Chapter 22

In the tavern’s private room, reeking of tobacco and alcohol, I faced the master of the slums.

“You’ve got some nerve for a young lady wanting to hire ruffians like us. That attitude of valuing information is admirable, too.”

“Then will you take the job?”

“Well, that depends on how the negotiations go from here. When it all comes down to it, this is what matters.”

Saying that, Gatou made a circle with his finger.

What a vulgar gesture.

“You might not get it, being a young lady raised in a nice place, but in this world, whatever you want to move, you need money first.”

“I understand. Actually, we nobles appreciate the value of money far more than you commoners.”

“Is that so? I honestly figured the nobles of this country thought that as long as you had magic, you didn’t need money at all.”

The one who actually frowned at those words was not me, but the Crown Prince.

An air of displeasure radiated from behind my back.

“So, shall we hear about the noble young lady’s proper sense of money? Exactly how much are you going to pay for our labor in scrounging up the information you need?”

“I won’t pay you with money.”

At that response, the atmosphere in the room froze for a fraction of a second.

Gatou’s own expression grew considerably harsh.

“I thought you were an interesting woman, but in the end, are you just like the other nobles? Saying you have no money to spare for vermin-like commoners?”

“Jumping to conclusions will cost you profits. What I mean is that I want to pay for your services with something other than money.”

“What was that?”

“Forgive me for the late introduction, but I am Eltriede of the Eldenvalk Duke family. Does this family name ring any bell?”

When I dropped that name, Gatou’s expression shifted even further…

“You’re telling me you’re the daughter of the Great Master Yuroft?”

That’s right.

Yuroft wasn’t widely known, but it was my father’s first name.

Meaning, the current Duke of Eldenvalk.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve heard about you from my father, too. I hear you got a fair bit of help from him when you were conquering this district.”

My father was a duke, after all.

Moreover, he was the head of the most profitable major territory in the country. Even staying far away from the royal capital without an official government post, he wielded an undeniable, lingering influence.

Back in my past life, when Gatou was trying to expand his sphere of influence here in the royal capital’s slums, my father had secretly lent him a hand.

To my father—who, unusually for a magic noble of the Spiritual Kingdom, placed great importance on law and economy—the slums of the Southern Lunda district had been a headache.

Unable to pacify this place through laws alone, he had used the principle of fighting poison with poison, backing Gatou, who possessed the most sensible mindset among the ruffians, to wipe out the more depraved thugs.

That was why the current state of the Southern Lunda district wasn’t as horribly grim as the Crown Prince had just implied.

Slave traders and their ilk had been driven out by Gatou’s hands and no longer remained in the royal capital.

He had banned human trafficking under underworld rules; violators were cast out even within the slums and ultimately could no longer survive in the royal capital.

Consequently, kidnappings had ceased in the capital.

For the past few years, public order in the capital should have improved drastically compared to before, but that wasn’t due to the work of civil servants.

It was because Gatou, who ruled the underworld, had vigorously driven out filthy crimes that went against human decency.

Even if you lump them all together as bad guys, there were different kinds—some who were evil to the core, and some who weren’t.

There were those who had no choice but to dabble in evil deeds due to the circumstances of their birth, and Gatou likely fell into the latter category.

That was why, having climbed to the top of the slums, he was working desperately to improve his own governing environment.

In my past life, I had poked at that very weak spot and used him to my advantage.

“You know what kind of policies my father implements in his own territory, don’t you?”

“W-Well, yeah…! The Great Master Yuroft is the only noble I respect. I’ve always heard about what he does in his territory with envy. How wonderful it would be if the same thing were done in the royal capital…!”

“How about that being the reward for you folks cooperating with me?”

“Huh?”

Up until now, there had been a few too many vague pronouns floating around, making things a bit hard to follow, but when you’re engaging in a battle of wits, a certain degree of sparring is unavoidable.

“Which of my territory’s policies are you envious of? For instance, the installation of a sewage system?”

Indeed.

The royal capital lacked sewage facilities, and a foul stench constantly drifted everywhere.

Anyone accustomed to life in the Eldenvalk territory, which was fully equipped with a sewage system, would find the unbearable stench almost impossible to tolerate.

“What would you say if I told you I’d build that sewage system right here in the Southern Lunda district?”

“Haaah!?”

“Is that not enough for a reward?”

Surprised by this proposal, Gatou’s tough demeanor faltered slightly.

I would push my advantage right here and now.

“If you say that isn’t enough, shall we negotiate the price? Do you know what compost is?”

“C-Compost…?”

Roughly speaking, it was fertilizer made from garbage.

If leftover food, excrement, and similar waste were left to rot and then scattered over the soil, it provided nourishment to help vegetables grow well. In foreign countries, research was being conducted to make even better compost, and those results were making their way to my family’s territory, which faced the ocean.

In fact, high-grade compost had been put into practical use in our territory, and crop yields had been steadily increasing over the past few years.

“I will teach you how to produce that compost.”

“Haaah!?”

“The materials for compost are garbage and excrement. They are the very source of the foul odors scattered across this royal capital. Under your command are many ruffians, and beneath them are countless more unemployed people, aren’t there?”

We would mobilize those people to gather the garbage, collect it in one place to ferment it into compost, and sell it.

The foul odors would vanish from the royal capital, leaving it clean, and we could also pay wages to the people without jobs.

It was a policy that killed two birds with one stone.

“I will provide the funds for that. And you’ll also need a place to use the finished compost, right? Most of this Southern Lunda district has already turned into abandoned ruins that no one uses. Let’s smash parts of it down and turn them into farmland. We can improve the royal capital’s food situation and generate even more employment.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait…! What on earth are you saying…?”

“Once funds are accumulated that way, building further facilities and giving new job opportunities to the people of this district would be best. I will cover all the initial costs. This is the reward paid to you folks. Do you have any complaints?”

“I don’t have complaints… well, of course I don’t, but I don’t get it…!”

Gatou was completely bewildered, sweat spurting from all over his face.

“What you’re proposing is so exorbitant it doesn’t sound like mere payment for information. Frankly, it doesn’t add up at all. What do you even stand to gain by doing something like this?”

“If I had to say, perhaps it’s because this is your wish?”

“……!?”

At those words, Gatou wore a startled expression, as if his innermost thoughts had been seen through.

What someone who wasn’t an evildoer to the core, yet possessed enough strength to climb to the top of the slums, aimed for.

That was the environmental improvement of the Southern Lunda district, which had become a slum.

To clean the streets, give jobs to vagrants, and turn it into an ordinary town where everyone living in this district could live in satisfaction.

That was Gatou’s wish.

Having learned that wish in my past life, I had ruthlessly exploited it.

To turn him—whom I met through my father—into my pawn.

If I became the Crown Princess, I would prioritize aid and redevelopment for the Southern Lunda district.

Dangling that bait, I manipulated Gatou and thoroughly dug up the weaknesses of my rival young ladies.

Even when I carried out more direct sabotage at times, I made Gatou do the execution.

I pinned clear crimes upon him.

Thanks to that, when my crimes were exposed in my past life, he too was arrested and sentenced to death.

His wish to improve the slums had never been granted.

That was why in this present life, where I could start over, I definitely wanted to grant his wish.

Thinking that, the preparations I had been making for some time were now suddenly beginning to bear fruit.

Even if I said I wanted to grant Gatou’s wish, it was a massive undertaking. A young girl like me couldn’t possibly shape it overnight.

That was why I had been steadily pushing forward with preparations ever since I was in the territory.

If the Crown Prince selection hadn’t been involved, I had intended to go through my father or entrust it to him, progressing step by step.

But since things had turned out this way, I was going to catch the momentum and push right through with it!

“Look at this!”

Taking advantage of the moment, I unfolded what I had hidden in my pocket as my trump card.

It was a map.

A map of this Southern Lunda district.

With the standing of a ducal young lady, obtaining a map that was practically classified item was a breeze, but that map wasn’t just a regular map—various things had been added to it in handwriting.

“This is…!?”

“I’ve written my proposed redevelopment plans all over it. That means the blueprints were finished long ago. If you follow me, the plan will start right away.”

Though, considering what a sudden young lady appearing today was saying, it probably sounded like absolute nonsense.

Especially since the ambition was so grand.

If Gatou’s heart wasn’t moved and he rejected it, that would be the end of it.

What would his answer be?

Gatou’s gaze, looking thoroughly lost and darting around, shifted slightly to my side for a fraction of a second.

What on earth was he looking at?

Speaking of the person standing beside me, slightly towards the rear…

“—Come to think of it, I’ve heard about it. You nobles are holding some kind of interesting event right now, aren’t you?”

“That is…”

“Is it picking a wife for the prince? For us commoners, it doesn’t matter who becomes king, so it matters even less when it’s a wife. …But I’ve just changed my mind.”

Saying that, he stared straight at me and grinned broadly.

“The Great Master Yuroft was a duke, wasn’t he? If you’re a duke’s daughter, you’re certainly fit to be queen. If a girl like you is saying she’ll eventually become queen, that sounds interesting.”

“Wait, I’m not particularly aiming to be the Crown Princess…!”

“I’ll take this job! I don’t know how far street ruffians can go, but let’s thoroughly support you so you can become the prince’s wife in our own way. In exchange, don’t forget you’re backing the redevelopment of this district!”