WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

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◈ The Inept Mage’s Infinite Regression

Chapter 52

In Rivielton’s absence, Ethan consulted Aincher, and Aincher said their idea wasn’t a bad one. He provided two horses and some travel funds for Ethan and Boen. Thanks to that, the two were able to save money on their journey to Palmize.

They had a map, and Boen had already passed through Palmize when coming to Yurmus with Bain, so there was little risk of getting lost. Thankfully, they managed to not run into the Imperial Inquisition on their way, though Yurmus’s domain was large enough that they’d been worried it might happen. After about a week’s travel, they arrived in Palmize.

“So this is the Palmize family manor,” Ethan said.

“It’s quite small.”

It was an old, two-story residence. Part of the surrounding wall had collapsed, and the garden was overgrown with weeds. It clearly hadn’t been maintained in a long time.

When the two approached the front gate, they noticed the latch had been broken, and judging by the fresh splinters, it hadn’t been broken long ago.

“Could it have been thieves?” Ethan asked.

“There’s a village close by, but no sign of bandits. Thieves probably wouldn’t just smash the front gate,” Boen replied.

“Then it must’ve been that guy.”

“Who?”

“The one who gave up his inheritance and ran away. What was his name again… Foen?”

“Ah, right.”

As Ethan suspected, the inside of the house showed signs of recent but careless searching, as though someone who knew the place had gone through everything. In the master bedroom, the drawers were all open, and even the hidden compartment typical of such houses stood ajar. A stranger wouldn’t have known about it.

“Looks like everything of value was taken.”

“I doubt there was much of value to begin with.”

When they returned to the first floor, they found a plump, middle-aged woman wearing an apron and holding a shovel. Her name, she explained, was Mora. Evidently, she had seen the two horses tethered outside the manor and, fearful it might be more thieves, had come to investigate.

Boen introduced himself as the new owner of House Palmize and showed her the official edict. Mora said she was unable to read and insisted they go to the village so someone could verify and notarize the document. The two men readily agreed, and Mora bowed her head.

“I’m sorry, Lord Palmize. The truth is, I can read,” she said.

“Is that so? Then why—?” Boen asked.

“I’ve worked here for a very long time. When the former baron’s son was off gambling in a faraway city, I stayed here by his father’s side. I cared for him when he fell ill and when he passed. But as soon as rumors spread that the old baron had died, his son came back and cleaned out the family’s assets. I have a family to look after, so I spend my nights at my own home. He must’ve seized the chance while I was away. I worried you two might be in league with him.”

“So even though you can read, you can’t confirm whether the document’s genuine. You figured that if you insisted on taking it to town for notarization, any fraudsters would get scared and flee,” Boen said.

“Yes.”

“Then you’ve simply done your job as caretaker. There’s no need to apologize; your judgment was sound.”

Mora hesitated. “I should also apologize for failing to protect the family’s property,” she said.

“It couldn’t be helped,” Boen replied. “Who usually handled the family finances?”

“The late baron did, mostly, but I assisted him. After he fell ill, I managed everything by myself.”

“There were no other staff?”

“No. The baron lived very frugally.”

Ethan glanced at the overgrown garden and wondered if the baron’s frugality might have been excessive, but he kept that thought to himself.

“Anyway, we’d like to speak with you about managing the manor and any remaining assets,” Boen said.

“Come to my home, then. The baron used to say someone would eventually come to inherit all this, but we never knew when. I haven’t stored any firewood or food in the manor. Please stay at my place tonight.”

Ethan and Boen agreed.

Palmize itself was not particularly small in overall area, but much of it was mountainous, and there was little flat land suitable for farming or livestock. It had no notable resources, nor was it located on any main roads, so the population was sparse. About five small hamlets were connected by footpaths, not by carriage roads, and each contained seven or eight households. The largest settlement was the one where the Palmize manor stood, which hosted roughly twenty households. Beyond those were a few scattered homes belonging to herbalists or hunters living alone. The taxes came entirely in goods: small amounts of wheat, assorted grains, some medicinal herbs, and a few hides each season, the quantities of which varied wildly from year to year. Any tribute the baron owed the king was raised by selling these goods through the neighboring domain’s trading cooperatives.

“So there’s not a single coin left in the manor?” Boen asked.

“None. The baron’s son took it all,” Mora replied.

“What was his name again?” Ethan asked.

“Foen. Foen Palmize.”

“How much do you think he made off with, in total?”

“We hadn’t converted this season’s goods into money yet. Usually, we wait for prices to go up in winter to sell. That would be worth about two imperial gold coins. And the baron himself had around 220 silver coins in savings. He also had some small gems and a few foreign gold coins. Roughly 300 silver coins’ worth altogether.”

Twenty silver coins made one imperial gold coin. Fifteen imperial gold coins was enough to buy a two-masted vessel. In other words, enough capital to run a small coastal merchant ship.

“Any chance we can catch him?” Boen asked.

“I spread the word to the nearby hamlets, but if he’s gone to a big city where nobody knows him…”

In such a case, one would have to ask another noble to put out an arrest warrant. Even disregarding the price of that favor, one needed a relationship with that noble in the first place. Otherwise, even if Foen were caught, the other noble might simply seize the fifteen imperial gold coins for themselves. The only thing Boen would receive might be Foen’s right hand in a bag.

“Well,” Boen said with a shrug, “let’s just consider that money gone. We can’t do anything about it.”

“I’m sorry, my lord.”

The winter tax had already been collected, and there was nothing much to expect in spring.

“Is there someone who can run an errand for me?” Ethan asked.

“My son can do it. He’s quick on his feet,” Mora offered.

Boen looked puzzled.

“I need to send a letter,” Ethan explained. “Let’s see if there’s not still a way to find Foen.”

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The next day, Ethan and Boen toured the domain with Mora. She had a donkey, so the three of them could easily traverse the area while chatting. Some villagers welcomed the new lord, while others seemed indifferent or even dismissive. However, they all treated Mora with courtesy. It seemed that because the territory was small and remote, folks held no particular grudge against anyone in a noble’s service.

A number of able-bodied young people also lived here, and Mora pointed them out as members of a militia that fended off wolves and bandits. They greeted Boen somewhat nervously.

That evening, Mora guided Ethan and Boen back to the manor. During their absence, she had enlisted her children’s help. The garden was still in disrepair, but the broken gate had been replaced, the clutter inside had been tidied up, and a sizable stack of firewood had been brought in. Mora cooked a meal in the manor’s kitchen: one rabbit and three quails acquired from a hunter, six fresh eggs, a basketful of edible mushrooms, a chunk of cheese, and stale, hard bread from who-knew-when.

As they chatted about how the domain looked in other seasons, Mora’s voice began to tremble. “Are you going off to war?” she asked.

“His Majesty the King has so ordered me,” Boen answered. “Since I’ve inherited a title, I must serve him.”

“I hear it’s going to be a large war, but… this domain is so tiny. If all our young men are taken, we’ll have trouble tending the fields and collecting taxes.”

Boen nodded and exchanged glances with Ethan. They’d already discussed this matter.

“Mora,” Boen said.

“Yes?”

“War is expensive. You have to give every soldier a spear at the very least, and maybe a helmet. We can’t afford that in our current state. And then there’s the cost of feeding them for the entire campaign. I’m glad the baron died without leaving us in debt, but…”

“The late baron was very stingy. He never bothered maintaining the garden, saying ‘No one visits anyway.’ But he spared no money when it came to building bridges on the road to the bigger towns.”

“Borrowing money for war preparations would be a risky move, given the domain’s current condition. Besides, although I have to go, there’s not much to gain from this conflict. Thus, only my friend and I will go to war.”

“You mean you won’t bring any of the local men?”

“Correct.”

“It’ll just be the two of you, alone?”

“Yes.”

Tears gathered in Mora’s eyes.

“I don’t know what to say. You’re both so young… Going off to war, just the two of you?”

Ethan silently recalled all the times Boen had stabbed him with a blade or a magical crystal rod. Heh, if only she knew how lethal Boen could be.

Despite the momentary sentimentality, Boen’s words were simply practical. There was no point in gathering ten or so ill-trained, ill-equipped soldiers. From the lord’s perspective, that would just be a liability. While victory might yield some reward, it was hardly guaranteed.

From the King’s standpoint, having two mages, Ethan and Boen, would be enough. Ten peasants with spears probably wouldn’t even register.

“In any case, I have a favor to ask. You said you once lived here in the manor, right?”

“I did, when I was younger. But I moved out once I had more kids and we ran out of space. It didn’t seem right for me to stay when we had a proper baron anyway.”

“I’d like you to manage the domain on my behalf, the same as you’ve always done—collecting taxes, keeping the ledgers, that sort of thing. Move into the manor. Just leave one room for me, the one with the hidden compartment. How about it?”

“You’d allow that?”

“Of course. After spending a day touring the domain, I’m convinced I can trust you.”

Boen brought out the thirty imperial gold coins Bain had given him. Mora’s eyes went wide.

“Where did you get so much money?” she asked.

“It’s mine,” Boen answered. “Use it to hire a militia captain. Pay him a monthly salary and authorize him to recruit volunteers, compensating them when they’re called up.”

“You’re forming a militia? We do get wolves around here… but it’s still pretty safe. Is it because of the war?”

“Not exactly. I doubt the Undying King would send troops this far. Even if he did, he’d likely just do some saber-rattling and move on. If that happens, just surrender. What I’m worried about are refugees and bandits. Security is going to deteriorate out there. If refugees come, we should help them, and pay for it with my money.”

“But if word gets out that we’re giving aid, won’t more refugees flock here?”

“Most of them will either pass by or won’t want to settle in a place like this. And I’m the one footing the bill anyway. As for bandits, they’re likely to be deserters from Kardien’s side. If rumor spreads that the Lord of Palmize is merciful, they may decide this domain isn’t an easy target.”

“You’ll still have plenty of money left over,” Mora said.

“If any refugees decide they’d like to settle here, use this money to help them. Oh, and hire a gardener. The garden’s in disrepair, and the walls need fixing. Check for anything else that needs attention.”

A domain with so few inhabitants would naturally welcome anyone who wanted to move in, unlike an overcrowded city.

Mora nodded. “I’ll do as you say, my lord.”

∞

Ethan and Boen spent the next several days at the manor, leisurely touring the domain. Ethan, who had picked up some knowledge of estate management over the years, gave Boen a few tips. Boen mulled them over and then asked Mora to handle various tasks. Mora’s husband was hired as the new gardener, and they negotiated a long-term contract with the local trading cooperative in the neighboring domain, hoping to get better prices for the domain’s produce.

Before long, Ethan received the news he’d been waiting for. Scanning the letter, he relayed the contents to Boen.

“Tobira. It’s two days away. Apparently, Foen Palmize has been spotted there, gambling with dice. He’s such a big spender that nobody wants to touch him, so we’ll have to deal with him ourselves. Says here he carries a dueling sword, but he probably isn’t anything special. He’s been winning and losing, but last anyone saw, he was up. We need to go now if we want to catch him,” Ethan said. “Oh, and the Alliance Army has a supply unit stationed in Tobira, so it’ll also be a good chance to establish contact with the King of Kardien.”

Boen eyed Ethan suspiciously. “I’ve got to ask, how exactly did you track Foen down?”

“What do you mean?”

“You got his location right so quickly. How?”

“Groups like that are all connected, even from city to city. They keep tabs on who bets big, who’s an easy mark, who just came into money—stuff like that.”

“I’m tempted to ask how you know these details so well,” Boen said after a moment’s thought, “but I guess I’ll let it slide. Let’s just hurry before that gambler loses all my money.”

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