Volume 10 Chapter 3 (2/2)

”Ohh, the Norman Company's been misusing the Hippogriffs to trade in the Grand Reed Kingdom and the Larudora Republic? That route and not going back to Avalon should have netted them a lot of money… very well, here's what we're going to do. First, arrest all of the executives of the Norman Company, including Norman Litra himself. Then, slave labor for ten years and confiscation of all their assets. That should be an appropriate enough punishment.”

”Woah, scaaary”

”They know what's coming for them. It's written in the contract they signed. I could have them killed, I suppose, but I have something better in mind. They'll be allowed to have visitors, but since they'll be thrown to the worst cells we have, their visitors would be so appalled they'll turn back. Hopefully, those visitors would spread the warning to not cross us.”

In addition to being deployed in the airports, Hippogriffs, carriages, and containers were also leased out to merchants willing to sign a provided contract. One of the few conditions stated in the contract was that the Hippogriffs had to come back to Avalon after each flight.

Because the company in question purposefully violated this rule, they needed to be served with severe punishment. Hopefully, this should also serve as a lesson to others who wished to break the few and simple rules stated in the contract.

By tomorrow, the crime and the punishment of the Norman Company would be known to the entire city.

By the way, there was no need to conduct a trial or delay the punishment.

In Avalon, I was the law. I was judge, jury, executioner, and all that.

After that page about the Norman Company, I flipped page after page of Ruhe's report.

”…Ruhe, it seems impossible for my head not to hurt after reading one of your behind-the-scenes reports.”

”Yeah, humans are something else, aren't they? They come up with one crooked thing after another.”

”Well, I guess we have that guile to thank for our prosperity.”

Ruhe's report was a treasure trove of crimes and misdeeds.

One section told about the misconduct of a few human staff members of the Holy Grail Faith. According to the report, they were abusing their power so that they could swindle and even rape believers. If such things were made public, the Holy Grail Faith's influence on foreign lands would surely fall. For that, slave labor was perhaps a lenient punishment. Death it is then.

Another one concerned the Rilner Company. Because of the fact that their head office was here in Avalon, they were more believable when they sold what they said were Avalon apples but were actually just some fruit that resembled apples a bit.

After all our efforts to build up the reputation of the Avalon apples, they were besmirching it just like that. For that, slave labor was quite fitting. But then again, perhaps we could also make them be the test subjects of Aura's potions. Aura did mention that she had finished reading the [Book of Curaga], so her potions from now on were bound to be even more wonderful, especially with their help.

The report also detailed about the plan to kidnap and sell beautiful demi-human girls. This reminded me of that incident a few days ago where some ruffians tried to attack some of the Mythological Foxes. The nerve of these lowlifes for trying to lay a hand on my monsters… turning them into sex slaves, especially the male ones, should be suitable.

These were but a few of the many atrocities done by the humans in just a single month.

I read each and wrote a reasonable punishment in a document that I then handed to Ruhe.

”Dealing with these kinds of things… I can see how some Demon Lords don't want to co-exist with humans.”

”Patron, are you saying you're abandoning the idea of managing a city?”

”No, definitely not. I know that for every piece of trash your reports uncover, there's a great deal more that aren't.”

The owners of the shops and bars I frequented always made me feel at ease whenever I conversed with them.

There were many who were kind to my monsters as well.

Like the old ladies who were fond of Kuina and often gave her sweets.

There were also the enthusiastic blacksmiths who were so fascinated by Rorono's skills that they decided to move here.

Plus, the energetic orphans that assisted Aura in harvesting the apples.

For better or for worse, humans were both good and evil. While some good people today might become capable of something despicable tomorrow, the opposite could also happen.

Humans were fickle creatures; it was as simple as that.

”Heeh, you really are kind, aren't you, patron?”

”No, I am not. Anyway, here are the punishments for the ones in your report. They're just like what I told you earlier.”

”Understood! The intelligence corps will do its duty to carry out these rulings.”

Ruhe replied so in a somewhat cheery tone.

I could let her be on her way now, or…

”I'm going to visit the newly established residential district after this. Would you like to come with me?”

I had a feeling that if I didn't ask her that, sooner or later, she would have asked to come herself.

”Hmm, I don't have any work left after this… so, yeah, I guess I'd come with you.”

Like that, the two of us exited from my estate.

The residential district I spoke of was going to be built in the [Plain] room, which was originally the [Mine] area.

The Dwarf Smiths and the High Elves did their best to make it a truly wonderful place.

But the residential district wasn't the only extraordinary thing they built. That other thing was more for my monsters than for the humans though.

Once Ruhe sees it, I'm sure she'll be surprised.