.”

It’s crazy to even think about fist fighting, but it’s illegal gambling. It’s multinational gambling that targets foreigners, and it treats both imperial and foreign customers as customers.

I won’t go as far as forcibly closing down the business, but I can never stand by and let illegal gambling continue.

‘Illegals don’t pay taxes.’

How dare you make money in the empire without paying taxes? This is absolutely unforgivable.

***

There were many gambling houses in Hausenz Circle, but only our three have survived the decades.

At first, it was a name simply made up of numbers because it was illegal. However, as the only gambling establishment in the Housenz Circle became known, the simple name 3 became a name with a noble meaning.

Our guests are surprised three times: once when they first step in, twice when they see the players fight passionately, and once when they win their bets. It means that you can be happy three times when you enter this building.

‘Why spend money on distribution? Production is done while you’re sitting down.’

Even if you just keep the building still, things that can’t fight will come running. If you just provide them with a suitable space, a fight that will make money will unfold on its own.

It’s so good. This is real business. This is real profit. There’s no need to produce and distribute products for sale, but to procure or receive donations from local sources. How wonderful it is.

Of course, I didn’t get this golden tower for nothing. I got it by working hard to lure the nobles and officials of Hausenz. When the Ashilon family was destroyed, my heart sank, but I was able to get over it when I actively explained that it was a place where I had the lord’s permission.

Of course, it took a lot of sincerity in the process, but that’s okay. The more sincerity I put in, the more stable this golden tower becomes.

Yes, my golden tower was definitely stronger than anything else,

“Chief Provincial Magistrate. It seems that we will have to conduct a large-scale investigation of the provincial magistrates and their secretaries. There were some who dared to blind the Chief Provincial Magistrate.”

– I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It was my… oversight.

A black-haired young man is looking at the communication port while clicking his tongue slightly. My golden tower collapsed as soon as that young man appeared.

Occasionally, occasionally, a young bureaucrat with a burning sense of justice, or a noble guest with a penchant for extortion, would question the legality of this place.

“Oh my, a little indulgence is a good seasoning when enjoying pleasure! And why should we impose the heavy and strict Imperial law on foreigners who are not Imperial citizens but are having a petty quarrel? They are not qualified to do so!”

If only I had shown a little sincerity every time, I could have gotten over it.

“Is this crazy?”

As soon as I showed my sincerity, the black-haired young man hardened his expression and trashed my office.

It wasn’t a metaphor, it was literally shattered. The walls, the ceiling, the floor, everything, all with one punch.

‘Inspector General.’

And then I realized too late that the black-haired young man was the Minister of Inspection.

It was unfair. I knew all the incidents I had to be careful of and the people I had to avoid in order to maintain this golden tower. Of course, I also remembered the appearance of the inspector general.

But, but isn’t the minister on vacation? Isn’t he said to be enjoying a leisurely vacation in the system?

Who would think that a minister on vacation would be working? I don’t think they just happen to be similar people…!

‘What the heck is this, because of that crazy worker bee!’

The tower I’ve been building for decades! Because of that damn worker bee!