Chapter 241 – The Conqueror of the Plains (5/5)

To Barad, even if there were slaves, they were just useless baggage that could only farm for the landowners. He could try selling them, but that would only make the Kushunora House richer.

And even if he did try to sell them, with the slaves being nothing but women and children, which are useless for physical work, he wouldn’t be able to sell them for much.

“I see that old hag taught her well. That Ririnoie.”

Barad dropped the good old man mask and shut himself in his room, then he started drinking aggressively because of the costly rescue mission. So agressive was his drinking that it seemed as if he wanted to pour the alcohol straight into his guts.

The slaves that have been carefully chosen didn’t include the working male slaves.

“Tell me, Ririnoie! Why oh why did it have to be me!?”

But even though Barad was saying that, he could more or less understand what Blanche wanted to do. For example, if the slaves were to be sold to Kushunora instead, the slaves will likely be immediately sold to other countries through their trade routes. That pig-like man that was the head of the Kushunora house would surely stuff his pockets with gold and smile complacently.

He was the sort of man, who upon being asked the question of whether he would choose product or gold, he would immediately answer gold.

But Ririnoie was busy waging wars outside of Shushunu. She didn’t have time to waste raising slaves. Word had it that she’s fighting against monsters. If so, then there were few slaves to be made even in the case of victory. It was dubious if she could even afford to pay the soldiers.

In other words, Ririnoie had no choice.

She needed money to wage war, and the only ones with the money she needed were the two great nobles, whom she had a poor relationship with.

Blanche Ririnoie kept the men that could fight with her.

“Hmph. So, in the end, she needed these slaves to become hostages.”

Bait to keep the men working desperately.

Shushunu did not have a conscription system for they have not experienced any great wars since Claudia Ririnoie the War Princess’ ascension to power. As for why? That reason was clear as day. But it was also because of that that the standing army became smaller, and was used only to maintain the public order of Shushunu or threaten the minor nations.

The head of the House of Ririnoie must’ve thought they lacked power.

Especially, since they had just come out of the successor wars because of the passing of the late War Princess. They did not want this war. But they could not submit to the likes of monsters either.

“Still, I don’t hate that pride of hers.”

As someone who held the proud name of the Ririnoie House that stood at the apex of the military families, Blanche Ririnoie did not have the option to choose surrender. Shushunu was a rich country. Its southern region was blessed with farms, and the highway of wealth, the Jewel Road, passed through Shushunu from the east and the west.

But this Shushunu, which lorded over the plains, hated great nobles with too much power. If the power were to be gathered, it could only be gathered around the king. But there were too many obstacles to bringing together the powers that lurked within the country for Ririnoie and the rest of the nobles were too powerful.

Barad Agarmua understood that much. After all, he was still a great noble with a powerful family.

“But that doesn’t mean I’ll forgive you for making me eat dirt!”

Barad emptied his cup in one gulp and filled it up again.