I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 107
“Excellent. You've done well.”
Ensuring that the labor union formed by the village workers would ultimately become a puppet, unable to escape Ferda’s influence—that was the situation Ferda desired.
“Thank you. Oh, and by the way, we have completed the name change for the Dandolo Merchant Guild in the Empire.”
From now on, it would officially operate as the Hestia Merchant Guild, not Dandolo.
The family crest emblazoned on the tents would also be replaced by Valdroba’s insignia.
“You’re doing a good job. I’ll continue to leave it in your hands.”
“Leave it to me, sir.”
The consultation with the temporary labor union concluded in this manner.
“Since this has been resolved amicably, I believe you can return to your other duties now.”
Instead of standing up, Ferda shifted his gaze to the stack of documents she had piled up.
“I believe there are a few more disputes.”
“There are, but I can resolve them on your behalf under my authority as Administrator.”
“No, I might as well settle them while I’m at it. Since I’ve come all this way, isn't it better to clear them quickly? And…”
“And?”
“Resolving things through dialogue like this… it brings back memories.”
“Um, I see.”
Can this even be considered a dialogue?
Though a bit skeptical, Isabella didn't say a word.
Isabella moved, and a moment later, two men entered.
“These are the stonemasons I mentioned before who require mediation.”
Ferda glanced at them briefly.
A dark-skinned man and a relatively fair-skinned man sat side by side.
Even at a glance, their appearances clearly distinguished them as being from the South and the Central Region, respectively.
Ferda addressed the dark-skinned one first.
“Are you from Halim?”
“Yes. I’ve spent twenty years specializing only in castle walls in Halim—”
“And you’re from the Empire?”
“That is correct.”
“I’ve heard the gist of it. In short, your two construction methods differ, and you’re in the middle of reconciling them, right?”
The fair-skinned stonemason spoke up.
“Yes. We are discussing how to build the wall while considering the terrain and characteristics, but this Southerner simply won't understand…”
The Imperial stonemason clicked his tongue.
At that, the Halim stonemason snorted.
“Doesn't saying you have to ‘consider terrain and characteristics’ just mean the wall is fundamentally incomplete? The walls we build in Halim boast a strength that will not break, no matter what situation arises.”
“Coming from a hot region must have let the winter wind seep into your brain. Since you lot have never even been invaded, you build walls out of sand—do you even have any true skill?”
“If shoving pebbles into empty holes is what you call construction, then even my three-year-old son is a master.”
“You little—!”
“Enough.”
Ferda stopped them before the hammers meant for tapping walls were aimed at each other’s heads.
He could see exactly what was happening. It was a clash of two craftsmen's pride.
“I understand both your opinions well. Thus, I can give you a clear answer.”
“Does that mean you’ve decided which method to use?”
“How could I?”
No matter how clever Ferda was, he couldn't compare to people who had spent their entire lives working with stone.
However, he could resolve this problem with absolute clarity.
Ferda held up his index finger.
“One month.”
“…Pardon?”
“Within that time, you are to build a wall four meters in height and length.”
The two looked dumbfounded.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Are you saying we should decide for ourselves whose method to use?”
“Yes. Because that is your job.”
From the perspective of those who came for mediation, it was an absurd verdict. Ferda didn't stop there; he added more.
“Within one month, you must create a wall that can sufficiently withstand my siege magic.”
“What?”
The two craftsmen looked at Ferda with panicked eyes. They wondered if this was some kind of joke, but Ferda’s eyes were shining with intensity.
“I won't understand even if you talk about construction methods and the like, so I am presenting a solution in my own way.”
Ferda pointed a finger at them.
“You know how to build sturdy walls.”
Then he pointed to himself.
“And I know how to break walls.”
Even the walls of the Empire, which boasted of such sturdiness, had crumbled by his hand.
“So, within one month, build the strongest wall possible. I will strike the very center of that wall with a Magic Blast. Understood?”
“What happens if that wall collapses?”
“Simple.”
He drew his thumb across his throat.
The two stonemasons turned pale.
“Y-you’re going to behead us just because a wall built in a month collapsed?”
“Since you built a shoddy wall, the charges will be impersonating an expert and fraud. Furthermore, it will extend to threatening national security.”
“That’s far too much of a leap!”
“Is it a leap, Administrator?”
Isabella shook her head.
“For those who fail at border defense, even a death sentence is a light price to pay.”
“So it seems.”
The technicians realized now was not the time to be stubborn about their pride. While they had thought of each other as enemies until yesterday, a real enemy who threatened their lives had appeared.
As they broke into a cold sweat, Ferda asked,
“Are you thinking of running away?”
“*Cough!*”
“H-how could we possibly?!”
Ferda had seen right through them.
“You may run. Try it if you can. But I will hunt you down and bring you back. Of course, by then, it won't matter whether there’s a wall or not.”
Ferda let out a soft “Hmm…” then asked them nonchalantly,
“Have you ever been in so much pain that you were confused whether you should beg for your life or beg for death?”
“…….”
“If you’re curious about the process, I can show you as much as you’d like.”
“N-no, sir!”
“We have no intention of running, so why would we need to know such things? Haha…!”
The two men were suddenly full of spirit. Ferda nodded.
“Then I shall assume you've understood everything I’ve said.”
“Of course! How could we not understand?!”
“Then you may go. You have 29 days, 23 hours, and 55 minutes left. You’d better build that wall as quickly as possible.”
“Y-yes, sir!!”
As soon as Ferda’s command was given, they fled the scene as if their lives depended on it.
Once the murderous atmosphere settled, Ferda muttered,
“Dialogue is a better tool than I thought.”
“If you can call that dialogue, that is.”
Despite her words, Isabella looked satisfied.
“At least they won't be fighting unproductively anymore.”
“If they still fight after this, then that’s something I’d have to respect in its own way. The next dispute?”
“The next dispute is…”
Ferda continued to resolve the disputes. Since no one else was as stubborn as the two stonemasons, he was able to settle them easily without threats.
“It looks like that’s the end of the work.”
Before he knew it, all the documents Isabella had placed before him were gone, so he prepared to finish up. It was then—
“There is still one case remaining.”
“One case?”
Isabella pulled a single document from her folder and handed it to him.
“Seeing how you’ve handled things today, I thought you were the right person to judge this matter. This is a formal complaint I’ve written myself.”
Ferda looked at the defendant listed in the complaint she had written. The moment he saw it, his breath hitched. He could already see the chaos that was about to unfold.
“…You’re filing a complaint against this person?”
“Yes.”
Her blue eyes were dead serious. She spoke with absolute finality.
“I am reporting Echidna Philiaz for negligence of duty.”
“You bitch.”
The one who spat out a curse as soon as they came face-to-face was Echidna. Those were the first words she uttered after flying here the moment the telegram was sent to her.
This is a bit new.
Since Ferda had only ever seen her gloomy, grinning face, this was the first time he had seen her so incandescently angry. Now she finally felt like a Witch.
Isabella, who had been cursed at the moment they met, remained unmoved. She pushed up her slightly slipping glasses and spoke.
“Nice to meet you, Chief Researcher. Whether human or beast, one usually offers a greeting upon meeting, but it seems you don't fall into either category?”
Isabella was equally formidable. Echidna looked ready to pop an eyeball.
“You’re the one who started it, you knowww? I guess you’ve eaten so many years through your backside that you’re getting tired of living, huhhh???”
“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘started it.’ I merely stated the facts.”
“I didn't do my workkk? What do you know to be saying such thingsss??”
The battle of nerves between the two proud women was like the clash of two dragons. Consequently, innocent bystanders were getting caught in the crossfire.
“U-um, Regent-nim…”
Stefan, who was currently being crushed in the middle, asked in a trembling voice.
“What is it?”
“That, uh, Witch… who is she?”
“She’s a Witch we hired for our castle.”
“Why have you kept it a secret until now? I’ve never heard a word about a Witch living here…”
“There was no particular need to hide it, nor any need to talk about it.”
That was true. Stefan clutched his chest and watched the two of them warily, trying not to get caught in their wake.
Isabella cleared her throat and spoke to Ferda in a clear voice.
“As I mentioned, I am reporting Chief Researcher Echidna Philiaz for negligence. Her research progress is lagging behind Bernel Marquis, who was recruited later, and she has not reported her progress even once. Recording whatever work you do is a researcher's duty. Abandoning that duty is no different from negligence.”
Isabella’s words were logical. Under normal circumstances, Echidna might have just apologized and moved on. However, there was one ultimate reason she couldn't accept this.
“So, what you want is…”
Ferda swallowed hard as if hesitant to even read it before speaking.
“…Mori’s custody.”
Custody. He thought it was a truly trivial reason. Yet, it was that very word, ‘custody,’ that had caused this mess.
It was why Isabella had reported Echidna, and why Echidna had lost her mind.
“Think rationally. Are you telling me this ferocious Witch should be managing such a delicate child?”
“Mori-chan was being raised perfectly well by me long before you showed uppp! Regent-nim, you’re not seriously going to take her away from me because of those words, are youuu?”
Echidna glared at him.
“Just in case, if I say yes, are you going to kill me?”
“Pardon? No! No matter what, how could I ever touch you, Regent-nim…”
Realizing her mistake, Echidna smoothed her expression. It seemed she hadn't completely lost her mind yet.
Ferda was just as much of a headache as they were agitated.
What on earth should I do about this…
It wasn't a problem that could be easily solved. To begin with, the process of creating that Golem was not easy, and he was currently feeling her value as a Rune maker quite strongly.
But Isabella has a point too.
There was no progress on the Golem, yet Mori’s outfits were becoming more diverse by the day—a strange situation indeed. Even if it were called negligence, she would have no defense.
Besides, the value of the Golem is highly anticipated right now.
Since the goal had been set as the conquest of the East, the priority of that Golem had increased. He needed to apply the whip to her research.
The way to do that is through custody.
It was a subject as delicate as walking a tightrope. However, the Witch was a possessor of a Red Circle. As a Philiaz, their obsession was terrifying. Since they were beings driven by emotion, they had to be handled carefully.
After the two of them had been snarling at each other for a long time, Echidna made a suggestion.
“If you’re going to take away my custody, at least let’s hear Mori-chan’s opinion firsttt!”
At those words, Ferda turned his gaze toward Isabella.
“Fine.”
Isabella showed a surprising amount of interest in that, as if she didn't give a damn about the negligence report anymore.
In any case, to reach a conclusion, Ferda summoned Mori.
A young lady in neat attire entered the room.
“Ah, oh my god… she’s so cute…”
“*Gasp*…”
Echidna made a fuss in her delight, and Isabella let out a choked sound of emotional overwhelm upon seeing her face.
“Are all Witches and Dragon Spawns like this?”
“How should I know?”
He wasn't interested. Regardless, Ferda decided to do what he had to do.
“I will be the one to ask the questions. Mori, how do you think we should resolve this issue?”
Mori looked back and forth between Echidna and Isabella, then wrote as she usually did. In elegant handwriting, she replied:
-I believe splitting my body in half is the clear answer.
“…?”
Ferda fell into serious thought upon hearing those words. He wondered if it was a poetic metaphor.
“Do you mean to see which of the two truly cares for you?”
-Eliminating the source of the conflict is also a method.
She was literally asking to be killed. Hearing that, Ferda looked at Mori’s face again. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes.
“…I shall pass judgment.”
Ferda spoke up.
“Mori will be managed under me for the next week.”
“Whhaattt???”
“Pardon?!”
Isabella and Echidna were shocked. They naturally protested.
“W-where is there such an absurd lawww? You delegated her to me.”
“That was merely temporary until a plan was established. Mori is the property of the Archduchy, so I can choose her management, and therefore, it is possible for me to manage her myself.”
Isabella toyed with her glasses in an attempt to hide her flustered state.
“Above all, Miss Mori is a petite young girl. I don't think it's good for such a girl to be under a man's care…”
*Scratch, scratch, scratch!*
“It seems the person herself thinks differently.”
Mori was busy drawing X-marks with her pen. She seemed to think that judgment was the answer for her.
“Ruri and I will take care of Mori for this week. She doesn't speak anyway, so there won't be any major hindrance to my work having her by my side.”
“What do you intend to do after that week?”
“It will depend on the defendant's performance.”
Ferda’s blue eyes rolled toward Echidna.
“Echidna.”
His lowered voice made Echidna’s body shiver with a tingle.
“Y-yes!”
“The reason you are here is to research your Golem. Correct?”
“Yes, th-that’s righttt…”
“Bernel has shown results, but you have been silent until now. I know you like playing with dolls, but you must at least do your job.”
“Uuu…”
Echidna hung her head, unable to refute.
“So, I will give you a six-month grace period. Until then, the management system will be changed every week.”
“Does that mean after I spend a week, I have to hand her over to this Witch for a week?”
“Yes.”
Neither was satisfied. It was already frustrating not to have her all to themselves, and now they had to take turns every week like a duty roster.
“And.”
Ferda wasn't finished.
“Mori, report to me on the status of their efficiency. If efficiency drops significantly, the next person in line will take over for the remainder of the period without warning. And if the next person also shows a drop in efficiency, I will keep her under my command for a month.”
If children fight over a toy, it’s only natural to take the toy away. As soon as that judgment was passed, life returned to Mori’s eyes. The message she wrote on her memo pad read:
-I deem this a judgment worthy of a wise ruler.
“Good. Let’s conclude it like this.”
Echidna glared at Isabella. Her eyes were filled with resentment, as if saying this was all her fault.
Strangely, however, her circuits did not move. It meant the emotions contributing to circuit formation were far removed from such anger and resentment.
Isabella met her gaze as if refusing to back down. As the former chief secretary of the Magic Tower, she was not one to be easily intimidated.
A deep rift could be felt growing between the two.
Regardless of that, Mori had a much more comfortable expression on her face.
