Goblin Knight - Chapter 309



Only Noblemtl

EP.309 Tin Heart (17)

As the Empire’s intensive investment subsided and prices began to recover, Gilan decided it was time to harvest the seeds he had sown.

He announced that he would repay all the enormous debts that no one had cared about because everyone was crazy about abnormal wealth, all at once on one day.

Of course, there wasn’t that much wealth left in the city.

The request to pay it back over time was dismissed by a private clause in the contract that no one had bothered to consider, as it was not an issue in the days of abundant wealth.

The entire city, who realized the trick too late, rose up and tried to do something to Gilan, but Gilan had guessed even that and had the imperial forces on standby.

The city was suppressed by the empire, and the debt doubled due to the indemnities demanded by Gilan.

“That’s how the city essentially fell into my hands.”

After finishing his explanation, Gilan proudly puffed out his chest.

“Almost every resident of this city was obliged to pay me seventy-five percent of their income. Even the lord of this place was not spared.

If you tried to kidnap and traffic the children, it would be a huge source of income that you could not even dream of. Oh my, what a short-sighted and poor idea that is… … . Isn’t it like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?

So, it was a car that had been earning a comfortable income for the past dozen years or so, but recently, it seems like it has reached its limit and its profits have been declining.

So, in order to earn funds for the development of the rippling lands, they sold the promissory notes to the central nobility of the empire at a good price. This is what they meant when they said they ‘sold the city’.

Well, it’s none of my business how that nobleman is squeezing the people of this city… but seeing as he’s committing such atrocities against me, I’d say he’s just as vicious, if not more so.”

After finishing the explanation with a refreshing smile.

Gilan said, looking at Blanc who was at a loss for words.

“Well then, Sir Blanc. Do you think I was at fault for the city falling into my hands?”

“You… you made us owe you ridiculous debt and didn’t even give us time to pay it back, you bastard!!”

It was not Blanc but someone in the crowd who raised his voice in protest.

Gilan asked back with a frown.

“When did I ever threaten to kill you if you didn’t repay that debt on those terms?”

“that-”

“No. No one forced you. It was your own will. You came to me out of greed and greed. Asking me to lend you money.”

Gilan shrugged and continued.

“Rather, I would like to condemn you. In all of this, I have never once broken the law. You broke the law. You tried to capture me and nullify the contract. If you had not asked the Empire for help in advance, I wonder if I would have survived.”

“You… led… me… like that…!”

“But in the end, you were the ones who held a knife to my throat. So what do you have to say?”

While the man was speechless, Gilan shook her head in disbelief.

“And yet the reason you have survived to this day is purely due to my mercy. Instead of killing you, I decided to only accept compensation. I should have been thanked for that, but I never expected to receive such absurd anger… … .”

“Rather, it would have been better to die then!!”

A woman with a sharp expression and prominent cheekbones shouted in a shrill voice.

“From that day on, no matter how hard we worked, nothing came of it… …! Everything was confiscated under the pretext of compensation, leaving us with just enough to barely survive!!”

“That’s too bad. But if you didn’t want it to end up like that, you shouldn’t have gone into debt in the first place.”

“You, you─ Whew, Whew… …!!”

“Oh my, Madam Ik!!”

As the woman, who had lost her sense of reason due to anger, began to foam at the mouth and faint, those around her hurriedly helped her up.

Whether so or not, Gilan said, looking down at them with bored eyes.

“Anyway. If you’ve finished what you wanted to say, can I leave now? I was starting to get hungry.”

“… … .”

“Oh, Sir Blanc. If you don’t mind, can I take the lead? There’s a really good restaurant nearby. Fortunately, the chef there doesn’t seem to be among those here, so I think you can look forward to it.”

Gilan said with a warm smile.

That smile.

It’s hard to believe that this is the kind and friendly person who just confessed with his own mouth, “It’s all my fault that this city is in this state.”

“I am…….”

Blanc trailed off, feeling his own voice tremble.

Before I knew it, my left hand, which was reaching out with a silver sword, was telling me to immediately draw my sword and cut off the head of the monster wearing a soldering iron.

but…….

‘Is this evil… or…?’

Even aside from the debt he owed to Gilan, Blanc couldn’t tell whether Gilan was good or evil.

It is true that his conduct was inhuman. In fact, in terms of scale, his actions were more vicious than those of any other villain he had ever encountered, except for the shoemaker.

Even Iscariot couldn’t do something that would take away the hope of an entire city.

Nevertheless, the process is legitimate.

Ultimately, the root of all this trouble was the city’s greed. Gilan only incited and secretly led it.

It was they who were blinded by the immediate wealth and took on excessive debt, who did not have the cash to pay Gilan right away when he demanded repayment, and who tried to attack Gilan to nullify it.

Gilan may have manipulated gold and caused great tragedy, but he committed no crime.

Then is that evil?

‘… … .’

For a long time.

After placing my hand on the silver sword for a long time and thinking about it.

In the silence of those around him who were waiting for his decision, the only one with a choice in this place, Blanc closed his eyes tightly and made his decision.

“… … Okay. Guide me.”

“With joy, I will do so.”

At Blanc’s gesture, Trasha, who had been observing the situation from up above, came down the alley with the pumpkin carriage.

Gilan started to move forward, smiling brightly.

Some fell to the ground, losing all hope, others groaned in disbelief, and others glared at him with eyes filled with great betrayal.

It was a look of mockery, asking how a knight could do such a thing.

There was a lot to say in response.

There was not a single word that was ‘wrong’ in what Gilan said, so all I had to do was repeat what he said.

But… I don’t want to do that.

Blanc, without making eye contact with him, quietly walked out of the alley with Gilan.

After following Gilan for a while in silence, he suddenly asked Blanc without looking back.

“Do you feel guilty?”

“… … .”

“Do you pity those who have lost all hope for the future and are left with only anger?”

To Gilan’s question, instead of answering verbally, Blanc turned his head and stared at him blankly.

With the question, ‘Aren’t you like that?’

“Haha, I don’t feel guilty at all.”

“… …Why?”

Only then did Blanc ask back.

It wasn’t meant to resolve the doubts that had arisen just before the silk.

“Why… did it have to be so harsh?”

“Are you talking about debt?”

“Yes. I admit that you are not wrong. Their anger was ultimately their own doing. I can’t blame you for that. But… there was no need to be so cruel as to ruin their lives or make them lose hope completely.”

“Is that so?”

“Is that so, Ga Ahn? I still don’t know exactly what kind of person you are… Still, I’m sure that someone with your abilities would have found another way. A more moderate way. And yet, why on earth would you… … .”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Gilan tilted his head as if to ask what was so obvious.

“Because I don’t have money.”

“──… … .”

Blanc was left speechless.

But Gilan persisted.

“Of course, I could have pursued a way to live together like Kyung. But that wouldn’t bring in more money or faster. If that were the case, it would be just a waste. Why wouldn’t I pick up the gold that fell on the ground?”

“… … Couldn’t it be possible to pursue good even if it meant losing a little gold?”

“That can’t be. To me, the universal good is worth less than a handful of gold.”

Gilan paused for a moment, looked up at the darkening night sky, and muttered.

“It took me a long time to realize that a single lump of gold can do far more than a dozen noble deeds.

The moment I realized that truth, the world to me became one big, big, huge store full of price tags.

The human heart, fateful relationships, and the great cycle of good are all ultimately just a single product.

A good that can be obtained by paying an appropriate price.

… … goods that cannot be obtained without gold.”

Gilan glanced at him.

The golden eyes of the one to whom the whole world appeared gold were staring straight at him.

“Now, to me, every carefree step, every breath, every brief moment when the second hand of a clock ticks seems like lost gold.

Since everything in my world has turned to gold, I cannot live without gold, and this thirst will never be quenched.

Having once experienced the poverty that comes from not having gold… I will continue to covet and be greedy so that I and all those I love will not experience the same mistake.

Because that’s how I, the ‘gold-almighty’ merchant, love others.

“To me, who is this, to be told to give up gold for someone I don’t love, for a worthless good deed… … .”

Gilan laughed.

It was a sad laugh.

“Don’t you think that’s too cruel?”

“… … .”

Blanc was silent.

I could never empathize with it, but it wasn’t completely incomprehensible either.

Because Blanc already knew a man who lived with similar thoughts.

‘Your Majesty, Evernage School.’

I thought of an old man who, after all his hardships, could have found happiness, but who lost everything he loved and froze in loneliness because he was twenty pennies short.

Of course, he was able to endure as a knight for a long time without collapsing due to his innate indomitable spirit… … .

Even Blanc, listening to the story of the Count, had been amazed and wondered, ‘How could he not break down in the face of such sorrow?’, so he could not blame others who had fallen in similar situations.

Not everyone is born with indomitable spirit.

Could this ruthless merchant, who has no blood or tears, or rather, who puts a price on blood and tears, have been like that?

There’s no way to know. Maybe even that story was made up to gain some sympathy from Blanc.

Because I didn’t know, I thought I shouldn’t impose Blanc’s standards on Gilan any longer.

For Blanc, goodness and integrity were of the utmost importance, and gold could have been the same for him.

but…….

“I know one thing for sure.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Tin Man joked that he didn’t have a human heart, but that wasn’t necessarily true.”

I felt sorry for him.

The fact that the merchant’s heart, which had collapsed without being able to endure, would never bleed again.

“The tin thing was your heart.”

“Hehehe… How sarcastic. If you’re going to do it, could you please tell me it’s made of gold?”

Gilan held her stomach and laughed as she walked along.

Even as I follow along, I am in endless agony.

Was it really right to judge that this man was not an evil that needed to be killed immediately, to stand by and watch as he took away the hopes of so many people just because they ‘could do it’?

The girl who had always been there to give him the answers was no longer able to help him… … .

Without knowing the answer to anything clearly.

The night was passing in a city that had been robbed of hope.