Reincarnation of a Hunter Chapter 23.1 - Each One’s Interest (1)

 

“Speak the truth, and I’ll spare your lives.”

The assassins’ expressions visibly brightened.

 

“Understood. But I’m not sure if the trial will be fair.”

Unlike the assassins, my expression twisted this time.

 

“You know something, don’t you?”

 

“You’re aware that the merchant who ordered the assassination is named Marco, right? That Marco has the Marquis of Catalonia backing him.”

 

“Backing him?”

 

“It means he greased a lot of palms.”

 

In other words, he paid hefty bribes.

 

Normally, a lord acts as the judge in a trial. After all, within their own territory, the lord is the law. But this case involves the plaintiff being the Lord of Marseille from the Kingdom of France and the defendant being a merchant from the Catalonia region of the Iberian Kingdom.

 

In cases where jurisdiction crosses borders, it’s customary to request the Church of the God of Abundance to oversee the trial.

 

That’s because the dominant religion in southern France and the Iberian Kingdom is the Church of the God of Abundance.

 

However, if a high-ranking noble like the Marquis of Catalonia is backing the defendant Marco, there’s a chance he might personally act as a defense attorney and pressure the judge.

 

‘That won’t do. It’d be better to rig the trial’s outcome in advance.’

 

I immediately drafted letters to the Papacy of the God of Abundance, the Marquis of Catalonia, and Countess Karin Rhône-Alpes.

 

If the enemy plays dirty, I can’t just sit back either. I’ll cut off the head of the merchant who sent the assassins and seize all his assets.

 

If you dare threaten someone else’s life, you should be prepared to risk your own.

 

And this is a warning not to mess with the Marseille territory—while also being an opportunity to fill the territory’s budget shortfall.

 

Furthermore, it’s a chance to make our presence known to the Papacy and the people of Catalonia.

 

Most people don’t even know where Marseille is, so this is also a good opportunity to promote the territory.

 

Unconsciously, a smile formed on my face as my anticipation grew.

 

⚔️

 

To quickly send the letter, I headed to where the blessed ship, the Benedicta, was docking.

Just then, the captain rushed down from the Benedicta, which had just arrived.

 

“My lord, what brings you here?”

 

“Adrian Asel! I’m sorry to ask this right after docking, but we need to sail back to Catalonia. There’s an important letter.”

 

Asel was the castle I had granted him during the last lord’s meeting. The captain was so fond of it that he always made sure to address me with its name attached.

 

“Oh, my lord! Don’t apologize. It’s a short distance—we’ll be back in no time.”

 

“Thank you. By the way, how’s the blessed ship?”

 

“Hahaha! My lord, this thing is a marvel! The old ship feels brand new. It’s incredibly sturdy, and the speed is unbelievable.”

 

“The acceleration artifact is still the same, right?”

 

“The artificer said its durability and efficiency—or whatever—have improved. We can reach Catalonia in just seven hours.”

 

That’s nearly twice as fast as before. It might just be the fastest sailing ship in this world.

 

And with its self-repair function, it barely suffers any damage. Of course, since it hasn’t been damaged yet, we can’t be entirely sure.

 

Adrian puffed up with pride, as if bragging about a golden calf in his own home.

 

“Not to mention, no leaks and no barnacles clinging to the hull. This ship is truly extraordinary.”

 

“Blessings are something else.”

 

Right now, the Benedicta might be the most valuable asset in the Marseille territory. Anyone would pay a hefty sum for such a magnificent ship.

 

‘Not that I’m planning to sell it, of course.’

 

But then, a stream of people began disembarking from the Benedicta—the second wave of immigrants from Westphalia. They had followed my mother and me to the Marseille territory.

 

Dozens of them stepped off the ship, servants from the lord’s residence, a few soldiers, administrative officials, and even ordinary citizens.

 

“Young master!”

 

People who spotted me came running.

They were so overjoyed that the term ‘young master’ slipped out before ‘lord.’

I shook hands with each of them and asked how they’d been. These were the ones who had trusted and followed only me and my mother. I ought to treat them kindly.

First, I needed to secure their lodgings. It wasn’t likely they had homes in Marseille, where they had no connections.

 

“I’ll find you a place to stay until we secure permanent housing.”

The former administrator and tax collector’s residences were still intact. They could stay there temporarily.

 

Just then, one of the immigrants who had worked in administration handed me a bundle and a letter.

“My lord, these are items the herald asked me to deliver. The letter is from Lady Chloe, the head maid.”

“Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”

 

When I opened the bundle, I found my banner and seals inside.

Martin, the chief of security standing nearby, unfurled the largest banner and was visibly thrilled.

“This looks incredibly expensive.”

“That’s because it is. That’s real gold thread.”

“Wow!”

 

Martin waved the banner excitedly. If left alone, he’d probably carry it around all day. I decided to let him be until he tired himself out.

 

Meanwhile, I took out Chloe’s letter and began reading.

 

[To the Esteemed Lord of Marseille,

Catalonia and Liguria are out of the question. There could be stepchildren involved. I’m heading to the Veneto region instead.

—From your loyal servant, Chloe.]

 

‘What is this supposed to mean?’

From what I could gather, it seemed the lords of Catalonia and Liguria had daughters with illegitimate children.

The difference from Westphalia was that these two lords had many sons.

In the end, it meant there was no advantage—only potential seeds of conflict.

Apparently, Chloe had judged the same and left for another territory.

 

‘Sigh. Noble marriage alliances are never easy.’

 

It is possible to form an alliance through a marriage with an adopted daughter or even a sham wedding without a bride. 

 

However, since this method is not particularly favored, it was extremely difficult to form a marriage alliance with a territory that had no unmarried daughters.

 

‘I really hope we can tie the knot with the Veneto region. I wonder what choice Chloe will make.’