Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Chapter 172

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Chapter 172 – Inequality

The room was filled with a different kind of silence.

Since he had already finished writing on the wooden board, I couldn’t even hear the sound of the quill scratching against the wood.

Strangely enough, only light came in through the window, and I couldn’t hear the noise outside.

“W-what did you say?”

“So, I want you to tell me the conditions under which I won’t be legally punished even if I kill someone.”

“…Why?”

I felt that these words summed up all of Alback-san’s doubts.

He still didn’t understand the meaning of my question, and he frowned and stared at me with a searching look.

So I answered honestly.

“I… killed a person for the first time. I felt I had to do it to protect the hunter women and children.”

“…..”

“Killing people is condemned as ‘evil’ and punished. I think I understand that, but then what conditions would turn that act into ‘justice’?”

“I see…”

I wait in silence for Alback-san’s answer, looking up at the ceiling, mulling over my words as he swallows them.

I don’t think I’ll be accused of a crime for killing that skinny guy this time.

After all, I learned from the guild lectures that it is no problem if the other party is a criminal and how to deal with bandits.

They kidnapped more than 20 people, killed the men, robbed them of their money and goods, and raped the women.

What’s more, this was not their first offense, and if you don’t know how many criminal records they have, you could say that they are serious criminals on their way to execution.

If I were told that even in a case like this, I would be guilty of murder if I killed them, I would be sure that I would go crazy on the spot like a runaway locomotive.

By their own confession, the men had been involved in criminal acts that would have resulted in the death penalty if they had been caught.

So even if it’s okay this time, the problem is what happens in the future.

If I know where the line is, I won’t necessarily follow it, but knowing it will greatly affect my future actions.

“Unfortunately, there is no clear line like Loki is looking for. This will be the answer.”

But Alback-san’s answer was completely different from what I was looking for.

There is no line?

In other words, is it a matter of making decisions on the spot?

While I was still confused and trying to figure out the answer for myself, Alback-san said a word that could be called a hint.

“There are cases where a child who steals a loaf of bread from a store is cut down on the spot, but there are also cases where people are cut down and forgiven just because they are unpleasant.”

“Huh?”

“That’s not just a story about this country, but it’s probably the same in neighboring countries as well.”

“Well, in other words…”

I realized this.

That’s right, this is a world of “inequality,” where civilization has lagged behind for almost 1000 years.

It was a world where there was an absolute hierarchical relationship based on status.

“So it depends on the status of the person who committed the crime?”

“That’s right. To be more precise, it depends on the difference in status between the judge and the person being judged, as well as their respective positions.”

“The judge…”

“With a few exceptions, the courts that try crimes are the lower courts of the upper nobility. The lower nobles appoint representatives to act on their behalf, and it is these people who actually conduct the trial. Depending on the charge, the accused will be sentenced to either death or slavery, and in the case of slavery, a prison sentence will also be decided, but basically those are the only two options.”

“Is there no option of ‘not guilty’?”

“It is unlikely. Most of the time, guards like us will arrest the culprit, but if they have a status or position that would make them innocent, they will be released before the case even reaches the court.”

…It’s a terrible story.

If there wasn’t a principle of equality for all people, even on the surface, like there is today, would it be so bad?

As long as there are privileged classes like nobles, there’s probably nothing you can do…

“What do you mean by ‘position’?”

“It’s simple: whether or not you have a close relationship with those in a position of authority. There are many merchants and wealthy people who will throw money around to build those relationships, and there are also those who will hint at connections with the higher ranking nobles.”

“…..”

“Are you disappointed?”

“…A little.”

Actually, it’s more than a little, but I deliberately didn’t hide it and let the words sting.

There is no law in this.

The weak get trampled, and the strong laugh maniacally as they suck up the sweet juice. It’s a shitty world.

What’s even more frightening is that Alback-san, who is the chief guard, is telling me this without hiding anything.

In this world, it’s a matter of course, and common sense is used in everyday life, and there’s no need to hide it.

“I’m sorry…”

“?”

Why do you have to apologize to me?

When I thought about this,

“I’ve heard a little about you from Malta’s chief auditor, Nillow-san. Loki is from another world, so I was warned to be very careful not to make any mistakes.”

When I saw Alback-san smile weakly as he said this, I realized that I had misunderstood.

“(So I was also judged as someone in a position…)”

Looking at it from a different perspective, what he said was also a criticism of the higher-ups.

Especially in this world, it is easy to imagine that any rash criticism or accusation would be suppressed by killing the person who made it.

It is very likely that the mayor went out of his way to meet with me today and arranged for us to have dinner together tonight.

“(Nillow-san, what are you spreading all over the place…)”

Even though I feel like complaining, I can’t help it when I think about his position and how he thinks about the good of the country.

I guess it’s lucky that it hasn’t spread to the townspeople.

“Nillow-san isn’t in this town anymore, is he?”

“Yes, he only gave the information about Loki to me and a few other people in positions of authority, and then he immediately left for the royal capital. He was in a big hurry because he thought that if he didn’t get there as soon as possible, things could get really bad.”

Haha… all I can do is smile wryly.

I feel sorry for him, and hearing about his situation makes me want to go to the royal capital as well.

“To be honest, the way people from other worlds are viewed varies. Some people think well of them, others don’t. But…”

Alback-san stopped and stared at me.

“I―no, we―are just grateful to Loki for taking such an action. So if you have the power to save them, we sincerely hope that you will continue to do so in the future.”

I couldn’t answer right away.

My feelings were complicated.

Justice that comes with a risk and a price.

If I make a mistake, there’s a possibility that I could be made out to be a criminal when I thought I was saving someone.

But a position where I might be able to bounce back from that… and the merit of being the only one to execute justice…

“(I wonder what the right thing to do is.)”

Too many things happened today, and I can’t think clearly.

Still…

“Helping people wasn’t a bad thing.”

After that, I went to the cargo location, which I had been informed of in the interim report, to confirm that everything was in order.

After confirming the men’s statements, Alback-san said he would report to the mayor, so we parted ways.

The next person to help me was a good-looking guy in his late teens with wavy blue hair.

He seemed to put a lot of effort into his hairstyle in this world and often twirled his fringe with his index finger.

I wonder if he curls his own hair?

“Next, this way.”

He led me into a place that looked like the cobblestone backyard of a government housing complex, with a light demeanor and speech.

The confiscated items were piled on the back of a wagon, and I did not know what to do.

“So these are mine now, right?”

“That’s right. You can keep them or sell them. If there are any you don’t want, you can give them away for free, but you can also bring them back to the guardhouse.”

Hmm.

This is a task I really like, like organizing my inventory, going through all the stuff that comes in, and seeing what I can use.

I don’t have time to enjoy sorting things right now.

I still have to go to the Hunters’ Guild, so I need to quickly sort out what I need and what I don’t need.

If only I had Spatial Magic to solve this problem in one fell swoop…!

“(Well, I’ll start by reducing the amount of stuff I have…)”

When I glanced to the side, the boy with the wavy bangs was standing there, doing nothing in particular, just twirling his hair.

“Um, do the guards here drink alcohol?”

“Huh? Of course we drink a lot!”

“Then, since I’m giving all the alcohol here to the guards, can you help me out a little?”

“Wow, you’re the best!”

“(All right, I can get this kid to help me.)”

I thought as I watched him jump around.

The amount of work is too much for one person, so I need manpower and information now.

Then I’ll get help from this boy with wavy bangs who seems to have time to spare.

I asked the boy, who was happily rolling the barrels, about the destination of the large amount of food that was coming out.

“By the way, did the children get to go home?”

By the time the second wagon arrived, they were no longer near the west gate, so I never found out what happened to the children.

I thought that if they got on a wagon, they would be able to go home that day, but it seems that it wasn’t that simple.

“Well, it seems that some of the children don’t live in Lipsum, so they are all gathered at the church, it seems?”

“Is that because they can’t go back to the village alone?”

“Of course, that’s one reason, but there were also some children who seemed to be in a bad state mentally. It seems that there was also a suggestion that it would be better to treat them in the town and monitor their condition instead of returning them to their villages.”

“I see…”

On the way to Lipsum, I saw the village from a distance while flying. It looked so small that the word ‘settlement’ seemed appropriate, and there didn’t seem to be anything there.

If they’re going to be sent back to a place like that, I think it would be better for the children if they could recover in a town with people and facilities.

It was a bit doubtful that the children who wore the rings could recognize their parents’ faces properly now.

If that was the case, it would be just right.

Even if they’re children, the more people there are, the more things they’ll use up.

So if there’s anything I don’t need, I’ll just let them use it over there.

“So should I give all the food here to the church?”

“Why not? There’s an orphanage there too, so I think they’ll be really happy!”

I don’t think I’d drink the alcohol myself, and as for the food, I’d either hunt it in the forest or eat out, so I’d have two options.

While I’m at it, I’ll also load up the first wagon going to the church with bedding, oil, slightly used cooking utensils, and cheap-looking magic items because there seems to be a use for them.

It’s like the church is a second-hand store; if they don’t need something, they just get rid of it there.

And unlike today, things are used and cherished so much that clothes with lots of patches and darning are sold second-hand, so I’m sure they probably don’t mind.

“So the guards don’t need armor as well as weapons, right?”

“Yes, just like the weapons, the guards are issued with special equipment that has an official seal from the country, so if we can get it, we’ll take it, but in the end, we’ll just sell it without using it, you know?”

“Hmm, I guess that’s about it then…”

“I guess so.”

The remaining items, including the special basket I had, were placed in the second wagon.

Since quite a few items were involved, including mementos, I would now pull the wagon instead of the horses.

“Well then, please take care of this. I’ll come back later to check on it, so please make sure you deliver it to the church.”

“Got it! It’s my job, so I’ll do it perfectly!”

I gave the curly-haired boy three gold coins from the leather pouch I had just received and left the guardhouse.

It looked like I could ask him to do it for free, but there was a possibility that he would be blinded by greed and take the items for the church himself.

If that’s the case, I’ll just have to pay him for his services.

Depending on how you look at it, it’s a bit like bribery, but I’m not asking him to do anything wrong, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Still, it seems that bandits have a surprising amount of rare items hidden on them…”

Even though my heart flutters at the unexpected results, as soon as I think about having to give a harsh report, my spirits sink, and my steps become heavy as I pull the wagon.

It’s just that the wagon is heavy. Yes, it’s just that it’s heavy.

Even though I know that this kind of deception doesn’t mean anything, I still do it because my heart is weak.

I walked towards my next destination, the Hunters’ Guild, my sighs continuing unabated.

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