“Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone. It took a bit of effort to get Barbaro here.”
As soon as I hauled him into the room, there was a commotion.
“Why is Barbaro unconscious? Wasn’t he the lord’s favorite?”
“Are you telling me Lord Weiss defeated that violent man?”
“Then are the rumors that Lord Weiss has changed true?”
All sorts of murmurs came from those attending. I waited for them to quiet down, then cleared my throat to draw their attention.
“My apologies. I have yet to explain the topic of this particular meeting. We are here for the interim reports, as well as to bring this man’s crimes to light and hold him responsible. Not only did he try to skip this meeting for nonsensical reasons, he also tried to have his way with my maid. Additionally, according to my own research, he is guilty of many other crimes. As punishment for his actions, he will be fired and replaced by a new head of public safety. Will the previous person in charge please rise?”
“Y-yes…”
Kaiser, the man on bathroom duty, stood to his feet, a puzzled look on his face.
I knew he wasn’t just the bathroom guy. I walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder so I could take a look at his stats.
Kaiser Understand
Occupation: Head of Bathroom Cleanliness
Loyalty to His Master: 70
Physical Strength: 70
Magic Power: 40
Intelligence: 50
Skills:
High-Class Sword Technique Lv 4
Shield Guardian Lv 3
Righteous Heart Lv 3: When participating in a battle he believes to be just, all stats get a 10% boost.
When the previous lord ruled, he served as both Weiss’s tutor and the captain of public safety. After Weiss became the lord, he was demoted after offering the boy his opinion. He has a strong sense of justice, and the people adore him.
Whoa, he’s got pretty high stats! Wait, the reason he isn’t the guy in charge of public safety is that Weiss and Barbaro demoted him. Man, I bet that guy was whispering in Weiss’s ear. It’s no wonder Kaiser seems so confused.
My head started to hurt even as I calmed myself and spoke in front of everyone.
“Kaiser, I am so sorry for everything up until now.” I lowered my head. “I know this might seem shameless, but would you consider lending me your talents, even after all the awful things I’ve done to you?”
“Lord Weiss, please, raise your head. If anything, I should be apologizing. Right after your parents passed away, I kept pushing you to train harder, demanding more from you as a lord. I pushed too hard, and I deeply regret that. If you are willing to give me another chance, it would be my pleasure to wield my sword in your name once again.”
“Thank you, Kaiser.”
Despite getting demoted and being put through hell, this man still possessed an amazing sense of loyalty. Weiss was actually surrounded by a lot of great people. If only he had actually confided in them—but he probably didn’t have the mental fortitude to do that. That was why I was going to do things differently.
After saying thanks to Kaiser, I spoke loudly enough that everyone else in the room could hear me.
“Please listen to what I have to say! I know that I’ve been a terrible lord up until now. After the death of my beloved parents, I found myself in a seat of responsibility and buckled under the pressure, running away from my responsibilities. As a result, I lashed out unfairly at all of you, and I let someone like Barbaro gain power. I have no excuse for this. However, I promise not to run any longer! I will pour my everything into this land! And I want you all here to bear witness!”
The responses I saw ran the gamut. Some looked on coldly, as if to say, Isn’t it a little late for that? Others had hope in their eyes. Perhaps it was those who worked in the mansion that most harbored expectations that something might have changed.
However, one thing was true: My hard work over the past week wasn’t for nothing. My real fight started here and now. All that remained was to prove my words with actions.
“What do you plan to do first?” someone asked.
“Excellent question. The first item on my agenda is exposing the mafia operating within our borders. Fortunately,” I said, kicking the unconscious Barbaro with a smirk, “we have a perfect source of inside intel right here.”