Iron Blood Earl Riccianne

“How many did you say there were? ”

“10,000 people. ”

After confirming it again, Lycaen was able to see that she had not heard it wrong.

But no matter how many times I heard it, I couldn't believe it. Not one, not one, not one, not one, not one, not one, not one, not one, not one, not one.

“Did you check properly? ”

“Of course.”

Raul expressions that he could not believe, even as he spoke.

Lycaen said with a stiff face.

“Tell me in detail. ”

Raul was surprised at what he said, and he looked embarrassed and looked back at Riyaen and the Tehaz next to him.

“I've already told you everything and now what... Tell me quickly."

“Yes? Yes! All right, what I was given after I acquired the territory was a summary of the Land Captain and the Hostile Officer. But something was off. ”

“What?”

“The numbers on the janitors' documents match exactly. ”

Land masters and hostiles who manage the land and population of the territory usually make two copies and store one copy in a castle, while the other is kept by the officers who manage each town or city. The documents managed by the castle were intended to correct the changes at that time, in order to identify incoming taxes or land.

Lycaen nods.

“Well, in other words, forged documents. ”

Being a group of people cannot always look the same without any change. Some people are reborn in a group, and some die. Or you can leave the group and move to another group.

The ground is the same. It is constantly being changed by a sudden natural disaster or person. Therefore, neither the Land Master nor the Hostile Officer can be perfect.

“Yes, but I didn't think it was a big deal until then. If you think about the plunder of Leon, it's not natural that the officers down there are rotting, too. because they would have done formal paperwork in the middle to commit misconduct such as tax evasion. ”

“Of course you did. You thought there shouldn't be any paperwork errors as the lord changed." ”

“Yes, that's what I thought. But it wasn't going to go away. After all, what I need to do is figure out the real state of the territory. So we had no choice but to do due diligence on villages and cities close to the castle. to figure out how different it is by comparing it to the figures on the document. But something was definitely wrong. ”

Lycaen, a quick observer, nods and asks.

“The results of the due diligence match the numbers on the paperwork, right? ”

“Yes, the numbers in the hostile registrar don't just exist on paper, they actually have that many people. without a single error. ”

“It's not a bad thing to see the results.... ”

“Yes, it certainly cannot be done in real life. Eventually, I had to summon all the officials. ”

“So I asked them, and they disappeared? ”

“Yes, that's exactly the same day that people who are just doing things disappeared. ”

Lycaen's expression hardened even further. The population of the Duke of Leon is around 200,000, a typical duke. If only one of them is missing, about 5% of the territory is gone.

In a village of about 100 people, five disappeared, but in the whole area, a huge population disappeared.

“So did you find out how he disappeared? ”

“I tried to find out, but no one knew. Most of the answers woke up, and they were invisible. I think the people around me thought that they were fleeing from the war. ”

Given the heavy tax burden imposed on Birch Leon, it was also reasonable to consider that.

“Anything else? ”

“They all disappeared on the same day. Exactly the day after the announcement that the lord will change. ”

Lycaen said in a drowned voice.

“It was someone who wanted to do it... How the hell did they take him? ”

If people disappeared in the same proportion of villages and cities spread throughout the vast area, if they had all disappeared on the same day, it was clear what someone had decided to do.

But now was not the time to sit and ponder.

Lycaen blinks at Tehaz for a sudden change.

“Grandma, something's wrong. I can't come with you right now. ”

“Go ahead, Bernardo. ”

“I'll see you then! Raoul, come with me! ”

Lycaen leaps out of the office scared to death.

Friella rises up first, of the two left standing in Lycaen's office.

“Teacher, we'll go, too. ”

But Tehaz looks serious and tilts his head, but he doesn't think much about moving.

I asked Priella, who had been waiting for a long time, if she thought it was strange.

“Master, what are you thinking? ”

“Huh? Oh, no. What did you say?”

“Yes?”

Friella was embarrassed by Tehaz's bewilderment. It was because I had never seen a teacher like this before.

“No. Let's go to your room, too. ”

* * *

“10,000 people! ”

Anton cries out in a flawed expression.

“Yes, 10,000. Have you ever heard of a rumor like this? ”

Anton was traveling a lot as a mercenary, so he asked if he knew anything.

“Well? I've never heard of it... ”

Anton shakes his head and casts his gaze at Julia next to him. Have you ever heard of it? But Julia shakes her head as well.

“I've been hanging out with you, and if you don't know it, I don't know it! ”

At that moment, Lycaen's gaze settles on Yulia. And I spit out a cold word.

“Watch your mouth. ”

“Yes, yes? ”

“Anton is your boss. If you make fun of it without being a bitch, you can throw it away. ”

“Oh, okay! ”

As Yulia twitches her head and puckers her lips, Lycaen turns to Anton.

“Let's start by investigating where they went. ”

“Yes.”

“As soon as the investigation is complete, I'll be right behind you. Finish the investigation as soon as possible. ”

“I understand.”

“Raul knows the details, so you should consult with him and investigate. I'll figure it out myself. ”

Lycaen leaves in a hurry, terrified of finishing her sentence.

“Administrator Raoul, I'll get ready and come with you. ”

After standing far away from Anton's words, Raul nods, his nose stuffed. It was because Anton, Julia and Sena had just walked around the walls armed.

Anton makes his move, but Julia says in a hurry.

Anton!

“Huh?"

“Don't you need me? ”

Investigating the whereabouts of missing people means you can be freed from this boring brick wall for a while. Julia couldn't miss that opportunity.

At that moment, a strange smile came to Anton's mouth. When Julia saw that smile, she suddenly asked as she stepped back from her anxiety.

“What's the matter...? ”

Anton then asked with a deeper smile.

“What did you just ask... have you seen it? G. 4. Mr. Yulia?"

“Ugh!"

There was no way Julia could not have known the meaning of that question. He looks at Anton with a lot of impression and says in a clumsy voice.

“Tsk! Take me, Dan. Jean. ”

Anton nods with a very proud face.

“Heheh heh, yeah. ”

Yulia's expression distorted as she looks at the winner Anton, but she can't help it.

Seeing these two, Senna urgently said that she would miss this opportunity.

“Master Anton, take me with you! ”

“Yes? You? ”

On Anton's behalf, Senna nods vigorously with a eager and enthusiastic expression.

“You mean you'll help us with the investigation? ”

“Yes, of course! ”

“But I don't think the young lady will be able to help you.... ”

“Just ask. I'll do anything. ”

Sheena said with a desperate expression. This training was so boring and harsh.

In fact, Sena's stamina was quite good. Since I was a child, I trained Lycaen to be a swordsman, so I was strong for women. It was enough stamina to do just a hundred rounds along the wall.

However, the key to this exercise is to ‘run' a hundred laps along the resistance wall. This means that every step you take must be two feet off the ground. I had to work hard and run at a speed that was just one thing.

It was a simple but unimaginably demanding exercise, and it was a hard exercise.

Ata shakes his head, staring at Senna's face for a long time.

“I can't. ”

“Yes, why? ”

# 66