Damn, I recarneted As A Judge in Fantasy World

It was a weekend afternoon when Abel looked around Perias. His aim was to understand how the capital's waste disposal system worked.

"Ugh! It smells crazy. Why on earth did you come to a place like this?" Cordell McNeill fanned himself with a very unpleasant expression, but that didn't make the stench go away. Everywhere Abel looked, there was trash overflowing.

That wasn't all. The clogged waterways were filled with half-rotten material, and the streets were littered with mines.

"Oh, what kind of landmine is this in a fantasy world?" Abel thought to himself.

'It could be livestock or human feces,' he reasoned.

If you went to the countryside, things were relatively better. Because there was less waste to deal with, it could be taken farther away for disposal.

However, the capital was the most densely populated place in the empire. Moreover, there was no waste disposal system at all.

"It gets much worse the further you go into the slums."

"Of course. We live so close together."

"Hmm."

Abel looked at Perias and fell into deep thought. Surprisingly, the place already had a water supply system installed.

With so many people living here, how could there be no water? But this only applied to areas where the nobles lived.

The rest of the population used small reservoirs on the outskirts of the city.

'We could probably build more aqueducts, but it wouldn't be easy.' Abel mused.

It was incredibly difficult to bring a huge facility into a city where people had already established their base.

The water supply even reached the slums, but it was an impossible task without clearing out all the shacks in the vicinity.

'Let's start with collecting trash.' Abel thought. If only that had been done, the sewers running through the city wouldn't have been blocked.

Originally, they were designed to drain rainwater, but they were neglected and no longer functioned at all. So, when the rainy season came, there was a huge water disaster.

Rather than going through the trouble of unclogging the sewers every spring, it was better to manage it in advance.

But why was he suddenly concerned about what the government should be doing?

'Because the officials don't do it.' He realized.

It was a big money business, but no noticeable changes had been made.

If he invested in it, the officials would get criticized for using tax money poorly.

Of course, Abel had his own reasons.

Wouldn't that be a good reward? When garbage rots, it attracts rats and vermin, which spread disease. Didn't the Black Death spread through rat fleas?

It could likely have a positive impact on the community as a whole, and in turn, improve the system's function.

"First, let's go to the palace. We must meet His Majesty."

"Suddenly?" Cordell McNeill looked surprised, as though asking why they were going to see the emperor on a weekend when everyone else was resting.

But Abel just shrugged his shoulders.

Working on weekends was common in Hellfire Peninsula. Besides, he was so busy during the week that now was the only time he had anyway.

"Isn't that obvious? It's something that affects the entire Perias, so we need to get permission from the owner first."

As long as Abel did business only in the Duchy of Carriers and Midias, he could do whatever he wanted. But those places already had well-managed waste disposal systems.

The real issue was Perias, and to get the reward, he needed to expand to the capital.

He went straight to the palace and requested an audience. But the answer he got back was that he would have to wait quite a long time.

'What's going on? He usually tells me to come right away.'

Up until now, Emperor Charon had never delayed meeting Abel. He usually called him immediately when he applied, but today the reaction was different.

Abel waited for what seemed like forever with the royal guard knights. In times like this, rather than sitting still, it was better to try to win people's hearts.

"You all must be working hard. I brought some food for lunch, so let's wait while we eat," he said.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Oh, no. I'm at work right now."

"We're the only ones in the reception room anyway, right? I wouldn't say anything if you let things loose a bit. Knights are people too, so they have to be clever."

Abel opened the packed lunch he had brought from the mansion.

In fact, it was a fairly unremarkable composition: a sandwich with vegetables and meat between bread, and water.

But wasn't this the time when you were really hungry? The knights had been waiting without even being able to eat because of Abel, so it wasn't hard to give them this much.

It was a two-person portion, so four adults finished it in no time.

"I ate well. Before the peacock…" One of the knights began, but just then, a knock came at the door.

"It is time to go, Your Majesty."

As the knights were about to express their thanks, someone suddenly appeared and knocked on the door.

Everyone stood at attention, pretending that nothing had happened. Abel almost laughed at the absurdity but acted calmly.

"Thank you for letting me know."

"No problem. This way."

"Yes."

Abel followed the senior knight and glanced around the reception room. The knights' mouths formed a curve as they gave meaningful smiles and winks.

Finally, they arrived at the innermost part of the palace. Emperor Charon sat on a magnificent chair with his legs crossed.

"Are you here?"

As usual, the emperor had a pale face and a blunt expression. But why did Abel feel so uncomfortable?

"How are you, Your Majesty?"

"I'm alive because I can't die."

"..."

Abel froze at the completely unexpected answer, and the emperor smiled, showing his teeth.

"Hahaha! If you're surprised by a joke like this, how can you possibly do something big in the future?"

"Since these were words from such a high-ranking person, I couldn't help but think deeply about them."

"What the heck? Now you're even telling me to be careful with my words. The younger brother is trying to teach his older brother a lesson."

Maybe it was because Abel hadn't seen him in a long time, but this damn old man's sharp tongue had gotten worse.

'Oh, why are you so stubborn?' Abel thought. He racked his brain, thinking back to the senior soldier who had been picking a fight for no reason. He had to find a way out, even if it meant using some ridiculous logic.

"That would be impossible. I am a person who constantly seeks to learn. I am grateful for the teachings that Your Majesty has bestowed upon me. How could I dare to commit such disloyalty?"

Since nothing came to mind right away, Abel just went with the regular method.

The standard way to flatter was to humble yourself and elevate others.

In fact, this strategy wouldn't work on a smart person like Emperor Charon, because he'd see right through Abel's nonsense. But today, his cousin seemed to be in a good mood, so things were going well.

"Still, it seems like you're not disloyal."

"I am Your Majesty's hand and foot. Use me as you wish and enjoy the results!"

"Haha! I like it. Yeah. You're really good at your job."

The emperor snapped his fingers, and the chief chamberlain, Count Adit, appeared and immediately poured Abel a glass of wine.

'No, is that guy a ghost?' Abel thought. He hadn't even noticed him until now. It seemed like he was trained as a black agent.

"Yeah. It doesn't seem like you just stopped by to say hello. What brings you here today?"

"No. I just wanted to bring a little joy to Your Majesty's daily life…" Abel began.

"Stop talking nonsense."

"Yep."

Abel tried to open up more, but he was immediately blocked. So he just confidently stated the purpose of his visit.

He figured it would be fine to match the rhythm to this extent.

When they talked about the garbage disposal business, the emperor's brow furrowed slightly.

"It seems like it's the job of bureaucrats, so why do you insist on doing it?"

"I'm not saying they did anything wrong. I'm just saying I can do better."

"Hmm! Really? I heard that the cost will have to be allocated from the government budget."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

How could they collect money from every household when there were no volume-based garbage bags?

Besides, since this was a public environmental project, it was right to cover the cost with taxes. So, it was a matter that required the Emperor's permission.

Abel waited quietly for an answer. As if he was deep in thought, the inside of the audience room was enveloped in silence for a while.

Finally, breaking the icy atmosphere, the emperor spoke.

"From today, you are the mayor of Perias."

"...Yes?"

"I have permitted you to hold a concurrent position. So from now on, you will take care of city affairs."

Abel had only been thinking about getting some compensation from the garbage disposal business.

What kind of scapegoating was this? He wanted to ask that, but he couldn't contradict the Iron-Blooded Emperor's decision.

'Damn. I tried to eat it raw and it got spoiled.'

Abel's mind raced as he tried to process the emperor's decision.

Becoming the mayor of Perias was certainly not in his plans. He'd only intended to propose a plan for managing the city's waste, not take on an entire city's affairs.

Emperor Charon seemed amused by the silence that hung in the audience chamber.

Abel looked up, meeting the emperor's sharp gaze, and quickly masked his surprise. If he openly questioned the emperor's decision, he'd only risk irritating him.

"Your Majesty, I am honored by your trust," Abel began, choosing his words carefully, "and I will strive to uphold the responsibilities of this new position."

The emperor chuckled, clearly entertained. "You seem uneasy, Abel. Could it be that you, a man of grand ambition, are intimidated by this task?"

"Not at all, Your Majesty," Abel replied, swallowing his frustration. "I simply did not expect to be granted such…a significant role."

"Good." Emperor Charon tone turned authoritative. "Then I trust you'll bring Perias to a standard befitting the empire's capital. I've long been disappointed by its decay."

Abel could hardly mask the resignation in his eyes. This wasn't a reward; it was a trial. l