Reincarnated User Manual

Chapter 285: Silleya (3)

Chapter 285: Silleya (3)

Recently, an unusual phenomenon has been occurring in the empire.

Though it was winter, the weather was warm, and since it was the end of the year, there should have been quite a few gatherings, but strangely, the streets were empty.

The fact that crowds weren’t gathering wasn’t much of a concern for most, but for those holding a lot of wealth, it was a headache.

“…It’s not because of the winter preparations. The market’s funds aren’t circulating, and the citizens are voicing their complaints.”

“Hmm.”

Victor looked down at the Alhyeon Room with a disinterested face. The so-called high-ranking officials, led by the finance minister, were bowing their heads.

As people of the empire, bowing before the emperor was natural, but skipping the morning lecture and groveling like this was not a common occurrence.

“Your Majesty, as the father of the people, you must apprehend the culprits spreading these subversive letters.”

“…How can I arrest Shiron? Speak sense.”

“Of course, I even had someone sent to confirm it personally.”

“Confirm? The capital of Rien is on the verge of collapse because of this!”

“…Isn’t it just winter? Let it pass as a mere seasonal downturn.”

Victor, though expressing her annoyance, ordered them to back down, but today, the officials were persistent.

“The workers are losing their jobs, and people may die from starvation and cold!”

“I will open the national treasury. Set up soup kitchens in the streets. The empire is vast. If they fear freezing to death, establish shelters in the southern regions.”

“Thank you for your benevolence!”

The officials bowed even lower. Victor frowned in discomfort.

“I’ve proposed a solution and even offered an unprecedented response by opening the treasury, so what more do they want? Did I miss something?”

“…Are you purposely avoiding the issue?”

The finance minister’s eyes flared. As a man busy managing the empire’s finances, he rarely clashed directly with the emperor.

But today was different.

“Your Majesty, even if you are close with Sir Shiron, this has gone too far!”

“Too far?”

“Yes! How could my future granddaughter-in-law be a barbarian!”

Recently, suspicious letters circulating throughout the empire had thrown society into chaos.

The content? The identities of 300 infiltrators.

Among them was the name of the woman introduced by the finance minister’s grandson. Overnight, the shock of his future granddaughter-in-law being arrested was indescribable.

“My future granddaughter-in-law is a native, born and raised in Rien for three generations! And now she’s a barbarian?”

“Well, I suppose those vermin had been planning this terror from three generations back.”

“Aren’t you being too certain?”

“Don’t worry. I understand you cherish that child, but the defense of the empire comes first.”

“Innocent people might suffer…!”

“Stop exaggerating.”

Victor sighed, pressing his forehead.

“No one has died, and no one has been tortured. They’re merely being held in a space cut off from the outside for a while.”

“…”

“If they aren’t truly the spies planted by the barbarians, they’ll be released soon enough.”

Even Victor found it hard to believe, so she had ordered that no summary executions take place.

Normally, spies, once discovered, would face brutal torture and execution immediately, but the sheer number—300—was too overwhelming.

Unlike 300 wielding spears on an open battlefield, 300 hidden within key positions was an unnerving number.

In the capital alone, there were about 3,000 nobles and government officials with titles. If 10% of them were revealed as spies, the fear of widespread distrust among people could easily spread.

“Anyway, keep your mouths shut. Officially, we’ll present it as a matter of health inspections or conscription.”

“Is that so?”

“Indeed. Even if they’re later cleared of suspicion, we must think of the aftermath.”

“…Understood.”

“Good. And one more thing, refrain from going out during the winter.”

Victor gave her final command to the officials. If what Shiron said was true, a great commotion would soon occur. It would likely unfold within the city, and the damage would be unavoidable.

“I don’t want to lose my capable subordinates needlessly.”

“…”

At Victor’s warning, the officials bowed their heads silently.

At the same time, in the northern prison of the empire…

“That many people had been hiding?”

Siriel was astonished as she watched the people, bound in chains, walking in a line.

“For having been hiding for centuries, it’s quite a small number. If you trace their bloodlines far enough, there should be at least several dozen times more.”

“Is this all the people you could reach? Or…”

“…”

“Is this all you could find?”

Her sharp gaze shifted to Yoru. A few days ago, Shiron had brought in a slave, who was none other than the leader of a terrorist group with a high bounty.

‘For the leader of a terrorist group, she looks too refined.’

Siriel had been close to panicking due to the woman’s appearance, but Shiron’s persuasion had barely calmed her down.

‘I can’t remain an insecure woman trembling with doubt forever. I need to prepare my mindset for the possibility of concubines.’

Concubine and main wife. Concubine and main wife. The main wife was Siriel Prient. The concubines would be the other women…

Chanting to herself, Siriel cleared her throat.

“Was your name Yoru?”

“…”

“You were a princess, and yet you ended up here.”

Siriel felt the sharp gazes directed her way. The captured spies, lined up and being escorted by knights, had their eyes fixed on Yoru.

-Is the princess captured?

-No way, did the princess reveal our identities…?

-That can’t be…

-What will happen to us now?

“…This might be the last sight of your people.”

Though her voice was calm, her eyes were already reddened.

Yoru knew very well how her people saw her. Her ears were open, and she could sense the scattered hostility.

Betrayal, confusion… Some gazes were filled with hatred, while others with pity.

Yoru felt more than just shame; she felt a deep dizziness.

She had spent her life knowing only battle, and as the daughter of the High Elder, she had received a lot of love. But now, receiving this much negative emotion was far more difficult than she had imagined.

She wanted to shout that she wasn’t a traitor, that she had no choice but to do this to save them, but look at her current state.

No resistance, bound by a leash, being dragged around like a dog.

Though her attire was a neat and proper dress rather than shabby slave clothes, the dignity of someone who once wielded a sword with pride was nowhere to be found.

Most importantly, Yoru’s appearance was excessively clean.

Yoru thought that if her face had been covered in bruises and her limbs severed, at least she would have died as a warrior who never broke.

Instead, her neatly combed hair, smelling of soap, made her look like a coward who sold out her people and received humane treatment.

But Yoru felt wronged. If she hadn’t given up the information, Shiron would have stuck to inaction, and that would have led to a full-scale war between the empire and Silleya.

“Final sight, my foot. Anyone would think we’re committing a massacre.”

Watching Yoru panic, Shiron sighed. At this rate, he didn’t feel like a hero but more like some mustached dictator.

And so, a comforting lie he didn’t mean slipped out.

“They were all supposed to die. But your decision saved them.”

“…”

“Just look at the result. The misunderstandings now can be cleared up later.”

“…What?”

Yoru wiped her eyes with her sleeve and stepped away from Shiron.

“Are you showing pity for the enemy?”

“…Ugh, damn it. Even when I comfort you, you complain.”

Smack!

Shiron struck Yoru on the top of her head.

“Why, why’d you hit me?!”

“Do I need a reason to hit a slave?”

Yoru tried to back away, but Shiron grabbed her leash and pulled her close.

“If you get beaten up here, at least you won’t have the reputation of a traitor. Wouldn’t it look better if you cracked under torture rather than spilled your guts just to save your own neck?”

“It’s the same betrayal either way!”

Yoru barely dodged Shiron’s flying fist by a hair’s breadth as she shouted. At that moment, she felt a force restrain her from behind.

“Oppa, I’ll hold her! Hit her all you want!”

Siriel, smiling brightly, grabbed Yoru’s arm. For Siriel, it was only right that her brother would take the blame to protect the pride of a mere terrorist.

“Come here, you.”

Lucia also grabbed hold of Yoru to prevent her from struggling.

“Argh! Stop it, you crazy women! Ugh!”

“You sinful barbarian. Receive the fist of repentance and atone.”

Thud! Bam!

The sickening sounds echoed through the prison.

The knights leading the prisoners, the guards managing the facility, and the captured spies all turned their gazes toward the scene of the group beating.

“Sir Shiron has no mercy in his hands, despite appearances.”

“Idiot. That woman is the barbarian princess. It’s just misplaced pity.”

“Princess…!”

“You bastard!”

“What are you doing! Move forward, quickly!”

“Don’t stop your feet!”

[Hero.]

How long had the beating gone on? The voice of Latera echoed in Shiron’s mind.

[Do you think the High Elder will really come here?]

‘…Gaijin is a man who follows his heart over reason. If he wants to save the prisoners, he’ll lead his forces and charge in.’

Shiron thought of Gaijin, the one-armed middle-aged man and Yoru’s father.

As the High Elder, Gaijin could make strategic decisions, but Shiron figured he wouldn’t have the luxury this time. It was better to die swinging a sword than do nothing in the face of the monster horde.

‘Even if he doesn’t come here, it doesn’t matter. I’ll just have troops stationed where he’ll strike.’

A clever hunter lets the prey come to him.

“You son of a… Argh! Aaah!”

Yoru shed a few tears of sorrow. And then—

Ding.

[Intelligent Hunter]

A neat phrase appeared above Shiron’s head.