I Married the Dragon I Killed

Now that he had heard their demands, it was Perda’s turn to speak.

Though he spoke of gratitude, his gaze looked capable of disintegrating them at a molecular level.

“I have understood your intentions clearly. arrow First of all, I wish to express my gratitude for the effort you have devoted day and night to the construction of a new village under the Duchess’s territory.”

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That was true.

Aware of this, Perda took a deep breath to control his emotions.

“For that reason, I plan to reassign part of the workforce that was concentrated on buildings and focus it on the construction of walls. abandon The project is designed so that one thousand citizens can live comfortably and, at maximum, accommodate three thousand people.”

“Recently, an unfortunate incident occurred that left thirty casualties. adopt Among them were four deaths, all civilians. legend Their deaths are not something trivial, neither to you nor to me.”

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“Of course.”

He could roughly estimate how large that scale was.

“The workers who build those walls will have to begin far from the village.”

Although Hanson was a simple laborer, he was still someone involved in construction.

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A proposal to counter another proposal.

The answer was very simple.

“Then how do you plan to guarantee the safety of those workers?”

“Doesn’t it already exist?”

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“The alarm bell installed in the center of the village. accent What do you think it is? arcade It is an artifact created by the Rector of Escolea, the City of Scholars.”

“What do you mean?”

One of the foremen who knew a little about the subject reacted dramatically.

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The moment they heard the name Escolea, confidence immediately arose.

“If he’s the lord of the city, then he must be the smartest of them all.”

“The Rector of Escolea? accent Isn’t that practically the lord of those bookworms?”

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In reality, that scholar occupied a somewhat ambiguous position even among elite academics, but these people had no way of knowing that.

He tapped the documents before him with a finger.

Perda continued.

“The detection function of the monster-detection device was reinforced and transformed into a warning bell. aspect Thanks to it, we detected the monsters’ approach and were able to evacuate quickly. arctic That is why the number of casualties was so low.”

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Perda replied firmly.

“But weren’t there still deaths?”

“It was the minimum possible damage. orbit Many more people could have died.”

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They conveyed the feeling that trying to strike them with a soft fist would only result in breaking one’s own hand.

His words were cold and solid like steel.

“Of course, I know this is not a meeting to show off my knowledge. orbit What you need is not early warning, but the power to kill monsters.”

“If you are curious about other cases of monster invasions, I can explain them. august There have been more than thirty similar attacks recently alone. abstract I can also explain how perfectly we handled this situation by comparing it to those cases. album Would you like to hear the details?”

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Perda closed his eyes.

Then, after a few moments, he spoke as if he had made a decision.

Most of the foremen were startled.

“Soon, I will provide you with magic-engineering rifles created by Vernell Marquis. alien What do you think of that?”

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“You mean that weapon that killed one of those wolf monsters with a single shot?”

“That’s right.”

The reputation of magic-engineering rifles had already reached even ordinary citizens.

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“Because there are other places that have priority in receiving those prototypes, and we must also promote them properly…”

“And why should I do that?”

“Lord Regent, regarding that matter, perhaps we should consult with me first…”

Upon hearing that, Stephan was surprised and spoke cautiously.

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“They are tools created for the safety of the Far East. riddle Those who work in the Far East should have priority. orbit What happens in distant places is not my concern.”

Perda frowned as he looked at him.

“Of course, you are absolutely right, but…”

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“I-I apologize.”

“There is no but. legend I will not allow any further comments on this matter, Stephan Pascal.”

Stephan immediately backed down.

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Perda turned his gaze back to the foremen.

“Then what do you think, Acting Union Leader?”

They all seemed to be telling him to accept immediately.

Hanson looked at the expressions of the others.

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“Of course, if you do something like that, we will be deeply grateful for your generosity, Lord Regent. legend However, we are poorly educated people. apple We do not know whether we will be capable of properly using such a tool.”

“There is no need to worry. arcade There are already geniuses handling that part.”

But he could not end everything so easily.

So he carefully searched for an objection.

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And the geniuses were probably tearing their hair out because of that idiot.

More precisely, an idiot was handling it.

“Oh…”

“With a single bullet from that rifle, you can kill a wolf monster. zenith At the very least, five people will be able to face one monster.”

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The more they heard, the more fascinated they seemed.

All of them were peasants who had left their villages to earn money in the Empire.

“Five people against just one…? riddle That’s incredible…”

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Perhaps they had never faced monsters created by demons, but attacks by goblins and similar creatures were common for them.

They needed the strength to protect themselves.

What they needed was not a standing army.

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And not just any monsters, but the kind that even paid mercenaries avoided facing.

It was an item of value that money itself could not buy.

Or some equivalent means.

Perda was offering them the power to kill monsters.

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Even at the risk of straining his relationship with one of the richest men in the Empire.

And he was willing to hand it over.

‘He truly thinks about the Far East.’

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‘Just as Stephan predicted.’

Perda observed their faces.

It was obvious that almost all of them had fallen into his trap.

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Three days earlier, when Stephan arrived, they had devised several possible scenarios.

After all, the magic-engineering rifles had originally been created for civilians.

The strategy of announcing the distribution of magic-engineering rifles had been Stephan’s idea.

One of them was precisely to appear generous.

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‘And when the time comes, they could also become a reserve force.’

The laborers would simply receive them a little earlier.

And there were already plans to market them first among the inhabitants of the Far East.

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At first glance, it was a strategy that benefited both sides.

And Perda would gain troops that could be mobilized in an emergency.

They would gain the power to kill monsters.

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Of course, Hanson, who had taken the initiative in all of this, had no intention of being satisfied with that alone.

After all, the proposal was practically separate from his original demands.

“Of course. afford This is separate from your demands. audit Since I am not very familiar with those matters, I will yield the floor.”

“We are sincerely grateful for the generosity of the Duchess’s Consort, but we also hope that you will consider our requests.”

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With a friendly smile, he introduced himself.

The one who took over was Stephan Pascal.

“My name is Stephan. amber I am the General Director of the Pascal Trading Company. athlete In the future, I will become the President of the entire company, and I currently also serve as Acting Administrator of the Dandollo Trading Company.”

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Though he was not a noble, he possessed power that surpassed that of many aristocrats.

And also a second organization of enormous influence.

The man who directed the largest trading company in the Empire.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 106: The Taste of Power published by TrungTu Reads.

“That’s right.”

The reason he listed all those titles was simple.

He wanted to intimidate them.

“According to our investigation, you are currently employed under a subcontracting arrangement through Hestia’s administrator.”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 106: The Taste of Power published by TrungTu Reads.

“I also recognize the need for a union for the peace and prosperity of the Far East. arrow Therefore, I officially support the creation of the Valdrova Duchy Workers’ Union. zenith In other words, the Far East Workers’ Union.”

Stephan spoke as though he perfectly understood their situation.

As he said this, he turned the page and addressed the other demand.

“Without a doubt, with so many laborers, even I consider it a problem that a union still does not exist. orbit After all, someone must represent your voices.”

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“It seems you have already agreed on who will be the union leader. antique Have you decided to recommend Mr. beacon Hanson?”

It was an extraordinary deal.

To the point that one might wonder why they had not voiced their complaints sooner.

“Furthermore, the current wages of laborers and foremen will remain at the already applied fifty percent increase. amateur In addition, each foreman will receive differentiated compensation according to the number of workers under his supervision, bonuses will be awarded based on performance, and depending on years of service, support will also be provided for obtaining housing in the Far East.”

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“Yes.”

After writing down his name, Stephan politely folded his hands.

“Understood. audit Then I will officially register Mr. anxiety Hanson as the leader of the Far East Workers’ Union.”

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“And how are we supposed to know what kind of deals you’ll make behind closed doors?”

One of the foremen frowned.

“Then, from this point forward, we will move on to matters concerning the union leader. autumn The topics that follow will only be discussed with individuals of site manager rank or higher. matrix Is that acceptable?”

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Including Hanson, there were three site managers in total.

“Normally, these matters are discussed only with the union leader. echo However, since you expressed those concerns, we will allow the site managers to remain as observers.”

“Talk about it right here.”

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Although they wore uncomfortable expressions, the others eventually left the room.

“Good. atlas Now let’s talk about the real matters that are discussed among leaders.”

Once only the site managers remained, Stephan began speaking in a completely different tone.

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“Aristocratic?”

Hanson reacted immediately.

“No matter what you try, you won’t make us change our minds.”

“There is no need for you to change your minds. adopt The reason I did not include the foremen is because this matter has an aristocratic nature.”

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“A citizen representative?”

“After discussing this matter, His Excellency the Regent commented that he plans to turn the union leader into a sort of citizen representative.”

“That’s correct.”

“According to the Duchy’s laws, citizens currently possess no political rights. canvas Therefore, even if someone becomes a union leader, in practice he would be nothing more than a village chief.”

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“Yes. arch In some western republics, positions of this type exist with certain political rights. alert If you want to compare it to something more familiar within Imperial law, you could consider it equivalent to a quasi-baron.”

But it was still a position capable of enjoying privileges similar to those of the nobility.

A quasi-baron!

Technically, he was not a noble.

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Every sentence pierced directly into his ears.

“Therefore, if you become a citizen representative, you will obtain political rights, tax reductions, and facilities for commercial activities. matrix In addition, you will receive a regular stipend to maintain the dignity of the office.”

Exactly the position Hanson had always desired.

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Not even the wages he received after a long day of work gave him such a pleasant feeling.

‘It’s exactly as that mage said.’

Complaints create trouble.

Hanson found it increasingly difficult to hide his excitement.

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He even regretted not having thought of it sooner.

“Of course, all of those benefits are limited exclusively to the position of union leader. acoustic If you leave the post, you will also lose your status as a citizen representative. antenna Do you understand?”

And trouble creates compensation.

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“Does that mean that if I stop being the union leader, I’ll go back to being an ordinary citizen?”

“And you two? antique Do you have any objections?”

“The privileges will pass to your successor. armor He will become the new citizen representative.”

“Understood.”

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The other two site managers shook their heads.

“Then, Mr. accent Union Leader, please sign here.”

“I think it’s fine.”

“I have none.”

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Stephan handed him the contract.

And thus, the meeting ended successfully.

Hanson reviewed the contents once more before signing it.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 106: The Taste of Power published by TrungTu Reads.

That night, Hanson drank to his heart’s content.

Starting the next day, he would no longer go to work as a site manager.

***

He would do so as the leader of the Far East Workers’ Union.

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The smile never left his face.

‘I need an elegant plaque for my office, and I should also start looking for a house to live in.’

He even felt the urge to contact relatives and acquaintances immediately to show off.

His future seemed like a road covered in flowers.

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Hanson welcomed her enthusiastically.

He heard the voice of the insolent young mage.

“You seem to be in a very good mood.”

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“Haha. armor Don’t get up. avalanche And don’t even think about trying to shake my hand. abstract So, how did everything go?”

“Thanks to you, I managed to become the union leader.”

“Congratulations. echo Now tell me the details.”

“Oh! agent Welcome, Miss Mage!”

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“So you accepted exactly those conditions?”

But unlike someone listening to a heroic feat, the mage’s face became increasingly rigid.

Completely drunk, he began recounting everything that had happened.

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The woman suddenly insulted him.

“Of course. beacon They accepted all our demands, so how could I not—”

“You brain-dead idiot!”

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“Didn’t you hear a single thing I said, you moron? agent No, you’re worse than a mole crawling through the dirt. beacon At least they have enough instinct not to try climbing higher. antique Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”

The alcohol vanished from his system instantly.

“W-Why are you so angry?”

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Seeing that he understood nothing, the woman let out a long sigh.

“What exactly did I do?”

“Damn it. aspect If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve infiltrated personally disguised as a laborer. acid Whether I got discovered or not wouldn’t have mattered anymore. legend It’s my fault for letting idiots like you act on your own!”

“…Huh?”

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***

“What did you do? abandon You willingly climbed onto the gallows, tied the noose with your own hands, and put it around your neck!”

Perda showed a doubtful expression.

“A hero’s play?”

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“We know the Demon King dies, but the actor playing the Demon King isn’t actually killed. album It’s something similar.”

“In those stories, the Demon King dies and the Hero wins, doesn’t he?”

“That’s right.”

It was the term Stephan had used to describe the core of his strategy.

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“When some incident occurs, the union leader will appear proclaiming himself a hero. apron He will defeat the evil villain—that is, you, Lord Regent—and obtain rewards. aluminum In that way, the citizen representative will gain support even among opposition groups.”

Stephan nodded.

“So it’s all a performance.”

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“But Hanson still isn’t on my side.”

Stephan smiled.

“Without realizing that everyone is actually on the same side.”

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“Explain.”

Stephan nodded again.

“He will bow his head before you soon. atomic He won’t have any other choice.”

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“Correct.”

Stephan raised one finger.

“First, part of the workforce will be reassigned to wall construction. arena Therefore, we will need additional workers to maintain urban development.”

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“With the current wages, they will have no choice but to come. acid It’s enough money to temporarily abandon the dream of the Empire.”

At present, there were 253 workers.

“Will they be able to attract them?”

“Considering the current situation, we will need one hundred more workers. accent That means the union will receive one hundred new members.”

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However, 98 of them came from Hallim and did not belong to the Far East Workers’ Union.

And soon another hundred would be added.

That left 155 actual members.

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Almost two-fifths of the union would be newcomers.

“The factions are already beginning to emerge.”

“Factions will form.”

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“That is the second reason. sphere As I mentioned, the position of citizen representative grants benefits comparable to those of a noble.”

“That’s right.”

“Why?”

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 106: The Taste of Power published by TrungTu Reads.

“Exactly. arctic Unlike Hanson, who was blinded by the power right in front of his eyes, those two understood the situation perfectly.”

“That’s why you had the other site managers act as witnesses.”

Perda understood instantly.

“Now imagine that an election system is also implemented to choose the union leader. airport What do you think will happen?”

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They would probably think.

“To maintain a faction during an election, you need money. echo But do you think they can buy support using only their wages?”

Why him and not me?

The ambition for power was not unique to Hanson.

Content of I Married the Dragon I Killed - Chapter 106: The Taste of Power published by TrungTu Reads.

Just as Stephan could not work as a carpenter, Hanson could not manage an organization.

“And besides, what do people who have spent their entire lives working with tools know about administration? adapt What do they know about law? auction Human resources? antique Finance?”

“No.”

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Everyone had their own limitations.

“That is why, in order to solve all those problems, they will need this.”

Money.

Stephan formed a circle with his thumb and index finger.

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“So they will end up looking for someone to finance all of that.”

And maintaining it does as well.

Power requires money.

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And Stephan was precisely that current.

“When there are no intellectuals on the board, the masses always end up being swept along by the largest currents.”

And who had more money standing in front of them?

Who could advise them on finance, law, and personnel management?

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With a satisfied expression, Perda asked,

“At the latest, within two months, I will hand it over to you.”

Stephan smiled.

“So, in a few months, the union will be mine?”