《I Reincarnated But Will Try To Live Without Using My Cheat Ability》 CH 1 I woke up suddenly. It was almost as if I was having a shallow dream. But if it were a dream, the river of images would continue to flow slowly. But, it was somehow different. I just feel like I¡¯m vaguely there. Is this a new kind of dream? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a new kind of dream or a deep dream that I¡¯ll forget when I wake up. And then there is something else, I also feel this vaguely present. I feel as if it is speaking to me. It¡¯s not as clear as words. It¡¯s like I¡¯m asking myself a question in my head. ¡°Invited one. You are now dead, and only your soul is here.¡± I¡¯m being told something out of the blue, but I can¡¯t get my mind to think about it. I couldn¡¯t even ask him back because I felt like I was wandering from one side to the other. After a while, my consciousness finally became clearer. The thing that had been talking to me was just there, but it didn¡¯t say anything. As my consciousness became clearer, I was finally able to ask back. ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯m dead?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What was the cause of death?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the cause or effect of your soul being removed.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the reason, but you know I¡¯m dead, have you seen my body?¡± Even though I asked in return, I think it¡¯s a worthless question and answer. But even if I wanted to leave, I don¡¯t have a clear feeling of my body at all. In other words, I have no choice but to keep asking and answering. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll lose consciousness or wake up soon. ¡°This is a different world than the one in which your soul was attached to your body. I can scoop up your soul that has been removed, but I have no way of knowing why you¡¯re soul was removed.¡± Hey, hey, am I reincarnating in another world in a dream? I know a little about it, but I don¡¯t remember reading it enough to dream about it. ¡°Why¡¯d you drag my soul thing?¡± ¡°Because It is necessary for the adjustment of my world.¡± It¡¯s a cliche story, but dreams can¡¯t give you more than you can imagine. I wanted to sigh at my own lack of imagination, but I had to ask my imagination some questions. ¡°Why do you need souls from other worlds to make adjustments?¡± ¡°Those who are born from the souls that travel around our world can only draw on the powers prescribed by the order. Those born of souls from other worlds are different.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t bring in soul from the outside, will the world go crazy? And isn¡¯t a world that can¡¯t be adjusted without a soul from another world a defective one?¡± It seems to me that we are talking about a world that is subtly disappointing. Isn¡¯t it strange that the world is not self-sufficient in the first place? ¡°That¡¯s my world, and it¡¯s the right thing to borrow power from the other world on a regular basis.¡± It¡¯s a world based on the premise of reincarnation into another world? It¡¯s just too convenient. In addition, it¡¯s a regular basis thing. If you¡¯re the Creator, you¡¯re unreliable. ¡°You created that kind of world?¡± I couldn¡¯t deny that I felt a sense of dismay. When I¡¯m awake, I can fake my emotions and have a conversation. But in my dreams, it seems like I can¡¯t do that, and my emotions come out as they are. ¡°I am not a creator god, and the maker of this world is already gone.¡± ¡°So you can¡¯t fix the system because you¡¯re not the creator?¡± ¡°All I can do is to change the way my consciousness relates to the world. I can only alter the souls that are born, and scoop up souls from other worlds.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just scoop up other souls and bring me back. The story smells fishy to me. I have a feeling something bad will happen if I agree to this.¡± If it¡¯s a dream, you can go straight to another world and do whatever you want. But I don¡¯t like the fact that they are suspicious and require maintenance of defective products. ¡°It takes a certain amount of strength to scoop up a heavy soul, and there is no time to start over. And I can only scoop them up.¡± This guy just said something irresponsible. ¡°What if I say no?¡± ¡°A soul outside the circle will eventually disappear, and it will only stay here.¡± So it comes with threats, thank you very much. I want to punch him, but I can¡¯t see him. I don¡¯t even politely feel like I have a body. If this dream is the result of my imagination, it¡¯s really annoying. I guess my personality is a little too bad. There¡¯s no choice, but I can¡¯t get over it. I decided to question it thoroughly like a Narrow reviewer. ¡°Why me, a Japanese? If you¡¯ve done this so many times, they must be all Japanese and alone, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means to be Japanese, but the place your soul is drifting to is not connected to the gods of the other world. Therefore, the world can be adjusted without the influence of the gods of the other world. The colors of the souls I¡¯ve scooped up so far have been almost the same. Single people are easy to scoop up because they have a weak sense of clinging to their original world.¡± Are souls colored by race, thought patterns, etc., and this guy can see them? He also said that married people or those with children would be more difficult to scoop up. ¡°I think there are a lot of people whose marriages are falling apart, and they don¡¯t want to go through with it.¡± ¡°If there are too many people involved, even if the person themselves don¡¯t cling, other souls will become entangled and difficult to scoop up.¡± Some people say that married life is a prison, but does it have chains attached to it as well? The expression ¡°scooping up¡± is like scooping up goldfish, and it makes me uncomfortable. The reality seems more like fishing. And while the bond with God is somewhat predictable, but ¡­¡­ I guess I¡¯ll confirm it. ¡°What happens when you scoop up someone with the thickest bond with God?¡± ¡°The God of the other world¡¯s order does not fit my world. If the soul¡¯s bond is strong enough, the power of the God of the other world will reach my world. And then, conflict with the God of the other world will occur.¡± It¡¯s troublesome that the power of the former God will reach here when they are deeply religious. ¡°I know it¡¯s good to be less religious, but that doesn¡¯t mean it has to be a Japanese person.¡± ¡°A thin soul is easily influenced by gain and will only wreak havoc on our world. A flexible soul that is in harmony with others is desirable for the maintenance of the world.¡± Do you see it as appropriate for Japanese people to emphasize harmony rather than putting their own interests first, even in as an official stance? It seems that he doesn¡¯t want it to be destroyed as a result of releasing alien species like black bass. He doesn¡¯t like expressions like ¡°color¡±, ¡°thin¡±, and ¡°flexible¡±. Does he think that people¡¯s souls are like colored slime fish? Even if it is fishing, it is unpleasant. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are plenty of other races that fit the bill.¡± ¡°Drifting souls tend to attract the same kind. It is possible to scoop them up individually, but in that case, the power of the soul is weak.¡± I see, if you want to catch a certain fish, you have to go to a place where there are a lot of fish ¡­¡­ And the more specific your aim, the more difficult it will be to catch a big one. It¡¯s like a game. My game brain is at its peak. But is my soul really that heavy? I don¡¯t really feel it at all. Or do you just want me to think of myself that way? And I¡¯m still not awake ¡­¡­ I just hope I wake up quickly. I want it to be over before my self-disgust gauge reaches its maximum. But what if I really am dead, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it though. I¡¯m starting to get a little nervous now¡­ CH 2 I¡¯m not convinced that the Narrow Reincarnation Template is the right choice for this guy, but I understand it. ¡°So, what exactly do you want me to do when you reincarnate me?¡± I¡¯m certain that I should ask him in more detail. But I don¡¯t want to wake up feeling like crap after a night of self-loathing. That is, if I can remember it after waking up. ¡°There is no rule. You can live your life as you see fit.¡± I think it¡¯s too good to be true. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can do whatever I want with the cheat powers I¡¯ll receive, but is it okay with you if I use them to commit genocide or something?¡± In such cases, I try to find out the intentions of the other party by throwing out extreme arguments. Now then, how will you answer, my imagination ¡­¡­ I think ¡­¡­ it¡¯s my imagination. ¡°I¡¯m can¡¯t scoop up anything that lacks a soul. Therefore, you wouldn¡¯t cause such a thing to happen.¡± Do psychopaths appear to lack a soul? I am aware that I am quite dangerous. I don¡¯t really think of that myself that way ¡­¡­ It¡¯s kind of bewildering. It may not be terrible now, but the future is not promised. ¡°I might be reincarnated and grow up in a rotten environment and become a great psychopath and slaughter people.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t put you down in that kind of environment. When you start walking on your own, you can use your power to avoid misfortune. Therefore, it won¡¯t happen.¡± It even comes with a warranty period. ¡°So I can live my life the way I want.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I have no idea what kind of world you want and how you want it to change. I can¡¯t believe that the world will get better if I do whatever I want. If you don¡¯t check their achievements beforehand, you may have to redo it later. Uhhh, the headache ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have a feeling of my body, though. It¡¯s too abstract to just use them. I can¡¯t imagine how such a thing can improve the world. ¡°How do you view the world now, from your point of view?¡± With my words, an image came into my mind. It looked like a dirty aquarium that had been neglected. The clarity of the water was low and something was moving, but I couldn¡¯t see the details. ¡°T-That¡¯s so dirty ¡­¡­¡± I unintentionally said it out loud. I was tempted to tell him that he should do maintenance on a regular basis. And I don¡¯t think what he said about scooping up was a metaphor. Doesn¡¯t God have a concept of cleaning? As I recall, the gods of some religions clean the earth with a great flood if it gets too dirty. I wonder if all gods have a rough idea of cleaning. The gods who look at the details are also full of discomfort. ¡°By wielding your power, the streams of the world will be stirred and ¡­¡­ purified.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯ll be purified just by mixing it ¡­¡­¡± Is this guy going to be okay? It¡¯s better than being told to build an ark. ¡°Your power is both agitation and purification.¡± Get it right the first time. Am I a lobster you can put in your aquarium for cleaning? I¡¯ll hate it so much if it¡¯s a pastime called Kamisama Channel, a video posting site and other gods will be able to see it. Sixty years have passed since I put his otherworldly soul in. I wonder if he¡¯s able to clean it, that kind of channel. ¡°You¡¯re the most detailed soul I¡¯ve ever met, now tell me what you want to be reincarnated as.¡± No, no, the guys who have done this accept it too easily. That¡¯s why the Japanese are so gullible. And then, as if he had grown tired of it, he wanted to send me down quickly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not done yet. If I don¡¯t live up to your wishes, will you scoop up another soul and send them down? Is that even possible?¡± Will it really be as he wishes? The gap in consciousness at this point is suspicious. He¡¯s no good, so I¡¯ll send someone else down to eliminate him. If there is such a possibility, I have to think of a way to resist. God casually kills people other than his favorites. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s killing them or just cleaning them. If he brought me here without permission and put me in a situation where there was no way to escape, I have no choice but to be suspicious. But even if it¡¯s just a dream, I feel like I¡¯m too far gone to be so suspicious. ¡°I can. If I were to scoop you up anew before the end of your life, your power would be less than half of what it is. Therefore, I¡¯m counting on you. Are we done?¡± As expected, if I ask any more questions, I might be let down without question. I guess I¡¯ll talk about the next condition¡­ ¡°What are the conditions for reincarnation, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± ¡°Gender, approximate origin, and the age at which you awaken to your powers as well as your memories.¡± If I say that he can just send me down, will he do it willingly? ¡°What exactly are the approximate origins?¡± ¡°A rough designation, such as a wealthy or powerful family. As I have just said, I will not send you down to an environment that will bring about a defect to the soul.¡± Some are inherently deficient, while others are acquired. So, is it possible for the acquired soul to be restored? I guess that doesn¡¯t matter to me. ¡°The gender is still male. The royal family will be troublesome afterwards, so a place with moderate power and a reasonable amount of money. The third or fourth son of a noble family would be good.¡± If I know I¡¯m going to be reincarnated, I don¡¯t want to go through any hardships. I prefer the position of a foolish nobleman¡¯s son. I¡¯ve been assigned some questionable missions, so I don¡¯t want to add any unnecessary obstacles. ¡°I¡¯ll awaken my power the moment I¡¯m born. Is that possible? Isn¡¯t it kind of weird that I can have memories and recognize things before my brains have grown? ¡° This was a question I had been asking myself after reading a lot of reincarnation stories. Isn¡¯t it strange that a baby can have memories of the past and even be conscious? ¡°By giving you powers that you wouldn¡¯t normally have, the powers will compensate for the parts of your body that are underdeveloped.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass right after birth. If you think you can do something, but you can¡¯t do it, it causes stress. That¡¯s why, make the time I wake up an age where my powers don¡¯t compensate for my underdevelopment.¡± It¡¯s too abnormal to play with breast milk as a staple food when you¡¯re an old man on the inside. I can¡¯t play with baby food. Anyway, I¡¯d like to get through that part unconsciously. ¡°Then, are you ready?¡± ¡°Wait ¡­¡­ just a minute.¡± I¡¯m ¡­¡­ pretty persistent. ¡°Is there a level or status in the world I¡¯m going to?¡± ¡°If you will it.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need for such things. I don¡¯t want to be evaluated by a number. That¡¯s only fun in games.¡± I don¡¯t want to have to check my level and status to make sure I¡¯m absolutely safe, and then smugly say, ¡°I¡¯M STRONGGGGGGG!¡±. ¡°No job thing, of course.¡± ¡°You are too detailed.¡± I guess It¡¯s about time. I can feel a slight irritation in the air. I¡¯ll have to read the contract carefully, I don¡¯t want to be trapped in there. I think I¡¯ve been watching too many dramas. If I wasn¡¯t dreaming, this would be like a drama, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with being cautious. ¡°It¡¯s like they can talk to you out of the blue. The previous guys used things like levels and statuses, didn¡¯t they? Will it be okay if they suddenly can¡¯t stop using them when I reincarnate?¡± ¡°The only ones who could see it were the ones who I dropped off. Others do not even recognize them.¡± It¡¯s a relief to know that. It would be troublesome if it suddenly disappeared and caused an uproar. If it were to suddenly disappear the day I was born, I wouldn¡¯t want people to accuse me of being the son of the devil. The level of the civilization to which I¡¯m being sent down is unknown, but it is likely to be the same medieval ages. There is definitely an Aristocracy class. In other words, there is a great possibility that superstition is prevalent. I don¡¯t think he has the power to suddenly pretend that something that already existed didn¡¯t and no one would question it. Since it is physically impossible to interfere, it is unlikely that he can rewrite the books that already existed. Finally, I¡¯ll ask an unimportant question. ¡°This is the last, why can¡¯t I see your figure?¡± ¡°It reflects your perception of God¡¯s existence. Then you may live as you wish.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because I don¡¯t have a specific image in mind ¡­¡­ I thought, and my consciousness suddenly became distant. I thought with a faint consciousness that remained. That guy lost his nerve. And you didn¡¯t explain what kind of power I¡¯ll get ¡­¡­. Oh, I guess I just didn¡¯t listen. No matter how careful you are, you will always miss something when you have one shot. Well, that¡¯s just the way humans are. I remembered this perfectly when I was 16 years old, and I understood that I was really dead. Oops, if I had known this would happen, I would have deleted the data from my hard drive ¡­¡­ CH 3 A pattern in which an amnesiac¡¯s memory returns. There are various patterns, such as bruises to the head, or after a high fever. In my case, it was a high fever and headache. This was painful. If I lie down, the part of my body that I move down hurts. It was like torture. I wonder if this is his way of harassing me. I have a slight idea ¡­¡­. Even if I try to sleep with my mind clear, the memories from before my reincarnation come flooding in like an avalanche. I feel like this is the cause of my headache. In the midst of the headache hell, I found that the headache lessened as I tried to reorganize my memories of before my reincarnation with my memories here. There was a story that if you concentrate on something, you can reduce the pain. I¡¯m going to have to do this, even if I don¡¯t want to. In this world, I¡¯m a 16-year-old boy, and the third son of a noble family. My name¡­ is Alfred Della Scala. My family consists of ¡­ Papan Ferdinand, 40. Maman Alessandra, 35. My twin brothers, Amilcarre and Baldassare, 22. My 14-year-old little sister Kiara. Maman Alessandra is the second wife, and half-brother of my brothers. She didn¡¯t give birth at thirteen¡­ absolutely not. I¡¯m a little embarrassed to call him Dad or Father. I make fun of them and call them Papan and Maman. I am a twisted person after all. The society is feudal, as expected. The names of the people seem to be of Italian origin. The Della Scala family is treated as a great noble family within the royal family of Langobardo. Among those great nobles, they are the second most powerful in the hierarchy. That unreliable god (maybe he¡¯s a god) properly dropped me in the right place. But there¡¯s something else that¡¯s bugging me. The common sense of the world, which I hadn¡¯t questioned before my reincarnation until my memories came back, seemed strange to me. Above all, there was one thing that I found terrifying at first. Living things, including humans, adapt to their region and environment. If they cannot adapt, they die out. This world specializes in taking advantage of those who are reincarnated from other worlds. If you assume that miracles don¡¯t happen, it¡¯s just a story or a comfort when you¡¯re desperate. But what if you know that they happen regularly? Naturally, they¡¯ll expect it and try to take full advantage of it. That is the rationale of this world. What I thought was even worse was the year of the world. It is believed that those who have been reincarnated from another world are apostles sent by God to save the earth. The church advertises that, and I guess they¡¯re not wrong. Let¡¯s assume that the person who reincarnated me is a god. I think it¡¯s safe to assume that he is the same God the church believes in. The year is the first year of the apostles, the year they were recognized by the church. Since there were many apostles, the year correctly begins with the 1st year to the 1st apostle, and when the next apostle is recognized, it becomes the 1 year to the 2nd apostle. By the way, before the 1 year to the 1st apostle, we go back to the 1st year of the previous 1st apostle. This is the same usage as Before Christ, before the rebirth. It is now the 154th year to the 6th apostle. In addition, this apostolic division is usually switched at the 150th year. In other words, a child born around 150 years old is expected to be, or probably the Lord Apostle? Even in a world where the method of information transmission is still underdeveloped, information is naturally controlled so that every human being is aware of the birth of an apostle. When information is controlled to this extent, everyone becomes sensitive to changes in their surroundings, even if unconsciously. Furthermore, the method of judging apostles is passed on to all people as the teaching of the church. It is different from mere religious teachings because the benefits are clearly visible in material form. It enriches the lives of the people around us by pumping out over-technology. In a word, it is a human lottery. The method of judgment is rather simple. From the time you are born to the time you reach adulthood, you either have knowledge of other worlds or you have extraordinary abilities. Even if they don¡¯t show their power right after birth, they are known to change their personality and awaken to their power after a severe head injury or a high fever. It is said that some parents were so blinded by greed that they intentionally hit their children on the head with a board or something. (It seems they didn¡¯t think that if it was an apostle, they would get even). The world may be changing, but human greed is unchanging. It¡¯s a wonderful world. It was both reassuring and shameful. I heard that there are other special methods, but they are not known to the general public. It¡¯s an additional method of confirmation when there¡¯s doubt, and it seems to be top secret. If you find out about it, the church people will come and make you take a certification test. If you are certified, you will be attacked with hospitality, and you will be tied up in a web of ties. The place of birth and relatives will receive generous protection from the church and other benefits, so they will seriously search for apostles. Could it be that the murky world looks dirty because the consciousness of many is so parasitic? But, if that¡¯s the case, cleansing and recognition don¡¯t meet ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll figure it out later. It¡¯s a world that is trying to suck up all the benefits so carefully. If we don¡¯t check the situation further, we could be in for a big surprise. I want to keep a free hand. In the worst case-scenario, we could be certified after determining that there is no problem. Interestingly, it seems that all the apostles so far didn¡¯t try to hide it. Finally, the pain is receding and I can finally sleep¡­ The first mission is to hide the fact that I¡¯ve been reincarnated with powers so that it won¡¯t be discovered. It¡¯s no joke to stand out and be taken advantage of. How do I cover up the personality change that is said to be caused by the mixture of memories (although it is said that I will awaken to the power of the apostles, but in reality, it is probably a mixture of memories)? My head started to hurt again when I worried about it ¡­¡­ CH 4 The next time I woke up was because I felt someone¡¯s presence. I looked over to see my sister looking at me with concern. ¡°Good morning, Kiara.¡± I called out to my sister. She has blond hair and bright green eyes. She is small and slender, but her eyes are angled and she looks strong-willed. She is a beautiful girl in the conventional sense. Kiara smiled at me, as if my perception of day and night was wrong. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s still night.¡± Before I was reincarnated, I had a sister. It may seem like I¡¯m ruining the dream, but the sister I had before my reincarnation was annoying, to say the least. She knows exactly what to do to irritate me, and she pokes me with it. The wife of a single man, the sister of a man without a sister is kind and beautiful. That is, if they are not there. Even before I was reincarnated, philosophers and great men often lamented about married life. it¡¯s not just my subjective ¡­¡­ I think. Even before my memories of my reincarnation returned, my personality must have remained unchanged. He is very close to Kiara, though it is unclear if he has learned how to deal with her. Not only with Kiara, but his relationship with his family is good. Before my reincarnation, we were estranged. Well, they said they were going to send me down in an environment where I wouldn¡¯t become a psychopath. They must have been sent down to a good place. For now, let¡¯s check the situation and reassure her. ¡°How long have I been in bed?¡± ¡°About two days. Are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve recovered to the point where I can recognize hunger. Have you been taking care of me all this time, by any chance?¡± Kiara smiled a little shyly. ¡°I¡¯ve just finished dinner and have some free time on my hands, so I thought I¡¯d stop by. If you¡¯d like, I can have something to eat brought to you?¡± She must have been watching me the whole time. It would be foolish to retort to that. I¡¯m pretty hungry. ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Then, please wait a moment.¡± Then she left the room in a hurry. My back ached, probably because I had been asleep for so long. I sat up and thought about it. The Kiara in my memory is very perceptive, and she¡¯ll easily see through a bad play. That¡¯s why I need to be careful ¡­¡­ She can read my intentions almost exactly, so there¡¯s a chance that she¡¯ll dare to overlook anything suspicious. In any case, I need to behave as carefully as possible to avoid detection. As I was thinking about this, I felt the presence of many people. The door opened and the rest of the family came in, except for Kiara. Ferdinand, my Papan, asked me. ¡°Alfred, has the fever and headache subsided?¡± He had blond hair, bright green eyes, and the dignified look of THE aristocrat. ¡°Yes, to the point where it doesn¡¯t bother me.¡± Alessandra, my Maman, opens her mouth in a gentle but cautionary manner. ¡°You have always been restless, so you have to be patient and mature.¡± This one has platinum blonde hair and blue eyes and is thirty-five years old, but still looks young. She is the second wife and the birth mother of Kiara and me. She has a style that makes me think she isn¡¯t a mother of two. If she were a natural, she would be the envy of the world. She may be working hard to maintain her figure in ways that we can¡¯t see. She looks calm but dignified feeling. As the wife of a great aristocrat, her behavior is elegant. One of my brothers, Amilcarre, murmured in distress. ¡°But if we don¡¯t confirm that he¡¯s an apostle at the earliest opportunity, people will be urging us to do so.¡± Baldassarre, the other brother, replied. ¡°I understand your impatience, but we can¡¯t be sure that our expectations will be met. A little further confirmation would be good.¡± As twins, they look almost exactly alike, with blond hair and blue eyes. It is quite difficult to tell them apart unless they are family members. They look like a young, handsome aristocrat. They¡¯re starting to have some dignity, though not as much as father. Their personalities are quite different, but I guess they get along well because of their differences. They were both adults and were in training to rule as Papan¡¯s representatives. When they heard that I had a high fever, they abandoned their work in the name of visiting me. By the way, the two of them naturally started to play a skit ¡­¡­ which is quite funny. (They are quite serious, though.) I¡¯m a platinum blonde with green eyes, and depending on how you look at me, I can look like a handsome guy. I¡¯m at the bottom of the caste in the family when it comes to appearance. I was like ¡®that¡¯ before I was reincarnated, so I¡¯ve improved a lot, though. I don¡¯t know what to say about my appearance before my reincarnation. While I was doing this, two new people entered the room. One of them is Fabio Visconti, my tutor. ¡°Hello, kiddo. You¡¯re awake. So, has your life changed?¡± He was thirty-six years old, in the prime of middle age, with brown hair, dark eyes and a scraggly beard, like a scholar. He looks like a typical scholar who doesn¡¯t care about his appearance. The other person was Kiara, who had just left. He said in a cajoling manner. ¡°Sir, my brother has just woken up, so how can he change?¡± Then she turned to me. ¡°I¡¯ve asked Alessia to bring you some refreshments after your illness, so please wait a moment.¡± I nodded lightly, thinking that Alessia was one of our servants. I replied in a way that seemed to poke fun at Sir. Fabio, the unmarried teacher. ¡°That will change as soon as you get married, sir.¡± He is a distant relative of Maman¡¯s, the third son of a Priest¡¯s family. He was kicked out for not studying hard enough to become a priest. In order to make ends meet, he decided to study apostolic studies and became a private tutor. Apostleship is the practice of summarizing the words and deeds of the apostles and passing them on to future generations. It¡¯s a way to brainwash people from an early age on how they should behave as apostles (according to the teacher). He¡¯s a bit of a slouch, but he¡¯s actually quite good at what he does and he has a reputation of being ¡°brilliant but too quirky¡±. He and I seem to get along well as we¡¯re both twisted. The teacher grinned at me and brushed it off. ¡°It seems your personality hasn¡¯t changed.¡± With a turn of seriousness, the teacher turned to Papan and made a suggestion. ¡°Sir Ferdinand, your son¡¯s apostleship exam should be in three days. If there is no change there, I think it would be best to make a final special confirmation.¡± The world is a world of connections, and even free-spirited teachers can at least respond in a way that doesn¡¯t offend their employers. In a society where information is still undeveloped, it¡¯s all about connections, connections, and connections. This world is no exception. Papan nodded seriously. ¡°If you say so, teacher. What is the final confirmation?¡± The teacher replied in an exaggerated manner. ¡°If you go on a pilgrimage, you will understand. The pilgrimage itself is a long journey, taking about six months, so it is best to prepare for it. Even if you are certified as an apostle, you should still go on a pilgrimage.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s arrange it that way.¡± The apostolic pilgrimage is a journey to the places where each apostle was based, in order. This is a major pilgrimage, and there are many pilgrims who seek blessings even if they do not have apostolic status. It has even become a custom, like the Mekka pilgrimage, that one should do at least once in a lifetime. (T/N: Mekka, centre for some field or activity (center).) Thanks to this, the roads, the security on the way, and the accommodations are all perfect. The security along the pilgrimage route is better than that of any town. Kiara interrupted the conversation. ¡°If you¡¯re going, I¡¯d love to go with you.¡± Kiara is not usually selfish, but once she starts talking, she doesn¡¯t back down. I¡¯m the one who is always at home with her, so I guess she gets tired of being alone because she has too much time on her hands. My father immediately dismissed the idea. ¡°No, you haven¡¯t shown any signs of being an apostle yet. If you¡¯re in the middle of a trip and start showing signs, we¡¯re in trouble.¡± The high fever that I was running around with earlier was said to be an apostle sign. There are times when the apostle signs appear before the age of 18. If there are no signs after the age of 18, it is confirmed that you are not an apostle. There are some cases of high fever due to a cold, but if the first high fever does not make a person an apostle, it is said that the person is not qualified. All that information is substantial, I thought. As I watched my father and sister arguing, the only thing that occupied my mind was ¡­ That I was hungry ¡­¡­ CH 5 It¡¯s been three days since then. Today is the day of the apostle certification exam. I¡¯ll be using attack magic in a safe place. They¡¯re going to check my swordsmanship and other skills to see if there¡¯s a dramatic increase in my abilities. It¡¯s easy to find out if they¡¯re just a bunch of unaware ¡°I¡¯M STRONGGGGGGG¡± type people. Was my predecessor full of such people? Weren¡¯t they even the least bit alarmed? Am I crazy, or am I just a little nervous? The whole family and some servants were brought to a place off the estate. Originally, a priest from the church will be the witness of the certification. There is no priest, as the teacher is a certified apostolic scholar (which means he is authorized by the Church). There was some talk of bringing the people to watch, but Kiara objected. ¡°If the results are not positive, he will be exposed. It could be traumatic.¡± As a result, it was confirmed only by my relatives. You are such a sweet sister ¡­¡­ Your big brother is so glad. Even the normally calm Father is upset. The fear of thought control over the apostles is apparent. If you¡¯re religious, I guess it¡¯s impossible to maintain your composure against an apostle who you treat like a god. That¡¯s when I became concerned about Kiara¡¯s calmness. No, she¡¯s too calm. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something going on, but first I have to concentrate on getting through this charade. The teacher asks me in a light tone. ¡°Well, kiddo. Are you ready?¡± Everyone except Kiara and the teacher looks at me expectantly. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to expose myself. I¡¯m just coating the tattered old man with the soul of a boy. I don¡¯t have the slightest intention of living up to their expectations. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Yes, a move as a disguise for a personality change. Change your way of speaking. I used to call myself ¡°Boku¡±. I changed it to ¡°Watashi¡±. The reason is that when you reach the age where you take the apostle certification exam, you are treated almost like an adult. That¡¯s why I changed my wording. ¡°It¡¯s strange that at the age of 20, I hurriedly changed my self-identification from me to I, right?¡± I said, and he agreed. Now, even if my personality has changed a little from the original, he will probably look at me warmly as ¡®trying to be tall and mature¡¯. To hide a change you want to hide, you hide it in a common change. To hide a tree, hide it in the forest. The teacher raised his hand to signal the start. ¡°So, for the first time.¡± The first thing we had to do was to check our magic, and we were supposed to cast the appropriate attack magic into the sky. The lucky thing for me here was that I already knew how to cut corners. Even before my memory came back, I was known as Alfred the Curious. It¡¯s a good thing that I have an innate personality, because when I learned magic, I asked a lot of questions about what principles ¡­¡­ and how to convert magic power into the phenomena I wanted. I was always asking about such details and making my magic teacher rave about it. Even in modern society, there are not that many people who want to know the principles of things. However, technology is built on basic studies, so if you want to find out, you can. In a world where science and academics are underdeveloped, basic studies are not popular to begin with. This is because they focus on how to use what they have. Few people learn such things. For example, in training as an airplane pilot, you are asked the question, ¡°Why do airplanes fly?¡± That¡¯s what they¡¯ll ask you. For the teacher, it¡¯s a depressing experience. But ¡­¡­ I am the son of a great aristocrat. I ask what makes sense at first glance, so they can¡¯t just ignore it. In fact, two of my teachers have run away with me because of this. In addition to teaching apostolic studies, the third teacher was the one who was chosen. He¡¯s a genius, has strong magical powers, and has mastered some basic theory. You¡¯re being used pretty hard, teacher. Forgive me, but you¡¯ll have to be the sacrifice for the sake of my curiosity and peace of mind. When I become a great man, I will build you a statue. The theory of magic that I learned is roughly as follows. This determines the type of magic. If it¡¯s fire, then when you chant the spell, an image of a burning fire will appear in your mind. The smoothest way is to let it out through your hands. I was told that if I tried hard enough, I could also release it from my feet. But I don¡¯t want to be like some fighting game ¡­¡­ where they call it Muay Thai and you have to throw balls out of your feet. However, this alone is only a vague attraction and does not work as magic. In order for the released magic power and the natural magic power to collide, we need to be aware of a certain enclosed space. By doing so, the area of attraction will be narrowed down, and the collision will sublimate as magic. At this point, the magic is on the verge of materializing and can be seen as magic from outside ¡­¡­ This will cause magic to flow out of the empty space. Strengthening the body is different, but I won¡¯t go into that here. By the way, the magic training that is generally taught is Since this spell is imprinted as fire, it falls under 1. Applies to 2 and 3. Applies to 4 and 5. In the worst-cases ¡°I¡¯m going to chant a fire spell with a Bwaaaaaahhhh. Imagine that flames come out from inside with a Gwaaaahhhh. Then, it goes down your arm with a Byaaaaahhh. Then strongly believe to make it explode with a bang!¡± (T/N: Hahaha, in this part, he is explaining the steps of chanting magic in a ¡°Typical Genius Way¡± that most geniuses use, without really understanding the principle of how it happens but they just explains it from what they feel when chanting. And since I¡¯m good with that Bang is the normal thing I can say, sorry about that.) When I heard this, I was seriously dizzy. That person was the first teacher who was called a genius¡­ Don¡¯t think, feel it! (T/N: It¡¯s English here.) ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Then, let¡¯s get started. ¡°Okay, here I go.¡± If I limit the amount of magic that comes out of my body to the level it was at before I reincarnated, it will have the same power. I wonder if I can fake it well. I knew I could do it without chanting, so I¡¯ve always done it without chanting. Thanks to this, people secretly expect that their son will be great. Don¡¯t get too carried away, that was me before the memories of my previous life came back. I shoot fire into the sky without chanting. The power given to me is like a gate in my body, and when I open it, a tremendous amount of magic power comes out. During the three days I was lying in bed, I made sure of that. As long as I don¡¯t open it, I¡¯m no different from ordinary people. However ¡­¡­ every time I use magic, the magic power roars to open the gate, so I have to be careful. In addition, the door is poorly constructed, so the gate could open at any time. I need to have a clear image of not opening the gate. Thinking that someone should give me a padlock to close the gate, I fired off a shot. ¡°Oh! Ehhh¡­?¡± the onlookers said. Oh no ¡­¡­ did I make a mistake somewhere? I broke out in a cold sweat inside. When I looked at everyone, I saw that they all had subtle expressions on their faces. ¡°Was there something wrong?¡± I asked, trying to keep my composure. The teacher, who was at a loss for a response, replied with his eyes swimming. ¡°No, I was surprised by the blue flames. I¡¯ve never seen a fire like that before. But the power was very ordinary. W-Well ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t worry about it ¡­¡­¡± Oh no. ¡­¡­ After my memories of before my reincarnation came back, the image of a fully burning flame came first¡­ ¡°Ah, when I was having a nightmare with a high fever, I saw something like a blue flame in my dream. I may have remembered that in a strange way ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯ll just say whatever I feel like saying. The teacher suggested to escape from this difficult atmosphere. ¡°W-Well, let¡¯s take a break and check your swordsmanship.¡± My father said as if to remind himself. ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s right. Well, it¡¯s not a done deal yet.¡± Forgive me, Papan, I¡¯ll cut corners next time. The family and servants are all disappointed ¡­¡­. except for one person. Only Kiara was smiling nonchalantly. It¡¯s the face of an old lady who sees through her son¡¯s poor deviousness and smiles. I¡¯m scared ¡­¡­ Please sister ¡­¡­ don¡¯t say anything unnecessary¡­ CH 6 I was slightly concerned about Kiara¡¯s smirk, but I checked my swordsmanship. To tell the truth, I wasn¡¯t very good at sports even before my memory came back. The teacher had told me in disgust a long time ago. ¡°You don¡¯t need your hands from the neck down, kiddo.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t read a book without your hands.¡± ¡°You can just see with your magic.¡± ¡°Who would go to all that trouble?¡± We had such a heartwarming exchange a long time ago. I thought that swordsmanship also had a gate of power that could be released to make it stronger. But it didn¡¯t, and there was almost no sense of change. My athletic ability remained the same even after reincarnation, with no change. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s possible for all abilities to increase, or if there¡¯s something I¡¯m good at, it¡¯ll lean towards it. I¡¯m thankful that I didn¡¯t have to bother hiding it. It¡¯s a simple test where you stand up against a scarecrow and strike it with a wooden sword to confirm your swordsmanship. If it goes according to the cliche, the scarecrow will be blown up or the ground will be gouged just by swinging the wooden sword. However, I didn¡¯t know in what form the power would be demonstrated. If the power was suddenly released when I swing it down, I can¡¯t even look at it. If you want to laugh at me for being skeptical, you can laugh at me. This world smells like gold. It¡¯s definitely better to act cautiously. There was a little distance between us, and as I ran and raised my wooden sword, I immediately felt a strange power passing through it. This is not good! Emergency stop! Emergency stop! For some reason, there was a thought in my head, ¡°Mayday! Mayday!¡± a sound of a program I used to watch before my reincarnation echoed through my head. This has nothing to do with airplanes! It¡¯s a train accident! If you want to compare them! But that doesn¡¯t matter! Before I could swing down, I quickly decided to tangle my legs and fall. I plunged face-first into the ground and the wooden sword rolled to my feet. Then a moment of silence. They were all speechless, and this silence was painful. I mean, it hurts because I plunged face-first into the ground. When I managed to get up, I felt a slippery sensation around my mouth. When I wiped it with my hand, I saw that my nose was bleeding profusely. Even though I was trying to hide it ¡­¡­ this was embarrassing. (The sudden stop caused the aircraft to lose its balance and topple over, injuring the pilot. Fortunately, no one was killed.) The voice of the narrator of that show was playing in my mind. Kiara was the first to rush to me. ¡°Brother, are you okay!?¡± Kiara wiped the mud and blood from my face with her handkerchief. I was so embarrassed, but I don¡¯t know why she acted so much faster than other adults ¡­¡­ ¡°Oh, except for my shame, I¡¯m safe.¡± I looked at the rest of the family and they blatantly averted their gaze. In an attempt to change this flow of the atmosphere, I checked with the teacher. ¡°Does this mean ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll do a retest?¡± The teacher, who is usually aloof and unconcerned about the unexpected situation, swims his eyes and ¡­¡­ shakes with laughter. ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ No ¡­¡­ There wasn¡¯t a case where they tripped against a scarecrow ¡­¡­ so I guess that¡¯s ¡­¡­ a no.¡± They are terrible adults. I¡¯ve never seen my parents, who are always so calm and collected, so stunned. The two older brothers were doing a really good job of trying to hold back their laughter and putting on a worried expression while trying to cover up their disappointment. The servants all looked away or down. Their half-hearted gentleness hurt. Everyone must have wanted to get out of there immediately. Then I can speak for them. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ let¡¯s go home. We¡¯re going on a pilgrimage next, right?¡± Everyone nodded silently, and the heartless adults hurried off. I wonder why the servants had to leave first. But it seemed that Kiara had silently urged them to leave first. I wondered if Kiara had something to say or if she was looking for words of comfort. She looked quite serious when while she¡¯s thinking. After a while, she looked into my face. ¡°Can I come to your room later?¡± She seemed to have something serious to say. If I go on pilgrimage, we won¡¯t see each other for six months. I smiled at Kiara. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± But ¡­¡­ an incredibly dumb sight was made because of the blood dripping from my nose. As expected, even Kiara burst out laughing. Stop quickly, my nosebleed. Another page in my black history. CH 7 After a very awkward dinner, I went back to my room and lay down on my bed. I wished I didn¡¯t have to have a dinner with almost no conversation. As I was pondering about the special way of confirming on the pilgrimage, there was a knock at the door. Before I could answer, the door opened and Kiara walked in. I wondered how long it had been since she had come in before I answered. Despite my thoughts, Kiara closed the door and sat down on the bed where I was lying. She was silent for a few moments, not looking at me. When Kiara is looking for words, it¡¯s good to keep quiet. I remembered that and kept silent too. Eventually, Kiara took a deep breath and opened her mouth. ¡°Do you know the pilgrimage site of the Fifth Apostle?¡± ¡°Oh, I believe it¡¯s in the pilgrimage guide book.¡± ¡°It¡¯s where the town used to be before it became an apostolic center.¡± Hmm? There¡¯s something tricky about the way she said that. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a base in the town?¡± Kiara hesitated for a moment and then opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not been reported, but the base was established after the apostles destroyed the town.¡± Hey, come on now, that¡¯s not calm. Was the fifth apostle such a dangerous person? ¡°Did they destroy the town and all its inhabitants?¡± ¡°Almost all of them, yes.¡± It¡¯s a bit of a stretch, but denying it out of the blue won¡¯t get us anywhere. I¡¯ll have to hear the story first. ¡°Why did they destroy it?¡± ¡°The town was a mafia stronghold. When the apostle visited there, one of their lovers, Vasileos, was killed.¡± Mafia, in other words, a criminal organization. Somehow, they¡¯re called as mafia. I don¡¯t know why, though. I¡¯m starting to see Kiara¡¯s story, but when I jump on it, I usually don¡¯t reach the truth. ¡°Vasileos is a man¡¯s name, right? So the apostle is a woman?¡± I¡¯d rather not have an apostle BL. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the only female apostle.¡± ¡°Why was Vasileos killed?¡± Kiara exhaled deeply and looked at me for the first time. I was impressed by the relieved look on her face. ¡°Even though my story is so far-fetched, brother is still willing to listen to the reason, huh.¡± I poked Kiara¡¯s forehead lightly with my finger. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate your brother. And I¡¯m sure you were expecting me to ask that.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t be certain. When you hear that the Apostle¡¯s lover was killed in the Mafia¡¯s stronghold, people usually think that the Mafia¡¯s evil deeds were exposed and they killed him out of desperation. Because absolute justice is the norm for apostles. And of course, his lover.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to believe anything unconditionally that I haven¡¯t seen with my own eyes and ears ¡­¡­ Even if it is God.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes opened wide and froze, as if she couldn¡¯t open them any further. I couldn¡¯t help but let out my pre-reincarnation atheism. Now, intuitively, I am convinced that this is not the time to act and hide things. It¡¯s funny, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m a logical person, and I follow my intuition pretty well. It¡¯s a contradiction in terms, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s my nature and I can¡¯t help it. Kiara¡¯s stiffness finally broke. ¡°It¡¯s true that their evil deed was exposed, but it was the evil deed of a man named Armando. I¡¯ve heard that Armando was about to be sanctioned for breaking the law a long time ago, but he offered a large amount of gold coins and was expelled from the family to end it.¡± ¡°Vasileos said he was following the case. He traced it back to Armando¡¯s name, but he didn¡¯t know that he had been expelled from the Mafia, so he jumped to the conclusion that he had done something wrong at the Mafia¡¯s behest.¡± ¡°Members don¡¯t do bad things on their own against orders. And banishment is something you have to live in the underworld to know about, so it¡¯s no wonder Vasileos was so quick to judge.¡± ¡°What mistake did Vasileos make after his hasty decision?¡± Kiara looked at me with a wary, suspicious look. She looked very dark and mature, not the usual Kiara. ¡°Oh brother. Do you actually know what I¡¯m about to tell you?¡± ¡°I was just guessing from the way you were talking.¡± That¡¯s unusual. Normally, she would be able to see through this easily. I feel like she¡¯s strangely emotional and restless. ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry. Vasileos caught the first town girl he saw and pursued her for Armando¡¯s misdeeds. She explained, ¡®Armando was banished a long time ago, so he has nothing to do with this place¡±. But Vasileos did not listen to her. On the contrary, he became furious, shouting, ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse!! He broke the girl¡¯s finger and threatened to take her to the boss.¡± That sounds dangerous and can¡¯t be good. I shook my head. I was disgusted, but silently urged her to continue. ¡°The girl was the daughter of the mafia boss. When she took Vasileos in front of her father, he must have thought that he would not be safe. He strongly rejected it.¡± This is a bad pattern. ¡°Vasileos was so angry that he beat his daughter and then broke her arm.¡± No matter what it is, he¡¯s like a barbarian by breaking a woman¡¯s arm. No, not even a barbarian would do that. ¡°What caused him to be so angry?¡± ¡°Armando was colluding with a black marketeer to sell dangerous drugs. In order to improve the quality of the drugs, he used some orphanages as testing grounds.¡± Ohhhh, that sounds like something that would happen in a foreign drama. Kiara continued without regard for my thoughts. ¡°One of the test sites was the orphanage where Vasileos grew up. Vasileos was chosen as an apostle and left the orphanage. When Vasileos visited the orphanage after a long time, it had become an abandoned testing ground.¡± The level of technology in this world is a mess. The technology of this world is a mess, with some as advanced as the modern age and others not even reaching the medieval age. Drugs have been around since the early modern era, but who the hell brought them here! ¡°What kind of drug is it?¡± ¡°When you become addicted, your skin rots, you swell, and you lose your limbs. Above all, it was cheap to make. The mafia had rules and regulations, and the drug was forbidden.¡± I don¡¯t think it was a humanitarian concern. They judged that the damage and the profit would not be worth it if they were discovered. The larger the organization, the more carefully they calculate the risk. Otherwise, unless they are very lucky, the organization will be destroyed before it can make a profit. I silently encouraged Kiara to continue. ¡°The people he grew up with had been experimented on and were already dead. They said that Vasileos was obsessed only with finding the culprits. When he finally got there, he found out that Armando was a member of the mafia. When he arrived in town, he assumed it was the mafia and beat and kicked the daughter who was trying to protect her father.¡± Kiara shook her head weakly and continued. ¡°When that happened, the town¡¯s inhabitants could no longer remain silent. It¡¯s dangerous to mess with Vasileos. But I guess they thought that leaving him alone would not solve the problem. All the residents came together and attacked Vasileos, killing him.¡± If the boss¡¯s daughter was assaulted and left unattended, there would be no life for the residents. I guess that ¡­¡­ they¡¯re motivated by anger and fear. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will.¡± But still ¡­¡­ It¡¯s also a sanctuary for the apostle¡¯s lover, and when you get used to it, it dulls your ability to make objective judgments. When it becomes a sanctuary, no one wants to correct the mistakes. If you make a mistake, you pretend it never happened. There are absolutely no mistakes. You can choose to do the right thing without having to think about it. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very good. In fact, I detest it. This is also the reason why I rejected levels and statuses. You make decisions based on numbers without thinking about it. It¡¯s not your own judgment. They mistake borrowed judgment for their own superior ability. It would be nice if you could live like a cyborg with only numbers, but I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to do that. You don¡¯t identify your friends by their numbers. However, you only see other people as NPCs. If they are not friendly to you, you will treat them as an obstacle. But they will never admit that they are committing such an abomination. Kiara¡¯s voice interrupted my thoughts that were about to plunge into the depths. ¡°What the late-arriving apostle saw was the corpse of Vasileos. Seeing this, Apostle Eleni became enraged and destroyed the town with all its inhabitants.¡± This is it. When you have non-standard power, the only person who can control your outburst is you yourself. And when you are constantly affirmed by those around you, you lose your objectivity and jump to conclusions. It¡¯s understandable that they lose their temper, but they have too little self-control. ¡°It¡¯s too much. Did Eleni know that the mafia had nothing to do with Armando?¡± Kiara nodded. ¡°It seems so. It seems that she came to stop Vasileos.¡± No matter how you look at it, Vasileos is wrong. He deserved to be killed. Did he think that they were special because he had been confirmed for so long? He must have felt omnipotent, had no judgment, and easily jumped to the conclusion since he was were dealing with the mafia. In the end, he directs his anger at the people who are not involved. Even if he realized his mistake, he was not wrong because he was dealing with the mafia. That must be how he justified himself. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for doing something that makes people suspect you.¡± I¡¯ve seen a lot of people before my reincarnation who say things like that to cover up their own mistakes. And I hated them for it. The church and the people who have been using the apostles will choose to kill them unless they are in danger. I put my thoughts aside and listened to what Kiara had to say. ¡°You said at first that it was mostly ¡­¡­ was it because there were a few survivors?¡± ¡°Yes. There were a few children under the rubble. When they finally got out and were covered with scars and shaking with fear ¡­¡­ Eleni said coldly. ¡°This is what happens when you hurt someone I care about. Tell them that. I¡¯ll let you off the hook for that purpose¡±. After that, she carried Vasileos¡¯ body and went away.¡± ¡°No way ¡­¡­¡± I felt dizzy and irritated, instinctively disgusted with Eleni. It took me a while to realize this myself. She¡¯s the kind of person you sometimes hear about before you reincarnate, the kind of person who says it¡¯s never her fault. I¡¯m trying to be as objective as possible, but I can¡¯t help but support Kiara. There is no way around it. However, the power of the apostles is becoming more and more troublesome. The more power they have, the harder it is to control them. God ¡­¡­ do you really think that they can use such a dangerous thing as they please? I¡¯m also vaguely aware of the reason why Kiara talks about this massacre as if she saw it herself. She must have a lot of determination to talk about it. It¡¯s a disgusting story, but I guess I¡¯ll have to go along with it. It must have been very hard for you to keep it all in. I wanted to at least support her as her brother. CH 8 I can¡¯t help but feel like jumping to conclusions and getting comfortable with such a disgusting story. And I want to be drunk with a sense of justice. If I wasn¡¯t a withered old man, I would have jumped to the conclusion. Getting older is not such a bad thing. She seems to be hesitant to speak, so I gently encourage her to continue. ¡°So, what about those surviving children?¡± Kiara let out a small breath and slumped. ¡°After the apostle left, they all buried their bodies by the sea. Fortunately or unfortunately, there were not many bodies left with a proper form ¡­¡­¡± ¡°So there¡¯s only children ¡­¡­¡± Kiara looked up and laughed emotionlessly. I wondered if this was what empty laughter felt like. ¡°I had to do something, that¡¯s what I thought.¡± ¡°And then what?¡± ¡°They all talked about it. And decided that they weren¡¯t going to ¡­¡­ do what she said.¡± ¡°But it would be dangerous. If she got suspicious, it would be a problem.¡± There was silence for quite a while, and then I looked at Kiara and saw that she had a dark and gloomy expression on her face, like a ghost. Is this what a ghost looks like when it smiles? She had an empty, cold smile that made me think so. The base was a beautiful girl, so the impact was different. Ugly ghosts are just scary. The ghost of a beautiful girl is a unique mixture of mysterious beauty, emptiness and fear. She began to speak quietly, but her hands were clenched tightly. ¡°If they all commit suicide together, their hands will be unreachable. It¡¯s the only way a helpless child can stand up to an apostle who has the world on her side.¡± You¡¯re right, there¡¯s also necromancy, but there¡¯s no talk about the apostle using it ¡­¡­ So they thought they could escape by dying. I wonder if that blade reached the apostles. I wonder if it even grazed her. It may not have mattered. You told us to live and tell our story, so I will die. I guess that was the only thing ¡­¡­ they could do. I understand the logic, but I don¡¯t know how they felt when they made the decision to die. I don¡¯t want to irresponsibly tell people to live because death is the end of everything. Because I don¡¯t understand the situation correctly at that time. I can¡¯t be responsible for the rest of their life either. If I self-righteously impose on their life, how much responsibility can I take for that life if I let them choose it? If you leave the rest up to the individual, you¡¯re interfering with people¡¯s lives and deaths just for your own satisfaction. It¡¯s no good. I¡¯ll get caught up in it if I think about it too deeply. Let¡¯s hear the rest. ¡°What then?¡± Kiara shook her head. ¡°Eleni¡¯s lore is extremely scarce. So we don¡¯t know what the outcome was.¡± Is it because they¡¯re making problems here and there that they have left only safe traditions to cover-up? ¡°So that¡¯s how they ended up using it as a base.¡± ¡°I checked every bit of lore that was left. I checked all the remaining legends. The only thing I could find was that she used it as a base.¡± I let out a gasp, and I had to find out why she had told me this. I have to be the one to understand this feeling. If it is possible, I would like to fulfill her wishes as her brother. But if she was convinced that I was hiding the Apostle¡¯s power and asked me to help her retaliate, I would have refused. I can say this because I¡¯m uninvolved, and there are no more people who can be directly punished. If I killed the unrelated descendants, I would be no different from Eleni and Vasileos. ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°There is a large tree standing near the seashore, just outside the town. Place any kind of flower at the base of it.¡± I was relieved that it wasn¡¯t retaliation, but I wondered how she would face her hatred in the future. ¡°Is there only one tree?¡± ¡°It¡¯s now named Tombstone Tree.¡± Did someone find the bodies of the children? It¡¯s a bit redundant, but I¡¯ll check it too. ¡°The children are there?¡± The ghostly expression from earlier was gone. Kiara nodded in silence, but I could see the subtle wavering of her emotions. I¡¯m sure that in theory, she knows that the target of her retaliation is no longer there. Is she trying to come to terms with her past somehow? Then, as an old man, and as her older brother, I should help her to reach the exit. (T/N: I don¡¯t really understand if she¡¯s one of the children in the story she said or not, because it was said that there was no target of retaliation already, meaning that the fifth apostle is already dead, but it was also said that she(Kiara) is trying to come to terms with her past. I guess I can¡¯t understand because I still don¡¯t know her motive.) ¡°At what time did you remember?¡± Kiara looked surprised for a moment, but then quickly smiled. ¡°Brother is such a strange person. You want to know everything, and I feel like you know everything. And even when something is foreign to him, you try to understand it first. You¡¯re really strange.¡± No, I¡¯m not, I want to know because I¡¯m aware of my own ignorance. And you just talk about what you know. Before my reincarnation, I liked a ton of mysteries. I used to buy books like ¡°Monthly Zero,¡± and I also enjoyed reading about ancient alien astronauts. Even if the story was outrageous, I would listen to it first. Thanks to my love for history, I know more about Socrates than most people. I know Sun Tzu, Han Yue Tzu, the theory of monarchs, the theory of war, and so on. Even in other worlds, human nature remains the same, so I can apply it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about it, yes, I¡¯m just trying to understand what I¡¯m ignorant of.¡± I unexpectedly made a cool remark. I don¡¯t want it to be added to my black history later. Come to think of it, Kiara has always been a strange child. She has not cried much since she was a child, and she is quick to speak up. Since she was a child, she often had nightmares and would crawl into my bed. She stopped having nightmares when he was about 10 years old. And she couldn¡¯t fit in with other children her age anymore. There was a story about a kid who had memories of his previous life before he was reincarnated, and how he had a hard time passing on his memories of his previous life to his parents. Over here, it¡¯s the bad behavior of the apostles ¡­¡­ You can never talk about it. At first, it was said that Kiara was an apostle. If what she said earlier was true, it would have been a very cruel torture. Even if she tries to deny it, people around her expect things from her. And they innocently believe in the rightness of the apostle. They selfishly expect you to be someone you detest. I¡¯m amazed she could put up with that until now. And now it¡¯s clear why she¡¯s so mature. If you¡¯re going to live in a mafia stronghold, you can¡¯t live with a flowery head. You have to be realistic in your own way. And even after being reincarnated with hatred and despair ¡­¡­ she was probably still trying desperately to figure out how much and what to tell others. Kiara wants to find a good man and make him happy, and she is well qualified to do so. I couldn¡¯t help but sit up and gently stroke her head as I used to do. Kiara leaned back against me, closing her eyes happily. ¡°It started when I was about 3 years old. How could you think that an ordinary person could be reincarnated?¡± ¡°Compared to the regular appearance of apostles with extraordinary powers. It¡¯s not at all strange for a person¡¯s soul to be reincarnated.¡± (T/N: Ohhh, now I understand.) In a world with magic, reincarnation would be possible. But even though it seems like everything is possible, I feel like there is a logic to it. That¡¯s what the gods said. Cleanse the world. It¡¯s impossible to do that without certain rules. I¡¯m not there yet, not with my knowledge. I¡¯m starting to see the path I should take. At first, I restrained my power out of fear, but now I¡¯m sure I¡¯m on the right track. And the first thing I need to do is learn the rules of this world. Kiara gave me a strange look. ¡°Didn¡¯t you think I was imagining things?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you since you were a little girl, Kiara. You¡¯re too mature and too realistic compared to children your age. If I¡¯m delusional enough to be fooled, that¡¯s quite amazing. Then we can go out.¡± ¡°That freedom of thought is amazing. Maybe the Sage in the old books was someone like Brother.¡± No, that¡¯s not true. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a cheat reincarnated and have more knowledge cards than other people. When Kiara sees me shrugging my shoulders, she grips my hand. ¡°Were you worried about what happened to the other children, or is it just me? If so, why? I thought about it, but I couldn¡¯t come up with an answer. The mixture of life, death, despair, and hatred inside me made me feel like I was going crazy. In such a situation, even if I said something strange, only my brother listened to me ¡­¡­ and answered me seriously.¡± She was staring at me. I was embarrassed, but I felt like I shouldn¡¯t turn my gaze away now. ¡°And then I thought. Brother is the only one who doesn¡¯t unconditionally worship the apostles. I thought, maybe I¡¯m not the only one who is different. I thought maybe you would understand me.¡± In the past, Kiara asked, ¡°Are the apostles so great?¡± and I defended her when she got a lot of good scolding from the people around her. Kiara¡¯s eyes watered as her emotions ran high. ¡°It was because of you that I was able to make it this far without breaking down, brother. It must be rare to find someone like Brother. So I guess my second time was lucky.¡± Oh, man, this pure ray of gratitude is too bright for an old man with a depressed mind! I have to change the subject before I faint in agony! ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an apostle myself, so I don¡¯t believe in the righteousness of apostles unconditionally. And besides, Kiara isn¡¯t really different. If you¡¯re right, it¡¯s the apostles and the world hiding inconvenient facts that are different.¡± I said it with a certain amount of coolness, but I knew he was picking up some sort of nerd from the modern world. I just can¡¯t bring myself to worship it. Even before my reincarnation, before my memories returned, I was not pure enough to believe in anything unconditionally. Kiara laughed at my overly confident statement. ¡°But you¡¯re definitely in the minority.¡± I know that. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I know that, but numbers are only a comfort.¡± Yes, mass incitement is a technique that existed in the original world. There is no such thing as absolute justice in large numbers. It¡¯s just an advantage to get things done. Kiara was nodding her head in a dumbfounded but impressed manner. Suddenly, she leaned forward to see what I was thinking. A straight face itself. ¡°Six months, I¡¯m going to really! Really! Miss you, but please come back safely.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t live on my own, so I¡¯ll come back.¡± Sadly, I¡¯ve decided not to use my physical abilities, magic, or any other cheat abilities. I¡¯m not so naive to think that I can live with abilities that are a little below average. I¡¯ve chosen to be a nobleman¡¯s son to make things easier. I¡¯m not going to give it up easily. ¡°Also, may I ask you to do me a favor that I ask every six months?¡± I almost blew up at the subtlety and tightness of the question. ¡°Sure.¡± Kiara had an angelic smile on her face, but her aura of being absolutely sure to be heard was buzzing. ¡°Can I sleep here today like the old days?¡± This is the type of woman who, when she gets married, will make it look like she¡¯s standing up for her husband and then firmly manipulate him. I don¡¯t want to cause a problem, though, because we¡¯re siblings. If she finds out, my black history will be more than just a page ¡­¡­ It will be a black history carved in stone ¡­¡­ for sure. CH 9 Finally, the day of departure comes. The pilgrimage was just the two of us, the teacher and I, and our luggage was minimal. There is a mechanism in place to make the pilgrimage more convenient. I greeted the family and servants who had come out to see us off in a serious manner. ¡°I¡¯m off, then.¡± My father kept his serious demeanor. ¡°Sir, please take care of Alfred.¡± As expected of the cliche. My mother, who seemed to be asking to help her troubled child, also bowed to the teacher. ¡°If he finds something he¡¯s interested in, he might just wander off and go somewhere else. Please take care of him, Sir.¡± A steady lack of trust. And then there was Brother Amilcarre, who seemed to be enjoying himself. ¡°When you return from your pilgrimage, you¡¯ll be one of us. Our friends in political hell will increase. Welcome to hell!¡± A bounded spirit that needs to increase its friends, huh? It¡¯s not a good thing to have more friends in hell, though. Brother Baldassarre is feeling high. ¡°Our friends will increase! Yay, brother!¡± Please don¡¯t say, ¡°Yay! Tae-chan, where¡¯s the joke material?¡±. It¡¯s not funny. No, seriously. Kiara came running up to me and whispered in my ear. ¡°If you don¡¯t come back properly, I¡¯m going to tell everyone that you slept with me last night and stole my innocence.¡± Buho! I erupted with all my might. There¡¯s no truth to it. And are you trying to kill your brother socially! Her eyes were serious¡­ ¡°For God¡¯s sake, stop the suicide terrorism ¡­¡­¡± She reminded me with an angelic smile. ¡°Then please come back properly.¡± Does she think that I will not come back ¡­¡­? The teacher¡¯s voice sounded dumbfounded. ¡°Hey, what kind of weird stuff are you talking about. Let¡¯s go now. The Order of the Apostles is here.¡± Waving to everyone, I climbed into the carriage that the Knights had arranged for me. It seems to be an organization similar to the Knights Templar. Normally, we would board the pilgrim carriage at a designated waiting area, but as expected, the grand aristocrats would be picked up for their pilgrimage. The Order of the Apostles is in charge of guarding the pilgrimage carriages. The Order of the Apostles is the only organization in the world that undertakes banking and even courier services (though only to the branches of the Order). This is the reason why the luggage is minimal. You can drop off money at each inn town, so you don¡¯t have to carry unnecessary things, which reduces the risk of being targeted. You can withdraw money from your bank account at an Order-run inn or store, so you don¡¯t have to pay cash on the spot. The branch is the size of a fortress, made of stone and protected by the highest level of security, and the vault of the Order is even said to be the best place to store it. In addition, nobles and kings from all over the country have donated land on the base route. For normal travel, various tolls and bridge taxes are collected. On the pilgrimage route, there is no toll tax, so even small vendors pay a toll to use the route. The tolls are much cheaper than regular tolls, because you can pay once and not have to pay again. Although there are no guards, the pilgrimage route is regularly patrolled, making it safer than taking the normal road. Large merchants transport large amounts of goods by courier for the Order. In the past, there was a nobleman who wanted to keep the pilgrimage route for himself and make money from the tolls. But the nobleman was punished by the descending apostles and willingly donated it. Since then, all the routes that were competitively donated have been connected. As a result, the pilgrimage route has become a major economic artery. The knight captain is more powerful than any king, but he is bound by the knight¡¯s oath and cannot act as he pleases. When there is an apostle, he takes orders from the apostle, and when there is no apostle, he only takes orders from the pope (the head of the church). The pilgrimage is built on a system based on pilgrim card. On a pilgrimage, pilgrim card are purchased from the Order. The flow of magic is different from person to person, and there is no same flow. It¡¯s like DNA. Here, it¡¯s called a magic wave. It is reflected in the card. Then the pattern appears on the card. The pattern of the original card is also changed every month, so the pattern of the original card is combined with the design of the magic wave to ensure unity. What does this mean? Every time you arrive at a lodging town, you are instructed to register your card at a branch of the Order. Where you are now and how far you have gone will be recorded, and those who are missing will be searched for by the Knights as missing persons. As a result, it is a safety measure and guarantees the security of the pilgrims. Even if someone steals a card, it will be considered stolen if it does not match the person¡¯s magic wave when it is checked by the branch. When an apostle descends, there will be more contacts, and therefore, more talented people will gather to seek profit and honor. (There are also female knights who want to marry apostles.) It is rumored that one Apostle knight is equal to two ordinary knights. They take care of bank commissions, revenue from lodging towns, loans to countries and aristocrats, and asset management, making them the richest organization in the world. No matter how you look at it, it is the most modern organization in this world. The other organizations are too primitive and there is too much difference. It works with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to deal with incidents off of the pilgrimage route. It sounds good to say that they live separately, but the power of the Order of the Apostles is overwhelmingly strong. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild is sometimes referred to as a subordinate organization of the Order. Only those who cannot pass the knights¡¯ examinations or fail the examinations become adventurers, and adventurers are of lower rank. However, for some reason, apostles want to become adventurers, so there are many cases where women become adventurers in an attempt to get ahead. Moreover, even if a female knight is chosen, she is the only one, so the competition is high. The apostles, strangely enough, don¡¯t take more than one female knight as a girlfriend. For some reason, there is no limit to the number of adventurers. Therefore, I heard that many talented women choose to become adventurers. Thanks to this, the quality of human resources is guaranteed at the very least. The social structure is maintained for reasons I don¡¯t like ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve been reminiscing about the Order, and as I¡¯m checking it out, we¡¯ve arrived at the assembly place, and decided to transfer to a large carriage. We could have made the pilgrimage individually, but we chose to go in a group. That way, the security wouldn¡¯t have to spread out and I could get a different perspective on the world from the other pilgrims. And I was in awe. The first passenger in the carriage I boarded ¡­¡­ was a lewd woman¡­ The world is a big place ¡­¡­ CH 10 I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her. The woman there had red hair, red eyes, and fair-skinned, probably no older than 20. She has a wand, so she¡¯s probably a magician. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s wearing a disguise. She is wearing a bathing suit-like outfit with a cloak over it. No matter how you look at her, she¡¯s a perverted woman. However, there was no one else in the room (they might have run away¡­), so I couldn¡¯t ignore her and greeted her. ¡°Hello, young lady. I¡¯m Alfred, and I look forward to working with you as a fellow person going on a pilgrimage. This is Sir. Fabio.¡± The teacher bobbed his head lightly, but kept glancing at the woman. What are you, an erotic kid. The woman freaked out and stiffened, as if she didn¡¯t expect to be spoken to. She then stammered out a greeting. ¡°H-He, Hello, there. I¡¯m Silvana, Silvana Kitty. Nice to meet you too.¡± She was quite pretty to look at, but her clothes ruined everything. A little polite conversation was all that was needed. ¡°Are you on pilgrimage, Ms. Kitty?¡± ¡°Y-Yes ¡­¡­ You too, Mr. Alfred?¡± ¡°Yes, so am I.¡± Suddenly Silvana¡¯s face became thoughtful ¡­¡­ and suddenly she had the eyes of a hunter. ¡°Oh, are you from the Della Scala family by any chance?¡± ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t know we were that famous¡­¡± Silvana leaned forward. ¡°You¡¯re the son of a great aristocrat, and famous in those circles because of the apostle signs showing.¡± ¡°Oh, I see ¡­¡­¡± Only this kind of information is transmitted so fast! Silvana¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Are you an Apostle?¡± No, but I don¡¯t feel like blabbing to someone I¡¯ve never met before. ¡°Every aristocrat has at least one secret, you know?¡± The teacher opened his mouth in a light tone. ¡°No, it¡¯s a matter of selection because of some things.¡± Wait a minute, why are you revealing it all of a sudden! He was unconcerned by my protesting gaze. ¡°No, it¡¯s customary to give an honest answer when asked if you passed or failed.¡± No, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a thing before. By the way, it¡¯s a terrible story, but people who are not certified as apostles are called failures. What¡¯s even more disgusting is a single woman who meets an apostle and fails to become his lover is also considered a failure. And Silvana looked down, blatantly disappointed. ¡°I guess it isn¡¯t that convenient in this world ¡­¡­¡± Don¡¯t tell me, If I was the apostle, would I be attacked furiously? I¡¯m not a fan of perverts, you know. After that, she twisted around a bit and looked at me expectantly. ¡°Sir. Alfred, if you¡¯re an Apostle, by any chance ¡­¡­ What about me?¡± This is the kind of thing you can¡¯t answer no matter what. I¡¯ll at least answer honestly to maintain my mental health. ¡°Ahhh, well ¡­¡­ Uhm ¡­¡­ I think a little more fabric would be appreciated ¡­¡­ you know.¡± Then she looked down again with a look of blatant despair. I heard an inarticulate voice that sounded like some kind of curse. ¡°D¨­sed¨­se, hinny¨±joshinante ¡­¡­ sh¨©tagerarerunoyo ¡­¡­¡± (T/N: Well, I can¡¯t translate this part to any translating site, and when I try to, it results to that. So I¡¯ll just translate it a little based on my(not professional) knowledge in understanding Japanese, I think this means ¡°I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re just persecuting flat-chested women.¡±) Ohhh, now that you mention it, it¡¯s hard to say if she has any volume. I guess women have their own problems ¡­¡­ When I tried to console myself, the teacher tapped me on the shoulder. His eyes said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her, it¡¯s dangerous. Leave her alone¡±. The silence was like a kind of spiritual training, and after half a day, the carriage reached the next town. During this time, I was desperately trying to remember the Tale of the Heike, trying to recite it in my brain to escape reality. After arriving at the inn town, we completed the formalities at the branch (it was called a branch, but it was as big as a fort). Then we checked into an inn run by the Order and had dinner in the dining hall. As we talked over drinks in the dining room, the topic of conversation naturally turned to what happened in the carriage. That was too much of a shock. ¡°Doctor, is it fashionable for women to dress like that nowadays?¡± The doctor spurted out in an exaggerated manner. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so ¡­¡­ I wonder if there¡¯s an ocean around here.¡± I shook my head, too confused to make sense. ¡°No, if you were wearing a bathing suit and cape, you¡¯d be a much worse person.¡± The teacher didn¡¯t seem to understand. ¡°You idiot, she was just floating about in a weird outfit. At least think that it¡¯s for a different purpose ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a man¡¯s kindness to at least think of it like that ¡­¡­¡± Is it just me that finds it annoying? And if you¡¯re a teacher who¡¯s never had a girlfriend, you¡¯re not going to be very convincing. And I don¡¯t understand what he means at all. The teacher was smug and unconcerned. ¡°Most of all, It¡¯s a little painful to walk around in a bikini when you have no breasts. Why don¡¯t you just wear a one-piece swimsuit? I remembered that at times like this, the person you¡¯re talking about would be behind you ¡­¡­. I turned around fearfully and shouted without thinking. ¡°She¡¯s hereeeeeee!¡± I can¡¯t take this cliche anymore. Silvana, with eyes like a dead fish, was standing there. And in her hand, she was holding a bottle of wine. Oh no! This is bad! This is really bad! She¡¯s drunk! This is the worst pattern! Silvana¡¯s eyes were like dead fish as she rambled on. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me at the carriage! You don¡¯t mind if I join you, don¡¯t you!¡± She sat down without waiting for an answer and I was almost swept away by a flood of complaining and breath that smelled of alcohol. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô An hour later. Silvana opened the third bottle and continued to tangle with the bottle while losing her ability to speak. In my brain, a line from the Prussian Blue Portrait in the safe zone (I won¡¯t let go now) ¡­¡­ keeps looping, chipping away at my spirit. ¡°Listen, just because I don¡¯t have any breasts ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t you think that world is absolutely wrong to not to be chosen by the Lord Apostle!¡± Oh, by the way, I heard that all of the apostles¡¯ lovers have big tits. It¡¯s such a sad competence? Silvana continues to tangle with us in a muddled state. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing I can do but take it off and appeal to them!¡± The teacher was overwhelmed and tried to follow up somehow. ¡°N-No, you don¡¯t have to take off your clothes ¡­¡­¡± The teacher also has two bottles empty. He¡¯s about to go on a rampage, no more, this booze fest. Silvana never stops. ¡°We don¡¯t dress like this because we want to, you know!¡± The teacher slammed the desk. ¡°No! You don¡¯t understand the romance of men!¡± Alright, one more drunk person! The teacher was breathing hard and making a strong argument. ¡°Listen, if you show your flyers so vulgarly, men will be turned off!¡± Then she began to emphasize with hot gestures. ¡°Like¨C, it looks like I can see it, ah, a little more. This, this is it! Can¡¯t you see it!¡± I want to get away from this place ¡­¡­ She doesn¡¯t care how I feel, and Sylvana gets teary-eyed. ¡°W-What do you mean vulgaaaaar. That¡¯s too much¡­¡± Then she finally cried¡­ (The sound of the Gion Sh¨­ja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the s¨¡la flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind ¡­¡­) I decided to escape reality by reciting the Tale of the Heike in my brain, which I remembered desperately. But I was forced back to reality. The teacher kept tapping me on the shoulder and asking for my consent. ¡°Hey, kiddo! Don¡¯t you think so too! Right, right, right!¡± Why are you dragging me into this? Silvana continued to tap the other shoulder and asked me to agree. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re not vulgar, are you? Are you, are you!¡± I¡¯m done ¡­¡­ I decided to cut her off half-heartedly. ¡°You are too perverted, Sir! That¡¯s why you¡¯re still single! Why don¡¯t you change your clothes and make yourself more attractive, Ms. Kitty?¡± Silvana broke down in tears. ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of extra money.¡± What¡¯s with the liquor bottles, then? You¡¯ve got five bottles lying around already. Isn¡¯t that the cause of your lack of money? The teacher said with a huff. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you give her some clothes with your non-perverted taste, kiddo?¡± Sensei, I was quite concerned about being single. In the first place, why should I buy her something? You¡¯re the one who started it. I¡¯ll deduct it from your paycheck ¡­¡­ That¡¯s a good idea. You won¡¯t even notice it anyway. But I¡¯m forced to fight a war of attrition in the face of these two unreasonable and entangling hydra. My brain whispers to me that I should withdraw even if it is too late, before the damage increases. (Skillfulness and slowness are the key to success. Skillfulness and slowness are the key to success. Skillfulness and slowness are the key to success.) I don¡¯t want to have to deal with any more weird conditions. ¡°Ah! I¡¯ve already figured it out! But if you go to a clothing store to get it made, you¡¯ll have to stay here until it¡¯s done!¡± ¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡° The two of them hummed in harmony. I hate this kind of pilgrimage. I¡¯m going to be traumatized. And so the night of despair drew to a close. CH 11 The next day after a successful retreat from the fight with the two hydra to pay for the lascivious Silvana¡¯s costume as payment. I walked out of my room and went downstairs, hoping that the two of them would forget about me in their drunkenness. Unfortunately, the smiling lascivious Silvana was waiting for me downstairs. ¡°I¡¯m expecting great taste, my dear.¡± And her tone was completely crass. I sighed inwardly and put on a resigned expression. ¡°So, shall we go to the magic armor shop?¡± By the way, I heard that the teacher was shocked when she said, ¡°No perverts, my chastity is at stake¡±. He¡¯s been drinking in the daytime. Of course, if she emphasizes it like that ¡­¡­ Because the materials used are very different, there are two types of armor shops, one for warriors and one for magicians. And now I remembered that the clothes in this world are developing in a strange way. Clothes with an open chest for big breasts. The women¡¯s clothes are all short skirts, like the uniforms of modern high school girls. The design is also strangely similar to that. Even pantyhose, which should have been made in modern times, have already been made. The variation of underwear is as great as in the modern age. The reason for this is simple: it¡¯s easier for the apostles to choose what they like. Survival of the fittest. The system of the world and the taste of clothing have all been adapted for the apostles. Even if it is technically difficult, they are forcing themselves to make materials out of monster materials and other things. It is a crazy world where these costumes are important no matter how much famine occurs. Even if hundreds of people starve to death, if they can get the apostles in, they¡¯ll have enough money to pay for it. It is said that there was a king who said, ¡°One outfit that attracts the attention of the apostles is better than food for a thousand people¡±. However, not all of them are bad, which is a bad thing. Because of the descent of the apostles, countries were unable to wage large-scale wars. If an apostle¡¯s lover was from an occupied territory, there were cases where the apostle would reset the situation by force. As a result, the disadvantages of wars have increased, and even when they occur, they are only skirmishes. This has made the feudal system meaningless and troublesome, though. Let¡¯s focus our attention on the task at hand, rather than the great war in the future. By the way, for magician-type armor, you choose clothes based on normal fashion, and then enchant them with magic solutions and decorations. There are also stores that partner with clothing stores to do just the final enchanting. In this way, technology has been combined to design a suit that suits the apostle¡¯s taste while making it work as armor. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have any craftsmen nearby, so I haven¡¯t been able to look into the theory. However, this is troubling. Even before my reincarnation, I had no experience buying women¡¯s clothes. I have no choice. I¡¯ll just have to ask her on the way. ¡°What do you find attractive about yourself, Ms. Kitty?¡± The lascivious Silvana seemed surprised, but it did not break her over-familiar attitude. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s so sudden ¡­¡­ Since we¡¯ve already spent a night of passion together ¡­¡­ you can just call me Silvana.¡± I looked even more disgusted. ¡°Far from being passionate, it¡¯s just that Ms. Silvana was flirting while drunk.¡± I think I¡¯m the one who should forgive the broken tone ¡­¡­ And I¡¯d like to forget that. That relentless pursuit was like Napoleon retreating from a failed Russian expedition. However, I don¡¯t want to be blindsided by that, so I¡¯ll leave it alone. Strangely enough, I don¡¯t get angry at people who are overtly brazen. ¡°How can you show off if you don¡¯t know what¡¯s your appeal point?¡± Silvana makes a frustrated face. ¡°Gununu, everyone¡¯s always talking about breasts. So, please coordinate something other than breasts that will appeal to people.¡± This throwing around is dangerous. If you don¡¯t tell me what you want, and only look at the result and complain, I can¡¯t stand it. This is a story that happened to me before I was reincarnated. People unconsciously demand for esper skills. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I entered the armor shop run by the knights, feeling dizzy. This is because the selection is far greater. We were greeted by the shopkeeper. ¡°Welcome.¡± There seemed to be a good number of customers. If I¡¯m going to be complained about anyway, I might as well just go with it. I was thinking that since this lascivious Silvana is slender, so she might want to show off her slender body and not show off her breasts ¡­¡­ But there was a cheerful voice that shattered such cares. ¡°Oh, this! It¡¯s so cute! How about this one?¡± She started to choose without my permission. There was no point in going against the flow. It¡¯s pointless to go against the flow, just avoid the ones that are too revealing and shake your head. ¡°I think It¡¯s good? It looks good on you.¡± I replied without any motivation. And so the time for reciting the Tale of the Heike in my brain began again. CH 12 After being forced to buy a large quantity of clothes, I nodded to the clerk with a blank expression. ¡°It will take about two days until it¡¯s ready.¡± I handed the receipt to Silvana without saying a word. ¡°Well. I¡¯m sorry you had to buy all this stuff.¡± Don¡¯t worry, it will only reduce Teacher¡¯s salary. The lascivious Silvana looks pleased with herself as she changes into her normal clothes without any enchantments. It was a very ordinary camisole and denim skirt. I was relieved to see that she didn¡¯t have a miserable sense of style. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, but ¡­¡­ how many outfits did you buy?¡±¡± Lascivious Silvana smiled and winked at me. ¡°Seven for everyday wear, and five for work, I think. Well, I¡¯ve never had a man buy me clothes before. So ¡­¡­ I got carried away with my excitement.¡± I can¡¯t help but think about the repercussions of this withdrawal. In my case, it¡¯s not a deposit withdrawal, it¡¯s a bill payment from the grand aristocracy, so the bill will be sent home. I¡¯ll think of an excuse. I¡¯ll have it deducted from Teacher¡¯s salary. But that¡¯s a story for when I get back. No matter how I look at it, I¡¯m still in for a bumpy ride. In particular, explaining this to Kiara will be very difficult. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô On the way home, Silvana looked as if she had just realized something. ¡°Is it alright that Al didn¡¯t have to buy any clothes?¡± It¡¯s already been abbreviated. This lack of distance ¡­¡­ she¡¯s definitely a mourning woman. Even if you had big tits. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough to go around.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, nodded her head and smiled in a flirtatious way. ¡°You¡¯re a big shot, aren¡¯t you, Al? That¡¯s right! If the Apostle hadn¡¯t chosen you, that is. I owe you for the clothes too, so I can be your mistress.¡± No, you don¡¯t really think you owe me anything, do you? The fact that she was so bad at appealing to the public also supported her theory that she was in mourning. ¡°Okay, fine.¡± I replied with a fierce lack of enthusiasm. It would be troublesome if I just say no and pick a quarrel. She¡¯s too much trouble ¡­¡­ this mourning woman Silvana. ¡°By the way, Al and I share the same pilgrimage route, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then we can go together, right?¡¯ She¡¯s so troublesome. There¡¯s nothing good about this. I thought about refusing, but there was one thing that bothered me. Unlike the teacher, she is a magician and adventurer in her own right. She might have information that ordinary people don¡¯t have. And even if she didn¡¯t, she could still have connections to adventurers. It is important to look at the world from a different perspective ¡­¡­ even if it is like this. I don¡¯t know anything about the world. And this brazenness can be a big plus. If they¡¯re a normal person, there¡¯s a chance that they¡¯re going to think about my position and only say what I want them to think ¡­¡­ This person will probably speak her mind. The true feelings of people with different statuses are valuable. It¡¯s true that she¡¯s annoying, but ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t start denying everything. If all else fails, I¡¯ll think about it again. ¡°Okay, fine, as long as you don¡¯t get drunk and pick a quarrel ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Are you serious? ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I returned to the inn, I found the teacher emptying the fifth bottle in the dining room, as expected. ¡°Ohhh, you¡¯re back. Well, well, I guess any person would look good if well-dressed. It looks pretty good.¡± Mourning Silvana replied in a cheerful manner. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s rude.¡± She was in a good mood, so there was no need to argue ¡­¡­ But ¡­¡­ Hm? I realized something. ¡°I guess any person would look good if well-dressed¡± is a Japanese proverb! Why are they so familiar with it? (T/N: The Japanese proverb he said is ¡°Mago ni mo ishou¡±.) Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I just realized that I was being careless. I was so focused on other things that I overlooked them¡­¡­ We¡¯re talking in Japanese, aren¡¯t we? What a mess. I feel like a Greek scholar who got stuck in a sewer after observing the stars. ¡°You know what, sir?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, kiddo? Are you showing off your taste in clothes?¡± ¡°No, I mean. When did the language we¡¯re talking about ¡­¡­ become this language?¡± The teacher looked dumbfounded. ¡°That¡¯s quite an unexpected question ¡­¡­¡± (T/N: The Teacher said ¡°Yabu kara bou ni¡± in this part is also a Japanese proverb.) So he¡¯s even familiar with that. The mourning woman Silvana tilted her head, unsure of the intent of my question. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure our language is Apostolic, isn¡¯t it?¡± The teacher looked as if he was searching his memory. ¡°Yes, I believe it was in the ¡­¡­ 3rd generation. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve organized the language used by the apostles in the church into a common language.¡± ¡°Why did they make it the common language?¡± ¡°Hmm? Well, originally each country spoke a different language. Sometimes the apostles would come up with a word that didn¡¯t fit, and that caused some inconvenience.¡± As I recall, even before reincarnation, there were some languages that didn¡¯t have a word that corresponded to the concept. In those days, Japanese was a flexible language that could take in anything. But I thought that the reason was too weak to make it the common language. ¡°Just that?¡± Silvana, the mourning woman, raised her hand cheerfully. ¡°Yes, yes, I know what you¡¯re talking about. Even if you want to appeal to the apostles, but you can¡¯t communicate with them, so it¡¯s not fair to make a difference, right?¡± Huh? Seriously? The teacher shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Oh, you know a lot about what goes on behind the scenes. That¡¯s right, there was a lot of pressure from the women.¡± The teacher continued with a sense of relief. ¡°The Church discovered that the language used by the apostles was the same, so they made it the common language of the apostles. We didn¡¯t have to change the name since we could have incorporated it into the apostolic language. It still retains the characteristics of the original language. The ease of use is one of the reasons why it was made a common language. The only problem is that it seems to have been a difficult language to learn.¡± It¡¯s easy to control the world when you have the language in your hands, and that¡¯s probably the secular reason. The teacher became even more serious. ¡°There were other advantages, too. Elves, Dwarves, and Beastmen originally used different languages.¡± That¡¯s true. The drunken but serious professor continued his lecture. ¡°We used to have to learn the language of each country to interact with humans, but now we only need one. That¡¯s how we got to know each other.¡± I decided to ask the question that naturally arose. ¡°But language can¡¯t be changed immediately, can it? How long did it take for it to spread?¡± ¡°I think it was recognized as an official language in the 10th year of the 3rd Apostle¡¯s ministry, and became popular just before the 5th Apostle¡¯s ministry.¡± If it takes 150 years for one apostle, that¡¯s roughly 300 years. That¡¯s about right. ¡°For a pervert, you sure know your stuff. ¡° ¡°Shut up, I still have a doctorate in Apostolic Studies. Just because you¡¯re not a lascivious anymore doesn¡¯t mean you can be a cocky, you mourning woman.¡± ¡°Huh, what are you talking about, veteran virgin?¡± Before I knew it, Mourning Silvana had a bottle of wine in her hand. Oh no, let¡¯s get out of here. If I don¡¯t, the Tale of the Heike will appear in my dreams. We will now begin our mission to retreat to Kisuka Island! Major General Kimura, Lieutenant General Higuchi, protect me ¡­¡­ When the time was right, I pretended to go get some food, but I escaped to my room. I firmly secured the food and locked the door. I was relieved that I was able to retreat safely, but a great deal of anxiety came over me. Would this happen every day? I shivered in fear alone, regretting violently that I had agreed to let her go with us. CH 13 ¡°Hah¡­¡± I sighed for the umpteenth time today. I am Kiara Della Scala, an alien with memories of a previous life. From the time I was born. I hardly ever cried. I was quick to stand. I was quick to speak. I¡¯ve heard a lot of things, but I¡¯ve only vaguely known about it since I was little. It wasn¡¯t until I was three years old that my vague memories returned to some extent. I thought it was a bad dream. Nightmares come and go. Both when I was awake and when I was asleep. I was just scared. I often had nightmares in the middle of the night and started crying. When this happened, my mother and the others would say to me. ¡°It¡¯s just a bad dream. It will go away soon.¡± But that was not the case. And even when I was with other children my age, I could not get along with them. I tried to get along with them, though. (Why is this fun?) I thought in my mind. Children are sensitive. I guess they realized what was going on in my mind, and they all left me. Yeah, I can¡¯t be helped. I could easily have conversations with people who were older than me. But the older people would gently say this to me. ¡°Kids should play with other kids. You may not understand now, but you will later.¡± I know they are saying this for my own good. But I can¡¯t get along with them. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I have an older brother who is two years older than me. It¡¯s strange for me to say this as a child, but I thought he was a strange kid. He seems to be very calm for his age and wants to know everything when there is something on his mind. When he does, he acts outrageously like a different person. Occasionally, he would stare blankly into the distance. In such cases, I saw him as more mature than father. Maybe I could get along with him. But what if I¡¯m wrong and couldn¡¯t get along with him ¡­¡­ What should I do? I¡¯m scared. As I was struggling, my brother spoke to me. ¡°Do you always have scary-like dreams, Kiara?¡± I was startled. I was surprised that he said it was like a dream when everyone around me said it was a dream. Maybe he¡¯ll listen to me properly? My brother stared at me. ¡°It¡¯s been going on forever, hasn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sorry for asking you something you don¡¯t want to talk about.¡± My brother looked worried. ¡°But ¡­¡­ I¡¯m curious, you know, why such a nasty thing has been going on for so long. Can I do something to help Kiara to stop seeing it?¡± The adults just said that she would stop seeing it eventually. But my brother was different. He¡¯s trying to help me. When I tried to tell him what it was, I was too scared to say. ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± That¡¯s the best I could do. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ you don¡¯t have to elaborate. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re scared. Do you see it at all times?¡± ¡°No, I see it at night ¡­¡­ or when I¡¯m alone.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be with you as much as I can. Then you won¡¯t have to see it. If you¡¯re scared at night, you can come to me.¡± I was so cautious after what had happened that I couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Why are you doing this much for me?¡± My brother smiled, blushing. ¡°Kiara is scared. Why would I just leave you alone? I don¡¯t want to be afraid either. That¡¯s why I want to help you if I can.¡± I don¡¯t understand what happened next. I hugged my brother and continued to cry without making a sound. And that brother of mine gently stroked my head. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô From that day on, my brother became special to me. When I think back on it now, I think I¡¯ve been spoiled by him so much. Whenever I got scared at night, I would crawl into my brother¡¯s bed. When I was too pampered and tried to be reserved, my brother would come over and pat me on the head. After that day, I didn¡¯t have nightmares anymore. But as I got older, I dimly realized that these were not nightmares but memories. Whenever I had a problem, I would ask my brother. ¡°Brother, do you remember every detail of your dreams?¡± ¡°I have dreams sometimes, but they¡¯re all a mess. How should I say this ¡­¡­ It¡¯s like looking at a picture book that¡¯s been torn to pieces and scattered around.¡± Strangely enough, my brother answers abstract questions as concretely as possible. And then he gives me an answer. ¡°What is clear, I think, is memory.¡± Sometimes I don¡¯t know what my brother is seeing. The image of a Sage who knows everything about the world, which I have read in picture books, comes to mind. The word ¡°memory¡± makes me want to ask him for an answer. ¡°Can you see other people¡¯s memories?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t see other people¡¯s memories. As far as I know. If you could see other people¡¯s memories ¡­¡­ it would be their memories, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± I thought I understood most of what my brother said and did. But I couldn¡¯t figure out the answer to this question. When I made a face that said I didn¡¯t understand look, my brother thought for a moment and then slowly began to speak. ¡°I saw this in a book in Papa¡¯s study. That when we die, we are reborn again. It¡¯s rare for someone to remember what happened before. There was such a thing.¡± It wasn¡¯t because it was my brother¡¯s words, but I could easily accept it. That memory is ¡­¡­ telling me that what I have been led to believe is a lie. And that it is not possible according to the common sense of the world. The apostle is always right and protects everyone. And I know that it¡¯s a lie too. I can¡¯t tell anyone about this. If even my brother hates me for telling him this ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll really be alone. I was so scared. But maybe my brother would accept me. What if he doesn¡¯t? I was too scared to give an answer. CH 14 The rest of the day passed seemingly peacefully. However, my heart was not at peace. I know. I know that the apostles are not such righteous people. And then I remembered. My hatred for the apostle. That apostle is not dead. There¡¯s nothing I can do. And what happened to the other children? They all died together. But what if I¡¯m the only one reincarnated and living like this without any problems? What if the other children were born again into a criminal organization? What if they were suffering from hunger or disease? It¡¯s not fair. But I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s really the case. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô One day, when I was lost and worried all by myself, a thought I had been holding back leaked out. It was when my family was talking about the righteousness and greatness of the apostles. ¡°Are the apostles so great?¡± I said it in a rejecting way. I could see the people around me freeze at once because of it. Oh no ¡­¡­ It was too late to think so. The people around me were looking at me with accusing eyes. I looked fearfully at my most important brother. He had a look on his face that said, ¡°How could I possibly know that?¡± I was so relieved, but then my father yelled at me. ¡°You¡¯re a person from the Scala family! You can¡¯t say anything that would make you look like you¡¯re doubting the Lord Apostles! Are you trying to destroy our family!¡± I understand what my father is saying. But I can¡¯t praise the Apostle. But I¡¯m being provided for. I can¡¯t let my willpower get in the way ¡­¡­. I was about to apologize when I heard ¡­¡­ my brother¡¯s voice. ¡°Father. I think it¡¯s not bad to try to know what you don¡¯t know.¡± He helped me again. ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re saying!¡± My father is going towards my brother. Ah! He¡¯s going to hit him! It¡¯s my fault. I have to stop him. However, my brother opened his mouth calmly. ¡°I¡¯m trying to learn more about their greatness. Don¡¯t you think that would make them much greater than those who only praise them?¡± My father stopped in his tracks. He says it with a clear face, but he definitely doesn¡¯t mean it. I know because I¡¯ve been watching my brother for a long time. My father can¡¯t be mad at him for saying this. ¡°You really are ¡­¡­.¡± My father was puzzled. Once he had raised his voice, he could not immediately retract his anger. My brother looked at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know how hard father is working to protect the family. But I feel that it¡¯s hard, just like a child. So I want to know more about them and help father.¡± Only I could tell that he was acting. Even if my father knew it was an act, he would realize that my brother was making a point. And that he have no choice but to lower his raised fist. ¡°U- ¡­¡­ Umu, but there are a lot of people who will pry unnecessarily. Both of you be careful in the future.¡± My brother and I responded honestly. And my brother gave me a wink. I wanted to return the wink, but my heart was beating too fast for me to do so. I wondered who my brother was. I wonder if there¡¯s a child that could do such a thing on the spur of the moment. There is no such thing as a child who has the courage to act in such a calculated way ¡­¡­ who can calm people¡¯s anger, and who can even prepare a response. Then, suddenly, I felt a light shining on me. I thought, what if my brother is a reincarnated person like me. It was just a random thought, but I was sure of it. It made me feel very warm inside and made me very happy. I am not alone after all. My brother is there for me. And I wanted to know my brother better than anyone else. He had gone from being a special person to being the only important person in the world. I know that we are brother and sister. But my memories of my previous life are mixed up, so I can¡¯t help but see my brother as a man. I couldn¡¯t help this feeling. CH 15 I was convinced that my brother was a reincarnated, but I was torn by my contradictory emotions: I wanted to hear it ¡­¡­ but I didn¡¯t want to hear it. My brother protects me and understands me. I know that, but my brother doesn¡¯t like to talk about himself too much. He wants to know a lot of things, but he doesn¡¯t care about himself. In fact, I even think that he hates himself. Even when I praise him, his responses are weak. He smiles and says ¡°thank you¡± so as not to hurt me, but it doesn¡¯t seem to have touched his heart. He immediately changes the subject. If you ask him, ¡°Are you a reincarnated person?¡±, he¡¯ll immediately dodge the question. If I he was reincarnated, I¡¯m sure he would feel self-hate if his previous life was a evil one. I¡¯m sure that even if my brother wasn¡¯t a real evil person, he would still hate himself if he was tainted by his environment. I want to know, but ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think I want to know to the extent I¡¯ll hurt my brother. But I want to know. If I¡¯m struggling with something, he can read me with amazing accuracy. Sometimes I wonder if it shows on my face that much. But there is no one else who notices it except my brother. It¡¯s partly because I don¡¯t have that deep of a relationship with anyone other than my brother, but ¡­¡­ even my mother doesn¡¯t notice. He has better intuition than most women. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Is it possible that he was a woman in a previous life? What if it¡¯s the 5th Apostle? It¡¯s too much of a leap, but once I think of it, I can¡¯t get it out of my head. If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t think I can stand it. Even if I don¡¯t say anything, he will notice my worries. After wondering what to do, I decided to ask my brother a question from a different direction. ¡°Brother. Suppose B, A¡¯s lover, made a mistake and hurt C. When B gets revenge on D, C¡¯s family member, A punishes D. Is this right?¡± I misspelled the name, which made the question very confusing. But my brother seemed to understand, and he looked more serious than ever. ¡°It¡¯s A¡¯s fault. It¡¯s only because he was angry and was trying to get back at him. You can¡¯t say that he was right.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t negate retaliation itself ¡­¡­? It¡¯s the people closest to you that is at fault, right?¡± My brother folded his arms with a strangely mature look on his face. ¡°Hmmmm ¡­¡­ Sorry for the funny analogy. But let¡¯s say Kiara made a mistake and hurt someone. I¡¯ll assume you got even with them for that. I¡¯m not happy about it, even though it¡¯s Kiara¡¯s fault. Depending on the extent of that payback, I might pay that person back.¡± The fact that I was mentioned in the analogy of a lover made me very happy. I could feel my cheeks turning red. But now I want to hear the rest of the story. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Well, of course. But I can¡¯t justify myself by saying that it¡¯s right. It¡¯s just that you couldn¡¯t help yourself, so you retaliated.¡± ¡°So if ¡­¡­ D had done something else wrong, it would be right for A to punish D?¡± My brother spat out with an extremely disgusted expression. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s irrelevant. Are you saying that D deserves to be retaliated against by A if he usually does bad things? Stop kidding.¡± I had never seen that look before. I was surprised by it and the way he spat it out. My brother immediately returned to his usual calm expression and scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t like the words ¡°right¡± and ¡°justice¡± ¡­¡­¡± At that moment, my brother had an ambiguous expression, as if he had realized something or given up ¡­¡­ I was curious about it, but I was relieved to confirm that he has nothing to do with that apostle. CH 16 When my brother became 16 years old, he suddenly came down with a high fever. I was very worried, but the people around me were worried about something else entirely. ¡°Maybe Alfred will become an Apostle?¡± When I heard my parents talking about that, I felt angry. Why don¡¯t they care about brother who is suffering? But there is nothing I can do about this anger. I¡¯ll do what I can. I stayed with my brother and took care of him as much as I can. ¡°If it¡¯s just a cold, you¡¯ll get sick too.¡± My father tried to stop me, but this was the one thing I could not compromise. My father reluctantly agreed, but I didn¡¯t care about that. It was very painful to see my brother groaning with a high fever. When he woke up, I would worry about him if his hair was shaggy. I didn¡¯t want that, so I decided to take a bath on the second night when his condition had stabilized. I couldn¡¯t help but worry about my brother¡¯s condition, so I cut out early and went back. When I checked his fever, he seemed to have calmed down. I was relieved. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I think it¡¯s been an hour or so since my brother woke up. ¡°Good morning, Kiara.¡± The rest of the day was a flurry of activity. I called my family, ordered a snack from the maid and returned to my brother¡¯s place. The family members were talking about various matters. You¡¯re sick, so you should be resting. I thought so, but everyone was upset, and my brother was the only one who seemed unaffected. In fact, he looked like it was really troublesome. That¡¯s right ¡­¡­ My brother doesn¡¯t concerned about the Apostles. As I was thinking about this, the topic of apostolic pilgrimage came up. ¡°If you¡¯re going, I¡¯d love to go with you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but say this, but of course, it was rejected. It was true that I wanted to be with my brother, but there was something I really wanted to do. But I wasn¡¯t allowed to. I would leave my request to my brother. I was sure that my brother would be able to understand my thoughts. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I¡¯ve been following my brother from that point until the apostle certification exam, but there was a change. He suddenly changed his tone of voice. From ¡°Boku¡± to ¡°Watashi¡±. They were all convinced of the reason, but I just couldn¡¯t believe it was the only reason. (T/N: Am I right that Watashi is the more proper way of addressing oneself?) It¡¯s hard to put into words, but ¡­¡­ somehow, my brother is becoming more cautious when he¡¯s talking to me. He had always been thoughtful, but now he seemed to be thinking even deeper. It seems that my brother¡¯s personality, which had been hidden by his childishness, has come out in a deeper way. I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that he is a different person, but it¡¯s like the adult who was acting as a child has stopped acting like a child. I got the impression that it was similar to that. I knew I was a reincarnated person. But I wonder who he is, and where¡¯s he from ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô And then came the day of the apostle certification exam. I was pretty sure my brother wasn¡¯t an apostle. As I looked at everyone hoping that they might get a match, I began to feel a little crazy. I was a little surprised when he used blue flames, but that was all. I can¡¯t wait for this farce to be over. There is something I really want to talk to you about. That¡¯s what I thought as I looked at my brother. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô During the sword fight, I felt my brother notice something and suddenly fell down. ¡°Brother, are you okay!?¡± I ran to him and wiped his face, which was covered in mud and nosebleeds. The people around me seemed to be more occupied with holding back their laughter at the sudden occurrence than disappointment. I thought for a moment that my brother had intentionally fallen to ease everyone¡¯s shock when he found out he was disqualified. I think he¡¯s a little different. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I have something to tell my brother, so I signaled the servants with my eyes to go ahead and leave. I decided to tell him, but ¡­¡­ I was afraid some part of me was afraid to say anything. My brother is as kind to me as he ever was. ¡°Can I go to your room later?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± And then his nose started bleeding again. I¡¯m sorry! Brother, I can¡¯t do it, it¡¯s too much, that¡¯s foul play. I couldn¡¯t help it, and burst out laughing. CH 17 Then, after dinner, I told my brother about my reincarnation. I can¡¯t remember what happened that night because I was too emotional. He didn¡¯t make fun of me, didn¡¯t doubt me, just listened to me kindly and seriously. It was a painful and scary experience, but I wanted my brother to know. That thought far outweighed the others. My brother never ceases to amaze me. He listens to me with such logic. I knew it, I thought I was sure of it. The relief I felt when I found out that it was actually true was something else entirely. I desperately continued my story. I tried to look as nonchalant as possible, but I think I looked terrible. But my brother was as gentle and calm as ever. That wasn¡¯t all. He even said something condemning the apostles and stood by me. Even though he knew how dangerous it was, he never changed. And he probably won¡¯t change no matter what. He would even get angry for me. My brother always wants to be fair. He has never taken anyone else¡¯s side, but he has taken mine. And my brother listened to my request. He probably knows that I really want revenge That I have nowhere else to go. ¡°At what time did you remember?¡± These words saved me, and I was really glad I confided to you. If you didn¡¯t know brother, it would sound like just another ordinary phrase. If my brother didn¡¯t believe me, he wouldn¡¯t try to connect the story with logic. He pats my head gently, just like in the past. It made me feel very peaceful. ¡°It started when I was about 3 years old. How could you think an ordinary person could be reincarnated?¡± ¡°Compared to the regular appearance of apostles with extraordinary powers. It¡¯s not at all strange for a person¡¯s soul to be reincarnated.¡± We talked a lot after that. I felt like I was dreaming, just happy. When I slept alone, I felt like I was dreaming, and I wanted to sleep next to my brother like I used to. Of course, my brother forgave me with an ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡± look. The next morning of the send-off He was greeting everyone. Finally, I decided to run up to him and be a little mean. ¡°If you don¡¯t come back properly, I¡¯ll tell everyone you slept with me last night ¡­¡­ and lost my innocence.¡± I whispered in my brother¡¯s ear. I wanted to see the look of surprise on my brother¡¯s face. My brother is never surprised by anything. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After seeing my brother off, my days felt very empty. And I was worried about him. There are things that my brother doesn¡¯t even know he¡¯s doing. He attracts people who are hurting or in need of help with great power. It¡¯s not charm, it¡¯s magic. He¡¯s not very popular because I look plain, but he¡¯s not safe from women who judge what¡¯s inside. But if it¡¯s a woman my brother has chosen, I¡¯ll accept it. This was the only time I felt bitter about my Sister position. There was no point in worrying about this hypothetical future. So, I prepared some comforting thoughts. Every time a pilgrim arrives at an inn town, he or she has to go through the arrival procedures. So I asked them to let me know how far they had gone. And one more thing, I want to know what he usually do. I have asked our family order to let me know if there are any bills to pay. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I have received a report that my brother has arrived at the inn town, but the family order has not brought any request for payment¡­ Could it be that my brother is in some kind of trouble!? I called up Mario, the head of the family. He has brown hair, blue eyes, a mustache, and is a little overweight, but he is a charming and hardworking man. Before we left, my brother looked at Mario and muttered, ¡°Plumber ¡­¡­¡± but I wonder what he meant by that. (T/N: I don¡¯t know if plumber is right, because that¡¯s the only word she heard.) ¡°Mario, have you received any bill from the Order of the Apostles to our house?¡± Mario was unusually stiff and sweating profusely. I have to ask. ¡°Mario. I told you, didn¡¯t I, that you must show me all of my brother¡¯s records.¡± Mario¡¯s face became even more frightened. Did I really make such a scary face ¡­¡­ I felt so sorry for him that I twitched and held out the paper. ¡°Y-Yes, a-actually ¡­¡­ this is ¡­¡­.¡± I took the report as if I were snatching it and looked it over. There¡¯s a lot of money for alcohol, but it¡¯s probably Sir. Fabio anyway. My brother drinks, but he doesn¡¯t drown in it. For what seemed like a minute, he was unconscious while standing. And his hands were shaking so badly that I could clearly see it. ¡°Uhm¡­ What¡¯s the bill for these women¡¯s clothes? Did a thieving cat already take advantage of my brother¡¯s kindness?¡± My voice was so cold and inhuman that I surprised even myself. At the same time, Mario fainted. This is ¡­¡­ something we need to talk about slowly when he get back ¡­¡­ If it¡¯s a thieving cat, I¡¯ll have to get rid of it myself ¡­¡­ CH 18 It¡¯s funny ¡­¡­ I¡¯m supposed to be on a pilgrimage to gain knowledge of the world. But what¡¯s with this ¡­¡­ In reality, I¡¯m surrounded by a pervert and mourning women, with the Tale of the Heike playing in my head? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening. Even I don¡¯t understand it. Damn it, I should¡¯ve picked the Tale of Genji. Nope, I can¡¯t do it. It¡¯s too long and impossible to memorize. I¡¯m in the carriage, escaping reality. The mourning woman, Silvana, leaned closer to me in an over-familiar manner. ¡°Al, what would you like in return for the clothes? If it¡¯s something I can do, I¡¯ll do anything.¡± As soon as Silvana finished, she realized something and pulled away from me. What do you want to do? ¡°You can¡¯t have me! The apostle wouldn¡¯t want me if I¡¯m not a virgin. You can¡¯t even if you have a girlfriend. You can¡¯t if your old girlfriend is still alive.¡± No, you¡¯re the most unwanted. But it¡¯s a brand new thought. The teacher, who was looking at it as if he was dumbfounded, suddenly started laughing. ¡°No, I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re still alive. It¡¯s OK if you were abused by your old lover.¡± It¡¯s a really worthless story. It¡¯s like the basic requirements for a heroine in a ¡­¡­ romance game. If they find out that the route they are playing is a non-virgin, they¡¯ll break the disc and upload it to social media. I didn¡¯t know that the apostle is that type. I had something I wanted to ask her, aside from her body. ¡°If so, Ms. Silvana. Can you tell me about magic?¡± ¡°Do you want to use magic?¡± ¡°No, just some basic theory.¡± Suddenly, the mourning woman Silvana looked away. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ but my teacher is, you know ¡­¡­ ¡°Chant the fire spell with a whirring sound. Imagine that flames are coming out from inside like this! And then, with a whoosh, it moves down your arm! And strongly imagine that it explodes with a bang!¡± That¡¯s what he¡¯ll say!¡± Butuuuuuuuuhh! I spurt out. The mourning woman, Silvana, continued with a look like she¡¯s ¡°Yep, I understand how you feel¡±. ¡°Oh, you think it¡¯s strange too, don¡¯t you, Al? Thanks to that, I had to supplement a lot of things on my own. It¡¯s true that he was said to be a genius, but you know¡­¡± I once said that the world is wide ¡­¡­. Let me rephrase that. The world is wide ¡­¡­ and the society is small. Let¡¯s get back on track. ¡°What I want to ask you is about magic power.¡± ¡°Magic power? What do you want to know about magic?¡± ¡°Where does the natural magic power in the atmosphere come from?¡± The mournful Silvana stiffened. The teacher saw this and began to laugh. ¡°The kiddo¡¯s inquisitiveness has begun. You¡¯d better brace yourself.¡± The mourning woman Silvana came back from her rigidity. ¡°W-What the hell should I be prepared for?¡± The teacher grinned. ¡°You see, vampires suck the blood out of their victims until they dry up.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, tilted her head with a look that it made no sense. ¡°But I won¡¯t go that far because he won¡¯t suck your blood.¡± The teacher¡¯s grin increased. ¡°He sucks the knowledge out of people. By the time he gets into it, he won¡¯t let go until he has sucked the essence of your knowledge.¡± That¡¯s a terrible analogy. Call it an inquisitive mind. Silvana, the mourning woman, shook her head as if she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Huh, well it¡¯s better than being demanded for my body. Well, the thing is, no one has ever figured that out.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it vary by region?¡± ¡°Yeah, there are places where it¡¯s stronger and places where it¡¯s weaker. That¡¯s all we know.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t know the laws of it.¡± Silvana, the mourning woman, made a gesture of giving up. Hmmm¡­ I guess there are differences between regions. I wonder if I could get some information if I listened from a different angle. ¡°Is there a time when it was strong and then became weak? Or the other way around?¡± Yawning, the mournful Silvana answered in a bored tone. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that.¡± I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t understand the fun of this mystery. The teacher, who had been smirking, folded his arms. I wonder if he has any idea what¡¯s going on. ¡°It¡¯s not that there isn¡¯t. But we don¡¯t know exactly why.¡± ¡°Please tell me, so that I can get the phenomena together first and then look for the laws.¡± The doctor nodded seriously. ¡°Okay. Well, actually, that¡¯s where the apostles are based.¡± The mournful woman Silvana made a look that she had never heard of it. ¡°What¡¯s that, I¡¯ve never even heard of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t heard of it. But it¡¯s famous in its own right.¡± It¡¯s famous, but don¡¯t they think it has something to do with natural magic power? ¡°In the first place, the apostles are using magic with a tremendous amount of magic power. Don¡¯t you think the apostles ran out of it?¡± The doctor shook his head quietly. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s considered irrelevant. The apostle¡¯s power didn¡¯t diminish that much until they died. When the natural magic power is depleted, the apostles will not be able to use magic. It¡¯s after the death of the apostles that the natural magic power will be depleted. You can¡¯t use magic in that area. It is said that the natural magic power is gone because they do not follow the teachings of the apostles and the church exclusively.¡± What kind of story is that? Natural magic power is not rationed. It¡¯s a natural thing. I wanted to know where it came from, but ¡­¡­ However, there is still not enough information to deny it. ¡°Old virgin, Al has hardened up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me by some weird nickname! Plainswoman! The kiddo just went into thinking mode, so leave him alone. He won¡¯t respond to anything until it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Eh, what do you mean by plains! At least call it a hill!¡± You¡¯re starting here too ¡­¡­ Give me a break. Oh no, I¡¯m getting my thoughts and the Tale of the Heike mixed up ¡­¡­ CH 19 In the past, the Tale of the Heike had no intonation, but now it has rap background music, and everyone is getting along well. I¡¯ve been thinking that Sir. Pervert and Mourning Silvana are good friends all round. But, you know, if you mix chlorine bleach or cleaning agent with acidic cleaning agent, you get chlorine gas. Yeah, and I don¡¯t have a gas mask. The only saving grace is the fact that I¡¯m only at peace when I¡¯m thinking about natural magic power. Thanks to this, I¡¯m still alive today. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Without knowing how I felt, the teacher pointed to the town in front of me. ¡°Kiddo, we¡¯ve finally arrived at the base of the First Apostle Alessandro Touya Orsini.¡± ¡°Touya is an unusual middle name.¡± ¡°It seems he only named himself with it after he became an apostle.¡± It¡¯s probably his name before he was reincarnated. ¡°What does the base look like now, anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the outside of the old base, restored and turned into a museum. Inside, there are exhibits and records of activities.¡± Activities in that area are just catalogued things that we want to pass on to future generations. Rather than that, I¡¯m more interested in what happened to him after his magic was weakened. That¡¯s the difference between before and after his death. This is probably the key to the problem. Silvana, the mourning woman, said as if she had an idea. ¡°I think it¡¯s the apostle here, right? He was the first to use the word harem.¡± The word ¡°harem¡± doesn¡¯t even exist in the Ottoman Empire, unless you¡¯ve been reincarnated. There are no known Islamic countries in this world. There may be some, but strangely enough, the scope of human activity is limited, as if separated by a wall. It¡¯s like a game. The teacher stopped looking around the town and turned to Silvana, the mourning woman. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it¡¯s settled. Anyway, let¡¯s go through the formalities and find a place to stay. The tour is tomorrow, okay?¡± Unusually, the teacher said something like a proper teacher would say. Silvana, the mourning woman, broke into a big smile. ¡°I agree! The sake here is quite good.¡± You should marry the sake, mourning woman Silvana. (T/N: Sake is alcohol, in case you don¡¯t know.) ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô On the way to the inn, I noticed a huge rectangular lump of rusty iron sitting in the middle of the town. I¡¯ve seen this form somewhere before. I point to the object and ask. ¡°Teacher, what is that?¡± ¡°The first apostle said something about a train. After the death of the apostle, it became inoperable and no one used it anymore. If you don¡¯t carry on the will of the apostle properly, your great deeds will become a spectacle.¡± It¡¯s not enough to just put a train in operation, though. ¡°You said it was running while the apostles were alive.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was operated by the Apostle¡¯s direct disciples. They became useless about 20 years after his death.¡± I think I¡¯m beginning to understand why, but I guess we¡¯ll have to wait for the conclusion. ¡°Al really cares about things that don¡¯t matter, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s very interesting.¡± Silvana, the mourning woman, smirked. ¡°I think young boys should be more interested in girls, you know? But it¡¯s difficult, because most of the valuable girls I¡¯ve met are after the apostle. Like me.¡± You¡¯re not one of those valuable girls. While having a fruitless conversation, I completed the formalities and entered the inn. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Then came the ordeal of dinner. I¡¯d avoid it if I could, but I¡¯ve been listening in on other people¡¯s conversations, and I think I might hear something useful. I¡¯m still in the process of gathering information. At the dinner table, with her fork stuck in a potato, the mourning woman Silvana , made a face that reminded me of something. ¡°Come to think of it, there are no descendants of the first apostle left, right? There are descendants of the other apostles, though.¡± That¡¯s surprising. It was an unusually useful conversation. The teacher¡¯s face turned serious and rotten. ¡°The apostle¡¯s blood is perceived as noble, so people only marry within the clan. If other blood is mixed in, it loses its value.¡± As I recall, the structure of the human body is much the same as it was before the reincarnation. So what¡¯s waiting for us is a family with a squat jaw, or a royal family like the boy kings whose only claim to fame is their graveyard. ¡°Wasn¡¯t incestuous marriage forbidden by church doctrine?¡± ¡°In those days, no one practiced incestuous marriage outwardly. That¡¯s why it wasn¡¯t forbidden.¡± Ahh, I knew it. The Habsburgs, no matter where you go in the world, you¡¯ll always find people being stupid. The Habsburgs are close to Europe, so they should be the Habsburgs. ¡°But the first apostle created a harem, right? Didn¡¯t their descendants have a harem?¡± The teacher shrugged his shoulders. ¡°The first apostle may have had ten wives, but he did not have thirty children. If they only married within their own family, they would have lost their harem. They were monogamous.¡± ¡°As a result of repeated incestuous marriages ¡­¡­ abnormal children were born or died quickly, and eventually the family was broken up.¡± The teacher nodded, exhaling a breath that smelled of alcohol. ¡°In the end, it was too dangerous, so they tried to bring in other blood. The time has come for a second apostle.¡± Silvana, the mourning woman, nodded her head. ¡°If you¡¯re a descendant of the first apostle in the age of the second apostle, you¡¯ll not get much attention ¡­¡­ If they¡¯re healthy, that is. I don¡¯t like it when people ask me too.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m sure there are still families that want the brand of the descendants of the apostles, aren¡¯t there?¡± The teacher puffed up his chest. ¡°The descendants of the apostles lived a life of great luxury. When the apostles settled down, they pledged that the country would take care of them from generation to generation. You can see ¡­¡­ that the house is no longer valuable at that time and is just a big money-grubber.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll want to crush it. So they blocked the marriage proposal, even if there is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean.¡± The essence of a person does not change even in another world. Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s a similar world that makes it possible to reincarnate. Anyway ¡­¡­ ¡°Anyway, the natural magic around this base has weakened, right?¡± The teacher¡¯s face became as if he were about to reveal the culprit in a mystery novel. ¡°There¡¯s that too. If it¡¯s just that they can¡¯t use magic ¡­¡­ but, there¡¯s been some sort of aberration, like divine punishment.¡± ¡°A mutation?¡± The teacher continued his lecture in a pompous manner after stirring his drink. ¡°The growth of crops is slowly deteriorating. Large dark spots on the skin that look like moles. The pain in their eyes is so intense that they can¡¯t stop crying. That¡¯s pretty much it.¡± ¡°The area is around the base?¡± The teacher looked like a dirty old man and pointed at the mourning woman Silvana¡¯s legs. If it had been before my reincarnation, he would have been called a sexual harasser. It¡¯s a good thing this world doesn¡¯t have that concept yet. ¡°That¡¯s right. And the ex-lascivious woman also has her legs exposed. You¡¯re going to get a lot of black spots.¡± ¡°Stop it! You¡¯re giving me the chills!¡± I wonder what it is, a punishment, a mutation, a curse. It¡¯s no good ¡­¡­ I need more information. CH 20 Yesterday was unusually peaceful and I was able to focus on gathering and scrutinizing information. Nope! It¡¯s funny how rare it is! I regained my composure and remembered the wreckage of the train I saw in town. It¡¯s called Minoko¡¯s Sorrow, and I¡¯m sure the train isn¡¯t the only thing that¡¯s been forcibly recreated from pre-incarnation technology. That area would have been on display anyway. You can¡¯t maintain a train by faith, but this world links everything to faith and apostles¡¯ blessings. And a God who expects his apostles to abuse their power. I guess this state of affairs is convenient for some gods. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The exhibition was adorned with objects made from the knowledge brought in by the apostle. The mourning woman, Silvana, was surprised but asked the teacher many questions. ¡°What kind of tools are these?¡± I knew these two would get along well ¡­¡­ You should get married. At a place far from me. The exhibit is full of things that were commonplace before I was reincarnated. As expected, not only trains, but also motorcycles, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc ¡­¡­ I¡¯m a little curious as to what they used instead of electricity, but it¡¯s not a priority. Road asphalt, bathtubs, and flush toilets ¡­¡­. I guess he tried to make his life as close to his pre-incarnation life as possible. Hmm?¡¡That¡¯s weird ¡­¡­ Come to think of it, flush toilets are already everywhere, in houses, bars, and so on. ¡°Teacher, aren¡¯t the only ones on display here the ones that are not in use today?¡± ¡°Yes, they are ¡­¡­ but did you see anything that caught your attention?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Flush toilets are common now, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yeah, the first apostle brought in flush toilets that became inoperable after his death.¡± ¡°What about the ones in use now?¡± The teacher smirks. ¡°That will be discovered on a later trip.¡± So there¡¯s a difference. ¡°Later, what is this item bag you have here?¡± It¡¯s a small bag-like object that, according to the description, can hold a large number of items. It¡¯s true that infinite storage existed in the common otherworldly stuff ¡­¡­ But this would not be brought in when you are reincarnated. The teacher becomes a bit teacherly. ¡°Item bags have always existed, though. The first apostle was able to store an infinite amount of items. After he died, all the bags became unusable.¡± ¡°How did that happen?¡± ¡°It is a mystery as to how the item bags stores things in the first place. A few decades after they stopped working, they started working again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not very stable.¡± The doctor shrugged his shoulders as if agreeing with me. ¡°Which brings me to a further problem. The contents of the old item bag had been replaced by the contents of another bag ¡­¡­.¡± Hmm, you mean the corresponding keys were swapped and led to something else? It¡¯s not a database. I don¡¯t know how you can use something you don¡¯t know the principle of. ¡°So, if you don¡¯t know when it will be useless, you can¡¯t use it. The only exception was the apostles, who could use it indefinitely.¡± I feel that infinite and quantitative are different in principle. The teacher opened his mouth. ¡°I heard that the ban on the bags made war more difficult and smaller.¡± Yeah, they won¡¯t be able to maintain the logistics. The provinces are not rich enough to support the army¡¯s food supply even if they were to loot it. ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re displayed as relics of the past, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How long was the First Apostle active?¡± The teacher looked like he was remembering something. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s between one to forty years. After that, he retired and retreated to his base.¡± Forty years is not enough time for an over-technology without know-how to take root. I¡¯m a little concerned that they¡¯re only able to maintain it while the apostles are around. Before I was reincarnated, I liked to watch shows about plane crashes and such. I know that the technology in this area is operated through various trial and error, failures and countermeasures. If it didn¡¯t work, there would have been a lot of trouble earlier. ¡°What¡¯s it like when it goes bad?¡± The teacher¡¯s face became sullen. ¡°There¡¯s no detailed lore left.¡± The teacher¡¯s face became sullen. As I was thinking this, he whispered into my ear. (The Apostolic archives of the Pope Office might have it, though.) It seems to be an untouchable story. In other words, it¡¯s not good for the Church. So this is a different kind of issue. I certainly think it would be a miracle if we were offered a flood of this technology. And if we were unable to operate it after our death ¡­¡­ we would want to blame it on our faith. In fact, it¡¯s the church¡¯s intention not to accumulate know-how. It¡¯s a strange world, and the common sense of this world is strange. For the time being, I¡¯m not at the stage of analyzing information yet. The decision is made by gathering information, discarding it, and analyzing it. It¡¯s still in the early stages. ¡°I¡¯m going to go around the town a bit, so you two can go back to the inn.¡± ¡°Oh, and be careful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let some strange woman spot you.¡± I¡¯ve already been spotted ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I look around the town and try to imagine what the scenery used to be like. Even before my reincarnation, I used to do this when I visited castle ruins and ruins. It¡¯s disappointing when only the exterior remains, but parts of it have been remodeled. When I visit castles, I can¡¯t help but wonder if elevators have been installed inside. It¡¯s all about convenience for tourists. But still, it makes me wonder what¡¯s going on. I was rather excited to see how it was built in the past. What I imagined was a world that was terribly out of place. I was suddenly struck by a thought. Africa, which was a tribal society, was colonized by the West. After that, it became independent, but even if it was suddenly given a modern culture, it would not be able to manage it well. The same is true for social systems. If you suddenly change from a chiefdom to a parliamentary democracy, what awaits you is corruption and depravity. We may have a great president, but we don¡¯t have a great warehouseman. Rarely does a country like Japan have the unique ability to modernize in a single step. I wondered if it was okay to bring a convenient foreign substance into this world. When I am troubled, I feel like smoking. Even if people call me a smoker, I still want to smoke. I wonder if the previous apostles brought in technology with desire and good intentions like this. Technology is also a kind of power. It is easy to give, but difficult to preserve. It is easy to establish, but difficult to build up and maintain. When I returned to the inn with my mood, I found two hydra fighting. It¡¯s easy to drink ¡­¡­ but hard to drink moderately. CH 21 The next stop was the second apostle¡¯s base by the sea. In the carriage, the mourning woman Silvana, who is usually very loud, was quiet. She seemed to be in a daze. The teacher teased her happily. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it because there¡¯s too much fabric that you wet yourself?¡± Teacher, it¡¯s words and actions like that that make you single ¡­¡­ The mourning woman Silvana¡¯s reaction lacked her usual energy. ¡°The everlasting virgin.¡± Why would you start messing with her when It¡¯s better to leave her alone ¡­¡­ With an inward sigh, I have no choice but to offer a helping hand. ¡°Ms. Silvana, If you¡¯re not feeling well, you should probably stay in bed.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m fine. You¡¯re really not like that eternal virgin over there.¡± She mumbled cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s my birthplace, the inn town on the way.¡± So you don¡¯t want to stop by if you can help it. ¡°Then let¡¯s take a break at the inn as soon as we finish the formalities.¡± The teacher was completely oblivious. He was still smirking. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a family home or something?¡± I looked up at the sky reflexively. In a story like this ¡­¡­ If the person doesn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it, you should remain silent. ¡°It¡¯s like I already ran away, so it¡¯s too late to come back now.¡± The teacher nodded his head. ¡°I see. I¡¯ve been kicked out myself too, so it¡¯s kind of like that.¡± No, it¡¯s not like that at all. The mourning woman Silvana continued to look outward languidly. ¡°But that¡¯s not the only reason ¡­¡­¡± The teacher looks as if he has a light bulb on his head. Oh ¡­¡­ Oh no, he¡¯s definitely not going to say a good thing. I stood up with a gag that I had prepared to cover his mouth for just such a situation. Before I could ¡­¡­ he dropped the bomb. The smug teacher pointed to the mourning woman Silvana. ¡°A friend of yours is married, and that¡¯s probably why you don¡¯t want to stop by!¡± I ¡­¡­ Why do I have to go through all this trouble? Teacher ¡­¡­ you¡¯re supposed to be my guardian, aren¡¯t you ¡­¡­ Should I end him? This old man. The mourning woman Silvana, with a face like a Noh mask. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, I¡¯m just a leftover anyway.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but cover my face with my hands. The teacher laughs cheerfully as a follow-up. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about it. A person¡¯s happiness is another person¡¯s happiness. You¡¯re aiming for the apostles, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t worry about it! Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Do I have to teach him the subtleties of delicate conversation? I need to shut this guy up for a minute. As I was thinking this, my eyes met with the mourning woman Silvana, with a quiet murderous intent. I can¡¯t help but ¡­¡­ be reluctant, but ¡­¡­ something clicked. I and the mourning woman, Silvana, stood up quickly. The teacher was completely oblivious and smiled wryly. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, you two?¡± Silvana and I nodded at each other. I quickly move away. The mourning woman Silvana, , went into a lightning-fast sleep. I silently gagged him and tied up his hands and feet. The time required for this is one minute. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô A middle-aged man is tied up and sleeping happily. It was a surreal scene. A moment of silence reigned in the carriage. As if to break the silence, the mourning woman Silvana smiled bitterly. ¡°Thank you. If I¡¯d let him talk like that for a long time, I might have killed him.¡± I feel bad for some reason. ¡°How should I say this ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry that my teacher lacks delicacy.¡± I wonder why am I apologizing. The mourning woman Silvana laughed in my face. ¡°It¡¯s not Al¡¯s fault. Well, this makes me feel a little better.¡± After a moment of laughter, she wiped her teary eyes and opened her mouth quietly. ¡°I used to be in a team with a friend here in town.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure, It¡¯s a bit dangerous to be a solo magician, after all.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, has a faraway look in her eyes. ¡°My partner is a female swordsman friend of mine. We were ¡­¡­ a bit of a duo. There is a lore in our town that we were saved by the second apostle. We¡¯ve been hearing these stories since we were a kid. So we both vowed ¡­¡­ to be chosen by the apostle.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you were so obsessed with it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all, though. One day, my friend suddenly said, ¡®Sorry! I¡¯m getting married!¡¯!¡± So my friend came back to reality. ¡°Ohhh ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The guy she chose to marry was an ordinary blacksmith ¡­¡­ That¡¯s fine. But I wish she would have told me in advance.¡± ¡°So they said to you that they couldn¡¯t tell you.¡± The mourning woman Silvana, laughs. ¡°Yes, yes, you know exactly what I mean. Are you sure you¡¯re that virgin¡¯s student?¡± I looked at the sleeping teacher and sighed. ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ although his stock has dropped on this trip.¡± The mourning woman Silvana, smiled a little and sighed. ¡°I got emotional and we had an argument.¡± I have a vague idea of what was said, but it¡¯s not something that someone else can say, so I kept quiet. As if she sensed something, the mourning woman Silvana, stared at me and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Al is a good guy, after all. You know exactly what I mean. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re popular.¡± I also shrugged with a small smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. The aristocrat girls are after the Apostle, not me. If you¡¯re an aristocrat, it¡¯s directly related to your family¡¯s power. Ordinary people are not the target because of their status. And above all, I¡¯m not handsome.¡± The mourning Silvana suddenly winked and wagged her finger to the side. ¡°Looks are important, though. Women have a wider range of tolerance than men think, you know? It¡¯s what happens after that that counts.¡± The mourning woman Silvana looked out again with a faraway look in her eyes. ¡± ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ll be chosen by the apostles? It¡¯s too late to look for them after they¡¯ve sold out, you know? It¡¯s easier to get a man now, okay? If you don¡¯t make a decision soon, you¡¯ll regret it when you¡¯re older.¡± She told me that.¡± I guess she¡¯s talking while looking into the past. Besides, I¡¯m not the one. I have no obligation or right to make unnecessary judgments. ¡°I can¡¯t tell ¡­¡­ who¡¯s right or wrong.¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re saying, though. I¡¯m stubborn myself too. I don¡¯t want to see each other in the same way we fought and broke up, after all. I¡¯ve been depressed thinking about it.¡± ¡°So let¡¯s stay at the inn for a night and then get going. I don¡¯t see any reason to stay there either.¡± The mourning woman Silvana looked at me and smirked. ¡°Hmmm. If I wasn¡¯t after the apostle, I would have targeted Al.¡± No thanks, I¡¯ll pass. But it¡¯s not right to say that now. If we were in a more cheerful mood, I would say it. It¡¯s nothing but a mine for those who are in a sentimental mood. ¡°Well, it made me think that I have the potential to be popular. I¡¯ll start looking for a girlfriend slowly.¡± The mourning woman Silvana, scowled at the sleeping teacher. ¡°In comparison, this guy is ¡­¡­.¡± I can¡¯t have a delicate atmosphere for the rest of the trip. I can¡¯t stomach it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a plan. You¡¯ll have to forgive me for that punishment this time.¡±¡± ¡°Hmm, okay, but what kind of plan?¡± I whispered to her, and the mourning woman Silvana burst into laughter.¡± ¡°Al is really a genius. You have got a very bad personality, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I wonder. I hope the teacher learns a little delicacy from this.¡± The mourning woman Silvana, looked dumbfounded. ¡°Seriously ¡­¡­ I wonder which one is the teacher.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The plan that I¡¯ve given her. The mouth gag will be untied and remain tied up, and make him sit down in a chair at dinner. Then, right in front of him, the mourning woman, Silvana, would slowly drink up all the fine liquor (my treat) that the teacher wanted. CH 22 After punishing the teacher for his outburst, we were in the carriage heading to the second apostle¡¯s base. The teacher seemed to have realized that his words and actions were not good. He apologized and this conversation was put to rest. If a man who has never conversed with a woman usually speaks ¡­¡­ he gets too excited and loses sight of the distance, and then steps on a mine when he tries to force the conversation to continue. I¡¯m a virgin, but I¡¯ll make the most of it in the future. Hmm? I¡¯m your student, right? The teacher was so quiet that the mourning woman Silvana, had to pay attention to him. ¡°According to the pilgrim¡¯s guidebook, I believe the next stop was Georges Yuuki Aprea¡¯s base.¡± The teacher was puzzled. The teacher was pouting, like a child who doesn¡¯t know how to react to anger. Get a grip, 36-year-old. ¡°Oh, yeah. He¡¯s the apostle that is based in the port city.¡± ¡°Is there a rule that apostles have to have middle names?¡± ¡°No, there is no rule, but most of them do. The only one that doesn¡¯t have a middle name is the female fifth apostle.¡± I wonder if they¡¯re nostalgic about their previous life. It¡¯s a mystery that they want to claim that they are different. It¡¯s not that important of a piece of information. ¡°What happened after the apostle¡¯s death here?¡± ¡°In addition to what I said before, there¡¯s been a significant drop in fish catches.¡± I wonder if it¡¯s the same kind of environmental destruction that happened in my previous life. And since it is a port town, there must be objects of ships. Maybe a large ship made of steel. I¡¯d like to think ¡­¡­ that there won¡¯t be any submarines. But I was wrong ¡­¡­ There was a submarine ¡­¡­ Ahhh ¡­¡­ I guess that¡¯s how it is here too? The teacher shrugged cheerfully at her gaze. ¡°Yeah, it became useless after the death.¡± If you keep repeating this, you¡¯re either incapable of learning or it¡¯s intentional. ¡°Have you heard anything in the lore, Ms. Sylvana?¡± The mourning woman Silvana looked a little bored, as if she had heard so much about it in the lore that it was not unusual. ¡°Hmmmm. I heard that they went fishing in a big iron boat and caught a lot of fish with a huge net ¡­¡­ Or maybe it was a submarine that played a big role in the war.¡± If you bring over-technology into a war, it¡¯s just a massacre, isn¡¯t it? The teacher¡¯s shoulders slumped and he pointed to the inn in a reserved manner. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go see the exhibition tomorrow and rest at the inn.¡± The mourning woman Silvana seemed to have lost her temper with the teacher, who had become completely quiet. She had a very subtle expression on her face. Suddenly, Silvana was overheard. (Hey, if he suddenly becomes quiet like that, I¡¯ll be the one troubled by it.) I whispered back. (Teacher ¡­¡­ is not used to women, so he¡¯s having trouble understanding the distance of conversation. It¡¯s probably the first time in his life. That he has talked to a woman like that.) The mourning woman Silvana grinned and patted the teacher on the back with a bang. Her face was a perfect smug expression. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you anymore, virgin, and as long as you don¡¯t talk about marriage, you¡¯ll be fine! I know you¡¯re happy to talk to a woman like me. You don¡¯t have to be shy.¡± The teacher stiffened for a moment, but then his face immediately turned red and he began to shake. ¡°Shut up, you mourning woman! You don¡¯t even get a chance to talk to men, do you?¡± And, well ¡­¡­ they began to argue as usual. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re feeling better, but ¡­¡­ there¡¯s only so much you can do. There is no such thing as too much. The Tale of the Heike is fading in. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After dinner, which was surprisingly peaceful, we decided to go out for a stroll in town. Our feet naturally went to the port. The harbor at night is eerie, but quiet enough to think about. The harbor is small because it is medieval. But ¡­¡­ if you catch fish in a huge boat, wouldn¡¯t you be catching too much, considering the amount of fish consumed in that era? So maybe it¡¯s something that happened to die and then the fish was discovered to be declining. Or maybe they caught a lot of fish in places where they could easily catch them, and the number of fish in the surrounding waters decreased. Maybe it¡¯s also a good intention ¡­¡­ If you are worshipped and have good intentions, there is no way you can put a brake on it. But if you¡¯re reincarnated from a previous life, you might be aware of the effects to your environment. Did he feel so omnipotent that he even blew that away? Did you think that because it was a different world, there would be plenty of fish? In the end, I¡¯m just me, and there¡¯s no way to know what other people really think. But I wonder if I brought over-technology into the war because they saw the other side as evil. It¡¯s a common pattern that evil is typically evil, and it¡¯s okay to kill. They deserve to be punished. I wonder if the apostles were thinking like that. I haven¡¯t seen that many people in my life, but I don¡¯t think they are that different from before I was reincarnated. I don¡¯t think you can have genocide, even in war, without stopping to think with racial superiority ¡­¡­ Even the Nazi¡¯s slaughtered Jews to the point that some people became mentally ill. I wonder if I¡¯m just crazy for thinking about being God¡¯s chosen reincarnation and having power thrust upon me. I know it¡¯s still too early to jump to conclusions. But I can see the pattern clearly. I have to keep telling myself it¡¯s too early to stop thinking. I wonder how the apostles viewed the inhabitants of this world. It would be awful if they were like the Spaniards were to the locals in South America. Speaking of the inhabitants, if they are elves, a long-lived species, I have a feeling that there are still people alive who have had contact with the apostles. If the church wants to control the information, there is a possibility that they are in the way and have been erased. If we could get in touch with the pope¡¯s family, would we be able to learn more about what¡¯s going on behind the scenes? It won¡¯t be that easy, though. When you decide to hide the power of the apostles, it¡¯s like a mere aristocrat meeting the pope. Curiosity and inquisitiveness are both burdens when they go too far. The more you think about it, the more mysteries and problems you will face. It¡¯s really a case of too much is better than too little. CH 23 The next day¡¯s exhibition was almost the same as the last one. In other words, there was nothing worth mentioning. That¡¯s all. And while we were on our way to the third apostle¡¯s base, I asked the teacher about something that had been bothering me. ¡°Teacher, is it possible that this is the pattern we¡¯ve been following all along?¡± ¡°What pattern?¡± ¡°In the past, the machines were working. The apostles are amazing. Their descendants are stupid for not following their teachings.¡± The teacher¡¯s face became deeply puzzled. ¡°Don¡¯t just sum up a pilgrimage that moves so many people in just three lines ¡­¡­ ¡°Ahh, I¡¯d like to hear that, too. I was just thinking, it¡¯s weird.¡± The teacher gave the mourning woman Silvana a dirty old man¡¯s grin. ¡°Your clothes?¡± ¡°No! Before I started my pilgrimage ¡­¡­ I was so excited to get to know the history of the apostles and I feel like I can get closer to them.¡± That¡¯s usually the case. I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°I guess we all are.¡± Silvana, the mourning woman, folded her arms. ¡®It¡¯s like ¡­¡­ now, like how Al said. Is it going to be like this all over again? That¡¯s what I thought. I don¡¯t know where I changed my mind, though.¡± The teacher turned away. ¡°Well, just think of it as a formality¡­¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s the same. I feel like I¡¯m being shown a lazy, overused play.¡± The teacher¡¯s expression was blatantly disgusted. ¡°I¡¯ve chaperoned a few pilgrimages in my time. You¡¯re the first people I¡¯ve ever seen react that way, you know?¡± The mourning woman Silvana, who had been making a difficult face, looked as if she had realized something. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve been contaminated by Al¡¯s cold, emotionless pilgrimage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cold, and I¡¯m not emotionless.¡± They gave me a blank stare. ¡± ¡°No, you are.¡± ¡° Oh, no, I¡¯ll be the culprit if it keeps going like this. ¡°I¡¯d like to declare my objection.¡± ¡°Overruled.¡± That¡¯s so sad. ¡°Ms. Silvana. It¡¯s not good to blame others. If you¡¯re being influenced by outside forces on your own, that was the extent of your interest.¡± ¡°Mugu ¡­¡­ no, I don¡¯t think so ¡­¡­.¡± I can¡¯t let myself be made the culprit here. It¡¯s too dangerous to show weakness to these two people. It is a tragic fate to be used as a snack. It¡¯s only been two months since I started my pilgrimage, and what if they keep using me as a story for the next four months? Don¡¯t kid with me. ¡°You¡¯re on pilgrimage to get acquainted with the apostles, aren¡¯t you? That would be your ultimate goal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­ true.¡± ¡°The purpose of this pilgrimage is to trace the Apostles¡¯ accomplishments and increase their respect. In other words, the purpose was different from the beginning.¡± I don¡¯t have any respect for them, though. The mourning woman Silvana, flinched blatantly. ¡°Geho.¡± I have to avoid the word ¡°cause¡± and go after her. We have to be on the offensive here. If there was a real lawyer, they would have kicked me out, but she an amateur. I should be able to do it. I stick my finger in her face like a lawyer in a video game. ¡°So, in the end, it¡¯s a matter of your heart, Ms. Silvana! Repent!¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, couldn¡¯t help but give the teacher a look as if to ask for help. ¡°Hey, virgin! Do something about it!¡± The teacher wisely avoided a fight. He dropped his shoulders and gave a small shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve never been able to win an argument against the kiddo in my life ¡­¡­ This guy is so scary that he attacks people¡¯s weaknesses with precision and logic ¡­¡­¡± ¡°You heartless man!¡± I managed to defend it. At any rate, I¡¯ve never had this perspective, though. After all, another person¡¯s point of view gives vitality to our thoughts. I wonder if apostles are capable of influencing people¡¯s minds. I¡¯ve been feeling a little stuck, I guess I should take a leap of faith for a change ¡­¡­ I¡¯m so focused on the theory that I¡¯m at a standstill, after all. I think I¡¯m too biased towards theories to begin with. It¡¯s a bad habit of mine. Let¡¯s go back to the root. God may not be able to interfere physically, but he can interfere with the mind and soul. If you get power from it, it can influence your mind. And unconsciously too. If I¡¯m right, this is a very troubling story. But if the people around him are ruined after his death, then there must be some kind of influence. If you don¡¯t have the know-how to operate something like a railroad, you can¡¯t operate it. But during the apostle¡¯s lifetime, it is possible to do so. When the apostles are gone, there will be no way to fool them. Can we use the knowledge that was passed down to us while the apostle¡¯s power is still intact? Operational know-how is a kind of thing that is different from strength or magic. I wish I knew the details of how it resulted in failure. I¡¯d still like to have a field witness ¡­¡­ CH 24 We arrived at the next base. The scenery here has changed dramatically, and the base is located near a large river and forest. And we crossed the border without a hitch. I guess crossing the border is a free pass if you have a pilgrimage card. The teacher pointed to the town. ¡°This is the stronghold of the third apostle, Adelard Ryuuki Mantonon.¡± Honestly, I don¡¯t care. We were on our way to the inn when we ran into a bit of a commotion. It wasn¡¯t a pile of onlookers, but there were people gathered there and I could hear them arguing. The voices were male and female. If it was just a fight, I would have gone through with it, but ¡­¡­ this was different. A man is forcefully picking up the woman. It¡¯s a common template. In a template, the first encounter is like this. In my case, it was ¡­¡­ the Mourning Woman, Silvana ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. (T/N: Template is the same as clich¨¦.) If you look at the Template theater, you¡¯ll see one elf woman, and the other party is an aristocrat young master and his cronies involved. The elf woman is a common blonde, green-eyed, pale, slender, and petite beauty. The aristocrat young master has dark blond hair, blue eyes, and a somewhat pretty face. He¡¯s also quite tall. But I guess I can¡¯t overlook it. I don¡¯t like this kind of scene. And since I have a position that can solve this, if I overlook it, I won¡¯t be able to sleep well. My family is a great aristocratic family, after all. This is the time to put my aristocratic title and parental glory to good use. The man puts his face close to the elf. It¡¯s really ugly. Not in appearance. But it¡¯s what¡¯s in his heart that shows on the surface. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Eug¨¨ne of the House of Maintenon here is going to escort you.¡± The elf struggles to resist. She doesn¡¯t look around as if she needs someone to help her. You don¡¯t think help will come? It¡¯s too pitiful. ¡°No! No thanks!¡± I¡¯m unimpressed with the template when I watch them ¡­¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing when you¡¯re no longer a bystander ¡­¡­ When the teacher sees the expression on my face, he gives me an earful. (The Mantonon family are descendants of the Apostles and are the nobility of this country.) I nodded silently and had no choice but to go up on the stage of the Template Theatre. I stepped forward to a prominent position and spoke to the aristocrat as calmly as I could. ¡°Is it a nobleman¡¯s style to force himself on someone?¡± Then he shouted at me with a template-like expression. ¡°You! Don¡¯t interrupt me! Are you trying to go against the Mantonon family?¡± Even the line is a template. I sighed deeply and Eug¨¨ne blushed. ¡°You must be prepared to get in my way!¡± I tried to keep a calm demeanor on the surface. ¡°Are you prepared yourself?¡± If I replied calmly, the other party would be upset. It was too clich¨¦, that it made me laugh. When Eugene saw that, he blushes and pulls out his sword. It¡¯s standard procedure to show your power here, save the woman, and make friends with her. But there is no need to show power when there is no need. My parents¡¯ glory is enough for me. I looked at Eug¨¨ne and snickered. ¡°Is this a sign that you¡¯re willing to fight against the Della Scala family?¡± The Della Scala family is famous, so there¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t know them. Eugene was visibly flustered. In the meantime, the elf came running up to me. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this, young lady. It¡¯ll be better if you leave now.¡± The elf bowed lightly to me and stepped back behind me. The mourning woman, Silvana, ran up to the elf and asked what happened. I¡¯ll leave the elves to you. I give Eug¨¨ne a troublesome look and return my gaze. It seems that Eug¨¨ne has finally come to his senses. ¡°What? Stop lying! Why would there be a noble from another place here!¡± I don¡¯t know what it is, but this level of stupidity is ¡­¡­ not normal. You¡¯d think a nobleman would learn that rash actions would lead to ruin. There¡¯s so much discomfort. ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of an apostolic pilgrimage. You don¡¯t know even know that?¡± A crony whispered to him. I¡¯m sure the cronies know at least why I¡¯m here. Then Eug¨¨ne¡¯s face turned red and purple. One of the cronies ran off to somewhere else. So far, this is as expected. I wonder if people¡¯s faces change color that easily, I observed emotionlessly. I folded my arms and put my hand on my chin, striking a pose of a pompous aristocrat. Eug¨¨ne is still hunching over and glaring at me with a terrible expression. ¡°Then you should know what it means to interfere with the Mantonon family, the descendants of the Apostles!¡± Oh, I need a cigarette at times like this. Now, how should I cook this up and get this over with ¡­¡­ ¡°Are you saying that if you are a descendant of the apostles, it is okay to force yourself on a woman?¡± Originally, this was not even a contest. It¡¯s impossible to pass this demand. If I can¡¯t reason with him, there¡¯s another way. I¡¯ll go easy on them for now and continue the attack. I open my hands exaggeratedly. ¡°So that¡¯s the common sense of the Mantonon family. I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t know that. We must spread the word.¡± The cronies, realizing that I was not going to back down, whispered in his ear. I guess they¡¯re trying to convince him to back off here. And it¡¯s going to be so much trouble that they¡¯re going to settle this physically by killing me. There¡¯s no way they can win with logic. Can¡¯t they even do this simple math? I¡¯ll act like I¡¯m trying to teach a child a lesson. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to back off, so you can minimize the damage. Let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ You got drunk and let yourself get carried away unintentionally. I can summarize it like that for now.¡± There¡¯s a lot of commotion, and I think it¡¯s safe to buy time and win a decision ¡­¡­ Eug¨¨ne was trembling slightly in anger. It¡¯s a typical all bark but no bite that also works as a template. It¡¯s an excellent template. As long as you don¡¯t get directly involved, though. ¡°Oh, are you insulting the Maintenon family!¡± Eug¨¨ne shouted with bloodshot eyes. It looks like your capillaries are about to cut off ¡­¡­ If they¡¯re that severed, you¡¯re going to die of a brain hemorrhage one of these days. I laughed with a pretty bad grin on my face. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re very hungry for honor. I can¡¯t understand you, because my family isn¡¯t that honor-hungry, after all.¡± Eug¨¨ne¡¯s hand was trembling as he held his sword. ¡°W-What did you say!¡± In the distance, I could see my objective running towards me. So, should we start moving towards the end of the show? ¡°No, I don¡¯t understand how you can force yourself on a woman and then insist on an honor that can only be maintained by threatening with sword or position. As far as I¡¯m concerned, that¡¯s not honor, that¡¯s disgrace.¡± A little more agitation and outrage would make the rest of the conversation easier. So let¡¯s put a stop to his reasoning. It¡¯s pathetic that this is the extent of his outburst. I don¡¯t feel like being smug, in fact I feel ashamed. I put on a look of disdain that Eug¨¨ne could easily understand. ¡°It¡¯s the ancestors who are great, not you, right? Everything is borrowed? Do you have nothing, so that you mistake even the filthiest of things for honor ¡­¡­?¡± This will make you pout. Eug¨¨ne shouted something unintelligible. He forcefully shook off his cronies who tried to stop him, and rushed at us with his sword raised. ¡°Stop!!!¡± Right on time. A loud voice rang out, and Eug¨¨ne went rigid as if he had been tied up. So he stopped him with magic. What I was waiting for was this. His son caused a commotion in town, and he was the son of a great nobleman. The cause of the commotion was the son¡¯s folly. A report was hurriedly made and the head of the family came to stop it. He must have brought a magician with him, just in case. I¡¯m glad that the mourning woman, Silvana, didn¡¯t go off and get her hands on him first. A well-dressed, middle-aged man came out and bowed to me. There were many attendants behind him, and one of them seemed to be a magician. He must have been the one who cast the binding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my foolish son. My name is Octavian Ryuuki Mantonon.¡± Did he inherit his middle name as an honor? Fortunately, he seems to be a decent person. I¡¯m not that worried about it because it¡¯s probably a template. I also returned the bow. ¡°No, the apology should go to the lady over there.¡± Behind me, I pointed to the mourning woman, Silvana, and the elven woman who had been watching the proceedings. ¡°I see. Please forgive for the rudeness of my foolish son.¡± The elf, who was suddenly interrupted, panicked. ¡°Oh, n-no. Please raise your head.¡± Octavian signaled his attendants with his eyes. The attendants carried the frozen Eugene away. The sight of a living statue being carried sideways is truly surreal. Then they turned to us. ¡°Gentlemen, please accept my apologies again. And I would like you to stay in our house.¡± The Mourning Woman, Silvana, comes up next to me and whispers. (Isn¡¯t it dangerous to accept the invitation? No matter how you think about it, It¡¯s not safe.) I shake my head in unnecessary concern, then bowed to Octavian. ¡°We accept your invitation. And I think it would do well to heed it, lady. You may find this hard to believe, but I, Alfred Della Scala, can assure you of your safety.¡± The elf looked at me closely and then smiled. ¡°I understand. I trust Sir. Alfred¡¯s guarantee.¡± The elf then bowed to Octavian. ¡°I accept your invitation.¡± I looked from the elf back to Octavian. ¡°Would it be all right if I visited the mansion later?¡± I don¡¯t think they¡¯re prepared to invite people in right away. ¡°No, I would like you to come right away.¡± Hmm, so that¡¯s it. Hmm, so that¡¯s it. You¡¯re saying you don¡¯t want to do any extra preparation. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll head straight there since I haven¡¯t decided where to stay yet. But, um¡­¡± I look at the elf. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided on a place to stay yet either, so I¡¯m fine.¡± Octavian nodded. ¡°Then let me show you around.¡± We decided to follow Octavian to the mansion. The elf came up to me and bowed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m Milva Rayala. Thank you very much for what you did for me earlier.¡± Seeing the smile on her face, I was truly satisfied that I had helped her. CH 25 Well, I used to think that the glories of my parents were ridiculous in my previous life, but when I started using them, they were very useful. Moreover, thanks to this name, I can easily get credit that is difficult to obtain. Thank you, thank you, Papan. Even if it¡¯s God who sent me here, I thank Papan here. My opinion of God was that he was kind of weird. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô In the reception room, I, the teacher, the mourning woman, Silvana, and Milva were ushered in. ¡°Please wait for a moment while we prepare your room.¡± After the servants left, the mourning woman, Silvana, pressed me. ¡°Al! You beat up his son in public and then went to his parents¡¯ house, you¡¯re too careless!¡± I beat him up mentally, but not physically. Milva looked at me as if she wanted me to explain. ¡°No, you know, aristocrats does business on a fiction called ¡°Face¡±.¡± ¡°Like I said! Al has ruined that face!¡± ¡°It¡¯s more troublesome to leave his son¡¯s misbehavior behind.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, is jittery. ¡°That thing was left alone until it was too late, and that¡¯s probably why he¡¯s doing such stupid things!¡± ¡°No, that was probably a spur of the moment thing. He¡¯s always been stupid and likely to do something, but this time he probably went out of control.¡± If it wasn¡¯t, his parent wouldn¡¯t have come out so quickly. I still have to explain everything from one to ten ¡­¡­ Such a pain in the ass. Sighing, I continued my explanation. ¡°You can still do less damage if you handle the situation peacefully. If he does anything more here, the family¡¯s head will be physically separated.¡± I shrugged my shoulders with a sense of relief. ¡°And this is an apostolic pilgrimage site. If you leave a mess unattended, word will spread very fast. And it will also ruin the reputation of the Order.¡± The mourning woman Silvana, looked at me as if she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°This place is ruled by a noble family, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not like the Knights have anything to do with it.¡± The teacher turned serious. ¡°No, the Order guarantees the safety of the pilgrimage sites and roads. It¡¯s a big problem if an incident occurs and it goes unnoticed. And if the one who caused the problem is a descendant of the apostles, that¡¯s an even big problem. In the worst-case scenario, the Order could confiscate the land of the apostles¡¯ descendants and move it to another remote area.¡± The teacher made a gesture of littering. The mourning woman Silvana, looked at him incredulously. ¡°Is that possible?¡± I added. ¡°The base is a pilgrimage site, owned by the Order. They only leave it to them because it will be more valuable if their descendants are there.¡± The teacher smirked. ¡°You know exactly what I mean, kiddo.¡± ¡°If the territory is confiscated because of the son¡¯s misbehavior, there will be no sense of honor. If the parents clean up the case themselves, at worst they can avoid a fatal injury from their own misbehavior.¡± The mourning woman Silvana still didn¡¯t seem to understand. ¡°Isn¡¯t that idiot going to get his hands dirty and retaliate or something? It¡¯s his house, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°When the head of the house invites guests, it is his responsibility to ensure their safety. And who is the most important person in this house?¡± ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­ I know magic, but I don¡¯t know much about that.¡± If you don¡¯t know what it is, then don¡¯t mention it. But I¡¯ll forgive you for putting up with me without going on a rampage. ¡°Setting that aside, Ms. Silvana. I¡¯m amazed that you were able to hold off against his son without preempting him with magic. ¡° The mourning woman, Silvana made a face that didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°What?¡± The mourning woman Silvana, hurriedly posed with her hands in denial. ¡°No, no, no! He¡¯s still the descendant of the Apostle, you know! I would never even think of touching him!¡± ¡°Ehh?¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ Al, didn¡¯t you hear that you¡¯re not supposed to touch the descendants of the apostle?¡± ¡°Is there a common sense like that ¡­¡­?¡± Oh no, my tone of voice ¡­¡­ The teacher looked aghast. ¡°It¡¯s not explicitly stated ¡­¡­ but it¡¯s implicit in.¡± No way. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ That means, what I did was¡­¡± ¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t do that normally.¡± ¡° The two hydra¡¯s hammed it up. ¡°No, isn¡¯t it strange? It¡¯s common knowledge that no matter how great a guy you are, you shouldn¡¯t do something like that.¡± ¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s insane.¡± ¡° Milva looked at me, holding back a laugh. ¡°Even so, you still saved me. Thank you very much.¡± The teacher chuckled. ¡°What you did was not wrong. Usually, when the descendants of apostles misbehave, the head of the family takes care of it.¡± The mourning woman Silvana, looked at me. ¡°What if the head of the family misbehaves?¡± The teacher¡¯s face returned to normal. ¡°In that case, the Order will handle it.¡± I hate this world already. CH 26 There is an unwritten law that the descendants of the apostles cannot be touched. Before my reincarnation, I used to watch a lot of foreign dramas. There are occasional stories of Middle Eastern princes who take advantage of their non-arrest privileges to commit crimes. When I was watching it, it would usually be too much of a clich¨¦ to actually be true. There are many different situations in the world, and many different causes and effects. The template is a compilation of things that are easily accepted by the audience, so it¡¯s a fiction that is applied there. When it comes time for me to stand in the situation, I reflect on the situation. If you put people in an environment where they don¡¯t have self-control, they will generally behave in a similar way. That¡¯s what I thought when I stood on the stage of the dumb comedy. It¡¯s the same with that idiot son. As long as he doesn¡¯t exceed the limits of his father¡¯s anger, in a sense, he can do anything he wants. His self-control is limited to his father. If you think about it, as long as the father is alive, that¡¯s the best solution. My appearance was an irregularity. My behavior earlier became important because I revealed that I belonged to the Scala family. As a result, his father must have known about it immediately. Even the servants were careful not to displease the head of the family, but it would be a shame if the heir held a grudge against them. Even in ancient China, when a king died, he was executed because his heir hated him. As much as possible, he would try to comply with the wishes of the idiot son. If the situation does not threaten to blow up the house ¡­¡­ Still, I feel uncomfortable about this situation. He should¡¯ve known that I¡¯ll be coming here soon since I¡¯m on a pilgrimage. Naturally, He tells him to be careful. But only the idiot son seemed to be completely unaware. I feel like I¡¯m being played for convenience. It¡¯s unnatural no matter how you look at it. In the first place, this world itself seems to be strangely simplified. I thought there was no such thing as an elf, but then this happened, and I was able to make her owe me a favor and make her acquaintance. It¡¯s just too convenient. It¡¯s like, if you have the power of an apostle, something you think will come true. I wonder if this is how it works. That would explain a lot, but¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I felt the presence of something. When I snapped out of my thoughts, I saw the mourning woman Silvana,, dancing suspiciously in front of me, making funny faces and twisting and turning. The teacher and Milva were red-faced and holding back their laughter. ¡°Ms. Silvana, is that dance some kind of spell?¡± The mourning woman Silvana stopped dancing. ¡°Oh, you finally noticed. Al says that when you go into thinking mode, you freeze up and become oblivious to everything, so I was trying ¡­¡­¡± You¡¯ve got too much time on your hands ¡­¡­. ¡°So, how long have you been doing this love fulfillment spell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a love fulfillment spell! It¡¯s ten minutes! Ten minutes!¡± So I¡¯ve been thinking about it a lot. And then they couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter except for me. What a horrible group of people to use someone as a laughing stock. Teary-eyed, Milva asks. ¡°So, what were you thinking about so much about, Sir. Alfred?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing serious, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The mourning woman Silvana, looked at him in disgust. ¡°10 minutes of being stuck and it¡¯s no big deal, Al, just how bored are you?¡± Shut up, and there¡¯s no way I tell this too to anyone. Milva, who had finally calmed down, asked. ¡°Is it always like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Are you from here, Ms. Rayala?¡± ¡°You can call me Milva. No, I came from a forest a bit further away.¡± ¡°I see ¡­¡­. A-And you can drop the ¡°Sir¡±, you know.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, turned to Milva in an over-familiar manner. ¡°That¡¯s right, Al is just fine. You¡¯ve been told you can call him that since the first day you met. You don¡¯t have to talk so stiffly to him, it¡¯s fine.¡± No, you¡¯re just saying that to yourself. ¡°Oh, okay ¡­¡­ then, Al is on a pilgrimage now, huh.¡± Listen ¡­¡­. It¡¯s too much trouble to deny it every time. ¡°Hmmm, well, we¡¯re just about to turn around, I think?¡± Milva hesitated for a moment and then looked at me with a serious face. ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit presumptuous of me to ask for your help. Can I accompany you on your pilgrimage? You know the Ravenna region is in the territory of the Scala family, right? I have some business to attend to there. I¡¯m in no hurry, but I don¡¯t want to get mixed up with strange men ¡­¡­ so I thought it would be safer if I went with Al. If you don¡¯t mind.¡± Well, I guess that¡¯s what¡¯s coming, ¡­¡­ This is a convenient pattern. But it has its advantages for me too. Besides, I don¡¯t want to wake up in a bad mood if she gets into trouble with some strange man as a result of me throwing her out alone. Milva¡¯s words brought a big smile to Silvana¡¯s face. ¡°Nice. I¡¯ve been having a hard time sleeping with all these men, after all.¡± You don¡¯t get to decide. But I shouldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°I understand. It would be a problem if something like what happened earlier happened. Your journey will be safer with me. Ms. Milva, I look forward to working with you for a while.¡± If you believe in convenience, it¡¯s probably ¡­¡­ someone who has contact or indirect contact with the apostles. And if the only woman is the mourning woman Silvana, it¡¯s not too spectacular. If it¡¯s a sensible person, it will give me peace of mind. This is super important. No, I¡¯m serious. CH 27 Chapter 27 - Bonfires Aren''t Always for Warmth At dinner, Octavian bowed to us. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for accepting my invitation this evening.¡± In such a case, I¡¯ll be the one to speak on their behalf. ¡°No, it¡¯s a personal invitation from the head of the illustrious Mantonon family. It would be rude not to accept.¡± From that point on, we exchanged the social graces of nobility. It may seem hollow, but if you can¡¯t do that, you can¡¯t survive in this aristocratic society. It¡¯s a necessary expense. I had made fun of this in my previous life, but I realized that it had a proper meaning. A criterion to determine if we have the same common sense. If you can¡¯t have this conversation, even if you are the son of an aristocrat, people will think you don¡¯t have any common sense. At worst, you will not be taken seriously. There used to be a story that if you couldn¡¯t speak with an upper-class accent in England, it was hard to get credibility as a teacher or lawyer. But I heard that was not the case when I was leaving. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After this exchange, the head of the family would finally talk to the other people. It¡¯s also polite to do so in the order of social rank. ¡°I heard that Professor Fabio was from the Visconti family. I believe it was the family of the Archbishop of Benento.¡± He has a doctorate, so that¡¯s what he¡¯s officially called. ¡°Yes, I studied apostolic studies for the purpose of spreading the learning of the Church.¡± ¡°I see. So you¡¯ve devoted your life to learning.¡± ¡°Yes. Although I am not a talented person, I thought it would be in God¡¯s will.¡± Knowing what I know, I am tempted to say that he is full of lies. But the conversation here is basically a ritual. It is not necessary to have a conversation based on facts. The other two wouldn¡¯t be used to it, so they¡¯re basically air. As I was relaxing in my room after the heart-warming meal, the butler arrived. He said that the head of the family had invited me. The dinner was a public affair. From here on, we would talk privately, in other words, honestly. So, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got, shall we? ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I was ushered into the room. The head of the family was waiting for me, dressed not in ceremonial clothes, but in his luxurious private clothes. I was encouraged to sit, so I sat facing him. He offered me a glass of wine. In my previous life, I liked alcohol, but not wine. I loved cognac and brandy, but not in this world. It was sad, but this was reality. He took a sip and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my lack of knowledge. I¡¯ve never been able to guess the brand name of a wine.¡± Octavian¡¯s expression became deliberately surprised. ¡°Well, well, well. Come to think of it, Sir Alfred is still only sixteen years old.¡± It seems to have taken root after several generations of apostles decided to use ¡°Sir¡± as a title. It seems that he was a fan of another page in the history of the galaxy. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a young man, after all, and my pilgrimage has given me valuable experience.¡± Octavian sighed. ¡°That¡¯s good. But I don¡¯t think you are sixteen. I wish my foolish son could have been a tenth as thoughtful as you, Sir.¡± Now, let¡¯s get down to business. ¡°How old is your son, sir?¡± ¡°Eighteen. He¡¯s old enough to be on his own. Though his behavior does not suggest it.¡± Octavian sighed a little theatrically after he said that. I have to go along with the theatrics. ¡°I guess it depends on the person. I know that there is a saying that one can be a great talent. I don¡¯t think we should jump to any conclusions yet.¡± Octavian shook his head and sighed. ¡°No, what he did isn¡¯t good. I think we spoiled him too much.¡± Octavian shook his head and sighed. When I remained silent, Octavian bowed lightly. ¡°What happened today was an indiscretion on my part. It¡¯s not acceptable to point a sword at someone and threaten them, but please forgive him.¡± It¡¯s not good to complicate things here. ¡°I understand that today was a simple dispute ¡­¡­ between two children.¡± Octavian smiled and nodded. ¡°Even if it was a dispute between children, we must try not to make a big mistake. Not all of us are as generous as Sir Alfred, after all.¡± It was an unimportant question, but I had to ask it out of politeness. ¡°What would you do to your son?¡± ¡°It would be a burden to leave him in charge of the family if he were so easily moved by emotion and so narrow-minded. Fortunately, my family has many branch families. I¡¯ll let my son train his body and soul in the Order of the Apostles.¡± I put on a serious face. To be honest, it doesn¡¯t matter to me what happens to that idiot young master. As long as he doesn¡¯t try to mess with me out of spite. ¡°I hope he becomes a good Apostle Knight.¡± The smile on Octavian¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°By the way, Sir Alfred. Do we need to add oil to the bonfire?¡± Now, come on. That¡¯s not a bonfire, it¡¯s a rabid dog in heat. To Octavian, it was like an abandoned bonfire. However, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s referring to the last part where he made a violent outburst. ¡°If a fire was left unattended ¡­¡­ and there was a danger of sparks flying around, it was okay to put it out. If there is a supervisor, it is okay to give it some momentum to warn people of the danger. You may not like it, but you¡¯ll notice it. The rest is left to the supervisor. I know that the use of such dangerous fires is not only for keeping warm.¡± I can smell that you are not managing the fire properly. However, for the sake of Octavian¡¯s face, I suggested that he leave the matter to himself. I¡¯ll tell you that I could have gotten him into a duel if I wanted to, and I could have gotten him hurt. (I was bluffing, though.) If I let him lose his temper, he wouldn¡¯t be able to make excuses and he wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it. He wouldn¡¯t even want to hold me responsible and owe the Della Scala family. That¡¯s all I was aiming for. If it turned out to be a mere quarrel, I would be able to take the blame and end it. In fact, there are many stories of trouble between children of nobles. There is a custom in this world that both sides are defeated in a fight. Perhaps the apostles brought it about. It does not exist in medieval Europe. It must have been a rule set by the shogunate in the Muromachi period. If you have a problem and you don¡¯t like it, take it out on them. It was taught as common sense in aristocratic society. Octavian gave a small sigh. ¡°We had poured water on the bonfire beforehand to prevent it from burning, but for some reason, it seemed to have burned much more.¡± I guess he was trying to tell me not to cause any unnecessary trouble since he knew I would be coming. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the water is only around the perimeter.¡± Octavian was probably disappointed inwardly that his pursuit of me had ended in vain. He didn¡¯t show it on his face, though. ¡°You must be more careful when you pour water on them.¡± ¡°If Lord Octavian says so, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Octavian laughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of Lord Ferdinand. In any case, I will remind the members of the family ¡­¡­ to remember Sir Alfred¡¯s kindness.¡± ¡°Very well, I¡¯m sure this matter will never come up on anyone¡¯s lips.¡± Octavian smiled at my unhurried reply. He knew that I had no particular intention of doing anything with this story. ¡°Even though it won¡¯t go over the edge of my mouth, I¡¯ll have to take care of what I can¡¯t see.¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not easy being the head of a family.¡± The conversation ended successfully. The whole thing about how things got complicated because I provoked him is now a thing of the past because of his outburst. The End. CH 28 Chapter 28 - Catch and Drink The next day, after leaving the Mantenon family, I head to the exhibition. A lot of people are impressed and excited, but I¡¯m intensely unimpressed. I¡¯m no longer interested in over-technology. I no longer cared about the pattern of downfall after the apostle¡¯s death, as long as I knew it was just a reproduction. Just in case, I checked with my teacher. He said, ¡°The following is omitted.¡± So it¡¯s the same. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô We were on our way to our next destination, and Milva was sitting next to me with a curious look on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the pilgrimage of the apostles is very moving for everyone, but Al is so calm.¡± ¡°Well, I was impressed. I was just too impressed that I look unimpressed.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, looked at me with white eyes. ¡°Al lies with a straight face. Be careful.¡± Shut up, mourning woman Silvana. Milva nodded her head. ¡°Then what are you on pilgrimage for?¡± I shrugged my shoulders in a theatrical manner. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know everything. All I know is that ¡­¡­ it¡¯s a journey to enhance my virtue by babysitting adults in need.¡± Milva¡¯s mouth formed the letter ¡°O¡± and she looked at the ¡­¡­ and I looked at the 2 hydra. They both averted my eyes. So you¡¯re aware of it. The mourning woman Silvana suddenly approached Milva. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, Mil. Is that all you¡¯re wearing for the trip?¡± She was dressed in the elf-themed green clothes. Milva looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t take that many clothes with me, and Vana is amazing. You have so many beautiful things.¡± The women were already getting to know each other and calling each other by their nicknames. I just hope ¡­¡­ that the mourning woman, Silvana¡¯s personality will not affect her. It¡¯s rather earnest. Suddenly, the mourning woman Silvana became smug. ¡°Al here wants to make me more attractive. That¡¯s why he bought me the clothes.¡± Don¡¯t create history. ¡°Are you two lovers?¡± I can¡¯t help but feel a pout. ¡°Please stop knocking people into the pit of despair.¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s rude. I¡¯m neither a lover nor a mistress with Al, because my priority is the Apostle.¡± ¡°He gifted you clothes with that relationship?¡± Yep, that¡¯s what you¡¯ll think normally. The fact that I¡¯m impressed by someone with common sense tells me that I¡¯m also insane. The mourning woman, Silvana, made a face as if she had an idea. ¡°Yes, Al!¡¡You should buy some clothes for Mir in the next town.¡± What am I, an ATM? Milva was surprised by the sudden suggestion. ¡°What, receiving a gift like that out of the blue is ¡­¡­¡± Yeah, that reaction is natural. The mourning woman, Silvana, laughed and waved her hand. ¡°Ohh, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. He¡¯s rich, and he can afford it, so it¡¯s no big deal.¡± Why are you the one saying that? I was a little disappointed, but it was somewhat useful in terms of getting information. I¡¯ll tolerate it. I mean, It¡¯s such a hassle. If I were in the position of a third party, I would have been angry and said, ¡°Why are you buying for them!¡±. It¡¯s strange that I don¡¯t get angry when I¡¯m the person in question. The hassle comes first. But when it¡¯s a third party, I get angry. The next thing I knew, she was showing Milva her clothes and asking her, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this color suit you?¡±. The song ¡°Like a river flowing¡± by the voice of a national singer who passed away started playing in my head. I had no choice but to be swept away ¡­¡­ Wait a minute ¡­¡­ I should just use this flow here. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how to get the information out of her. It¡¯s a very delicate subject. ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s do that in the next town.¡± Milva shook her head. ¡°No, but I¡¯ll feel sorry ¡­¡­¡± Seeing that she was being refrained from using common sense, I felt that it was much more constructive than buying it for the mourning woman Silvana. An elven beauty with common sense. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that she¡¯s the only one in this dreary pilgrimage. She is an oasis in my heart. I¡¯m glad I saved her. Strangely, I feel like I want to protect her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. If I buy it for Ms. Silvana and not for Ms. Milva, my aesthetic sense will be questioned.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s outrageously rude!¡± I silently toss the liquor bottle. Then the mourning woman Silvana silently catches it and drinks. Milva looks apologetic. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve just gotten help from you ¡­¡­ Um ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± I chuckled and waved my hand as if to say don¡¯t worry about it. And it¡¯s also in exchange for the information I¡¯m about to get. It¡¯s expensive information that you wouldn¡¯t hear If you asked normally. CH 29 Chapter 29 - Turning Point We arrived at the pilgrimage site of the fourth apostle. I listened to the teacher¡¯s cursory explanation. If there¡¯s nothing worth mentioning, there¡¯s no need to get it into my head. ¡°Next stop is Silvestre Nagisa Lusaju¡¯s base ¡­¡­¡± The mourning woman Silvana huffed, forcibly interrupting the teacher¡¯s explanation. ¡°I don¡¯t care about all that, let¡¯s go buy some clothes.¡± I¡¯m sure she¡¯s trying to get me to buy her own clothes as well, taking advantage of the situation. It¡¯s not a good idea to deduct this money from teacher¡¯s salary. Milva can also use magic, but she basically fights with a bow. She can also use a sword. If I had to put her in a class, I¡¯d say she was a magic swordsman. But her fighting ability is pretty average. It¡¯s a bit dangerous to travel alone. Or rather, I think it¡¯s reckless. I¡¯m not sure why she did such a reckless thing when she has common sense. But ¡­¡­ it would be insensitive to pry into that. The destination will be a magician-type armor shop. As usual, the teacher stays at home, saying, ¡°No, we can¡¯t take the pervert with us, because they might even take us to the order¡¯s quarters.¡±. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô In times like these, the mourning woman Silvana has a lot of energy. She¡¯s like an old lady rushing into a bargain sale at the supermarket. There was no way I could resist that kind of power, so ¡­¡­ I had to buy three pieces for the mourning woman Silvana and seven pieces for Milva. The report from the clerk was as expected. ¡°It will be ready in three days.¡± I guess we¡¯re stuck here for three days. Milva bowed her head apologetically. ¡°Um ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± As with the mourning woman Silvana, she was wearing a newly purchased outfit. The basic look is a white-based shadow striped blouse and a pale pink flared skirt for a more relaxed look. She seemed to be very particular about fashion and asked me for my opinion on various things. But it wasn¡¯t an abstract question, so I didn¡¯t feel any pain in answering. She also took a lot of care of me, as if she knew that a man would be bored in such a situation. This was very different from the usual mourning woman Silvana. I didn¡¯t think such a nice girl would have to go through such a disaster. I laughed and waved my hand lightly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine.¡± The smug mourning woman, Silvana, stuck out her chest. Why does she look so pompous? ¡°Yes, yes. In times like this, you should say thank you. ¡° And you should look apologetic. You should have at least one-hundredth of Milva¡¯s common sense. Milva looked at Silvana with a dumbfounded expression on her face, but she soon turned to me with a serious face. ¡°Let me at least do something to repay you.¡± It¡¯s good to see someone with common sense. Favorability rating UP. I wonder if I can get it out of her if I go this far. ¡°Hmmm, let¡¯s see. I have a lot of questions I want to ask you later.¡± The grinning mourning woman, Silvana, laughed. ¡°Oh, what Al wants to know is something out of the ordinary, so be prepared for that.¡± Milva gave her a strange look. ¡°Out of the ordinary?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be any sexual harassment questions like a virgin.¡± Milva looked at her in disgust. ¡°Al would never ask such a thing.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s like a sixteen-year-old enlightened man. It¡¯s like he¡¯s a born hermit.¡± No, if he was a hermit, he wouldn¡¯t be in the world. ¡°Can I ask you to come to my room later?¡± ¡°Yes. Right after we get to the inn?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it after dinner. It might be a long conversation. Also, we can¡¯t talk in the dining room because the drunks will be too friendly and riotous.¡± It¡¯s not just that, though. It¡¯s something I can¡¯t talk about in public. The mourning woman Silvana whistled and looked away. If you¡¯re aware of it, then fix it. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After dinner, we went through the Hydra confrontation, which has become a scheduled event. And then Milva came to visit the room. Strangely, her cheeks are a little flushed. I suggest a chair and face her. ¡°So, if it¡¯s something I can answer, I will.¡± No need to preface it. It will make her even more cautious. ¡°Are you or any of your relatives directly involved with the apostles?¡± Milva seems to freeze up and open her mouth in an O shape when she is surprised. Well, bingo. She looks like she wants to ask me how I know this, but I try to answer her first in a disciplined manner. It¡¯s kind of funny. ¡°Yes, but how do you know?¡± This theory is not something you can tell people. ¡°It¡¯s just a hunch.¡± Her mouth froze in an O shape again. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re asking everyone you meet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve asked this question, Ms. Milva.¡± Her mouth froze again, forming the letter O again. This is kind of fun. "" ¡°What I want to ask you about is what happened before and after the apostles¡¯ death.¡± Silence reigned in the room for about a minute. I opened my mouth with a serious face. ¡°Oh, of course I won¡¯t tell anyone. I swear on my name.¡± Milva looked at me with serious eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve only been friends with you for a short time, but I know I can trust you.¡± Milva was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°My father knew him ¡­¡­ and he taught me a lot.¡± Past tense, I¡¯m convinced it smells fishy. ¡°By the way, were there any churches or other organizations that pressured you to do this?¡± She froze again, opening her mouth in an O shape again. It¡¯s cute when you get this far. "" Then she looked at me with a bit of alarm. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s just an unfounded assumption.¡± ¡°Vana said it was out of the ordinary. But I didn¡¯t think it would at this level.¡± ¡°Can I ask for more details on that, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± Milva closed her eyes and let out a small breath. After a few moments, her eyes opened and she was serious. ¡°I just want to know one thing.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°How do you feel about the Apostles and the Church?¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t tell anyone, I¡¯ll answer.¡± It was a worst-case scenario answer. My gaze collided with Milva¡¯s, but she was the one who averted her eyes first. Milva looked down for a moment, but then she looked up and looked straight at me. ¡°Your answer is good. That¡¯s the answer.¡± Milva seemed to be casting a spell. Then the atmosphere of the space changed. There is a faint sound that resembles a mosquito sound. Maybe it¡¯s an audio-blocking spell. Could it be that all sound is converted into a high-frequency sound like a mosquito sound? I couldn¡¯t help but think about its principles. ¡°Where should I start?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s see. The changes that happened to the people around you before, just after and after the death of the apostle.¡± Her mouth froze again, opening her mouth in an ¡°O¡± shape again and again. No, you¡¯re too surprised every time. She opened her narrow eyes to the limit and froze. ¡°A-Al, what do you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a curious person who likes to fantasize. You don¡¯t have to be so surprised every time.¡± I had finally arrived at the turning point of my knowledge-gathering, which was, in a way, sent to me out of expediency. Quietly, but surely, I was elated. CH 30 Not all the solutions will come together here. But I¡¯m confident that we can find a direction. Milva looked down and mumbled, but then ¡­¡­ turned to me as if she had made up her mind. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be surprised by anything Al has to say anymore. I was born a little over 200 years ago, but ¡­¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve been surprised for a thousand years in the last five minutes or so.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to surprise you at all. But since you¡¯re in the human world, you should be surprised.¡± ¡°Al ¡­¡­ there are things called limits ¡­¡­.¡± His father is gone, probably erased by the church. It¡¯s not a good idea for me to ask that. Trying to ask out of curiosity will only hurt the person. Moreover, this time, it¡¯s not about asking about their problems. I¡¯m just trying to get information out of her. Milva, who was looking at me with serious eyes, sighs lightly. ¡°It¡¯s true what Vana said about Al¡¯s habit of wanting to know and never asking anything insensitive ¡­¡­ Sixteen seems like a lie to me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a young sixteen-year-old.¡± Milva gave me a stern look. ¡°Well, okay. My father was a companion of Eleni Chloros, the Fifth Apostle. He was not her lover, though.¡± (T/N: The fifth apostle¡¯s lastname is said for the first time.) So here comes the fifth ¡­¡­ And a dangerous one at that. This must be the most difficult thing for the church to cover up. ¡°I see, it¡¯s true that you can see what happened after the death of the fifth.¡± ¡°Yes. Eleni lost her lover, Vasileos, in an incident. After that, she became emotionally unstable.¡± It¡¯s no good rushing to get to the bottom of things here. It might hurt Milva unnecessarily. I should ask an ordinary question to start a conversation. ¡°Is there a case where an apostle¡¯s lover dies?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a complicated story. And it¡¯s not easy to talk about.¡± So Milva¡¯s father was aware of the situation. ¡°Did he die soon after she became unstable?¡± ¡°No, though he lived for a long time after that. My father had been attracted to her before the incident. After the incident, he distanced himself from her and only helped her in her adventures.¡± That was a bit surprising. ¡­¡­ Not all of them believed in her blindly. ¡°The fact that you talked about it means ¡­¡­ there¡¯s something different before and after the attraction, right?¡± ¡°Yes. When you were attracted to her, strangely enough, you were able to do what she expected of you smoothly.¡± ¡°After the distance, he couldn¡¯t do that?¡± Milva looked as if she was searching for an old memory. ¡°I wonder what he said. When I was attracted to her, it was like I was in some kind of dream, I think that¡¯s what he said.¡± Something like hypnosis? ¡°Doesn¡¯t that kind of thing make you less accurate in everything you do?¡± ¡°The thing is, when you shoot a bow, it¡¯s like you¡¯re shooting mindlessly, and you hit the target perfectly.¡± It¡¯s like shooting a bow without thinking. ¡°So, when he kept his distance, it¡¯s like waking up from a dream?¡± ¡°Yes. But I guess he felt he was more powerful at that time.¡± I see¡­ there is some kind of mental influence. It¡¯s like you don¡¯t have to think about anything else. ¡°It¡¯s like magic.¡± Milva nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s what my father also said. After Eleni¡¯s death, the others started to feel as if they were waking up from a dream.¡± ¡°Did your father ask his friends about this?¡± ¡°At Eleni¡¯s funeral, the friends met and reminisced. That¡¯s when they talked about it.¡± ¡°Did your father change after she died?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t change at all.¡± Is it a spiritual connection ¡­¡­ or does the influence disappear when the center stops? ¡°The technology that the apostles brought with them will be obsolete after that. Did that have an effect on you?¡± ¡°I heard that they forgot how to use the technology day by day. It was like they couldn¡¯t remember.¡± They taught the technology, but it didn¡¯t take root as knowledge? ¡°That seems to have confused society.¡± Milva looked puzzled. Maybe she didn¡¯t hear any specific social changes. ¡°After that, there were crop failures and unexplained disease outbreaks, and ¡­¡­ people disappeared from the place.¡± That¡¯s true, too, It¡¯s become a danger zone. ¡°Aren¡¯t pilgrimage sites created right after the death of the apostles?¡± Milva pondered for a moment, as if remembering something. ¡°When I saw it secretly, it was about 30 years after her death ¡­¡­ and the church recognized it as a sacred place. And it looks like the Knights Order are rebuilding their base.¡± Is that like super short-term radiation? If it was radiation, it should be worse. ¡°What an annoying story.¡± It was a simple comment, but for some reason, Milva seemed to catch on to it and she started laughing as hard as she could. She was laughing with tears in her eyes, but after she calmed down, her expression became serious. ¡°You really don¡¯t worship the apostles, do you, Al?¡± ¡°You really think so?¡± ¡°Yes, it would be a problem if the church people found out about such an attitude.¡± I sighed. ¡°They¡¯re quite the troublesome people.¡± "" Milva started laughing again. Suddenly her face became more serious than before. ¡°My father¡¯s attitude isn¡¯t as much as Al¡¯s, but ¡­¡­ he doesn¡¯t worship them, you know. That¡¯s why he was killed by the church. There¡¯s no proof, though.¡± Oh, I knew it. If the apostle¡¯s collaborators didn¡¯t worship them, it would be a very bad thing for the church. I think it¡¯s best to make my position somewhat clear. She took a lot of risk to teach me this. I looked at her like she was an idiot. ¡°If you keep hanging on to a fiction, you¡¯ll get caught up in it. The means are replaced by the end. It¡¯s a foolish thing to do.¡± Milva gave me an amused look. ¡°Are you sure? Saying something like that?¡± ¡°If the facts are stupid, just say stupid. It¡¯s against my principles to pretend that I¡¯m smart.¡± Milva is looking at me with calm eyes. I wondered if she could get along with Kiara. ¡°I guess it¡¯s fine to talk to Al about it. About the incident with the loss of Vasileos.¡± I know what happened. But if she¡¯s prepared to tell me, I should accept it. ¡°There was something about Eleni that made you suspicious, wasn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Yes, Vasileos¡¯ death was his own fault.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô What Milva said was almost exactly the same as what Kiara said. It made me sigh again and again. I shook my head strongly, as if to shake off something unpleasant. ¡°She¡¯s crazy¡­¡± The tone of my voice came out. Milva pretended not to notice. ¡°My father said it was wrong, too, so we went there to try to save the children.¡± I know, but no matter how many times I hear it, it¡¯s still disgusting. I silently prompted her to continue. ¡°Under a tree ¡­¡­ there were dead bodies of children lying on the ground, stabbing each other. The truth is, my father also wanted Eleni to be brought to justice. He said that this kind of punishment was nothing more than a private punishment. But the story was not so simple ¡­¡­ My father¡¯s clan was at war with the Dark Elves. And we had Eleni to protect the clan.¡± Politically, it¡¯s a difficult story to tell. ¡°So?¡± ¡°In the end ¡­¡­ we ended up pretending we didn¡¯t see it. My father had to turn a blind eye, though, for the sake of the clan. Elves are long-lived. They try to live as righteously as possible, and they hate ugly conduct. Because if they don¡¯t, they will have to live with it forever. They say that if you don¡¯t care about the ugliness, your appearance will gradually change and you will become a different species. It¡¯s said that elves¡¯ minds tend to be reflected in their bodies. That¡¯s why they get help from people like Eleni, who think they¡¯re right about everything. Some of them couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. So now they¡¯ve decided to move to the Ravenna Region.¡± I guess it¡¯s fear or loathing to be a different creature. I wonder what happened to the remaining elves. It would be tactless to pry into this. Instead, let¡¯s ask the safe story. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of elves living in the Ravenna region.¡± Milva shrugged her shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s something the church denies the existence of. If you don¡¯t hide, they¡¯ll erase you. My father knows what Eleni has done and he will live a long life. And when Eleni dies, he won¡¯t be able to protect the clan anymore. And it wouldn¡¯t be good for the church if he told the truth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing that ¡­¡­ you made it out safely, Ms. Milva.¡± Milva looked down with a pained look on her face. ¡°I was on an errand in another village when my father and mother were attacked. At first glance, it looked like the work of monsters. Before he died, my father told me that if anything happened to him, I would have to disappear for a hundred years. So I hid in another tribe.¡± The question still deepened. ¡°Why have you come out now?¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know either. I had a sudden and strong feeling that I had to go to Ravenna Region ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know why.¡± I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ It¡¯s probably my fault. I got her into a bad situation. "" I feel responsible, albeit unconsciously. I stared at Milva in silence. She¡¯s an enemy of the world just like Kiara ¡­¡­ I¡¯m weak in this kind of situation ¡­¡­ And perhaps it¡¯s because of me that I¡¯ve put Milva in harm¡¯s way. It¡¯s also digging up a painful past. I need to make it up to her to make me feel better. This can be an unnecessary burden. But ¡­¡­ I decided to be honest with myself. ¡°I will protect that village to the best of my ability.¡± Milva smiled. ¡°Why would you do such a dangerous thing?¡± "" ¡°I just didn¡¯t like the idea of you being in such an unfortunate situation, Ms. Milva. That¡¯s just what I thought.¡± Milva laughed at my uncharacteristically unreasonable reason. ¡°You can¡¯t make an enemy of the world in a whim, you know.¡± In the end, it¡¯s all about likes and dislikes. Milva didn¡¯t like the state in which she lives in such hiding. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s a whim that I¡¯ll make the world my enemy.¡± Milva laughed a lot. When she finished laughing, there was a glint in her eyes. If she thought the world was her enemy, she would be happy to have an ally, be it a demon or a devil. ¡°Al really is a very strange person, I¡¯ll try not to bother you as much as I can. But ¡­¡­ I really appreciate it.¡± I smiled back, but it was probably going to be an evil man¡¯s laugh ¡­¡­ ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± It¡¯s getting clearer what I¡¯m going to do. I¡¯m almost ready to make a decision. CH 31 Chapter 31 - A Certain Steward Gets in the Way It was the third day of my uneventful and lazy life, avoiding the Hydras dispute. The mourning woman, Silvana, is holding her clothes with a haggard look on her face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s really all thanks to Al!¡± Milva looks a little apologetic. ¡°Al, thank you so much.¡± In contrast to the mournful Silvana, she looks very decent. ¡°No problem.¡± The moment she smiled back, I felt a shiver run down my spine. (Hyiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee) Am I hearing things? I think I heard a man¡¯s scream that seemed to tear the silk. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô It happened at the Scala house. "" Kiara is looking at the house order with a calm face. she looks calm, but she has a dark aura about her. It¡¯s something a sensitive person would feel. ¡°Mario, have you received any bills for my brother¡¯s payment? I¡¯m sure he¡¯s already ¡­¡­ in the fourth apostle¡¯s base, right?¡± Mario is trembling like a frog being stalked by a grieving snake. He looks like he¡¯s about to have a stroke. Mario felt a chilling sensation coming from Kiara. ¡°I will not know if you remain silent.¡± Mario jumped up, stiffening at the sound of the icy voice. Then the paper he had been hiding behind him fluttered down. Walking slowly, Kiara picked up the paper and stiffened for a moment. A low chuckle escaped from Kiara densely. Mario exclaimed. ¡°Hyiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡± Then he swooned. Kiara¡¯s shoulders were shaking. ¡°Is that the second one? Is it the third? A lot?¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The mourning woman, Silvana, made a strange face. ¡°Al, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, no ¡­¡­ something gave me the chills.¡± Milva looked at him with a worried expression. ¡°A cold? Don¡¯t you think you should take it easy and get some rest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just ¡­¡­ strangely I feel like I¡¯m not supposed to be here.¡± "" The mourning woman, Silvana, is woozy. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the 5th apostle, I¡¯m looking forward to it since she¡¯s the only female.¡± That troublesome woman, huh. Milva and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. ¡°Mu, what¡¯s with that eye contact! When did you two become such good friends!¡± She came at me with the vigor of an old lady who is hungry for love stories. ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination. You¡¯re so hungry for a man that you¡¯ve gone through withdrawal symptoms.¡± ¡°How rude! I¡¯m an apostle-sama all the way.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I¡¯m going to retrieve the teacher who was only drinking and not talking and leave for the 5th apostle¡¯s base. In the carriage, the teacher had a look on his face like he remembered something. ¡°In fact, the fifth apostle is quite different from the other apostles.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, came at him as if to say, ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of women¡±. ¡°You mean women?¡± The teacher shook his head as if to say no. ¡°There are not many accomplishments left, you know. Compared to the other apostles, the difference is stark. It¡¯s a third in proportion.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, nodded her head. They may have been given rough figures and felt it was unnatural. ¡°There are many unrecorded achievements, aren¡¯t there?¡± Knowing the danger of the fifth apostle, Milva and I looked at each other and shrugged. The teacher gave me a curious look, as if he was curious about my unconcerned demeanor. I guess he thought I¡¯d question it for less than usual reasons. ¡°It¡¯s unusual that the kiddo doesn¡¯t ask. I thought he would ask. Have you lost interest already?¡± ¡°Well, the content itself is repetitive. I¡¯m not interested in how many repetitions there are.¡± In fact, I¡¯m not interested in the number of repetitions because I know why there are so few. ¡°Your teacher is lonely ¡­¡­ Oh!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The teacher grinned like a little prankster who had found a toy. ¡°I found something that might interest you, kiddo.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You should look forward to it later¡± Silvana gave him a blank stare as he waved his fingers in the air. ¡°Disgusting Virgin.¡± I was unusually inclined to fully agree with the mourning woman Silvana¡¯s opinion. CH 32 Chapter 32 - A Butterfly in the Versailles Palace Doesn''t Look Out of Place I arrived at the base of the ¡°5th Apostle Eleni Chloros,¡± who is recognized as a dangerous person in my mind. As I was going through the formalities without a care in the world, I was suddenly called out from behind. ¡°Excuse me, sir. I see you are Sir Alfred Della Scala.¡± Oh, I knew you¡¯d come ¡­¡­. When I turned around, I saw an elderly man standing there, dressed in the attire of a house lord. ¡°Are you from House Chloros?¡± He seemed to be a little surprised by my reply, but he seemed to calm down immediately. ¡°That¡¯s right, sir. The head of the family would like to invite Sir Alfred and your entourage.¡± ¡°I accept the invitation.¡± I nodded immediately. The Elderly seemed a little surprised at the speed of my reply ¡­¡­ but quickly returned to his solemn demeanor. ¡°Thank you, sir. I will show you around.¡± I nodded and followed the butler. The mourning woman Silvana, who had become quite accustomed to playing the role of questioner, asked in a whisper. (Hey, I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s happening.) (There was a commotion in the third¡¯s base, wasn¡¯t there? That¡¯s how the story got out. They figured that if they invited us before there was a problem, they¡¯d be fine.) (But nothing happened in the fourth.) (Al expected it, though. I don¡¯t know if it was too late or if the head of the family was absent. Did he think it would be better to stay away from?) The mourning woman, Silvana, nodded with a smug expression. (Al is a problem child, after all.) I don¡¯t want to hear that from you. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I¡¯ve been shown into the master¡¯s mansion ¡­¡­ and it¡¯s huge. For all intents and purposes, it¡¯s the Palace of Versailles. When they were ushered into the reception room, they all opened their mouths in different ways. The mourning woman Silvana is excited. ¡°As expected of the only female apostle in the world. This is a palace, isn¡¯t it?¡± The teacher also looked around curiously. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been in here too. The kiddo¡¯s troubled nature has taken a turn for the better.¡± I don¡¯t want to hear it from you either. Milva was also looking around the room curiously. ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous. Does it cost a lot of money? I wonder if there¡¯s anything special about inviting Al?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any deep meaning to the invitation.¡± Actually, there is. I don¡¯t dare mention it because it would be troublesome if it was asked somewhere else. The mourning woman, Silvana, looked at me with admiration. ¡°I¡¯m sure Al¡¯s family is amazing. Oh, no, I can¡¯t! I¡¯m for the apostle first and foremost.¡± That¡¯s enough ¡­¡­. The teacher is looking around the room. ¡°It¡¯s a great aristocrat¡¯s house, after all ¡­¡­ Looking at the kiddo, it looks like a scholar¡¯s house. It¡¯s more of a house that excels in military power. It¡¯s a house of literature and martial arts, but essentially it¡¯s a house that puts a lot of emphasis on the military.¡± My two older brothers may look like that, but they are skilled in commanding and martial arts. In terms of game status, it¡¯s around 80 for leadership and valor. At the age of 22, that ability would be genius tier. In a way, they¡¯re a cheat older brothers Me? I don¡¯t have such a thing. Milva laughed at my blandness. ¡°He¡¯s not pompous ¡­¡­ Sometimes I forget he¡¯s an aristocrat.¡± That¡¯s because I¡¯m an old man, a commoner at heart. I¡¯m not trying to be pompous at all. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô While we were talking about this, the door opened and I heard a voice. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have the son of the renowned Scala family here.¡± Thinking that it was a greeting from the head of the family, I turned my gaze in the direction of the voice. But what I saw was Madame Butterfly ¡­¡­ who looked exactly like her. I was almost about to burst out laughing by how much she was into it. In order to disguise the fact that I was about to laugh, I immediately bowed. ¡°Thank you very much for inviting me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very polite of you. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Anesha Chloros. I am the head of the Chloros family.¡± She is a female apostle, so the head of the family must also be a woman. ¡°I came to greet you first before dinner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you. Since I was able to see you before dinner, I think I can eat properly. You were so beautiful that I couldn¡¯t help but admire you.¡± It was a brash social call. I was about to burst out laughing, but I held it in. Madame Butterfly, Anesha, smiled in a good mood at my pleasantries. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re very good. I¡¯ve heard that the Scala family is full of brave men ¡­¡­ and mediocre at treating women well, but rumors are not to be trusted.¡± ¡°I am so young that I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve even mentioned it.¡± Playing catch with flattery and politeness all the time is tiring, isn¡¯t it? ¡°I came to say hello to you first. Let¡¯s have dinner together later.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d be happy to. By the way, my lord, I have one request.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°May I take a short walk around the town before dinner. It¡¯s a wonderful town and I¡¯d like to take a look around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right, then, if you¡¯d like, I can provide an escort.¡± That¡¯s not good. It¡¯s a requirement that I need to take care of on my own. ¡°I appreciate your concern, but it is one of the few comforts I have to look around on my own. Please bear with me.¡± ¡°All right, then. We will have dinner around sunset, so please be back by then. I¡¯ll have your luggage brought to your room.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I want to finish Kiara¡¯s request as soon as possible. If you don¡¯t make these things a top priority, you¡¯ll get into some kind of trouble, and then you¡¯ll run out of time ¡­¡­ and you won¡¯t be able to go home ¡­¡­ and they¡¯ll make up some innocent charges against you. I¡¯m not going to be a part of that combo of being socially wiped out. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I went into town and immediately started my mission. There was a flower shop, so I decided to buy some carnations. I¡¯m not sure what kind of flowers would be best for a gravestone, but ¡­¡­ Using Kiara¡¯s words, he searched for the place marked on the bookmark. I went out to the outskirts of the city¡­ it was a big tree near the beach. I wandered around for a while and found something that looked like it. There was a sign attached to the tree. ¡°A gravestone tree ¡­¡­ This is it.¡± I put flowers on the tree and said a silent prayer, thinking of the time I would pray if Kiara came. I¡¯m sure the souls of the deceased are no longer with us. I¡¯ve finished my silent prayer, so I¡¯ll go back now. When I turned around, I saw Milva with a surprised look on her face. CH 33 Chapter 33 - Piranha of Love So Milva came here, too. ¡°Al, why are you here?¡± I smiled a little meanly at her. ¡°I thought you¡¯d stopped being surprised?¡± Come to think of it, there was always a chance she¡¯d come here. Let¡¯s buy ourselves some time to think of an excuse. Milva chuckled. ¡°Al, you¡¯re rather mean, aren¡¯t you? ¡°Excuse me, I just wanted to be mean.¡± Milva looked at me in silence. There was no way I was going to tell her about Kiara. Kiara trusted me and confided in me. I know that she won¡¯t even be angry if I tell anyone. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to tell her. I think this is something Kiara should tell me herself. Other people¡¯s important matters are pretty heavy for me. And it¡¯s on a level that could shake the world. It¡¯s not something that¡¯s on the level of medieval geocentrism. It¡¯s like what would happen if you said in the Middle Ages that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, but just a man. It¡¯s not something heavy. It seems that I was getting carried away with all the sudden developments. I should have expected this pattern, but I completely forgot about it. This natural tendency to get carried away will not go away even if I am reincarnated again. There is a saying that an idiot must die to be cured, but that¡¯s not always true. That¡¯s one thing you have become wiser about ¡­¡­ me. Stop escaping reality and choose your words carefully. If I blow my cover after a sudden ad-lib, I won¡¯t even be able to look her in the eye. ¡°I heard about it and thought it must be here. And I really wanted to see it.¡± I¡¯m not lying, though I¡¯m intentionally blurring the subject. The story that Milva told me is also very heavy. After something like that, if it turns out that I lied, a lot of things could go wrong. I can¡¯t lie, and I can¡¯t talk about important matters without permission. I¡¯m raising the bar for myself. Milva smiled a little, as if she sensed something in my words. ¡°I see ¡­¡­ I wanted to come to the place I heard so much about too.¡± ¡°So this is your first time here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In any case, this is the Apostles¡¯ home, and we both know that we can¡¯t have careless conversations. There is a possibility that one of the people in the house is watching me as a guard. I let my guard down, assuming that no one is listening. There are plenty of people who have been ruined by their careless words leaking out, even before they were reincarnated. And I¡¯m an important person. When you get something, some inconvenience will follow. That¡¯s the way of the world. ¡°I wonder who gave this tree its name. I¡¯ve always wondered about that little note in the pilgrimage guidebook. There¡¯s no other name for the tree.¡± Milva smiled and winked at me. ¡°Even I don¡¯t know.¡± So it¡¯s Milva¡¯s father. I nodded my head in understanding. ¡°I see, no one knows where the name comes from, I suppose. I think we should go back.¡± Milva, who had been staring at the base of the tree, turned to me and nodded quietly. ¡°Yes.¡± When the two of us returned to the mansion, the mourning woman Silvana, leaned forward furiously. Oh, shit. ¡°Heeeeeey, as I thought, you guys are like that. You¡¯ve got to tell me that properly! That¡¯s distant of you!¡± It¡¯s just a mournful Silvana¡¯s fantasy. I look at her in disgust. ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence that we met.¡± Milva was taken aback, but nodded at my words. ¡°Yes, we just bumped into each other.¡± The mourning woman Silvana, smirked with a smug look on her face. This is bad. She¡¯ll never stop repeating this. She doesn¡¯t care if it¡¯s fantasy or fact. There are people who bite on love stories like piranhas. Right in front of my eyes. In addition to being a mourning woman, she doesn¡¯t know anything about real love. In other words ¡­¡­ the acceleration of delusion can¡¯t be underestimated. I sigh deeply and profoundly at the thought of my future adherence. Milva chuckled when she saw me like that. You know, you¡¯re not unrelated, you know. CH 34 Chapter 34 - Plague is Scarier Than War Later, at dinner, there was the usual exchange of rituals. But it¡¯s nothing worth mentioning, so I¡¯ll just delete it from my memory. Except for one thing. Madame Butterfly Anesha personally offered to show us around tomorrow. If I refused, I would either be misunderstood or get into trouble, so I gratefully accepted. I¡¯m pretty sure I know why. It¡¯s because the fifth apostle¡¯s lore is extremely rare. So if you just look at the exhibits and see the explanations, people will think you have few achievements. Because the prestige of the ancestors = the power of their descendants. This palace is probably also a tearful effort to cover up the lack of lore. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next day at the breakfast table, things unfolded as expected. Milva had a slack-jawed look on her face. In contrast, Silvana, the mourning woman, had a lustrous face. As I said, you¡¯re not unrelated, okay? After that, we followed Madame Butterfly Anesha and listened to her explanations as she moved from place to place. She would tearfully explain one thing at a time at length. Yes, you have to dilute it with water. In the midst of all this, I asked the teacher something I suddenly remembered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had some interesting accomplishments, Teacher?¡± He grinned and said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it. I wonder if it¡¯s out yet.¡± Madame. Butterfly Anesha¡¯s movements stopped. She was worried about our reaction. I continued to pretend to be politely surprised by Madame Butterfly Anesha¡¯s explanation so as not to make waves. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The teacher turned to Madame Butterfly Anesha. ¡°Yes. It was brought to us by the Fifth Apostle and no other apostle could have left it behind. There is a technology that remains today, isn¡¯t there?¡± Madame Butterfly Anesha tilted her head with a suspicious look on her face. I think she is searching her memory. After a moment, she seemed to have an idea and nodded slowly. However, she seemed to be having a hard time making sense of it. ¡°Yes. It is true that there is, but ¡­¡­ is something like that an interesting achievement? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to talk about something more dangerous, like defeating a monster?¡± ¡°No, Sir. Alfred¡¯s interests lie elsewhere than that ¡­¡­.¡± I guess you can¡¯t say ¡°kiddo¡± in front of the other nobles, huh. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Why hasn¡¯t the wonderful technology of the Apostles survived until now? That was the question that came up to me during the first apostle¡¯s pilgrimage.¡± Madame Butterfly Anesha looked at me with surprised eyes. ¡°You are a very unusual person.¡± Did I ¡­¡­ say something so strange? You¡¯ll get a lot more out of this than you would from defeating a monster that¡¯s only a symptom of its condition, you know? Madame Butterfly Anesha is not convinced yet, but she can¡¯t possibly say no to this. She nodded lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there as well, then.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The one we were shown was different from the other exhibits of the subjugation, and was much smaller. A useful invention of mankind in a way A flush toilet with a tank ¡°This is something that other apostles have made, but it¡¯s been discontinued. ¡° I¡¯ll check it out. Madame Butterfly Anesha, with a slightly doubtful expression. ¡°Yes. The 5th apostle¡¯s prestige surpassed that of the other apostles.¡± No ¡­¡­ do you not understand the importance of this? Waste control is super important, you know? If you think about it, the number of deaths from plague is much higher than the number of people killed by monsters. Even in my previous life, there were more deaths from plague than from war. This world¡¯s people has too much muscle for brains ¡­¡­. ¡°Why is it that only the 5th Apostle¡¯s stuff is left?¡± It¡¯s not a matter of prestige. ¡°The Apostle was a very compassionate person. She was most dedicated to improving the lives of her people. Her achievements were many and varied.¡± The answer came back out of focus. That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not just a matter of putting in a toilet. It¡¯s not enough to magically create water and flush it, and it will never continue. But how did she solve such a wide range of problems? ¡°Even if she¡¯s an apostle, it must have been hard for her to develop so many different things by herself, isn¡¯t it?¡± I posed the obvious question. Madame Butterfly Anesha had a blank look on her face, as if she was not interested. ¡°The Apostle didn¡¯t show us any specific methods, she just instructed us to make improvements and let others make them.¡± Since the apostle didn¡¯t directly modify it, it¡¯s hard to advertise it as an achievement. But for me, this difference is very important information. In other words, the apostle did not intervene in the concrete measures. If you create as you are told, you will forget. Still, if the apostle is still alive, they remember and can operate it perfectly. I remember that the locals tried to do it by trial and error, even after the apostle died. This is consistent with what Milva told me about the technology being lost over time after death. Well ¡­¡­ one question is answered. As I listened to the rest of the explanation, my thoughts were occupied with the negative effects of apostolic intervention. CH 35 Chapter 35 - Multiplication, Not Addition We were in a carriage on our way to the last pilgrimage site without much trouble. It was summer and the sun was shining strong. The mourning woman Silvana was flapping her non-existent bosom. ¡°Nnn~ It¡¯s hot, so these clothes are fine, but the sunburn will leave marks¡­¡± The teacher snickered. ¡°Even your old lascivious style would leave marks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call it lascivious! Forget the past! You promised eternal virgin!¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! You love-starved chasing a mirage!¡± Here we go again ¡­¡­ But, sunburn. I was stuck thinking about it, so I decided to take a break and talk to Milva to change the subject. ¡°Have you ever been bothered with sunburn, Ms. Milva?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been in the forest all my life, so I¡¯ve never had a chance to experience it. I¡¯ve heard that elves get sunburned easily, so I¡¯m being careful.¡± ¡°Then you should stay out of the sun in the carriage.¡± Milva smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± I sensed a disturbing presence. The two hydras were looking at us, smiling wryly. There were more of them. The teacher laughed in a way that almost sounded onomatopoeic as if it was gehi gehi. ¡°Seriously ¡­¡­ It¡¯s so hot here ¡­¡­ It¡¯s nice ¡­¡­¡± The mourning woman Silvana, wriggles her body and snorts. ¡°Before I knew it¡­ they¡¯re already together. They are going on dates without us knowing, Oh god!¡± ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t leave the kiddo in the corner either. Don¡¯t have kids on the road!¡± ¡°And ¡­¡­ the child born during the pilgrimage. The two decide to raise the child ¡­¡­ Kyaaaaaaaah!!!!¡± It¡¯s bad ¡­¡­ they¡¯re starting to get out of control. There are two people with zero experience in love. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because they have no experience, but they¡¯re more interested than most people. If you mix them together, the annoyance is multiplied by two. It¡¯s a multiplicative formula, not an additive one. When Milva saw the laughter, she made a sneering face. In other words, when we are in a room for two at the inn, this attack continues all the time. No wonder she was desperately asking for a private room at the inn. But that¡¯s not enough to stop this mourning woman Silvana. ¡°Private room means secret meeting! Kyaaaaaaaaah!¡± The awkwardness I felt when this was actually done to me at the reception desk of the inn ¡­¡­. The teacher had a dirty smile on his face and Milva was turning in a pitiful shade of red. I can¡¯t run away from it either way. And when I was thinking about my black history in a way, I was a little curious about something. ¡°Sunburn can also cause spots and such, can¡¯t it?¡± Silvana, the mourning woman, froze in surprise. ¡°Yes, it does. What¡¯s the matter , Al ¡­¡­ You¡¯ve suddenly turned serious. Of course, it can. It¡¯s an eternal problem for female adventurers.¡± Sunburn is ultraviolet light, right? Of course, there is a sun in this world. I believe that strong ultraviolet rays can cause ¡­¡­ skin cancer or something like that. Does the event not match the thing? If it¡¯s not the ultraviolet itself, but something similar. I got a chill down my spine. The UV rays are stronger. A specific area. What if there¡¯s something like the ozone layer and it¡¯s broken? No ¡­¡­ What if the magic that¡¯s staying in the body itself is cutting off the ultraviolet light? The apostle¡¯s extraordinary magic power will deplete the magic in the area if he concentrates on using it. When you produce a huge amount of magic power from within your body, the power that is drawn in from the outside world is equal. It will consume more than the natural recovery amount of magic power. As a result, their defense against ultraviolet rays will be weakened? That¡¯s a big leap. No, no, no, it seems to fit perfectly. But is it too easy to draw a conclusion? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s a walking weapon of environmental destruction. Give me a break. I should think about it calmly over the course of the day and come to a conclusion. If I think about it too much by myself, I¡¯ll get lost in the labyrinth ¡­¡­ The only people I can talk to about this are Kiara or Milva. "" If we¡¯re marked by the two loners and left the two of us alone, the attacks on Milva will be even more intense. I glanced at Milva and our eyes met. Milva nodded silently. I wondered if there was something she wanted to talk about. But I feel like it¡¯s going to be even worse ¡­¡­ CH 36 Chapter 36 - Never give up on a plan for a good night''s sleep It¡¯s a bold decision. How did this happen? As usual, when we get lodging, we get two rooms to share. Normally, we would be separated into men and women, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sharing a room with Milva. Unusually, it was Milva who suggested it. As expected, the mourning woman Silvana, started to make a fuss. ¡°Ehhh ¡­¡­ That¡¯s a bit daring! You¡¯ve finally stopped hiding! Kyaaaaaah! ¡­¡­¡­!?¡± Silvana, the mourning woman, noticed something and became distraught. ¡°Wait a minute! I¡¯ll be sharing a room with this virgin!? Eh ¡­¡­ wait ¡­¡­ You can¡¯t do that! My chastity is at stake!¡± The teacher also started to panic. ¡°Wait a second! If I share a room with this mourning woman, I won¡¯t be popular anymore!¡± You¡¯ve never been popular in the first place. "" Milva turned to them with a smile. But her eyes were not smiling. ¡°Were you both lying when you made that much noise and said that you¡¯d support us?¡± There is a strange pressure. The two hydras stiffen. I feel like the ranking order has now been established. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, Al.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô My arms were folded and I was dragged into the room. When Milva entered the room, she collapsed helplessly onto the bed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Al. I want to relax when I get back to my room. And I want to sleep in peace ¡­¡­ Conversation is fine ¡­¡­ It¡¯s fine, but ¡­¡­ there are limits ¡­¡­¡± "" You¡¯ve been tangled up in this for a long time. My condolences. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°That was a disaster. You must have been very ¡­¡­ pushy.¡± Milva chuckled, then slowly raised her body and winked. ¡°Of course. I think I¡¯ll be more comfortable in the same room with Al, since our conversations are more moderate. And you¡¯re a gentleman. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll attack me.¡± ¡°Thanks for that.¡± Milva gave me a teasing look. ¡°But you¡¯re a healthy boy, so something might happen. If that happens, Al will take responsibility, right?¡± Oh man ¡­¡­ when you¡¯re evaluating me this much, I might want to fight back a little. And Milva is a beautiful, slender woman, and her looks is my type. I like her personality and her common sense. But that doesn¡¯t mean I want to attack her. But I wanted to make fun of her. I stared at Milva with a serious gaze. ¡°Milva-san is beautiful, and my type. If I can¡¯t take it anymore, I¡¯ll take full responsibility.¡± When I said that and leaned forward a little, Milva turned bright red in a flash. She immediately jumped up and retreated. I laughed at that and sat down on the bed next to her. ¡°I-Is Al is actually a playboy?¡± She looked at me with suspicion. I shrugged my shoulders as if it were a light joke. ¡°No, I was just teasing you.¡± Milva gave a small sigh. ¡°Geez ¡­¡­ How old are you, Al? Are you actually about 60 years old?¡± You¡¯re good, you¡¯re pretty accurate. I opened my mouth with a clear face. ¡°No way, I¡¯m sixteen.¡± Physical age, that is. Milva¡¯s color had returned to normal, but her cheeks were still a little red. I guess It was a little too much stimulation. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re sixteen or sixty for an elf, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s fine. There are things you don¡¯t want others to hear.¡± I silently pointed to the wall in the next room. I know that two hydras are in the next room. I put my ear to the wall, and it is obvious that they are listening in. Milva smiles and casts an audio blocking spell on the room. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s fine now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kind of stuck, and I¡¯d like to hear your opinion ¡­¡­ There are only a few people I can talk to about it.¡± Milva nodded with a serious face. I kept talking. ¡°After the death of the apostles, the inhabitants will have dark spots on their skin, eye diseases, and crop failures, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I hear about.¡± ¡°From what I know, there is such a thing as sunburn. If the sunburn worsens, it can lead to blemishes. I¡¯ll put aside eye diseases and crops for now.¡± The concept of ultraviolet rays is a little difficult to explain. I can¡¯t even prove that it¡¯s UV light in the first place. Milva looked up for a moment, her face contemplating something. ¡°Too much sunlight makes it impossible for living things to survive, which is why we have day and night. There¡¯s a story about that in Elven mythology. Is sunburn dangerous in the first place?¡± Elven mythology. It¡¯s an endless story to imagine. But ¡­¡­ it might have some suggestions about the beginning of the world and about God. But I¡¯ll save the myths for later. ¡°If it¡¯s mild, it will heal on its own, so it won¡¯t be a problem. If it gets too bad, it¡¯ll feel like a minor burn. Also, if you don¡¯t get enough sunlight, it¡¯s not good for you.¡± ¡°You mean moderation is important?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like eating. Too much food is not good for you, right?¡± Milva nodded her head. ¡°So the spots are a sign of too much exposure to the sun?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s the general idea. If we hadn¡¯t changed our lives until now, why there would be such an event remain in folklores after the death of the apostles. Here¡¯s the problem.¡± Milva collapses on the bed and makes a pondering expression with cheeks. ¡°The only thing that has changed is the life and death of the apostles, right?¡± ¡°The death of an apostle changes the environment, and thus the disaster occurs. ¡° ¡°That certainly makes sense. What does the death change?¡± Here¡¯s the main question. I put on a serious face. ¡°Just to be clear ¡­¡­ I¡¯m just piling deduction on top of a deduction. So if there is anything strange in my reasoning, please point it out.¡± Milva gave a small laugh at my notification. ¡°It¡¯s a denial of church doctrine that the death of an apostle automatically brings disaster. I¡¯d never say that to anyone else.¡± ¡°Back to the subject of sunburn, I think it is the magic power in the air that prevents the power of sunlight. It¡¯s called natural magic power.¡± ¡°Preventing the power of sunlight?¡± ¡°Correct, it¡¯s the harmful power contained in sunlight. Think of natural magic as a kind of invisible membrane. When sunlight passes through the natural magic, the harmful power that causes sunburn and blemishes is weakened. The harmful power does not decrease to zero, so too much exposure will result in sunburn ¡­¡­ and blemishes beyond the skin¡¯s tolerance. As your natural magic power diminishes, sunburn and blemishes will occur more quickly.¡± Milva hmmed. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying about natural magic power being a membrane. But why does natural magic power weaken when the apostle dies?¡± ¡°What is it that causes the decrease in natural magic power? This is where the apostle comes into play. When an apostle uses magic, he uses a huge amount of magic power in his body. This is called internal magic power as opposed to natural magic power. When the apostle uses magic, he draws in the same amount of natural magic power from the surrounding area. And when the magic is activated, the internal magic power and natural magic power will disappear. When an apostle uses magic, the natural magic power around him will naturally decrease.¡± ¡°But doesn¡¯t that happen while they¡¯re still alive?¡± Great ¡­¡­ saves me the trouble of asking myself that question. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Milva smiled at the sight of me. I was a little embarrassed. I coughed to clear my throat and return to a serious face. ¡°The amount of magic power in their body is too huge. Even when they¡¯re not using magic, their internal magic power is released on its own. It¡¯s too much for the body to hold, after all. And the magic power in the body that is released on its own will change into natural magic power. However, after a certain period of time, it will disappear naturally. You could call it pseudo-natural magic power.¡± It is only a hypothesis, but ¡­¡­ it can not be proven. I can¡¯t stop it once I open the gate, after all. ¡°And when they die, the natural magic power will be depleted.¡± I nodded in a good mood. ¡°Death cuts off the supply of natural magic power. The phenomenon that befalls people when their natural magic power is depleted ¡­¡­ is called the apostle¡¯s punishment.¡± ¡°Actually ¡­¡­ it¡¯s not a punishment at all. Wait a minute. The apostles don¡¯t stay in the same area all the time, do they? Doesn¡¯t the same thing happen in different places?¡± That¡¯s a very good point. I was getting uncharacteristically excited about my theory. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed a good point. Natural magic power does not dry up quickly. However, if you set up a base and stay in the same place for more than ten years, it will indeed be depleted. This is because all apostles create a base and settle there. Apostles continue to use magic in order to maintain a convenient life. After they die, the natural magic power will be gradually lost, and the poison in the sunlight will increase dramatically.¡± I cut off my words once and inhaled. Then opened my mouth again. ¡°The toxins also affect the plants. As for the eyes, since they see light, the poison accumulates in them as well. When the limit of accumulation is exceeded, the phenomenon known as a plague is manifested.¡± Milva, who had been listening to the conversation, buried her face helplessly in her bed. ¡°I said a thousand years ago, but I stand corrected. ¡­¡­ I was surprised for about a million years ¡­¡­ I¡¯m stunned beyond belief.¡± ¡°Furthermore, natural magic power must recover spontaneously. It is based on the fact that the apostles died and recovered some time later. The conclusion that can be drawn is that apostles are a benefit in the short term, but harmful ¡­¡­ otherwise.¡± Milva¡¯s head seemed to have reached its limit. She sighed with all her might. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I need to clear my head. I can¡¯t keep up with my understanding because my world has been shattered from the ground up. Please continue tomorrow ¡­¡­¡± Milva released the audio blocking spell and slipped into the futon with slow movements. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight of her. ¡°I¡¯m going to go outside for a while, so if you want to change, you can do so then.¡± Milva peeked out from under the covers and smiled. ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ You¡¯re right. Thank you. Al is a gentleman after all.¡± No, that¡¯s normal. If you¡¯re on an adventure, you don¡¯t have time for that, though. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I wanted to clear my head a bit, so I went outside the inn. It¡¯s summer, but it¡¯s cool outside. And then I looked up at the beautiful night sky. Even though the world has changed, the night sky hasn¡¯t changed much. There was even a moon. There was a theory that without the moon, life on earth would not have come into existence. Suddenly, I returned to reality. There is harm in the apostles. That¡¯s outrageous in this world. I wonder if the shock Milva received was like being told about the geocentric theory in the Middle Ages. It¡¯s easy to dismiss it as heresy. But Milva is trying to understand what I¡¯m saying. I guess she is sincere. I don¡¯t know how she can be so distrustful of people in such a situation. I wonder if she has a strong will or if she¡¯s just naive. Only such people get into unfortunate situations. Is it inevitable or is it just bad luck? Many evil people can live happily ever after. Is it right or wrong? It¡¯s in my nature to want to protect such people. Either way, my intention to protect Milva¡¯s village will not change. I¡¯ve already got the means to do so. CH 37 Chapter 37 - Paparazzi are generally Unpopular The next day, I woke up early and quickly got dressed to get ready. It¡¯s a shared room, so it gives Milva time to get ready. Milva wakes up and slowly raises her body. ¡°Good morning, Al ¡­¡­¡± She seems to have low blood pressure. She looks sleepy and her hair is bouncing all over the place. She woke up defenselessly and tried to change her clothes. I chuckled and stopped her. ¡°Good morning. I¡¯ll finish my preparations and go downstairs soon. Please wait a moment before you change.¡± I think she is not thinking straight, or she is not aware that she was sharing a room with a man. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. ¡­¡­ Thanks~¡± As soon as I said that, She fell asleep with the futon over her head. She must have been mentally exhausted. I¡¯ll let her sleep as long as I can. I was the first to go. After that, two bloodshot-eyed hydras lazily came down. They¡¯ve been listening for a long time ¡­¡­ They sure are bored. After a while, Milva was the last one to come down, and she seemed to be suspicious of their behavior. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two?¡± The two began to panic. ¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing!¡± ¡° They must have stayed up all night listening to the wall, fantasizing that a secret affair between a man and a woman would take place. Too sterile. I wanted to be mean to them for all the things before. ¡°Doesn¡¯t your body hurt if you¡¯re stuck in the same ¡­¡­ position for a long time?¡± The two of them freaked out in an interesting way. Milva didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I winked at her silently. I¡¯ll tell you when we get to our room at the next inn, she seems to get my intention. Milva nodded silently. That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll check with the teacher about the schedule. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the last apostle, isn¡¯t it?¡± The teacher thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s only about three days away.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, looked a little sad. ¡°So that¡¯s when we dismiss, huh. I¡¯m going to miss you.¡± I looked away, relegating the shock to the past. ¡°Yes, I was wondering what would happen at first, but ¡­¡­¡± Milva looked a little sad, too. ¡°¡®If you¡¯re alive, we will meet again.¡± The teacher scratched his head, as if he didn¡¯t like the simmering air. ¡°The kiddo and I are going back to the Scala house, but what are you two going to do?¡± The mourning woman Silvana became savage. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my adventuring career. If I¡¯m want to meet the Apostle, that¡¯s the shortcut.¡± You¡¯re still the same. Milva¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°I¡¯m going to the Ravenna region.¡± The teacher looked at me. ¡°Are you going to be in political hell when you get home, kiddo?¡± ¡°Just in case, I have a plan. I¡¯m not sure if Father will allow it.¡± The teacher shrugged his shoulders as if it isn¡¯t related to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but it¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do something great.¡± It¡¯s true, once the pilgrimage is over, you¡¯re out of a job. He¡¯s probably going to get another tutoring job. ¡°Well, I wonder what will happen. You never know.¡± The teacher is pretty decent when there are no women around. I didn¡¯t expect his character to fall apart like this. I think about the future. When I was a child, I used to stay in my father¡¯s library and look at the map of the territory and fantasize about the future. It¡¯s good that we don¡¯t use the apostle¡¯s power, a dangerous weapon of environmental destruction. God expects us to abuse our power. I will act differently from their will. If I do, there is a good chance that I will be forced to use it. How to get around this is ultimately what worries me about ¡­¡­ That¡¯s not all. I also realized ¡­¡­ that it¡¯s not enough to just not use. The mourning woman, Sylvana, looked at me and Milva in turn. ¡°You¡¯re going out with each other, and you¡¯re going to break up just like that?¡± The arrow came from an unexpected place. It¡¯s not that we are dating, but ¡­¡­ this paparazzi is very perceptive in their pursuit. I guess when they¡¯re not popular, they¡¯re curious about other people¡¯s love stories. ¡°No, Milva-san has a purpose. She has to get that done first. It¡¯ll be easier for her to meet me when she¡¯s done.¡± I answered appropriately. She said she was going to the Ravenna region. Whether we¡¯ll see each other again after that, I can¡¯t say yet. I don¡¯t think the church will be chasing me anymore. But I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll bother to come out in public. Milva smiled at me. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re supposed to meet again when we¡¯re done.¡± She adjusted the conversation appropriately. ¡°Hah~ How nice. I wonder if my Fated Apostle will jump down in front of me¡­¡± The Mourning Woman Silvana, sighs and complains without blinking. What a shame, that apostle won¡¯t come out. CH 38 Chapter 38 - The Egotist''s Way It was after we arrived at the next inn town. In the room where we¡¯re staying, I asked a simple question. ¡°Why do we have to share a room when we can get four private ones?¡± Milva pointed a finger at me. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating Vana too much ¡­¡­ Al.¡± ¡°Ahhh ¡­¡­ no way ¡­¡­.¡± Milva stomped hard on the floor. ¡°That¡¯s how it is! That¡¯s why, for my own peace of mind, I have to share a room with Al!¡± Milva is breathing heavily, as if she was trying to force her point. She¡¯s the mourning woman, Silvana. When I¡¯m alone, they barge in on me, and the situation doesn¡¯t change at all ¡­¡­ After catching her breath, Milva turned her gaze to me. ¡°So how is it that the two of them look like they lack sleep?¡± Do you want to put your finger on your mouth to shut off the sound? They shook their head in response. If they¡¯re listening anyway, I¡¯ll tell them so they can hear. I know they¡¯re staying in the private room on either side. I¡¯m looking forward to his reaction. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it because I and Milva hugging and doing things. They were eavesdropping because they wanted to hear that voice.¡± There was a slamming sound from both sides. I knew it. I shrugged my shoulders pretentiously. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Milva¡¯s face turned red and she stiffened. I chuckled at Milva. ¡°I think they¡¯ll learn from this ¡­¡­ and not eavesdrop anymore.¡± ¡°What ¡­¡­ are you so not confident or something?¡± She turned her head to the side, it may have been difficult to look directly at me. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because she¡¯s become strangely conscious, but I guess she¡¯s a woman of her age, even if she is an elf. ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t measure the behavior of those two.¡± Milva gave a little wicked laugh. ¡°I think those two need a good spanking.¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ In moderation, please.¡± I¡¯m not going to stop you, you¡¯re more than qualified to punish and educate them. As a continuation of yesterday¡¯s conversation, I have one last thing to discuss. I put my finger to my mouth and make eye contact. Milva is silently casting an audio blocking spell. Then, seeming to return to normalcy, she looked at me and opened her mouth. ¡°As I recall, Al said, ¡°Apostles are only good for as long as they¡¯re around¡±.¡± ¡°Yes, and to take it a step further, the world today is completely dependent on such a deleterious drug.¡± Milva seemed surprised. ¡°You would go so far as to say that?¡± ¡°They are addicted to drugs, so they can¡¯t live without them. If you try to stop them, they will attack you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve always suspected that it wasn¡¯t perfect, but I¡¯ve never thought of it as harmful. Before I knew it, I had become an enemy of the world. Is Al going to become an enemy of his own free will? There¡¯s nothing good with it, you know?¡± It¡¯s already out of the realm of judging whether she¡¯s friend or foe ¡­¡­. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Drug addiction is the right way to be. If you have to admire it, then it¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re still alive.¡± They are in a vegetative state or too old to support themselves and need to be taken care of by others. They can¡¯t even go to the bathroom by themselves. If you still want to live, go ahead. I don¡¯t think I want to live in such a state. If I said such a thing before my reincarnation, I¡¯d be beaten to a pulp. My thoughts are similar to the mentality of the ancient Romans. If I get an incurable disease or something, and it becomes difficult for me to keep myself alive, I¡¯ll stop eating and choose suicide. I could honestly accept this idea. Not only physical death but also mental death can be considered as such. Although I deny this achievement, I can honestly nod my head to the actions of those who chose suicide as a shortcut. If you have the right to live, you should have the right to choose death. Milva gave me a surprised look. ¡°I heard that humans take care of themselves because their lifespan is short, but it seems to be the other way around.¡± ¡°We do.¡± Milva looked at me as if she didn¡¯t understand what I meant. ¡°You do, so ¡­¡­ you can¡¯t help but continue living?¡± I shake my head. ¡°If you¡¯re forced to live unwillingly, that¡¯s not living ¡­¡­ from my perspective. I value it, and that¡¯s why I insist on quality.¡± Milva looks unconvinced. ¡°Don¡¯t we all have a few things in our lives that we don¡¯t like? It¡¯s impossible to do everything the way you want unless ¡­ you¡¯re an apostle, you know?¡± I¡¯m just talking about myself, you know. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ it depends on the degree. You are forced to harm innocent people. If you refuse to do so, you will die. Or they persecute innocent people. If you don¡¯t work together to persecute them, you will be socially ostracized. They force you to do something that you know is wrong. Otherwise, you can¡¯t live. In such a situation, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth living. When I think of the time when that common sense will collapse¡­ ¡°At that time, that was unavoidable. It¡¯s not my fault¡±. I don¡¯t want to say that.¡± It¡¯s easy to say, but in reality, it¡¯s very difficult. I¡¯ve seen documentaries about ex-Nazis who were involved in the Holocaust. I¡¯ve seen such a documentary. I understand the feelings of the victims and the bereaved families who want retribution. I¡¯m sure It would be upsetting to see the person who did such a thing living happily ever after. But¡­ there were many people who had to do it because they were embedded in the system. So I simply can¡¯t say that all ex-Nazis at the end of the line are completely evil. It will take decades to track them down and bring them to justice. I feel uncomfortable saying that this is justice. I guess I can say that simply because I have not experienced the misery. The members at the end of the line who had no choice but to be included must have been unhappy. At the same time, I think that the society that requires all Nazis to be called evil, even if they are at the end of the line, is also unhappy. It has taken away the ability to think. It is dangerous to judge evil objectively only when the crime is clearly committed. Acts that look like retaliation give the logic to stand on the other side, which in turn gives them power. It is also dangerous to ban people from talking about the Nazis themselves. If it is to be banned, it should be as a result of identifying all acts and determining their merits. When trust in the system that bans them is lost, the things that were banned without any clear logic will gain power. Do you understand that? Hearing my words, Milva slumped down helplessly. ¡°That¡¯s certainly ¡­¡­ very painful. But isn¡¯t it the will of the doer that the church harm innocent people to protect the reputation of the apostles? Isn¡¯t that something that can be done thoroughly by command alone?¡± I can¡¯t communicate well logically. It might have given a strange misunderstanding and made it seem like I was looking down on others. But for now, I had no choice but to answer Milva¡¯s question honestly. ¡°I wonder what that will is aiming at. I don¡¯t mind protecting the reputation of the apostles themselves. I¡¯ve heard about them all my life, and I¡¯ve actually benefited from them. Then I can understand why you would protect your benefactor.¡± I remembered Kiara, and I couldn¡¯t help but take a merciless tone. ¡°I believe that the apostle is right, probably unconditionally. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s why they tried to protect their reputation. But do you really mean it if your premise is wrong? The benefactor was actually guilty. And I¡¯m not allowed to point it out.¡± I can¡¯t seem to put it into words ¡­¡­, but I can¡¯t stop myself. I opened my mouth. ¡°If they hadn¡¯t decided the outcome in the first place and tried to erase anything inconvenient, none of that would have happened. Suppressing those who have doubts. Even if they think it¡¯s strange, they are complicit out of self-preservation. If they know something is unnatural, they pretend they didn¡¯t see it. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s evil, I just think ¡­ it¡¯s probably not what they want.¡± Milva sighed deeply and looked concerned, sensing the danger of my thought. ¡°Isn¡¯t it easy to think that since such a person isn¡¯t living, it¡¯s okay to kill them? It feels to me like Al is deciding what people are worth.¡± I¡¯m not talking about other people, but I guess I shouldn¡¯t have made such a strange analogy ¡­¡­ I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt so great as to be able to decide if someone lives or dies. If I were to get involved, it would be for retribution or emotional reasons. It¡¯s not about superiority or value. My life and death are not material, they are conceptual.¡± Milva looked at me as if she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Aren¡¯t you saying something very difficult?¡± ¡°I¡¯m inexperienced at this ¡­¡­ I wish I could tell you more clearly.¡± Milva laughed. ¡°The world¡¯s standards are out of whack if a sixteen-year-old can think that much and still be experienced.¡± Well, actually, I¡¯m almost sixty. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a question. My parents were murdered by the church to cover up the evidence. When you know that, can you praise the apostles according to the common sense of the church and the world?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Not if you know about it.¡± I try to be as careful as possible not to sound too harsh. ¡°Can you live with that? Isn¡¯t that an unwanted way of life? Are you happy to live?¡± Milva looked pained, as if she had just remembered something unpleasant. ¡°It¡¯s hard and all you can do is run away ¡­¡­ You can¡¯t force other people to do that.¡± Milva¡¯s tone became stronger, as if she thought she was being accused. ¡°You can¡¯t ask someone who has a family to put them in danger to fight. That makes me think I¡¯m not alive. You¡¯d have to be very strong or very desperate to do that.¡± Oh shit¡­ if I were in Milva¡¯s shoes, I wouldn¡¯t be alive. I made you think that I despise you or pity you or ¡­¡­ think that way. I made a huge mistake with the metaphor. I was trying to make it clearer, but I hurt her feelings. I thought you would understand how I think with this analogy. It may have been understandable, but it made me feel uncomfortable. My bad habit of disregarding other people¡¯s feelings hasn¡¯t changed even in death. The only thing I can do is to apologize honestly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ Again, I¡¯m not trying to apply this idea to others at all. Everyone has their own circumstances. Even if I knew them, I have no intention of imposing my own selfish judgment on them. I have no intention of involving others and threatening their lives. I have many theories, but in the end, I¡¯m just a child who can¡¯t stand being in an unpleasant situation. I just can¡¯t bring myself to live with a smile on my face because they make me do unpleasant things. Think of it as a child screaming that he can¡¯t stand it and would rather die. I¡¯m a self-centered egotist.¡± Like it or not, I¡¯ll deliver a truckload of logic later. That¡¯s who I am anyway. Milva said in astonishment. ¡°You don¡¯t seem ¡­¡­ like that at all, though.¡± ¡°As a self-centered egotist who hates the world, I do ¡­¡­¡± Milva looked at me earnestly, as if she was assessing my inner thoughts. ¡°I want to create a world where people can live without relying on drugs called apostles. I don¡¯t want to involve others who are compromised or convinced. I don¡¯t like the world, so I want to pry some of it open and create a world I like. It¡¯s okay to take a little bit of the world. It would be nice to have a place where people who have no place in the world can laugh and live.¡± After a long silence, Milva wore a complicated expression of gasping ¡­¡­ surprise ¡­¡­ admiration. ¡°You want to create a world where people like me don¡¯t have to hide?¡± ¡°I believe it¡¯s okay for people to want to believe. I don¡¯t have the right to exclude them. I¡¯m only allowed to believe ¡­¡­ I just don¡¯t like that. I, for one, want to live true to myself above all else. So others deserve to be like that. I believe that. Any failure or resentment from others is caused by me. I don¡¯t want to ¡­¡­ blame others.¡± Milva breathed deeply. ¡°In the end, what you are trying to do is for the good of everyone. You¡¯re being too hard on yourself, aren¡¯t you? What kind of a self-centered egoist is that?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a tremendous self-centered egoist. I just want to be a first-class self-centered egoist.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± I¡¯m sure I¡¯d look self-mocking. ¡°Third-rate people can¡¯t do what they want and make everyone else unhappy. Second-rate people can do what they want, but make others unhappy. First-rate people can do what they want and make others happy.¡± I chuckled to myself. "" I thought I was dead, but there was still this part of me left. But¡­I have to finish what I started. ¡°I don¡¯t like this kind of world, where all we do is parasitize and admire the apostles. It¡¯s just my ego that wants to push it through. I just thought that if there are people who can find a place for that ego, I¡¯ll protect them.¡± Milva was rapt ¡­¡­ but soon smiled gently. ¡°So, Mr. Self-centered Egotist. What can I do to help your cause? I don¡¯t want to keep getting help from you.¡± CH 39 Chapter 39 - If It''s for Someone Else At last, we¡¯re at the base of the sixth and final apostle. Teacher, you¡¯ve omitted everything from the start. ¡°The town of Noe Tsukasa Leos, the last apostle ¡­¡­ the following is omitted.¡± I¡¯m more interested in something else. ¡°Teacher. Is the special test you mentioned when we were leaving ¡­¡­ already finished?¡± I don¡¯t know what kind of apostle certification test it is because I¡¯m not using my powers. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine. The criteria for diagnosing an apostle is power. The teacher smiled meaningfully. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll tell you when we get out of this town.¡± The mourning woman Silvana, looked curious. ¡°Hmm? What are you hiding?¡± The teacher made a dumbfounded face. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we leave town.¡± Milva looked a little sad. ¡°Then we¡¯ll get a place to stay, make the pilgrimage tomorrow and be done with it ¡­¡­¡± The mourning woman Silvana, raised her fist to the sky. ¡°Then let¡¯s make a lot of noise tonight!¡± You¡¯re always making noise, aren¡¯t you? ¡°I understand. But don¡¯t drink too much.¡± Am I their guardian or something to say something like this? As soon as I finished, Milva grabbed me by the arm and pulled me towards the inn. ¡°Then, Al, when we get to the inn, let¡¯s take a look around the town together.¡± After that ¡­¡­ we became more than friends but less than lovers, and her nickname became ¡°Mil¡±. If we¡¯re acting close out in the open, it¡¯s hard for the mourning woman Silvana to get into our head. ¡°I guess so. Then let¡¯s go.¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, glared at us with fierce eyes. ¡°There¡¯s just something about it that ¡­¡­ makes me uncomfortable. When I see people flirting.¡± The teacher got a similar look in her eyes. ¡°Getting a lover on a pilgrimage ¡­¡­ He¡¯s not even an apostle, but they¡¯re too quick.¡± You guys should get married. Somewhere far away from me. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô We were sitting down for dinner after a night date of sightseeing in the city. When the two hydras were about to run amok at the party of madness, Mil gave them a smile. They went quiet for a moment. Long live the ranking order. I thanked her as I walked into my shared room, which was now completely fixed. ¡°Really ¡­¡­ thanks for the help. If those two runs amok, it¡¯s going to get tiresome.¡± When we got to know each other well, she told me not to act out my tone. She knows that I usually act polite, so she pushes me to talk normally when we are alone. Mil looked annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get caught up in that tangled web of drinking.¡± We laughed at each other, and then Mil put her index finger to her mouth, which was the signal to cast the audio blocking spell. ¡°Is Al really going to develop the Ravenna region once the pilgrimage is over?¡± The Ravenna region development plan that I was considering from the start. The current territory was transferred here by Papan due to the previous lord¡¯s downfall. The Ravenna region is like a peninsula separated by mountains. There is a vast forest there, untouched by the state or aristocrats. It¡¯s a kind of enclave, and although it¡¯s named Ravenna Region ¡­¡­ it¡¯s not under the influence of the government. It is possible to travel through the mountains, so it has become a refuge for refugees. It was allocated by merging the territories of two aristocratic houses that were sold, so the maintenance of the Ravenna region has been postponed due to the difficulty in adjusting the interests of the administrative districts. Even if the security there is poor, it is safe because it is isolated by the mountains and the sea. It¡¯s an enclave that takes a lot of time to manage. Even if you try to develop it from scratch, it¡¯s not worth it because of the insecure people who have fled there. A small aristocratic family tried to subjugate the area in the past, but failed and it has since become a dangerous area. Some people thought it would be easier to forcefully subjugate the area by force, but the risk and return were not worth it. When the territory was changed, the number of territories increased significantly, but since the development of these territories was assumed, the royal family demanded it. The royal family¡¯s goal is to distract the power of the Scala family through development. They want to weaken our military power by having our knights die in battle, and weaken our economic power through development. And if a rebellion breaks out, they will be rich. Even if they don¡¯t go so far as to take down the Scala family, they can kick down the small and medium nobles. The Ravenna region, which has become such a minefield, is Mil¡¯s destination. I told her I was going to be in charge of development there. Geopolitically, with the mountainous heartland behind, the bay and the choke point, there is a location for a potential metropolis. The dream is expanding. And we¡¯re going to try a different approach than the traditional conquest. ¡°That¡¯s the plan. I think we can manage that.¡± ¡°Indeed, it would be a relief to have Al as our lord.¡± No matter how well they are hidden, it is still a dangerous region. You can¡¯t protect your village if it¡¯s too far away. ¡°I¡¯ll make the town big enough that people won¡¯t be able to touch it, and then you can come to me.¡± Mil froze for a moment. Then her face turned mischievous. But her eyes were serious and her cheeks were a little red. Oh, I didn¡¯t mean it that way, but ¡­¡­ ¡°Is that a ¡­¡­ proposal by any chance?¡± I was about to say, ¡°No, no,¡± but my words stopped. I saw the look of anticipation on Mil¡¯s face, and I didn¡¯t want to dismiss it as a misunderstanding. It was one of the few times in this world that an ally would say something like this. If it were a normal relationship, it wouldn¡¯t be taken so seriously. Let¡¯s follow our intuition. The words came out so smoothly that I was surprised myself. ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± Mil¡¯s face turned bright red and she stiffened. And then she turned her head to the side. ¡°When you say something like that so casually ¡­¡­ it makes me think that maybe you¡¯re playing with me!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that at all ¡­¡­¡± In the first place, you are making an enemy of the world. If that¡¯s the case, then I can protect her close by. I don¡¯t dislike Mill, and I think that¡¯s okay. Mill turned to me and let out a deep breath. ¡°Hah ¡­¡­ I get it. I know I sound strange, but I have a ¡­¡­ pretty troublesome personality, you know. I¡¯m not going to allow that to be a joke now. Elves are spiteful, after all.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have said it in the first place if I had to retract it or cover it up.¡± Mil looked down in embarrassment, but then she seemed to realize something and looked up anxiously. ¡°But, is it okay for a human lord to have an elf wife?¡± Oh, so you¡¯re worried about that. I smiled at her as if to tell her not to worry. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m planning to build a town where all races are welcome.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The only condition for becoming a resident is to abide by the town¡¯s rules. Race is irrelevant. There will be no hierarchy based on race.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about something outrageous again ¡­¡­ We¡¯ve never had a country like that before. A mix of different races, it¡¯s like an apostle¡¯s harem.¡± It¡¯s not a country, though, it¡¯s meant to be semi-autonomous. ¡°The fact that the Lords are taking the initiative should be convincing.¡± Puzzled, Mil shook her head strongly. ¡°Oh, God ¡­¡­ One of these days my jaw is going to come off, so you have to heal me properly.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t heal you, kid. Get used to it.¡± I suddenly remembered Kiara and compared the two of them in my mind. ¡°I wonder if Mil would get along with my sister. You have the same roots, so I think you¡¯d hit it off.¡± Mil thought for a moment when he heard the word ¡°sister,¡± but then she immediately smiled. ¡°Your sister, huh ¡­¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to meeting her.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any friends that she get along with. I¡¯ve been worried about that.¡± ¡°She has a lot going on.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll have to ask her yourself.¡± Mil paused for a moment to think. ¡°So, how long do I have to wait for you to come and get me? I don¡¯t want to meet you again ¡­¡­ and find out you¡¯ve become a grandfather.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡± Mil inhaled in a little breath and pointed at me. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three years. After three years, I¡¯ll come and see you. Okay? You can¡¯t veto that! You¡¯re making a woman wait, after all.¡± Three years ¡­¡­ that¡¯s a lot of time to build a foundation. But I¡¯m weak to it when you say I have to make a woman wait. "" ¡°I can¡¯t hold a candle to Mil. It¡¯s not going to be a big city in three years.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯d rather be a wife after it¡¯s completely built.¡± It¡¯s true that if a wife is struggling from the start, her presence will be different. If she becomes a wife after it is stable, she will be hated and shunned. Some people might take advantage of the weakness of their position. When I was thinking about it for a while, Mil blushed a little and looked down. ¡°I¡¯d be happier if I were with you when you¡¯re struggling to make it. I want to work hard with you.¡± Oh no, even though she caught me off guard, it made my heart skip a beat. ¡°I¡¯ll call you when we have a town at least.¡± Mil laughed lightly. But her face was bright red. ¡°It¡¯s settled. Thank you for your purchase of this elf bride.¡± Before I knew it, I had even promised to marry her, but that was okay, too. If it¡¯s for someone else ¡­¡­ I can go on without giving up. CH 40 Chapter 40 - Codependent System The pilgrimage ended without any special mention. The result was nay, when I heard about the special certification method ¡­¡­ I broke out in a terrible cold sweat. My face was fine, but the part hidden by my clothes was covered in sweat, a skillful trick for me. It would be funny to see what kind of certification method they use. I was bowled over by the meticulousness behind it. I was a man, so this is how I heard it. During the pilgrimage, you helped a woman who was being tangled up with a man with overwhelming force, and you became friends. The man who is entangled is an idiot with no common sense. You become intimate with several women along the way. Powerful monsters that normally wouldn¡¯t show up, show up, and you fight them off with overwhelming force. If it fits the clich¨¦, then yes, it¡¯s certified. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d go that far. In my case, I¡¯m getting close to Mil. But the mourning woman Silvana, made a fuss, and she thought that we were conscious of each other too much. It¡¯s not too far from the truth. It gave me a better opinion of the teacher for a moment. He was doing his job well. No force was used at all. He said that I had only been intimate with one woman, so it did not apply. How many people of the opposite sex does the apostle have in his life? I wonder ¡­¡­ what does this indicate? I think it is very important. I can hear the mourning woman Silvana¡¯s astonished voice in the distance. ¡°He has frozen up ¡­¡­ again. He really likes to think, doesn¡¯t he? I think they can even make a statue of him.¡± Like the noise flowing around me, the voice faded from my consciousness. It is true that there was an unbelievable idiot in the encounter with Mil. It¡¯s true that she¡¯s usually an idiot, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s ¡­¡­ that bad. The desires of those who receive the power are realized, affecting them mentally rather than physically. And those that are susceptible to the influence are attracted to it. Furthermore, reason is temporarily greatly diminished and becomes instinctive. If you think about it, it explains a lot. In Mil¡¯s case, it was a specific request, but ¡­¡­ can it can be attracted with such precision. I¡¯ll leave that for now. The other condition. A powerful monster that shouldn¡¯t show up, shows up, and you repel it, huh. Is it a desire to use some power to show off your strength? If he is unaware or doesn¡¯t want to stand out, the monster will appear in front of him like a receptionist. Or maybe ¡­¡­ I¡¯m strong, but I don¡¯t want to use my powers. I never want to stand out. It¡¯s so hard. Is it like ¡­¡­ Misawa from hell? The fact that you don¡¯t want to stand out is just a pretext, but the truth is that you¡¯re itching to stand out. Will there be a monster or an underdog as an excuse or motive to use their power? In my case, the monsters didn¡¯t come out because I didn¡¯t really want to use it. If I want to fight, I can attract monsters outside of their habitat range. It¡¯s like a special kind of scattering bait. Because they are strong, they can move outside their territory. So Mil¡¯s case is that I¡¯m actually an elf lover. So she fits the criteria of the people I wanted. After all, if he wants to use his power in the deep mind, will the world adapt and treat him in a way that makes it easy for him to do so? If he wants to build a harem in his deep mind, will women be attracted to him? He is ostensibly pretending to be troubled by why so many women are attracted to him. When your instincts are thriving¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s possible to attract women with something like pheromones. Wait a minute ¡­¡­ When in trouble, go back to the main source. In other words, God and the like have a certain type of soul that they pull in. There is a so-called need for approval, but it is not satisfied before reincarnation. But I don¡¯t want to push my desires to the point of committing a crime. I! I! I¡¯m not the type of person who would actively do anything about it ¡­¡­ but I will do it if I¡¯m asked. He says he likes to be alone, but he actually wants to be pampered by everyone. And he yearns for a harem, which he never had before his reincarnation. I can¡¯t categorize them simply, but I guess they tend to be like that? I wonder if I¡¯m that kind of person ¡­¡­ I feel a little self-conscious, but I¡¯m me and I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ve been in the same kind of fish tank, apparently. So, God can intervene in spiritual things. However, since white cannot be changed to black, it is easy to interfere if you choose one that has the former background. It might be able to turn white into light gray. If I could turn white into black, I¡¯d have used my powers long ago. So far, so good ¡­¡­ I¡¯m starting to see the good side of this. And the ones who are chosen usually use their power for good. The need for approval is satisfied, and everyone around them is happy. And they¡¯re happy with the unconditional admiration and love they get. Even when they kill people out of personal anger, they are somehow praised and happy. Bring in over-technology, and the people around you will be blessed. If you can get along with the apostles, you will be favored in many ways. If you commit a crime, you will be acquitted. If you don¡¯t like someone, the apostle will take care of them or somehow they will destroy themselves. When such a beneficent apostle dies, a disaster will occur. It drops from positive to negative at once. Then, the dependence of the people around them will increase. Then the church, which originally had spiritual authority, gets on top of it. And all the world will be incorporated into this cycle. However, even if they have power, apostles are imperfect people. Naturally, they will make mistakes. But when they are integrated into this cycle, failure itself becomes an inconvenience. Even before his reincarnation, the dictator¡¯s inconvenient past had been altered. The troubling thing is that the called soul is not the type to face up to its own failures. If forced to do so, they pretend to be remorseful, thinking they are right. But inwardly, they either pretend it never happened, or they end up justifying themselves. They will let it go if the people around them are considerate enough to cover up their mistakes. The bigger the failure, the better. It seems like the opposite, but it is. If you can handle it in your own mind, you can face it as much as you want. In fact, you want to face it. It¡¯s because they don¡¯t want to admit to themselves that they are the ones who turn a blind eye to their failures. It¡¯s a blunt thing to say, though. The type of person who likes to think that they are admirable for accepting failure. A person who blames others for every little mistake. That¡¯s why psychopaths are not called psychopaths. But if the failures seem to exceed their processing capacity ¡­¡­ they¡¯ll pretend that they don¡¯t know. The fifth apostle¡¯s screw-up would be a good example. The fifth apostle was probably the most psychopathic psychopath I¡¯ve ever seen. Maybe the fifth apostle really did believe she was right, though. The church would take care of the inconvenient mistakes they didn¡¯t want to see. So that you can excuse yourself that they did it on their own, even though you didn¡¯t want to. Ostensibly, the apostle will be unhappy, but inwardly he will be relieved. The result is a system where the apostle and the church are co-dependent. In a sense, once you have a hold of a reincarnated person who is easy to manipulate, you can make the whole world conform to your intentions. Wait! Wait! Wait! That dirty aquarium he showed me at the beginning! I recognize that any soul that doesn¡¯t believe in me or doesn¡¯t conform to my intentions ¡­¡­ is unclean. I was truly horrified when he said that. But God¡¯s ethics are completely different from those of humans. This explains why they let us use our powers to purify them. I was chosen to be an outrageous cleaning tool. If that¡¯s the case, then it must have been a terrible mistake to pick me. Or maybe he thought I¡¯d use it anyway. It makes me even angrier. I¡¯m definitely not going to use it. "" ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Oops, my thoughts went elsewhere. When I was thinking that I should reconsider Mil¡¯s case ¡­¡­ I was surprised to see the face of the mourning woman, Silvana, right in front of me. ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s the matter?¡± The pouty face of the mourning woman, Silvana. ¡°What¡¯s the matter my ass. It¡¯s just that no matter how many times I call out that we¡¯re at the inn town, Al remains frozen.¡± It was frustrating, but I couldn¡¯t argue. ¡°We decided to dismiss at the first place we met, but you¡¯ve been silent. Seriously ¡­¡­ It¡¯s really troubling. We don¡¯t have much time left together, you know.¡± I was getting tired of it too. CH 41 Chapter 41 - Woman''s Intuition is an Observant Eye At dinner, the four of us reminisced about the pilgrimage and got excited. Mil wanted to hear about the time before she joined us. The mourning woman, Silvana who wanted to erase the history of her lasciviousness, makes a fuss. The teacher makes a vain attempt to pretend that the perverted remark never happened. Mil looked at me with a caring look. ¡°Uh, Al, are you by any chance the guardian of the two?¡± As expected of my future bride. ¡°In reality, yes.¡± The two of them looked unhappy. ¡± ¡°Objection.¡± ¡° They hummed. Mil looks at them with a scowl. ¡°Mr. Fabio, you¡¯re Al¡¯s guardian, and Vana is older than him, right?¡± They nodded. ¡°Looking back at your actions, do your words and actions fall under those categories?¡± The two stiffened in pursuit. ¡°W-Well ¡­¡­ I guess we did get off on the wrong foot once in a while¡­¡± ¡°Well, yes. Sometimes, really, very occasionally.¡± Mil looks at them with a frown. ¡°So you¡¯re aware of it¡± The teacher was flustered. ¡°No ¡­¡­ wait. It just feels like the kiddo is older than me, and not sixteen years old ¡­¡­.¡± So what about calling me kiddo? The mourning woman Silvana, agreed with the teacher. "" ¡°Yes, yes, he smells like an old man. That¡¯s why I ¡­¡­.¡± I¡¯m sixteen. The sum is ¡­¡­ no comment. Mil sighs. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to ¡­¡­ deny that, but ¡­¡­. You¡¯re depending on Al a little too much.¡± It¡¯s a delicate situation , but ¡­¡­ That¡¯s good! Keep going! The teacher flinched. ¡°Kuh! It¡¯s not a good idea to make enemies with Milva ¡­¡­¡± The mourning woman, Silvana, looks indignant. ¡°How can two lovers collude to attack, we¡¯re both single, you know. Don¡¯t you have any compassion?¡± What unsightly adults ¡­¡­ And I¡¯m not attacking you. And don¡¯t use the word alone as a shield. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°No, kiddo, don¡¯t laugh at me, help me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, heartless!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s my Mil. I expect you to do more.¡± I smile back. Mil looks at me and blushes. She¡¯s the passionate type, but she¡¯s also the type that blushes when she gets embarrassed later. That¡¯s what makes her cute. ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to say that!¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re just trying to get on us singles¡­¡­ you devil!¡±¡± This is a good opportunity, it might be fine to fight back a little. I hugged Mil¡¯s shoulders in silence and attacked them with a smile. "" ¡°Is that so? If you¡¯re jealous, why don¡¯t you find a partner? I think the teacher and Ms. Silvana are quite a good match.¡± Mil panicked and turned her head, but she didn¡¯t shake me off. ¡°W-Wait a minute, Al ¡­¡­ Doing that in front of so many people is a bit ¡­¡­¡± She¡¯s still so cute. The two adults stared at each other and hummed again. ¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡° ¡°No, wait a minute! Mourning Plains Woman! You don¡¯t know that!¡± ¡°Huh, Perverted Eternal Virgin God! You don¡¯t call people by their made-up words! There¡¯s no such thing!¡± They start arguing together. ¡°I think you two are getting along just fine in a roundabout way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I think so too.¡± ¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± ¡° I guess this fooling around is almost over. I thought it was annoying, but I guess I also thought this was fun. He left the two of them alone, drinking and arguing in good company. I decided to return to the room with Mil. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After a pause, Mill looked at me with a frown. ¡°Al seems like someone who¡¯s used with a woman ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Really? I can¡¯t treat everyone that way, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but that¡¯s why it¡¯s so annoying.¡± Mil shuts up without seeing my cue and casts an audio blocking spell. Is this becoming a pattern? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡¡You wanted me to do this.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Mil smiled at me. ¡°After all, I¡¯m watching you very closely, Al.¡± ¡°Am I ¡­¡­ pretty obvious and easy to read?¡± Mil winked wickedly. ¡°You know ¡­¡­ women really do look at their significant other. So I can tell. I know what you¡¯re thinking. It¡¯s called a woman¡¯s intuition.¡± I raised my hands in a pose of surrender. ¡°Thus, the husbands of the world will be the butt of their wives.¡± ¡°Even if they don¡¯t love them, they¡¯re still watching them. Just for a different purpose.¡± ¡°Oh, scary, scary. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even think I¡¯m scary, though. You don¡¯t have to be afraid of me, you just have to love me. So what were you pondering in the carriage?¡± So I left out the story of my reincarnation and told him about God¡¯s selection of the apostles ¡­¡­ and the codependent system of the Church. ¡°It¡¯s no use, I¡¯ll just say, that it¡¯s because it¡¯s Al now. It¡¯s the only way to keep from being surprised. So you¡¯re talking about how the apostles call them ¡­¡­ when they build their harem, right?¡± We¡¯re talking about something pretty risqu¨¦. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have the courage to explain that I¡¯m an apostle now. Mil smiled gently. ¡°You know, I believe in you, Al. I¡¯m not going to change my mind. I know you¡¯re thinking about something. So please let me know when you¡¯ve sorted out your feelings.¡± Oh, ¡­¡­ indeed, she really knows me well. This girl is unbeatable. I¡¯m not sure if I caught her ¡­¡­ or if she caught me, but ¡­¡­ I guess I I don¡¯t care anymore. I couldn¡¯t help but scratch my head and continue talking. ¡°This is the only part I don¡¯t understand. How can they conveniently call them. How can they have an underdog conveniently.¡± ¡°Is it possible that that God has done a lot of things?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t think he has the power to interfere in the first place.¡± Mil nodded her head, not quite getting it. ¡°He can¡¯t interfere?¡± ¡°If it were possible, God would have done it a long time ago, and he wouldn¡¯t use apostles who are more likely to be objects of worship than he is.¡± ¡°He can choose and create apostles, but that¡¯s all he can do?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Mil put a finger to her mouth and made a thinking gesture. When you¡¯re in love, such gestures seem cute. It¡¯s a strange thing. ¡°Do you think that the apostles are attracting people to be their lovers?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my guess.¡± Mil looked at me thoughtfully for a moment. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m wrong. The magic that Al is talking about, is it similar to that?¡± ¡°Magic?¡± ¡°You see. The kind where you generate internal magic power and attract natural magic power. You unconsciously attract the people you want like that, or you go to the people you want.¡± That¡¯s interesting. ¡°Please continue.¡± ¡°They attract each other mentally, and then they meet their lovers. And the ¡­¡­ underdog? They just happen to be in the right place at the right time, I think?¡± ¡°Accidentally?¡± ¡°Loving someone is an emotion, right? That emotion comes out strongly. When that happens, your rational mind is blown away. I¡¯ve experienced it myself, after all. You will be pulled by the power of their heart. That¡¯s why, even if you¡¯re not a good person to begin with, your emotions will run wild and you¡¯ll act on instinct.¡± I kept a straight face. Mill blushed a little and looked embarrassed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I guess I¡¯m off the mark ¡­¡­¡± I stood up quickly, took Mil¡¯s hand and started dancing, skipping. It was instinct. I wondered how it was possible to dance on instinct, but I was happy. ¡°That¡¯s it! That¡¯s it! Thank you, thank you. It¡¯s finally connected!¡± Mil chuckled at my dancing. ¡°You¡¯re like a 16-year-old only when you¡¯re like this.¡± CH 42 Chapter 42 - What we left behind when we were born Finally, we arrived at the inn town. I looked at everyone with a touch of sadness. The teacher was sad. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of pilgrimages, but I¡¯ve never seen one this sad.¡± Silvana, the mourning woman, put on a cheerful face in an attempt to break the gloomy atmosphere. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not a fan of being unimpressed at pilgrimage sites.¡± Mil also smiled. ¡°Yes, but it was a lot of fun.¡± We hugged each other and said goodbye. Oops, me and the teacher don¡¯t do that. Silvana, the mourning woman, pointed at me. ¡°If I have any problems in my adventure, I¡¯ll go to Al. Don¡¯t forget about me.¡± But don¡¯t go crying into a bottle of wine. ¡°I might have nightmares, so I¡¯ll remember you.¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s rude! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve been infected by the rudeness of a virgin?¡± ¡°Maybe ¡­¡­¡± The teacher complains. ¡°Why, it¡¯s my fault!?¡± Mil is about to cry. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡°Right ¡­¡­¡± The two single banters. ¡± ¡°Aww, that¡¯s nice¡­¡± ¡° Mil blushed, but did the unexpected. She suddenly kissed me. Mouth to Mouth. Not on the cheek. I feel like I¡¯m losing at this point. I hugged her gently. From somewhere, I could hear the desperate cries of the Singles. ¡± ¡°Gwaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡° ¡°I¡¯ll come to get you as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll be waiting.¡± From somewhere I could hear the screams of the Singles again. ¡± ¡°Have you no mercy!¡± ¡° The screams of the Singles were soothing. With our hair pulled back, the teacher and I made our way home. The teacher turned a little sad. ¡°I guess this is goodbye with you, kiddo.¡± ¡°What are you talking about ¡­¡­ I¡¯m going to abuse you. You¡¯ll get plenty of it from now on.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see. I¡¯ve already done the groundwork.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ¡­¡­ have any compassion?¡± ¡°I think I left it behind when I was born.¡± I arrived at the house with this exchange. Kiara was waiting for me. When she saw me, she ran up to me and hugged me. ¡°Welcome back, brother.¡± She hugged me with such strength that I couldn¡¯t figure out where in her petite body she had such power. And then the force increased. It hurts a little. ¡°Kiara, it hurts a little.¡± Kiara did not reply, but said in a low, clear voice with even more force ¡°Brother ¡­¡­ where is this other woman¡¯s scent coming from?¡± CH 43 Chapter 43 - The Battle between Brother and Sister In my previous life, I liked to play town-building strategy games. It¡¯s like a city-building game where you have to fight traffic jams. It¡¯s a little different, but I liked playing a dictator in the Caribbean. Gandhi threatens you while holding a nuclear switch. I also liked games that advanced civilization from ancient times. In reality, it¡¯s not a world where you can click a mouse and draw a card. If I use apostle power, such a thing is possible, though. But that¡¯s because I don¡¯t use it. It has to be done with realistic human power. Why am I thinking about this? I¡¯m escaping from reality. I managed to escape Kiara¡¯s mackerel folding and informed my family of my return. My two older brothers also came home under the pretense of welcoming me in order to escape the political hell. After the usual greetings and reports on the way, we had dinner. I don¡¯t know why the head steward, Mario, was so skinny ¡­¡­ I was not recognized as an apostle, but they seemed to have expected it. It finished so easily that it was a bit of a letdown. It was decided to talk about the future on the next day ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I returned to my room, Kiara came in. What? I thought I had locked the door. Why do you have a key? I was lying on the bed, and she ran quickly and jumped on me. ¡°Uh, Kiara? A young lady can¡¯t do that before she gets married. I should have locked the door in the first place.¡± Kiara smiled, but her eyes were fixed. ¡°Brother. Is there anything you need to explain to me? There¡¯s a lot of ¡­¡­ stuff, an endless amount of it. And I¡¯ve had plenty of time to prepare a duplicate key.¡± And so on ¡­¡­ ¡°I have nothing to be ashamed of.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Is this the Yandere route? No, my sister being a yandere is bad ¡­¡­ ¡°I haven¡¯t told everyone yet, but I¡¯ve got a girlfriend that I will marry in the future now.¡± ¡°Other than that, how many local wives have you had?¡± Wait a minute! It¡¯s a harsh allegation that I¡¯m trying to get a woman at every turn. ¡°I haven¡¯t made any ¡­¡­¡± She stared at me for about three minutes. ¡°I understand. ¡­¡­ My brother seems to be unaware of this. In fact, you¡¯re an incomparably wonderful gentleman. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you had a few dozen lovers ¡­¡­ I believe you. Yes, I believe ¡­¡­. I believe you.¡± That would be an overestimate. But you get the idea. It scared me a little, though. ¡°When are you going to introduce me to this person?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call you when my plans are a little more settled. I¡¯m sure Kiara will get along with her very well.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll look forward to meeting my future sister-in-law then.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re convinced, then ¡­¡­. Would you mind getting off?¡± Kiara turned her head to the side. ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°Oh, come on.¡± Kiara¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°Do you know how worried I¡¯ve been while waiting for you for half a year! You bought a bunch of women¡¯s clothes! You didn¡¯t even write me a single letter! And now you have a girlfriend!¡± No, isn¡¯t something going out of control? ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ You¡¯d definitely worry if I sent a letter. I could see that coming.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Can you get down for now?¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°Erm¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it when we¡¯re done talking.¡± That¡¯s a flag that you¡¯re not getting off, aren¡¯t you? But you know what, Kiara? I have a plan. It¡¯s a battle between brother and sister, and I can¡¯t afford to lose here. ¡°If you don¡¯t get off, I won¡¯t be able to pat you on the head.¡± Kiara stiffens. ¡°Tha ¡­¡­ That¡¯s not fair ¡­¡­¡± Don¡¯t underestimate your brother. After a minute of agonizing, she reluctantly got off my body. I lifted her up and, as promised, hugged her and stroked her head. She was in a bad mood, so I hugged her a little tighter. My intentions were understood, so Kiara¡¯s face became grumpy. ¡°So, ¡­¡­. What reason will make me worry of you?¡± I told her briefly about Silvana, the mourning woman, and the teacher¡¯s antics along the way. ¡°Well ¡­¡­. I¡¯ll have to have a little talk with the teacher later. I should have been the one to go, not him.¡± Oh, he¡¯s going to get tied up. ¡°So what are you going to do after this?¡± "" ¡°I have a plan.¡± ¡°Tell me first ¡­¡­ just me.¡± This begging look. What is this ¡­¡­? Is the level rising? ¡°I have been urged by the royal family to develop the Ravenna region. I¡¯m going to be in charge of development there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you and help.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. I¡¯ll call you when everything¡¯s settled.¡± Kiara grabbed my clothes tightly. ¡°No! I¡¯m coming with you!¡± ¡°There are things I need you to do at home, Kiara. I can¡¯t ask anyone else to do it.¡± Kiara¡¯s face turned puffy, but then returned to normal as if she had given up. Then she stared at me. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask something ¡­¡­. Brother?¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°Do you talk to your fianc¨¦ that way too?¡± Buh ¡­¡­ It was an unexpected attack. Kiara was smiling, but her eyes were not smiling. She moved her face closer to mine and opened her mouth. ¡°You are still speaking differently, aren¡¯t you? I know. Brother doesn¡¯t talk to special people in an acted way, after all.¡± This flow is bad. ¡°Am I not that special?¡± She looks up at me with teary eyes. That destructive power is cheating ¡­¡­ ¡°Of course you¡¯re special.¡± ¡°Then talk to me the same way!¡± Oh no, I can¡¯t escape. ¡°All right, all right. Is this okay?¡± Kiara¡¯s face became clear, as if she deserved it. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine. When we are alone, please do talk to me like that. It¡¯s natural that my brother has someone special, but it would be unbearable if I were not included in that group.¡± Scary! Where and when ¡­¡­ How did I get into this Yandere route? CH 44 Chapter 44 - Economics is a Must for Politicians The day after I came home, we had a family meeting to discuss my career path. The first thing they asked me was what I wanted to do, and I answered honestly. Papan seemed surprised. ¡°You want to develop the Ravenna region?¡± ¡°Yes. The royal family is urging you to start the development as soon as possible, right?¡± Brother Baldassarre looked surprised. ¡°That¡¯s true, but ¡­¡­ You have no experience in governing. So it¡¯ll be difficult to start a development project from scratch. The officials won¡¯t listen to you, they¡¯ll do whatever they want and you¡¯ll fail. I¡¯m putting you in charge of me. So I¡¯ll go.¡± The trouble with the Scala family¡¯s rule stemmed from the fact that they had been resettled here ten years ago. Originally, the area was ruled by two aristocratic families. The two aristocratic families played a big game together. If you add up the territories of both of them, you get a huge increase over the original territories. Of course, the royal family had an ulterior motive for the increase, even though they had no great achievements. The image of the city is that of two towns merged into a city. The bad thing is that different towns have different governance practices. It¡¯s a feudal society, so it¡¯s highly unique. In terms of intervals before reincarnation, it¡¯s like combining two countries into one. It is more difficult than a merger of banks or companies. The administrative systems are completely different. If you centralize the governing system immediately after reincarnation, it will become dysfunctional. If you pull it to one side, one side will get frustrated. If you make it completely new, both sides will be confused. That¡¯s exactly what the royal family wants, as the Scala family is getting in the way. They would use the chaos in their territory as an excuse to reduce the number of seals. "" In order to avoid confusion for the time being, they decided to rule according to their own customs. The two brothers were in charge of their respective old territories. With Papan making the overall decisions. They take turns to make sure that neither of them represents the other¡¯s interests. Still, the problem persisted. The original lords didn¡¯t get along well, and there was constant fighting on the borders of their territories. One of the negative effects of this is ¡­¡­. The roads that connect the towns between the borders are not drawn in straight lines. When it comes to bridges, they are desperate to have them built closer to them. The toll tax on bridges belongs to the town closest to the bridge, which causes even more trouble. As a result, they¡¯re busier with interest adjustment than political affairs. As in Japan, there are no clear administrative divisions. The problem is accelerated by the unclear division of districts based on towns and villages. ¡°No. I have a plan to alleviate the hardships of my brothers. I would like you both to rule the current territory of Scala.¡± Papon nodded his head. He seemed to have understood my intentions ¡­¡­ ¡°Alfred. Have you come up with a solution to the boundary problems and other issues that are causing so many problems?¡± Papan has entrusted my two brothers with political duties in order to train his successors. My family is strict about that. If you are a foolish son, you will be thrown out of the house. ¡°The two of you should consult with each other and rule together¡±, was Papan¡¯s instruction. In the beginning, we had no choice but to divide and rule. Now that the situation has stabilized, there is no need to do so. Sensing this, the various officials are now scrambling to protect their vested interests by making the problem even bigger. The two brothers, who are exhausted from coordinating their interests, have their hands full dealing with the problem. That¡¯s exactly what the officials want. I glanced at Brother Amilcarre and coughed and cleared my throat. ¡°I think Brother Amilcarre should be the one to make the decision on the entire territory.¡± Brother Amilcarre was surprised. ¡°Alfred! Do you want to kill me!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got two separate districts, and there¡¯s a lot of waste. I¡¯m sure your father and the others are keenly aware of the need to unify them. I think now is the time to do it.¡± I can be released from hell ¡­¡­ I guess that¡¯s what he thought. Brother Baldassarre clapped his hands. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s it! That¡¯s wonderful!¡± I glanced at Brother Baldassarre. He immediately averted his gaze. But let me tell you something. ¡°So, it¡¯s Brother Baldassarre¡¯s turn. You should rip out all the rights to the bridges that belong to the city. I think it¡¯s better if you take care of them from the perspective of the entire territory. Inevitably, there will be a reorganization of the governance structure. We should aim for the efficient governance structure that was originally conceived.¡± Brother Amilcarre clapped back with the same line. Oh! That¡¯s it! That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Brother Baldassarre¡¯s face became full of despair. ¡°You ¡­¡­ Do you hate me so much?¡± The two of them continue their natural comedy. Papan is trying not to laugh. He quickly gave a small cough and cleared his throat, and then returned to his serious face. ¡°You can¡¯t simply peel off the rights. If they resist, it¡¯ll end up with a mess.¡± ¡°They resist because they think they will lose out. By reducing the taxes imposed on cities, we can compensate them with the same or higher income as before.¡± Papan¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°Hmm. Where would you make up for the loss of revenue?¡± Yes. This is all idealism. ¡°We¡¯ll collect the toll tax. Then we¡¯ll make sure the roads and bridges are the quickest to get there, to improve the efficiency of logistics.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough to make up for the loss of revenue.¡± I dared to put on a confident expression. If you look anxious here, they won¡¯t listen to you. ¡°In the short term, yes, it will.¡± Papan¡¯s face became thoughtful. ¡°In the long run, as logistics become more convenient, tax revenue from the city will naturally rise. In the long run, this is a positive thing. However, there¡¯s no point if our family¡¯s finances go bankrupt before it becomes a plus. How many years do you think it will take for our income to recover?¡± This is another possible question I anticipated. "" I had already made a rough estimate. ¡°Five years.¡± Papan suddenly leans forward. Half of it is interest. Half of it is suspicion, like, ¡°What is this guy talking about?¡± ¡°Only five years? What kind of magic is that?¡± I suppose it¡¯s so magical that it doesn¡¯t seem real. ¡°Then the key is the Ravenna region.¡± Papan furrowed his brow. ¡°If the revenue comes from Ravenna Region, we¡¯ll be in the red for 20 years. How can that be five years?¡± Normally, yes. If it¡¯s normal, that is. ¡°We should be able to get some traction in about three years. I think there¡¯s a lot of valuable resources in that area for trade.¡± ¡°What exactly do you expect to find there?¡± This is where it all starts. I have to bluff a little to get them to listen to me. ¡°Ever since I was a little kid, I¡¯ve been poring over maps and documents in father¡¯s study. The mountains and offshore islands of the Ravenna region were volcanoes according to old lore. And there is a high probability of crystal deposits near the former volcanic mountains. Even if there¡¯s no crystal, there¡¯s probably plenty of ore lying around. I can assure you of this.¡± In this world, crystals are useful as materials for rare ornaments and magic items. In other words, it is traded at a high price. Before reincarnation, it was similar to rare metals. It¡¯s very expensive and in high demand. ¡°A vein of crystal? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°Yes. There was a small one in the Apostle¡¯s records. He wasn¡¯t very interested in underground resources, though. So he knew about it.¡± The reason why he knew is a lie. It¡¯s just knowledge I had before my reincarnation. When I was a kid, I visited a volcano on a field trip, and I was strangely impressed by the explanation. I was curious to find out what I could get out of it. At that time, I thought it was a stupid idea to get rich from it. There are many crystal veins in volcanic areas. Volcanoes are a treasure trove of minerals. I¡¯m not going to mention this, though. So, if you mention the name of the apostles, they will believe you unprincipledly. And if I say that I heard it from teacher, no one will doubt me. Authority is a useful thing. Therefore, I decided to make good use of it. ¡°Once Ravenna was leveled and the mines were operating, the profits would be enormous. Even if we can¡¯t get crystal, we can get enough iron and copper. Our country doesn¡¯t have many of those kinds of resources.¡± Papan was using the Abacus in his head. Politicians are disqualified if they don¡¯t understand economics. Papan is known for his ability and can calculate his income and expenses. Brother Amilcarre shook his head in concern. ¡°I understand about your dream of the future. And that you have your own reasons for them. We can¡¯t afford to lose sight of our feet. We all know that optimizing the administration is beneficial. But, you see ¡­¡­ The idea of merging two separate administrative district is very controversial. At worst, it could lead to sabotage. I¡¯m so tired of the cunningness of the officials ¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s what I¡¯m assuming, of course. But for us, it¡¯s our family¡¯s treasured sword. In other words, they have personnel rights. It is a feudal society, so there is no pursuit from the media. Forcible measures are possible. Let¡¯s take full advantage of the advantages of this society. I smirked. ¡°So here¡¯s the thing. As the Ravenna region develops, we will announce a reorganization of the administrative structure. I wonder which officials will be sent to the inconvenient frontier.¡± I¡¯m not taking them with me. If I take such useless people with me, it won¡¯t do any good. Brother Baldassarre folded his arms and pondered. ¡°But ¡­¡­ It¡¯s true that the development of the Ravenna region will increase our expenditures. At a time like this, people will object, saying, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to reorganize an existing organization¡±.¡± Officials who protect their vested interests are like wild animals who defend their territory to the death. ¡°I think we should just ignore it as an established fact. It¡¯s no use talking to someone who can understand you but can¡¯t talk to you. In any organization, there are always people who want to reform. We can just rely on them. Those who are supportive of the reform will stay here and work on the reform. If they don¡¯t, we can threaten to transfer them to the Ravenna region. Even so, some of them will be dismissed, but we can just say that we are over capacity. We don¡¯t inform them of the entire transfer. The remaining officials won¡¯t know the whole picture.¡± The Scala family is a great aristocratic family. So naturally, we have a large number of officials. But there are a lot of parasites in the family that is only called officials. I had an evil smile on my face and my family was unsympathetic. Even Kiara¡¯s eyes darted. It¡¯s sad. I can¡¯t help it, so let¡¯s continue ¡­¡­ ¡°There are many people who create unnecessary jobs even today. I think there are quite a few officials who are very corrupt. This is a good opportunity to clean them up. Let¡¯s go for it. It will be refreshing. I¡¯m sure that will cut down on a lot of spending.¡± Brother Amilcarre shook his head. ¡°I know that there are corrupt officials. But if we reduce the number of people, the organization will not be able to run.¡± Brother Amilcarre was exhausted. He doesn¡¯t seem to have time to reassign officials. You¡¯re being manipulated by the officials so that you¡¯ll have your hands full just dealing with the current work. ¡°The number of officials you actually need is about two-thirds of what you have now. I think there is extra officials and they were turning in useless documents. They¡¯re just pointlessly creating more work for my brothers.¡± Brother Baldassarre made a disgusted face. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°With the consolidation of the administrative districts, the number of officials needed will be considerably reduced. As I said earlier ¡­¡­ Aren¡¯t there some promising young people who aspire to reform?¡± Even in the Northern Song Dynasty, with its bloated bureaucracy, there were reform demons like Wang Anshi. There are young reformers with burning ideals everywhere. The question is how to pick them up and protect them. Brother Baldassarre shook his head with a sigh. ¡°Yeah. The opinion is up. Frankly, I don¡¯t have time to think about it.¡± The current situation is hell. Even though they know that ¡­¡­. They don¡¯t have the energy or courage to change the organization to get out. It¡¯s like being a corporate officer on a bicycle. Papan chuckled when he saw my brothers slouching. ¡°It¡¯s a radical view, but it¡¯s a good opportunity. We have a lot to think about. Let¡¯s take a break and then we can continue.¡± CH 45 After a short break, round two began. Papan stood up and handed it over, then opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll lay out Alfred¡¯s proposals. The first is to consolidate the administration and eliminate waste. The decision shall be made by Amilcarre. Second, the interests outside the town, which are the source of conflicts, should be managed centrally. Third, reorganize the governmental structure. Baldassarre will take care of the second and third. Fourth, the loss of revenue in the cities caused by the second step will be compensated by tax reductions. Fifth, the overall loss of revenue will be eliminated after five years. Sixth, the sale of the crystal from the mines in Ravenna will make up for the loss of revenue. If we also consider reducing the number of government officials, we will be able to reduce the amount of revenue lost considerably. The third and final step will be to implement reforms. This will be done mainly by the younger generation.¡± Papan looked at me as if to confirm. ¡°That¡¯s about it, right?¡± I nodded silently. As expected of a veteran. It was easily organized. It¡¯s usually the younger people who come up with reform ideas. At least, they are not stiffened by vested interests. Soft reforms can be done by middle-aged and above. But the governing structure is so rigid that it is impossible to do anything about it. They are working hard to keep it from collapsing ¡­¡­ It will come to a standstill sooner or later. This is why we can call for reforms half-heartedly and irresponsibly, because we have been watching it from the outside. I think Papan has been thinking about reorganizing the administrative structure for a long time, and has been waiting for my brothers to come up with the idea. Reform by the next generation will bring continuity. However, the government officials, who sensed this, were so tightly packed that they could not move. I was in admiration, but then I noticed Papan¡¯s slightly sharp eyes. These are the eyes of a teacher. When it comes to governance, he is very strict. We¡¯re the ones who are carrying on the tradition of the good old days of the great nobility. Do you plan to ask me something? ¡°I want to ask Alfred. The decision is given to Amilcarre. Baldassarre is responsible for all planning. What¡¯s the basis for that?¡± I knew you were going to ask that. You may think I¡¯m taking it easy, but the truth is that I can¡¯t afford to make any mistakes in my answers. If there is even the slightest hint of uneasiness on my part, I will not be able to start the reform. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t exert myself. The best performance comes from a natural state. This is my motto, having lived to be an old man before my reincarnation. After looking at my brothers, I turned to Papan. ¡°I made my decision based on my brothers abilities.¡± ¡°What abilities?¡± ¡°Brother Amilcarre is capable of making decisions about things. Although he is currently being pushed around by officials. Brother Baldassarre excels in the ability to plan things. Although he¡¯s being pushed around by the officials.¡± My brothers stood up and pointed at me. ¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to repeat that I¡¯m currently being pushed around by officials!¡± ¡° They were beautifully synchronized. Papan began to laugh out loud. After the laughter subsided, he returned to his serious expression. ¡°Very well. Alfred is watching you both very closely. I agree with you. What I want is for both of you to implement reforms and divide up the roles. I was hoping that ¡­¡­ thy would be able to reach this on their own. Because I left it to them from a young age, they have been manipulated by the Chimim¨­ry¨­ of the government officials. No matter how brilliant you are, lack of experience is a big handicap. Moreover, I had taught them to use the officials to their advantage. I guess I had to emphasize it.¡± (T/N: Chimim¨­ry¨­ means evil spirits/monsters of rivers and mountains.) Chimim¨­ry¨­¡¯s are common in every world. Papan took a breath and then turned to my brothers. ¡°It was my fault. I¡¯m sorry. You guys.¡± My brothers were surprised and their mouths were agape. It was the first time I had ever seen Papan apologize. He was a little embarrassed, but he coughed and cleared his throat. ¡°I approve of Alfred¡¯s policy. Are you okay with that?¡± My brothers looked as if they had made up their minds. ¡± ¡°I-I understand. May I check with Alfred for details?¡± ¡° They were synchronized again. I wonder if synchronizing is popular these days. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Do not hesitate to ask your brother to teach you if you think it is right. It¡¯s not something an ordinary person can do, after all. And It gives me great satisfaction to see that.¡± It¡¯s true that if you have a strange pride, you won¡¯t want to ask. In this case, since I started the fire, you¡¯re asking me to put it out ¡­¡­ Papan nodded his head in satisfaction, then his expression changed. ¡°So, let¡¯s talk about the Ravenna development. What do you plan to do with the staff?¡± There is a person I have decided on and a person I¡¯m interested in. I¡¯m not going to use officials because of my future plans. But force is not going to work. ¡°I¡¯ll have Sir. Fabio as my advisor. For the military, please allow me to meet with Sir Edmund Rustico, the head of the Knights in the territory. I would like to speak with him and entrust him with the selection of the knights. ¡°Very well. You can discuss the lineup of officials with Baldassarre. What about the rest of the people?¡± ¡°There is no need for officials. Valuable officials with flexible thinking should be put in charge of reform. That is a difficult task, after all. We don¡¯t need hard-headed officials here because they are a hindrance. I¡¯ll take care of the practical matters.¡± Papan¡¯s face became surprised. Everyone but me. I guess it¡¯s only natural. ¡°It¡¯s not something that can be managed with enthusiasm, and ¡­¡­ It¡¯s true that it¡¯s hard to get good officials out, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll work something out. I just have to raise them. I don¡¯t get involved in the actual work. I don¡¯t have the time to do that. Can you leave one thing to me?¡± Papan folded his arms and pondered. After a few moments, he let out a small sigh. ¡°It¡¯s you were talking about. I¡¯m sure you have a plan. But now that you¡¯ve said it, you must finish it. You can¡¯t just say it didn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, sir. I will definitely do it.¡± Papan gave a small shake of his head. ¡°If you say you can do it naturally, there¡¯s nothing I can say. If I were your age, I¡¯d put more effort into it, but ¡­¡­ That¡¯s fine. And what about the people who will be implanted?¡± It¡¯s none of your business. I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m a withered old man inside. ¡°As for the people ¡­¡­ I¡¯d like to recruit about 100 people who are on the verge of being able to pay the capitation tax. In addition, I would like to recruit about 70 poor families. Then the tax revenue won¡¯t be worse off if we take them.¡± My father looks at me as if he¡¯s trying to figure out my intentions. ¡°That¡¯s true, but ¡­¡­ Do you want to exclude the people who are living a normal life?¡± ¡°If we let the ones who are living well emigrate, they will complain instead. We have to start from scratch. If we can keep them tax-free for a while and provide them with food. The poorest households will be happy to join us. They won¡¯t have to worry about taxes they can¡¯t pay. They would have the jobs they need, and they would find a place in society. Then they will accept their new life. Because the most important thing here is motivation.¡± Papan nodded with a strangely impressed look on his face, but quickly shook his head. ¡°I still have questions. If I don¡¯t ask, I won¡¯t be able to sleep at night. How will we get by without the officials?¡± That¡¯s what you want to know? ¡°I¡¯m going to educate the people. We can do that by dividing up the work and simplifying it to some extent. If they can think and grow on their own, their lives will be easier. Then they will work hard. The founder of our family was also a third son, just like me. He had no chance of inheriting the family, so he started his own family with his people who were struggling for food. If his descendants were to tell him that they could not do it, the ancestor would cry.¡± If they¡¯re an aristocrat, I can tell them about their house ¡­¡­ Even before my memory returned, I was curious to know more, and I read all the diaries and other documents up to the time of the founder. I grinned inwardly, thinking that this was a good precedent for the development of the Ravenna region. I was a little taken aback by Mil, though. Papan gave a small chuckle. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to bring up the ancestor. I can¡¯t help but agree with you when you say something like that. Think for yourselves ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what the Founder would have done. It¡¯s outrageous, but if it¡¯s Alfred¡¯s responsibility to do it, go ahead and do it.¡± After all, the ancestors are very effective. This world is a medieval feudal society. The people should be free and should not be ignorant. This is the social norm. That¡¯s what the Church wants. But to hell with that. I don¡¯t have the luxury to afford it. I hid the hatred in my mouth and bowed my head. ¡°Yes. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°But ¡­¡­. Under that recruitment conditions, there may be a flood of applications. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m proud of.¡± That¡¯s because our society is still underdeveloped. Even so, there are far fewer people starving to death in the Scala household. This is thanks to the hard work of my brothers. So I don¡¯t blame them for that. ¡°When things settle down to a certain extent, we will recruit more people. We¡¯ll need more people later on, after all.¡± Papan nodded and put his hand on his chin. ¡°But that¡¯s a lot of land. Even if all the poor families were to move there, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± ¡°We have people, don¡¯t we?¡± Papan looked at me dubiously. ¡°Who ¡­¡­ are you talking about?¡± ¡°Them.¡± Papan panicked a little at my quick answer. ¡°No, wait, ¡­¡­. They¡¯re refugees. You know they¡¯re from outside the country. You can¡¯t expect them to accept being incorporated into our territory. In the first place, they fled because they had no place in this society. I don¡¯t see how they can be incorporated again.¡± In the first place, I don¡¯t think of them as a foreigner. They have the ability to think. In fact, it is because they are in a remote area that they have to think for themselves to survive. So, if they are convinced to join us, I believe they can help us. For that reason, I don¡¯t take officials with me. Their condescending emotions will always leak out. And the local people will be sensitive to such feelings. ¡°I guess it depends on the conditions. I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t like being refugees either.¡± Papan closed his eyes for a moment, but then nodded with some clarity. ¡°I think Alfred has a secret plan. No one has ever done this before, right?¡± I nodded strongly. ¡°I would appreciate it if you would leave this to me.¡± If Papan gives me his permission, his political enemies would have attacked him. You can be accused ¡­¡­ just for deviating from the formalities. It¡¯s really inconvenient to be a great aristocrat in a situation like this. Therefore, it¡¯s up to me. If it becomes known that I have done something strange, Papan will be pursued somewhat. But I¡¯ll be the one who gets the brunt of it because I¡¯m the one who asked for it. This is because there are many precedents for this. Discretion is often used as a means of protection. It¡¯s the only way to get a lizard¡¯s tail. I¡¯m the third son, so I¡¯ll be considered the lizard¡¯s tail. If I fail, the royal family will have an excuse. Only my reputation will be ruined and House Scala will be protected. If you think I¡¯m going to fail anyway ¡­¡­ that¡¯s great. This will buy me some time until the town grows. Once that¡¯s done, it¡¯ll recognize it as an established fact. At any rate, the royal family¡¯s condition is that we must manage it well as the territory of the Scala family. It¡¯s a trap to catch me off guard, but I¡¯m going to use it against them. Seeing my cool face, Papan smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it. And I¡¯ll contact Sir Edmund. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. You can talk to Mario about any other specific supplies you might need. If only the administrative structure could be as easy to slim down as Mario¡¯s.¡± Dieting is hard work. ¡­¡­. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, though. Only Kiara giggled. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After Papen left, I felt a deadly presence behind me. The next thing I knew, my left and right sides were pinned down by my brothers. ¡± ¡°Alfred! Work is really fun, you know!¡± ¡° I had to explain the specific policies of the reform to my brothers, who had their eyes fixed on me. CH 46 I was in the middle of a meeting with Sir Edmund Rustico, the leader of the Knights of the House of Scala. He is in his early forties, blond-haired and blue-eyed, and has the image of a fearless and virtuous knight. He must have been quite popular when he was young. And beside me, for some reason, was Kiara. ¡°Please let me study next to you to see how you do it so I can learn from you, Brother.¡± She insisted and sat next to me. Since returning home, she has been near me for various reasons. It¡¯s hard to argue with her when she says, ¡°You were away for six months, after all¡±. In the end, I am at her mercy. Anyway ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve met Edmund a few times, but this is the first time I¡¯ve had a real conversation with him. My impression of him is that he¡¯s sincere and dependable. But what about the other way around? At best, he¡¯s a harmless weirdo. Even before my memory came back, I was already regarded as the biggest weirdo in the house. The presence or absence of memory did not seem to affect my personality. Edmund looked dubious at my suggestion that he thought I was a freak. ¡°Young Master Alfredo. What did you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the selection of knights to accompany me on my new development. Please recommend a knight who is not in the mainstream, but who has the trust of his men.¡± Edmund will treat me as his lord¡¯s son even if I¡¯m a freak. If I say something outrageous, he only raises an eyebrow. ¡°I was going to send about thirty of my best men to accompany you, Lord Alfred. At least it won¡¯t be as safe as the pilgrimage route. If anything were to happen to the young master, I would not be able to face the Lord. This is a dangerous development in a remote area. And I heard that you are going there yourself. You said you want me to recommend a knight who is not mainstream, which means that it¡¯s a knight who is not given important duties. They are, so to speak, malcontents. When they¡¯re out of my sight, they may even direct their daily frustrations at the young master.¡± I don¡¯t know how to persuade him, because it¡¯s just a common sense argument. I scratched my head. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will If I act arrogant and conceited and neglect them.¡± ¡°The malcontents would be the ones who served the converted lord. Such people will take advantage of you if you are weak. And if you take a strong stand, you¡¯ll be what you just said.¡± Edmund is a very capable man with a broad perspective. He is the elite of the elite, but he is not a narrow-minded person. But even such a person can fall into some holes without realizing it. It is the unintentional underestimation of those who are out of the mainstream. ¡°If they are irredeemable malcontents ¡­¡­ so be it. But what if it is someone who is not just pandering to his subordinates, but someone who is truly respected and under his command?¡± ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s someone like that. Once a knight has sworn an oath, he must never stray from the path. Young Master is kind. But that kindness may not always be the right thing to do.¡± I guess it¡¯s not that easy. As I was searching for words, Edmund¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What is the reason for wanting to be a knight of the side? This is a project led by Alfred-sama. Failure is not allowed. If you fail the first time, you will face difficulties in the rest of your life.¡± Instead of confronting me head-on, you¡¯re trying to persuade me to change my mind from another angle. AD On the contrary, this might be a breakthrough in persuasion. It¡¯s lucky that at least he doesn¡¯t deny it outright. But I guess I can¡¯t just say it outright. Let¡¯s try a different approach. ¡°I have no intention of failing. If I fail, I¡¯ll just be labeled as incompetent. It¡¯ll just turn the current freak into an incompetent, it won¡¯t make much difference.¡± Edmund raised an eyebrow. ¡°With all due respect ¡­¡­ As a long-time servant of the Scala family, the young master¡¯s failure is a disgrace to us all.¡± I guess he saw my attitude as too light. Edmund¡¯s face became a little reproachful. ¡°It is a project recommended by the royal family. And we are told that we will be living in uncharted territory. It¡¯s easy to imagine unforeseen circumstances. So we should take all possible precautions and assign our best men. Then, our security is unassailable.¡± You¡¯ve finally given me a clue. It¡¯s quite a tightrope walk, isn¡¯t it? AD I¡¯ve been walking a tightrope since yesterday ¡­¡­ ¡°Sir Rustico. There will be a change in the order of the Knights. Do you think the thieves lurking in our territory will take kindly to this?¡± Edmund¡¯s face turned grim. It was as if he had been hit with a sore spot. I¡¯m finally on a level where I can persuade them. ¡°I regret to say that I cannot deny it. But still, it is my duty as a knight to maintain the peace.¡± I¡¯m not going to let you off the hook so easily. I won¡¯t be able to persuade him if he escapes here. ¡°The knights are exquisitely placed at the moment. So the thieves can¡¯t get out of their holes. However, with the development of the frontier, the knights were rearranged. This is a case where the peace is disturbed as a result. How do you think the affected people will feel?¡± Edmund shook his head with an expression as if to say, ¡®What are you worried about?¡± ¡°The people always complain. Never mind that, the young master¡¯s success is more important than that. Above all, please consider your own position and weight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point. The people are not interested in the development of a distant and unknown land.¡± ¡°You are right. You can¡¯t do anything if you are concerned about the feelings of your people. Do you really want the people to understand that you are making a political decision to develop the frontier?¡± I¡¯ve managed to make him stay in the ring. We need to draw him in a little more ¡­¡­ ¡°The damage done, the frustration of the people will be ¡­¡­ greater than usual. They want us to protect them rather than develop strange lands. They will even think that the third son has taken the knight for fun.¡± I guess he thought I was too weak-minded to care only about the people. Edmund looked at me as if he was going to ask me a question. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying, you seem to be too gentle ¡­¡­ and too weak. How is it that you are so concerned about the minor complaints of the people? Even when they don¡¯t have anything to complain about, they will find something to complain about.¡± There was nothing wrong with that opinion, though. Even before my reincarnation, people wanted news. In peaceful Japan, the choice of news was so ridiculous. Kiara¡¯s face goes blank as she senses I¡¯m being accused. Oh, you¡¯re angry. AD Keep it down ¡­¡­ We can¡¯t move forward if I can¡¯t convince him with this. He has put his body on the line for years to protect us. I think we should give him the respect he deserves. I think It¡¯s time for me to play the only card I¡¯ve got. ¡°In fact, there will be a major consolidation of the administrative structure.¡± Edmund¡¯s face became surprised. It¡¯s because I had given him some unpublished information. ¡°Oh! At last ¡­¡­ I¡¯m very happy to hear that. But it hasn¡¯t been announced yet. Are you sure you can tell me about it?¡± After all, it seems that everyone is expecting a reform of the administrative structure. It seems that he¡¯s more concerned about what I had leaked beforehand. AD If you leak unpublished information without permission, your reputation will be greatly damaged. At worst, he would never be trusted again. But it¡¯s the only card I can play on him. ¡°Sir Rustico has protected our family for many years. I think I need to show the right attitude to persuade you. However, as I have no achievements ¡­¡­ this is the only way I can show my gratitude and trust.¡± I entrusted Edmund with a weapon that could have been fatal to me. It¡¯s the only way to live in an aristocratic society. The timing of this card is important. If I make a mistake, my reputation will be confirmed as just a chatty young master. It will end up as a simple act of self-destruction. This time, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve got the timing right. It seems that Edmund, who lives only in that world, has understood my gratitude and trust. AD Edmund lets out a small gasp. He straightens his back and looks at me with serious eyes. The insulting attitude he had just shown me was gone. Now I can finally proceed with the conversation. Still, it¡¯s okay, he wouldn¡¯t be so adamant now. ¡°I think this will cause some confusion in the administration for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it will.¡± I leaned forward slightly. ¡°At a time like that. What would happen if the Knight Order¡¯s deployment was also changed? Won¡¯t there be a delay in the response much more?¡± Contacting the knights will also delayed. There is a possibility that they won¡¯t know of shortest distance because of the change in deployment. The response will be delayed even more than usual. AD After a moment of silence, Edmund¡¯s face became regretful. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°This is bound to happen. We¡¯re going to make some major changes in our administrative structure, so our security needs to stay the same.¡± ¡°Hmmm ¡­¡­. Why do you think so much about your people? I¡¯d like to hear about this.¡± It seems to have become a genuine question. This will help me decide. ¡°If we¡¯re not careful, a riot could break out. If there are people who are hitting on you, it¡¯s even worse. We are a great aristocrat family. We will inevitably have many hidden enemies. There will be a lot of people who will be happy to drag us down whenever they can.¡± He seemed to have noticed. Edmund¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°I¡¯m sure that not only the royal family will want to pull us down, but other families as well. It¡¯s sad to say. I understand the preservation of the elite. I also understand about not rearranging the main positions. I have one question. You are now simultaneously carrying out administrative reform and frontier development. It seems to me that you are crossing a dangerous bridge.¡± ¡°The reason is that there is no time left for administrative reform. My brothers are exhausted. Yet, amazingly, they are doing it without making any mistakes. But I think they are at their limits. When that happens, one blunder will lead to another ¡­¡­. It will give the royal family a good reason to reduce the size of the family or to change the name of the family. In the case of frontier development, there will be little time to wait out the Royalists¡¯ urging. If we don¡¯t take the initiative and move now, we won¡¯t make it in time.¡± If they started to move after receiving the ultimatum, we might be interfered in many ways. AD That¡¯s the direction in which it will fail. That¡¯s why we need to take the initiative. Edmund sighs and looks up to the sky. ¡°So we didn¡¯t cross the bridge intentionally, but we had to cross it because the fire was imminent. Was our family in that much danger? I hadn¡¯t realized it until now.¡± ¡°I suppose that can¡¯t be helped. That¡¯s how elaborate a trap the royal family had set for us.¡± ¡°You noticed that? ¡­¡­ I¡¯m surprised. While I¡¯m surprised, I¡¯d like to ask you one more question. The reason why you want a knight who is not mainstream, but a knight who is respected by his subordinates. I would like to know this. In fact, isn¡¯t there someone you have your heart set on?¡± The feeling of being underestimated as a young man completely disappeared, and he began to actively listen to me. Thank goodness. I can only use it if I can be sincere. ¡°I don¡¯t know. What¡¯s important here is that he¡¯s the one that Sir Rustico recommended.¡± If you jump over the top of the knight order and nominate a knight who is being treated poorly, you will be selected. However, one problem arises. In case that person is successful, they will be criticized for their lack of judgment saying, ¡°What are the people at the top doing? He¡¯s really not a good judge of character¡±. Worst of all, there will be those who will drag him down. There is no good in jumping over the top and stirring up the personnel situation. The power structure should be respected as much as possible. Otherwise, unnecessary conflicts will arise when cooperative operations are needed. If you are an apostle, you can push your way through with absolute justice ¡­¡­ That¡¯s fine, though. I don¡¯t mind making enemies if I have to. Making enemies when you don¡¯t need to is just plain stupidity. Edmund knew what we were trying to do and nodded with a serious look in his eyes. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m really surprised. You¡¯ve just come of age ¡­¡­ haven¡¯t you, Young Master Alfred? Are you sure you are sixteen?¡± Why the question? CH 47 The day Edmund Rustico¡¯s nominee arrived. Kiara and I were talking as we waited together. Kiara looked at me with a ridiculous look. ¡°Brother, your suspicions of age fraud are now firmly established.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sixteen, though ¡­¡± Kiara smiles meaningfully. ¡°If I said that brother is really sixteen, he¡¯d be crazy.¡± How did this happen? I can¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible story ¡­¡­¡± Kiara is unperturbed by such a terrible story. ¡°No. It¡¯d be troubling if Brother doesn¡¯t stay the way he is.¡± As she was scratching her head, Mario (Slim) came in. ¡°Young Master Alfred. The man whom Sir Rustico recommended to you has arrived.¡± ¡°Oh, let me see him in the reception room. And ¡­¡­ Mario, have you gone on a diet?¡± Mario had a look on his face that said, ¡®You¡¯re asking me that?¡± Hmm?¡¡Did I do something? As I was twisting my neck, Kiara stood up with a smile. ¡°Mario, please show us the way quickly.¡± Mario stiffened in panic. ¡°Y-Yesssssss.¡± Then he left with an onomatopoeic sound like in an anime. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure Mario has a lot of worries.¡± "" I don¡¯t think you can lose that much weight because of your worries. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I¡¯m entering the reception room. There was a man waiting for us, he had a fearless look and looked like an evil father. He bowed to us in a condescending manner. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I¡¯m here on Sir Rustico¡¯s recommendation. I am Charles Rossi.¡± I was referring to him. He was a knight in a place where he had been before the transfer. He was the one who got the short end of the stick after the previous lord had done something wrong and his domain had been taken away. A knight whose master has been disgraced has a very narrow shoulders. Most of the time, they are labeled as incompetent for not being able to protect their lord without even checking the cause. He was not an obedient knight to begin with, so after his transfer, he was an outsider in the Knights of the House of Scala. However, he is highly respected by his former subordinates. We were both seated, but Charles was looking at me as if he was judging me. ¡°Sir Rossi. Have Sir Rustico given you a general idea of what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Yes, in a manner of speaking.¡± ¡°Then let me ask you again. I would like you to take over as the head of a new order of knights to be established in Ravenna Region.¡± ¡°Why did you choose me?¡± ¡°Why ¡­¡­ That¡¯s a little hard to answer. It¡¯s because this task would be difficult without Sir Rossi.¡± Charles seemed to be teasing. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a very high opinion of you. Or is it the other way around?¡± ¡°I have no intention of failing, you know.¡± Charles gave a small snort. ¡°What do you expect from an incompetent man who could not protect his former lord?¡± ¡°It was because the previous lord was incompetent. If you get your strategy wrong, it will be nearly impossible to recover with tactics.¡± Charles put his hand on his chin, looking at me as if he was judging me. ¡°Oh, so I¡¯m not responsible for it ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We have no acquaintance and no significant achievements after integration. I¡¯m just complaining to the subordinates of the former Knights ¡­¡­ And you think highly of me for that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think acquaintance is essential. If you can¡¯t judge a person without seeing his face, you can¡¯t be an aristocrat. It¡¯s just a supplement.¡± Charles leaned forward, one lip lifted. ¡°You have an interesting point of view. But can¡¯t we think of it this way? The royal family has been urging us to develop it. But we haven¡¯t gotten around to it. So, in order to strike a pose, I put my eccentric third son in charge.¡± You look as if you¡¯re looking forward to my reaction. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not going to give you the reaction you¡¯re expecting. Charles probed me and opened his mouth. ¡°However, in order to ensure that the third son¡¯s reputation will not be tarnished if he fails, we will put the malcontents under his control. That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re doing, though ¡­¡­ under the guise of redeeming the malcontents.¡± Kiara is blatantly pissed off. I see ¡­¡­ I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. I can¡¯t help but scratch my head. ¡°I see ¡­¡­ That¡¯s one way to look at it. This was careless.¡± I think Charles was expecting a reaction. He looked as if he¡¯d been let down by our lackluster response. The condescension that followed was even stronger, though. ¡°It¡¯s a recommendation from the top, so I can¡¯t turn it down. So if you¡¯re counting on failure, I¡¯ll make sure you fail. However, I don¡¯t want my subordinates to die in vain. If you have a script, I will dance according to it, and I would like you to teach me.¡± Kiara got up from her seat and was about to complain, but I stopped her. ¡°The script? Actually, it¡¯s almost completely blank.¡± Charles looked at me like I was a kid and didn¡¯t have a good plan. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ No plan?¡± ¡°No, it just says that the military will be left to Sir Rossi.¡± Charles looked at me as if he didn¡¯t understand a word I was saying. ¡°For all of them? Excuse me, but are you insane?¡± ¡°Of course I am. If I¡¯m not, I wouldn¡¯t be doing something so simple and troublesome as developing a territory.¡± Charles looked puzzled. I think he was confused because his image of me was not what he expected. ¡°Why do you trust me so completely?¡± Finally, you¡¯re listening to me. I leaned forward. ¡°It¡¯s your popularity to your men. If you¡¯re just a grumbler, you won¡¯t get the best men. Sir Rossi¡¯s men are good enough, and they will never do anything to harm the people. With such subordinates, I can trust them. If I want to measure the competence of the head of the group, I only need to look at his subordinates.¡± A subordinate makes a series of gaffes. Or they have a bad attitude. Of course, it is good if the work performance is extremely competent, but ¡­¡­ most of the time it is messy and subjective. This will reveal the reality of the organization. And so does the boss. I saw Charles¡¯ reaction, but he silently urged me to continue. It seems that he is not so twisted ¡­¡­ as to be sarcastic of my praise of his subordinates. ¡°As for your abilities, I¡¯ve examined how you fared in battle before your transfer. And we have confirmed that you¡¯re fully capable. I find that I get more out of them by throwing them around than by tying them up in various ways. That¡¯s how I see it.¡± Charles smiled wryly. ¡°Then, can I ask you a few questions about yourself, Sir?¡± Sir, without honorifics ¡­¡­ So you¡¯re evaluating how I¡¯ll react too. ¡°Yes, please.¡± Charles furrowed one eyebrow for a moment as I answered immediately. ¡°What exactly are you looking for? Normally, an inexperienced person wouldn¡¯t try to develop an uncharted territory. Unless it¡¯s just for fun.¡± "" Kiara clenched her fists. You don¡¯t have to get angry about that. He may have a bad attitude, but it¡¯s not an attitude that he¡¯s not listening to me. ¡°It¡¯s simply the middle of nowhere, so the town can be built in a new way.¡± ¡°If it could be done ¡­¡­ that is.¡± ¡°I want to build a town for the people who are trapped in the world today.¡± Charles¡¯ eyes became cautious. ¡°So you want an outcast like me?¡± I shrugged my shoulders in disappointment. ¡°You¡¯re a little short. It¡¯s important to be able to understand the feelings of people like that.¡± The moment you change your position, you change and take on the same attitude as the arrogant people you used to hate. I don¡¯t need that kind of person. ¡°One more point: why are you moving there too? Your lifestyle will definitely be inconvenient. An aristocrat living in a mansion would not be able to bear it.¡± That¡¯s a clear story, though. ¡°It¡¯s just that with me there, Sir Rossi won¡¯t be held accountable. That¡¯s all.¡± He was indeed surprised. For the first time, he seemed to be upset. In many cases, when a knight is dispatched and there is an inconvenience ¡­¡­ the excuse is often given that the subordinate went out of control or did not understand the instructions. If the person in charge is in the area, it is not easy to use such a method. With a sigh, Charles shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re an unusual person, but ¡­¡­ you¡¯re more than I expected. So you are taking responsibility in case of failure.¡± Charles smiled wryly. But the condescension was gone. Instead, he looked as if he was enjoying something. ¡°Then ¡­¡­ shall we do our small part to create a world for the outcasts.¡± He asked me to shake his hand, so I did. He looked surprised at that as well, but soon grinned at me. ¡°However, are you really sixteen?¡± CH 48 After watching Charles leave, Kiara looked disapprovingly at him. ¡°That was ¡­¡­ very rude to brother, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I¡¯m glad you¡¯re angry for me, though. ¡°He¡¯s been on the short end of the stick for a long time. he can¡¯t help but be sarcastic.¡± Kiara is pouting. ¡°Maybe, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s the kind of guy who, once you¡¯ve established a trusting relationship with him, is very reassuring.¡± Kiara looked a little unconvinced. She tilted her head with a pouty face. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the kind of person who blames irrationality and inconsistency. How would you feel about ¡­¡­ being given all the power there? If you do something wrong, it will come back like a boomerang. And he¡¯s a proud man. He¡¯s not going to let anything ugly happen to him like being hit by the boomerang he threw. So he¡¯ll do his best.¡± Before I was reincarnated, there were a lot of people who were masters of hunting themselves with boomerangs ¡­¡­ There was even a performer who would hit himself the moment he threw it. This makes it easier to tell them apart. ¡°He¡¯s the type to be enthusiastic. Although he doesn¡¯t look it.¡± Kiara sighed with an air of disapproval. ¡°If that¡¯s what your brother says, then ¡­¡­ I agree.¡± This kind of overconfidence is very dangerous. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be overconfident in me.¡± Kiara turned her head to the side. As if she didn¡¯t want to hear about it. ¡°It¡¯s not overconfidence. It¡¯s a natural trust.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô While I was having an idle conversation with Kiara, I heard the sound of footsteps. Without even knocking, the door was thrown open and the teacher came running in. ¡°Hey, kiddo! Is it true that you¡¯re going to kidnap me to an uncharted land as your advisor!¡± Did the word just get out? ¡°Huh? Did you just get the word?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been on vacation all this time!¡± You said something like that. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ I see. Please pack your bags as soon as possible. We¡¯re scheduled to leave in a month.¡± The teacher seemed to be upset, as if he had been taken by surprise. I told you I was going to overwork you. ¡°Wait a minute! I didn¡¯t say I was going!¡± I give him a blank stare. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s funny. I thought you agreed to go.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Kiara approaches the teacher with a black aura around her. The fact that she is smiling and laughing adds to her power. ¡°Sir. Fabio ¡­¡­ May I have a word with you? I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions about your behavior during the pilgrimage.¡± The teacher backed away as if he had seen Sadako for the first time through 3D glasses. ¡°Wait a minute. Miss Kiara, where do you get such power from ¡­¡­¡± Kiara smiled quietly. You can see it from a distance. This is quite a bit of pressure. ¡°You know what? It¡¯s because you have a guilty conscience. You can see things you shouldn¡¯t.¡± The teacher retreated further. ¡°Brother ¡­¡­ I would like to have a word with teacher for a bit. Can you give us a moment? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it. I will also reconfirm that he is willing to do so.¡± I winked at Kiara. For some reason, Kiara¡¯s cheeks flushed a little and she covered her cheeks with her hands. The teacher tried to run away, but he was too late. When Kiara gave him a glare, he stiffened like a frog stared at by a snake. ¡°Yes. Please take care of it.¡± The teacher looked like a shipwrecked person who was swept away without being put on a lifeboat. ¡°Kiddo! Wait, wait a minute. Mercy! Don¡¯t you have any mercy!¡± I pretended not to see him and whistled lightly. It¡¯s the Beatles¡¯ HELP, but no one will know. Then I leave the room and close the door. I don¡¯t want to say the same thing over and over again. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô In the meantime, I¡¯m holed up in Papan¡¯s study. This is to confirm the technology that can be realized in this world. Research the basic technologies of urban development to see what is possible and what is based on them. I guess reinforced concrete is no good as a building material. Of course, the level of technology has not yet caught up. Based on their experience, Roman concrete would work. Leave that to the engineers. There was a precedent for it. The materials in question are volcanic ash, lime, and crushed stone ¡­¡­. I think I can manage this. After all, the infrastructure of a city can be realized if it is based on ancient Rome. "" Originally, I was planning to use only local materials. Only the glass will have to be sent to me ¡­¡­ The next problem is where to get the engineers. If we¡¯re going to try something new, we¡¯ll need mid-level engineers. It¡¯s hard to get veterans unless they are good enough. Such veterans are surrounded by people somewhere. I¡¯ll let the mid-level people gain experience and I¡¯ll take the long view. For now, I should ask Mario about it. He¡¯s the head steward of the Scala family, so he should have a lot of contacts. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô As I wandered out of the library, Mario was just there. ¡°Mario. Can I have a word with you?¡± Mario reacted as if he had been shocked by an electric shock. What did I do to you¡­? ¡°Yes, sir. Young Master Alfred. What is it?¡± ¡°In fact, we need engineers to build the infrastructure for our territory development.¡± Originally, you could call them craftsmen or engineers. Since the apostle called them engineers, they can¡¯t communicate unless they are called by this name. The apostle¡¯s influence is terrifying. Mario blatantly showed a look of relief. What the hell did I do to deserve this? ¡°There are many different types of engineers. Do you have a specific job in mind?¡± ¡°Someone with experience in building concrete structures and aqueducts. If they have the spirit to challenge new things, it is more preferable. At any rate, there will be a lot of local procurement. I don¡¯t want to be told that I don¡¯t have this or that, after all.¡± Mario thought for a moment as he rubs his mustache. ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case, I have the perfect person for the job. It¡¯s my brother Ludvig. He recently started his own business ¡­¡­ He wrote to me and complained about the lack of work.¡± Ludvig ¡­¡­. Luigi for short. Were these brothers in a previous life a florist? Anyway, he fit the bill I gave him. He¡¯s also Mario¡¯s brother, which is a relief. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t run away. That¡¯s the advantage of nepotism. If you run away or have a bad attitude, the person who recommended you will be in trouble. This world is a connected society. In other words, it¡¯s suicide. ¡°I see. We are developing a city out of nothing ¡­¡­ Is it possible to have a general manager? Of course, we don¡¯t want to be perfect right off the bat. I¡¯ll take the long view.¡± It¡¯s difficult if you¡¯re just the end of the line. If you don¡¯t have a certain amount of management experience, you will end up in a goofy position. The biggest assumption is that I can¡¯t interfere. If I do, it will be a pattern of oblivion after death. The people of this world have to do it by themselves. ¡°That¡¯s right ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have any experience as a general manager. But I do have experience as an assistant. If you can give me some direction, I think I can do it.¡± Oh, ¡­¡­. I¡¯m really thankful that we can solve this problem here. It¡¯s going to be a good start. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Mario shrugged a little at my beaming face. ¡°But Ludvigot can¡¯t do it alone. We¡¯ll need to hire his associates as well.¡± Of course. We definitely need people to be our hands and feet. The problem is the number of people. If we don¡¯t have enough, we¡¯ll consider adding more. Too many is a problem. ¡°That¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? How many companions does he have?¡± ¡°Ludvig¡¯s group was about twenty, I think. The world thinks that the apostle¡¯s descent is coming soon. That¡¯s why there is no new construction. Thanks to this, architects only have repair work to do.¡± When the apostles come, they will be building all over the place. If we were to build on our own before that, it would be a waste of money. As a result, everyone will not do any big projects. It¡¯s that ¡­¡­ It¡¯s called an apostle recession. ¡°We¡¯ll hire them all together. Tell my father about it and the change in the budget.¡± For some reason, Mario straightened his posture. ¡°Yes, sir! Don¡¯t worry, Ludvig¡¯s people are all men!¡± I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Why does gender matter?¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ as soon as a woman is involved with Young Master Alfred, Miss Kiara becomes ¡­¡­ Hiiiieeeeeeeeeeee¡± Mario suddenly collapsed. When I turned around, Kiara was behind me. Kiara¡¯s face became surprised. You¡¯re too bad at acting. ¡°Oh my ¡­¡­ I wonder if Mario is tired.¡± Hey, hey, ¡­¡­. What are you doing? I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°You know that you shouldn¡¯t put pressure on Mario.¡± Kiara had a sparkling smile that stinks of acting. I¡¯m sure you did something¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t you think he suddenly remembered a very painful experience?¡± I asked a nearby servant to take care of Mario. However ¡­¡­ If I leave Kiara at home, there¡¯s going to be in a lot of trouble. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to take her with me, though. CH 49 One day during the change of governance structure. Alfred¡¯s parents, Ferdinand and Alessandra, were taking a break from their political duties. The reorganization of the governing structure had increased their workload to an unusual degree. The new form of governance was built around Amilcarre and Baldassarre. As a result, the parents had to take on the tasks that had been left to their children. Ferdinand sighs. ¡°I¡¯ve stayed out of it for the sake of my children¡¯s development, but ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t realize the work would swell to this level.¡± Alessandra nodded tiredly. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was like this before we left it to them.¡± ¡°They were too serious on their own good, after all ¡­¡­ They were manipulated as the officials told them to. And when they found out, they couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡± ¡°Yes. But I believe they both started their political careers at 18.¡± Ferdinand nodded, a little distantly. ¡°It was Alfred who suggested that the reorganization of the governing body should be carried out in conjunction with the opening up of new territories.¡± ¡°He was always more curious than anyone else, even when he was a child.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we should use the word ¡°genius¡± to describe him.¡± Alessandra agreed with a wry smile. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think ¡°genius¡± is the right word.¡± ¡°An old politician, yes.¡± ¡°An old politician.¡± ¡°Is he really sixteen?¡± Alessandra puts her hand over her mouth and laughs. ¡°It¡¯s 16. He¡¯s the child I gave birth with my stomach in pain, after all.¡± ¡°I know he¡¯s sixteen. But he¡¯s shattering the concept of a sixteen-year-old child.¡± Ferdinand shook his head helplessly. Ferdinand shook his head emphatically. Was it right to cry first when Alfred was born? He was even beginning to wonder that. ¡°Yes. I wonder what will happen to him when he gets older.¡± Ferdinand chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s a record. But ¡­¡­ At his age, he should have a girlfriend or some other fling.¡± Alessandra¡¯s face became troubled. ¡°Kiara is very attached to him, after all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine to be close, but too much is a bit ¡­¡­ In a way, she¡¯s the biggest problem.¡± ¡°They say the more troublesome you are, the cuter you are. I don¡¯t get the image of Alfredo as cute. It¡¯s been noticeable since he came back from his pilgrimage. He¡¯s too old ¡­¡­¡± Ferdinand smiles a little mischievously. However, his eyes were not smiling at all. ¡°Sometimes I think he¡¯s older than me.¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­¡± The parents¡¯ worries were endless. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The rebuilding of the governing structure creates a new hell. The two brothers of Alfred are struggling in this new hell. Amilcarre, Baldassarre is by nature a brilliant man and I have no problem with that. But what is most necessary in the formation of human talent is experience. Before they could gain experience, they were manipulated by the officials and integrated into the system. Amilcarre ruffled his hair tiredly during a short break. ¡°Hey, Baldassarre. What have we been doing for several years?¡± Baldassarre shook his head tiredly. ¡°Yes, a little self-loathing.¡± ¡°Alfred is sixteen. But guess what. He sees farther than we do, from a higher perspective. He said, ¡°It¡¯s easier to have a few people in charge and check the results than to be directly involved in political affairs¡±. And to have the often-conflicting factions monitor both sides? He even wanted us to prepare a route for the lower level officials to communicate their opinions directly to us. That¡¯s a veteran¡¯s idea, right?¡± ¡°No! He¡¯s not 16! We should add a zero to the back!¡± Amilcarre burst out. ¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡± Amilcarre and Baldassarre looked at each other. ¡± ¡°He should be the one to take over the family.¡± ¡° They both sighed at the same time. Amilcarre shook his head. ¡°How empty ¡­¡­¡± Baldassarre shook his head as well. ¡°How empty, it is ¡­¡­¡± ¡°And you know what. If he¡¯s being cocky, or if he thinks we¡¯re stupid. I¡¯m sure there are better ways to express his feelings.¡± "" ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to run there.¡± The two sighs at the same time. ¡± ¡°He¡¯s one hell of a guy.¡± ¡° Baldassarre chuckled, staring distantly at the pile of papers. ¡°If it was an apostle, I could still give up.¡± ¡°In a way, he is the most troublesome one.¡± ¡°Yes. If I take a survey of the brother you never want ¡­¡­ He is by far the best.¡± Amilcarre clenched his fist with all his might. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯d buy a lot of votes if I could!¡± Baldassare also nodded emphatically. ¡°I agree with you.¡± ¡°He respects us as his brother. We can see that ¡­¡­¡± "" ¡°It¡¯s just annoying. At the very least, I hope he¡¯s going to catch hell for his relationship with a woman.¡± At that moment, an electric current ran through Amilcarre. ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m going to go around introducing women to him! If we do that, he¡¯ll be in the middle with Kiara in it and it¡¯ll be one hell of a drama!¡± Baldassarre looked as if he had found an oasis in the desert. ¡°I have found hope for my life! Let¡¯s get on with the government affairs!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! For our enjoyment in the future!¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Edmund Rustico and Charles Rossi were meeting in the Knight Order¡¯s chambers. ¡°Sir Rossi. How¡¯d it go with the rumored 160 years old young master?¡± Behind the scenes, Alfred was now being called 160 years old. Charles seemed to be unable to suppress a laugh. ¡°He seemed like a miracle worker and a very interesting man.¡± Edmund shook his head. ¡°I almost became philosophical, wondering what my life experience was all about.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t look at such an irregularity and compare it to a normal person.¡± ¡°No, I know, but ¡­¡­ My son is also 16 years old. Lord 160 years old looks like a completely different creature.¡± Charles smiled sarcastically. ¡°You have to look at Lord 160 years old as Lord 160 years old. But ¡­¡­ I guess it¡¯s worth it to live longer. How interesting.¡± ¡°I wonder what kind of city Lord 160 years old will build with his wisdom. I assure you, it won¡¯t be a mediocre town.¡± ¡°We are in agreement on that point. We have no way of knowing, though. I just hope they don¡¯t create human entertainment from the perspective of a 160-years-old.¡± ¡°Entertainment of a 160-years-old ¡­¡­ What do you think it is?¡± ¡°Zazen and bonsai, as some of the older apostles used to say.¡± ¡°There are only such pastimes ¡­¡­ It¡¯s such a terrifying world.¡± The two of them imagined a world in which all human beings enjoyed zazen and bonsai in their spare time. (T/N: Zazen is (literally ¡°seated meditation¡±; Japanese: ×ùìø; simplified Chinese: ×øìø; traditional Chinese: ×ø¶U; pinyin: zu¨° ch¨¢n; Wade¨CGiles: tso4-ch¡¯an2, pronounced [tsw? ???¨£n]) is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition.) (T/N: The word ¡°Bon-sai¡± (often misspelled as bonzai or banzai) is a Japanese term which, literally translated, means ¡°planted in a container¡±. ¡­ The ultimate goal of growing a Bonsai is to create a miniaturized but realistic representation of nature in the form of a tree.) And ¡­¡­ ¡± ¡°Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha!¡± ¡° They started laughing in unison. CH 50 Kiara puts her frustrated face close to mine. ¡°Brother. Isn¡¯t it too early to leave in a month? It will take about a year to accumulate supplies and transfer people ¡­¡­. No matter how you look at it, it will take about a year.¡± If we wait until everything is in place, there will be too much waste. ¡°I¡¯m not going to move until everything is in place.¡± ¡°You mean you want to move them in somewhat smaller groups?¡± I smiled and leaned forward. ¡°That¡¯s how it is. So, I want Kiara to stay over here, and arrange the rest of the things. I can only ask Kiara, who understands me best, to do this job.¡± Kiara looked pleased. But then she immediately turned resentful. ¡°It¡¯s not fair, Brother. If you say it like that, I can¡¯t go with you.¡± And that¡¯s what I intend to do. ¡°At first, we¡¯ll transport them by ship from the port city, even though it¡¯s far away. But it¡¯s inefficient as it is. I want you to build a port closer to where we are.¡± Kiara was suddenly very excited. ¡°Please specify the location! Then, I¡¯ll build it as fast as I can!¡± I guess I¡¯ll have to get a reward for that. I don¡¯t want to be barged into after an outburst. ¡°You can come over here when I¡¯m done with the transfer. I¡¯ll let you know what I need next.¡± Kiara was smiling, but suddenly froze. ¡°Did you tell father about the port city?¡± ¡°Our Father and brothers have already agreed to it.¡± Kiara sulked bitterly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me first ¡­¡­¡± Kiara is quite particular about the word ¡°first¡±, isn¡¯t she? ¡°Sorry, sorry, sorry. I was in a hurry.¡± I soothed Kiara by patting her head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be fooled by that¡±, Chiara muttered to herself. After a while, she was satisfied and smiled. ¡°Do you have a plan for what you¡¯re going to send, and in what order?¡± ¡°We have a plan at the beginning, but after that, the gathering of people and supplies will be fluid. If we decide too clearly, it will not go well. I¡¯d like you to coordinate with them.¡± Kiara looked up at me as if asking for a favor. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m going to miss you, but I¡¯ll do my best for you. By the way ¡­¡­. You¡¯ll write to me every time, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll also write about how things are going over here.¡± Kiara grasped my hand tightly. ¡°Absolutely!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to ride on me again, after all.¡± I protest, making Kiara pout. ¡°You¡¯re so mean, Brother ¡­¡­¡± She¡¯s too cute, even for my little sister. Kiara¡¯s face suddenly turned into a puzzled expression. ¡°You are going to a place where there is nothing, right? What are you going to do with food, bath, and other things?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be eating with everyone else, and there won¡¯t be a bath for a while. So I¡¯m going to bathe in the river.¡± Kiara¡¯s face became puffy, as if she was not convinced. ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush off, then ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No. I have to be very precise from the start, after all.¡± Kiara sighed. ¡°Huh. How many weeks do I have to wait before I can see you again?¡± How many weeks, you say. It¡¯s not a game, you know. ¡°It will take more than a year, as expected. I¡¯ll call you when the bathroom and everything is finished. I want Kiara to always look good.¡± Kiara leaned forward. ¡°I want me to be your first priority. If it takes too long, I won¡¯t be able to wait and will hide in the luggage.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just wait it out, okay?¡± ¡°As long as you build the town quickly, it¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll build the port town quickly so that we can transport the supplies quickly! It will take a week ¡­¡­ I guess that¡¯s not possible. One month!¡± Wait a minute ¡­¡­. ¡°If you rush it too much, it¡¯ll cause an accident. I need you to make it something decent.¡± ¡°I understand that, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Kiara¡¯s face suddenly took on a begging look. ¡°Then If I create a proper port city ¡­¡­. please do me one favor.¡± I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good idea to ask for a favor in exchange for a town, though ¡­¡­ ¡°As long as it¡¯s not unethical, it¡¯s fine.¡± It¡¯s got Yandere in it, after all ¡­¡­ It¡¯ll be bad If she gets out of control and says she wants to have a child. Kiara is cute. She¡¯s my precious little sister, but it¡¯s not going to be a boy/girl thing. She looked disappointed for a moment there. Oh, come on. But if I get too far away from her, she¡¯ll definitely go berserk. To keep her from going berserk, I¡¯ll have to find her a good man ¡­¡­ ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t do anything to annoy Brother.¡± I was deeply relieved. ¡°I promise. So please be gentle with me.¡± ¡°What else do I need to know? Brother will be building more than just one town, right? I just want to make sure we¡¯re on the same page.¡± As expected, she¡¯s very perceptive. ¡°You can¡¯t change the policy of an existing territory, you know ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it and make a decision.¡± Kiara almost always listens to what I have to say. However, when she makes a demand that she rarely makes ¡­¡­ she will not give in. Geez ¡­¡­ she¡¯s not giving in ¡­¡­ I¡¯m so pale like I¡¯m going on a strike. It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s just selfishness. Even though It¡¯s really bad because it¡¯s mostly for me. ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult, the road should be as straight as possible. If there are hills, eliminate them even if it means cutting them down. If you can go through the mountain, go through it.¡± Kiara stiffened. ¡°Um ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It seems that I have not yet mastered the Brother¡¯s studies. Please explain why.¡± What do you mean by ¡°Brother studies¡± ¡­¡­. I¡¯m not an academic subject. I don¡¯t like it when academic names are created from the inside out. I don¡¯t even want to know what it¡¯s called. ¡°It¡¯s just a way to increase the loading capacity of wagons and increase the speed of movement. And speed up the movement of soldiers. It will also make military planning easier.¡± She seemed to be staring at me, pondering. Then she took a deep sigh. ¡°I never thought a single road can have so much meaning. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not a better sister.¡± No, no, no, no. Why did you get depressed over something like that? ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be depressed about. You don¡¯t even have to go that far in a territory that¡¯s already well maintained to begin with. It¡¯ll cost a lot of money and it¡¯s hard to get through to them.¡± Kiara rolled up her sleeves with enthusiasm. ¡°I understand! I¡¯ll make it up to you! So I will not be ashamed to be your beloved sister ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll definitely make it happen!¡± Wait, wait a minute! She rushes in like a bulldozer and pushes me around. It took me about an hour to calm Kiara down, and I was exhausted. CH 51 We left from the port city of Brindish, which was a bit far away. It is well maintained for transportation. The closest port town at the moment. Kiara insisted on seeing us off, and she was the only one of my relatives to do so. If we don¡¯t put a stop to this somewhere, she might even come in the bath. Should I meet up with Mil as soon as possible? Kiara¡¯s face was full of lingering regret. ¡°Brother. Please be sure to write to me. I¡¯ll do my best to support you by building a port town.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right ¡­¡­ If you work too hard, you¡¯ll end up mass-producing Mario. Make sure you take care of the health of your men too.¡± The port was quickly built, I don¡¯t want to see a large number of living dead rebind dead being mass-produced instead. ¡°I understand. I will not do anything that will ruin Brother¡¯s reputation.¡± I was ready to board the ship, but Kiara grabbed my clothes and wouldn¡¯t let go. I¡¯m in trouble. She¡¯s become dependent on me. Part of the reason for this is me. If I get married, she¡¯ll settle down ¡­¡­ I can feel the eyes on the ship urging me to hurry up and get on board, and I¡¯m caught in the middle. Yes, let¡¯s just do it. Last resort. I kissed Kiara on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll be back then.¡± As I said that, I gently untied her hand. As expected, Kiara¡¯s face turned red and she stiffened. I waved my hand and got on the boat, but Kiara was still stiff. I guess it was a little too ¡­¡­ stimulating. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s anything special like in America or anywhere else before my reincarnation. There should be nothing strange about it. The people around us whistled at us. No, we¡¯re brother and sister, though??? The teacher makes fun of me. ¡°You¡¯re going to put your hand on your sister too? You¡¯re too unscrupulous, kiddo.¡± Charles sniffs in astonishment. ¡°Prof. Visconti. That was just a friendly greeting. You¡¯ve never been with a woman before, have you?¡± The teacher was blatantly flustered. After all, he¡¯s spot on. ¡°W-What does it matter!¡¯ This man, Charles Rossi. He¡¯s actually a popular man who has had many affairs with women. Even though he was accused of being unbecoming of a knight, he didn¡¯t care. This is part of the reason why he is being fed cold rice. But that doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t change his ways. ¡°It is obvious that even if I were to change my behavior, they would come up with another quarrel. Then they should be satisfied with just me.¡± Apparently, that¡¯s what he told his subordinates. I recognized the rightness of his words and couldn¡¯t bring myself to condemn him. That¡¯s what happens when a relationship goes sour. Charles¡¯ sarcastic smile turned into a straight face. ¡°Lord Alfred. I would like to introduce you to my second-in-command and Lord Alfred¡¯s personal bodyguard.¡± (T/N: Changed Young Master Alfred to Lord Alfred. Young Master Alfred is too long and I think Mario or other servants in the mansion is the only people that will call him that.) The two knights who had been waiting behind him stepped forward. One of them is a knight who looks like a straight-laced person. It is much rarer to find a knight who is not a straight-laced person, after all. Silver hair and dark blue eyes. I think he¡¯s quite handsome. ¡°I am Robert Melchiorri, Sir Rossi¡¯s second-in-command. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± I smiled and held out my hand. Robert was momentarily taken aback, but hurriedly held out his hand. I shook his hand, but it was still a lumpy hand. I guess he¡¯s always working out, even when he¡¯s eating cold food. That¡¯s my kind of guy. I love people who can¡¯t be broken even when they¡¯re in a bad situation. I¡¯d love to create opportunities for them. Not every righteous effort will be rewarded in this world. But I¡¯d still like to make sure that it does, as far as I can see. ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± Charles looked at the handshake with a bit of surprise. Well, no lord shakes hands every time. But they were the ones who had been eating cold. I should at least show that I¡¯m taking a big step forward. The first time is always the most important. He immediately noticed my gaze and turned serious. ¡°If I¡¯m not available, please direct your questions to Robert. One of them should stay close to Lord Alfred.¡± The other was a stoutly built knight with a fierce look about him. He has short-cut brown hair and brown eyes. He has tanned skin that gives him a mild impression. ¡°I¡¯ve been assigned as Lord Alfred¡¯s bodyguard. My name is Jules D¡¯Avorio.¡± I smile and hold out my hand. Jules smiled shyly and immediately held out his hand. I smile and shake his hand. Another powerful one. ¡°I¡¯ll try to make it as easy as possible for you to escort me. I look forward to working with you.¡± Charles added with a grin. ¡°Jules is not only good-looking, he is also well qualified as an escort. If he fights me ten times, he¡¯ll get one from me at least once.¡± One of the reasons why I indirectly nominated Charles, I see him as the best of the Scala family in combat. As a knight, you need not only skill, but also loyalty and good behavior. This is one of the reasons why he was nominated. A knight is always accompanied by a squire. When I was on the sidelines, there was one squire for every two knights. With this reassignment, they were transferred to the front line. For every knight, there are three squires. This was due in large part to Edmund¡¯s favorable impression of me. There were some questions about the number of squires in the knights¡¯ group. Edmund suppressed it with a single word from his crane. People¡¯s goodwill is not something to be taken lightly. The number of people in the first group was With Charles at the top were 30 and 90 squires for a total of 120. Forty families in poverty, 172 people. The ordinary citizens numbered 89. Me and my teacher, a total of 386 people. So I hold the fate of many people in my hands. It¡¯s the size of a small company. I couldn¡¯t have imagined this before my reincarnation. If I think about it too much, a hole will open up in my stomach. But I can¡¯t stop, either. God is going to make me use my power. That¡¯s what the questions and answers are telling me. Worst of all, he could send down a new apostle and hit me with it. I don¡¯t know how much time I have left, but I don¡¯t think I have time to take any detours. By then, they can think for themselves and decide how to live ¡­¡­ In other words, I want to create a society for them. If I have to use my powers in the worst-case scenario ¡­¡­ All I have to do is disappear somewhere else. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d go that far, to be honest. It¡¯s just ¡­¡­ in preparation for the worst-case scenario. I wonder what kind of move this God will do to get to me. I¡¯ll have to think about that later. I turned to teacher and Charles. ¡°There is something I would like to ask of you both in the development of this territory.¡± Charles put his hand on his chin with a slightly probing look on his face. ¡°Hmm. What is it?¡± The teacher looked at me suspiciously. ¡°Your demands, huh. It doesn¡¯t sound like a good idea.¡± ¡°I want you to feel free to express your opinions to me. I will never punish you or treat you unkindly.¡± Charles looked interested. ¡°Hmm. Why is that, again?¡± ¡°Maybe ¡­¡­ No doubt, I will make many mistakes in my future decisions. I don¡¯t want to be wrong by choice, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m an imperfect person, so I can¡¯t help it. And the later you are, the harder it will be for you to admonish me. If you accumulate achievements, no one will be able to give you an opinion, after all.¡± Charles nodded with a sarcastic look on his face. ¡°I guess so. It¡¯s just ¡­¡­ There are a lot of people who want that. In their heart of hearts, they want advice that will not offend you. Advice that is convenient for them.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t reach them with vague words or words that are meant to put them in a good mood. Depending on the situation, you may have to say too much. An unreachable admonition is a waste of time. So there is no need for any discursive pretense.¡± Charles¡¯ smile deepened. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ Well, well, well.¡± I¡¯m sure they¡¯re going to find out if these words are true or false. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s saying that in a way. I¡¯ll tell the teacher, too, just in case. ¡°The teacher has known me for a long time, so I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind. It¡¯s an important point ¡­¡­ As long as women are not involved, insight can be expected.¡± The teacher¡¯s cheek twitched. ¡°Hey, kiddo ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sir Rossi is not a man to be shy. But since I¡¯m giving the orders, I can control the backlash around me. No matter how you put it.¡± Charles nodded with some admiration. Do you really care that much? As I thought, you¡¯re not sixteen.¡± I¡¯ve gotten used to it. I definitely need someone to remonstrate with me. I have no illusions about my own judgment. Even Taejong Lee Seomin wanted a vassal who would give him advice. Not me, anyway. Admonition is painful to hear, but it is necessary to cool your head. There are not many people who have the ability to cool themselves down. CH 52 We arrived at the proposed development site. The location is similar to that of London. It¡¯s not an island, though. We¡¯ll have the Knights survey the area first. Some of my people are surveying the depth of the bay and harbor. We¡¯re going to build a port in the future. So this is important data for that. I want to survey the area and update the maps as much as possible before the engineers arrive. The map is quite old because it¡¯s an unpopulated area. Accurate information is essential for future development. There are not many plains, and the forests spread out quickly. We can expect attacks from the locals, so we¡¯ll have the knights guarding the area as we cut down the forest. "" There¡¯s a lot to do, and I¡¯m the only one who can give total instructions. I¡¯d like to throw out the work I can. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô We had a tent set up as a temporary development headquarters. I asked the teacher to come over. The teacher looked uncomfortable. I¡¯m sure he thinks it¡¯s a bad idea. He¡¯s correct. ¡°Sir. I need you to lead the bathymetric survey of the bay.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you can do magic. If there¡¯s an accident during the depth survey, you¡¯ll be able to rescue them quickly. I also need you to recruit people with fishing experience to help me prepare for fishing.¡± ¡°O-Okay ¡­¡­¡± ¡°We need to secure food, after all. So please arrange to have all the seafood we catch shipped to us by boat.¡± The teacher looked a little dubious. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the town is going to be built a little bit later, though?¡± I¡¯ve already explained the plans. This is within the town limits, but not the center. ¡°First, we¡¯ll build a camp here, along the river. The town will be built on flat land that we¡¯ve cultivated, so we¡¯ll hold off until the engineers arrive.¡± The teacher became alarmed. He backed away bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m telling you!!! I will not be building a camp!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to Sir Melchiorri to lead. Sir Rossi is on a perimeter survey, after all.¡± ¡°Are you going to make the camp the base for the time being?¡± ¡°Yes. Tents at first. I want to make a hut for the women and children first. Time is money, so please work hard.¡± The teacher¡¯s face became expressionless. ¡°What is ¡­¡­ an advisor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a handyman.¡± The teacher mumbled with a resentful look in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to come ¡­¡­¡± I pretend not to hear him. After a while, he seemed to give up. He recruited people who could fish and headed for the bay. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next step was to get Robert to come over. ¡°Sir Melchiorri. Please set up the quarters like this.¡± I gave him the blueprints of the camp that I had made beforehand. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The knight had no idea about the concept of a camp, although he had set up tents, so he was puzzled. I explained the reasoning behind it all, and he agreed. I explained the procedure to him while we were on the move, so he started moving right away. This would not have been possible if I hadn¡¯t persuaded Charles and convinced him. Motivation is important, you know. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô This time we had two large ships. More than half of the Knights are on another ship. They put me on the same boat as the other lords. Of course, there¡¯s a reason for that. To divide the work into different departments and choose leaders from the people. I talked to all of them on the ship and assessed their aptitude. The jobs would be divided into agriculture, civil engineering, hunting supervisors, fishing and bathymetry, and port systems. The leaders would be the managers of each. There are not many of us now, so it doesn¡¯t mean much. It will become meaningful as soon as the rest arrive. There will also be one leader from the commoner class. The commoners are commoners and have their own little group. And there are so many of them, so I can choose a leader from them. As they gain confidence, they can expand the scope of their management. I selected a leader to take care of the women while the men are out working. (T/N: Commoner should be poor people here, but I think it¡¯s too direct so I changed to Commoner instead.) I decided to make a quick decision so that I could just throw the job to them. "" The women will be in charge of cooking and setting up the tents at the camp for now. As for the children, they will be playing for the time being, as long as they don¡¯t go far. There is also the possibility of delegating work to them ¡­¡­ We have just established a new organization, and everyone is still in the dark. Therefore, I want to exclude uncertainties like children. The roles are roughly as follows. This is just the first tentative list, but it will be the starting point for future organization. Lord ¡­¡­ me Advisor¡­¡­Fabio Visconti Military Officer¡­¡­Charles Rossi Deputy of Military Service ¡­¡­ Roberto Melchiorri (Deputy of Military Affairs) Agriculture and Forestry Officer¡­¡­ Umberto Orengo (administrator of agriculture, civil works and, hunting) Fisheries Officer ¡­¡­ Joseph Paoli (fisheries, bathymetry, and harbor system manager) Civilian Officer ¡­¡­ Rabo Villani (representative of the commoners, no pejorative job titles, so I went with a safe name. In the future, he will be in charge of all the people in the territory.) Civil Deputy ¡­¡­ Emanuela Villani (leader of the women who oversee the absenteeism, the scope of her position is unclear, so she uses ¡°Deputy¡± to cover it up) I was dazzled by the idea of the citizens and commoners being called officials, but I pushed through. If we don¡¯t divide up the work, I¡¯ll die. I¡¯m going to take Jules with me to inspect the work in each area. If there were any problems, we would deal with them on the spot. I¡¯m fumbling around, so I¡¯m flooded with questions. I have no time at all. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô As I was doing my dizzying work, before I knew it, it was evening. And then it was time to eat. After the meal, we gather the representatives to the temporary development headquarters. There, we checked on the status of the work and any problems. Before my reincarnation, I hated meetings. Because they wasted so much time and were meaningless. But here, I had to do it. If I¡¯m going to do this, I need to set a complete goal. So I decided to start by explaining the significance of the meeting. ¡°The development of the Ravenna region would begin today. Each of you will report on the status of today¡¯s work. If you have any problems or requests, please report them to me as well. Let¡¯s start with the advisor.¡± The teacher nodded and looked at the paper at hand. ¡°The depth of the water is quite deep. It looks like it can withstand a large ship up to a certain level. We¡¯ve only seen part of it, so there may be a point where it runs aground somewhere. We¡¯ll continue our investigation.¡± I write down the water depth on the map I gave them beforehand. The map was a large one that included the entire bay. If there are any shallow areas, they are to be noted individually. ¡°I won¡¯t go into the details of fishing here, as the fisheries officer will explain it for me. Next, I would love to have a drink. That¡¯s all.¡± There was laughter from the attendees. ¡°For the liquor ¡­¡­ Please get permission from the civil deputy. Then, Sir Rossi, Military Officer.¡± Charles folded his arms and nodded. ¡°We have a good grasp of the terrain in the immediate area. It¡¯s hard to go far without more power. We have searched the surrounding area and the nearest local settlement seems to be the beastmen. I¡¯ve only found a beastman once. For the time being, let¡¯s take care of the guards and update the map as much as we can. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°And now, Sir Melchiorri, Deputy of Military Service.¡± Robert straightened up and looked around at the group. ¡°The camp has been set up, but it is still only tents. The building for women and children will begin tomorrow. But the logging and lumbering has only just begun. There is ¡­¡­ a big possibility that we will run out of after tomorrow. Depending on the situation, we may send more people to cut and saw timber. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Now, Mr. Orengo, the Agriculture and Forestry Officer.¡± Umberto was getting nervous. ¡°Ah, yes. We¡¯ve only just begun, so¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t be so rigid. And I¡¯m not going to make demands that are impossible to fulfill. I¡¯m not going to punish you for reporting it.¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ Yes. Logging and cultivating the land are our top priorities right now. We don¡¯t have the time to do lumbering and farming. That¡¯s all.¡± I need to choose my words as gently as possible. ¡°If I need to make specific progress, I¡¯ll specify when and how much.¡± I¡¯ll have to reiterate that. ¡°I think of ourselves as friends who are trying to build a town. It¡¯s not ready yet, but you are our citizens. You¡¯re not slaves or anything. Now, Mr. Paoli, the fisheries officer.¡± The representatives of the people and the commoner were frozen in place, their eyes wide open. But they seemed to have lost some of their stiffness. Joseph seems to have calmed down a bit. ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ yes. We have not yet found the fishing grounds, so we will continue our investigation tomorrow. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°And now, Mr. Villani.¡± Rabo was ticking over. It was impossible to tell them not to get stiff. The son of a great aristocrat and a commoner are seated at the same table, after all. ¡°A-Ah, yes.¡± One step back ¡­¡­. Do it patiently. ¡°Please continue.¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ So far, we¡¯ve been well fed and there are no problems. I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re still shorthanded.¡± ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ the shortage is my responsibility. It¡¯s not your responsibility. Please continue to coordinate until the next manpower arrives. Now, Mrs. Villani, the civil deputy.¡± Emanuela was also a little nervous, but she looked calm. A woman has a lot more guts in a situation like this. ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ yes. We have enough food savings for now. We just need you to decide clearly where to wash and where to defecate.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. Then we¡¯ll decide tomorrow.¡± ¡°And ¡­¡­ As for alcohol, I don¡¯t know how much you all drink. So I don¡¯t know what to say ¡­¡­¡± I got a faraway look in my eyes as I remembered my past ordeal. ¡°You¡¯re right. They¡¯ll drink as much as I can find, after all. Teacher. Based on our current savings and the number of days until the next supply arrives ¡­¡­ Please calculate the amount of alcohol per person.¡± ¡°H-Hey.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t serve alcohol until then.¡± The doctor started to get really impatient. ¡°Heeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyy! I-I get it ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll make it a top priority.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t delay the work I asked you to do today.¡± ¡°What are you, a demon!!¡± I¡¯m not doing any extra work. The one who wants to drink should work hard. I won¡¯t accept any objections. Even though it was a farce, it seemed to take away some of everyone¡¯s frustration. I guess I should be happy about that. CH 53 One day, the foundation of the town was just beginning to take shape. Charles spotted me on an inspection tour and came running up to me. I thought it was something urgent, but he asked me to choose a name for the Order. ¡°The name of the Order?¡± ¡°My subordinates have asked me to name the order. I think it¡¯s a good idea, because it promotes camaraderie.¡± ¡°Then decide what you want.¡± Charles smiled sarcastically, as if he didn¡¯t like my reply. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t want my lord to be indifferent to the Order.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not indifference. That¡¯s right! Why don¡¯t we take a survey of all the inhabitants?¡± ¡°Even the children?¡± ¡°Yes. They might be able to come up with a good name. Above all, it could be Knights for All.¡± ¡°I see ¡­¡­ I understand. But, you know ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Charles looked like he was begging for a break. ¡°I don¡¯t like the name ¡°Knights of All¡±. It sounds like a simple vigilante group.¡± ¡°I, I guess it does.¡± Is it possible that they suspect me of using such a name? Charles became serious for a moment. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to you about something in the future.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your concern?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t cover this whole settlement with the number of people we have now. We¡¯ll have to increase our numbers to at least a thousand.¡± Four thousand if you include the squires. I don¡¯t envision a standing army that takes time to train, like knights. And there are indications of a permanent military force. ¡°Yeah. We will increase the number of knights to some extent. As a guideline, I¡¯d say we need about a hundredth of the total population to man the military.¡± Charles furrowed his brow. ¡°So a total population of 100,000? That¡¯s outrageous.¡± I looked at him like a naughty boy plotting a prank. ¡°In the future, we¡¯re going to give military training to the citizens so that they can defend themselves. Then we won¡¯t need a thousand knights to defend ourselves.¡± As expected, Charles was surprised. ¡°Are you insane?¡± The common sense in this world is that it is the knights¡¯ job to fight with weapons. It is common knowledge that the people of this world are not allowed to carry weapons. ¡°This is why I always say, ¡°In everyone¡¯s town, you are citizens¡±.¡± If they are just being exploited, they won¡¯t fight even if they are told to take up arms. Instead, they would rebel. But if the reason is to protect your town or your family, the conditions are different. And one more point. They can¡¯t simply use the knights to suppress the mob. The politicians need to have a sense of urgency in their operations. There are times when people rise up in unreasonable demands. In order to reduce the rate of such an uprising, I intend to create a tradition. In addition, we will involve the people in politics. Then they can achieve their goals by means other than rioting. Who would want to resort to violence? Some people do, but only if they are not overlooked by the political side. Communism, leftists, liberals, etc., tend to be violent revolutionaries. They are the ones who enjoy freedom only for themselves and do not allow any freedom to those who oppose them. They tend to resort to violence and intimidation. Fortunately, this world is still in the Middle Ages and there is no capitalism. Even if a guy like Marx or Lenin is born ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a long time coming. We don¡¯t need to take that much into account now. ¡°Hmmm. Hmm¡­ I guess existing common sense doesn¡¯t apply to Lord Alfred. I see, so it¡¯s a new frontier ¡­ That¡¯s a deep aim.¡± I nodded to Charles like a teacher. ¡°It¡¯s a new land with no tradition. So you can get out of the way and leave the existing common sense behind. Also, I¡¯m sixteen!¡± Charles didn¡¯t hide his astonished face when I reminded him. ¡°You¡¯re so particular ¡­¡­¡± You¡¯re obsessed! ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Later, the questionnaires that had been gathered were to be carefully examined at the usual development headquarters. ¡°What is this Alfred Order?¡± I asked unintentionally. Charles looked at me as if it was obvious. ¡°It was named in honor of Lord Alfred, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Rejected. What would you do if there was another Mr. Alfred?¡± Please don¡¯t make my name a permanent number. ¡°What is the Order of the 160?¡±¡± Charles winked at me. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s your actual age, my lord.¡± I¡¯m sixteen! ¡°Rejected. What are you going to do when I turn seventeen?¡± Are you going to change the name every year? ¡°The Knights of the Frontier? Also rejected. We¡¯ll make this the center of the world.¡± For some reason, everyone started laughing. Charles looked strangely impressed. ¡°For the first time, the lord said something that sounded like a sixteen-year-old.¡± That¡¯s none of your business. ¡°The Most Powerful Knights Order? What is the strongest compared to? ¡­¡­ Rejected. The New Knight Order? Rejected because it would be a little embarrassing in a hundred years.¡± Charles now had a look of disgust on his face. ¡°Alfred-sama. That¡¯s quite ¡­¡­ selfish of you.¡± There are no good ones! But then a piece of paper caught my eye. ¡°The Knights of Ravenna?¡± Charles¡¯ face looks like he remembered me of something. ¡°That¡¯s the name of the place here, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be enough?¡± The teacher furrowed his brow. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too simplistic?¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t we call it the Order of the Virgin?¡± The teacher pointed at me. ¡°What are you, the Mourning Woman Silvana!¡± Charles shook his head at the farcical exchange. ¡°I¡¯m not that inexperienced, though. Well ¡­¡­ I think Knights of Ravenna are a good idea. It¡¯s quite simple, but as it accumulates more achievements, it¡¯ll become less simple.¡± I was getting pretty tired of this, so I nodded silently. CH 54 The second batch, including the engineers we had been waiting for, arrived two months later. There were 60 people in 12 common families, though the number had increased somewhat. There were about 100 ordinary citizens. There were 32 engineers, led by Ludvig. After all, the lack of jobs due to the apostolic recession seemed to be a serious problem. It seems that many of them jumped at the chance. It was better than not being able to eat, even in an uncivilized frontier. The other thing that seemed to have a big effect was that they heard that we were going to start something new. There was also a thick letter from Kiara that was about 70 pages long ¡­¡­ I forgot about the letter and greeted Ludvig. ¡°Sir Ludvig, I¡¯ve been waiting for you. I¡¯ll get right to it ¡­¡­ I¡¯d like you to start building based on the plans for the city that I gave you.¡± I¡¯ve given Kiara the rough plans. I had asked her to explain it to a group of engineers in advance. It was a hippodamus-style city plan in the shape of a grid. With the public buildings at the core, each of us would build our own houses and stores around them. I can¡¯t be in charge of everything, you know. So the houses I provide will be the bare minimum. If you want a nice house later on, you can build it yourself. Ludvig nodded vigorously. I appreciate that you are full of motivation. If you don¡¯t have the motivation, you¡¯ll either fall flat on your face or cut corners. It¡¯s my job to make sure they have it. ¡°You¡¯ll draw water from the mountain source and sewage was underground, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And then there¡¯s the lord¡¯s mansion, top priority!¡± What are you talking about? We haven¡¯t even finished the other buildings yet ¡­¡­ ¡°You can do it later. I don¡¯t mind living in a tent.¡± ¡°No! My brother Mario begged me ¡­¡­ Build the mansion first, he said. I think it has something to do with the fact that he was so skinny that he looked like a different person. If we dress together because of that, he¡¯ll look no different than me. That doesn¡¯t make me feel good.¡± Kiara ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s not get carried away. ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s start with the bare minimum ¡­¡­. Prioritize water supply, public bathrooms, and barracks as much as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. So, the concrete material, is it upstream from this river?¡± ¡°Yes. So we need a road to connect the mining site upstream with this town. It can be transported by ship, but ¡­¡­ We don¡¯t have the technology for water transportation yet. As a town, the mining site also needs to be developed at the very least.¡± If it was originally a volcano, If we¡¯re lucky, there will be hot springs. ¡°There are so many things we want to do, but we don¡¯t have enough manpower. We¡¯ll get to that in due course ¡­¡­ The dwarves you¡¯re looking for are easy to come by in this economy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. How many people do you think will be able to come?¡± Ludvig¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°To be honest, when they heard that you were going to build a town from scratch, they were very interested.¡± Did he dodge the question? No, he didn¡¯t. I know you¡¯re not trying to change the subject, but ¡­¡­ ¡°So how many?¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ It¡¯s about 40 people. I asked Miss Kiara if it was okay to have so many people. She said, ¡°Well, if it¡¯s brother, the more the merrier¡±, and gave her permission.¡± Dwarves are basically loners with a craftsman¡¯s temperament. That¡¯s 40 people. It¡¯s reassuring, but we have to be careful so it doesn¡¯t cause any trouble. More is not always better. ¡°It¡¯s that many, huh.¡± Kiara ¡­¡­ There are limits to what you should do ¡­¡­ To ask for more and more, I¡¯m not Han Xin, you know. If I don¡¯t call her soon, she¡¯ll definitely send more. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what she meant. Ludvig scratched his head a little apologetically. ¡°The next flight and the one after that will arrive here. Miss Kiara will arrange for additional food.¡± It¡¯s not your fault. So there¡¯s no need to be sorry. ¡°I understand.¡± Ludvig seemed almost relieved that I was so easily convinced. ¡°And ¡­¡­ There¡¯s something I¡¯d really like to ask you.¡± ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°To the letter from Miss Kiara! Definitely! Write back! And send it to me! That¡¯s what Mario is begging me to do.¡± Oh no. I¡¯ve been sending letters every time I transport supplies. But it¡¯s like ¡­¡­ 1 page. I don¡¯t have time to write letters. While we were having this conversation, Charles came running up to me with an unusually serious expression. ¡°My lord, there¡¯s a bit of a commotion happening.¡± I knew what to expect. The situation that was to come had arrived. That¡¯s all there is to it. ¡°Is there going to be an attack?¡± When you are building a town, the locals in the forest will be on the lookout for you. It is possible that they will try to drive us away. I think they were called beastmen ¡­¡­ Charles smiled wryly. ¡°That¡¯s a good point. Recently, the beastmen¡¯s reconnaissance has become more frequent and widespread. They have been scouting our side more deeply than ever before ¡­¡­ I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll launch a night attack sometime soon after this evening.¡± Then there¡¯s only one thing for me to do. ¡°Then ¡­¡­ evacuate the residents and instruct the administration to respond. I entrust the defense, including the operation of the Knights, to you.¡± Charles looked dubious at my order. He furrows his brow. ¡°There are no detailed instructions?¡± I don¡¯t know how you can give detailed instructions in such a future assault. I¡¯ve chosen a rebellious and proud man so that I can leave him in charge of everything. I can¡¯t blame you for being skeptical because of your past experiences, though. ¡°Sir Rossi knows more about the Knights Order than I do. I¡¯m an amateur when it comes to fighting. It¡¯s not a good idea for an amateur to meddle in unnecessary matters. We don¡¯t have an administrative organization yet, so there is no problem in leaving it to us. It will only cause unnecessary damage.¡± I¡¯ve already exchanged opinions with Charles about the attack beforehand. I don¡¯t think we need to do more than that. I only need to think about not dragging Charles down. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ Are you really sure about this?¡± I didn¡¯t want to waste time with this question and answer. ¡°Then ¡­¡­ Sir Charles Rossi. I will take full responsibility. I give you supreme command over all military operations in the territory, including city defense and counterattacks.¡± Charles took in our intentions and turned serious. ¡°I respectfully accept the command. Please evacuate to a safer place, my lord. Hey! D¡¯Avorio!¡± Joule, who I sometimes forget exists because he¡¯s always behind me in silence, stepped forward. He stood erect and immobile. ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°Take care of the lord! I¡¯ll get ready to intercept.¡± ¡°Please leave it to me!¡± The way he¡¯s moving, it¡¯s like he¡¯s a knight in shining armor. Jules bowed to me in admiration. ¡°My lord, this way.¡± I was taken to the first large building that was built for women and children. It was a shelter for emergencies. Since it was for women and children, it was very sturdy. While we were moving, Jules glanced at me as if he wanted to talk about something. Basically, you can¡¯t talk to your superiors from your inferiors. I don¡¯t think I can afford to be so well-behaved in the middle of nowhere. I¡¯ll have to change this ¡­¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Delegating all command and control is ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve only heard of it in fairy tales. If it had been an apostle, there would have been many.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Most of them are partial. It¡¯s like, who¡¯s in charge of evacuating the people and who¡¯s in charge of defense. I¡¯ve never seen or heard of one person giving everything, including counterattacks, to another.¡± It¡¯s not often that we have a crisis like that. But this is the frontier. There is no guarantee of life. And we¡¯re just uninvited guests. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to give them?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a perfect apostle, you¡¯re an imperfect human, after all. I¡¯ve never seen anyone take such a drastic step.¡± Even a fool can delegate authority to a perfect person. Imperfection is a given. I just have to figure out how to recognize it. That¡¯s all I¡¯m talking about. ¡°It¡¯s better to give command to an ordinary man than to give it to two brilliant men. Above all, Sir Rossi is capable. Isn¡¯t it best to leave it to him?¡± I took Napoleon¡¯s line to heart. Jules laughed a little at my blunt words. ¡°I think he¡¯s the one who¡¯s most surprised. When he was in the service of my former lord, he was constantly interrupted and it was a disaster. When he left him in charge, he dressed up in front of others, but behind the scenes he interfered in many ways. The result was a huge failure. On top of that, the lord was disgraced.¡± It was really unusual for Jules to talk like this. Is he excited? ¡°I¡¯m not aware that I¡¯m doing anything strange, you know. I just chose the best move. If I can get a good result by interfering ¡­¡­ then of course, I won¡¯t leave it to others. Nevertheless, I have entrusted my life to Sir Rossi since the day I first recruited him.¡± ¡°How delightful that must be for a knight. I apologize. My emotions got the better of me and I ¡­¡­ spoke too much.¡± Jules was always serious and never showed his emotions. But as he spoke, he seemed to be overcome with emotion, and there was a glint in his eyes. He bowed to me again with a straight face. ¡°I can hardly contain my joy at finally meeting my lord, whom I will serve with my life.¡± That¡¯s an exaggerated expression. But he must be serious. My responsibility is getting heavier and heavier. It¡¯s not just my imagination. My stomach ¡­¡­ hurts quite a bit. CH 55 It was completely unexpected. I had always thought he was a strange young man, but I had never heard of anything so drastic. I felt uncomfortable, like I was the hero of a fairy tale. I was born into a family of knights in this region. The people around me were hoping that I would become the right hand man of the lord in the future ¡­¡­ But the lord was no good at all. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, sir.¡± Just like that, he interferes with our work from the side. He reduces the budget on the cost of security and spends it on his favorite artworks. He doesn¡¯t care about the basic operation of the Knights Order. He also cuts the budget for stupid reasons. ¡°If there¡¯s no danger, there¡¯s no point.¡± When I heard this, I was deeply disappointed. Thanks to this, even the equipment is lacking. Sometimes, when he feels like it, he comes to observe. He says observe, but ¡­¡­ He would interfere with the design of the flags at the camp. He seemed to think he was an artist. Morale was at an all-time low, and monsters were left unattended. That¡¯s not the right word. ¡°Do something.¡± That was the instruction. But when I asked for the necessary equipment, he was reluctant to provide it. There¡¯s no way we can fight monsters with our bare hands. In the end, we couldn¡¯t cope with the situation and the monsters overflowed, causing a lot of damage. The excuse he gave at that time was terrible. ¡°The Knights Order didn¡¯t tell me about the crisis. ¡° In a way, it was true. The head of the family was an idiot, and he took advantage of it to do whatever he wanted. He would say what was convenient for the head of the family and make a good impression on his subordinates. Behind the scenes, he would withhold important reports. Whenever there was a problem, he would try to protect himself. ¡°My subordinates were incompetent. They didn¡¯t understand my intentions.¡± Such excuses were made. The foolish family head would believe him and tell everyone around him. ¡°My family¡¯s knights order is unworthy.¡± In a sense, it was a hell on earth. When my rank was changed after a major failure, I had a toast with my men. However, it is also true that because of this, I lost a subordinate who did not have to die. I thought about quitting as a knight, but ¡­¡­. If I quit, my subordinate would be in the line of fire. They are very clumsy and earnest people. I couldn¡¯t just abandon them. The Della Scala family has been transferred to clean up the mess. They are a great aristocratic family and have a good knightly order. But thanks to the previous lord, who spread a lot of bad news ¡­¡­ The impression of this place was also the worst. They weren¡¯t believing the bad reputation as it was, but it was natural that there was a distance between us. With each passing month, the gap grew wider. During these tedious and unpleasant days, rumors about the development of unclaimed territory became the main topic of conversation. No one would want to go to such an uncivilized frontier. It¡¯s none of our business anyway, or so I thought. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô But one day, I was summoned by Sir Edmund Rustico, the Knight Commander. I thought I was finally going to be fired, but there was nothing I could do about it. I¡¯m fine with it, but I don¡¯t feel good about my men being disappointed. ¡°What can I do for you, sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Sir Rossi is aware of our plans to develop the frontier.¡± Apparently, I¡¯m not fired. ¡°I heard about them even if I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Sir Rossi has been nominated as the head of the Knights Order.¡± I thought he was joking, but Sir Rustico kept a straight face. ¡°It seems that you have not ¡­¡­ developed a taste for jokes. Who¡¯s the curious one in charge of it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lord Alfred¡± Ah ¡­¡­ that third son, the freak. ¡°I¡¯m surprised the young master would appoint someone like me.¡± Sir Rustico nodded quietly. ¡°Yeah. To be precise, ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a mainstream knight, but a knight who has the trust of his men¡±. Who else would it be but you?¡± I snickered. I¡¯ve never heard of him as a vile person, but he is the son of a great aristocrat. This kind of person wants to look good as long as they can look good. He would easily show his true colors if faced with a crisis. ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s trying to create an alibi by selecting a cold-blooded eater. He¡¯ll have an excuse if we fail, after all.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sound rude. But if I have to go along with the third son¡¯s hobby, I should be able to say something like that. I¡¯ll be risking my life, you know. Sir Rustico, however, was not angry and smiled. ¡°No ¡­¡­ It seems that he really intends to succeed. Just so you know, if you think he¡¯s just a 16-year-old boy, you¡¯re going to be embarrassed.¡± So it would make this hero of war embarrassed, It made me a little curious. ¡°Ho ¡­¡­ I guess he¡¯s a little more articulate. I¡¯m sure a sixteen-year-old will have a lot of enthusiasm for idealism.¡± Sir Rustico¡¯s smile deepened at my sarcasm. ¡°You¡¯ll see. It¡¯s not the insight of a sixteen-year-old. It is better not to underestimate him as a child. I am ashamed to admit that I underestimated him as well.¡± ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­ As long as I don¡¯t think he¡¯s sixteen, I shouldn¡¯t have any problems.¡± It seems like Sir Rustico liked the third son quite a lot, and he leaned forward. ¡°No, that¡¯s not enough. You have more vision than we do, and a greater capacity. You should see him anyway.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. All right, let¡¯s meet him and find out.¡± Sir Rustico made a mischievous expression that he rarely made. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mean to be rude. He seems like a different creature.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to that.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô To be honest, I underestimated him. I tried provoking him, but he doesn¡¯t care at all. Every time, my intentions are thwarted. And I thought I might be fine to expect a little from him. At least, it¡¯s better than staying like this. After the meeting, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. That thing definitely looks like another creature. Speaking of another creature, the apostles. But that¡¯s just a child innocently wielding a powerful force. Nothing more, nothing less. The other creature that had become our master was surprising me to no end. When it was time to leave, he asked me to admonish him. There are plenty of people who pretend to be ¡°¡­¡­ a big boss who likes to be admonished by his subordinates.¡± Rather, most of the people who want to listen to your admonition do so. In fact, they get grumpy when they do. Such a person will say on his face, ¡°I want you to admonish me. But don¡¯t do it in a way that offends me¡±, is written on his face. Most of them are jerks who only pretend to listen to me. This kid is different. He is speaking from his heart. He really seems to be a different creature. People make fun of him for being 160 years old, but It¡¯s also true that it¡¯s just right when you look at it like that. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô And this time, he threw the defense to me. I¡¯m sure he knows that his life is in danger. And yet, there is no hesitation at all. I couldn¡¯t understand how he can trust me so far. For the first time since I became a knight, I felt a rush of emotion. What is the true standard of evaluation for a knight? Loyalty? Ability? No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s whether the lord trusts you with his life. That¡¯s it. No other words are needed. A thousand rhetorical flourishes, a thousand gold rewards, none of it is worth it. It¡¯s unusual of me, but it made me heat up. But if I can¡¯t protect this kid ¡­¡­ The meaning of my life up to this point will have been nothing at all. That¡¯s what I thought. CH 56 Robert, my assistant, unfolds a map of the city. ¡°Sir Rossi, where should we stop the attack?¡± ¡°The beastmen are physically strong and have good night vision. There¡¯s no need to fight them where they have the advantage. We will intercept them inside the fence.¡± Robert seemed to agree with me. He nodded vigorously. When it comes to defense, Robert has good judgment and decisiveness. I felt ashamed because I had not had the opportunity to make use of it until now. I felt that he would be able to develop his talents here. I feel that way. ¡°Which fence should we intercept them?¡± ¡°Upstream, I guess. If I want to launch a night attack, I would start from there. In addition to the darkness of the night, the hills make it difficult to distinguish.¡± ¡°Shall we fortify our defenses then?¡± If possible, a short battle would be better. The rest of the knights are just a mishmash of people. Panic is easily contagious. It¡¯s not good if the non-combatants get cold feet and want to leave. The development plan would suddenly hit a snag. Since I¡¯m in charge of everything, I would be expected to take this into consideration. At the very least, or I can¡¯t face that feudal lord ¡­¡­ No, my lord with pride. ¡°No. Let¡¯s make it look like we¡¯re short of hand. Let them think we believe the attack will come in a few days.¡± ¡°What do we do if they flood in?¡± ¡°Robert, you take the inside defense. I¡¯ll lead a small detachment to the back of the assault team.¡± It was the first time in a long time that Robert had been in a real battle, and he looked a little nervous. ¡°Do you want me to break through the fence first?¡± ¡°I think so. I¡¯m sure they know our turnover time from reconnaissance. We¡¯ll set fire to some facility downstream to create a diversion. They¡¯ll turn their attention downstream and then set it off.¡± ¡°What about the fire?¡± Being in charge of everything means that I have to pay attention to every aspect. That¡¯s a lot of work. However ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a lot of fun. ¡°You can do at least the minimum of it. Make it look like you¡¯re in a panic.¡± ¡°What about the defense on the fence side?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll set up a barricade on the inside of the fence, and when the enemy sneaks in, we¡¯ll light a bonfire all at once. Then turn them into hedgehogs with bows and arrows. Once they see that their surprise attack has been detected, they will retreat.¡± Robert shrugged his shoulders dubiously. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that smart, though? They¡¯re uncivilized locals, you know.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the mention of a question I¡¯d had a while ago. ¡°They have the ability to think things through. If we cause unnecessary damage, the ones living further in will attack us. Their goal is to drive us away. "" ¡°Is that how it is?¡± That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ve been saying. This is the same thing I said when I was discussing the raid with my lord. ¡°You can¡¯t dissolve a stereotype easily, so it¡¯s called a stereotype. It¡¯s so hard that you can¡¯t help but lean on it. It¡¯s fine If it is based on objective evidence. Stereotypes based on mere assumptions and prejudices are ¡­¡­ nothing but a hindrance. If I were trapped in them, I wouldn¡¯t nominate Sir Rossi.¡± Shamefully, I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. ¡°Hey, Robert. Think about our lord. Did you know in the rumor stage that he was such a big man?¡± Robert must have understood just from these words. The expression on his face turned serious. ¡°Ha!¡¡It¡¯s true that we should not underestimate them.¡± ¡°The Lord has entrusted us with his life. Don¡¯t you want to prove that you deserve it? Also, they think humans are cunning. And they think that humans are cunning. In addition, he knows that the beastmen are foolish inside. So they must think that we¡¯ll try to outsmart them.¡± Robert nodded with a strange look of admiration. ¡°It¡¯s as if he¡¯s seen it all before.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, that¡¯s what my lord told me when we talked about advance defense. He said that¡¯s what the locals would think.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Lord 160-year-old for you. How do you think he have so much wisdom?¡± That¡¯s exactly what I said. The answer from the lord was quite natural, if you ask me. At that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine as I was reminded of the horror of stereotypes. Even I, who had been foolish enough to think that stereotypes were silly, had been caught unaware. ¡°He said that if he was stupid, he wouldn¡¯t have sent out scouts to carefully check the situation.¡± Roberto let out a small sigh. The logic was so simple that it could not be refuted. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll correct it to something like 1,600 years old.¡± At least it¡¯s not the idea of a sixteen-year-old. ¡°It could go much further. Just get ready. Hurry up.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô At midnight, as expected, a fire broke out downwind. A few of us acted in a panic and went to put out the fire. I¡¯m moving before the night is over. I led a small group of people and stayed out of sight. I even camouflaged myself with mud so that no one would be able to smell me. In addition, I¡¯m wearing light armor instead of my usual armor. This is another example of his wisdom. Normal knights don¡¯t dismount, and they don¡¯t do so out of respect for their honor. But we want results. That is the way to live up to his trust. Sure enough, there¡¯s a commotion in the town. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I whisper a signal to my men. We rushed out to get behind the confused beastmen. The result was nothing short of spectacular. In the first place, they didn¡¯t think that their surprise attack would be detected, but they were pinned down from behind. The attacking force consisted of about 80 men. We took out 30 of them, and when about 20 were seriously wounded, we advised them to surrender. I also assured them that they would be treated with honor as warriors. The enemy seemed to be surprised by the surrender order and its contents. The game was already decided. It would be foolish to try to annihilate them, only to have them bite the cat and cause more unnecessary damage. There were no deaths on our side, but six people were slightly injured and two were seriously injured. It was an exchange of lives. As long as it¡¯s not an apostle, there¡¯s no such thing as zero damage. I think ¡­¡­ we should call it a good job. In order to avoid confusion for the time being, those who surrendered were captured. The injured were treated while being monitored. The dead will be treated after the situation has lighten up. I came to report to my lord, but he was asleep ¡­¡­ It¡¯s hard to judge whether he¡¯s a big man or a dunce ¡­¡­ CH 57 Charles was able to successfully defend the place. It can¡¯t be helped that someone got hurt. It¡¯s a matter of life and death, after all. I¡¯ve instructed them to prioritize the construction of a hospital to treat the seriously injured knights. I¡¯ll ask Kiara regarding the doctor. The next day, we went to take a look at the prisoners. The leader of the raiding party was apparently named Oracio Elora. His hands were tied with ropes. Even so, he kept his back straight. Even though he was defeated, he was not sneering. I like that attitude a lot. There are some things that are important in order to persuade them. You have to be very careful not to insult your opponent. He surrendered because he wanted to use his life to save his men. If he¡¯s willing to die, we can only persuade him steadily. Oracio was quiet, as if he had given up. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ So your raid failed. It is inevitable that you will be targeted when your strength is reduced. Aren¡¯t you going to be attacked by the tribes in the back?¡± He remained silent. I had to keep talking. ¡°If this continues, your village will be wiped out.¡± Oracio glared at me. ¡°What do you mean! Do you want to turn us into slaves? Was the honorable treatment of warriors a lie, after all? I¡¯d rather die than be a slave!¡± ¡°There is no lie in honorable treatment. What do you think? I have a suggestion for you. I will not enslave you.¡± He stopped glaring at me, but his face remained suspicious. I tried to keep my tone light, like I was inviting a friend. ¡°Why don¡¯t you all move to our city? And we will welcome you as citizens, without hierarchy. In other words, I promise to welcome you as my equal.¡± Shiiiiiiiiin. (T/N: Since I¡¯m not good at onomatopoeia, I don¡¯t know how to translate this part, so I can only write what it says.) Everyone but me stiffened up. I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m doing something out of the norm in this world. I cleared my throat and changed my expression. ¡°What do you think? More bloodshed is pointless. Besides, you won¡¯t be wiped out.¡± Oracio still looked skeptical. But his hostile attitude had softened slightly. ¡°We attacked you. So why would you say such a thing? It¡¯s as if nothing happened.¡± My premise is peculiar to begin with. I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°You probably felt threatened by our presence and attacked us. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. That what I think. That¡¯s why I proposed that we join forces.¡± The right to self-defense would be granted to anyone. Oracio is rigid. I¡¯d say his mind is completely blank. Let¡¯s bring him back to reality. ¡°What do you think?¡± Oracio shakes his head, confused. ¡°It¡¯s too good of a proposal. I don¡¯t believe it ¡­¡­¡± He doesn¡¯t doubt it off the top of his head, but ¡­¡­ He seemed to be hesitating. "" I go into persuasion mode to break the doubt. I¡¯ve been doing this for a while now, but I¡¯ll be in this mode for a while. ¡°Actually, there are some advantages for us.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°First of all, we¡¯re short on labor. If we can get you to join us, we can increase our labor force. And we don¡¯t know the area. We will become familiar with the geography of your sphere of influence. Finally, there is the most pressing issue. If we wipe you out, the other tribes will see us as a threat. We can¡¯t afford to have them attack us in unison. If you join us, the other tribes won¡¯t necessarily see us as enemies, will they?¡± Oracio was still confused. He had never imagined such a condition, and he couldn¡¯t get his head around it. The only thing I can do is talk about feelings. He nodded his head a little, then raised his head. He looked at me curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate us?¡± That¡¯s not important to me. ¡°No, not really. As I said, you did what you had to do. We just went against it. We both did what was natural. You don¡¯t need to exercise the rights of a victor when victory or defeat has been decided. We didn¡¯t come here as conquerors. There¡¯s no end of it if you hate the person you fought.¡± We don¡¯t want to bully the losers after we¡¯ve won. This idea seemed to be easy for Oracio to understand. He looked at me with serious eyes, then nodded as if he had made up his mind. ¡°I can¡¯t decide on my own. I have to go back to my village and consult with the elders.¡± I guess I persuaded him well. There was no reason to refuse. ¡°We¡¯ll let you go, so I¡¯ll count on you that you¡¯ll persuade them.¡± ¡°In return, you must ensure the safety of the rest of those who¡¯ll stay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of course. I will guarantee it in the name of Alfred Della Scala. We will also treat the wounded.¡± Oracio seemed to be trying to determine what kind of person I was. He has a serious but probing look on his face. ¡°We have our own way of mourning the dead. I hope you can permit it.¡± ¡°What kind of method? It is not advisable to leave a corpse unattended for too long, you know.¡± Oracio nodded with a straight face. ¡°We cremate the body and put the ashes in an urn to mourn.¡± It¡¯s not so different from Japan. In human society, burial is the norm. ¡°So we should cremate the body and put the ashes in an urn?¡± Oracio shook his head. ¡°The urn has to be made by the same family. If you put the ashes in a different jar even once, the soul will get lost and stray from the path.¡± A peculiar custom. We need to respect them as much as possible. If we make a mistake here, it will only lead to more bloodshed in development. ¡°So we should allow them to start making pots? Then ¡­¡­ I guess it has to be the same family that puts the ashes in the jar. Then ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll leave all the funerals to the POWs. Do it in a way that makes sense to you. If you need the necessary labor, we will help you. Regardless of the success or failure of your persuasion.¡± Oracio¡¯s eyes widen. ¡®Yes, but ¡­¡­ You¡¯ll allow it?¡± I gave him a serious look and nodded. If a tribe¡¯s customs are not against the law, it¡¯s only natural to respect them. They bring their own customs and live together. I¡¯m not so great as to deny the customs of their tribe. We can¡¯t give them the benefits they deserve. ¡°Yes. If it brings you peace of mind. I promised to treat you with the honor befitting a warrior.¡± Oracio was looking at me with serious eyes. He bowed deeply to me. "" ¡°I thank you. There seems to be no mistaking your words of honorable treatment. I¡¯ll be honest with you ¡­¡­ I never thought there would be a human like you. I¡¯d heard that they only looked down on us and made fun of us. I¡¯m surprised ¡­¡­ that you would call the treatment of our dead friends a funeral.¡± I¡¯m out If I use the wrong words, after all. I was very careful in my wording. Everyone but me said it in unison. ¡°Our lord is special.¡± Oracio seemed convinced that my attitude was not an act. Let¡¯s ignore the labeling of my men. ¡°I will untie your rope. Do you need any food before you return to your village?¡± ¡°I can make it if I get just enough for one day. The people in my village are probably worried about us. So I want to get back as quickly as possible¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s have someone who is not injured mourn the dead. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll just have to keep an eye on them.¡± Oracio nodded. ¡°That¡¯s as it should be. When I return, I will persuade the tribe even if cost me my life.¡± ¡°It would be a great help to me if you do so.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The teacher¡¯s face turned pale in astonishment as he watched Oracio breeze away. ¡°Kiddo, do you ¡­¡­ have a disease that will kill you if you don¡¯t surprise everyone?¡± What an unwanted label. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s rational?¡± The teacher shakes his head. ¡°No ¡­¡­ No one would ever imagine such a thing. You may say you are equal to the beastmen, but most people look down on them. The only ones who are completely equal are adventurers.¡± ¡°Then get used to it. We¡¯ll be going this way forever. We will not eliminate or oppress the defeated, but assimilate them ¡­¡­. That is how we will succeed in developing Ravenna Region.¡± Charles bowed in a theatrical manner. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter which path you take. The Knights of Ravenna is only loyal to the lord.¡± I don¡¯t like this kind of atmosphere. But rejecting it is only a negative thing. I could only scratch my head and chuckle. ¡°The first thing to do is to treat the wounded. Then help with the dead¡¯s funeral.¡± There¡¯s a lot of work to do. I can¡¯t guarantee the volume of my letters to Kiara with this. Forgive me, Mario. Think of it as a diet. I mean, it¡¯s a merit thing. Yeah. I¡¯m doing a good thing. CH 58 With the appalled people around me on either side, I would go say develop the town, but ¡­ Repairing facilities that were burned and damaged in the battle. In other words, repair the damaged infrastructure. Since it is after the battle, even for a short period of time, rest for the knights should be the top priority. Those that needed escorting, such as inspections, were kept to a minimum. For several days after the raid, we were busy coordinating around it. If this was a game, we could have gone straight back out again, but ¡­¡­ we¡¯re only people. Once you¡¯ve experienced something extraordinary, it often takes a while to get back to normal. Charles¡¯s men were cold-hearted. So it must have been quite a while since they had been in a real battle. Once they got used to it, they would be able to shorten their time in this area. But we need to be careful and considerate at first. Other than that, I¡¯d like to keep myself busy. We are still in the process of building the governance structure. There are still many matters that require my approval. In the midst of all this, I¡¯m thinking about the contents of the letter I¡¯m going to reply to Kiara. Hmmmmmmmm¡­ I scratch my head. The topic of the letter will not increase if I do that. I write down the structure of the letter in bullet points. I need a doctor. The natives attacked. Repulsed them. I made a friend. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be my friends, but I think it¡¯ll be okay. How should I expand the story from now on? As I pondered this, Jules, my bodyguard, gave me an exasperated look. ¡°My lord. You¡¯re incredibly wise, but ¡­¡­ you¡¯re so bothered by a single letter?¡± You don¡¯t get it, do you? I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°One wrong move and this could be a disaster ¡­¡­¡± One match can start a fire. One letter is a recipe for disaster. You are too ignorant of the dangers of Kiara. Jules cleared his throat and changed his expression. ¡°But I am relieved to see something human-like from my lord.¡± Am I not recognized as a human being? ¡°I¡¯m human, and I¡¯m only sixteen years old.¡± He laughed and shook his head. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô As I was pondering, Charles came in with a bottle of wine in his hand. ¡°I thought I gave you strict orders to take the day off, Sir Rossi?¡± Charles raised the bottle and winked at me. ¡°I am resting, my lord. Shouldn¡¯t you be the one resting?¡± ¡°I want to rest. But I need to think of a plan for when the beastmen join us.¡± Charles took a sip of his drink. ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± "" ¡°A series of administrative blunders the moment you move over here will have repercussions later on. It¡¯s not good for governance, you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°So ¡­¡­ why is Sir Rossi here?¡± Charles made a pretentious gesture. ¡°I have nowhere to go, and I have no girl to hit on. So I came here to pass the time.¡± So I¡¯m just someone to kill time on. ¡°Oh, a woman ¡­¡­ However, it¡¯s still too early to call a hooker.¡± ¡°No, my lord. I don¡¯t really care about prostitutes. When the town grows, people will come to settle in. I¡¯ll enjoy it then.¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s fine for Sir Rossi ¡­¡­ will it be fine for your men?¡± Charles and Jules looked at each other for a moment. They laughed at me immediately afterwards. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone ask a knight if they want a prostitute.¡± ¡°Knights are human beings, too. It¡¯s not something you can just ignore. It¡¯s one of the three major human needs, after all.¡± Charles and Jules looked at me in astonishment and then sighed. ¡± ¡°Says the person who doesn¡¯t seem to have that need?¡± ¡° I was hammered. No, no, no, ¡­¡­ I have it too. But I just don¡¯t have the time to express that desire. ¡°I can¡¯t ask Kiara to arrange for a prostitute, indeed.¡± Charles chuckled. ¡°The merchants will come on their own when the city develops. I¡¯m sure we can talk about it then.¡± While they were talking about such unproductive matters, the teacher came in. ¡°Hey, kiddo. The werewolf you¡¯ve been waiting for is back.¡± ¡°Ohh, shall we go see him then?¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When the four men went outside, they found Oracio, the werewolf. ¡°How are the results, Sir Oracio?¡± Oracio bowed to me. ¡°Please take care of all of us werewolves.¡± ¡°Where are the rest of you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re on their way here with their belongings.¡± If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not a good idea to leave them alone. ¡°Shall I send an escort?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯ll be here tomorrow, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I see. The funeral of the deceased has already been held. You¡¯ll have to ask them about that.¡± I pointed to the remaining Werewolves. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Also, please decide who will represent you in the migration. There will be a lot of problems and requests that will come up after the migration. I¡¯d like you to organize and communicate with them.¡± ¡°There will be elders, but I will be the representative.¡± ¡°I understand. Please let me know the number of people to be accepted for the time being. I¡¯ll try to make the reception as smooth as possible.¡± After hearing the number of people and the classification from Oracio, I decided to assign the old, women, and children to the first hut I had built so that they could stay first. They would be housed in the receiving huts, and the housing would be built in between. That¡¯s the pattern we¡¯re following. The concrete is not ready yet, so we are using a temporary wooden structure. Naturally, when Oracio came back, we released the prisoners and set them free. After dinner, I asked Oracio to attend a meeting of the representatives. Suddenly, a new immigrant officer was appointed and attended the representatives¡¯ meeting from today. He smiled at me, and his eyes went black. From now on, the handling of immigrants will be thrown to you!! Once you¡¯ve experienced being on the receiving end, you¡¯ll be able to handle things more smoothly in the future. ¡°I can¡¯t even believe we¡¯re being treated as equals. Is it okay for me to suddenly appear at an elders meeting or something?¡± I guess I should explain just in case. ¡°Because we are equals, so you have the right to have a representative. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Charles laughed. ¡°The world¡¯s common sense won¡¯t work in front my lord, after all. Give it up.¡± CH 59 There¡¯s a thing called carelessness, right? When you¡¯re busy, things get messy. It¡¯s messy to the level of why you did that when you look back on it later And my subordinates are heartless. They¡¯re happy when I make mediocre mistakes. I¡¯m not a tool for entertainment, you know. I¡¯m still piling up my workload. I need a secretary. What did I do, you say? It¡¯s the letters! Letters! The kind you send to Kiara. I didn¡¯t give her the proper writing. The bullet points in the rough draft. And the one with the note at the end that says I need a hooker. I¡¯m afraid of the next reply. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s going to come directly to me. But I¡¯m not going to look back on the past. I don¡¯t care what happens now. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Thanks to the 400 or so werewolf immigrants, our labor force has improved considerably. In order to promote assimilation as much as possible, I myself have been actively interacting with the wolf children. The werewolves won¡¯t feel alienated if the head of the settlement is unarmed and comes to live with them. Thanks to this, assimilation is progressing smoothly. The previous battle had destroyed our fighting force, so we calculated the labor force only. With a fighting force of 70 people, if 20 people are missing, the organization is no longer viable. If almost half of them are out of combat, including the injured, it would be even worse. It would be a game over or the Shimazu soldiers. The only ones who can function even with 90% of their numbers reduced. Oracio told me that the beastman tribe could fight, so I should calculate them as a fighting force. However, considering the population balance between men and women, it would be bad if the number of beastman¡¯s men decreased any further. I refused to do so. ¡°I don¡¯t want any more beastman without father. However, in the future, if the children want to help us as a fighting force ¡­¡­ we will welcome them into the Knights of Ravenna.¡± When I said this, everyone was stunned. Apparently, there was a stereotypical notion that a knight is something that a human being do. This unexpected and usual break with the norm made Oracio back off. However, he offered to be a force to protect the town, so we decided to give the volunteers military training and count on them as a defense force in case of emergency. They also began to build the infrastructure at a rapid pace. In the midst of all this, there was something I wanted to confirm with Oracio. ¡°Does Sir Oracio know about the hidden village of the elves in the vicinity?¡± The teacher started to grin. Oracio twisted his head. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve heard rumors, but I¡¯ve never actually seen one.¡± Hmmm, I guess it won¡¯t be that easy. If this is the case, we will have to expand the area of influence to include inland areas. Oracio, in all seriousness, asked me for a favor. ¡°In addition, the children are clamoring that they want to help the lord. Can you let them help with something?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, children play when they can. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but that¡¯s part of the reason we moved here in the first place. They want to help the town in some way, even as children.¡± ¡°No, what do you mean by ¡°reason¡± ¡­¡­ We¡¯re the same citizens now. I don¡¯t think you need to worry about it.¡± Oracio cleared his throat. ¡°That¡¯s just a pretext ¡­¡­ My lord is popular with our children, after all.¡± Charles gave him an amused look. ¡°Oh, ¡­¡­ popular with the children? Is that it? The kind of thing like the grandfather being loved by his grandchildren.¡± They all burst out laughing. Aren¡¯t their treatment with me getting worse by the minute? For now, let¡¯s ignore the issue. ¡°That hurts as much as when my teacher was called unattractive.¡± The teacher protested. ¡°Why do I have to come up there!¡± I reply bluntly. ¡°Something like a sense of duty has descended upon me.¡± ¡°Get rid of that sense of duty!¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing safe to ask them to do, is there?¡± Oracio answered immediately. ¡°They can do some hunting. We werewolves are trained to hunt since we were children.¡± ¡°Hmm, if that¡¯s the case. The shoulders of other playing children may become narrower, which can be a source of trouble.¡± Oracio said with a sigh. ¡°I understand the children¡¯s feelings, but I also understand what my lord is saying. It¡¯s a difficult thing.¡± I guess it¡¯s difficult because of my age, too. The borderline is sixteen, I think. ¡°Should we make it a rule that no one under sixteen is allowed to work?¡± The teacher said sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of letting them work. But ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of not letting them work.¡± Charles chuckles and says. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much here ¡­¡­ that I¡¯ve got calluses on my ears.¡± Even Oracio laughed. ¡°Sometimes I think I¡¯ve wandered into a different world.¡± The conversation was going in a suspicious direction again. I decided to change direction. ¡°Originally, they were supposed to read, write and study until they were sixteen. If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll need a teacher or ¡­¡­.¡± While looking ¡­¡­ The teacher, who felt my gaze, became upset. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! We¡¯ll definitely never get around it! You¡¯ve got to get an expert in here!¡± ¡°Well, yes. We¡¯ve got about forty kids, after all. We¡¯ll never get around to it, so let¡¯s ask for help on the next flight to and from Kiara. As for the children wanting to work, you can convince them like that. After all, if they study, they¡¯ll be useful to the town in the future.¡± CH 60 It is said that elves are long-lived. Strictly speaking, they are not ¡­ like trees, they are long-lived when there are no daily changes. When they are in human society and go through turbulent days, their life span is shortened. ¡°A tree that is continually exposed to storms will fall faster.¡± So goes the Elven proverb. Is it really possible to live like a tree and still be alive? There was a man who conceptually spoke to me about life and death. ¡°If you¡¯re forced to live unwillingly, that¡¯s not living ¡­¡­ from my perspective. I value it, and that¡¯s why I care about quality.¡± I was very surprised. I wondered if he was a strong person. But the fact is that I was strongly repulsed by his overly decisive way of speaking. I felt as if he was pointing out something about me, and it made me uncomfortable. Until I heard this line, I had vaguely thought that ¡­¡­ he was a kind person. There was no deep meaning to the fact that we began to travel together. I thought he was a gentleman and would protect those who were in trouble. In a world where you can¡¯t touch the descendants of apostles, he would help me as if it was natural. I just thought that if I could rely on this person, I would be able to reach my destination without worry. It was a lonely and uneasy journey that I had suddenly decided to take alone. But after he allowed me to accompany them, it became a very fun and lively trip. Silvana, who was to accompany me on the trip, and I soon became friends as women and started calling each other Vana and Mil. I¡¯ve been living in seclusion, avoiding the public eye, so this is very refreshing. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When we take a bath together, we often talk about the opposite sex. Vana loves such stories. She says she aims for an apostle, but she loves love stories. ¡°That virgin says he¡¯s 36, but he looks very young.¡± I don¡¯t know if you should call him that, but I smile and nod in agreement. Vana nodded her head there. ¡°On the contrary, Al, you¡¯re a mystery. He¡¯s sixteen, you know? Can you see that to him? Impossible, right? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if his virginity and age were reversed.¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ yeah. Al is very calm.¡± ¡°Sometimes ¡­¡­ I think Al can read people¡¯s minds.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°He wants to know everything. But it¡¯s all about how the world works.¡± ¡°He sounds like a scholar.¡± ¡°I mean, the first thing he asked me was about magic. I was shocked.¡± I imagined the scene and laughed. ¡°Scholars are like virgins, they don¡¯t have any sense of delicacy.¡± It¡¯s true that Fabio-san seems like a child who is not used to women. ¡°Al is, strangely enough ¡­¡­ never goes into anything you don¡¯t want him to touch in private.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± Vana laughed and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Then I end up talking too much.¡± Vana suddenly looked as if she had an idea. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, you know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think Al and Mil would make a good match.¡± ¡°Wait! Wait, what are you talking about all of a sudden!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a woman¡¯s intuition. It¡¯s called chemistry.¡± I was surprised, because I had never looked at him like that before. I felt embarrassed, so I decided to change the conversation ¡­¡­ ¡°What about Vana? You seem to like Al a lot.¡± Vana chuckled with an unusually complicated expression. ¡°Hmm~ I don¡¯t hate him. I can accept it obediently if it¡¯s a fianc¨¦ my parents¡¯ decision and we¡¯ll get along fine. It would be great if it¡¯s a friend.¡± It was a subtle expression. Vana tilted her head slightly and then opened her mouth. ¡°If you were to ask me, ¡°Do I like him as a person?¡± I don¡¯t think so. But if he says he likes me, I¡¯ll say yes and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be happy. Do you know what I mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, it doesn¡¯t ring a bell, but I kind of get it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t find Al attractive. It¡¯s just that ¡­¡­ it¡¯s too unique. It attracts certain people very strongly, but it doesn¡¯t resonate that much with others.¡± Vana is basically a free-spirit, with a keen sense of intuition and an instinctive sense of judgment. I can say that I don¡¯t know about you being a magician like that, but ¡­¡­ I see. She doesn¡¯t say anything out of line. If she wasn¡¯t drinking ¡­¡­ though. I think back to Al. If you ask me what I think of him, I don¡¯t have any special fondness for him. He¡¯s a nice guy ¡­¡­ was the end of the story. That¡¯s exactly the kind of thing Vana was talking about, ¡°But if he says he likes me, I¡¯ll say yes¡±. Even though I had lived for almost 100 years, I hadn¡¯t gained any particular experience. It was just a repetition of the same routine, so inside I¡¯m no different from a human girl. So when someone suddenly brought up the subject of the opposite sex, I became strangely conscious of it. I was a little nervous when Al told me that he had something to ask me. But it wasn¡¯t anything sexy at all, and I felt a little disappointed. He asked about me and my relatives, but I could tell he was asking with some certainty. He was trying to hide it, though. I was almost alarmed, but I knew he wasn¡¯t an enemy to begin with. He has no reservations about apostles and their descendants. If you do something wrong, it¡¯s wrong whether it¡¯s the apostles or their descendants. He is a person who not only says but does what is difficult in this world without hesitation. It seemed natural that I might be able to tell my story to this person. I wonder if this is what Verna meant when she said, ¡°Then I end up talking too much¡±. If I had been forced to talk, I wouldn¡¯t have felt like talking at all. He was just calmly waiting for me to speak. I was drawn into talking. It was a dangerous topic, and if the church or anyone else heard about it, they¡¯ll definitely kill me. But Al was like, what does it matter? He also said that he would protect me. I had no idea why he would side with me even if I was the enemy of the world. Is it possible that he likes me? I took the liberty of thinking that, and it made sense. But if there was someone else like me, he would try to protect her. I found myself feeling frustrated by that. I don¡¯t want to tell anyone that I was moved to tears by these feelings of happiness and frustration. He probably knew, but of course, Al pretended to be oblivious. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After that day, I became more conscious of Al. However, I felt uncomfortable with such a condescending line. ¡°But it¡¯s impossible to disagree, can you live with that? Isn¡¯t that an unwanted way of life? Are you happy to live like that?¡± I was shocked when I was asked that. I felt as if I had been denied the chance to live my life in hiding, and I even felt as if my feelings had been betrayed. But Al is not the type to simply deny others. I thought to myself ¡­¡­ I think Al hates himself. I think that harshness is only directed at Al himself. If he¡¯s only harsh, he won¡¯t realize and take into consideration what people don¡¯t want to hear. I guess because he is so hard on himself, he can¡¯t easily step into people¡¯s minds. Thinking back on what he had said and done so far, I was convinced of that. He seemed to be a very dexterous person, but he also seemed to be quite clumsy. When I noticed that ¡­¡­ The repulsion I had felt earlier had disappeared. ¡°I want to create a world where people can live without relying on drugs called apostles. I don¡¯t want to involve others who are compromised or convinced. I don¡¯t like the world, so I want to pry some of it open and create a world I like. It¡¯s okay to take a little bit of the world. It would be nice to have a place where people who have no place in the world can laugh and live.¡± I was truly surprised by these words. "" He wants to create a world where people like me can live and have fun. He hates himself but tries to do something for the happiness of others. And then I thought. A person who hates himself and tries to do something for the happiness of others. If such a person would do something for me. I¡¯ll end up liking Al and want to do something for him. CH 61 After that, I decided to be a little more proactive. Rather than thinking about it, it came naturally. I had noticed that Al¡¯s polite manner of speaking was an act. The truth is much different. I wanted to be bold and ask Al for a favor. ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not ¡­¡­ friends or comrades, are we?¡± Al stiffened for a moment and turned his head to the side. His cheeks had turned a little red. It¡¯s times like this that I feel like he¡¯s 16. ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ We¡¯re not officially dating, but ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t declared it official ¡­¡­ and it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have any intentions ¡­¡­¡± Unusually, he became flustered. I was so happy that I hugged Al spontaneously. Al was surprised, but he gave me a big hug. I left it to the momentum and made a request. ¡°Hey, when it¡¯s just the two of us, please speak frankly. Don¡¯t be your usual acting polite.¡± ¡°Erm ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please. I don¡¯t want to feel distant.¡± A moment of silence. Al¡¯s face looked like he resigned. ¡°All right, I get it.¡± Yes! Inwardly, I struck a gut pose. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After that, when it was just the two of us, Al¡¯s tone became more normal and a little rough. I¡¯m a woman too, and the thought that I¡¯m special to Al makes me grin when I¡¯m alone. Once, Vana saw me and gave me a bad time ¡­¡­ One day, Al started talking about the future. And when he asked me to come to his place. I was so happy, but I ¡­¡­ couldn¡¯t help but use a teasing tone of voice to hide my embarrassment. ¡°Is that a ¡­¡­ proposal, by any chance?¡± It¡¯s the usual pattern, but he simply quickly. ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± I can¡¯t seem to win. I wonder if one day I¡¯ll be able to win. More importantly, I don¡¯t want Al to hesitate and worry when it comes to our marriage. I wondered if it was okay for an elf to enter an aristocrat¡¯s home, but it quickly disappeared from my mind. Never in my life had I been so overwhelmed by emotion. After we got out, my fate changed completely. The pilgrimage was over, and we were dismissed. It was a lot of fun, and I was very sad to see it end. It was even harder to say goodbye to Al. So I kissed him myself. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After that, I crossed the mountains without hesitation and headed for the hidden village. They¡¯re cautious of humans in Ravenna, but they¡¯re not to elves. I followed the landmarks my father had taught me and arrived at the village. Naturally, they were wary of me. I couldn¡¯t see them, but I could sense their presence, so I decided to tell them my name. ¡°I am Milva, daughter of Milka Rayala. I am here in accordance with a past pact.¡± ¡°A person from Rayala, huh?¡± A few elves showed up. ¡°If it comes to pacts, where¡¯s Milka?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When the waters have cooled, my daughter will come here after I¡¯m killed. (T/N: Her father said this part, but the next sentence is not.) My father had made a pact with the village chief. ¡°Then I will take you to the village chief.¡± ¡°Please.¡± I was led to the tree at the back of the house. The village chief, who looked young but was over five hundred years old, was sitting there quietly. ¡°You have come well. Daughter of Rayala.¡± ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Vernelli.¡± ¡°It is safe here. You can rest assured.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing ¡­¡­ Do you know? That the Della Scala family, a great aristocratic family, is planning to develop this area?¡± The village murmurs. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. I got to know the person in charge of the planned development and heard it firsthand.¡± The village murmurs further. ¡ºYou can¡¯t trust people!¡» (T/N: A villager said this part.) Of course not. That¡¯s what I thought, too. Vernelli raised his hand, and the noise died down. ¡°What makes you so sure, daughter of Rayala?¡± ¡°He is worthy of our trust. He declares the to be false.¡± The falsehoods of the world are the blind belief in the righteousness of the apostles. It is a term used by those who have fallen away from the blessings of the apostles against those who blindly believe. The village was murmuring again. ¡ºIsn¡¯t that a cover? Are they from the church to expose heresy?¡» Those who do not believe in the righteousness of the apostles are called heretics by the church. In order to flush them out, the Inquisitors go around the country. If they find someone suspicious, they dare to question the apostles¡¯ doctrine. If they agree, they are executed as heretics. Not only do they expose them, but they do the same even if they are already considered heretics. It¡¯s a rumored existence, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s not surprising if they do exist. That¡¯s probably why my parents were killed. Such an inquisitor will not say that something is wrong. Vernelli opened his mouth. ¡°Did he declare it false?¡± ¡°Yes, he declared it wrong.¡± The village was murmuring again. My senses were paralyzed, but ¡­¡­ Al¡¯s words and actions were out of the ordinary in many ways. ¡°There is no falsehood in the words of the daughter of Rayala. What does he intend to do with the land?¡± ¡°He says he will create a world ¡­¡­ where people like us don¡¯t have to hide.¡± ¡ºThat¡¯s a pipe dream!¡» ¡ºIt is impossible for a man to create a world!¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s falsehood!¡±¡» That¡¯s what most people think. ¡°But I believe that he will do it.¡± Vernelli asked after a moment of silence. ¡°¡­¡­ Believe what?¡± ¡°I will be his companion and walk with him.¡± The murmuring in the village reached a climax. Vernelli held up his hand to stop the commotion. And silently urged me to say the next words. ¡°I think you should all wait and see what he does.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Rayala¡¯s daughter will be a bridge between him and us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ºWhat will happen if Rayala¡¯s daughter is deceived!¡» The question naturally arose. ¡°Then ¡­¡­ we will hide ourselves again. For now, believe the words of Rayala¡¯s daughter, and see what his people do. Originally, if the hand of the child of man had reached the land, it would have been a matter of leaving or hiding. There must be another way.¡± The murmuring subsided, and Vernelli continued. ¡°When do we go to him?¡¡Daughter of Rayala.¡± ¡°It will take some time ¡­¡­ but for us, it will only be a moment.¡± ¡°Good. When the time is right, you may leave the forest.¡± How will we know if Al is here? If you are the chief of the elves, you are naturally in tune with them. As long as you are within the limits of the forest, you can get some idea of what¡¯s going on. So the chief will tell us. Suddenly, I remembered Al. (Rayala¡¯s daughter, you say, what would you call them if they had more than one child?) I smile nostalgically, thinking that he will definitely ask me that. Elves rarely have children, so it¡¯s almost always one. Sometimes they have two, so they distinguish them by their older daughter or something. I had a conversation with my imagination. It seems that my disease of wanting to see him was more serious than I thought. CH 62 Withdrawal symptoms are hard to recognize. Recently, I¡¯ve managed to disguise it by having conversations with Al in my brain. I¡¯m becoming a bit of a dangerous elf. But I¡¯m fine as long as I don¡¯t get caught ¡­¡­ I¡¯m fine. Elves are sensitive to nature, but basically insensitive to people. Because they are long-lived, they don¡¯t pay attention to emotional movements in short intervals. They are only aware of the wind blowing and the trees shaking. Instead, they see things in the long run and are sensitive about it. This is why I¡¯m confident that I won¡¯t be found out ¡­¡­ unless it¡¯s Al. In the meantime, Vernelli called me. ¡°You wanted to see me, sir?¡± ¡°Daughter of Rayala, there¡¯s been movement in the forest.¡± I was startled. ¡°The area of the forest is diminishing. And with it, all signs of the beastmen settlement disappeared.¡± It¡¯s definitely strange, isn¡¯t it ¡­¡­? But I was inwardly disappointed that it wasn¡¯t about Al. ¡°What do you mean ¡°disappeared¡±?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said. There¡¯s no sign of life. So let me ask you this. Is the companion of Rayala¡¯s daughter one who would exterminate an adversary?¡± I can assure you that he is not. ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid he is not.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°He hates the apostles and the blind, but he has no desire to end them.¡± ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°He hates a world where only blind faith is allowed.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s a story.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a look. What shall I tell you of the result?¡± ¡°Let the words of the spirits flow through the forest. We¡¯ll pick it up.¡± The word of the spirits is a kind of magic that elves can use to broadcast the word within a certain area. The words drift through the area, and we pick up the drifting words. The range is the natural area of the territory. In this case, it is the forest area of Ravenna. This is a message magic for a specific area. It can also be reversed, so that messages from the other side can also be transmitted. You can¡¯t tell if there are words or not unless you are in contact with nature. ¡°Then I will go.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself, daughter of Rayala. Even I can see that your heart is in a hurry.¡± I blushed. I left the village without even getting ready. I found myself running as fast as I could. After about two days, I arrived at what used to be a beastmen village. Sure enough, there was no sign of people. There were no traces of attacks. They simply moved ¡­¡­ That¡¯s what it looks like. Did they move to another location because they felt unsafe? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s strange. A lot of the footprints were heading out of the forest. If they were evacuating, they would have gone in a different direction. I followed the footprints while keeping an eye on the surroundings. After about three days, I found myself outside the forest. Outside the forest, the forest had been cut down and the land was flat. I wonder if Al¡¯s development is in progress? ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô While I was wondering where I should head, I saw what looked like a knight on a horse. A knight here? I approached him with some caution. The knight is also wary, but he doesn¡¯t seem hostile. ¡°Where did you come from, young lady there?¡± The knight asked when I got close enough. ¡°From the forest, where did you come from, Sir knight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the town of Ravenna.¡± Ah! Is he one of Al¡¯s men? But ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t want to be wrong, so I checked. ¡°I thought there was no such thing as a town here, though?¡± ¡°There was a town established some time ago.¡± You¡¯re so quick to tell me¡­ ¡°Are you sure? Are you sure you want to tell me so easily?¡± ¡°Yes. My lord has instructed me to be friendly with elves when I see them, not hostile.¡± My heart began to beat faster. ¡°By ¡­¡­ By any chance. Is that man¡¯s name Alfred?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right, but do you know him?¡± ¡°Y- ¡­¡­ Yes. And ¡­¡­ can I meet him?¡± Oh no ¡­¡­ my voice got hoarse and I ended up stammering. But the knight politely ignored my agitation. ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ll show you around while I report to my lord. Would you like to ride in the back?¡± ¡°Yes! By all means!¡± The knight put me on the back of his horse. During the ride, I asked a lot of questions about Al. As I listened to the knight, I thought he was still the same. ¡°There are many names for the lord, including ¡­¡­ Common Sense Breaker, Lord 160-year-old, Youthful old man, Black-hearted Hermit, and many more. Does anyone know all of them?¡± He¡¯s been called all sorts of terrible names ¡­¡­ It made me laugh. But I also knew that everyone loved him. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After a while, we could see a town that was still in the process of being built. My heart started to beat faster. I could hear it even when I kept quiet. When I entered the town, I got off my horse and looked around the town. It wasn¡¯t really a town yet, though. The knight who showed me around asked the knight who greeted us, ¡°Where is the lord now?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s at the usual place, surrounded by children.¡± Children? I wonder if he had taken in someone¡¯s child. With these questions in mind, the knight led me to a large covered building. Later, I was told that I looked suspicious because I was too fidgety. I could hear the noise of children. I was led inside, and there was Al. He had a troubled look on his face and was surrounded by a group of wolf children. Without thinking, I shouted. ¡°Al!¡± Al was surprised at first, but then he looked very happy. ¡°It¡¯s Mil!¡± When I saw his face, I was swept away by a flood of emotions and found myself running to him and hugging him. And the idea of checking out the beastmen village that I had offered to the village chief had completely disappeared from my mind. CH 63 I was planning to call Mil after it had been serviced a bit more. To be honest, I was wondering if I should call her earlier. But once I saw her, I didn¡¯t care about the details. As it was, I stayed in front of the kids and hugged Mil when she jumped in. I realized that she wanted to see me very much, too. And the kids were in an uproar. They were shouting and screaming ¡°Oooh!!!¡± and ¡°Kyaaaaaah!!!¡± The boys were curious. The girls were covering their faces with their hands and glancing at us through their fingers. As I did so, people began to gather. The teacher, who doesn¡¯t read the atmosphere, simply greets her. ¡°Milva, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± Mil replied without looking at the teacher. ¡°Fabio-san, long time no see.¡± Charles gave her a rude and unexpected look. ¡°You have a lover, my lord?¡± ¡°No, my fianc¨¦e.¡± When I corrected him, a whistle making fun of me flew around me. Oracio looked at her with a look of deep surprise. ¡°I¡¯m surprised, I thought you had no love life.¡± Even Jules was laughing. ¡°So you have a human side to you as well, my lord.¡± One of the children said. ¡°Yes! My lord said there was someone to marry.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not true! Dad said that he was just bluffing.¡± Another child¡¯s attack hurt. Even Mil, who was still hugging me, accuses me. ¡°Al, what the hell have you been doing?¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just doing normal things.¡± It looks like this is going to be their snack for a while. Oracio cleared his throat ¡°I think it would be better for the children¡¯s education if we left.¡± Mill pulled away in a hurry. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t realize ¡­¡­¡± Charles winked at me. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Just leave it for later in the evening when you¡¯re alone.¡± Mil¡¯s face turned bright red and she looked at me as if she wanted to be saved. Let¡¯s change the mood by introducing everyone. I looked around at everyone and then cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce you again to my fianc¨¦e, Milva.¡± Mil opened her mouth awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m Al¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Milva Rayala ¡­¡­ I-It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± The teacher looked distantly at her. ¡°Have you ever been this flirtatious in public before ¡­¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right, you¡¯ve kissed in public before.¡± Even though I tried to change the flow, but he turned it back. The teacher grinned and looked at Mil. He¡¯s just a dirty old man. ¡°Since you came to the kiddo¡¯s place, are you going to live with him now?¡± Mil looked at me and opened her mouth. ¡°Y-Yes ¡­¡­ As long as Al is okay with it.¡± You don¡¯t have to worry so much. I winked at Mil. ¡°Of course it¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll be easier to protect her too.¡± Charles gave me a teasing look. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we prioritized my lord¡¯s residence first.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s what it comes down to.¡± It was indeed sad to stay with her in a tent. I¡¯m glad we have at least a place to live. Unusually, Jules raised his hand. ¡°As for your fianc¨¦e, how should I call we Milva-san?¡± Everyone froze for a moment. The teacher looked at him strangely. ¡°Milva will do.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sure my lady will be fine too.¡± Oracio shook his head. ¡°They haven¡¯t even gotten married yet, so isn¡¯t it too early to call her that?¡± There was still not much entertainment in this town. It would be too dangerous if do not provide other entertainment. In the end, they had ignored her and started to say this and that. Mir¡¯s face turned pale with astonishment. ¡°Is it always like this in Al¡¯s town?¡± "" I replied with a faraway look. ¡°No, it¡¯s only seven days a week.¡± Mil sighed. ¡°That¡¯s every day then.¡± CH 64 ¡°Was there a reason why Mil came over here?¡± At night, when we were alone, I asked him why Mil had come over. I thought there was a trigger that made this phenomenon happen. Mil thought about it for a while and ¡­¡­ suddenly started to hold her head. ¡°Ahhhh! That right ¡­¡­ I forgot the thing about reporting to the village chief about the situation ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What situation?¡± Mil answered. ¡°Well, we aren¡¯t able to sense the beastmen settlements presence.. I came to check it out, but I only found out that only the people were missing from the village. They didn¡¯t seem to have been attacked.¡± ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ that¡¯s it. The werewolves have moved here.¡± ¡°There were quite a few werewolves, but all of them were from the original settlement?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I explained the process from the attack to the migration. ¡°I see ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll have to report it to the village chief.¡± ¡°Are you going away again for a while?¡± It had been a long time since we had seen each other, so it was complicated to think that we would be away from each other again for a few days. Mil winked at me. ¡°©¤ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just broadcast a message at the entrance to the forest. If we have horses, we¡¯ll leave in the morning and come back in the afternoon.¡± I was relieved after hearing the explanation of the Spirit language. (T/N: Changed words of the spirits to spirit language.) ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Mil looked at me and smiled. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t ask me about the principle of Spirit language.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. I guess the thought of being separated from you again was overwhelming me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that either. Well, is there anything I can do to help you with?¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Well, I need you to be my secretary. I¡¯m pretty busy at times.¡± ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t know what kind of work you do, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll know it if we work together.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it too if you could help me with my mental stability.¡± Mil looked surprised. ¡°Are you saving that much?¡± ¡°No, everyone is ¡­¡­ expecting a hell of a lot from me. The more they expect, the heavier the pressure.¡± ¡°Then you can be vulnerable when we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Yeah, thank you. And don¡¯t hesitate to tell me if I¡¯m about to do something wrong.¡± Mil looked at me and smiled. ¡°I understand. But aren¡¯t you raising the difficulty on yourself?¡± ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s, well ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m starting to feel like I¡¯m being dragged down by my ass, but ¡­¡­ that¡¯s okay. And then I thought to myself. It is true that I understand how the wives and mistresses of powerful people have power. At least in front of his subordinates, he can¡¯t show his true colors that much. If a woman asks them to do something for them in private, they tend to listen to them. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next day, I entrusted Mil to the knight and sent her off to the forest to report to the village chief. And then I decided to start the next task. As the population increases, we need to seriously consider disease control. For now, we need to set up public bathrooms in the town. The toilets are being installed along with the sewage system, but we need to hurry up with this as well. It is too late if we do this before it is needed. "" Politicians need to be able to build levees before floods occur. Even if they are ridiculed. If it reduces the damage, they can be ridiculed all they want. There is also an urgent need for security. We need to ask the beastmen for information about the other tribes. I¡¯ll ask Mil, who will be back this afternoon, about the area around our village as well. Oracio growled. ¡°The werewolf tribe¡¯s previous war with other tribes?¡± ¡°Another tribe is settling in the village where the werewolf tribe used to be. And there¡¯s a good chance they¡¯ll attack us.¡± We have to take into account things like the Great Germanic Migration, which collapsed ¡­¡­ due to the barbarian¡¯s heart-thickening condition. I need to have a map of the surrounding area in my mind to plan my strategy. However, since the area is surrounded by mountains, there will not be a large number of barbarians. However, a war between other tribes would be inevitable. Oracio pondered. ¡°It is true that ¡­¡­ the reason we attacked here in the first place was to take refuge from the attack of the beastmen¡¯s further in.¡± Mil raised her hand in a reserved manner. ¡°The hidden village was in the middle of nowhere, so there weren¡¯t any tribes nearby. The elves have a small population, so they can get by in remote areas.¡± I¡¯ll have to check the situation for now. ¡°What kind of race was the beastmen that attacked you?¡± Oracio folded his arms. ¡°The attackers were tiger, dog, and cat people.¡± Oracio had an annoyed face. ¡°The tiger people control the dog people and the cat people ¡­¡­ they are powerful enemies. But I don¡¯t know everything about this region either. I don¡¯t even know if the tiger people are backed by anyone.¡± ¡°Does it feel like they¡¯re holding you down with force?¡± Oracio put his hand on his chin. ¡°You¡¯re right. It seems to me that the purpose of this pressure is more than territorial.¡± ¡°What purpose?¡± ¡°A show of force. They say that the social status of a tiger people is determined by his strength on the battlefield.¡± That¡¯s true. In primitive societies, war, as in the theory of war, is not an extension of politics. It¡¯s not uncommon for war to be an end in itself. ¡°Hmmm ¡­¡­ Are the dog people and the cat people treated as if they were sacrificial pawns?¡± ¡°Yeah. It did seem that way. I heard that they are weak, but there are so many of them that they can be replaced at will.¡± ¡°Is it possible that the reason why Oracio and the others were pressured in the first place was because you were outnumbered?¡± ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t be beaten in individual battles, but ¡­¡­ there¡¯s too many of them.¡± I was able to grasp the general situation. ¡°¡­¡­ They probably won¡¯t attack us any time soon. But it¡¯s urgent to take precautions. Please give me information about them. If do not have any, please gather information by any means necessary.¡± ¡°I can tell you what kind of fight it is. Do you need more than that?¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ It¡¯s just a matter of taking them down. I won¡¯t do anything like that. It goes against my principles, after all.¡± Charles gave me a confirming look. ¡°My Lord, do you intend to bring the other beastmen into the fold?¡± ¡°Of course. If possible, I would like the elves from the hidden village to move here before they get into any danger.¡± Mil shook his head. ¡°I think it will take some time, even with their strong distrust of humans. The village chief seems to be looking forward to it, though.¡± ¡°As for the elves, let¡¯s leave them for a while. We need to know as much as we can about the beastmen in order to bring them into the fold.¡± Oracio nodded his head. ¡°But, the lord shouldn¡¯t have known much about us. And yet you still fought so well. Isn¡¯t that a bit of a stretch?¡± ¡°No, that was just Sir Rossi being brilliant.¡± "" Charles grinned. ¡°Well, my lord¡¯s judgment was correct. He didn¡¯t make fun of Oracio and his men at all, and he read their strategy as if they were his equal in wisdom.¡± Even if you praise me, nothing will come of it. Oracio also began to praise me. ¡°The way you fought was also the reason why we decided to join you. We thought it would be easier to protect the children if you were so strong. And I didn¡¯t expect you to invite us after you defeated us. Maybe the others don¡¯t know what the lord is thinking and are reluctant to make a move.¡± Mil nodded. ¡°They might think that ¡­¡­ the fact that all the inhabitants of the village have disappeared may indicate that they are so strong that and has run away.¡± I folded my arms. ¡°It¡¯s possible ¡­¡­ It would be easiest if they gave up attacking us. Whatever the case, it will be difficult to come to any sudden conclusions.¡± I looked at them all. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s gather some information. I¡¯ll ask those who have information directly from them, and the information can be the child¡¯s own trivial stories.¡± A question mark seemed to appear on everyone¡¯s head except mine. One of these days, I¡¯m going to have to lecture them on analyzing information. The accumulation of knowledge also requires countermeasures against forgetting through the intervention of apostles. CH 65 I started to gather information, but it was not so easy. The kids seem to know something, though. They didn¡¯t offer much, probably because they thought I would get angry. There was no point in rushing them. Maybe I should wait a little longer. With that in mind, I finished my work for the day, and Mil and I were lounging around the room. ¡°Al, you¡¯ve been doing this all by yourself ¡­¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­.¡± Mill rolled over and gawked. ¡°It¡¯s an unusual amount. You must¡¯ve been going through them all, answering each question and giving solutions. In other places, they¡¯ll check to see if the previous solution works ¡­¡­¡± We are up and running and don¡¯t have the know-how. I¡¯m the only one who can effectively use modern thinking to give instructions. ¡°We need to develop more administrators ¡­¡­¡± Mil looked distantly at me. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen anytime soon, is it?¡± ¡°Yeah, unfortunately ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just helping, so that¡¯s fine. But, if you work too hard, you¡¯ll break down. You have to take a break somewhere.¡± ¡°I know, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the representative¡¯s meeting and make sure Al gets some rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to start a city, you know ¡­¡­¡± Mir¡¯s expression turned grim at my brusque attitude. She got up suddenly, and glared at me directly in the eyes. ¡°What are you talking about! When you grow up, you¡¯ll be busy with other problems!¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right ¡­¡­¡± Mil¡¯s eyes turned stern, as if she thought she could do better. ¡°If you don¡¯t get a proper rest, I¡¯ll make it so you¡¯ll just sleep at night.¡± ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s not good ¡­¡­.¡± Mil pointed a finger at me. ¡°If there are any problems, just let them do their job and watch over them!¡± As I rolled over, I paused to raise my hands. ¡°Roger that ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want my husband to die of exhaustion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no match for Mil.¡± ¡°Al can see what¡¯s coming. So I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tempted to interfere or ¡­¡­ do it yourself, but ¡­¡­ That¡¯s not going to help them grow.¡± It was sermon time. But the one who¡¯s at fault is me, for making her worry unnecessarily. ¡°You¡¯re right. If I hadn¡¯t gone out with Mil, I would have died of exhaustion.¡± Mil looked happy for a moment, but her expression quickly turned grim. ¡°You can¡¯t fool me by saying that.¡± ¡°Gefuh.¡± It¡¯s a bad situation, so let¡¯s change the subject. ¡°Setting that aside ¡­¡­ What do the elves at the hidden village eat?¡± Mil pondered for a moment. ¡°Hmmm, they eat meat from hunting. Also, wild grasses and mushrooms.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t eat much, do they?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t move around, they don¡¯t need to eat much. But if they¡¯re moving around a lot, the amount they eat each don¡¯t change much.¡± ¡°Oh, so you don¡¯t do any farming?¡± ¡°No, we cultivate the forest, we don¡¯t have a concept of farming. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, I know it¡¯s a long way off. When the elves from the hidden village join us, it will be a problem if the food doesn¡¯t match. If we need to deal with something, we¡¯ll have to prepare in advance.¡± Mil gave an exaggerated sigh. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re thinking about our village, but¡­ you¡¯re creating more work for yourself.¡± ¡°But you know, eating is fundamental.¡± She continued to stare at me for about a minute. Then Mil¡¯s shoulders slumped as if she had given up. ¡°All right. Al, come up with a plan or an agenda. The rest is up to the rest of us.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that jumping the gun¡­¡± Mil looked at me with a serious face. ¡°Al¡­ do you want to make me a widow?¡± ¡°No, absolutely not.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I can¡¯t do it right now.¡± Mil sighed. ¡°You¡¯re persisting like that again ¡­¡­ All right, ¡­¡­, just decide what Al is definitely going to be in charge of. Then throw the rest to someone else. We¡¯ll decide that tomorrow.¡± ¡°A-All right ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t remember Mil being this pushy.¡± ¡°Who do you think is to blame! I don¡¯t want to just sleep when we can be alone together! ¡° I was completely scolded. Women are strong ¡­ Thus, the representative¡¯s meeting was dominated by a single woman. CH 66 Shortly after the representative¡¯s meeting fell into the hands of one woman ¡­¡­ it came. Along with the dwarves that followed. Kiara came. Oh no! She came before I could follow up on that letter! And she brought a lot of her personal belongings with her, and was ready to live there. It looks like they¡¯ve already chosen a representative for the Dwarves. ¡°Onyxim Arensky. I will represent the Dwarves.¡± I hide my inner cold sweat and shake Onyxim¡¯s hand. He came prepared ¡­ But, the ordeal came quickly. Kiara greeted everyone who welcomed her with a smile. Kiara seemed to notice Mil as my fianc¨¦, since she was standing next to me. Kiara smiled at Mil. But ¡­¡­ her eyes were not smiling. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, I¡¯m brother Alfred¡¯s beloved sister. I¡¯m Kiara Della Scala.¡± It seems that Mil¡¯s competitive nature and possessiveness were ignited when she heard Kiara¡¯s words. Mil is also smiling, but her eyes are not smiling. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, I¡¯m Al¡¯s beloved fianc¨¦e. I¡¯m his fianc¨¦e, but I¡¯m practically his wife. I¡¯m Milva Rayala.¡± I felt invisible sparks fly between Mil and Kiara. Oh no ¡­ I feel something terrible is about to happen. I looked around for help. Ah ¡­¡­ they¡¯ve all fled! Where the hell are the guards! I have no choice ¡­¡­ I should run too. I try to back away quietly. The both of them immediately turned to me. ¡°Al?¡± ¡°Brother?¡± I guess I can¡¯t. ¡°A- ¡­¡­ A- ¡­¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s not like we can talk outside, so let¡¯s go to my house.¡± Before I knew it, Jules was back. I guess he¡¯s good at avoiding crises. He looked as if he had been there all along. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your sister¡¯s luggage then.¡± After saying that, he took Kiara¡¯s luggage. Don¡¯t run away at the critical moment. Kiara smiled. The disturbing atmosphere just now seems to be a mirage. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Kiara, are you sure it¡¯s okay for you to come here? Don¡¯t you have to arrange the following ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I asked the two brothers to take my place, and they were happy to oblige.¡± Oh, brother ¡­¡­. Stick with me a little longer. Kiara smiled, but her eyes were not smiling. ¡°Did you really think I would wait quietly for after seeing that letter?¡± Forget that ¡­¡­ It was just a mistake! ¡°Uh, it was a mistake ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Al, what¡¯s the letter?¡± Ahh ¡­¡­ this is bad ¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t explained it to her either ¡­ In the midst of the uncomfortable atmosphere, we headed to the house in silence. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Kiara¡¯s luggage was placed in a separate room, but somehow the three of us ended up in my room together. Mil smiled at Kiara. This time, her eyes were smiling. ¡°Uh, Kiara-chan? I¡¯ve heard so much about you from Al. He said you¡¯re his proudest sister.¡± Nice one, Mil. Nothing good comes from fighting. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard your name mentioned before, but I heard he got himself a very, very important fianc¨¦e.¡± Kiara smiled back at Mil. This time her eyes were smiling. A collision was avoided ¡­¡­ I guess. Immediately, Kiara kept a straight face and took a letter from her pocket. ¡°Never mind that ¡­ it¡¯s this letter. Do you perhaps not know, sister Milva?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°A letter from my brother, sent to his sister, who is eagerly awaiting it. It¡¯s a very plain letter.¡± Mil looked at me as if she didn¡¯t know what she meant. ¡°Very plain?¡± Kiara offers the letter to Mil without saying a word. Ah ¡­¡­ Dead ¡­¡­ I¡¯m dead. Mil was silent and read the letter in full. The face I looked up at was expressionless. ¡°Uh ¡­¡­ this is the letter?¡± ¡°Wait! It¡¯s a mistake! That¡¯s a draft, and I have the real letter.¡± Kiara¡¯s gaze became stern. "" ¡°What do you mean you need a prostitute then?¡± Mil raised her eyebrows at the word ¡°prostitute¡±. ¡°You¡¯re not satisfied with just me?¡± Kiara followed up with a coordinated move. ¡°Brother, were you so hungry that you needed a prostitute?¡± Oh no ¡­¡­ I can survive if it¡¯s just 1, but I can¡¯t fight a two-front war! Britain at the front gate, Russia at the back gate. Germany will inevitably be defeated. ¡°Well, that happened because my men said that they want a woman ¡­¡­¡± I plead desperately to save my life. The two of them were not really angry, and apparently calmed down. But that wasn¡¯t the end of the chase. Mil let out a small sigh. ¡°I get that. And I don¡¯t think Al would touch another woman from the beginning. But ¡­¡­ Kiara, I want you to look at this.¡± Mil held out a piece of paper with a lot of fine writing on it to Kiara. I have a bad feeling about this. Two women working together, right? And before I know it, they¡¯ve become quite close? And they¡¯ve changed the way they call each other¡¯s names! Kiara looked at me suspiciously. ¡°What¡¯s this? Sister.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Al¡¯s work schedule. It¡¯s still quite abbreviated, you know. I want you to tell him, too. That he¡¯s working too hard.¡± Kiara gave me a reproachful look. ¡°This is ¡­¡­ too much, isn¡¯t it? Brother?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Does brother not love sister?¡± ¡°Of course, I love her.¡± Kiara¡¯s pursuit was relentless. ¡°Then ¡­¡­ why do you keep worrying about her?¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ I have a lot of decisions to make ¡­¡­¡± Mil was staring at me with a fierce glare. ¡°I¡¯m telling him to let his people do the work. But he makes some reason and continues.¡± Kiara, who had been keeping her eyes closed, smiled at Mil. ¡°I understand. Why don¡¯t we work together on this, sister?¡± Mil nodded her head at Kiara¡¯s smile. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to not let brother work too hard.¡± Mil gave a big smile. "" ¡°Yes, please let me help you. That¡¯s very reassuring! I couldn¡¯t have done it on my own.¡± Kiara puffed out her chest proudly. ¡°Please leave it to me. It seems that if I take my eyes off him, he¡¯s no good ¡­¡­ prostitutes and other nonsense might happen again at this rate.¡± You¡¯ve got it in you! Then, the representative¡¯s meeting was then run by two women. CH 67 A workaholic suddenly loses his job. When that happens, the person has too much time to spare. I¡¯ve heard such stories. No, don¡¯t they have a hobby or something? There are so many ways to pass the time. There was a time when I thought so, too. As a result of the two women colluding and taking control of the meeting. I lost my job. And now I have too much time to waste. The Tale of the Heike was playing in my head earlier. The result of the seizure ¡­¡­. At the meeting, I presented the general policy. We all discussed and decide who and what will be in charge. The discussion is led by two women. Each person¡¯s report is also led by the two women. When a problem is presented, everyone starts discussing it. I just shake my head at the end. And speaking of normal times. All consultations with me go through the two women who are my secretaries. When I go out to inspect the town, one of them comes with me. The purpose is to keep me from looking for unnecessary work. Also, if they want to make a direct appeal, they need an intermediary. The other one comes to the mansion to give me reports and make petitions. My sources of information were now completely controlled by the two of them. Kiara was the one who created this system in the blink of an eye. After returning from the pilgrimage, Kiara saw that her two brothers were busy. ¡°The two big brothers are so busy ¡­ What would you do if it were you, brother?¡± Without a second thought, I thought that in ancient China, there were secretaries who were in charge of managing the emperor¡¯s documents. ¡°You can¡¯t have too much time on your hands if you¡¯re trying to listen to and process every piece of information that comes your way. If it were me, I¡¯d put people in place to scrutinize the information that comes to me.¡± ¡°Information?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, think about it. There are two brothers. How many people are going to talk to the brothers? Not all of them will tell them what they need to know. What if you need to hear another story based on that person¡¯s story?¡± ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ I know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that information is so important. It¡¯s not good if the person who¡¯s doing the vetting is someone who favors someone or withholds information that¡¯s not good for them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Brother really is amazing.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just looking at it from the outside and coming up with irresponsible ideas.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re working, I¡¯ll do the examining!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Kiara can handle it.¡± I think she remembers those conversations well, and she¡¯s been thinking about the mechanism for a long time ¡­¡­ But sitting in a chair and reciting the Tale of the Heike is just too sad. That¡¯s when it hit me ¡­¡­ There is something that only I can do! ¡°I¡¯m going to go outside for a while.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Oh, just to catch up on old times.¡± Mil and Kiara made eye contact. Then Mil winked at Kiara. ¡°It was me this time, right? Al¡¯s escort.¡± ¡°Please Take care of him, sister.¡± ¡°Yes, leave it to me.¡± I¡¯m not sure what this is. I feel like a child being watched ¡­¡­ by his parents. Mill looked at him curiously. ¡°So, what do you mean to catch up on old times?¡± ¡°Literally.¡± ¡°???¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô And then we went to the house of the elder of the werewolf tribe. It¡¯s not only women and children, but also the elderly are given priority to build a house. So the elders have already been given a house. It is still made of wood, but¡­ When I told them I was going to use concrete, they said wood would be more comfortable ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden visit, Mr. Aaron. I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions, if that¡¯s all right?¡± The elder was Aaron Glynn, a 70-year-old man. Even at 70 years old, he¡¯s still healthy. He has become a good-natured old man who enjoys telling his children stories about the past. He used to be a brave warrior. ¡°Oh ¡­ my lord and my lady. I¡¯m always happy to hear from you, even if it¡¯s out of the blue. What can this old man do for you?¡± ¡°Yes. I just can¡¯t think that you werewolves, dogs, cats, and tigers have always fought each other. So I¡¯d like to hear about a time when there was no conflict.¡± Mil didn¡¯t seem to understand what¡¯s my purpose by listening to his story. The bodyguard, Jules, still has the same serious expression on his face. There is a proper meaning to this. I lean forward. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about the people we¡¯re about to fight. So I need some information, but I don¡¯t know anything about them except what they¡¯re fighting for.¡± "" The werewolves have no intention of hiding information from me at all. It¡¯s just that ¡­¡­ the only thing I¡¯ll hear at a time like this is about the battle, which has become common knowledge. And because they are newcomers, they are worried that they might put themselves in a bad position by talking nonsense. I was worried about that too. At this stage, the information that comes to me has been narrowed down. So they need to screen the information and ask them not to share it with me. ¡°I want to know what kind of life you lead ¡­¡­ what you think about, how you live ¡­¡­ That¡¯s what I want to know. No matter how trivial the story may seem, I need it now.¡± So I bowed my head and begged him to teach me. Everyone but me was astonished. Please don¡¯t be so surprised every time ¡­¡­ CH 68 Aaron panicked, stunned. ¡°P-P-P-Please raise your head.¡± Mil also started to panic. ¡°A-Al! Are you trying to stop Mr. Aaron¡¯s heart?¡± I didn¡¯t have that intention, though ¡­¡­ ¡°So, can you tell us your story?¡± ¡°Where do you want me to start?¡± I guess It¡¯s not so easy after all¡­ It¡¯s impossible for me to break through common sense with just my mind. If it was with the apostles, it would be a piece of cake. No, I can¡¯t think like this. ¡°Hm, let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ when did you all start living here?¡± ¡°About 50 years ago.¡± ¡°Then, tell us about it starting from there.¡± He still doesn¡¯t know what my intentions are, but Aaron began to tell me, as if he had given up. We first came here and established a settlement deep in the forest. The first people I came into contact with there were the cat people. According to their story, they had washed up here about ten years ago. We decided to cooperate with each other as drifters. In the midst of this, we came into contact with the dog people. We decided to cooperate with them too. The dog people was also a newcomer to the area. There were a few quarrels, but nothing that led to war. But after the arrival of the tiger people from the other side of the mountain about ten years later, that balance has collapsed. ¡°The other side of the mountain? Are those mountains even possible to cross?¡± There is a huge mountain range that cuts off Ravenna from the rest of the world. ¡°We also thought it was insurmountable, but ¡­¡­ they crossed it.¡± Is there another route? Or were they that cornered? ¡°You don¡¯t know why they went over the mountain, do you?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve had very little conversation with the tiger people. They don¡¯t talk about anything except what is necessary. And they don¡¯t like to talk about their past.¡± Are they the type who don¡¯t listen or just don¡¯t talk much? It would be nice if there were at least some moderates among the tigers, but we would have to cross the mountains. I can¡¯t count on that. Did they not want to fight until they escape over the mountains? Or do they think they have no other choice but to fight? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a mixture or not at this point. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you. Please continue.¡± Aaron shook his head slowly at my words. ¡°It¡¯s almost lunchtime. If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t we put the old stories to rest and eat?¡± Oh ¡­¡­ He¡¯s right. ¡°Sir Jules. Could you please tell Kiara that Mil and I will be dining here?¡± Jules asked me to call him by his first name, which I have been doing lately. ¡°With all due respect, sir, I have an escort duty. I can¡¯t leave the side of my lord.¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ it¡¯s fine. No harm will ever come to me, after all.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± Mil leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go get her then.¡± ¡°No, my lady is an important target for protection.¡± Aaron chuckles. ¡°Then I¡¯ll send someone.¡± ¡°Please do ¡­¡­ There may be one more person at lunch.¡± ¡°I see. I understand. Okay, I¡¯ll do that then.¡± Aaron called the werewolf in the other room and ordered him to deliver a message. The werewolf quickly left. When you are a lord, political considerations are essential. It would be self-destruction to refuse a meal invited by the tribe¡¯s elders when he had stated his intention to assimilate. Normally, I¡¯d like to go without my guard, but Jules refuses to listen to me. Ever since the werewolves raid, he¡¯s been giving off the aura of absolute loyalty to me. Sometimes he runs away, but¡­ The next thing I knew, Aaron was looking at me with interest. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying, but ¡­¡­ my lord is a strange man.¡± ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not trying to do anything strange.¡± Mil looked at me in astonishment. ¡°Instead of strange, Al is like ¡­¡­ from a different world.¡± When Mil said that, I was momentarily panicked. Is it possible that she knows? I had to play dumb anyway. ¡°I¡¯m from this world.¡± Mil hurriedly waved her hand. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. Our standards of behavior are too different, and you don¡¯t seem like a 16-years-old.¡± Mil made a follow-up comment that was not really a follow-up. Aaron laughed lowly. ¡°You¡¯re right, he¡¯s not like a 16-years-old from this world. The kids also asked me if they¡¯re going to be like my lord when they turn sixteen ¡­¡­ and I had a hard time answering.¡± Mil looked at me as if I was a troubling child. ¡°Al is a 16-years-old Alfred, so I don¡¯t think a normal person would be ¡­¡­ like this at sixteen.¡± It was a quick and terrible thing to say to me. And don¡¯t use me as a unit. ¡°Mil ¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t your manner of speaking getting worse by the minute?¡± Mil smiled a little wickedly at my words. ¡°It¡¯s because of my husband¡¯s influence.¡± Is that so. CH 69 And sure enough, Kiara came. ¡°Sir Aaron. I hope you don¡¯t mind if I join you for lunch.¡± If she came and asked, how could he refuse? Aaron smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course, you can.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I was tightly packed on both sides by my fianc¨¦, Milva, and my sister, Kiara. In addition, there seems to be some kind of rule regarding the placement of the two sides. If I get involved, it¡¯ll never end well for me. So I let them do as they please. Since werewolves are basically carnivores, they mainly eat meat. I¡¯ve bitten into a piece of meat on the bone before and gotten a big kick out of them. "" ¡°You¡¯re misbehaving! Al is a lord, remember?¡± ¡°Brother, do they have any idea what dignity is?¡± This is the kind of thing that needs to be covered up. The werewolf liked me because of it. The werewolf is good at hunting, so the amount of meat has increased considerably. But that doesn¡¯t mean we can let them get carried away and hunt too many beasts, destroying the balance of the ecosystem and causing a shortage of meat. We need to be careful in this area. ¡°Hunting wild animals are good, but I wonder if there is livestock as well ¡­¡­¡± My mumbling is interrupted by Mil. ¡°Yes, yes, we¡¯ll talk about that later.¡± We had a light lunch of meat and assorted cooked vegetables. There are not many cultures that eat raw vegetables. I wondered if there was a hygiene aspect to it. The topic for lunch was the usual small talk. ¡°Do werewolf children have any entertainment?¡± I¡¯ve never seen werewolf children play much. I think they enjoy hunting, exercise, and other things related to life. ¡°Let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ There¡¯s nothing for the purpose of playing. Living is the top priority.¡± I guess so. ¡°I respect that tradition, of course. But I want to make sure that you don¡¯t have to worry too much about living.¡± ¡°You are very kind, my lord. It¡¯s hard for us to imagine. Isn¡¯t it hard to ensure that much safety?¡± It¡¯s not because I¡¯m kind. If the priority is to survive, then culture will not grow. If culture is not nurtured, it is difficult to develop independent thinking. I¡¯m still hiding my true feelings here. ¡°Some werewolves are good at hunting, and some are not. Up until now, the unskilled ones could not survive ¡­¡­ no?¡± ¡°It is as you say. It sounds cruel.¡± ¡°No, the priority is to live. I think that is unavoidable. However ¡­¡­ those who are not good at hunting usually have other talents. That¡¯s what I think.¡± Aaron laughed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll make it possible for them to live?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I would like that.¡± ¡°If ¡­¡­ there is anything these old bones mine can do to help you, please let me know.¡± Mil gave me a sigh, bluntly. ¡°If Al walks like that, he¡¯ll get more work. Just do it in moderation, okay?¡± Kiara sighed as well. ¡°So, even my brother himself was swelling up to the point where he couldn¡¯t control it himself. Dear Sister is right.¡± ¡°No, no, no, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s inevitable, you know. There are a lot of things ¡­¡­¡± Aaron started to laugh. ¡°We have a saying. ¡®Disobey the women, and tomorrow¡¯s meat will be bad¡¯. I think it would be better to follow your wife and sister¡¯s advice.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°By the way, what did brother ask Sir Aaron about?¡± ¡°I wanted to know when Mr. Aaron and the others came here and what kind of relations they had with the other tribes.¡± ¡°Are you simply curious?¡± I shook my head. ¡°In preparation for the war with the tigers. This is inevitable.¡± These words made everyone nervous. Mil was also curious and tilted her head. ¡°What does that have to do with the old story?¡± I need to explain this carefully. ¡°If you don¡¯t know the habits of your prey, you¡¯ll be wasting a lot of effort. It¡¯s a battle, after all. After we win, we have to think about taking them in. If you don¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing wrong, it¡¯ll take a lot more work.¡± Aaron nodded deeply in agreement with my words. ¡°It¡¯s true ¡­¡­ even hunting starts with knowing the habits of your prey.¡± ¡°When you do that, you naturally take into account their normal behavior.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed ¡­¡­ I see ¡­¡­ So you wanted to know every little detail.¡± ¡°Yes. If my strategic planning is poor, my subordinates will suffer needless losses. That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to avoid.¡± Aaron looked at me as if he wanted to ask me something. ¡°But even the best move will cause some damage, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. But ¡­¡­ the cause is my negligence. I have no patience for such causes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a horribly thorny road. Most leaders don¡¯t think like that. Most of the time it¡¯s unbearable.¡± Mil looked at me with a kind, yet exasperated look. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of person Al is. He¡¯s really hard on himself.¡± Kiara nodded her head in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to support him. If we don¡¯t, he¡¯ll suddenly ask for a prostitute.¡± Forget it ¡­¡­ And I¡¯m falsely accused! CH 70 After lunch, we had a quick chat. Then we got to hear the rest of the story. They had cooperated with the tiger people at first, but that seemed to be because they were not strong enough at first. Their power grew and after a while, they demanded that they get a larger share. Then the demands escalated. At that time, they targeted the werewolves and kept raising their demands. When they refused because it was too much, they made the dog and cat people attack the wolf people to get rid of them. ¡°I¡¯m amazed that the dog and cat people listened to them so openly.¡± Aaron added. ¡°I heard during the fight that they were being held hostage. That¡¯s not all. We were being asked to provide excessive amounts of material support to the dog people and the cat people, and ¡­¡­ things were getting a little dicey.¡± I wonder what it is. As we have seen in ancient Chinese history, they have the basics of subterfuge down. Since they¡¯re not just people with muscle for brains ¡­¡­ They¡¯re a really nasty opponent. ¡°It seems they are more cunning than I thought.¡± ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say that we¡¯ve already found ourselves in that situation by the time I notice it.¡± ¡°Since then ¡­¡­ have the tiger people been on the battlefield?¡± ¡°Yes, they do, but they let the dog people and cat people do the fighting.¡± ¡°How long has it been since you started fighting?¡± ¡°About seven or eight years. I¡¯ve almost forgotten what we¡¯re fighting for.¡± Sheesh ¡­¡­ this guy is a pain in the ass. The war itself has become the objective. I couldn¡¯t help but scratch my head. ¡°Are dogs and cats proactive?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± "" So you don¡¯t know ¡­¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s too direct. Let¡¯s change the question. ¡°Is it a desperate attack?¡± ¡°No, not to that extent.¡± If they¡¯re still rational, I guess we can still handle it. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen of your interactions, do you think the tiger people are that devious?¡± Aaron pondered. ¡°No ¡­¡­ It¡¯s so simple, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that clever.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a sudden change of personality, I suppose.¡± ¡°Not suddenly, but gradually.¡± There are several possibilities, but ¡­¡­ Aaron continued, as if remembering. ¡°They were crude but good natured until they breakdown. I ¡­¡­ didn¡¯t believe right away that things had changed.¡± I¡¯ll have to ask for more details. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be right before they started to change. Did you notice any incidents or anything even remotely different from the norm?¡± ¡°Hmmm. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything different, and I think it happens sometimes, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please, I¡¯d love to know.¡± Aaron closed his eyes and looked like he was searching for some kind of memory. ¡°The tiger people failed in a joint hunt.¡± ¡°What was that joint hunt?¡± ¡°For large monsters, the tiger people attract the enemy. We and the dogs will confuse the monsters. The cat people attack when they see an opening and set traps in advance.¡± ¡°Are the tiger people always relatively more damaged?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s how the roles are divided.¡± I¡¯m starting to get the picture. ¡°I heard that there were occasional conflicts between the wolf, dog, and cat people. Did you have any problems with them that left a lasting grudge? If there were any deaths, the bereaved families would bear resentment. If you¡¯re injured and can¡¯t hunt, there will be resentment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know everything about it either. Perhaps others know about it.¡± ¡°Then tomorrow will be fine. Can you tell everyone who has been involved with dogs and cats since the arrival of the tiger people to come to me?¡± Aaron made a wry face. ¡°Everyone?¡± ¡°Even those who were children at the time. I beg you.¡± I bowed my head. If we go this far, I don¡¯t think there will be any leaks. Aaron hurried to assure me. ¡°P-Please raise your head. I¡¯ll make sure everyone gets there.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± After I left Aaron¡¯s house, Jules stopped me on the way home. ¡°My lord ¡­ it¡¯s all well and good to get them on board, but ¡­¡­ they seem to be cunning. Won¡¯t they plan to control everything once they¡¯re on board?¡± I thought it was against my policy because he seemed to be so reserved, but I guess he just had to ask. They are the ones who will take the brunt of any disturbances that may arise. ¡°It¡¯s a natural question.¡± I answered with a smile to show that I wasn¡¯t offended. ¡°I, for one, don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong for them to challenge us to a fight ¡­¡­ However ¡­¡­ once they agree with us and then betray us, I will never forgive them.¡± Mil and Jules looked surprised. If you are unprincipledly tolerant, you will definitely be underestimated and cause unnecessary damage. The words of tolerance will be used as an excuse to cause damage to my subordinates. I can¡¯t stand that kind of thing myself. Mil looked at me with a worried expression. But this is the one thing I can¡¯t change. CH 71 We were all silent until we returned to the house. I saw Mil glancing at me worriedly, but I decided not to answer. I wondered if there was something I could have said that wouldn¡¯t have worried the people around me. I asked myself the same question, and couldn¡¯t find a good answer. We returned to the reception room, but Kiara sensed the delicate atmosphere and kept silent. The representative¡¯s meeting also had a slightly delicate atmosphere. But the teacher, who did not read the atmosphere, laughed cheerfully. ¡°What¡¯s this, a lovers quarrel?¡± Needless to say ¡­¡­ the result of such a careless remark was that Mil shut him down. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After the meeting, Kiara followed us into the room and the three of us faced each other. Mil cast a spell to block out the sound silently. Kiara had a strange look on her face. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± To be honest, it was hard to answer. ¡°No, nothing really happened.¡± Mil looked down a little. ¡°Oh, no, actually ¡­¡­¡± Mil told her the story of what happened after we left Aaron¡¯s place. Kiara was thinking about something that seemed difficult. ¡°You¡¯re worried about something, aren¡¯t you, dear sister?¡± ¡°Yeah, well ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never seen Al with such a scray look like that before.¡± Kiara nodded with a serious face. ¡°It is true that he is always calm, after all.¡± Am I? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that calm, though. ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve never seen Al look so cold before.¡± After a moment of silence, Kiara turned to Mil with a slightly boastful look on her face. Why do you look so proud? ¡°I¡¯ve seen him like that a few times.¡± ¡°You have?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what brother looks like when he¡¯s upset with himself.¡± I wondered if I was that quick with my attitude. In spite of my doubts, Mil looks very convinced. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kiara¡¯s proud expression deepens. I felt like I heard thunder rumbling in the distance. ¡°At such times, I get a cold feeling, as if he changed to someone else. ¡° You¡¯re analyzing me too much! Kiara held up her index finger in the manner of a teacher. ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯re probably upset with yourself for making you worry, dear sister. You thought that there must be a better way to put it.¡± How can you know that much? You¡¯re a little scary ¡­ my sister. For some reason, Mil has a complicated expression. ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t know that ¡­¡­¡± Kiara looks smug. The thunderous noise that was supposed to be an auditory hallucination seems to be getting louder. ¡°Dear sister. I have the advantage of years of observing brother.¡± And Mil looks frustrated. Please, let¡¯s not get into a mud fight here. It was supposed to be an auditory hallucination, but ¡­¡­ I think it just turned into a thunderstorm. It¡¯s supposed to be sunny outside, right? ¡°Isn¡¯t that ¡­¡­ cheating?¡± Mil¡¯s face is getting serious. Ah, it¡¯s starting ¡­ Do I really need to be here? I¡¯m not sure if she knows about my fears or not ¡­¡­ but Kiara¡¯s beaming with pride. ¡°No. Eventually ¡­¡­ dear sister will understand.¡± Please, don¡¯t add fuel to the fire ¡­ Kiara. Despite how Mil looks, she hates to lose. Mil¡¯s face goes from serious to triumphant. ¡°Kuh ¡­¡­ however ¡­¡­ Kiara ¡­¡­ Do you know where the moles are on Al¡¯s body?¡± Oh no ¡­¡­ it¡¯s over ¡­¡­ she hit the switch for the nuclear missile launch button ¡­¡­. Kiara¡¯s face became serious. Her temples were twitching. I¡¯ve never seen Kiara that excited before ¡­¡­ ¡°Tha- ¡­¡­ Tha- ¡­¡­ That¡¯s just despicable!¡± Mil puffed her chest back. It was supposed to be a hallucination, but it felt like a lightning strike and a fire. Maybe it¡¯s just my imagination, but it¡¯s hot¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll get to know Al just as well as Kiara. So you can rest assured and leave everything to me.¡± I felt the sound of a gong ring out of nowhere. A song began to play in my brain, ¡°In the jungle of white mats¡±. That¡¯s not the right song!!! ¡°That¡¯s not fair! You thieving cat!¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not normal to be obsessed with your sibling that much!¡± ¡°Dear sister doesn¡¯t need to tell me how to love him!¡± ¡°Um ¡­¡­ you two, be nice to ¡­¡­¡± ¡± ¡°Shut up!!!!!!¡± ¡° That¡¯s the only part where you get along, huh. ¡°Yes ¡­¡­¡± The argument heats up. And you see ¡­¡­ in order to maintain magic, you need to concentrate. That¡¯s right ¡­¡­ what do you mean, you ask? It means that their voices are leaking out!!!!! CH 72 If left unchecked, it could turn into a catfight (physical), so I had no choice but to intercede. ¡°Both of you ¡­¡­ Stop it already, or I won¡¯t be talking to you for a while.¡± Twitch. I felt like I heard an onomatopoeia. ¡°You¡¯re both irreplaceable and important to me, so please don¡¯t fight.¡± Mil shrugged and looked down. ¡°Uhm ¡­¡­ Al, I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­.¡± Kiara was on the verge of tears. ¡°I ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, brother.¡± I hugged them both because if this continues, the atmosphere will be worse tomorrow and beyond. ¡°As long as you understand.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next day, everyone was grinning at me. The teacher was overjoyed. ¡°In addition to the couple¡¯s malaise, there¡¯s also Miss Kiara¡¯s frustration. This will be interesting.¡± It was a remark that lacked too much delicacy. As promised, Mil and Kiara tightened him up. It¡¯s hard for men. The theme song of a Japanese movie about a man who is very popular with women plays in my head. But ¡­¡­ I have a feeling that if the mourning woman Silvana is here, it would be troublesome. It¡¯s a blessing in disguise. But ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think she would come when I think like this. The teacher will break down if the mourning woman Silvana came here, so I¡¯d prefer that she don¡¯t. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô It¡¯s no use worrying about it, so the three of us had a little talk in the reception room before the wolf people came. And it seems that there was something bothering Mil. ¡°I was wondering about something we talked about yesterday. Aaron-san said that he rarely interacts with the tiger people, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But there were times when they lived in harmony, right? Isn¡¯t that strange?¡± That was a little careless of me. I didn¡¯t get a chance to scrutinize the information in yesterday¡¯s catfight ¡­ It¡¯s not like I can immediately contradict myself like in some rush trial game. I heard that during the test play, the interrogation could not be repeated only once, so ¡­¡­ people could hardly get into it. ¡°You can ask any wolf who comes today, but ¡­¡­ I think they would probably just talk about the bare minimum.¡± Mil seemed to be convinced at least. ¡°I see ¡­¡­ They even put the elves to shame for not making small talks.¡± True, I can¡¯t even imagine elves making small talk with each other. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for Sir Aaron to lie too.¡± ¡°Have you decided what to do to some extent?¡± I folded my arms and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Brother is quick to make up his mind and start running, though. You¡¯ll think twice before you run.¡± ¡°But ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure that the reason why the tiger people became tyrannical was because there was someone behind the scenes who was instigating them.¡± I guess Mil didn¡¯t quite understand my vague statement. I¡¯ve been talking only about reason until now, after all. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be able to immediately understand something that doesn¡¯t show any benefit. ¡°What¡¯s the benefit of firing them up?¡± ¡°If the goal is revenge, then the benefit is irrelevant, I suppose. It¡¯s all about death and destruction.¡± "" Kiara¡¯s face turned pale with astonishment. ¡°It¡¯s unconstructive, isn¡¯t it? I wish everyone was as constructive as brother.¡± ¡°For the time being, revenge doesn¡¯t mean that everyone else wants destruction. I¡¯m sure we can work something out. If everyone is ready for destruction, then we will have to make a harsh decision.¡± Mil asked worriedly. ¡°Just in case ¡­¡­ I¡¯d like to ask you, what is this harsh decision?¡± I blur it out. ¡°If I have to, I¡¯ll put protecting the people of the town first and ignore everything else.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± I winked at Mil, daring to be light-hearted. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know secretly one of these days.¡± If this story gets out and spreads, it would be troublesome. It¡¯s not something I can just pick a season and burn down the forest. In other words ¡­¡­ I have to be prepared to involve even unrelated people. We¡¯ll be sniping at anything that gets away. No matter what the accusations it is, I have to protect the lives of my men and the residents. I don¡¯t want to do this if I can help it, and I¡¯ll do my best to avoid it. I don¡¯t want Mil to hate me. But, I can¡¯t let my personal feelings get in the way of getting my people killed. Kiara¡¯s expression became one of realization. ¡°Dear Sister. There are extreme stories that you cannot tell others, right? And Brother will do his best to make sure it never happens. You are his wife, so please accept his resolve.¡± As if it was a matter of course, Kiara put her heart on the line. ¡°I will stand by my brother¡¯s side, no matter what he decides.¡± With a firm expression, Mil assures me. ¡°I know. I will definitely stay next to Al until the end. I¡¯m not going to hate you or anything.¡± The conversation turned a little gloomy. After a while, there was a report of the arrival of the wolf people. I just hope the information would be revealed here. CH 73 After hearing the stories from the beastmen, it proved that there is a mastermind behind them. Now we just need to figure out how to attack them ¡­¡­ Instead, I have a feeling that they will attack us first. Would the mastermind behind the tiger people attack us suddenly without seeing our situation? Normally, If the wolf people disappears from the village after one fight, they will search for information about us. Without thinking, they set off the dog and cat people, wiping them out, only to have them retaliate at once. And then the tiger people would be wiped out as well. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll want to avoid that. So they will try to get someone to surrender under false pretenses to get information from us. However, if they want destruction, the situation would be a little different. But, even if it is destruction, there is no decisive factor. Gradually, though, they are heading for destruction. After the wolf people left, as usual, there¡¯s only the three of us left. There is a limit to one person¡¯s thinking ¡­¡­ ¡°I would like to discuss a few things with the both of you if that¡¯s okay? I¡¯m just trying to organize my thoughts.¡± Kiara started to smile quickly and excitedly. ¡°Yes! By all means! By all means! I can finally see the inside of my brother¡¯s head! You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve waited for this day!¡± Looking inside my head is scary, you know ¡­¡­ Mil looks a little nervous. ¡°I¡¯m okay with it too, but ¡­¡­ what good are my thoughts?¡± ¡°I want a different perspective, you know. I think Mil is also a very good consultant for me. You don¡¯t have to be so down on yourself.¡± ¡°Uh ¡­¡­ Understand.¡± I take a breath and start talking. ¡°I have confirmed that there is someone controlling the tiger people, based on what I have heard so far. Since we don¡¯t know their names at the moment, we¡¯ll call them puppeteers for convenience.¡± Kiara laughed sarcastically. ¡°A puppet, huh? I wish it was a little cuter ¡­¡­ Mr. Tiger.¡± ¡°Last time, I considered the possibility that the puppeteer thinks of destruction.¡± Mil said in exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s annoying how disastrous it is when it involves everyone.¡± ¡°I want to verify if that¡¯s true.¡± Kiara seemed to have some doubts about my idea. ¡°Is there a possibility that you¡¯re wrong?¡± I nodded silently. ¡°If they want destruction, they can just let the dog and cat people attack here. There¡¯s a high chance we¡¯ll lose, after all.¡± Mil tilted her head, seeming to contradict my words. ¡°If we win, won¡¯t we leave our objective?¡± ¡°In the event that we do win ¡­¡­ there will be a subjugation force with the full force of the Della Scala family. It will almost certainly lead to destruction. It¡¯s possible that he doesn¡¯t know the information out there. He doesn¡¯t know that people have started to develop their territories here. It¡¯s ¡­¡­ a little hard to imagine that, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kiara said, thinking for a moment. ¡°Is it? If you¡¯ve been cooped up in the forest and only know the werewolf territory, you wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Mil seemed to agree and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t even know Al was here until the village chief told me. If I had known, I would have come earlier.¡± I realized that my vision had been narrowed. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ I see ¡­¡­ You¡¯re right. I was looking at it too much from my own perspective. I¡¯m glad I consulted to you both.¡± Kiara had a big smile on her face. Mil looks a little embarrassed and happy. I think I should praise them a little more in general¡­ ¡°Do you think they don¡¯t know about us?¡± Kiara shook her head in a cute gesture. ¡°I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a human development, but maybe they know someone¡¯s here.¡± "" Mil nodded her head with a sexy gesture in counterpoint for some reason. ¡°I wonder if the dog people or cat people are trying to find out what the wolf people are up to?¡± ¡°The strength of the battle determines the rank of the tiger people, right? If that¡¯s the case, is it possible that they didn¡¯t even probe?¡± Mil and Kiara raised the question. I think we¡¯ll be okay on that front. There is a good reason for that. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed that we have the information there.¡± Both of them nodded their heads and urged me to continue. ¡°The puppeteer is supposed to be controlling a single tiger tribe. If there are multiple puppeteers, the tiger people themselves will distrust them. As a result, they lose their influence.¡± Mil chuckled as she imagined the scene. ¡°That¡¯s true if they¡¯re all muscle for brains. In a competitive society, if you look good to everyone, you will be hated.¡± Kiara nodded her head in agreement. ¡°So ¡­¡­ they have to make sure that the tiger doll has power.¡± ¡°Correct. In order to do this, they need the information to create an advantageous situation. You can¡¯t be so cunning and clever without knowing what you¡¯re doing, after all.¡± Then Mil seemed to have a simple question. She folded her arms and tilted her head. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s their purpose ¡­¡­ manipulating the top to achieve what?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s keep an open mind here. Let¡¯s use brother as a model, shall we?¡± Suddenly. The clouds are getting weirder and weirder. Mil turned to Kiara. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say you want to control brother. It¡¯s not really possible, but ¡­¡­ what do you hope to gain by manipulating brother?¡± ¡°I guess making him do what I can¡¯t ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Using brother to attack someone else. This is the simplest thing to do.¡± ¡°But ¡­¡­ All they¡¯ve done is keep kicking out wolf people and messing with them.¡± I wonder what will happen in that case¡­ ¡°As a result, the power of all but the tiger people has been drained.¡± Mil frowned and pondered for a while. Since she¡¯s going through the trouble to think about it seriously. I decided to wait for Mil¡¯s answer. After a moment, she nodded, looking a little unsure. ¡°If they leave it, they¡¯ll only be left with the tigers, right?¡± Kiara nodded her head as if thinking about the future of this conversation. ¡°Either way, the tiger people will not be destroyed. I think the target of revenge will be anyone other than the tiger people.¡± This is going well, isn¡¯t it? So far, this is a pragmatic and idealistic buildup. ¡°I suppose it¡¯ll stay that way.¡± Mil cracked her neck, as did Kiara. ¡°I wonder if it would be useless if the wolf people were wiped out.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ Even if the dog people and cat people eat each other, one of them will remain. They won¡¯t get away with it unscathed, though.¡± Mil sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sure there will be a lot of resentment if they keep eating each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true ¡­¡­¡± I felt like I got a very good clue. ¡°¡­¡­ Just supposing that there¡¯s a tiger who¡¯s been holding a grudge to the bitter end. What would happen if that were the case?¡± Mil pondered. ¡°If the resentment is amplified and the wolf, dog, and cat people team up to attack the tiger people. That might happen. If nothing happens, they won¡¯t think of attacking the tiger people.¡± Kiara was also trying to figure out where my thoughts were going. ¡°So, do you think the puppeteer is trying to eliminate the tiger?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure yet. It¡¯s just one of the possibilities. It¡¯s just that the wolf people joining up with us is completely unexpected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a surprise to everyone. No one would have guessed.¡± ¡°No one could have known what brother was thinking. Only Dear Sister and me.¡± Mil raised a simple doubt. ¡°Oh, but¡­ I wonder why they targeted the wolf people.¡± Kiara smiled at Mil. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because if they targeted either the dog people or the cat people, it will be over soon?¡± ¡°Ohhh ¡­¡­ I guess so.¡± I set my sights on the goal of this discussion. ¡°Either way, my policy must be terrible for the puppeteers. They¡¯ll probably try to make me disappear.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°So they¡¯ll be interfering with brother ¡­¡­ We¡¯ll just have to sort this out physically for a bit.¡± Mil¡¯s eyes also turned cold. ¡°Sort, you say ¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s better to just cripple them for now.¡± ¡°The two of them started to get excited. I don¡¯t like this kind of excitement.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the next move the puppeteer will make will give us some idea.¡± A lot of lives are at stake here, after all. We can¡¯t afford any mistakes. However, my stomach really hurts ¡­¡­ CH 74 Have you ever heard of the belief in the power of words? You say it, and it comes true. In my case, I have an apostle correction of unknown effect. If I just think about it deep in my mind, it might come true. But what if what you think is annoying comes true? It¡¯s harassment. Les Miserables. The reason why I¡¯m thinking of such a stupid thing is because ¡­¡­ that thing came. It¡¯s the mourning woman Silvana. ¡°Al~. You don¡¯t have to be so overwhelmed with emotion just because you got to see me~.¡± The reason why she came ¡­¡­ is because the information about the development of the territory was naturally passed on to the adventurer¡¯s guild. I thought there might be some work for adventurers there. If you are going to establish a branch, you might as well do it sooner rather than later. The leaders of the adventurer¡¯s guild have been talking about it. They didn¡¯t want to be turned away if they suddenly barged in to start a branch. So they looked for the right person, and found the mourning woman Silvana. When they asked for adventurers with connections to the Della Scala family, the mourning woman Silvana, who had been idle, became the candidate. Since this is a society of connections, people who are related to or know the Della Scala family are given first priority. So the mourning woman Silvana was dispatched to negotiate with me. With a letter of introduction from the guild in hand, she went to my parents¡¯ house and met with my two brothers. ¡± ¡°By all means, go and see Alfred! I¡¯m sure Alfred would be happy to see you!¡± ¡° And they recommended it in high spirits. Why are they in high spirits? Thanks to the fact that she came with the second group of dwarves, I greeted the dwarves in a demoralized state and forgot their names. But Mil comes running up and hugs the mourning woman Silvana. ¡°Oh, Vana! Long time no see!¡± ¡°Mil, It¡¯s been a long time! Have you made any progress with Al?¡± Mil smiled a little embarrassed. ¡°We¡¯re living in the same room now. Of course, we share the same bed too.¡± ¡°Gefu¡­¡± I heard a strange onomatopoeia. The mourning woman Silvana is looking at me with a blank stare. ¡°I wonder why they¡¯re getting along so well ¡­¡­ Is Mil the soon-to-be Lady of the Feudal Lord?¡± I wanted to tease Silvana a little. ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ When things settle down, we¡¯ll be officially married. So I will invite you to the wedding. But ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure Ms. Silvana will think she can¡¯t get a bouquet.¡± It¡¯s a custom brought in by the apostles, and the bouquet tossing at weddings is widespread. ¡°Hey, Al! Isn¡¯t you¡¯re personality getting worse!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination.¡± Mil laughed in a mean way. ¡°Hey, Al. Don¡¯t pick on Verna. Don¡¯t mention that to her.¡± The mourning woman Silvana who had fallen to the ground had a despaired looked. ¡°The two of you are getting more worse ¡­ I guess those two pure people are gone now ¡­¡± Immediately after saying this, the mourning woman Silvana recovered. What a busy person. ¡°And the exiled virgin has been swept away too, hasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s busy with other work at the moment, though. You can meet him later.¡± The mourning woman Silvana looked at Kiara with great interest. ¡°No, I don¡¯t really care. Anyway, who is that beautiful girl there?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, I am my brother¡¯s beloved sister. Kiara Della Scala.¡± The mourning woman Silvana is looking at Kiara with admiration. ¡°Nice to meet you too, I¡¯m a friend of Al¡¯s, Silvana Kitty. I can¡¯t believe such a beautiful girl is your sister.¡± Kiara also looked at the mourning woman Silvana as if she were examining her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but is Ms. Silvana ¡­¡­ a member of the Dear Brother Fan Club?¡± The mourning woman Silvana was frightened by the unexpected question. ¡°N-No ¡­¡­ we¡¯re just friends, though? It¡¯s true that Al is a wonderful guy, but¡­¡± Kiara looked at Silvana with a questioning look in her eyes. And the mourning woman SIlvana took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m sure he is. My brother is an incomparably wonderful man. So how can you be friends with him? Is this just lip service? Are you secretly aiming to get him?¡± It¡¯s starting to be a pain in the ass situation. ¡°Ahhh ¡­¡­ Ms. Silvana has made up her mind about who she wants to be with already.¡± Kiara looked at me with a smile on her face, as if she had lost interest in the mourning woman Silvana. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ That would make sense.¡± The mourning woman Silvana looked relieved. (Your sister is a pain in the ass, isn¡¯t she?) That¡¯s what she¡¯s probably thinking. You can see it on her face. Since standing around talking was uncomfortable, I led her to the reception room. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô ¡°So I guess Ms. Silvana didn¡¯t come here just for fun.¡± The mourning woman Silvana winked at me. It¡¯s not sexy at all. ¡°That¡¯s right, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild wants to set up a branch here. I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡± ¡°The branch is fine, but we haven¡¯t built the infrastructure yet, so ¡­¡­ they¡¯ll need to wait a bit longer.¡± ¡°Hmm, okay. I¡¯ll write to them and let them know.¡± The mourning woman Silvana readily agreed. Is that okay? Did she think it was wrong to force it? ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back and report?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t know if you¡¯ve made it better if I¡¯m not here, you know.¡± Mugu ¡­¡­ it certainly makes sense. ¡°And just between you and me, you know. I haven¡¯t had much work lately ¡­¡­ So, hire me here for a while.¡± I see what you mean. Mil offered a helping hand. ¡°Al, I think it¡¯s a good idea. A magician would be useful.¡± I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t want to part with her friend, whom she had just met again. When the three of us had dinner together, she was a little lonely too. If he says she¡¯s going to work, it¡¯s okay to respect Mil¡¯s feelings. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, but ¡­¡­ we¡¯re still a little low on supply with liquor.¡± ¡°M-Mugu ¡­ But ¡­ Nothing will happen if I can¡¯t eat. All right. What do you need help with?¡± ¡°Help the teacher, I guess.¡± The mourning woman Silvana gives an unpleasant look. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I don¡¯t have a job for you¡­¡± ¡°I-I get it, okay ¡­¡­ So what kind of work is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m developing a mine and a nearby town. So there¡¯s a lot. Your main job is to use magic to break rocks and excavate hillsides and stuff, I guess.¡± The mourning woman Silvana looks sincerely bored. ¡°Civil engineering work ¡­¡­ How simple. Don¡¯t you have anything that¡¯s about defeating the enemy?¡± ¡°There will be soon.¡± And that night, we had a crazy party with the teacher. CH 75 I was waiting for an attack from the puppeteer, but before that, one agenda item came up at the representative¡¯s meeting Onyxim Arensky, the Dwarf representative. He made a request. ¡°I want vodka, the alcohol here is like water. Give me permission to make it and proceed with the importation.¡± Ludvig nodded strongly. ¡°I would like to request for it as well to boost the morale of the dwarves.¡± The dwarves of this world are said to have been born in the cold north. In order to endure the cold, they began by digging holes for a living. It is said that they became experts in mining after digging holes. Being small in size, they require less effort to live. It seems to be a result of natural evolution. They are also highly skilled in construction. They also like to drink highly concentrated alcohol because without it, their stomachs would freeze in the cold regions. Oso-Russia. (T/N: I don¡¯t really get this.) ¡°All right, we¡¯ll arrange it that way.¡± Mil looks to Onyxim for confirmation. ¡°Elves are good at making wine, though. Even if we make it here, is there anyone who can make vodka?¡± Onyxim nodded gravely. ¡°We have a meister in our midst. Please do.¡± So they have an expert. There¡¯s no reason to refuse then. If I prohibit it, it could lead to riots. ¡°We could start a brewing department.¡± The teacher smiles broadly. ¡°Good idea! Yes! I agree!¡± You really like alcohol, don¡¯t you? If it motivates you, good for you. I¡¯ll tell them what else needs to be done. ¡°This conference hall is getting too small, let¡¯s build a dedicated administrative building.¡± Kiara immediately stopped me. ¡°Brother, stop. We¡¯ll take it from there.¡± I restrained Kiara with my hand. ¡°Let me add something. Right now, there are one or two officers in charge of each task, but with the increase in workload, it¡¯s going to be tougher to handle.¡± They all nodded with a quiet expression. ¡°As a minister, you are still a representative. I want to make it a ministry with several staff members in it. One last point. I want to build a statue in front of the government building to symbolize our town.¡± Mil seemed to be unsure of my intentions. ¡°A symbol?¡± ¡°Yes. A symbol would make it easier to visualize and unite the people.¡± It¡¯s a mascot or an image character like Kumon or something. I think it¡¯s good to have. Charles looks at me as if he has a plan for me anyway. ¡°So ¡­¡­ do you have an original idea for that, my lord?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ I think it would be better if you make something around a girl as a draft.¡± I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll find that a girl is more popular than an old man. And then, suddenly, the teacher drops a mental cluster bomb. ¡°Do you want to imagine it with the kiddo¡¯s first love?¡± The bomb explodes, and the hall takes a turn for the worse. "" Mil and Kiara¡¯s gazes are intense. ¡°No ¡­¡­ here¡¯s a beautiful woman and a beautiful girl. I was thinking of asking a sculptor to make something with Mil and Kiara as the base.¡± I don¡¯t have one to begin with. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say Mil is my first love. But ¡­¡­ If I let this go, it will cost me my life. So I changed it to something we can agree with immediately. Kiara was satisfied with that statement. ¡°Well then¡­¡± Mil also seems to be concerned about the word first love, but she doesn¡¯t seem to have any objection to it. ¡°I have no objection.¡± The two people who ran the meeting agreed. Kiara stood up abruptly. "" ¡°Then, let¡¯s find the best sculptor in the world and have him make it! That¡¯s top priority!!!!¡± As if it were a matter of course, Kiara began to abuse her authority. Mill also stood up in full agreement. ¡°Yes, that sounds good.¡± Oh, no. I can¡¯t stop this now¡­ ¡°Anyway ¡­¡­ please list the government buildings, ministries and personnel on your own.¡± Unusually, Jules raised his hand. ¡°Can I say something as well?¡± I nodded and encouraged him to continue. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not going to be able to provide enough protection on my own. I would like to request the creation of the Elite Guards.¡± I had expected to hear about this soon. Oracio seemed to have some doubts about that. He leaned forward, which was unusual for him. ¡°Does it have to be a knight?¡± It would be a shame to stick a knight only as my bodyguard. I shook my head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a knight.¡± When I answered without thinking, Charles laughed carefreely. ¡°There are going to be a hell of a lot of applicants. My lord is very popular, after all.¡± Popular? I¡¯m sure you mistake it for everyone¡¯s toy ¡­¡­ CH 76 I¡¯ve been contacted by the Adventurers Guild. It was time to take steps for the future. We have become an entity that the outside world is aware of. As a result, pirates might attack us. In short, the creation of a navy. Basically, I¡¯m thinking of using sea power as the main force of Ravenna, including future trade. Naturally, the chief military officer would need to be consulted. Charles pondered. ¡°Navy, you say?¡¡You¡¯re coming up with outlandish things again, as usual ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late if there¡¯s already damage made by the pirates, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Charles stroked his own chin. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ A normal soldier, at worst, can be armed with a weapon and become at least a fighting force ¡­¡­ It takes time and money to train a navy. Of course, the navy you are referring to is not ¡­¡­ 1 or 2 few ships.¡± ¡°I want at least ten ships. I¡¯m aiming for an army capable of assault and landing from the ship. In addition, we will build a naval base on an island outside the bay. We¡¯ll also have a lighthouse there.¡± Charles¡¯ face grew stern. Since he became the chief military officer, it is rumored that he has been struggling with the allocation of the budget. ¡°Do you have a budget?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just received a report from Sir Onyxim. It¡¯s an unexpected result, but it seems that there are signs of gold deposits near the mine.¡± ¡°Hoh ¡­¡­ that¡¯s huge. Financially, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long way off, but there are probably continents beyond the sea. I¡¯m dreaming of trading with them. We will sell what they don¡¯t have and buy what they do. That¡¯s the whole point of trade.¡± As in the game, simply executing the trade command ¡­¡­ will not increase your money. If you are not good at trading, you will end up in the red. Charles looked up and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s too far in the future for me to really feel it.¡± ¡°I suppose so. But it doesn¡¯t hurt to think about it. And in the future, if outside forces are going to attack here, it will naturally be from the sea. We need to keep our eyes on the sea.¡± Charles scratched his head with a reluctant expression. I guess he can¡¯t imagine a naval battle. Since he¡¯s just a fierce warrior on land, after all. ¡°I guess so ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there were people who knew how to fight pirates, if not naval battles, during the time of the previous lords. They were facing the sea and had a port, even though it was small. I¡¯m sure they had countermeasures against pirates.¡± Charles pondered as he searched his memory. ¡°Well, there were sailors. However, the previous lord had told us not to take any aggressive action because of the cost of ships. The quality of the ships degraded and in the end, they became nothing more than floating objects. It was a vicious circle ¡­¡­ because we couldn¡¯t even kill pirates, so merchants wouldn¡¯t come to us ¡­¡­ Thanks to this, the good ones ran away ¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t heard from them in a while, so I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re still alive¡­¡± The bad habits of the French Navy at the time of Louis XIV had been reproduced here. In such an unfortunate environment, some people might be smoked out. Or, some may devote themselves to research, dreaming of the day of reconstruction to come. It¡¯s also a good idea to see if there are people who can be treasures. Even the Scala family pays a minimal amount of attention to the matter, but basically, their main thoughts are on land. ¡°Could I meet them by any chance? I¡¯d also like someone with shipbuilding skills.¡± Charles shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ll need a different kind of connection for that. You could try the Adventurers Guild.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Originally, there may be a fisherman¡¯s son or something like that. If you¡¯re looking for something broad and shallow, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild is probably the best choice.¡± I don¡¯t want to leave too much to chance there, you know? ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­¡± Charles raised an eyebrow at my unenthusiastic reply. ¡°Are you dissatisfied?¡± ¡°The town I¡¯m building is a town that doesn¡¯t care what race you are. If we ask for the adventurer¡¯s guild¡¯s power carelessly ¡­¡­ there will be a massive influx of people. As a result, they will shake the logic of the outside world. I don¡¯t want to see the beastmen ostracized as a result. In human society, beastmen are accepted as an external factor. But they are not regarded as equal. And ¡­¡­ we don¡¯t want rumors to spread and get the attention of the church as a result.¡± ¡°Why would anyone, regardless of race, be noticed by the Church? ¡° "" ¡°Even though the time of the apostles¡¯ descent has come, but the apostles have not appeared ¡­¡­ When that happens, the church will be desperate to find a cause. It can be an accusation. They¡¯ll have to at least pose as doing something.¡± I¡¯m the cause, though. ¡°What does that have to do with it?¡± ¡°The beastmen are treated as equals. It is because there are unbelievers who disturb the common sense of the world that the apostles do not come down ¡­¡­ They might talk about stupid things like that.¡± ¡°So anything is fine as long as they can falsely charge something or someone¡­¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Charles gave an exasperated look. ¡°I wonder if they would go that far.¡± ¡°An organization whose raison d¡¯etre is a single cause will stop at nothing to keep itself alive. I¡¯m sure the church is more than capable of coming up with false accusations. The apostles are the church. If they don¡¯t come down, it could turn into a power struggle within the church. They will probably look for a sacrifice to create an alibi for the worst-case scenario.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± After a few moments of thought, Charles looked as if he had realized something. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why you have Professor Fabio as your advisor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Just what I expected from my right-hand man.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really looking very far ahead and making your move.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing something that no one has ever done before. If I don¡¯t take all the necessary steps in advance, I won¡¯t be able to succeed.¡± If something random is fine, someone else would have done it by now. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to build and operate a ship without using the adventurer¡¯s guild¡­¡± If we involve the guild too much, it will become troublesome. I¡¯d like to avoid them as much as possible. Charles said thoughtfully. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s okay to talk to them individually? Like people who have given up on being adventurers or are just mired in their current environment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Can you check with your men for now?¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll check with my network of knights and ex-knights. But ¡­¡­ why me? I¡¯m sure others have contacts too.¡± ¡°The military needs to be unified and in command.¡± We don¡¯t want the navy and the army fighting over turf, like the old Japanese army. ¡°So you want to centralize authority in my hands. Seriously, you¡¯re such a terrifying man. My lord.¡± That¡¯s what happened when I considered the rational course. I gave a small shrug of my shoulders. ¡°I guess so. I¡¯m just taking the easy way out, that¡¯s all. What I¡¯m doing is unprecedented. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a negative thing to make everyone feel uneasy. I don¡¯t want people to have faith in me, but I do want them to trust me. We can¡¯t succeed if everyone runs away from us, after all.¡± Charles looked at me with amusement and started laughing. ¡°First a terribly incompetent lord, then a terribly competent lord. My life has been one big drop in the bucket. If it were the other way around, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to see it.¡± With a wave of his hand, Charles walked out. Afterwards, Kiara opened her mouth in admiration. ¡°So you were even keeping an eye on the sea too, brother.¡± ¡°Of course, from the beginning.¡± Mil seemed a little taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s too early, we haven¡¯t even settled the territory yet. ¡° ¡°I know it¡¯s too early. But if we delay any longer, we won¡¯t be able to finish with a lot of things in time ¡­¡­¡± Mil and Kiara look at each other and look like they don¡¯t make sense. ¡°It¡¯s not just the navy, shipping takes time to grow. As this place develops, merchants will move in. When that happens, there¡¯s a good chance they¡¯ll take over on condition of support. Before we know it, we¡¯ll be so deep in debt that the merchants will practically own it.¡± Kiara leaned forward. ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should get a foothold before the merchants come in? ¡°That¡¯s right. If we have a base in shipping, they will not be able to control us on such bad terms. In the worst-case scenario, even if we refuse, we can make it on our own. We can¡¯t even negotiate without such a system.¡± Mil¡¯s face became a little despondent. ¡°Lately ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve come to understand Al, including his perspective on the future. So I thought I was growing up, but ¡­¡­ I guess I haven¡¯t.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°No, you¡¯ve both grown quite a bit. You¡¯re both indispensable to me.¡± I can talk to them about things I can¡¯t tell anyone else. "" Such a tight-lipped accomplice is very important. CH 77 Now, the puppeteer I¡¯ve been waiting for has sent me a letter. The work of a lord in a volatile region is a mixture of domestic and military affairs. It is never one thing to get one thing done and then another. Various events flow like an early-summer rain. Appropriate measures must be taken to deal with them. The right person in the right place and the delegation of authority are important abilities. Ludvig was in charge of planning the infrastructure construction. And Onyxim is the head of the practical side. The new town seems to have ignited the spirit of engineering and is really enthusiastic about the project. We¡¯ve come to the point where we can leave the food, clothing, and shelter to them. It needs a few tweaks now and then, but it¡¯s better than expected. So my focus has shifted to the confrontation with the tiger people. I¡¯ll leave the actual fighting to Charles, but I can¡¯t leave the strategy to others. In the midst of all this, a cat person asked the patrolling knights for protection. He was led to the town and given supervised protection. There, we had an urgent meeting. The members are Charles, Oracio, who is needed for this operation, and two secretaries. The meeting format around here is me and two secretaries, plus the relevant members. Charles cut to the chase in a light-hearted manner. ¡°I wonder what the purpose of our guest is? Is it to gather information about us?¡± ¡°It could be my assassination, you know?¡± When I said it carefree, there was tension in the room. Charles looked at me in astonishment. I know it¡¯s impossible at this point. ¡°I don¡¯t think the subject himself should be so carefree.¡± I waved my hand lightly. ¡°It¡¯s only a possibility.¡± Mil and Kiara¡¯s killing intent was showing all over the place. Mil was about to leave her seat. She has experienced the murder of her parents. After being alone for so long, she finally met her spouse. It would be a nightmare to have them killed. So when it comes to my safety, Mil is very sensitive. ¡°I¡¯m going to go sort some things out.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t harm someone who has asked for your protection, okay.¡± Mil glared at me angrily. ¡°Al!¡± ¡°I told you this in advance so that you wouldn¡¯t come to that conclusion.¡± Kiara puffed out her cheeks. ¡°Brother, this is not funny, even in jest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I have zero intention of making Mil a widow, so please don¡¯t worry.¡± Mil looked very worried. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep at night just thinking about it, so stop it ¡­¡­¡± Oracio gave me a look like a student demanding an answer. ¡°Really, what¡¯s the truth?¡± ¡°Sir Oracio, have you seen any of the cat people who have asked for your protection in battle?¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°In other words, he doesn¡¯t have the ability to fight, or maybe he¡¯s just assassin in disguise. Even if he¡¯s in disguise, he must have a poison or something and need to be in contact. The assassination line can be eliminated. So I think the main target is to gather information.¡± "" ¡°What information are they gathering, exactly?¡± ¡°What happened to the wolf people? Who¡¯s on top? Who are the key players in the battle? Weaknesses if you can.¡± The teacher folded his arms and pondered. ¡°How is he going to get the information out? It will be extremely difficult to return without being spotted by the patrolling knights.¡± ¡°I want to go back to persuade the cat people to emigrate. I guess that¡¯s what he¡¯ll say.¡± Everyone nodded their heads in agreement with my prediction. Charles looked at me as if he wanted to know what to do next. ¡°So what do we do?¡± ¡°Is there anyone living in the area where the wolf people originally came from?¡± I¡¯ve asked him to gather information about this place. Oracio reports back to me. ¡°Some tiger people live there. I thought it was the dog people or cat people.¡± ¡°Originally, the tiger people instigated the dog people and cat people into attacking you, after all. It wouldn¡¯t make sense if they gave the vacant land to dog and cat people.¡± Kiara nodded at my statement. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Mil had been casually moving her seat closer to me since the assassination thing. I noticed that she was right next to me. This part of her is cute, but we are in the middle of an important conversation. ¡°So what are you going to do about it, Al?¡± This is the point where we have to ask the executors if they agree or not. ¡°Then I would like to ask you something, Sir Oracio.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can you attack the tiger people first and then come back immediately? One blow is all that is needed. It should be powerful enough to anger the tiger people, though.¡± Charles tilted his head. ¡°For an attack, wouldn¡¯t a knight be better?¡± That¡¯s not good enough. I shook my head. ¡°Since they¡¯re familiar with the geography, so the tiger people who aren¡¯t familiar with it yet will probably lose. You can¡¯t get caught or get into a physical fight. You¡¯re just throwing the bait.¡± Oracio nodded confidently. ¡°I am confident that a small group of people will not be caught.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to drop off a letter for me. In addition to the greetings. When they see the letter, the tiger people will come to the front and attack us. They will attack us immediately, so please build a line of defense beforehand. I want Sir Rossi to take out the tiger people who are coming out to the front with a concentrated attack.¡± Then I took a breath and looked at Oracio. ¡°I have one more request to make of you, Sir Oracio.¡± ¡°We are determined to follow you, my lord. You can tell me anything you want.¡± ¡°Then I will explain about the letter and the request.¡± I gave a brief explanation. I was trying not to show the anxiety in my heart, despite the surprise and excitement of those present when they heard it. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The day of the start of the operation. In the reception room, I was pondering. A lot of time has passed since the wolf people arrived in our town. The assimilation is going well, but there¡¯s a certain hesitancy. I need to think of a way to resolve this. The quickest way is to shed blood, fighting together. There will be sacrifices in this battle. And it is also at my own command ¡­¡­ It¡¯s depressing, but I have no choice but to accept it, even if the families of the dead hate me for it. In addition, I am in a safe place when I give them the order to die. I could take the lead, but there would be fewer sacrifices if I leave it to Charles. I can¡¯t accept any extra sacrifice just for my personal immunity. If this is a third party, that¡¯s the best way to be efficient. It¡¯s not right to wallow in self-pity. That¡¯s what they would say. However, there is a big gap between the person concerned and the third party. The idea of sacrificing others is ¡­¡­ what has kept me stuck in this feeling for a while now. When I was struggling in the room with us three left, I felt a sensation in my arms on either side. Mil and Kiara held my arms gently. ¡°Al¡­¡­ tell me if you have any troubles.¡± ¡°Brother ¡­¡­ if I can be of help, I¡¯ll do anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way. The lives of my men and residents are very important to me. This time, it is almost certain that there will be deaths. Even though I know that, I have to give the orders. I¡¯m not cut out to be a battle commander if I¡¯m struggling with this ¡­¡­¡± The two of them kept quiet and strengthened their hold. CH 78 The leader of the tiger people, Paul Bevelstam, folded his arms with a grim expression on his face in the town of the occupied ex-wolf people. The tiger people can only come out on top if they show strength. I was going to show off my strength by driving out the wolf people. I was one step closer. But ¡­¡­ when I realized it, the wolf people were already gone. There was nowhere to raise my fist and bring it down. That was the source of my frustration. I tried to make it up by saying that the wolf people ran away because they were afraid of me, but it just didn¡¯t feel right. Rumor has it that the new settlers have wiped out the wolf people. That¡¯s what Esthel Mika, the cat person who has been giving me advice, told me. She¡¯s useful. I¡¯m good at wielding power, but I¡¯m not good at thinking about the details. "" ¡°I have no power. I¡¯m tired of my people making fun of my parents who died hunting. I want to serve the powerful Lord Paul.¡± With that, she offered her body to me. It was a good distraction. It was quite fun to scare the dog and cat people into attacking the wolf people to show off my power. We used to coexist, but they always put us tiger people in a bad position. Of all of them, the wolf people was the one with the biggest attitude. It feels good to see them suffer. They owe us a lot, so I¡¯m going to have them pay it back. It made me interested in the people who wiped out those wolf people. ¡°If we get rid of them, Lord Paul will be the boss of this region. Everyone will want your seed.¡± That¡¯s what Esthel said to me. I¡¯m not interested in being the boss, but I love to show my power. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to have a bunch of kids and start my own kingdom. ¡°I¡¯m going to sneak into their town and see what happened to the wolf people. And while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯m going to check on the ones I kicked out.¡± Esthel said, so I sent her off. If you don¡¯t know your prey ¡­¡­ you might fail to hunt them down and take care of them. As I was thinking about this, an arrow was suddenly shot at the tiger person on guard. An enemy attack! I howled and ordered everyone to fight. As if to mock such a howl, another arrow flew at us. They quickly disappeared, but those figures was the wolf people. So they were still alive. I chased after them, but they were quick. The wolf people had all escaped. Frustrated, I returned to the town to find several people injured by arrow wounds. They were suffering from the wounds. ¡°Is it poisoned!?¡± A subordinate became enraged. ¡°Looks like it, boss. They¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡± Another subordinate brought in a piece of paper. ¡°Boss, I found this. There¡¯s more than one of the same thing.¡± There are words written on the paper, but I can¡¯t read them. ¡°Read it out loud!¡± ¡°Hey! The tiger man is too small to fight the wolf people, so they hides behind the cat and dog people. They¡¯re also dumb, so they can¡¯t do anything without the help from the cats¡­¡± He glared at his subordinate and yelled at him. ¡°Are you done!¡± ¡°N-No¡­ They also said that the cat has given up on those idiots and that the tiger people is sneaking around in the wolf people¡¯s abandoned house. If we¡¯re going to do it, now¡¯s the time ¡­¡­ If it¡¯s too dangerous, we can just run to the town outside the forest and the cowardly tigers won¡¯t come after us. The boss of the tiger is a coward so he will never step forward. If the stupid tiger comes out, we can shoot him with our bow and he will run back. It seems to be an instruction or something.¡± "" I was so angry that my eyes darkened. (T/N: His eyes didn¡¯t become dark literally, but he became blinded by his anger.) ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s show them what we¡¯ve got!¡± All the safe people roared and started running. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Charles Rossi was ready to intercept and was waiting for the enemy. Then Oracio¡¯s group came running in. ¡°We¡¯ve accomplished our mission, Sir Rossi.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work. You can step back.¡± Oracio did not move back, his eyes serious. ¡°No, let us fight too.¡± The lord is concerned about the wolf population being reduced. He¡¯s made it clear that they don¡¯t have to fight. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°No. If we don¡¯t fight together, we won¡¯t feel like we¡¯ve truly become comrades!¡± Oracio¡¯s expression was desperate. ¡°Please! Let us be your comrades! I¡¯ll take the blame! Please!!!!¡± There was no time left. There¡¯s no point in arguing. ¡°All right. But don¡¯t push too hard. And who¡¯s going to take orders from the lord?¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ thank you. I¡¯ll leave that to my son.¡± Suddenly, a roar came from the forest. ¡°Here comes our visitor. Just as my lord predicted. I wonder if they¡¯re as simple as that ¡­¡­¡± My Lord¡¯s plan was rather simple, but ¡­¡­. "" I wonder if they¡¯ll take the bait that easily. I¡¯ll have to ask him how to solve it later. Until then, I can¡¯t die ¡­¡­ The tiger people rushes forward at a furious pace. Suddenly, he topples over and a spray of water flies. A shallow pit has been dug. There is one trick in it. It was storing up oil. ¡°All right, fire at once!¡± A rain of arrows rained down on the leader of the tigers who had gotten up. We don¡¯t use fire arrows here. In close combat, it would be unacceptable if the arrows ignited my men. The first tiger person collapsed and stopped moving. But the rest of the tiger people rushed forward. ¡°Intercept!¡± As planned, we stopped firing and started to intercept them. My lord had said. ¡°The tigers are probably unmatched in their initial thrust. But if you were able to get over it, they will not be able to sustain themselves. Don¡¯t try to forcefully defeat them ¡­¡­ but give priority to passing them off. That said, I¡¯ll leave it to you to make the actual decision.¡± It¡¯s true that the barbarian-like guys have a lot of thrust, but they don¡¯t last long. The fierce battle lasts for about an hour. Then, the next trick was triggered. It seemed that the son of Oracio had done it. The forest behind them started to burn. A vicious trap. "" Each one is simple, but when chained together ¡­¡­ they become ridiculously powerful. Oracio¡¯s son shouted, politely told the enemy. ¡°The forest is on fire!¡± The tiger people¡¯s agitation reaches its maximum. When this happens, the leader has already fallen, and there is no one to help him recover. They scatter and try to escape. We did not pursue them. The ones who had been exposed to the oil would try to push their way through the fire, ignite, and die. It¡¯s because there was nowhere else to run. I guess only a few of them made it back safely. After the forest burned, 30 minutes later ¡­¡­ it¡¯s done. The death toll on the enemy side of the battlefield was low. It is because we are not trying to defeat them. So there were about 10 people. The total number of the enemy would have been over 100. We¡¯ll find out later how many of them died during the escape. Our damage was four dead. All of them were wolf people who were impatient for success. They shed blood and wanted to become our comrades. I¡¯ve been on the battlefield long enough to know that there¡¯s nothing I can do to stop them. But what about the lord ¡­¡­ He will never blame us, but he will blame himself. It¡¯s easier to be irresponsible in times like these, though. It¡¯s much easier to be reprimanded. It¡¯s hard to admit and not be blamed for all my decisions when it comes to such a situation. It¡¯s a selfish thought, but it¡¯s also a sincere one. There were 14 wounded. We will order the bodies of the dead and the wounded to be sent back. As instructed by our lord, we took the head of the leader of the tiger people and headed home. CH 79 I¡¯ve received reports that the battle has begun. I¡¯ll just leave the rest to them. I stared outside, alone, without thinking about anything. How many people would be killed or injured, it was too much to think about. As a ruler. The dead will be mourned and honored for their bravery and fighting. We do our best to ensure that the families left behind are not inconvenienced. So that the remaining soldiers can fight without a care in the world. Leaders only count the deaths of people. I heard such criticism before my reincarnation. It is true that for leaders, in the end, it is a number and a necessary expense. That¡¯s what I thought, and I¡¯m sure there were people who didn¡¯t care in the first place. But now that I¡¯m in a position to give orders, I¡¯ve realized something. When I think about the lives of each and every person who died in the war, I find it hard to keep my spirits up. If I don¡¯t look at it as a number, I will definitely have a mental breakdown. If I worry about the dead every single time, we will not be able to win. One leader¡¯s success is another¡¯s death. A good leader knows the shortcut to hell. I¡¯ve heard it said before. Let your men die, and move on to the future. It¡¯s true that the path I¡¯m taking is a straight line to the hell of the dead. I bit my lips, mocking myself. I felt something dripping down my face. I guess this is self-pity, too. "" It¡¯s too unbearable. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The door opened, and I felt the two of them come in. I didn¡¯t feel like turning around, so I continued to look outside. ¡°Al, you¡¯re still there?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, brother?¡± I could barely reply. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Seems like the tone of my voice gave me away. The two of them came up beside me and seemed to notice my severely cut lips. Mil was surprised, but remained silent and wiped the blood off. ¡°Can you let me know when you get the results?¡± ¡°All right, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll stay here for now.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t leave brother alone right now!¡± Mil said with deep concern. ¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time, just let me know.¡± I sighed. ¡°No matter what you say, it will only be self-pity.¡± Kiara grabbed my arm tightly. Her expression was like she was reprimanding me. ¡°Brother. If you keep blaming yourself, you¡¯re doing a disservice to those who fought for you. When you greet everyone, please be strong, even if it¡¯s in a hollow voice.¡± As expected of someone who had been educated as an aristocrat. It was the same for me, but ¡­¡­ my memories from before my reincarnation have taken over. ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you ¡­¡­ I¡¯m fine now. Would you mind leaving me alone until further notice?¡± With a very complicated look on their faces, they left. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve shown them something pathetic. I¡¯ll have to get back on my feet somehow.¡± I thought, but I didn¡¯t have a good idea. I am keenly aware of the difficulty of coming to terms with my feelings on my own. Then ¡­¡­ I finally noticed the pain in my lips. I kept looking outside in silence, and the door opened when the sun is about to set. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô It was Mil. She looked like she was in a lot of pain. I knew from that alone that someone had died. ¡°Al, Mr. Rossi is back.¡± ¡°So you won.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the damage?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡­ 4 dead, 14 wounded.¡± ¡°All right, thank you.¡± They¡¯re still worried about me. I guess that means I¡¯m still inexperienced. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I greeted Charles in front of the government building. The town is filled with cheers. In particular, the wolf people won their battle against the tiger people, with whom they had a longstanding rivalry. This one thing seemed to bring them a lot of joy. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Sir Rossi.¡± Charles bowed with a serious face. ¡°I am back, sir. As you instructed, the leader has been defeated. I¡¯m sure only a few of them managed to escape.¡± ¡°I see. Well then, let¡¯s take care of the wounded and prepare the funerals for the dead. After that, we can celebrate.¡± Oracio, who had been standing behind Charles, called out with a mysterious look. ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work too, Sir Oracio. You can take a good night¡¯s rest now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought it was unnecessary, but I asked Sir Rossi to let me fight. In the end, some people died. I¡¯ll take whatever punishment it is.¡± ¡°Sir Rossi, did you gave him permission to participate?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then you did not violate any orders. There is no need to apologize. General, in the army, you don¡¯t have to take orders. If Sir Rossi approves, it¡¯s as good as my approval.¡± Oracio looked unconvinced. "" ¡°But ¡­¡­¡± I knew they would do that. I knew, but I still sent them out. There was no way I could punish them for that. I quietly stopped Oracio from saying anything with my hand. ¡°No, I want to thank you again for your hard work. And thank you ¡­¡­ for risking your life to fight for our town.¡± Oracio looked as if he had realized everything and bowed to me. ¡°I¡¯d also like to borrow the leader¡¯s head.¡± There is still some post-war work that only I can do. CH 80 I took the leader¡¯s head and headed for a room. It was the room where the cat people who had asked for our protection were. Jules was the only one following me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The tiger leader has been defeated. The cat people are safe now.¡± I showed the head to the cat person, who introduced herself as Yaroslava Mika, and told her so. Yaroslava stiffened, but suddenly started laughing expressionlessly. I was strangely impressed to see that she could laugh like this. ¡°I see, he¡¯s so dumb.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t believe he died so easily. What an idiot.¡± ¡°By the way, we called you the puppeteer. We didn¡¯t know your name, after all. What¡¯s your real name? You can tell us now.¡± Yaroslava glared at me with eyes that looked like she was going to kill me. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a senseless name. It¡¯s Esthel Mika. It doesn¡¯t really matter, though.¡± ¡°Well then, Ms. Esthel. Please help me solve this riddle. Why did you incite the tiger people and oppress the wolf people?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I guess she¡¯s not going to tell me that easily. ¡°Did you make the wolf, tiger, dog, and cat people fight each other with ruin in mind?¡± ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re not very bright ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that conceited. I knew it was about revenge. It was not clear if the tiger people was the target.¡± It seems her killing intent increased. Jules felt it, and he put his hand on his sword. I stopped Jules with my hand. ¡°I was wondering what you wanted to do by involving all the species for that ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re bored enough to do something like that for fun, though.¡± ¡°Unlike you who came here to say this, I¡¯m not that bored.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are. It was a very well thought out and well-executed plot.¡± Esthel¡¯s eyes became even sharper. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide the fact that you¡¯re making fun of me.¡± ¡°No, honestly, I¡¯m impressed. It was probably a desperate plot, and you were probably planning to die in the end. I¡¯m not ready for that level of revenge.¡± ¡°So I was defeated by that level of determination.¡± ¡°Is that so? I think you have achieved your goal.¡± Esthel snickered and then became furious. ¡°It¡¯s not enough! It¡¯s not enough, you know! Never! Not by a long shot! You killed him so easily! What right do you have to take away my revenge!¡± The more furious the other party gets, the calmer I become. I¡¯ve seen this happen before, but now I¡¯m mentally exhausted. Calm is the limit. ¡°I don¡¯t care what about rights. I have a duty to protect my people. I don¡¯t give a damn about some stranger¡¯s silly revenge plot.¡± I was half taking it out on her, and my language was relentless. I don¡¯t want the two of them to see me like this. ¡°Silly, you say!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you, just in case. How far did you compromise to be satisfied?¡± Esthel stood up. Jules was even more alarmed, but again I stopped him with my hand. ¡°Listen! I wanted that idiot to be betrayed by the other bunch he¡¯s looking down on! Be cornered! And just when he¡¯s about to despair! I¡¯ll give him one last push and drop him into the pit of despair! That purpose ¡­¡­ that¡¯s what you took away from me!¡± Then she spat out with a crazy laugh. ¡°And wolves, dogs and cats, they¡¯ll kill each other in the end with suspicion. I just hope they all die!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Your parents died because of a failed hunt, caused by this tiger. But, in the interest of tribal cooperation, the cause was covered up and your parents were called incompetent as substitutes. There was no proper funeral. It¡¯s true that you want to get them involved and ruin them. You wanted to destroy the tribal cooperation. But the thing is, it concerns my people. I won¡¯t let them change my priorities, no matter who they are.¡± Esthel looked like a demon at my mixture of mockery and pity. She immediately pounces on me, screaming. ¡°Oh, yeah! Then I¡¯ll at least take your life as the purpose of my life!¡± I don¡¯t think she has a weapon, or maybe she has poison on her fingernails. Before Jules could cut him down, I used my magic without chanting. It¡¯s a fire magic, but by narrowing down the area of influence to a minimum, it creates a kind of short laser. Instead of a ranged flame, it compresses the energy of the flame into a thin tube-like image. The distance is not practical as it can only be done at close range. A magic for self-defense with a surprise attack, one-hit kill. If they anticipate you and shift your body, you¡¯re out. Before my memory returned, I had practiced and mastered it out of curiosity. I never thought I¡¯d use it here. With a sizzling sound, a small hole appeared in Esthel¡¯s head and a burning smell wafted out. She fell to the ground, still in the pouncing position. The blood slowly spread to the floor. It doesn¡¯t take long to burn off completely. Because It¡¯s only for a moment. It was the first time I had killed someone, but it didn¡¯t evoke any emotion. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m a broken person or if I¡¯m just tired. Maybe it¡¯s the former. ¡°Sir Jules, please take care of the body.¡± I looked down emotionlessly at the fallen Esthel and left the room. My body was as heavy as lead, but I couldn¡¯t rest yet. I¡¯m the ruler, so I have a lot of work to do. When I¡¯m done, I just want to sleep alone. "" That¡¯s all. CH 81 I¡¯m Silvana, the person that aims to be the Apostle¡¯s Lover. Now, I¡¯m very unhappy. I got a job at Al¡¯s place, but I¡¯m using my magic for some humble civil engineering work. I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing. It¡¯s magic, you know? Why would you use it to blow up dirt and break rocks? But it¡¯s the only way so that I can eat. In the midst of all this, I heard there was a battle going on. But I was working on a construction project ¡­¡­ and when I rushed over, it was already over. I decided to take this frustration out on the victory party. I¡¯m going to drink a lot. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The victory celebration was a three-day extravaganza. On the third day, I finally had a chance to talk to Mil, who was available. I noticed that she seemed depressed. My intuition was whispering to me. It¡¯s saying that something happened. Let¡¯s do it for my best friend. Yeah, it¡¯s not because it sounds fun or anything. ¡°Mil, what¡¯s wrong, you look so sad?¡± ¡°What, did I look like that? Maybe I¡¯m just tired.¡± Lies. You can¡¯t deceive the eyes of Silvana, the hunter of love. ¡°It has to do with Al anyway. That¡¯s the least of Mil¡¯s worries.¡± She looked down and began to talk in whispers. Al is depressed because of the casualties of this battle. He blames himself for bringing the fight to them, even though he knew there would be casualties. She tried to comfort him, but she doesn¡¯t know what to say. What a muddle. Has Al¡¯s influence made her more logical? ¡°You want to comfort him, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s easy.¡± Mil was taken aback. You¡¯re worrying too much. ¡°Eehhhhhh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to comfort him with words, you can just comfort him with your body! For what do you think you share the bed for!¡± ¡°W-Wait. And for me start it ¡­¡­ It was always Al ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Naive! That¡¯s naive! Squeeze him so hard he can¡¯t think about anything else!¡± I was talking to myself, and I got heated up and shouted. You can¡¯t stop a good woman in a hurry. ¡°A woman is all about guts! You have to push and push and push!¡± I don¡¯t have any experience with this, but ¡­¡­ you¡¯ll just get hungry if you¡¯re trying to reason with yourself. You¡¯ll want to sleep. And you¡¯ll want to do it. Mil is turning so red that it was so interesting. Nhhh~ She¡¯s so cute. Al is also quite a good judge of character. To make such a cute girl worry, that guy is quite the troublesome fellow too. I¡¯ll make her go all at once. The voltage is at its highest. ¡°Then he¡¯ll feel better and be able to move on!¡± I thrust my arms up in the air. ¡°Squeeze him like you¡¯re going to have a baby! You can even push him down! You can even beg him! Just do what you have to do!¡± Mil is looking down with her face beet red. ¡°N-No ¡­¡­ It¡¯s just ¡­¡­ everyone can hear you ¡­¡­ you know.¡± Oh no. I got too heated and my voice got too loud ¡­¡­ By the time I noticed, everyone was listening to me. Oh, my image as a pretty magician ¡­¡­ is crumbling. Worst of all, I made eye contact with the virgin with a look of disgust on his face. ¡°You ¡­¡­ Is that something you should say out loud while at the top of a desk?¡± It was a lifelong blunder ¡­¡­ for me to be retorted by the virgin. CH 82 The next thing I knew, I found myself pulled into a quagmire. I, Fabio Visconti, got caught up by my pupil. I¡¯m being made to work as a handyman in the name of advising on territory development. In other words ¡­¡­ they put me in troublesome or difficult places. But it was only after the battle with the tiger people was over that I learned the true meaning of being the advisor. The young man who controlled the letter brought it to me. ¡°Professor Visconti, your letter.¡± I took the letter quietly. But ¡­¡­ that kiddo is so unfathomable. As if he can see the whole picture, he is creating an administrative agency that no one has ever created before. Speaking of unfathomable beings, there are the apostles. I know what the apostles have said, done, and achieved so far from my apostolic studies. It¡¯s usually all about flashy achievements. A child with great power that is innocently tinkering with the world. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re thinking about the future. But, a child¡¯s thinking about the future is limited to assumptions that are almost always convenient. They assume a reality that they don¡¯t want to see, and they make firm assumptions. There was none of that. I¡¯m also wondering if that kiddo¡¯s knowledge ¡­¡­ is from an apostle. But he wants to do more than be an apostle. The kiddo, who is an apostle but not an apostle. I was curious, so I decided to keep quiet and watch him. I¡¯m sure that kid doesn¡¯t care what I think. He¡¯s really treating me as a handyman. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone using magic for civil engineering work, except the apostles. If an apostle did it, it would be over in an instant. If we ordinary people do it, it will take time. We would be forced to improve our procedures through trial and error. In fact, I think that¡¯s what they¡¯re aiming for. An apostle without the power of an apostle. It¡¯s really interesting, such a show is rare. It makes ordinary people go through trial and error. The kiddo says something outlandish, but in retrospect, it¡¯s not that great. We can do it too. We just haven¡¯t gotten there yet. Once we see it, it¡¯s possible to trace it. But it wasn¡¯t until I saw the letter that I was truly terrified of that kiddo. The letter was from the church. It asks for a report on the current status of the development site. Why did they ask for a report? What right does the church have to do that? It¡¯s because I¡¯m a professor of apostolic studies, a church-approved advisor to the lord. In other words, Ravenna itself is indirectly recognized by the church. Independently. If we are disconnected from the church, they will send people to visit us. If we¡¯re not careful, they might interfere or meddle in things we don¡¯t need them for. But I¡¯m the advisor. They only get information through me. The Church is a huge bureaucratic organization. I¡¯ll do my best to avoid infringing on their authority. If I don¡¯t report anything too strange, they¡¯ll just leave it at that. And they¡¯re expecting me to make a safe report. After all, I don¡¯t get along with the Church. He knows that I¡¯m working as a professor in order to feed myself. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d want the Church¡¯s help here. Even if the Church sends someone later¡­ If the church is going to send people in later, it will be after the organization is almost complete. What the kiddo is doing is out of the ordinary. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t want the church to interfere in the early stages. He¡¯ll pretend to be on our side. It¡¯s not the kind of idea a 16-year-old brat should have. He¡¯s not like the previous apostles. I¡¯m scared, but I¡¯m also excited. I¡¯m sure he knows exactly what I¡¯m thinking. There¡¯s something even creepier. Even when people tease him, he doesn¡¯t act uncomfortable, he basically does as he is told. If you think about it, the kiddo is creepy and you don¡¯t want to be around him. I can¡¯t decide if he is camouflaging it or if he really means it, but he seems to be indifferent to his own authority. The apostles have been foolish enough to say that they don¡¯t need authority, but¡­ In reality, they want to be respected by everyone. They¡¯re like a child who wanted attention. It¡¯s not so far off the mark to say he¡¯s 160 years old. If anything, he is the reincarnation of an angel who was punished by God for bringing fire to mankind. He may be such an existence. CH 83 In the midst of the victory celebration party, I, Charles Rossi, who had become the chief military officer, was looking for my lord. The lord was with the knights and werewolves ¡­¡­ In other words, he¡¯s with the people who had fought in this battle. It¡¯s like he was pulled in ¡­¡­ instead of being there. ¡°You¡¯re very popular, my lord. Won¡¯t your wife be jealous?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay since it¡¯s only men. If I were surrounded by women, her killing intent will come flying.¡± I smiled back and sat down in front of my lord. ¡°By the way, my lord. I was wondering if you could give your incompetent subordinate some answers.¡± My lord¡¯s face became a face like he¡¯s astonished. ¡°If Sir Rossi is incompetent, then no one is competent.¡± Somehow, it¡¯s embarrassing when he says this kind of word. It¡¯s hard to deal with it because he really means it. ¡°It¡¯s an honor. What kind of thoughts made you think of that strategy for this battle? I thought it would be good for the people who participated in this battle to know.¡± The people around me started to applaud. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything that big. I don¡¯t think we need to go over the answers.¡± ¡°Humility is a bad habit, my lord.¡± Robert was also interested and leaned forward. ¡°Please tell us about it.¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not really a big deal, okay. You can¡¯t go booing later.¡± ¡°That depends on what it is. If you keep being modest, you will be booed.¡± Robert continued. ¡°That¡¯s right. We are very proud of you, my lord. If you keep on being so humble, it will lower our morale.¡± My lord was scratching his head. He seems to have a habit of scratching his head whenever something happens. ¡°You know that the first thing I did was to ask for any information I could get.¡± ¡°Yes, I couldn¡¯t tell what your intentions were, though.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t talk about battles all the time and still come up with that plan. What you think, how you live, how you act. You have to know that much to be able to plan a strategy.¡± It¡¯s true, he was very particular about that. ¡°Hmmm¡­ but you didn¡¯t gather much information at all at first.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, though, since the significance of intelligence analysis is not yet widely understood.¡± We looked at each other at the unfamiliar words. ¡°Information analysis?¡± The lord laughs and shrugs his shoulders. He is not at all obsessed with his own achievements and accomplishments. Sometimes I wonder if he has any vanity at all. ¡°It¡¯s a word that profusely said that you are always doing what you are unconsciously doing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± My lord¡¯s idea is that if you are not careful, you will soon be left behind. ¡°Gather information, discard it, analyze it, in that order.¡± When I asked him the question out loud, he stopped me and gave me an explanation. I decided to use that technique. ¡°Hmm, just collect it. Then, discard the unnecessary information. Then make a decision based on the remaining information.¡± The lord nodded honestly. He looked like he was thinking about something. ¡°Let¡¯s see. For example, Sir Melchiorri is trying to seduce a woman.¡± Robert was suddenly thrown into an uproar. ¡°M-Me!?¡± ¡°I used it as an example because I thought you are serious and orderly. This is not the case with Sir Rossi, after all¡± I wouldn¡¯t do that. Robert nodded reluctantly when he was told that he was right. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡± ¡°First of all ¡­¡­ you will try to learn everything about the woman, her hobbies, her tastes, whatever it is.¡± They all tilted their heads, because the lord¡¯s story was so obvious. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at how obvious it was. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But¡­wouldn¡¯t you exclude, for example, idle chit-chat with the woman¡¯s friends? It depends on the content, though.¡± I wondered what was involved in this. The lord¡¯s way of talking was really tricky. I¡¯ll just give him a little response and let him go on with his story. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°And what kind of preference do the woman like. What kind of words she like. In other words, you¡¯ll analyze what kind of things they like. That¡¯s how you seduce them, right?¡± You¡¯re right, I do this naturally. The people around me stirred a commotion in agreement. If you ask me, it¡¯s really not a big deal. ¡°I see ¡­¡­ You certainly do this on a regular basis. And ¡­¡­ how did you decide on your strategy once you gathered the information?¡± The lord was unconcerned, as if it was not a big deal. I think that he should boast a little bit about it, though. There¡¯s no such pretense at all. It¡¯s like a natural enemy to the small things that take advantage of your good mood and take advantage of you. ¡°I thought it was the puppeteer himself when the cat person asked for protection. The puppeteer controls only one tiger. And he doesn¡¯t trust strangers at all. I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll see it for himself.¡± (T/N: I used he here for the puppeteer because Albert(The MC) didn¡¯t know what¡¯s the gender of the puppeteer was. And I didn¡¯t use they because he also mentioned before that there can only be one puppeteer.) It¡¯s true, we use manipulative people, but we don¡¯t trust or rely on them. "" If you see that the people around you are not capable, you have to see for yourself. As usual, his eye for observing people is really sharp. You need to have a lot of life experience to be able to do this, though ¡­¡­ ¡°And now that the tiger people was out of the puppeteer¡¯s control, it seemed like the right time. If I had to guess from the tiger people¡¯s habits, it would not be interesting to hear that the wolf people¡¯s settlement was empty. Tiger people are the type that enjoys the process of hunting. I¡¯m sure they would feel uncomfortable if their prey was taken. And they¡¯re itching to show off their power.¡± This is the true reason why he was so eager to know about the character and nature of the tiger people. ¡°So, I asked Sir Oracio to provoke them. Then, I¡¯ll have them get angry with a simple letter. He¡¯s frustrated to begin with, so even a childish attempt will have an effect. It will be easier if you know what they hate to hear ¡­¡­¡± It is true that on the battlefield, those who lose their sense of normalcy die first. But ¡­¡­ my lord has never been on a battlefield before. How does he know so much about it? The fact that he persisted in wanting to know shows that he really understands the importance of it. His age is completely unspecified. Oracio nodded admiringly. ¡°Hmmm ¡­¡­ sure, he¡¯ll rush in when that happens. In fact, he was furious.¡± And the Lord showed no signs of being proud of our admiration. ¡°How can you calmly detect the existence of a trap at a time like that? If the puppeteer had been there, he would have stopped it, but he was not. Moreover, he was made fun of for not being able to do anything without the puppeteer.¡± I barely managed to agree with him. I wondered if it was possible to manipulate someone just by what you hear from others. I¡¯m sure the tiger people wouldn¡¯t even know they were being manipulated. ¡°It¡¯s true that he rushed in.¡± ¡°And I will first kill the leader who comes to the front at will. He will not give up his reserved seat ticket to anyone. They didn¡¯t pay that much attention to the oil, in fact, they can¡¯t afford to run away and be attacked by fire arrows. They will instinctively make it a free-for-all.¡± He¡¯s right ¡­¡­ the ones who noticed the oil increased the speed of their rush. ¡°And they can fight for a while, but when they start to get tired, their retreat will go up in flames. When they came back to their senses, the leader is already dead. You will not know what to do. Then, your survival instinct will kick in. The result is total collapse. Easy, right?¡¡Just piss them off ¡­¡­ make them fall into the trap, and take them down. That¡¯s all I did.¡± Everyone was silent. How amazing it is to be able to guess a simple story so well and make it work. I wonder if the Lord knows it. I spoke for all of us. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to make an enemy out of you, My Lord.¡± They all nodded. If you¡¯re his enemy, you will be trapped before you know it. I¡¯m not confident I can avoid it. CH 84 The victory celebration was over and the town was finally settling down. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, I got out of my mental slump. I didn¡¯t have time to worry about it, and due to my sudden physical busyness (I mean it), I was no longer sentimental about it. Mil ¡­¡­ I wonder what kind of change in heart she had. I wonder if I made her worry too much. But, well ¡­¡­ I¡¯m happy, but ¡­¡­ there are limits. However, I am also a healthy 16 year old. I¡¯m just too easily influenced. However, Kiara¡¯s stare at Mil¡¯s glowing face in the morning was painful. Mil used to do that a lot, but recently Kiara has started to imitate her. The only problem is that Kiara has slanted eyes, which can be intimidating ¡­¡­ On an unrelated note, I¡¯ve been thinking about my memories from before my reincarnation. My body has finally gotten used to the feeling of not being tired the next day. There¡¯s a saying that people become calmer as they get older, but that¡¯s not really accurate. Even if you didn¡¯t have to be aware of it before, the feeling of physical exertion and movement slows you down. You¡¯ll be tired the next day. That¡¯s how it¡¯s imprinted in my mind, so there was a gap between the physical and the mental. Thanks to this, when my memory came back, I was full of discomfort. My body was rampant with energy, but my head didn¡¯t want to move. I kept working like a demon, and finally, my head and body started to match. Oops, I guess I didn¡¯t need to reminisce about my old man times. But I¡¯ve recovered enough to have time to think about this. It¡¯s really good to have a lover. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I¡¯m going to ask everyone to return to normal mode soon. I don¡¯t want to waste this opportunity for the sake of those who died or were injured. I¡¯m calling the people in charge. Their responsibilities are not limited to the military. I want them to make an effort to get to know their wolf people comrades. Up until now, I¡¯ve been destroying what used to be common sense and foolishness. Beastmen are intuitive and stupid. They are inferior to humans. That¡¯s the dominant view. If we had been carried away by such common sense, the damage would have been much worse. Beastmen just think differently, and they also use their heads. Naturally, they will also try to take advantage of us. It¡¯s not about hunting. Certainly, the humans with more developed technology and greater numbers would win. So, I won¡¯t change my common sense. To hell with it. And people are starting to see the effectiveness of my way of thinking. But then again, if I were to decide all the strategies here, they might become dependent on me. That would be no different than what the apostles are doing. Even without me, they can stand on their own feet. That¡¯s what I want to do. It¡¯s tempting to interfere, and in a sense, it¡¯s a competition with myself. But I want them to think for themselves, to decide their own direction. Their fate is their own. They shouldn¡¯t be my tools. And I¡¯m not going to let myself be used as a tool. When everyone was gathered, I opened my mouth. ¡°How would we deal with tiger people, dog people, and cat people. I want to hear everyone¡¯s thoughts.¡± Charles looked at me strangely. ¡°Doesn¡¯t my lord have any ideas?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it now, but I hope everyone will think about it from now on. ¡° The group murmurs. After a moment¡¯s pause, the teacher opened his mouth as if to speak for all of them. ¡°If the kiddo plans the strategy, there will be the least amount of sacrifice. You¡¯ve always made it your top priority to eliminate unnecessary sacrifices, haven¡¯t you?¡± In a way, you¡¯re right. But we can¡¯t go on like this. I shook my head. ¡°What are you going to do when I¡¯m gone? I¡¯m not immortal, you know. And if the sacrifice is the result of your thoughts, I will accept it at my own risk.¡± Mil looked uneasy at that statement. ¡°I see what you mean Al. You don¡¯t want us to become too dependent on you and stop thinking, right? But the way you say that when you¡¯re gone, it¡¯s heartbreaking¡­¡± That¡¯s my girl, Mil. You¡¯re watching me very closely. But I guess I didn¡¯t say that right. Kiara also looked sullen. ¡°I think it would be difficult for us to think of everything on our own suddenly. My brother taught me a lot, and I grew up. I think you should teach them how to do the same.¡± It was a good argument, but¡­ When I was confused, Charles shrugged his shoulders, as if saying he had no choice. ¡°I think we should just delegate it gradually.¡± I guess we¡¯ll go with that for now. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to just stand there and let it happen. It¡¯s no secret that this is what everyone has been talking about. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to give you the general direction of the meeting. Please discuss it with others.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°First ¡­¡­ what are we going to do about the tiger people, the dog people, and the cat people. One, are we going to attack them? Two, do we call for them to join us in the city? Three, do we do nothing and wait and see? I want you to think about these three things.¡± Silence reigned in the group for a while. Oracio opened the discussion as if to start it off. ¡°The tigers¡¯ strength has been drastically reduced. Now might be the time to attack them.¡± Is that what you want? Robert folded his arms as if to say that. ¡°When we are attacking the tiger people, won¡¯t the dog people or cat people who sense the danger attack us? It wouldn¡¯t be strange that they¡¯d think they were next.¡± Kiara tilted her head when she heard that statement. ¡°Is there a need for an attack in the first place?¡± When Mil realized that I was not going to say anything at all, she opened her mouth. ¡°From the tiger¡¯s point of view, the wolf people has become one of us. Didn¡¯t you think that they might retaliate against us ¡­¡­ for the wolf people?¡± Charles, who had been listening to the discussion with his eyes closed, opened them. Since he had fought them in person, he had some idea of the mental state of his opponent. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to give us all some important information. ¡°I don¡¯t think the tiger people can attack their own. Survival will be their priority for now. In addition to inciting the cat people and dog people, they¡¯ll not want to be subjected to an all-out attack against us. That is ¡­¡­ If they don¡¯t get desperate.¡± The teacher folded his arms and looked at them. ¡°Won¡¯t there be any chances the anxious dog people and cat people to come asking for help? ¡° The discussion is going well. It¡¯s sufficient for now, but ¡­¡­. when they¡¯re stuck, that¡¯s when their true worth will be tested. I wonder if I¡¯ll remember what I¡¯m fixated with before ¡­¡­ CH 85 The countermeasure meeting continues. I watched the meeting carefully. I was trying my best not to make any facial expressions. If I showed any expression, everyone would start discussing based on my expression. This is quite hard work. The discussion went on, unaware of my difficulty. I can almost accurately read how they will act if I move directly. But ¡­¡­ that¡¯s not enough. I look up to the heavens for a moment. I see that the discussion is at an impasse, so I decide to offer a helping hand. ¡°What do you think? Why don¡¯t we take a break here? If you worry too much, it will be easier to jump to conclusions.¡± It seems everyone¡¯s relieved since they were all struggling with the unfamiliar discussion. Then I suggested that we start over. ¡°Shall we discuss it again tomorrow?¡± They all nodded. I waited for everyone to leave. However, only Mil and Kiara remained, staring at me. As a result, there were only three of us left in the room. Looking a little uneasy, Mil said. ¡°Al, how did it go ¡­¡­?¡± Kiara was also anxious. ¡°I tried to follow my brother¡¯s intentions as best I could, but ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think I did well.¡± I smiled to reassure them. ¡°You¡¯re doing fine. Even if you do well ¡­¡­ you can often get stuck. And you don¡¯t have to follow my intentions. It¡¯s important that you all think together and come to the right conclusion. And there¡¯s no guarantee that I¡¯m right.¡± Kiara looked unconvinced. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine that brother is wrong ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I can be wrong too sometimes, you know. I¡¯m just trying to avoid being found out. I¡¯m trying to do something out of the ordinary ¡­¡­ so I needed their trust in me as the lord. If you¡¯re full of mistakes, no one will follow you.¡± Mil¡¯s face took on a powerful expression. ¡°I¡¯m definitely on Al¡¯s side. That¡¯ll never change. I¡¯ll always be with you.¡± Kiara nodded as if it was obvious. ¡°I¡¯m on your side, too, brother. No matter what happens.¡± ¡°Thank you, but please ¡­¡­ point out to me if I¡¯m wrong.¡± Mil had a complicated expression. ¡°Of course ¡­¡­ I know you want that ¡­¡­ But ¡­¡­ I know how hard you¡¯ve been working, so ¡­¡­ at least.¡± Well, that¡¯s true. I¡¯m on your side, but I¡¯ll also point out your mistakes. It¡¯s easy to say, but difficult to do. Correcting a mistake without hurting the other person takes much more care than just pointing it out. ¡°Thank you ¡­¡­ It really makes me happy. I¡¯m well aware that both of you really care about me. I¡¯m also aware that I end up being spoiled by the two of you no matter what. So¡­ please do what you can. And just don¡¯t overdo it.¡± They nodded happily. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ of course.¡± After saying that, Mil looked as if she was sure of something. ¡°When we were all talking, Al seemed to have a look on his face that something was missing.¡± Kiara nodded her head, as if she agreed. ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ it was mostly good ¡­¡­ but he did look like he was missing something.¡± Ugh, they know ¡­¡­ ¡°I really can¡¯t hide anything from the two of you ¡­¡­¡± I sigh in resignation. ¡°You¡¯re lacking a certain point of view.¡± It seems that she couldn¡¯t come up with anything even if thinks of this word. Mil nodded her head. ¡°A point of view?¡± Kiara seems a little unsure of herself. ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out how to get them to think about ¡­¡­ that point, but ¡­¡­¡± I say as gently as I can. ¡°It¡¯s about what they¡¯re thinking right now ¡­¡­¡± Mil¡¯s face turned serious as she tried to read my thoughts. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°If I do nothing, It¡¯s how they think and how they act.¡± Kiara gave me a surprised look. ¡°Is that what brother meant when you said ¡­¡­ in case you do nothing? Is there such an option?¡± Mil nodded her head in agreement with Kiara. ¡°If you¡¯ll do nothing, did you really need to call everyone to think about it? It was now that they could consider the various possibilities that I left the discussion to the others. ¡°If the situation works out in our favor, that¡¯s the right answer. It¡¯s not always ¡­¡­ necessary to do something. If the result of your thinking is that you get better results by moving than by sitting around, that¡¯s the right answer. But ¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s wrong to think that doing nothing without even considering it is wrong.¡± Kiara¡¯s face looked like it was vexing. ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ It seems that I haven¡¯t studied brother¡¯s study enough.¡± ¡°There is no such study.¡± Kiara looked as if it was natural for the sun to rise in the east and set in the west. ¡°No, it¡¯s the most important subject for me.¡± Mil seemed taken aback. ¡°What the hell do you study about Al ¡­¡­¡± She smiled like an angel. That¡¯s the face I make when she¡¯s trying to hide something. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± She¡¯s definitely thinking of something yandere-like things. I don¡¯t really know, but I¡¯m sure of it. Please, at least don¡¯t go out of control¡­ CH 86 I couldn¡¯t help but tell the two of them what I was thinking. I can¡¯t hide anything from these two people. But I¡¯m not uncomfortable with it. This is not the same as ¡­¡­ taking advantage of people or making fun of them, as I understand it. If I had to put it another way ¡­¡­ I¡¯d say it¡¯s embarrassing. There¡¯s a reason why I was thinking differently. We¡¯re continuing where we left off the day before, generally satisfied. I didn¡¯t have to constantly keep an eye on the discussion. However, when the time came to make the final decision, everyone started to shy away and become reserved. As a result of the discussion, we came up with two types of policies. The first was that there were too many uncertainties in attacking now, so we should wait and see what happens. The other is to ask the tiger, dog, and cat people to join us and see how they react. No direct attack was taken immediately. This is because there is no guarantee that the damage will be minimal. They know that I don¡¯t like unnecessary sacrifices. I left the discussion to them and made it clear that I would take responsibility. This makes it difficult for them to decide on anything that conflicts with my intentions. They think that I would like to see this major policy maintained. When sacrifices are easily tolerated, it becomes easy to jump to cheap and flashy achievements. As a result, the socially vulnerable and sensible people will suffer. People who speak loudly and bravely in times of peace tend to hide somewhere else when a crisis looms. People who shout ¡°Victory!¡±, and ¡°Glory!¡± rarely expose themselves to danger. People who have been silent until now sacrifice themselves to protect their families and friends. The weak are sacrificed without a second thought. When the crisis is over, the loudest voices come out of nowhere. And they take the credit for the victims. I¡¯m not struggling to create such a world. Until now, the world has taken sacrifice too lightly. I abhor unnecessary sacrifice, and I will instill this intention. But it is not the same as not being able to tolerate a single sacrifice. Taking sacrifice lightly has simply been turned inside out, and nothing essential has changed. There will be those who drag their feet, shouting for peace, for coexistence, for talking and understanding. When a crisis looms, they will either hide somewhere or run away first. Luckily, when the crisis is over ¡­¡­ they do the same thing all over again. Or they blame the people who fought to protect everyone. They blame the people who fought to protect everyone, or they blame the people who dragged their feet and blame the delay in response. I guess it all comes down to balance. As I was lost in my own thoughts ¡­¡­ I heard a voice calling out to me. It was Kiara. ¡°What are you thinking about, brother?¡± ¡°No, I had no problem with where the discussion was going. So I just ¡­¡­.¡± The teacher¡¯s face turned to a perverted uncle face. ¡°You weren¡¯t thinking about your night life, were you?¡± Everyone laughed except for me, Mil and Kiara. Mil blushed. Kiara smiled affectionately. But her eyes were not smiling. ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about something that simple. I¡¯m ¡­¡­ not as hungry for women as teacher is. So you don¡¯t have to think so hard.¡± This time, everyone laughed except the teacher. Charles has a look on his face that says, ¡°You decide the rest¡±. ¡°Well, my lord. We have almost exhausted the discussion. All that remains is for you to make a decision.¡± ¡°I think it would be best to ask them to join us. But ¡­¡­ I guess we¡¯ll need to bring back some souvenirs.¡± The teacher looked at me strangely. ¡°We¡¯re in a better position than them, but we¡¯re bringing something for them?¡± I chuckled mischievously. ¡°The only problem is, there is only one souvenir ¡­¡­ so it¡¯s a question of who to give it to.¡± I¡¯ve already decided on the right answer, but I¡¯d like you to think about it if you can. You have to think first, even if you¡¯re wrong. This is important. If you don¡¯t take even one step forward, you will never reach your destination. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re going to come from your destination. Charles was intrigued and leaned forward. ¡°Only one souvenir, huh? What exactly is it?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a kind of harassing souvenir.¡± Ludvig murmured with a faraway look in his eyes. ¡°Ahhhh ¡­¡­ My brother Mario, who was in charge of the letter from Lord Alfred to Miss Kiara, said something about that in the letter ¡­¡­ He said that it¡¯s hard to take care of souvenirs that are life-threatening ¡­¡­¡± Kiara smiled. ¡°Oh, well that¡¯s quite interesting. I think I need to talk to Mario about it, too.¡± Ludvig makes a face that looks like he¡¯s done it. ¡°W-Well, we should leave the thing about Mario for now¡­¡­ The answer is the leader¡¯s head, which was struck down in the last battle.¡± The teacher, sensing my intentions, murmured in astonishment. ¡°Kiddo ¡­¡­ you really have a nasty personality.¡± CH 87 Back in the room, when we are alone, Mil apologizes to me. ¡°Al, I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ In the end, we made you make the final decision.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s enough for now. You don¡¯t have to apologize, you did a great job. Thank you.¡± ¡°Al ¡­¡­¡± She looks a little woozy. Was that too much? I¡¯m starting to feel embarrassed saying that. ¡°Let¡¯s see, let¡¯s say Mil and I have a baby.¡± Mil blushed and stiffened. ¡°A c-child?¡± ¡°The child tries to stand up. Would you do anything about it?¡± Mil faltered, as if imagining the future. ¡°N-No. I¡¯ll watch over him.¡± She¡¯s still too cute. ¡°The same goes for that. If you don¡¯t do anything at all, you might think that ¡­¡­ you¡¯ve been abandoned. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll watch over him, sometimes helping him, until he gradually gets up?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be a good dad.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll try to be like it, though. You never know what kind of personality a child will develop.¡± ¡°Me and Al¡¯s baby. There¡¯s no way ¡­¡­ that he would suddenly start talking and arguing with Al ¡­¡­ right?¡± ¡°What you think am I, Mil ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm, Al people?¡± (T/N: Al people is Arujin. Just like Tiger people(Torajin), dog people(Inujin), and cat people(Nekojin).) Hey ¡­¡­ I¡¯m even becoming a tribe. Mil smiled wickedly. ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± That doesn¡¯t sound like a joke. ¡°So ¡­¡­ can you tell me why you¡¯re sending gifts to cat people?¡± I mimicked Kiara and improved my upward looking asking skills¡­ I gave her the correct answer, but broke it up by telling everyone to think about the reason. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say no to a request from my wife.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but say it. ¡°You know it works best.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°This whole thing started because the tiger people was inspired by the cat people and the wolf people were persecuted.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Based on that, do you think that giving the tiger people that gift will change anything?¡± Mil thinks for a moment. ¡°Maybe we should just bury them and be done with it ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, or they¡¯ll just think of it as a surrender gift. Based on their customs.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it work?¡± ¡°More than a gift for Mr. Cat.¡± ¡°What about the dog people?¡± ¡°We send it to the tiger people and that¡¯s it.¡± Mil seemed to be having trouble grasping why he was right. ¡°What about the cat people?¡± ¡°The cat people control the tiger people, maybe that¡¯s what no one knows. But it¡¯s a known fact that tiger people are followed by the cat people.¡± ¡°Still, it¡¯s not the end of the road?¡± I smile wickedly. ¡°Then we send the same letter to those who we sent gifts and those we didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What kind of letter?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell them exactly the truth what the cat people have planned. In addition, I¡¯ll make it that if they join us, we will pretend that the past conflict never happened. If they join us, they will be welcomed as a citizen. I will also add that the head of the tiger leader has been given to the mastermind behind it, the cat people.¡± Mil still looked uncomfortable. ¡°How will the gift affect them?¡± ¡°Sending it around to the tiger people won¡¯t help us get along. They will just curse us when they see us. If we leave it behind secretly, they will hate us as a coward. But even if the cat people keep it, they can¡¯t get rid of it and some of the tiger people will resent them. Even within the cat people, it could start disputes. In the end, the cat people will be afraid that the tiger people and the dog people will work together to attack them.¡± Mil murmured in a tone of disgust. ¡°That¡¯s very elaborate¡­¡± I gave a wicked smile. ¡°As a result, the three races will never join forces to fight against us. They¡¯ll think that the tiger people were incited by the cat people. Then, they¡¯ll have their hands full with their own survival. The dog people will think they got involved. The cat people will think it was one traitor and the tiger people who inspired them. Even within the group, it will be difficult to reach a consensus. And then they¡¯ll start thinking about whether they should be the first to surrender and try to get the upper hand.¡± My laugh gets more and more villainous. ¡°It would be awful if the others surrendered and attacked us jointly. I mean, they can¡¯t survive on our own. But two races together is not enough. They¡¯ve lost a lot of tiger people, which is the key. Three races together is impossible due to distrust. Furthermore, they¡¯ll fight If we want to kill or enslave them, but we¡¯ll welcome them as citizens. Then, that¡¯ll make them doesn¡¯t want to fight desperately.¡± "" It¡¯s like a light bulb appeared in Mil¡¯s head. ¡°Ohhh! That¡¯s why you bothered to mention the do-nothing option!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, madam.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing what Al people can do. ¡­¡­¡± No, as I said, I¡¯m not a tribe. CH 88 The decision to deal with the three races was made, and the implementation of everything was left to my subordinates. In the midst of all this, the physical strength of a sixteen-year-old started to go out of control. I feel like doing whatever comes to my mind. The idea was to talk to the children who wanted to work because there was little entertainment. An entertainment where everyone is enjoying it is impossible, but ¡­¡­ If they like it, they will be into it. It¡¯s the kind of thing that, if developed, will be useful for the future development of the territory. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± It was a good day when I thought of it. Kiara asked me. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°In search of a man¡¯s romance.¡± Putting aside the question marks in both of their heads, I headed for my destination. ¡°I¡¯m not working, so I¡¯m going out alone.¡± I asked Ludvig to get me a map. On my way, I stopped by Onyxim¡¯s workshop. I then asked Onyxim to do a little work in exchange for a drink. The empty building will be dedicated for that purpose. ¡°So, my lord. You want me to build a square frame here so that the water won¡¯t leak out?¡± ¡°Yes, please. I also want to be able to use the clay here.¡± ¡°Give me some more sake. Then I¡¯ll give you the clay. But that¡¯s quite a lot ¡­¡­ a clay for a 1 frame five meters on a side.¡± ¡°One barrel ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll give it to you with lord¡¯s authority.¡± ¡°Hoh~ ¡­¡­ You can take as much as you want from the workshop, then.¡± ¡°We have a deal. One barrel a month.¡± ¡°So ¡­¡­ what is it you¡¯re up to?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a pastime, a man¡¯s indulgence.¡± Onyxim looked interested. ¡°What¡¯s with that most fascinating word after alcohol.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to present a new hobby to the children.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll be happy to help if I find it interesting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very reassuring.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After a firm handshake, I headed to the wolf children. I was instructed not to work, so I had a lot of free time on my hands. ¡°Ah, my lord?¡± They all gathered around. Really, I¡¯m treated as everyone¡¯s entertainment ¡­¡­ ¡°I need your help with something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± All of them looked at my request for work with expectant eyes. Uh, it hurts my heart a little. If they¡¯re not interested in this, it¡¯ll be very boring¡­ Feeling a little guilty, I explained. ¡°If it¡¯s not boring, do something else you want to do. I don¡¯t want you to be forced to do this just because I ask you to. If you enjoy it, please continue.¡± ¡°The preface is too long.¡± The children booed. I scratched my head. It seems that the preface was too long. The bossy wolf girl stepped forward and peered at me. ¡°Just tell me, my lord.¡± This girl is rather in charge of the kids. Women are so strong ¡­¡­ ¡°Then please follow me.¡± With curious glances from those around me, I led the children to the empty building. If I was blowing a pipe, I¡¯d be the Piper of Hamelin. I¡¯m the one leading the way, though, so everyone is at ease. Then, even the children of the humans who were playing gathered. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When we get to the building, I put the map on the wall. In front of a square frame and a lot of clay, the children have a question mark on their heads. ¡°We have a map here, right? I want you to recreate the same thing here with the clay.¡± A diorama is a man¡¯s dream. I don¡¯t have a castle or anything, so I¡¯ll use a map instead. The girl who was the leader earlier asked me. ¡°My lord, what is this for?¡± Because she¡¯s a child, she can¡¯t be fooled. I explained as carefully as I could. ¡°Rather than looking at a map, you can use a model that looks like a real terrain to help you think. And this will help us when we develop our territory in the future.¡± Keep the geography in mind. Simulate the development of your territory in advance. If you learn it as a child, it can be useful in the future. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± I guess so. It¡¯s hard to explain in concrete terms. ¡°When adults want to build a town, a road, or a harbor. They think of a model in their mind ¡­¡­ and build it here.¡± One of the children asked a straightforward question. ¡°Then why do we need it?¡± ¡°The thing is. The model in your mind is different for everyone. That¡¯s why, when you start building, you often find that it¡¯s not what you expected.¡± One child said. ¡°Oh, when my dad builds something for his master, he gets angry and says, ¡°This isn¡¯t it!¡±, I wonder if it¡¯s the same as that.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s clever. That¡¯s fine.¡± Forgive me, unknown father. ¡°Also ¡­¡­ if you can do this, it will help you when you build your town in the future.¡± Another child raised his hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t a town decided by the lord?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true for other places. But this town needs to be decided by everyone.¡± ¡°Ohhhhh!¡± Some of the kids were excited. Thank goodness ¡­¡­ there were like-minded people here. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this, but the truth is ¡­¡­ not many people, even the great ones, can draw an accurate map in their heads.¡± One of the kids tilted his head. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. If you can do this model, you will be smarter than most adults. You will be a great person here in the future. It¡¯s just for fun, but it will help you in your future work. But it¡¯s a game, so if you find it boring, I don¡¯t want you to force yourself to continue. Only those who find it fun should continue. There is absolutely nothing wrong with not continuing. I¡¯ll think of something else that is fun to do.¡± In my previous life, I learned about society through collaborative work, just like I learned in school. I want you to learn how to work with people. It is the duty of the lord to provide that opportunity. That said, I started playing mud with the children. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô And in the evening, I was covered in mud as I returned to my office. Kiara furrowed her brow. ¡°Brother ¡­¡­ Is the romance your talking about mean getting covered in mud?¡± Mil looks worried. ¡°Al¡­¡­ is something stressing you out?¡±¡® A man¡¯s romance is not something a woman can understand. (T/N: Merry Christmas to everyone!) CH 89 In relation to quarantine, the installation and construction of toilets and sewage treatment is well underway. The department that had previously been set up as the Civil Affairs Department has been turned into a ministry. I have also instructed them to take measures against parasites based on old documents. Because the head of the department was a commoner, he couldn¡¯t read, so he had to learn how to write ¡­¡­ As I said, people who had no place in society change their minds when they think they can be of use to society. They used to be timid and servile, but now their attitude is becoming more confident. That¡¯s very good. I threw the teaching of reading and writing the mourning woman Silvana. ¡°Would you rather be a civil engineer or a teacher?¡± According to those choices, she chose to become a teacher. If you ask me, she¡¯s the right man for the job. In addition to that, we need to set up a new department to oversee medical care. "" There are so many things to do. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Although it is still small, a public bathhouse has been built. But a small problem has arisen. The wolf people did not like the baths. That¡¯s not good for me ¡­¡­ I asked them why. It¡¯s heavy when wet. It is uncomfortable until it dries. It¡¯s not uncool when wet. There is not enough room for swimming. Only the last one is ¡­¡­ somehow different. By the way, the dog people don¡¯t like baths either. When I tried to convince them of the benefits of quarantine, they replied that they had been fine with it. No, it¡¯s a small village, so it was fine. When there are more people in the city, it doesn¡¯t work. Moreover, it would be too dangerous if the lice clumped in the hair and spread an infectious disease. I tried to explain it to them as a theory, but it was difficult for them to understand. There was no point in trying to force them, so I took another measure. I went to the sauna to sweat, and then to warm water to wash off the sweat. Then I remembered that the dog had a behavior of shaking their body to make the water fly away. So we set up a threshold that would not be splashed by others. I also created a place to dry off with warm air. It was a great success. In addition, we made the hot-air drying area into a hall. This is a place where people can interact with others. People go to the sauna, too. In the sauna building, you can eat and drink and make it a place for socializing. It¡¯s like having a restaurant in a spa facility. I¡¯d like to expand the opportunities for interaction and avoid the disconnect between the races. Now we¡¯re finally on track. And when I tried to go to the public baths too ¡­¡­ the first thing Jules did was to object. ¡°No. It¡¯s not good if something happens to you. The steam from the bath will rust the sword. We¡¯ll have to spend extra money.¡± Even the two women were against it. ¡°Brother, isn¡¯t the bath in the house fine?¡± ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t need to go to another bath.¡± "" ¡°No, I think it¡¯s important to come in contact with the citizens.¡± Kiara puffed up her cheeks. ¡°If it¡¯s being in contact with them, aren¡¯t you doing it every day?¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± Kiara turned her head to the side. ¡°I can¡¯t stand the idea of strangers seeing brother¡¯s growing body, which I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Hey. ¡°I can barely stand it if it¡¯s just Dear Sister.¡± Stop that crazy theory! ¡°I¡¯ll accept it if you take a bath with me seven days a week.¡± That¡¯s every day. And you¡¯re definitely not going to just take a bath, are you? Even Mil is against it. ¡°You can¡¯t do that! I¡¯ve never taken a bath with him before!¡± No, that¡¯s not the point. And so the public bath plan was buried in the dark. Mil sighed. ¡°Kiara says so. I¡¯m trying to hold back because if Al and I took a bath together ¡­¡­ I¡¯d go out of control.¡± ¡°Ohhhh¡­¡± Isn¡¯t her level of yandere power gone up lately? I think I need to think about something¡­ I¡¯ll need to talk to Kiara in person at least once. I love my little sister. But she¡¯s only my sister. I can never see her as the opposite sex. My memories and customs from before I was reincarnated are so familiar to me that I can¡¯t do it. If I get involved with Kiara, my ethics will disappear immediately¡­ It¡¯s a relief that she¡¯s getting along with Mil, though¡­ (T/N: Merry Christmas to everyone!) CH 90 It¡¯s been about two weeks since I sent out letters to the three tribes and a souvenir to just one tribe. There was a movement. A messenger from the Cat People came to visit me. I was to meet him not in the reception room, but in another room at a distance. There¡¯s the incident where the puppeteer had attacked me even with her bare hands. As a countermeasure, the conversation was held at a distance of about three meters. And many guards ¡­¡­ they worry too much. ¡°Thank you for meeting with us. I come to you as an emissary of my tribe. My name is Suzana Hayda.¡± She was a woman, early twenties maybe. Did they think that I won¡¯t be harsh with a woman when they heard that I¡¯m a man? If it¡¯s a woman, does she plan to use her body in the worst-case scenario? I don¡¯t need another woman because I have Mil, though. Or is she a member of a powerful family? ¡°I¡¯m the feudal lord, Alfred Della Scala. Let us hear what you¡¯re here for.¡± Suzana seemed surprised at how young I was. Did they not know my age? ¡°I would like to ask you to take our family into your fold, Lord Alfred.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡°take¡±?¡± ¡°We will follow Lord Alfred¡¯s instructions. We want you to protect us from the attacks of the tiger people and the dog people.¡± I give a small shake of my head. That¡¯s because the proposal is a no. ¡°If you want to emigrate, you are welcome to do so. If you want our protection without changing your residence, I cannot accept that.¡± Suzana stammered. ¡°It is difficult for us to leave the land of our ancestors ¡­¡­¡± ¡°My duty is to protect my people. I don¡¯t see the point in increasing our influence.¡± Suzana looked at me with upturned eyes. ¡°So you won¡¯t be able to protect us?¡± It¡¯s not an easy thing to say, but I shake my head a little harder. ¡°If our influence increases to that area in the future, we will build a town there. If it does, we¡¯ll protect you.¡± Suzana¡¯s pupils narrowed. As if she was blatantly alarmed. ¡°You¡¯re going to build a town?¡± ¡°We will not touch your property. We will build roads if you request them. Even walls if necessary. It¡¯s just one of the possibilities for the future, though. Right now, we¡¯re too far from your village. We won¡¯t be able to get there in time once we know there¡¯s a problem. We don¡¯t have that much military power, even if we were to station our men there.¡± Suzana waved her hand hurriedly. ¡°No! You don¡¯t have to station your men there! If you just warn the tiger people and dog people, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t stand up to Lord Alfred¡¯s power.¡± She¡¯s not that good a messenger ¡­¡­. Or she doesn¡¯t have the authority to do so. ¡°So, it¡¯ll be alright if we just threaten them with my name, you say. So ¡­¡­ what can you do for us?¡± ¡°If you need labor, you get labor. If you are attacking the tiger people or dog people, you get warriors. If it is something else, will do that then.¡± Suzana replied. I guess it was an expected question. Something else, that means, they¡¯re going to offer women. As if sensing this, Mil¡¯s and Kiara¡¯s eyes became stern. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because the apostles usually had a cat person around. I wonder if they have unfounded confidence. But¡­. ¡°It¡¯s not a good match.¡± (T/N: I guess he means that their offer(the labor, warrior, and woman) doesn¡¯t match the value of protection that they¡¯ll receive.) Suzana was surprised by this reaction. I guess she thought I was just a kid and was underestimating me. ¡°Why is that ¡­¡­?¡± Can¡¯t you do a simple profit and loss calculation? It can¡¯t be helped ¡­¡­ I scratched my head in annoyance. ¡°Right now, there are the tiger people and dog people. But, they¡¯re not the only ones in this region. If we fight with them, will we be able to get away with nothing? We will be caught in the fray caused by the cat people, won¡¯t we? As for the labor force ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure it will be a very small number, given the town¡¯s security and all the other reasons.¡± I purposely make an annoyed face. ¡°Even if it¡¯s something else ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure you know it. I have a fianc¨¦e, you know. I don¡¯t need any other women as long as I have her. And I¡¯m not interested in a harem.¡± In the end, I smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s not a good match. Besides, I don¡¯t need the prestige and vanity of a sphere of influence. I value the smile of one child of my people far more than the subservience of a thousand tribes.¡± Do I look like an idealist? Does it look like I¡¯m just attracting attention? Does it look like it¡¯s just a whim? How you judge me will tell me what you¡¯re capable of. After a moment of silence ¡­¡­ Suzana turned to me like she¡¯s probing me. ¡°Then what should we do so that we can have you protect us?¡± I¡¯m sure this is what they¡¯re after ¡­¡­ ¡°If you move to my city, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Is there no other way?¡± ¡°What do the cat people want?¡± ¡°Autonomy and security.¡± Then there is a safer way. It¡¯s a method that has its own advantages. "" ¡°Then, how about a non-aggression pact?¡± ¡°Non-aggression pact?¡± ¡°We will not touch your territory. And you won¡¯t touch ours. This means that we will not aid and abet each other¡¯s civil wars, nor will we provoke our enemies.¡± Suzana gave me a reproachful look. ¡°In that case, we are to protect ourselves.¡± Inwardly, I was dismayed, but I didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Is this something you should be asking about? I think it¡¯s pretty obvious.¡± A group of people who can¡¯t protect themselves is sure to become corrupt and rotten. Suzana, who couldn¡¯t understand my intentions, tried to talk me out of it. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to emigrate, but it¡¯ll be easy if it¡¯s to join the fold. If you can expand your sphere of influence ¡­¡­ Then it will make it more peaceful and easier to protect your people.¡± What you¡¯re saying hasn¡¯t changed at all. Do you think you can fool me with such a degree? ¡°If you have an effect on someone, you will have a corresponding obligation. If the obligation is unrealizable, there is no need for unworthy rights.¡± Suzana made a face like it¡¯s incomprehensible. I guess she thought that I was going to accept it happily if she said that they¡¯re going to join us ¡­¡­ ¡°Is it really that difficult to understand?¡± ¡°If we were to add more members to the group and then all come together to help, we would not be able to fulfill our obligations. Internal strife could also be a factor in asking for help.¡± If you calculate the merits of subordination and the demerits of the duty to protect ¡­¡­ I gave a small chuckle. Suzana looked at me with a slightly upturned gaze. ¡°Then, if we carefully select to join in ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m happy if it¡¯s Mil, but if it¡¯s not, I don¡¯t like it when women look to me with an upturned gaze. I can¡¯t help but let out a sigh. It¡¯s no use, we¡¯re not on the same page. "" ¡°Excuse me ¡­¡­ If we allow one tribe to join us and don¡¯t allow others to join, they will naturally fear domination. And if the number of enemies increases like a snowball. They will make us jump around, hoping that we will tangle our feet and fall. That in itself is not a bad move. That is ¡­¡­ as long as they don¡¯t find out.¡± Suzana¡¯s eyes became blatantly wary. I wanted to make fun of her a little bit for taking up so much of my time talking about something unproductive. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be an emissary, you shouldn¡¯t show your emotions so easily.¡± It¡¯s funny how she became expressionless in a hurry. ¡°Well then ¡­¡­ Please select one of the following options. Move to our city and become a citizen. Sign a non-aggression pact. And you don¡¯t have to do it if you want to. Don¡¯t forget that.¡± ¡°I understand. ¡­¡­ I will consult with the Chief.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes. I¡¯ll make one thing clear. This is in case that you sign a non-aggression pact and then break it. Just remember that if that happens ¡­¡­ there will be no place for you in this land.¡± All at once, fear seemed to appear on her face. After Suzana left in a hurry, Charles folded his arms and looked at me. ¡°What will happen now?¡± ¡°The usual answer would be the non-aggression pact. However ¡­¡­ To the tiger people and the dog people, they will speak as if they are under our protection, to protect their own safety.¡± Charles furrowed his brow. ¡°Because they lie?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just to give them a whiff. She¡¯s not stupid enough to let them take their word for it. She may be short-witted, but she¡¯s got a good head on her shoulders.¡± Charles, who had been smiling wryly, turned serious. ¡°What did you mean by ¡­¡­ make them lose their place in this land?¡± He knew it, but he was still daring to ask, I guess. He was asking me if I was really ready to do it. Threats that are never carried out have no meaning. So, when I decide to do it, I will do it. ¡°I will banish them from this land. Or we¡¯ll reduce their population to the point where they¡¯ll never recover.¡± I guess he had anticipated my reply. I think he was worried about my mental health. In other words, it¡¯s about my aversion to bloodshed. But the reality is that even if I don¡¯t like it, I can¡¯t avoid it. Charles sighed. ¡°Do you hope to avoid having to make that choice? I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want to do it too, milord.¡± (T/N: I¡¯ll change the my lord to milord(for Alfred), and my lady to milady(for Milva).) I gave a small shrug, grateful for Charles¡¯ consideration. ¡°I hope so. But that choice is theirs to make. We don¡¯t have the right to do that.¡± Even if I don¡¯t want to, and they attack us, I have no choice but to do it. CH 91 Today, Kiara and I were going to inspect the town. ¡°Brother. Please call it a date, not an inspection.¡± No, no, it¡¯s an inspection. It may cause an unnecessary problem, so I¡¯m going to change the subject. ¡°Kiara, what did you think of the people living in the town after seeing them? Did you notice anything?¡± Kiara¡¯s face became puffy for a moment as I diverted the conversation. She immediately thought back and made a thoughtful face. ¡°Hmmm, let¡¯s see. Sometimes ¡­¡­ I see people cutting in line and it makes me want to educate them.¡± The word ¡°educate¡± that came out of Kiara¡¯s mouth only gave me a disturbing feeling. ¡°We haven¡¯t decided on laws or common sense yet, after all.¡± ¡°I think we should decide soon. Also, maybe it¡¯s because alcohol is all the rage, but ¡­¡­ there aren¡¯t many types of tea.¡± Kiara has some similarities to the English people in the world from my previous life. She likes tea, she likes to stand in line, and so on. She is very particular about her afternoon tea. I had to go along with her a few times, but when she told me what kind of tea she had, I couldn¡¯t understand a word she said. I heard that when you corner someone, you have to diplomatically fill in the outer moat before you do it. It¡¯s a little different from the Japanese. ¡°Speaking of which ¡­¡­ what exactly is that man¡¯s romance about?¡± It¡¯s sad when people make fun of you. But it¡¯s not something that I should avoid answering. ¡°I¡¯m building a little box garden of sorts. It¡¯s for the children¡¯s entertainment and education as well.¡± Kiara tilted her head ¡­¡­ as if she didn¡¯t understand because of my weak tone. ¡°Isn¡¯t that something wonderful? It made me curious because Brother seemed so guilty about it.¡± ¡°Since clay is being used, you¡¯ll get dirty from the mud. So, Kiara doesn¡¯t have to go ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please show me the way.¡± I was interrupted. It¡¯s no use ¡­¡­ Even if I refuse, it¡¯s a useless pattern. ¡°I understand ¡­¡­¡± I reluctantly took her to the House of Romance. Inside, children are busily playing with mud ¡­¡­ and making models. ¡± ¡°Hello, Milord, Lady Kiara!¡± ¡° The children greeted us cheerfully. About 20 of them remained, interested in the project. We¡¯ve only just started, but ¡­¡­ we¡¯re building through trial and error. Kiara looked at the model we were working on with great interest. ¡°What is this thing you¡¯re making?¡± The boss-like girl said. ¡°We¡¯re making a map out of clay!¡± Kiara narrowed her eyes at the cheerful reply. ¡°Heh ¡­¡­ so brother asked you to do it?¡± ¡°Yes! He said it would be useful in the future!¡± Kiara smiled gently at the girl. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll come to check on you from time to time too. I¡¯ll bring you some sweets then.¡± The children cheered. She¡¯s started laying the groundwork here too ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to bring in snacks on a regular basis to secure her influence. As I was scratching my head in anticipation, another kid grabbed the sleeve of my dress. ¡°Milord. How do we make oceans and forests? Even if we get water from a well, it will dry up and disappear ¡­¡­¡± Yes ¡­¡­ that¡¯s true. Mostly, I adjusted my eyes to the height of the child. ¡°I think we should use light blue clay for the ocean. For the forest, it¡¯s fine if just use green paper scraps.¡± I¡¯ll have to find some light blue paint. When Kiara heard my words, she became a little thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange the dye for you. Why don¡¯t we just make the forest out of leftover pieces of wood?¡± ¡°Ohhh, you¡¯re right. That would be very helpful.¡± I don¡¯t know why Kiara was so proud. ¡°No, no, no, It¡¯s a very important project for my brother, after all. It¡¯s only natural for me to help.¡± Project is too much¡­ It seems like I need to explain it so that the story doesn¡¯t get too big. It¡¯s just a form of entertainment. ¡°It¡¯s all part of the game. It¡¯s a way to learn where to build towns and ports. I¡¯m hoping it will help them develop a sense of geography. It could even lead to a job in the future.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°As expected of brother, It¡¯s as if you¡¯re looking into the future. But ¡­¡­ we also need to think about the children who are not interested in this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to get the kids together next time and ask them about it.¡± I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while, and then Kiara winked at me. ¡°In that case, you should offer them some sweets and listen to what they have to say. ¡° You know more about the subtleties of this than I do. ¡°I wonder if it would be better to leave it all to Kiara.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. I don¡¯t feel like working hard unless you¡¯re with me.¡± Kiara turned her head away. Is that so ¡­¡­ Then a child came in front of Kiara. ¡°What are you doing when playing, Lady Kiara?¡± Kiara smiled gently at the child. ¡°For me, talking to my brother, and asking him to read a book to me.¡± It would have been good if it had ended there. The whispering continued, like a monologue, and I could not help but hear it. ¡°I wonder if spreading the word about the true love between brother and sister would make it less taboo. If we spread it from the kids ¡­¡­ maybe it¡¯s possible?¡± She had a very serious face. Come on ¡­¡­ that¡¯s too dangerous. I¡¯m not going to make this a sacred place for incest. CH 92 There are signs of turmoil in my personal life. In the midst of all this, a messenger came from the Dog people. The messenger was a mature dogman. He has a dignified aura, and he seemed to be more than just a messenger. I was surprised that he came alone. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Alfredo. I¡¯m Abraham Allston.¡± ¡°Then, let us hear what you¡¯re here for.¡± ¡°Your offer of emigration. I¡¯d like to take you up on your offer.¡± Wow ¡­¡­ That was fast. I thought it would be more complicated than that. I guess my intuition can¡¯t be relied on. ¡°I understand. We welcome you all. You will need an escort for the mass migration. Please specify the date and time and we will make arrangements. How many people do you have there?¡± ¡°We have about 350 people. As soon as you are ready to receive them, we will come to you.¡± There was no hesitation in his answer. ¡°We can come to you at any time. However, it will take time to prepare individual houses. We do have a temporary building where many people can live together. I will show you later, so please check if it is suitable for your purpose.¡± Abraham must have been somewhat relieved by my answer. Abraham nodded in satisfaction. Then his expression changed as if he¡¯s probing around. ¡°I will bring some food, of course. But will we have enough food after the migration?¡± You make a good point. I¡¯m enjoying this exchange. ¡°If it¡¯s 350 people, it¡¯s not a problem.¡± His expression became even more serious. Apparently, this is where the real story begins. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to ask you before we move here.¡± ¡°You can ask whatever you want.¡± Abraham looked at me as if he was trying to evaluate me. ¡°We¡¯ve had run-ins with wolf people before. Do you think the wolf people will accept us? If we migrate, and disputes happen, there will be casualties. If that happens, the problem will grow.¡± It¡¯s a natural question. ¡°I see ¡­¡­ You are right to be concerned. But there¡¯s have no problem with that.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes narrowed at my quick answer. ¡°Can I ask why you are so sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve discussed it with the wolf people beforehand. And moreover, the wolf people has attacked us first before. And yet, here we are.¡± Apparently, this was new to Abraham, and he was surprised to hear it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know such a thing happened ¡­¡­¡± ¡°And when you emigrate, you will be welcomed as a citizen. I promised those conditions and they were kept. I believe so, and I believe the wolf people believe so too. I¡¯ve also confirmed with the wolf people¡¯s side regarding this matter, and they¡¯ve given their consent.¡± I asserted in a crisp tone. If you can eliminate the concerns of the other party, there is nothing better than to do so. ¡°I see¡­¡± If he¡¯s not a mere messenger, there is no need to keep my cards in my hand. In fact, it would be more credible if I let them all out. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in advance that the wolf people are in charge of the immigration. A representative of the dog people will also be joining them. If you feel that you have been treated unfairly, you may appeal directly to me. I have no grudges with you people. So, I¡¯m sure you have nothing to worry about.¡± Still, Abraham remained cautious. His eyes remained narrowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m being presumptuous in asking you to accept this. I dare to ask you.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re here to negotiate as a representative. If you have any concerns, it¡¯s only natural to ask.¡± ¡°Then let me ask you this. What is your reason for not supporting the wolf people?¡± Just like I thought, here it is¡­ I need a polite explanation. ¡°I¡¯m going to make Ravenna a city of people who follow the rules regardless of race. This means that there will be no difference in race and all will be equal. If we treat immigrants unfairly, there will be no more immigrants in the future or we will be distrusted. Worst of all, they will even be hostile to us ¡­¡­. That¡¯s not in my best interest.¡± Abraham was taken aback by what I said. ¡°Regardless of race ¡­¡­ huh. I¡¯ve heard of it up and down. It¡¯s rather normal. But, I never thought of it as equality ¡­¡­¡± All I see around me are smirking faces as I do it again. ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯s the quickest way to make the town bigger and stronger, after all ¡­¡­ If you have people to join, you should join them. And if you¡¯re going to join them, they should be equal.¡± Abraham nodded his head in agreement. ¡°I understand. ¡­¡­ We, the beastmen, have always cooperated with each other. Let¡¯s go back to that.¡± ¡°When you are ready, we will send an army to receive you. Do you have enough wagons for your transportation?¡± Abraham opened his mouth without hesitation. ¡°If possible, about forty wagons.¡± You may have answered immediately, or you may have prepared in advance. He¡¯s indeed excellent ¡­¡­ I may be able to rely on him. I felt a little happy. ¡°I understand. I will arrange 45 carriages for you ¡­¡­ I will also guarantee your safety in my name.¡± A little more would be better than a little less. It can¡¯t be too little, and it can¡¯t be too exact. Too much will make them think you don¡¯t trust them. Forty-one would be too obvious. This kind of negotiation is also a tedious thing to do. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Then, when you are ready, please contact me. We will send a carriage to pick you up.¡± After that, Abraham left to check on the temporary housing. When he left, I arranged for an escort to accompany him. It¡¯s because I had one concern. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After Abraham returned, Kiara looked disappointed. ¡°Somehow, It¡¯s so easy.¡± ¡°It really is. But, it made the conversation easier, which was very helpful.¡± Mil looked impressed, as if she didn¡¯t think it was just a messenger. ¡°Somehow ¡­¡­ He seems like a very smart person.¡± Charles looked at me with a questioning look. ¡°I¡¯ll have to make arrangements for the Knights soon. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine if we leave the defense to Sir Oracio. Speaking of which ¡­¡­ why did you arrange for a return escort? You didn¡¯t do it for the cat people, did you?¡± Oh ¡­¡­ you¡¯re not aware of what happens next. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because it would be bad if the dog person chief or equivalent were to be attacked along the way.¡± And everyone is surprised. Just as everyone was about to ask me a question, the door opened violently. The unpopular woman Silvana came running in. (T/N: I changed the mourning part of silvana¡¯s title to unpopular, because that seems to fit her more. She isn¡¯t really mourning anyone, after all. Also, I¡¯m terribly sorry for the wrong translation.) ¡°Al! Do something!¡± It¡¯s really one thing after another ¡­¡­ CH 93 The unpopular woman Silvana squealed to the surprise of everyone around her. ¡°I can¡¯t do it! I can¡¯t teach the letters by myself anymore! We need more people!¡± As I thought it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°How many people do you need? People who can teach reading and writing are very valuable, aren¡¯t they?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana begins to fidget. Seriously ¡­¡­. She¡¯s always so energetic, isn¡¯t she? ¡°If it¡¯s just one person, I can do 20 people. But ¡­¡­ if you want me to teach them properly, the limit is 10 students! And we¡¯re going to teach the dog people too, right!? It¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Do you need at least ten people?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana was surprised by my reply. ¡°Can you get that many?¡± ¡°How many of the retired adventurers can read and write?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana turned into a pondering face. "" ¡°Hmm ¨C not that many. We have a receptionist, so it¡¯s not absolutely necessary. We can manage about ten if we look hard enough.¡± I announced seriously. ¡°Then, Ms. Silvana, you should protect yourself. Hire someone through the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I¡¯ll guarantee a high salary. The number of people you can hire is limited to 25 per day.¡± The middle class was spending 25 copper coins a day. Even after all this time, the money in this world is rather cumbersome. The value of a gold coin is quite large. It¡¯s a good thing we don¡¯t have platinum and mithril coins, which have a dubious value relationship. One gold coin = 25 silver coins = 100 large brass coins = 200 brass coins = 400 copper coins. ¡°The reward is 25 brass coins (50 copper coins) per day.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana was surprised at the unbelievable reward. Twenty-five coppers in the middle class are the cost of a typical family of five or six. That¡¯s a lot of money for a job with no risk. It must be an amazing world for adventurers. ¡°Wow! Are you sure that much is okay?¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll come with that?¡± If it¡¯s a valuable human resource, I can¡¯t spare any money. If I¡¯m too stingy, we¡¯ll have problems later on. The unpopular woman Silvana nodded her head. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of room! I¡¯m sure there will be a rush. ¡­¡­ Wait a minute! Then you should raise my wages too!¡± The reward for the unpopular woman Silvana is 25 coppers a day. But still, it¡¯s an unbelievable reward. ¡°If you can manage all of them, too. How about 5 silver coins (80 copper coins) a day?¡± ¡°Seriously? But ¡­¡­ are you sure you want to pay me that much?¡± ¡°We¡¯re producing crystal, and we¡¯ve started mining gold. That¡¯s about right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make arrangements as soon as I can. Oh, by the way ¡­¡­ I was wondering if you could give a job to a retired adventurer?¡± She saw that I had money to spare and wanted to do something about it. ¡°It¡¯s a little further in the future, but we¡¯ll need about twenty military trainers. There are other areas of expertise, and if they fit into our plans, we may need more.¡± ¡°When it comes time to recruit them, let me know! I¡¯ll call on them!¡± ¡°Do retired adventurers have trouble finding work?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana looked a bit sorry. ¡°Only about thirty percent of retired adventurers ¡­¡­ are able to make a decent living.¡± She added with a sigh. ¡°I have a master who taught me how to be an adventurer. It¡¯s not easy for him to make a living after he retired too.¡± ¡°Shall we talk about it after we¡¯ve accepted the dog people?¡± Without waiting for my reply, the unpopular woman Silvana left. She¡¯s quite reasonable and takes good care of people. She¡¯s a pretty good woman. She¡¯s got the unpopular word attached to her, though. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I said that I can afford it, but I am currently supported by my family. I can¡¯t bite the hand that feeds me. ¡°Kiara, please send all the crystals we produced to father. In return, please negotiate for more financial aid. I will continue to send them crystals as long as we need financial aid.¡± With a cute gesture, Kiara nodded her head. ¡°Are you sure about the money? And how much is the increase?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know how much of it is buried. It would be wrong to let them take advantage of it. Besides, the crystal alone is enough to make up for it. Of course, if you just ask for more aid, they will refuse. I¡¯ll leave it to you to increase the amount, but just barely enough to avoid the intervention of the main family. You know a lot about that, don¡¯t you?¡± I¡¯ve heard from Onyxim that the gold reserves are quite large. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m lying. If word got out about the existence of the gold deposits, the whole house would be in an uproar. As a result, there¡¯s a big chance that the government officials will stick their necks out for my development. I had been using the idea of being transferred to this undeveloped area as a weapon to threaten officials who resisted administrative reform. But there is gold to be mined there. This would turn the area into a sweet paradise. Then they would try to take over the growing government of Ravenna and destroy it. A child with a weak immune system will die easily due to its weak resistance to pathogens. Kiara nodded her head as if she understood my intentions. ¡°I understand. That¡¯s fine, but we need to solve that riddle first.¡± Everyone nodded. It was time for the usual explanation. It¡¯s about Abraham, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that difficult. In addition to his age, his story is very specific and he sees the important parts properly. And if they¡¯re going to emigrate, they¡¯ll want to do a character assessment of me as the lord.¡± "" Looking around at the group, I decided to continue my explanation. ¡°Furthermore, even the best emissary can¡¯t immediately tell you how many carriages they¡¯ll need. You need to have access to the appropriate authority and information. So I¡¯m thinking the chief or someone equivalent. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m correct, though. He came here alone, because he was trying to get to know me.¡± ¡°Is it because he came here alone?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t know what to do when you hear that someone is playing with lies and that there¡¯s only one messenger. If you hear that there is only one messenger, you will take it lightly, and if you say that he should send someone more important, you will not be trusted. And how will they react to what you say? I think they were also looking to see if I would take it easy on them just because he was alone. It¡¯s a kind of test. And I guess he couldn¡¯t leave this decision to others.¡± Kiara gave a small shake of her head. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s amazing how much information can be conveyed even by the smallest of details. I need to learn more about my brother¡¯s studies.¡± As I said, let¡¯s not do that ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s get back on topic. I have to tell them that I also had my own personal desires. ¡°In any case ¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s a shame to let him die.¡± Mil¡¯s face turned worried at my words. ¡°Al, if you¡¯re saying that, does that mean they¡¯ll come after him?¡± "" ¡°It¡¯s very likely. If he were to be harmed, there would be no more tribes to join. And after that, the three tribes might join forces again.¡± Kiara didn¡¯t seem to agree with my prediction. ¡°But ¡­¡­ Is there anyone who would benefit from such a thing?¡± That¡¯s the point, though ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a trap I find myself falling into. ¡°It¡¯s not that all of us have far-reaching plans. It¡¯s just that many of us only see what¡¯s right in front of us.¡± Mil pointed at me in astonishment. ¡°Well, If there were more than one Al ¡­¡­ the world would be in trouble!¡± They all burst out laughing. I really am everyone¡¯s plaything, aren¡¯t I? It¡¯s okay, though. After the laughter subsided, I explained the possible motives. ¡°I¡¯ll move to a place where there are wolf people with grudges. There will be some who don¡¯t like that, even among the dog people. If we can make the migration go away, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Charles nodded with a wry smile. ¡°He had no choice but to comply, but he didn¡¯t really want to.¡± The teacher, who had been listening in silence, opened his mouth. ¡°Kiddo, is there a chance that the other tribes will interference?¡± In a way, it¡¯s a natural question, but ¡­¡­ That¡¯s a bit unlikely. I shook my head. ¡°The risks are too great. I also don¡¯t think we can figure out the exact movements of the dog people. If they find out that we were scouting each other with suspicion ¡­¡­ they might think we are hostile and attack us.¡± The teacher was unusually intrusive. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a possibility that if the other tribes learn of the dog people¡¯s migration, they would be displeased with the dog people?¡± That¡¯s a good question too, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s a bit unlikely at the moment. ¡°The only option for the dog people is to fight, and we may have to fight with all three races. Now, the three races will want to avoid fighting. We¡¯re not the only enemy, after all.¡± Kiara¡¯s face became thoughtful as if she had been inspired. ¡°Brother. After provoking the dog people¡¯s discontent, then another tribe is taking our side. Isn¡¯t it possible that we can get a better deal by making them grateful to us ¡­¡­?¡± The point of view is not bad¡­ but there is a problem. ¡°It¡¯s good for the moment, but the other tribes won¡¯t trust us and will turn against us. In fact, we might even come under intensive attack. In addition, we will be distrusted and abandoned by them as well. It¡¯s a course of self-destruction.¡± Mil didn¡¯t seem too bothered by all this trouble. She was smiling. ¡°Even if all the others became enemies, wouldn¡¯t Al be able to win?¡± Mil ¡­¡­ that¡¯s an overestimation. ¡°It is a strategy only if a good knight is alive and well. Without it, any plan is a pie in the sky. That¡¯s why I¡¯m reluctant to fight.¡± Charles grinned and nodded. ¡°The better the warrior, the more he dislikes useless fighting.¡± Even Hannibal could have won that battle with Carthage¡¯s elite and the Numidian cavalry. If they adopt the Fabian strategy with enemies all around them, there¡¯s nothing they can do. My task is to conserve my forces without surrounding ourselves with enemies. The Fabian strategy is a special move when fighting a strong enemy¡­ Not only Hannibal, but also Napoleon was hit by this. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible for a genius to do better than that. You need to be prepared for it ¡­¡­ but if you can¡¯t win and don¡¯t want to surrender, that¡¯s the natural strategy. We have to win without pushing our opponent to the limit. CH 94 My prediction was right to some extent. But a large part of it was wrong. We protected Abraham from attack. But the attackers were not only dog people, but also cat people, winged tribe, and humans. It seems that they approached the winged tribe living in the mountains near the cat people¡¯s territory. It seems that they also talked to the humans living near the winged people as well. The humans were probably people who had escaped from another territory. It seems that they threatened that if they left it like this, those guys would be next. The powerful tiger people were easily half-destroyed, and they had burned down part of the forest without a care in the world. This seemed to be the cause of their fear. So the fire plan backfired here. However, the number of enemies has increased at once ¡­¡­ I scratched my head. Debts and enemies often increase. ¡°The number of enemies has increased all at once. And anti-aircraft tactics, huh ¡­¡­ Anti-aircraft, anti-aircraft, anti-aircraft ¡­¡­¡± Kiara and Mil are looking at me in astonishment. ¡°Winged tribe? Is that something you need to worry about?¡± Mil and Kiara looked at me like they couldn¡¯t understand what was bothering me. ¡°Brother. It¡¯s common knowledge that winged tribes are not a big threat because they are so few in number.¡± I had no intention of answering that question at the moment. I would have to explain it all later, after all. I was feeling frustrated with the two of them for not realizing the gravity of the situation. They were not responsible for anything. I¡¯d like to explain after I¡¯ve cooled down a bit. I felt that if I spoke now, I would hurt them. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to tell them something different. ¡°Who should I ask about to know how the Winged tribe fight?¡± Mil looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. Mil¡¯s circle of friends is small. ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­ Vana, I guess ¡­¡­ she¡¯s a pro, after all.¡± Kiara nodded at Mil in agreement. ¡°I think we can ask Mr. Rossi about the rest. They have easily repelled the attack, after all.¡± I nodded silently. Are you not taking advantage of their flying ability? Whatever the case, it¡¯s information. We¡¯ll need more guards to protect us. To some extent, the dog people can defend themselves. But they¡¯re traveling with women and children, and they¡¯re carrying luggage. It¡¯s impossible to count them as a fighting force. It would be like having a supply unit fight a battle. If you think that¡¯s enough, you¡¯re just a fool. If we underestimate them, we¡¯ll be badly beaten by the winged people. The number of humans is also a problem. There is also the matter of the number of the cat people ¡­¡­ The calculation factor is increasing all at once. I¡¯m so frustrated that I¡¯m aware of it. This is the reason why I need to think calmly. The cat people did not sign the treaty. In other words, they will not be thoroughly beaten. They must have anticipated that much in their actions. "" They are really shrewd. In fantasy stories, cat people have an image of being stupid, sexy, or simple. In this world, they seem to be cunning. ¡°Go get the two of them, please.¡± A large-scale operation is impossible. The damage from the battle with the tiger people had not yet fully recovered. And I don¡¯t want the wolf people to suffer any more deaths. In my mind, the previous deaths have pushed the population ratio into the red zone. Not for humanitarian reasons, but It is not good for governance to lack many adult males in the compositional balance of the race. On top of that, I don¡¯t want more children who have lost their fathers. I¡¯ve been involved in map modeling and other things, so I guess I¡¯ve grown attached to them ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to make the children, who are trying to contribute to society by working instead of playing, unhappy. "" I don¡¯t think I could tolerate that myself. Zero sacrifices is a pipe dream. If the children who lost their parents resent me, or if I make them cry. At the very least, I would have to prepare an excuse for myself. A self-mocking smile came from me. I¡¯m still an egoist, no matter how far I go. CH 95 Mr. Abraham, the messenger of the dog people, was attacked. As usual, Al sees into the future like a prophet. I¡¯m surprised, but I feel relieved, and I just want to continue to be an ally and help Al. That¡¯s how I, Milva, feel. When Al heard that there were winged people among the attackers, his expression changed. With a more serious expression than ever, he mumbled, ¡°Anti-aircraft, anti-aircraft¡±. The winged tribes were few in number and a hindrance, but they were not a threat. That¡¯s the image I have of them. But Al seems to see some other danger. It¡¯s frustrating that I can¡¯t give him good advice at a time like this. The reason why Al is thinking like this is because he must have a way to use the winged people effectively. I have no idea. It would be a simple matter of shooting them down with a bow or magic. But I guess not. At best, I can only recommend Vana, who seems to have experience in this kind of thing. Kiara was probably feeling a bit frustrated as well. The only thing I can do is to call Mr. Rossi. I called Vana and Mr. Rossi and discussed with them. How to fight the winged tribes ¡­¡­ How to attack the newly appeared humans, and also the overall number of people. Both Vana and Rossi were aware that the winged people were troublesome but not that dangerous. Al cut the conversation short, saying that he wanted to clear his head and would continue the next day. He looked a little irritated. I could tell that he was holding back a lot ¡­¡­ so as not to show it to others. It seems that Kiara was feeling the same way. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When we were taking a bath together that night, the topic about Al naturally came up. Normally, we talk about trivial things, but ¡­¡­. Today, I was curious about Al. Kiara, who was soaking in the hot water right next to me, said to me in a whisper. ¡°He looked very serious and irritated, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes, he did. And I feel ashamed that I don¡¯t know why ¡­¡­¡± Kiara mumbled, sounding optimistic for a fourteen-year-old. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone will ever reach the heights of my brother. He has a different background.¡± ¡°What background?¡± Kiara pondered for a while with serious eyes. Suddenly, she gave the unspoken signal that I often give to Al. It was a signal to cast a voice-blocking spell. I was a little surprised, but I responded to the request and cast the voice-blocking spell. ¡°Did you ask Al?¡± Kiara smiled mischievously. ¡°I begged him to tell me.¡± ¡°And what is it you didn¡¯t want him to hear?¡± Kiara kept a straight face. ¡°It¡¯s about his background. You don¡¯t think my brother is a normal sixteen-year-old ¡­¡­ do you?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°So ¡­¡­ where do you think that knowledge, judgment, and calmness come from?¡± My face turned to ¡°I can¡¯t possibly understand that, I give up¡±-kind of face. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine. I¡¯m sure he has a secret, but ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t plan to force it out of him.¡± ¡°I have some idea to a certain extent.¡± Kiara¡¯s crisp words made my heart ache. There are things I don¡¯t know that others know. That was very frustrating for me. ¡°It¡¯s natural that you don¡¯t know. Normally, it¡¯s not possible, after all.¡± I feigned emotionlessness to hide my frustration. ¡°How does Kiara know it?¡± ¡°Because my brother and I are the same.¡± It doesn¡¯t make any sense at all. It¡¯s as if I don¡¯t understand. ¡°You don¡¯t make sense ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m much more possessive than I think I am. I want to be Al¡¯s number one and know him better than anyone else in the world. I¡¯ve thought about it from the bottom of my heart. Of course, I want Al to know everything about me. Kiara said apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s something I can¡¯t help myself.¡± I was even more confused. ¡°You can¡¯t help it?¡± Kiara murmured. ¡°I ¡­¡­ have memories of my previous life.¡± I froze, startled. I couldn¡¯t keep up with my thoughts. What Kiara began to tell me was shocking. She was just like me ¡­¡­ Unable to believe in the apostles, she had no place in the world. And I was also convinced. Why would Kiara be so obsessed with Al? Because if she was separated from Al, she would be alone in the world. Without thinking, I hugged Kiara. Calmly, Kiara replied. ¡°I was going to tell Dear sister about this someday, you know. I think my brother is the same as me. Doesn¡¯t that make sense?¡± A sigh escaped her. I felt like Al¡¯s sigh lately. ¡°I ¡­¡­ guess so. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he¡¯s the reincarnation of the Great Sage from the fairy tales.¡± ¡°I think so too. I haven¡¯t heard it directly, but brother doesn¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°Yeah. Al would never say that he is the reincarnation of the Great Sage. At most he would say that he was an eccentric old man in his previous life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± We both laughed. Kiara said with a straight face. ¡°I¡¯m very jealous of you, Dear sister. You know why, don¡¯t you?¡± Kiara was his sister and she could never be married to Al. I nodded silently. ¡°So ¡­¡­ I have given up on fulfilling my love for now. But I want to keep offering my love, that¡¯s what I want.¡± ¡°What do you mean for now ¡­¡­?¡± Kiara¡¯s smile became shadowy. ¡°The next time I¡¯m reincarnated, I will not be my brother¡¯s sister. Then we can be together.¡± The idea was unbelievable. If a normal person heard this, they would be scared and taken aback. I was startled and asked back. ¡°No, there is no guarantee that you will be reincarnated. it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll get your memories back, and it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll meet Al¡¯s reincarnation.¡± Kiara¡¯s face became somewhat forlorn. ¡°I have to believe that, otherwise there is no hope for me to live. Besides, if you¡¯ve been reincarnated once ¡­¡­ you can be reincarnated once more.¡± When I hear this kind of determination ¡­¡­ I¡¯m wondering if I can keep him to myself. ¡°I see ¡­¡­¡± ¡°So I have an advice for you, dear sister. Now ¡­¡­ you have brother all to yourself. In the next life, please give me half of brother.¡± It was an even more outrageous statement. I could see my eyes light up. ¡°What? It¡¯s true that I¡¯ll live longer than you, but ¡­¡­ you can¡¯t be sure that Al will reincarnate and regain his memories.¡± Kiara said, as if she was sure. ¡°I¡¯m sure he will. I don¡¯t know when. And when he do, I will definitely go to see you, Dear sister. You will not be left alone.¡± I was at a loss for a response. But if that¡¯s really the case, I¡¯m sure Al will come to her. Irrelevant because he was born again. A new woman, a new life. I¡¯m not the kind of person who can do that. ¡°It¡¯s weird. If you don¡¯t say anything, you can have Al all to yourself, right?¡± Kiara shook her head. ¡°If I keep quiet and keep him to myself. When brother¡¯s memory comes back, if he finds out that I didn¡¯t tell you, it will ¡­¡­ make him really sad. Besides, I like you, Dear sister.¡± ¡°I like you too, I was so happy to have a sister. Okay, we¡¯ll share him in the next life in half.¡± ¡°He might say, ¡°If you split me in half, I¡¯ll die, you know¡±.¡± We talked about the impossible and improbable future, but we had a lot of fun. "" We had so much fun that we both ended up talking at length about how we would spend our time with Al in the next life. I¡¯m sure others will think it¡¯s weird. But it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay, because others can¡¯t understand this connection. And ¡­¡­ in a very real sense, I felt like I had become a sister to Kiara. CH 96 They can fly. That is a tremendous advantage. They can shoot their bow from a distance while flying. Due to gravity, the power of the arrows will increase, and they can also increase the distance. More importantly, it¡¯s easier to scout out the enemy¡¯s position. In the past, it was popular to capture the enemy¡¯s location with a messenger. Thanks to this, countermeasures have been adopted. Nowadays, there are tools for jamming, and it is relatively easy to break the contact between the user and the magician. In many fantasy stories, the bird¡¯s eye view is used, but somehow you never see the image as if a person were looking down. The image you see is that of a bird. I have tried it in the past out of curiosity, but it made me sick. They can¡¯t see at night, and they can¡¯t fly in bad weather. Even if you use a bat as a messenger, it can only tell you where something is by ultrasonic waves. There is even a magic item to fool the birds¡¯ eyes. Not only can they not catch you, but they can also disguise themselves and show you something else. It¡¯s useless. Winged people can switch between the vision of a bird and the vision of a person. In the human field of view, they can detect the location of any jamming. If they were disguised by illusions, it would be impossible to begin with ¡­¡­ Even so, the information they can obtain is far different. If you know the location of the enemy¡¯s troops, you can properly concentrate and disperse. That¡¯s what I¡¯m most afraid of. Since ancient times, commanders have struggled to read the enemy¡¯s exact position. All the best commanders excelled in this ability. If the opponent knows your position, you lose the initiative. When the initiative is lost, the sacrifice increases. Because of the large number of transfers, jamming is impossible. They know your route. The location of reinforcements can be seen from a height. But when you¡¯re moving through the forest, it¡¯s hard to see them. But ¡­¡­ if you¡¯re camping out, they can even guess your location because of the smoke. It¡¯s not a good idea to force the guards to be in a constant state of tension. If they are attacked when they are fatigued and their military discipline is slack, the damage will increase. And then they attacked Abraham on his way home. This fact suggests the possibility of reconnaissance by the winged tribes. The pacing of the dog people, winged people, humans, and cat people must have captured their positions. It is also possible that they were just waiting for them. However, it is unlikely that the winged people were together with them and just waiting. Did they think they would be rewarded if they succeeded? Or was it a diversion? When I pointed this out, Silvana and Charles were lost in thought. Mil and Kiara seemed to agree with what I had been thinking. Charles turned sullen. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that makes things difficult¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s also difficult to disguise, so we have a lot of thinking to do¡­¡± Charles looked puzzled. ¡°The town could be attacked when the Knights are on the road.¡± Oracio leaned forward as if he had been expecting it. ¡°Please leave the defense to us.¡± As expected, I could not allow that. I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to increase the casualties of the wolf people anymore. Especially since the percentage of adult males is dropping.¡± Oracio fell silent. He was indeed a representative and seemed to be aware of the situation. Charles folded his arms as he thought. ¡°I think we have to maximize the number of guards. If we don¡¯t, the dog people will be suspicious. It will make them more aware of the guards on the road and less aware of the town¡¯s defenses. There is a strong possibility that it was a diversion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a strong possibility. Even if we know that, we will have to give top priority to guarding the dog people. The enemy is the winged tribe, and they can confirm the situation.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t rely on the wolf people, then what will they do?¡± Oracio leaned forward. It seems that he really wants to join the fight. ¡°In that case, we wolf people will be the guards.¡± But ¡­¡­ it¡¯s not so simple. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, they¡¯ll probably go for the dog people.¡± Charles looked unconvinced. ¡°I don¡¯t see how they can move so conveniently.¡± ¡°If they can get an aerial view of the situation, they¡¯ll be in time. The guards move very slowly, after all.¡± I sigh. It¡¯s like they¡¯re forcing us to the corner and making me use the apostle¡¯s power in a good way But if I use it here, all the effort I¡¯ve put into this will be for naught. In other words, I¡¯ll sacrifice someone for my ideology. Oracio is looking at me with a serious face. ¡°Milord, we are citizens. Yes, we have fewer adults now, but we will fight to protect our fellow citizens.¡± I couldn¡¯t make up my mind. Charles looked at me as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the best of the Knight¡¯s Order¡¯s squires for the defense. The commander will be Melchiorri and his assistant will be D¡¯Avorio. I will be temporarily absent from milord¡¯s side, so please forgive me .¡± (T/N: D¡¯Avorio is the MC¡¯s bodyguard, Jules.) I have no choice but to obey the words of the Chief Military Officer. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say that the wolf people should be the basic assistant.¡± Oracio was enthusiastic. ¡°I understand. But some of the children are good with bows. I¡¯d like them to join us, even if it¡¯s just from a distance.¡± That¡¯s a definite no-no. I shook my head strongly. ¡°Absolutely not. After that, the children who didn¡¯t fight will be left behind. It will result in discord.¡± Oracio shook his head strongly. ¡°Now is not the time to be talking about that. Our top priority is to survive. Besides, we can train the other children after this.¡± Charles nodded his head in agreement. ¡°I think Mr. Oracio is right.¡± It¡¯s annoying, but it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll say it again, I have no choice but to follow the opinion of the Chief Military Officer. As long as I said I would leave it to him, his decision was much heavier than my words. I said as if I were squeezing it deep inside me. ¡°I understand. I know this is too shameless to say, but let me say this ¡­¡­ I want you to make sure that your children avoid danger. And please make sure that you don¡¯t rush into anything.¡± Every time something happens, I am reminded of the weight of my decision. How dare you send your child out into the battlefield ¡­¡­ If you are an adult who has chosen to go to war, I can still make sense of it. But to force a child to stand on the battlefield is indeed unbearable. In the meantime, another report came to us. A messenger from the tiger people had arrived. They¡¯re all moving at once. CH 97 Hurriedly, I greeted the tiger messenger. Up close, he was huge and bulky. I imagined it to be a hairy version of Tiger Mask ¡­¡­ or something like that. Tiger Mask introduced himself without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m Touko Priyura.¡± The Tiger Mask had maiden-like name. There¡¯s a huge gap between the two. ¡°I¡¯m Alfred Della Scala. let us hear what you¡¯re here for.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll accept your offer of immigration.¡± ¡°Let me confirm. What is your remaining population?¡± I¡¯m not sure if they have much emotional upheaval, but ¡­¡­ I guess the tiger people don¡¯t talk much. In exchange, does their emotion explode in combat? "" ¡°80 men, 125 of women and children.¡± ¡°When will the preparations for the migration be complete?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already done.¡± That¡¯s fast. ¡°Have you encountered any opposition to the move?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been settled by fisticuffs of persuasion.¡± Is that so ¡­¡­ ¡°I understand. I have a favor to ask you regarding the migration.¡± ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re on the move, I would like you to go with the dog people.¡± Touko¡¯s eyebrows raised a little. ¡°You want me to escort the dog people as well?¡± I shook my head quietly so as not to provoke their emotions. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I guess you¡¯ve been recruited to fight alongside them too.¡± ¡°So the rumors of clairvoyance are true.¡± I will have to be as polite as possible in my explanation. It is essential to be careful not to hurt their pride. ¡°The fact that you refused could lead to an attack on you as well. We are just about to dispatch an escort of knights against the migration of the dog people. Therefore, it would be easier for us to escort you if you were all in one group. If the tiger people were to join the knights, it would be difficult for the enemy to get their hands on you.¡± For this reason, Touko¡¯s face became convinced. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°How many days will it take to reach the dog village?¡± ¡°One day is enough.¡± Is that close enough? Or is it a forced march ¡­¡­ ¡°Then, I will send a messenger to meet you when you arrive at the dog village. We¡¯ll bring you the food you¡¯ll need until you arrive.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll hurry back.¡± ¡°Before that, please tell me how much food the tiger people eat each day. I have to prepare.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± After a brief exchange, the tiger messenger left. It was the easiest negotiation I¡¯ve ever had because it was so assertive. I guess he¡¯s saying he recognizes our capabilities. If strength was the criterion, we could have destroyed the tiger people in half in a day. That is ¡­¡­ If you consider intelligence to be power as well. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô It¡¯s true that it saved my life because it¡¯s going to be hard from now on. ¡°Sir Rossi, can you assign a few Knights to the defense?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got about 13. If you want to make sure you have the best protection. There are a lot of the tiger people, so it won¡¯t be a problem to reduce the number a bit.¡± ¡°Then please make the necessary arrangements.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the guards. More than that, worry about yourself, Milord.¡± Charles bowed with a theatrical gesture and left. ¡°Kiara. Can I ask you to call for Ms. Silvana and teacher?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± With a flutter, Kiara left. After she left, Mil stared at me. As expected of my wife. She can read my intentions immediately. ¡°There¡¯s something you want to talk to me about, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s about Kiara ¡­¡­ Lately, she¡¯s been getting more and more aggressive with me. I have to do something to stop her before she crosses the line. So I¡¯m wondering what to do about it.¡± ¡°Kiara knows her limits, so let her do as she pleases.¡± That was an unexpected answer. ¡°But, you know ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Al means the whole world to Kiara. Please, don¡¯t reject her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to reject her, she just have to keep a reasonable distance.¡± It¡¯s not a good idea ¡­¡­ Mir shook her head. ¡°Kiara knows that she will never be with Al. So, at least let Kiara do what she wants.¡± Mil looked at me seriously. ¡°As Kiara¡¯s sister, I¡¯m begging you.¡± Oh dear, I see that you¡¯ve colluded somewhere ¡­¡­ ¡°I understand. But we are only brother and sister.¡± Jules seemed to chuckle. ¡°Milord draws women in like a bottomless pit when he likes them, after all.¡± It¡¯s not a bottomless pit ¡­¡­ You make it sound like I¡¯m a yandere ¡­¡­ CH 98 The unpopular woman Silvana and the teacher came. ¡°Your idol, Ms. Silvana, is here.¡± ¡°What kind of idol would be so unpopular?¡± They were noisy as usual. I had to ignore this nonsense and make a request to them. ¡°I want to ask you to help me defend the town. The two of you are the only ones who can use practical battle magic, after all.¡± ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­ are you sure? Even if I send flying?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best if you make them lose their will to fight, so I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana seems very confident. ¡°Leave it to me!¡± I feel a little uneasy about this strange confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it, please. Also, be careful with the bow, especially from out of range.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana puffed her chest proudly. ¡°Adventurers are only as good as their survival.¡± The teacher folded his arms, as if he was thinking about something. ¡°If we go too far, won¡¯t there be resentment?¡± I sigh, thinking about the current situation. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to worry about their grudges. Since they¡¯ve even sent their children to defend.¡± Realizing the pointlessness of his question, the teacher backed down. ¡°¡­¡­ All right. I¡¯ll deal with the winged tribe in the sky. Silvana, blow up the ground.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± That¡¯s easy. And then the unpopular woman Silvana¡¯s face turns into a serious, rotten face. ¡°Al. In battle ¡­¡­ If you think about it too much, you will be eaten by yourself one day ¡­¡­ No matter how you try to fix it, it¡¯s still a game of life, you know. It¡¯s not good for you if you don¡¯t make a clear decision.¡± "" I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡°Good grief. I never thought I¡¯d get useful advice from Ms. Silvana ¡­¡­ I guess we¡¯ll make it an anniversary.¡± ¡°Hmm, a statue would be nice. And make sure to emphasize the breasts.¡± I chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t lie.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana raised her fist to the sky. ¡°I¡¯m not lying! It¡¯s a dream!¡± The teacher laughed and said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine! You can just inscribe a plaque below its feet that says, ¡®But there are some differences from the real thing¡±.¡± ¡°Hey, virgin! Don¡¯t say unnecessary things!¡± I guess this is what adventurers do. There will be sacrifices, but they don¡¯t expect to lose in battle. I believe that my teacher and the unpopular woman Silvana are very skilled. If they were incompetent, she wouldn¡¯t be sent to represent the guild, even with her connections. It would be bad if it became known, after all. I know the teacher¡¯s magic skills and I can trust him. The enemy is smart, but probably not that powerful. If they were strong, they would have swept this area long ago. Like any other reincarnated person, I don¡¯t take things seriously until I¡¯m cornered. I can¡¯t even think about it ¡­¡­ if there is such a thing. In the current situation, there is no time to worry about the damage to the enemy. In the worst-case scenario, I think that it can¡¯t be helped if they get wiped out. Of course, there will be hardships after that, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m the only one who will have to suffer. The teacher confirmed it for me. ¡°What if they surrender? It could be a disguise.¡± ¡°Ideally, you should disarm and restrain them, but ¡­¡­ if you¡¯re in combat, you can ignore it. Even if you intend to restrain them with magic, but if they have resistance to it, they might pretend to be restrained and that would be troublesome.¡± The teacher nodded with a satisfied look on his face. When he is not in clunker mode, the teacher is reliable. ¡°So, when they say surrender, we¡¯ll drive them away. But there are many long-range strikes. They¡¯ll probably run away first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The teacher tapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Kiddo, when this fight is over, take some time off. I don¡¯t want you to get into a slump like you did before.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana said unexpectedly. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine since Mil¡¯s here.¡± The teacher snorted with a stupid expression on his face. ¡°But it¡¯s still stressful. Just give the big objection and take a break. If you want to be with Milva, then do so.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll do that if the situation permits.¡± He gave me a look that said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, the situation is irrelevant.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana nodded her head. ¡°Yes, Al should go be pampered by Mil plenty. Just make sure you do it where I can¡¯t see it.¡± Mil, as usual, blushed and looked at her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s poison in the eyes for single people, after all. That flirting.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve already told Mil.¡± I was a little surprised by the unexpected turn of events. ¡°When did you ¡­¡­¡± The unpopular woman Silvana stretched her non-existent chest even further. Even though you can¡¯t multiply zero by anything. ¡°Since Al started getting annoyed! You can¡¯t fool Ms. Silvana¡¯s eyes! Al needs to rest!¡± In other words, the unexpected look on her face earlier was a foreshadowing to fill in the outer moat. She¡¯s getting cocky even though she¡¯s the unpopular woman Silvana. Mil looked a little apologetic. ¡°I¡¯ve been told by Vana ¡­¡­ I just couldn¡¯t find the right moment to say it.¡± Kiara joined in. ¡°I can pamper you instead of Dear sister, you know.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana shook her head with all her might. ¡°No, I¡¯ll do what I can! It¡¯s for the best!¡± Try to be a little more subtle about it. But were they colluding with other drunkards? Everyone¡¯s been colluding with each other too much lately without my knowledge. CH 99 The town was on alert as the knights went out to guard the dog people. There is also the strategy to catch them off guard and attack them with ambushes. However, it is impossible to do so if you are not trained. Reduce the damage, even if only a little. As a leader, this principle is non-negotiable. You¡¯re happy with your plan, but you¡¯re doing more damage. I don¡¯t have such a hobby. I¡¯ve entrusted Robert with the command of the defense. It¡¯s a fool¡¯s errand to make people aware of two people¡¯s instructions when they need to make an immediate decision. I¡¯m staying in the house to keep my mouth shut. I don¡¯t want Jules, who is in the habit of guarding me, to be bothered by me wandering around. I told him that until the battle is over, I would not pay any attention to the mansion so he should concentrate on defense. That¡¯s what I told him. As a supervisor, I¡¯ve said I¡¯ll leave it to you, so I¡¯m going to give you the authority. I will take full responsibility for any problems that may arise. But it¡¯s not unprincipled. This does not apply to deviations from delegated authority. If your main task is to defend, but you neglect defense and cause damage because you¡¯re preoccupied with pursuit. Furthermore, blaming your subordinates for your own errors in judgment. These are punishable. This was the method of operation advocated by Charles¡¯ faction during the unfavorable times. I approved it and made it an official rule of the Ravenna Knights¡¯ code of operation. Above all, this code will have no effect unless I comply with it the most. I had the feeling that there was a debate in ancient China about whether it be the king or the law. Should the king obey the law, or is the king outside the law? The rule of man is a story that can only be told in traditional China. I don¡¯t remember the official source. It may have been a fictional story. I think it was about the First Emperor and Han Feizi ¡­¡­ Han Feizi was a distant cause of suicide by poisoning. Han Feizi, who advocated the perfection of the rule of law theory, said ¡°Even a king should obey the law.¡± The first emperor, who considered the rule of law to be a tool of governance, said. ¡°The law is for the subjects to obey. Why should I, the supreme authority, obey anything?¡± I think it was something like that. If everyone doesn¡¯t obey, the theory falls apart. You¡¯re supposed to be the most powerful, but if you follow something, you¡¯re not the most powerful. That¡¯s the difference between a theorist and someone who uses theory as a tool. I was just a commoner before I was reincarnated, and the theory of the rule of law makes sense to me. And when I lived as an aristocrat, I realized that it was much more difficult. In my previous life, I was forced to obey the law. If you broke them, you will almost certainly be punished. Now, I have to obey the law by myself. Worst of all, you won¡¯t be punished even if you don¡¯t obey them. The repercussions will come, but they will not be immediate. How difficult it is to discipline oneself. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I¡¯m not busy defending myself and staying in my house, I tend to think about things. In fact, I¡¯m not just holed up in the house. It was in the mansion that I met with the cat people. And there are not that many buildings. They¡¯ll take advantage of the gap in the battle to target me, the leader in the mansion. It¡¯s possible. There was also the idea of evacuating to another building. If I did that, my whereabouts would be unknown. If that happened, there was a possibility that they would attack a suitable building. As a result, the citizens would be harmed. In the worst-case scenario, they could set a fire and flush me out. I decided to make my whereabouts clear. When I had enough time to defend myself, I could quickly go to the rescue. That was one of the advantages. "" At the very least, I might just want to make excuses for the damage by taking on the risk. However, I was not going to stay in the house without a plan. I wanted to evacuate Kiara to another place, but she would never shake her head. I couldn¡¯t afford to waste time on an argument that had a foregone conclusion. So, I asked them both to stay in the mansion. Kiara is wearing pants, not a dress, to make her look more mobile. She usually wears her long hair hanging down, but now it is tied up so that it does not interfere with her movements. She also has several daggers wrapped around her belt on her left and right thighs. I asked Kiara why. ¡°Long swords are a hindrance in a room.¡± She looked so cool and calm. I wondered if it was because she had memories of her previous life. I¡¯ve asked Mil to do a special mission for me. The chief of the elven village can search the forest for signs of life. The main thing they can look for is the presence and movement of creatures. When I heard what the theory was, I had an idea. You have to live in the forest for a long time to be able to do this. You have to be in contact with the forest and gradually increase your connection with the trees. I heard that¡¯s what gives you the power of sensing. I had a conversation with Mil about this. ¡°If it¡¯s not a tree, can it be a plant?¡± ¡°Yes. I guess so ¡­¡­ but the range and accuracy of the detection depends on the size of the plant. So trees are the best.¡± If that¡¯s the case ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll grow a plant about a meter tall in a flowerpot. Place them inside and outside the compound. Ostensibly, it is ornamental. In reality, it is a surveillance radar. I asked Mil to take care of the plant and grow the connection. Apparently, the plants can tell who was taking care of them. She will also find out where the plants are most likely to connect with each other and decide on their placement. Some of the plants were placed in strange places because I gave top priority to their connection. Since I¡¯m known as a weirdo, I¡¯ve decided to pretend that it¡¯s the lord¡¯s hobby. Mil is in charge of spotting the entire house. She can detect if anything strange that will sneak into the house. When I told Mil about this idea, she looked at me in astonishment. ¡°No one had ever thought of such a thing before.¡± But she gladly agreed. This is actually a top-secret matter that only ¡­¡­ Me, Mil, Kiara, Charles, Robert, and Jules know about. I¡¯ve asked them to be on alert and to sense the battle when it starts. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have the energy. In such a state of alert, there was an attack on the second day. It has begun ¡­¡­ CH 100 I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my imagination. The enemy is slowly getting smarter. What kind of battle manga is this? Isn¡¯t the inhabitant of the other world reincarnation thing stupid? Even the theories of the inhabitants are governed by the government, and the conversations are just templates. Why do they only think and act properly when it comes to me? The more remote the area, the more intelligent they seem to be. Isn¡¯t that unfair? I¡¯m the only one in hard mode, aren¡¯t I? During my pilgrimage, I didn¡¯t see anyone I thought was that smart. ¡°Somehow ¡­¡­ I just feel like the people around me are getting more intelligent since I came here. What do you think Kiara?¡± Mil did not speak as she had her attention diverted to the search for the enemy. ¡°Well. It is true that they are thinking for themselves. That¡¯s what I think.¡± Yeah, that¡¯s it ¡­¡­ This doesn¡¯t feel right. ¡°This a remote region, after all. It is impossible to live in a certain style or pattern.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always been able to think for yourself, haven¡¯t you, brother?¡± ¡°Well, It¡¯s kind of a habit.¡± ¡°Then I suppose it¡¯s a habit for most people not to think.¡± Habit ¡­¡­ culture ¡­¡­ convention ¡­¡­. ¡°Certainly ¡­¡­ If they don¡¯t think about anything, they can easily adapt when the apostles come out. Rather, it¡¯s more of a hindrance.¡± When over technology appears, it is easily accepted. It is easy to accept when it is obsolete. The cycle repeats itself. If you disagree or argue with it, you are eliminated. Even that is easily accepted. It is the same with the apostles who are called. Basically, Japanese people accept anything. Let me give you a cheat ability. They accept this too. They don¡¯t think about the other side. It satisfies their need for approval. If people around you rebel against you, they will stay away because they are sensitive to that area, but if the world affirms you, there is nothing to stop you. In fact, they will actively try to respond to it. God is one of the reasons why Japanese people are reincarnated. So I¡¯m special, and I¡¯m off the target. As I recall, they said something about it being difficult to pinpoint. ¡°You mean ¡­¡­ the further you get away from the influence of the church and the apostles, the more you think for yourself. Doesn¡¯t it make it that?¡± ¡°I suppose so. The frontier is almost completely free from the influence of the apostles. And because of that, you have the right people for your business.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m thankful for that, but it¡¯s a pain in the ass when they¡¯re the enemy ¡­¡­¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô In the middle of the conversation, Mil suddenly looked up. ¡°Something¡¯s approaching the house! It¡¯s going up the wall to the roof!¡± I looked at Mil and Kiara and shouted. ¡°You two, get away from the window! Are you close?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, ¡­¡­ right above us? We¡¯re on the second floor, right?¡± The intruders came in, breaking the windowpane. Two cat people, followed by two winged people. They went around from the ground, climbed up to the roof, and then broke into the second floor ¡­¡­ The intruders pointed their swords at me and shouted. ¡°There they are!¡± What? Did they know that I¡¯m here? Mil immediately cast a wind blade spell. She must have chanted it beforehand. It was instantaneous. It was a direct hit on one of the cat people, but not enough to stop it. If we measure her ability as a magician, she¡¯s in the weak category. It can¡¯t be helped. The other cat immediately pounced on me. What an impressive leaping ability, as expected. There was no time to hesitate. I accurately shot the killer ray at its head. With a sizzling sound, the smell of burning wafts through the air. One of them was taken care of. They can¡¯t avoid them when they¡¯re jumping. Now I¡¯ve used up all my cards. What should I do now ¡­¡­ If I swing my sword and my power goes off, everything will go down the drain. What to do? It¡¯s risky, but ¡­¡­ I have no choice but to aim for another shot. Then a dagger flew from an unexpected angle. It hit the winged person behind the living cat person. It hit the other one in succession. It was the dagger Kiara had thrown. It was a brilliant throw. It was unexpected and could not be avoided. But it didn¡¯t seem to be a fatal wound. Kiara¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Dear Sister, one more!¡± ¡°All right!¡± Mil strikes the cowering cat person with the slender sword she¡¯s already drawn. If we push too hard, we¡¯ll get in the way of Mil. It was impossible for Kiara to take on two winged people by herself. Just as I was thinking this, the two winged people collapsed, groaning, and began to convulse. It¡¯s poison ¡­¡­ and it¡¯s a dangerous one too. The remaining cat person was distracted by this, and Mil immediately cut them off and put a stop to it. She¡¯s usually calm, but she doesn¡¯t hesitate when she¡¯s in a fight. She¡¯s much better than me. Kiara looked at Mil with an unconcerned look on her face. ¡°Sister, are there others still here?¡± She closed her eyes for a moment, but Mil relaxed her shoulders. ¡°No ¡­¡­ it¡¯s alright now. They¡¯re no one anymore.¡± To be honest, I was surprised at Kiara. Sure, she had a number of daggers on her thigh belt, but ¡­¡­ I had no idea she was this good. ¡°I never heard you¡¯re specialized in dagger-throwing.¡± Kiara remained looking down at the emotionless, convulsing, vomiting winged man. ¡°I practiced it a lot in my past life. It¡¯s a way for powerless girl to survive ¡­¡­ A beautiful flower has its thorns, you know.¡± It seems that she has not let her guard down. In her previous life, she was in a very difficult situation. It¡¯s nice to know that I can count on her here, though. ¡°What kind of poison is it?¡± Kiara looked at me sideways and answered with a smile without taking her eyes off the winged people. ¡°It¡¯s aconite. I asked Dear sister to grow it in secret. With my special preparation, the toxin is very strong.¡± Kiara looked at the convulsing winged man as if he were trash. There is no murderous intent, but you can see a quiet rage in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re here to harm my brother. So I will show no mercy. There will be no forgiveness. You will not be spared. I hope you suffer and die.¡± Normally, Mil would feel at least a little sorry, but ¡­¡­ she was not. I can see that she is very angry, although her expression is calm. The eyes that look down on the winged people are so cold, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s a different person. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because they tried to kill me. She doesn¡¯t show mercy to those who take away what is important to her. That¡¯s how I saw it. The winged people died soon after. We managed to survive the surprise attack. I¡¯ll have to think of another way to be safe. They think I¡¯m weak, so I¡¯m still getting by. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After the noise outside subsided, Jules came running in. When he saw the state of the room, Jules looked relieved. ¡°Milord! I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. I¡¯m glad that milady and Lady Kiara are also safe ¡­¡­¡± I interrupted Jules¡¯ words. I needed to know something, after all. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Sir Jules. How is the damage outside?¡± ¡°Two dead here, ten wounded.¡± ¡°Any children among the casualties?¡± ¡°We have two dead squires. One of the children is seriously injured.¡± My eyes darkened for a moment at these words. ¡°Will they make it?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Where is the child now?¡± I started walking unconsciously. ¡°In the temporary hospital.¡± ¡°Kiara, Mil, you take care of the rest.¡± I said and started running. I knew it was a possibility. But ¡­¡­ It¡¯s hard when you¡¯re confronted with reality. CH 101 It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been able to use magic in a real battle. I, Sylvana, am a little excited. Al is very concerned about the damage to his allies in this war. He¡¯s a nobleman, but he has strange values. Especially, he doesn¡¯t like children going into battle. I think he is too nervous. I like him a lot better than the guy who just counts the number of deaths. But he¡¯s going to break someday. It¡¯s a world where death is so easy, but he doesn¡¯t accept it. Mil, you¡¯ve fallen in love with a troublesome guy. I don¡¯t know if she fell in love with him or was fascinated by him. I think it¡¯s amazing that she can love someone so much. "" Mil¡¯s infatuation is amazing. I think it¡¯s a big deal that ¡­¡­ Al accepts it all without being disgusted by it. The way Al lives his life doesn¡¯t really fit into this world, though. I don¡¯t think he will ever go crazy because he thinks too much. He¡¯s the type of person who would never do anything to hurt the people around him. When things are peaceful, he might be an ideal husband. That is, if we don¡¯t have any differences in values. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Fabio, the virgin who¡¯s waiting with me at the designated spot, is looking off into the distance like it¡¯s a bother. ¡°It¡¯s just as the kiddo predicted.¡± I think there are about 40 of them flying in the sky. On the ground ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t see. There are a good number of them, but they are dispersed. If they were all in one place, I could make them go boom with one shot. It¡¯s all about the number of moves. I¡¯ve been cutting through the forest to make it easier to detect attacks by foreign enemies. Thanks to this, though, we have a surplus of wood. I thought that such enemy attacks would ¡­¡­ rarely happen. I was wondering what good it would do to cut down the trees in such a serious manner. But then I saw this ¡­¡­ and realized. It¡¯s so easy to seize them. ¡°Make sure you stop the ones at the sky! I won¡¯t think about the sky, after all!¡± Fabio, a virgin, ruffled his hair in a completely unsuitable gesture. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can blow them up even without that trick. Don¡¯t fall for me, okay?¡± This guy not only can¡¯t read the atmosphere, but he also has no sense of conversation ¡­¡­ ¡°What ¡­¡­ stupid things are you talking about?¡± The virgin Fabio seems to be smug. I don¡¯t know what this guy¡¯s actual strength is, but Al trusts. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t drag me down. Al never takes personal feelings into account when appointing people. I trust his judgment. ¡°The kiddo said that when you use the trick, they won¡¯t be able to fly suddenly and the winged tribe will panic. That¡¯s the time he said to hit them.¡± ¡°Mil said that Al was like the great sage of fairy tales.¡± Fabio, a virgin, snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t want a sixteen-year-old great sage. Why don¡¯t you try to be lectured by a kid. It¡¯s not even close to being cool. Well ¡­¡­ I guess I¡¯d better get this over with.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô At the meeting to deal with the winged tribe, Al suddenly told us a story about his childhood. He was trying to figure out how a magical flying messenger could fly. The way he was interested in it was strange. And then he realized something. The messenger is flying with magic power, but it couldn¡¯t fly over a big river. It crashed in deep water, so it has something to do with flying and something to do with the ground. And he tried various things to see if it could always fly if it was on the ground. Is there anything between the ground and the messenger that prevents it from flying? It seems that he looked into it from all sides. I repeat, the way he is interested in it was crazy. He talks about this stuff with a lot of fun ¡­¡­ He found that it was extremely difficult to fly on the glass. If you break the glass and scatter it around, they can fly, but it¡¯s very difficult to fly. That was the first time I saw Al¡¯s smug face. I wondered what he was doing. Glass is very expensive, you know ¡­¡­ As expected of a great aristocrat¡¯s young master. And he said that the principle of flying should be the same for winged people. I didn¡¯t hear a single story about them crossing a big river, much less an ocean. Dragons, he said, must have a different principle. He seemed to enjoy talking about it. He looked like he was sixteen years old at that time. They were all taken aback and dumbfounded. Then he gathered up the glass that had been used for building materials and discarded. He was happily breaking them, singing some strange song by himself. I think it was something like, ¡°Breaking the windows at the school building at night¡±. It made no sense at all. Sometimes it doesn¡¯t make sense, but this time it made perfect sense. And it was daytime. There were a lot of pieces to break, but ¡­¡­ he didn¡¯t let anyone else do it, saying it was a way to relieve stress. When they ran out, he started removing them from buildings that already had them. Everyone pretended not to see it anymore. Finally, he pointed to a huge amount of debris, gave instructions, and went away. ¡°Put this on the perimeter of the town. Let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ Please scatter them in a line about three meters wide in the direction the enemy will fly in. The line should be drawn at the very edge of the defensive facility where our attack can reach.¡± He liked the idea of breaking them, but scattering them seemed to be troublesome, he said. It seems he was planning to neutralize the enemy¡¯s air force. It¡¯s hard to keep up with ¡­¡­ that idea sometimes. While I¡¯m thinking about that, the enemy is closing in. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I could shoot arrows at them, but they¡¯re too far away. I can easily repel them with a wall of wind. The winged tribe has flown to a position where it is difficult to defend with walls. This was the moment when they reached the glass line. The winged tribe¡¯s flight altitude suddenly dropped, causing them to panic. Then the arrows of the beastmen rained down on them. They were so close that even if you shot a bow at them from the ground, it would hit them. Fabio, the virgin, posed strangely and cast a thunderbolt magic. He¡¯ll only look like a fool even he tries to look good, though. Regardless of hid appearance, they were almost destroyed by one shot. He¡¯s pretty good. It¡¯s just a step above advanced. He could be a top adventurer. By the way, Al is really scary. Seeing this, the cat people and humans on the ground were also shaken, but they didn¡¯t stop their assault. The squires of the knight¡¯s order went to the front, and the enemies in the distance were shot by the bows of the beastmen. And then, with my magic, I blew them away with a huge bang. After all, magic is limited to explosions ¡­¡­ It¡¯s sad to say, but I was also forced to blow up the ground in civil engineering works. I applied that to actual combat and dug back under the feet of an enemy who was trying to get close. That¡¯s where the arrows come flying. The beastmen¡¯s skill is quite impressive too. The enemy can¡¯t even move forward properly. I dig up the ground randomly. The spattered dirt is a good way to blind them. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m going to make up for all the hard work they¡¯ve put me through. But even if they can get past that, they¡¯ll be confronted by the squires. The enemy is also desperately attacking, and arrows are flying. It¡¯s the same as killing each other ¡­¡­ but it¡¯s no different than defeating monsters. You have to think it¡¯s the same. If I hesitate like Al, I will die. But this time, the enemy¡¯s attack was not going as planned and it was one-sided. Al¡¯s preparation was amazing. If he were an adventurer, he would be a very capable leader. Oh ¡­¡­ that¡¯s no good. "" I remember that he has no physical strength. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô There was some damage, but after about two hours of fighting, it was almost over. It was like when the winged tribe¡¯s flight was interrupted, the game is already decided. I think it was Jules D¡¯Avorio, a serious-looking knight, who led his troops to the mansion in a hurry after the battle was over. Apparently, there was an attack on the mansion. There might be a raid on the mansion, Al had pointed out. He worries about others, but he doesn¡¯t worry about himself at all. Mil¡¯s magic is not that strong. I was worried about her, but I don¡¯t think Al doesn¡¯t have a plan, so I can only trust him. Besides, if the raid is successful, the enemy will come to inform us. If it¡¯s quiet, it must have failed. "" Rather than that, we should hurry up and take care of the injured. ¡°Virgin. You take care of the perimeter! I¡¯ll go help treat the wounded!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡± At the temporary hospital, I helped treat many injured people. As an adventurer, this kind of treatment is a must. It¡¯s not every day you find a healer, after all. One of the injured was a girl from the wolf tribe. She was defending another child and got an arrow in her back. She¡¯s seriously injured, but they said that she¡¯s going to survive. Even so, I could see Al¡¯s expression of blaming himself. It would have been much easier if he had taken it out on the people around him. Instead, he kept it to himself and blamed himself. I imagined such a scene and felt ¡­¡­ very depressed. CH 102 When I rushed to the hospital, I found a wolf girl, accompanied by her mother, lying in a bed. It was the girl who had been in charge of the map model. I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say to her. Apologies were not the way to go. They had voluntarily protected the town. It¡¯s not right to apologize for my own self-pity, disregarding their will. When I started getting along with the wolf tribe, I learned that I shouldn¡¯t make decisions based solely on the values I had before my reincarnation. I bowed to the still sleeping girl¡¯s mother. ¡°Please tell her that I¡¯m very grateful to her for saving her friend.¡± That was all I could say. The mother nodded at me in silence. We need to visit the others ¡­¡­ As I was thinking this, the girl woke up. "" Her mother leaned forward. ¡°Manora!¡± ¡°Mother? Oh, my lord!¡± She tried to get up, but her mother stopped her. ¡°Thank you, Manora ¡­¡­ for saving your friends.¡± I sat back down and thanked Manora. ¡°Benito was careless, after all ¡­¡­¡± She tried to laugh, but frowned in pain. Apparently she meant the child she had saved. I gently restrained Manora with my hand. ¡°Please remain until your injuries are healed. Or your mother will be worried.¡± Manora was staring at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord.¡± I didn¡¯t understand why she was apologizing. You should never apologize for getting hurt. ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± ¡°The model map ¡­¡­. they can¡¯t do it properly without me, after all.¡± I felt like crying at this surprise. ¡°We¡¯ll wait until Manora¡¯s wounds heal. So please heal your wounds properly.¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ And, um ¡­¡­ I have a favor.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to make a new group of elite guards, aren¡¯t you? I ¡­¡­ want to be an elite guard too.¡± How can I talk to an injured child about a dangerous job in the future? ¡°No, you can¡¯t. It¡¯s a dangerous job and your mother will be worried. So you should get a safer job.¡± I looked at Manora¡¯s mother in confusion ¡­¡­ and shook my head. ¡°Let her do what she wants. She won¡¯t back down once she says it.¡± This is troubling. But when you say that ¡­¡­ there is no way I can hurt a child who is injured. ¡°Then ¡­¡­ when you grow up properly. But the elite guard can only be someone that Uncle Jules thinks is good.¡± Manora gave me a small nod. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I did my best to smile as gently as I could. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be waiting for you. Now, If you don¡¯t sleep properly, you won¡¯t be able to heal your injuries. Please go to sleep.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With that, Manora closed her eyes and fell asleep. Manora¡¯s mother breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to me. ¡°Thank you for listening to Manora¡¯s story ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve always heard her say that. She wants to be useful because the lord cares about everyone ¡­¡­ So please watch over her.¡± The mother couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. I gently put my hand on her shoulder. ¡°I will make sure that Manora will be happy.¡± I noticed that the adults around me were also on the verge of tears. It was embarrassing and everything. I made arrangements for the burial of the deceased while also visiting the other injured people. It was so embarrassing to do something out of character. The teacher wants me to rest, but ¡­¡­. I can¡¯t do it right away. There are so many things that need to be done. As I walked out of the temporary hospital, Oracio followed me. ¡°Milord. I want to thank you, too.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Oracio shook his head strongly. ¡°No. Some of us were still a little suspicious of milord. But after seeing that¡­¡­ no one will doubt you anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that Manora was magnificent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Milord really thought of us as his friends and acted accordingly. Such people only existed in fairy tales, after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. Rather than that ¡­¡­ We have to do our best not to let the injured people die.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After parting with Oracio, I returned to the house. The unpopular woman Silvana was waiting for me in front of the house. She walked up to me and looked me in the face. ¡°You don¡¯t look as bad as I thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as usual.¡± ¡°Well, good. You should get some rest.¡± ¡°After the dogs and tigers arrive ¡­¡­ we¡¯ll decide on the policy. It¡¯s a bad idea if I¡¯m not there when the dogs and tigers arrive, after all.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true ¡­¡­. I¡¯ll tell Mil to let you get some rest properly.¡± She¡¯s targeting my weak spot accurately. Even though she¡¯s the unpopular woman SIlvana. ¡°You look dissatisfied. I think I¡¯ll incite Mil and have her squeeze you so much out of it that you¡¯ll have a backache the next day.¡± Give me a break ¡­¡­. No, I¡¯m flattered. And there¡¯s no limit to what I¡¯ll do if the Mil wants me to. Still, there are limits ¡­¡­ ¡°Will you rest or ¡­¡­ die on your stomach, which is it?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana pointed her finger at me firmly. ¡°It¡¯s Al¡¯s fault for flirting uncontrollably in front of a bachelor!¡± That¡¯s unreasonable! ¡°Even though it¡¯s your decision to be single, Ms. Silvana. If you don¡¯t want to be alone, why don¡¯t you just marry teacher?¡± The look on the unpopular woman Silvana¡¯s face at that moment was striking. I should say that she was like a cat that reacted to the flehmen. Anyway ¡­¡­ she had a look of deep disgust on her face. CH 103 We¡¯ve integrated the dog people and tiger people, so our forces are probably the largest in the region. This may seem like a lot, but there is a small population scattered around this area. That¡¯s why my town, gathered in one place, is the largest force. From the enemy¡¯s point of view, if they¡¯re scattered, they can hit them individually, but since they¡¯re all in one place, they can¡¯t make any moves. Such a position. Nobunaga¡¯s Ambition and Romance of the Three Kingdoms are fun in the early stages, but they start to get boring after the middle stage. In terms of games, it is the middle stage. You¡¯re the biggest power in the region, but you¡¯re still weak in the world. Unlike the game, it is difficult to steer the ship. You have to keep a low profile in the world and build up your strength. The small forces that feel threatened will unite and turn against us. This is the worst pattern. If that happens, we can win, but we can¡¯t ignore the damage. I want to avoid that as much as possible. One day, after we had survived the attack and buried our dead, and things began to calm down. The dog tribe and a tiger tribe arrived, accompanied by their guards. ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± I greeted Charles. Charles winked at me with a serious look on his face. ¡°No, no, no. You¡¯ll have to tell me the details later.¡± ¡°Yes. But first, we have to welcome our new residents.¡± I turned to the immigrants. ¡°Welcome to Ravenna. We welcome you.¡± Abraham bowed politely. ¡°We look forward to working with you.¡± Touko bowed lightly. ¡°Please take care of us.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take you to your respective quarters.¡± Putting two races in the same building can cause problems, so we¡¯ll keep them in separate places. ¡°Also, Sir. Allston and Sir. Priyura will be members of the representatives¡¯ council.¡± Abraham looked at me suspiciously. It¡¯s not normal to join a group and suddenly find yourself in the highest decision-making meeting. But this is the most reasonable thing to do. ¡°Isn¡¯t that out of the blue?¡± Touko looked convinced. ¡°As they say.¡± I guess the tiger tribe has more information about us than we thought. As is becoming customary, I¡¯ll explain. ¡°Yes. Even if you fit in as a citizen, there will be many problems. So, if you could join our administration as a representative, it would help us to solve the problems faster.¡± Abraham looked convinced. ¡°With all due respect, it seems that the rumors about the fairy tale¡¯s hermit are true.¡± What¡¯s with the increase in my name? Touko nodded. ¡°We call him the clairvoyant sixteen hundred years old.¡± (T/N: Meaning 1600-years-old.) Hey, don¡¯t call me something that rhymes. An unnecessary problem may happen if we keep talking about this, so I¡¯ll get back to the point. ¡°W-¡­¡­ Well, I¡¯ll send out a messenger when the time comes. Let me explain to you about the work you will be responsible for at the meeting.¡± Touko said briefly. ¡°We are newcomers. Use us to your heart¡¯s content.¡¯ I nodded obediently. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re counting on you.¡± I lead the two races to their quarters and leave the rest of the work to Orracio. Oracio looked dumbfounded, but when I said ¡°throw it all in¡± I really meant ¡°throw it all in,¡± so he gave up. Back at the house, we shared information about the attack. Charles pondered. ¡°So Milord has been targeted. I think we¡¯d better hurry up and form the elite guards.¡± The teacher nodded his head. I guess he has the same concerns about human resources as I do. ¡°Sir Rossi, our forces are dwindling at the moment. I¡¯m not sure we can afford to go that far.¡± Charles chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s true, but if Milord is killed, we¡¯re finished.¡± The end would be over. They all nodded their heads in agreement. Then Robert leaned forward. ¡°We¡¯ll have more power to defend ourselves now that we have a dog tribe and the tiger tribe. Fortunately, our base has not increased, so we can consider this a pure increase in strength. I think it is possible to establish the Elite Guards.¡± All of them began to speak in their own way, but the conversation was moving in the direction of establishment. They all seemed to jump to conclusions, so I stopped them all with my hand. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. It will take some time for the two races to get used to each other. I¡¯d like to hurry up with the military training. It would be a good time to invite the retired adventurers, as suggested by Ms. Silvana. Let¡¯s think about the Elite Guards after that, okay?¡± I don¡¯t think they expect to go as far as establishing it right away. Charles nodded honestly. ¡°Please leave the coordination to me.¡± There are some decisions that need to be made. ¡°It¡¯s time to decide how we¡¯re going to honor the dead and care for the wounded.¡± Charles grinned at me. ¡°You¡¯re right. ¡­¡­ That¡¯s the format of a state funeral. I think it would be best if Milord gave the eulogy.¡± My eulogy? Somehow, I¡¯m not very good at these kinds of ceremonies because of the way I felt before I was reincarnated. ¡°I don¡¯t know if my eulogy would qualify as formal attire ¡­¡­¡± The teacher looked at me as if I were an idiot. ¡°Kiddo. I guess you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worth ¡­¡­ ¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just a feudal lord, you know. I¡¯m certainly not hated, but ¡­¡­¡± They all sighed at me. Kiara shook her head as if to say it was out of the question. ¡°Dear Brother. It¡¯s not only that you¡¯re not hated, but ¡­¡­ they also respect you very much.¡± They all nodded immediately. Charles looked around at them with a wry smile. ¡°The eulogy of Milord is a must. I¡¯ll also give a few words of condolence to my men.¡± You¡¯re in charge of the military, after all. ¡°I always tell my men that if you die, I will mourn for you.¡± ¡°Hoh, well, well ¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s a pretty normal story. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a eulogy that will be so beautiful that people around you will have trouble reacting or holding back their laughter. If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t die. That¡¯s what I said.¡± It was a terrible ending. The teacher made an astonished face. ¡°Sir Rossi, I think you¡¯d better start worrying about that happening to you.¡± Charles puffed out his chest confidently. ¡°I¡¯m not going to die. I¡¯m going to live to be over a hundred years old. If you die young too, Milord, I¡¯ll give you my eulogy.¡± They all burst into laughter. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll just take it lying down. I clear my throat and winked at Charles. ¡°If Sir Rossi dies before I do, I will build a huge statue for him. I¡¯ll put a bronze plaque at his feet extolling his achievements and honorable character. In addition, we¡¯ll include it in the education so that we can pass it down from generation to generation.¡± Charles was unusually shaken. ¡°W-Wait a minute! Isn¡¯t that unfair?¡± I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m going to get back on my knees right here and now. ¡°The lord is great so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only for one generation. How many generations will you continue?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s a fine education.¡± ¡°He¡¯s got a point there, Sir Rossi. If you underestimate the Kiddo, he will catch you off guard. They don¡¯t call him 16,000 years old for nothing.¡± He¡¯s upped the ante. Damn it, it¡¯s not my purpose to just take it lying down. I¡¯m an important person. I¡¯ll take full advantage of my authority to get revenge. ¡°I¡¯ll even build a statue of you, teacher.¡± The teacher looks at me accusingly. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll put up a plaque that says ¡°Teacher of Purity¡±.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡°Purity¡±!¡± ¡°They say a woman¡¯s virginity is her purity, so you know what I mean.¡± Everyone except the teacher burst into laughter. ¡°That¡¯s messed up!¡± Needless to say, the meeting eventually ended because we didn¡¯t know what it was about. CH 104 As I continued to work in my office, the unpopular woman Silvana came in. Without even a greeting, she points her finger at me. ¡°Al! We told you to take a break, didn¡¯t we?¡± I thought I was supposed to be free. But the number of things I had to do had increased so much that the strong embankment had broken down. In other words, we¡¯re ridiculously busy. Mil and Kiara were also exhausted. When Mil came back to the room, she went straight to bed ¡­¡­ and fell asleep immediately. I¡¯m also tired and have been in a state of respite for a while now. It¡¯s sad. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You said you were going to rest, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So ¡­¡­ why are you working right now, Al? I¡¯ll call Mil on you.¡± Mil looks at me like she¡¯s begging me to stop. Is there some kind of rule that says you have to do something if you¡¯re approached? ¡°No ¡­¡­ I¡¯d really like to take a break, though.¡± ¡°Take a break, then.¡± ¡°Where?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana stiffened. I continued with a cool face. ¡°This is a mansion and a government office, you know. Even if I¡¯m resting, work will still come.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana wavered. ¡°Damn, you ¡­¡­ knew about it, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ve had my hands full with a lot of things ¡­¡­ so I forgot about it.¡± ¡°You black-hearted 16-year-old ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d use this opportunity to develop a town near the mine as a sanatorium.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana gave me an exasperated look. ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± ¡°I heard that there are natural hot springs there too. So I want to build a sanatorium for the sick and injured.¡± ¡°Kuh ¡­¡­ It seems like you¡¯ve readied a reason I can¡¯t argue with.¡± Since the unpopular woman Silvana knows of Manora¡¯s situation, she is also concerned about her too. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about developing that as our next priority. Once that is done, Mil and I will take a break.¡± ¡°Oh dear, I can¡¯t help it. Don¡¯t forget that.¡± And with a flutter of her hand, the unpopular woman Silvana left the room. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô However, the two secretaries are also overworked. I think we need to rework the administrative structure. Jules is away at the moment, scrambling to establish the Elite Guards. ¡°Are you two good?¡± The two of them nodded silently. They were tired, after all. ¡°The workload is getting too much, after all. We need to get our administrative structure in order.¡± Originally, I had intended to do it sooner. However, the military matters had taken precedence and it had been put off. Kiara nodded her head. ¡°It¡¯s only temporary, but won¡¯t it add up?¡± ¡°There is one way.¡± Mil looked at me with a frown. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of something weird again, aren¡¯t you?¡± I look at her with a mean face. ¡°We just need to decide on a budget and send it to each department.¡± Kiara didn¡¯t seem to get the idea. ¡°To each department?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been rather undecided. But I¡¯m going to formally establish it as a ministry.¡± ¡°Will it go that smoothly? I mean, it¡¯s my brother we¡¯re talking about, so we¡¯re doing fine.¡± ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t have to be smooth from the start. In fact, I want them to think for themselves and go through trial and error.¡± Mil¡¯s eyes looked distant as she thought about the hardships everyone was going through. ¡°Still, it sounds like a lot of work.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to do it at some point. Even if we try to do it after we have more people, it will be even harder than it is now. Ideally, I¡¯d like to be a decoration and everyone would think of the town as their own.¡± Reigning but not ruling. That¡¯s the goal for now. Forcing a political form on people in a single step will fail. If they don¡¯t walk on their own feet, they won¡¯t be able to deal with problems when they arise. It is important to accumulate failures. Japan is one of the best in the world at imitating successes, so it has been doing reasonably well. A single ethnic group, a certain level of social norms, and a sufficient knowledge base down to the common people. Without that, it¡¯s impossible. In this world, that¡¯s not how it works ¡­¡­ Kiara shakes her head exaggeratedly. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Mil began to laugh. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s impossible. Al¡¯s presence is too big, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So, for the time being, they¡¯ll take care of themselves. That¡¯s what I want to bring up.¡± Mil seemed to be convinced. ¡°So you¡¯re just going to throw everything at the department?¡± ¡°If they make their own hard decisions, they won¡¯t be so dependent on their superiors that they can¡¯t complain unilaterally.¡± The two of them looked both satisfied and astonished. ¡°You¡¯re right. But it¡¯s unheard of to delegate governance to citizens.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t give them rights, they don¡¯t have duties. Much less be aware of them. Also ¡­¡­ it has a certain appeal to other tribes that have not yet joined.¡± Mil¡¯s expression said, ¡°Can you explain it a little more¡±. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t win in a fight, but they don¡¯t want to be subservient. But what if, joining up will give them a say in the matter and stabilize their ¡­¡­ food, clothing, and shelter?¡± Kiara seemed to understand what I was trying to say. She clasped her hand. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± But then I shook my head sideways. ¡°That being said, not everything in this world is good ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Tribal enmity. Some tribes don¡¯t want to join up because they don¡¯t get along. That kind of thing will come up too. And we don¡¯t have that much choice in the order of confluence. When a society is not mature, emotions are more likely to influence decisions than interests. The least we can do is decide the order in which to apply pressure.¡± Mil chuckled. ¡°I guess the world isn¡¯t always so easy.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s no use worrying about something we don¡¯t have a choice about. Let¡¯s move on to what we do have a choice in.¡± Needless to say, the people in charge of political affairs voiced their resentment and despair. You guys, independence is not easy, you know. CH 105 I¡¯ll give you the money, you just have to figure out how to spend it. Each department panicked because they have no experience. But I¡¯ll just sit back and watch. They have a history of their own. I want them to create a new history based on that history. It¡¯s not something that I, a stranger, can do. Therefore, I¡¯ll accept that the conclusion they have reached is the correct one. However, I won¡¯t accept relying on me as the right answer. Just then, Touko came running into the office. ¡°Milord! What do you mean, you have to figure it out yourselves?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it means.¡± ¡°What the hell do you mean? We tiger tribe don¡¯t know anything about the others.¡± ¡°Then you should know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say!¡± Oh, man, I have no choice. I¡¯ll manipulate his thoughts a bit. ¡°You tiger tribe have been protecting your tribe using strength as a measure, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, what of it?¡± ¡°What is the significance of showing this strength?¡± Touka looked as if it¡¯s natural. ¡°You know the answer to that question. It¡¯s to protect the tribe.¡± ¡°Then ¡­¡­ considering the system, isn¡¯t it strength to protect people?¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know about the rest of them.¡± ¡°Is it the tiger tribe¡¯s way to say you don¡¯t know? Knowledge is power, you know. Do you give up just because you don¡¯t have the power?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s easy to manipulate a muscle brain ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll hide the devil¡¯s smile inside and make a serious face. ¡°And since you came to Ravenna, there is no difference in race. Whether you are a tiger or a human, there is no difference at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that. I also know that it is not the ravings of the lord.¡± ¡°Then ¡­¡­ you should do the same. Please make use of the tiger tribe¡¯s ability to learn about other species. Or are you too weak to do so?¡± Touko jumped up from his seat. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate us! We¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll acknowledge us!¡± And then, he left like a storm. Naturally, the Ministry of Immigration turned into a hellscape of shouting and screaming. Then, each party was motivated and rushes. What does that mean ¡­¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me. I just set a budget and threw the rest to them. Kiara smiled in the office, which was now peaceful thanks to her. ¡°You¡¯re such a bad person, brother.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s effective, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mil glared at me with a scowl. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re doing something like that. You¡¯re going to get a lot of weird names again ¡­¡­.¡± Is it my fault ¡­¡­? Mil sighs. ¡°There¡¯s someone running towards here again ¡­¡­ Oh, that presence looks like Vana.¡± I¡¯ve been asking her to keep an eye on the mansion for a while now. It seems that while she was taking care of the houseplants, the connection became deeper. If there was anything unusual, the plants would let us know. That¡¯s an inconvenience in itself, but that¡¯s another story. "" I was more impressed with how skilled they became. The expected disaster, the unpopular woman Silvana came running in, half-crying. ¡°Al! People aren¡¯t coming!¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about the letter teacher, right?¡± ¡°Yes! Why aren¡¯t there more people coming for such a high price?¡± ¡°Because they have no use for money in such a remote area.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana¡¯s expression changed like she realized it for the first time. ¡°Guh, that¡¯s why you paid so much for it¡­¡± No matter how high the salary, it¡¯s useless if you can¡¯t use it. Even before my reincarnation, I¡¯ve been working on an isolated island with no internet connection for a couple of years now ¡­¡­ and I say that the monthly salary is 1 million yen, and how many people will come. But on the other hand, if the salary is too high, people will think it¡¯s too high and strange people will come. So it is difficult to find the right balance. ¡°So, there¡¯s no need to be so hasty. It¡¯s Ms. Silvana who will have a hard time, after all.¡± ¡°Demon! Devil! Womanizer!¡± Hey, what¡¯s with the last one? ¡°People who want to send money will come forward sooner or later.¡± ¡°When do you mean ¡°soon¡±?¡± ¡°All right.¡± CH 106 There are problems that need to be taken care of. Dealing with the cat people, winged people, and humans. Since we¡¯ve reached the point of hostilities, the policy itself has been decided. We need to decide on specific measures. We¡¯ve called in representatives from each race as well as the military to discuss this matter. I opened my mouth in a light-hearted tone to those who were nervous about talking about the battle. ¡°The number of representatives has increased. It¡¯s about time we think of a way to mark them as representatives.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes darted to the side as I suddenly said something unrelated. Kiara didn¡¯t seem to grasp my intentions. ¡°Big brother. Why did you bring it up here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because there are different races here.¡± I only said that to lighten the mood before we get into the heavy stuff. Charles laughed mischievously. ¡°That¡¯s true. So let¡¯s start with that as a warm-up before we get down to the main business.¡± The conversation was surprisingly lively ¡­¡­ with a lot of nonsense. In such a situation, women¡¯s sense prevailed. With Kiara¡¯s suggestion, the general framework was set. ¡°Isn¡¯t a colored shawl for the shoulders fine? We can sew some kind of pattern on it.¡± The problem was the color. This color was confusing. Each race had a different concept of what constituted a noble color. This is troubling. In that case, it¡¯s up to me. Of course. In ancient China, yellow was the color of the emperor. Yellow is common in the hair of the tiger people, so it¡¯s no good. In ancient Rome, it was purple. I don¡¯t know if there was a purple dye, though. I think it was reddish-purple ¡­¡­ actually. Fortunately, the territory is by the sea. ¡°Were there any snails living around here? I think it¡¯s supposed to have reddish-purple dye.¡± Charles nodded his head. ¡°Is there such a color?¡± The teacher added. ¡°There was in the old literature, but the apostles didn¡¯t like purple, so it died out.¡± Oh, that¡¯s dangerous ¡­¡­ I was careless. I have to be careful. It seems that I let my guard down because I¡¯m surrounded by my comrades. ¡°If possible, let¡¯s use that color. Please take care of it, teacher.¡± ¡°Oh dear, it¡¯s never good when the kiddo says something. All right, I¡¯ll look into it.¡± The warming-up was done. I returned to my serious face. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve come to some conclusions, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Charles put his hand on his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s deal with the attackers. Please decide on a general policy.¡± ¡°The cat tribe will be considered a surprise attack during the negotiations and will be beaten thoroughly. For the other tribes, let¡¯s treat this as a defense for self-defense and negotiate accordingly.¡± When Touko heard the word ¡°self-defense,¡± he growled. ¡°Self-defense against an attacker?¡± As expected of a muscle brain. If you¡¯re hit, you¡¯re immediately considered an enemy. Abraham, who was always modest about everything, tilted his head slightly. ¡°We¡¯re new here, so we¡¯d like to know your criteria.¡± That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll tell them the criteria. There should be no objections. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong for us to feel the danger and take the fight to them. In fact, I think it¡¯s worse to do nothing and only increase the damage. However, I will not tolerate trickery.¡± Abraham was still tilting his head. ¡°I understand what you mean. Can I ask you something more in-depth?¡± Let¡¯s see. It¡¯s much better to ask clearly than to be convinced ¡­¡­ that I¡¯m telling the truth. ¡°First, if they are not friend or foe, then we can prepare for an attack. It would be foolish to accuse someone of being sneaky just because they caught you off guard. At that time, it is the one who is taken by surprise who should be ashamed. We can also take the initiative. It¡¯s just a matter of which one of us makes the first move.¡± Charles chuckled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. It would be foolish to do nothing until we are attacked and then make more sacrifices.¡± ¡°However, if we are negotiating, we will not attack. It is possible for the opponent to attack us unilaterally.¡± Abraham was still tilting his head. I guess I¡¯m pretty logical. ¡°Even in that case ¡­¡­ it would be unwise not to be vigilant because we¡¯re still negotiating.¡± Of course, I would have to explain that case as well. ¡°If you are too cautious, people will suspect your intention to negotiate. Therefore, caution should be kept to a minimum. In negotiations, you have to show that you trust the other side in order to proceed in the first place.¡± Abraham seemed to agree to some extent. His head straightened. ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± "" ¡°We should try to surprise them by pretending to negotiate. No one will complain when you accuse them of this and crush them.¡± Abraham shook his head. ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­ certainly.¡± ¡°If we were to take such a despicable step. Would you have wanted to join us?¡± Abraham nodded as if he was truly convinced. ¡°So, your purpose, Milord, is to unite the races of this region.¡± I don¡¯t want to do it by force. But if I could, I would. I gave Abraham a nod of agreement. ¡°If possible, that would be best. However, if you are unprincipled and tolerant, you may not feel comfortable taking sides. Therefore, we should make sure that despicable acts are rewarded accordingly. If we allow them to do so unprincipledly, we are putting the people who are actually fighting them in unnecessary danger.¡± This part of the story would be natural to them. They all nodded. CH 107 The meeting proceeded as I presented the general plan. However, it was argued that targeting the cat tribe would draw in the winged tribe and the humans, leading to another war. It was a natural conclusion. From a positional standpoint, it would be difficult to jump over the cats. In terms of position, it was something like this. Cat -> -> winged -> human I guess that¡¯s part of the reason why they pulled back. They¡¯re really shrewd cats. But since the attack failed once, it is unlikely that they will attack again. Everyone is now thinking independently. I¡¯m very happy about that. It was also discussed that it would be a bad idea to forcefully reach out and attack the cat tribe. "" Whenever the meeting reached an impasse, Charles would usually ask. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Milord?¡± Well, that¡¯s what happens. It can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Well, shall we apply pressure in another way?¡± They all looked at me as if they were waiting for me. I can¡¯t give you the right answer for everything. ¡°Shall we build a fort for defense?¡± ¡°Hoh, a fort, you say?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll build forts in areas that could be important strategic locations. We¡¯ll turn them into towns in the future. We¡¯ll also build roads to increase the efficiency of transportation and the speed of our march.¡± ¡°Roads are good, but won¡¯t it be more trouble than they¡¯re worth if the enemy attacks?¡± It¡¯s a matter of weighing up the risks and rewards. ¡°I¡¯ll close my eyes to that. We just have to make it impossible for them to attack us. Besides, ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Besides? What is it?¡± ¡°If we get into a situation where we¡¯re constantly worried about being attacked, it¡¯s too late to do anything about it.¡± Charles nodded admiringly. ¡°I see. You¡¯re really an unusual person.¡± ¡°The best way to save money on defense is to make it difficult for your opponent to attack you. I¡¯m not saying anything strange. It¡¯s the difference between putting out a fire after it¡¯s started and the effort it takes to prevent it.¡± Hearing this, Charles seemed to be astonished. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to be called weird nicknames again.¡± Give me a break, I can¡¯t remember them anymore ¡­¡­ The teacher¡¯s face turned into that of an evil brat. ¡°Maybe we should put up a notice in the town next time. A list of the kiddo¡¯s names.¡± Please don¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t want it to be official! ¡°Building the statue ¡­¡­ should I make it the top priority?¡± ¡°W-Well, ¡­¡­ let¡¯s ¡­¡­ leave that aside ¡­¡­ and, building a fort, huh. Are you going to get that thing?¡± The teacher stepped aside. But ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t build the statue. What¡¯s that? I don¡¯t know what that is. ¡°What¡¯s the thing?¡± ¡°You see, it¡¯s that anti-winged tribe trap the kid was singing about, the night schoolhouse something. We call it ¡°The Night Schoolhouse¡±, though.¡± Geh ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve been heard. My Black history leaks moderately ¡­¡­ But if I get upset here, that¡¯s exactly what they want. I¡¯ll let it go without a care. ¡°You¡¯re talking the fragment of glass. I think it¡¯s a good idea, although I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be wary of it. We will not be able to communicate through the messenger, though.¡± Charles confirmed this while agreeing with me. ¡°We¡¯ll think another way for that. Are you sure you want to set up a fortress to pressure the cat tribe?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. But don¡¯t put too much pressure on them. I¡¯d like to leave it to Sir Rossi to set up the fort.¡± Charles grinned. ¡°I see. The more women we have in town to make love to, the more good ideas we¡¯ll have.¡± So they were looking forward to the prostitutes. I guess I should explain my plans for the building. ¡°The port has been put on the back burner. The number of people will probably only increase after the port is built ¡­¡­ In any case, the construction of the sanatorium is the top priority.¡± ¡°And what do you mean by not pressure them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a position where the cat tribe will be wary, but the winged tribes and the humans in the back will be hesitant to send out their forces.¡± Charles grinned at me when he saw my intentions. ¡°You¡¯re as bad as ever, aren¡¯t you?¡± A question mark appeared on Touko¡¯s head. ¡°What are your intentions?¡± You¡¯re not familiar with my strategy yet. I guess I¡¯ll explain it to him. ¡°I¡¯ll incite the cat tribe to divide internally. I¡¯ll make them even more impatient and urge the winged tribe and humans to fight together. By doing this, it will split them apart. If we do this, time will be on our side. We don¡¯t have to push too hard, and victory will come to us.¡± Touko sighed. ¡°No wonder we can¡¯t win.¡± It¡¯s just that time has stopped progressing in this world and hasn¡¯t developed strategic thinking. If we can build a society that is not surprised by this kind of thing, it will not be easily destroyed. CH 108 We have decided what to do about the cat tribe for the time being. We will send an escort to build the fort. Besides that, there are other things we need to know. How many other tribes are there? I was keenly aware that I would have to do some serious research soon. Initially, the force was too small to do so ¡­¡­ It would still be difficult to get the help of the hidden village of the elves. With that power, we can get a rough idea of the distribution. But it¡¯s too early to tell. They¡¯ll think it¡¯s the end of the world if the humans find them. The village chief¡¯s authority should be enough to send Mil out. They will only come when they are sure that they can repel foreign interference. I¡¯m a lord, and my fianc¨¦e is an elf, after all. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re in no hurry to join us, as they think they¡¯ve been promised a prominent position. I don¡¯t want to force Mil into a quandary. It¡¯s not just my personal wish, but if Mil suffers, the elves will be even more wary. So it¡¯s going to be a steady effort. There¡¯s only one person I need to talk to. It was Abraham who I called. ¡°My lord, what can I do for you?¡± As expected, it was the leader of the dog tribe. He is brilliant and logical. So he may have the information I want. ¡°Yes. I thought it would be best to ask Mr. Allston.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How many other tribes are there deep in the forest? And ¡­¡­ Are there any monsters that we haven¡¯t seen around here? In short, information about the area.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± Since he is a logical person, he¡¯ll need a theoretical explanation. In other words, if I can convince him, I can expect his active cooperation. ¡°The tiger people will not pay that much attention. They¡¯ve been over the mountains before, so they¡¯re probably familiar with the area. However, they are not likely to have updated their information by searching their surroundings. The cat tribe probably knows about it, but they are the enemy. And the wolf tribe live at the front of the forest, so they won¡¯t be able to get information deeper into the dog tribe¡¯s territory.¡± Abraham was still not convinced and nodded his head. ¡°But would that be a reason for me to know?¡± ¡°The rest is simply a judgment based on what I see in you.¡± The way Abraham looked at me became a little sharper. It wasn¡¯t hostility or caution. It¡¯s more like ¡­¡­ a bit of curiosity. ¡°What do you mean?¡¯ ¡± Mr. Allston is a man who values theory and logic. It¡¯s hard to imagine such a person not researching the surrounding tribes.¡± Abraham¡¯s face became a little surprised. He didn¡¯t think I was watching him that closely. ¡°Hmm.¡± Abraham folded his arms and thought about it. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve assumed the worst-case scenario. You¡¯re assuming that you must be able to escape deep into the forest. As much as possible, you are trying to find out as much about the existence of other tribes and possible living areas. That¡¯s how I see it.¡± Abraham¡¯s face changed from a look of surprise to a look of horror and a small shrug of his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m thankful to say that you think so highly of me, but ¡­¡­. I don¡¯t know that much about it.¡± I need to add an explanation so as to remove any worry. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t need it to be perfect. Even if it¡¯s just a thought starter or a marker, it¡¯s much better than nothing. Any inconvenience that results from judging that information is entirely my responsibility.¡± If the information is not perfect, I can¡¯t be blamed for it. It¡¯s an understandable sentiment. It¡¯s only natural for a newcomer to be wary of worsening his position. Abraham let out a small gasp of astonishment. ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯re such a scary man. I don¡¯t know how far you can see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal ¡­¡­ You¡¯re all too accepting of things as they are. You¡¯re just not used to thinking like me.¡± Abraham¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°You¡¯re certainly insightful. That raises a question. Where did you get this unacceptable way of thinking?¡± That sounds very logical. I wonder if all dogs in this world are like this. ¡°I was born this way. I was just born that way and lucky where I was born.¡± Abraham seemed to be convinced, even if only outwardly. He had nothing to retort on, after all. ¡°I understand. Well then, I¡¯ll tell you everything I know about, even if I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Please do so.¡± As far as Abraham knows, there are about four or five tribes. They¡¯re all over the place, and there are a lot of empty spaces. The monsters live near the farthest mountains, but the tribes in front of them are holding them back. It seems that there are other tribes that we have yet to come into contact with. I was told that there are rabbit tribe and demon tribe. There are probably more detailed groups, but the Ravenna region is too big to know. The demon tribe is the one holding back the demons. They are the strongest in this area. There is a rumor that there is another large group, but it is just a rumor. Let¡¯s keep the big group in the back of our minds. What¡¯s clear is that if we take out the demons, the monsters will come rushing in. It¡¯s going to be later. However, even though it¡¯s a big place, I didn¡¯t realize there were so many demi-humans living here ¡­¡­ I wonder if they are being persecuted. Or did something happen to them in the past and they fled? But there was something else I wanted to ask. ¡°Are there a lot of theoretically minded people among the dog people, like Mr. Allston?¡± ¡°To a certain extent ¡­¡­. Not all of them, though. What of it?¡± ¡°If they have the right skills. I¡¯m thinking of teaming them up with the dwarves and putting them in charge of developing new technologies and academic departments.¡± Abraham again seemed uncomprehending. He¡¯s frequently tilting his neck. ¡°I understand technology, but ¡­¡­ academic?¡± ¡°Yes. Theoretical thinking is essential, especially in academics. And in Ravenna, I¡¯m planning to give everyone the opportunity to be educated.¡± Abraham paused for a moment to think. ¡°That is drastic. Can you afford to do that? As you know, this is a remote region. Our priority is to stay alive.¡± ¡°Because it is now. What will happen if the organization continues to consolidate? Fighting may become the top priority. If that happens, it will be too late.¡± ¡°May I take a moment to think about what my lord meant? I want to think for myself.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re more than welcome.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After Abraham left, I gazed out at the scenery. Does the rabbit tribe rarely come out of their territory? There¡¯s still some distance to go before we come into contact with the demons. Should I try to expand our sphere of influence gradually by building more forts and other bases? That¡¯s a good place to start. The other thing is ¡­¡­ money ¡­¡­ In any case, we can¡¯t start without money. I still have some room to spare, but I need to make my moves while I still have room. It¡¯s not only that symptomatic treatment after the danger has passed is not thorough enough, but it can also lead to the result that it¡¯s better to do nothing. Fortunately, it was the Middle Ages, and time has not yet stopped. The casting rights are still divided among the lords and not collected by the king. We¡¯ve got the gold, but ¡­¡­ we also need to find veins of copper, silver, and other materials for the coins. I was also entrusted with this task by Papan. It includes reporting the information. At the very worst, let¡¯s keep them in the dark until the last minute. Let¡¯s have the government officials do their best to keep up with the officials of the royal family. That¡¯s what our town philosophy is all about. Casting will destroy the monetary economy if done poorly. We have to be careful. If we do it like Dong Zhuo¡¯s money, it will be a disaster. CH 109 One day, Kiara suddenly leaned down to me and put her face close to mine. ¡°Brother. Please teach me your killer ray!¡± What the hell are you talking about? ¡°What¡¯s the killer ray ¡­¡­?¡± Kiara puffed out her chest as if it was obvious. ¡°It¡¯s the thing that killed the attacker with a single blow.¡± Oh, that. But I¡¯m not so sure about your naming sense. ¡°How in the world did you come up with the name killer ray ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a ray of light that kills with one blow, right?¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ you¡¯re right about that, but ¡­¡­.¡± Kiara smiles. "" Don¡¯t smile with killer rays. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will come in handy once I learn it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless if you don¡¯t catch them off guard, you know?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to have many cards in hand?¡± Well, Kiara¡¯s skills are knife throwing and poisoning. It¡¯s natural to want another handful of cards ¡­¡­ She can¡¯t deal with a heavily armored opponent with the cards you have. ¡°I get it. Just ¡­¡­ don¡¯t abuse it.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. How about you, dear sister?¡± Mil waved her hand in refusal. ¡°I¡¯m not good with fire magic. So I can¡¯t do it. Also, that thing is pretty gross ¡­¡­¡± Mil shuddered a little. You don¡¯t see that kind of death very often, after all ¡­¡­ Kiara raised her eyebrows for some reason. ¡°Was that fire?¡± ¡°Yes. Al told me about it.¡± Kiara looked up at me with a sulky look. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. It¡¯s not fair to ask first ¡­¡­¡± Don¡¯t be such a stickler for being the first about such things too. The reason why my killer ray is a one-shot trick is because it seals the power of the apostle. If I use magic, the gates of power try to open up so much. That¡¯s why I can only control up to one shot. If I use it continuously, it¡¯s a bit dangerous. I try not to use it continuously. When I wield a sword, it seems like some kind of power will come out too ¡­¡­ Not using power is very inconvenient. I can¡¯t just turn it on and off like in a game. It¡¯s like walking around trying not to spill a glass of water. I have to be very careful. ¡°W-Well, I¡¯ll teach you ¡­¡­ Here, cheer up.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô It¡¯s too dangerous in the room. I explained to her to go outside and narrow down the range of concepts and flames. It took some trial and error, but suddenly narrowing down the range of magic was difficult. The image construction needs to be done within 0.1 seconds. If you¡¯re too late, the magic power will diffuse and it will not work as magic. If you build it too late, the magic won¡¯t fit. Well, if it¡¯s not that severe, the magic will fly all over the place and it will be too dangerous. The first step is to imprint this concept in your consciousness. Kiara was frustrated because things were not going as she had hoped. ¡°This ¡­¡­ is quite difficult, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°First of all, you have to be aware of the range.¡± She had been trying for a while, but she was starting to show tiredness, so she gave up this time. Mental fatigue is different from physical fatigue in that you can¡¯t overdo it and get better results. She¡¯s just imagining, but ¡­¡­ I think she¡¯s going to be able to use a more powerful ray than me. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I returned to the house, I found Mil watering the houseplants for the spotters. I think she¡¯s in a good mood. "" She was even humming a song. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s humming, though. ¡°Looks like Acht is doing well.¡± She was gently poking at the leaves and talking to the plant. Was it better not to look? I tried to sneak past and was spotted. Ten seconds of silence: ¡­¡­ Mil stares at me, and I look away. Mill looks like an honor student ¡­¡­ who was caught reading an erotic book. ¡°W-Were you watching ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I just got here, you know?¡± Mil is clearly shaken. ¡°I-I see ¡­¡­ Anyway ¡­¡­ forget what you just saw!¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t see that! Yep! I didn¡¯t see it! I didn¡¯t hear it!¡± Mil¡¯s movements stopped. Ten seconds of silence ¡­¡­ again. I was dragged into the other room with a force I can¡¯t imagine normally. Then, I was wall slammed with great force. ¡°L-Listen, okay? Oh ¡­¡­ that thing, you know! It¡¯s because naming them while taking care of them makes the connection stronger!¡± I nodded my head. It¡¯s not a good idea to get into this. Mil moved her face even closer to mine. ¡°I¡¯m not a weirdo, okay!¡± I nodded my head. It¡¯s not a good idea to say anything else. But I just have to ¡­¡­ ¡°Could it be that ¡­¡­ they all have different names?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Of course! Otherwise, I can¡¯t properly connect with them! Even plants have their own personalities!¡± So, the reason why they¡¯ve become so good at spotting enemies is because she gave them names. It¡¯s like a secret technique. I¡¯m impressed in a way. It¡¯s amazing that I found out, or ¡­¡­ was it just a fluke? ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ no ¡­¡­ it¡¯s good if it also increases your ability to search for enemies, right? And ¡­¡­.¡± I think she sensed something disturbing in my slurred words. Mil pulls away from me a little. ¡°And?¡± I¡¯m very sorry, but ¡­¡­. ¡°If you were doing it like that ¡­¡­ I think everyone would probably know. There¡¯s not much entertainment here. So the word might go out fast ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttt!!!¡± It was the first scream I heard from her. It hurt my ears. When Mil returned to the office, she fearfully checked with Kiara and found that she was blatantly averting her gaze. The next day ¡­¡­ all the houseplants had name tags on them. It seems to have been reopened because it was in Mil¡¯s handwriting. CH 110 Let¡¯s forget the name of the plant for the moment. I feel like it¡¯ll only bring unnecessary troubles if I retort to it. We should send scouts to the area where the tiger and dog tribes were and gather information. It¡¯s a good gather in one place, but the downside is that it reduces the area of influence. I think it would be better to build forts where soldiers can be stationed in places that could become towns. It takes about a month to build a fort, because we can¡¯t just do it like in the game. This is because they are made of wood. It would take longer if it was made of stone, though. Currently, we have 30 knights. There is no point in dividing them up and garrisoning them in the fort. On the contrary¡­ they need to consolidate to a certain extent to become a fighting force. I heard that there was a funny story near the end of the war. ¡°The Imperial Army is alive and well with a million troops. We will never surrender.¡± If there were a million of them ¡­¡­ They would be dispersed across the vast Chinese continent. They ignored this fact and clung to the total number. Numbers are meaningful only when they are in groups. I like the idea of having humans, wolf tribe, dog tribe, and tiger tribe garrisoned by knights as rangers. That way, we can secure a workforce of about two hundred, if we cut back a bit. Then we need to build roads that can calculate the speed of movement. This is also true for development. Even if we simply increase the population and secure a workforce, we won¡¯t be able to keep up with the food supply. It is also essential to take measures to prevent epidemics due to the concentration of the population. Military training is still needed. We haven¡¯t even started military training yet, since we¡¯re still recruiting retired adventurers. The port is not yet ready, so ships don¡¯t come often. I guess I was a little too hasty. It¡¯s easy to forget about the stabilization of society over time when you¡¯re under the influence of games. It takes time for society to stabilize. And the administrative structure is still in the process of restructuring. It is impossible to support a massive influx of people. I guess we have to wait and see. At any rate, we should ask them to arrange for the poor people at a pace that is possible. However, it¡¯s a shame that there are so many poor people in the world¡¯s social structure. The Scala family itself is well developed and better off. The rest of the region must be much worse ¡­¡­ That¡¯s why there are quite a few people in these Ravenna regions. (T/N: The poor people mentioned here is the people living in the slums.) Once the administrative structure is grown up, we can distribute those people to the towns to be developed. We can increase the pace of development ¡­¡­ The saving grace is that there is no shortage of food due to the expansion of farmland through land reclamation, fishing and hunting. That¡¯s a top priority for us to take care of. No matter how lofty my ideals are, I¡¯m powerless in the face of hunger. It¡¯s all about being well-fed and well-behaved. I don¡¯t want to walk an unnecessary tightrope in a hurry. If this were a game, I could just load it, but I can¡¯t do that. The fate of many will be decided by my decision. If I think too much, my stomach hurts. Let¡¯s keep it firm. Yeah, that¡¯s good. As I was thinking this, I saw Kiara looking at the letter from the head family with a reluctant look on her face. ¡°Brother. I have received a very troublesome letter from the head family ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What kind of trouble?¡± ¡°It seems that a famine has broken out in the D¡¯Este family next to the Scala family.¡± That would limit the content of the letter. ¡°Has the family asked for food aid?¡± ¡°Yes. Which will reduce the Scala family¡¯s stockpile and the distribution of food in the territory. The royal family has also requested the Scala Family to support the D¡¯Este family. This is probably an attempt to weaken the power of the head family.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°The price of food is going up, so there¡¯s a possibility that the poor will starve to death.¡± So that¡¯s how it is I understand the letter. You¡¯re right, it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°They want to send the poor people here?¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­. They must¡¯ve brother is working very hard to keep everyone from starving. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s very annoying, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, how many people do they want to send here?¡± Kiara sighed and then opened her mouth. ¡°About eight hundred. I¡¯m sure there are some people from the D¡¯Este family that have come over. It¡¯s too many, to be frank.¡± Wow, that¡¯s more than half of our ¡­¡­ population. As I recall, the number of them has increased to about 1,500. ¡°800 people ¡­¡­¡± Kiara looked apologetic. It wasn¡¯t Kiara¡¯s fault. You don¡¯t have to look at me like that. ¡°They know that development here is finally starting to take off. They can¡¯t force you, but they want you to accept some of it. That¡¯s a maximum of eight hundred people.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ignore the request of the head family. Gather all the representatives.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Well, I guess I¡¯m just covering for my neighbor¡¯s mistake. You have to protect your own people. This is why people who have lost track of time are so annoying. To be honest, I was quite irritated. Over here, the dog tribe and tiger tribe were still living in tents. The immigrants will be living in tents. I won¡¯t be able to stand if people asked me to put them before demi-humans. Reincarnation stories are all about convenience. It¡¯s okay for things to happen that are convenient for me. But when it comes to me, there¡¯s nothing but trouble, isn¡¯t there? ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô And then, at the meeting, I explain that we¡¯re being asked to accept up to 800 people. Everyone becomes restless. The teacher takes one look at me. ¡°And ¡­¡­ what do you plan to do about it, kiddo?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll accept any refusals. I called the meeting because I just wanted to see how many people I could get.¡± Umberto Orengo, the man in charge of agriculture, stood up. ¡°We have a stockpile of food for now. It¡¯s difficult to take in all 800 people. We¡¯ll have to go back and calculate the exact number of people we can take in.¡± Joseph Paoli, the fisheries officer, spoke up afterwards. ¡°We¡¯re taking the amount we¡¯ve adapted to our current numbers to subsidize our farming. We can¡¯t increase the catch indefinitely, so it¡¯s hard to say. If we increase the number of people going fishing, we can manage to get enough for a hundred.¡± Abraham raised his hand. ¡°If we expand our hunting range and gather wildflowers, I think we can get by with about 100 people here.¡± I blurted out. ¡°Do you want to add a fort or hunting ground?¡± Charles said, as if he had no choice. ¡°We¡¯ll have to gather food to survive for a while.¡± While all of us were silent for lack of a better idea, Kiara opened her mouth with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s not a quick fix, but we need to increase the amount of land under cultivation.¡± However, if we rush to secure food without planning, we will have problems later ¡­¡­ ¡°Hunting is good, though. But if we hunt too much and destroy the forest¡¯s ecosystem, we might have a lot of problems.¡± Mil didn¡¯t seem to understand what I was saying. He looked at me curiously. ¡°Ecosystem?¡± I decided to give everyone a quick explanation of the ecosystem. ¡°When one part of the food chain diminishes, the top of the food chain decreases, and the animals at the bottom multiply. And then nature is destroyed.¡± Everyone pondered. We can¡¯t take too much. But, in our current situation, it¡¯s not enough. It¡¯s usually a dead end. Rabo Villani, an ex-poor man, raises his hand fearfully. I silently encourage him to speak. ¡°I was also a poor man. Now, thanks to my lord, I am able to contribute to society and gain confidence. If there are people in the same situation, I want to help them as much as I can. I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m saying selfish things. I don¡¯t mind if food rations are reduced for the former poor. So please accept as much as you can.¡± Well, you¡¯re right ¡­¡­. I guess I can¡¯t think of it as irrelevant anymore. But unfortunately, I reject it. ¡°I can¡¯t reduce it. Even if it¡¯s okay for you, it doesn¡¯t mean everyone else will agree. If they get frustrated, it could lead to more conflict.¡± He can be patient. But he can¡¯t be under the illusion that they all are. There is a possibility that we can deal with the food shortage. It¡¯s forbidden, but we have to try ¡­¡­ I let out a deep breath and look around at everyone. ¡°If you can endure a few months ¡­¡­ we might be able to get by to some extent.¡± They all look at me. They may think I¡¯m thinking of something strange again. But I don¡¯t care about that at this point. I¡¯m just going to do my duty. ¡°The wolf tribe, dog tribe, and tiger tribe also farmed, didn¡¯t they?¡± Oracio¡¯s makes a face like it made no sense. ¡°They did, but ¡­¡­ they¡¯ve abandoned it now.¡± It¡¯s the fact that they¡¯ve abandoned it is the goal. ¡°I¡¯m not saying a year ¡­¡­ Do the math by just holding out for six months.¡± A question mark appeared in everyone¡¯s head. But since I said it, they nodded ¡­¡­ After six months, we should be able to make it work. It¡¯s just that the food will be identical and they¡¯ll get bored. I couldn¡¯t stop sighing inwardly. Please don¡¯t do this to me. CH 111 Even after we returned to the reception office and the three of us were alone, I guess my grumpiness was showing on my face to the fullest. Mil looked into my face fearfully. ¡°Hey, Al. What¡¯s going to happen in six months?¡± This s bad ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve made her feel uncomfortable. I decided to answer in a light tone. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, I just got mad at the rest of the territory. There¡¯s a big wave coming in six months.¡± Kiara looked as if she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What is it? The Big Wave thing.¡± ¡°Wild boars and other animals tend to settle in abandoned farmland.¡± Kiara seemed to have no idea what the wild boar meant. ¡°So?¡± ¡°What normally takes a day to obtain a boar, you can get in an hour there.¡± Kiara¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Then, what will happen?¡± I folded my arms and explained as if it doesn¡¯t concern me. ¡°Well, they will increase ¡­¡­ the wild boars. They will increase so much that you can¡¯t imagine it. If we¡¯re not careful, I might exceed 10,000.¡± This is the kind of animal damage that happened before I was reincarnated. The animals here are growing much faster than over there. There are no monsters to serve as natural enemies. In other words, the scale of the damage will be much greater. We can artificially cause it and use it as food. Mil¡¯s face tightened. ¡°Ermm. A-Al, don¡¯t tell me ¡­¡­.¡± I had a bad smile on my face. ¡°That¡¯s how it is. When there is no more food in the vicinity, the boars will migrate in search of food. We have no choice but to hunt them, this big wave!¡± Mil¡¯s face scrunched up in an amused expression of dexterity. Mil is doing a dexterous job of making a scrunched up face and being astonished. ¡°It¡¯s pretty hard to hunt a wild boar, you know? They repel bad arrows, too ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know. But, we don¡¯t have a choice ¡­¡­ We have no food.¡± Kiara agreed with me, her face tightening. ¡°T-That¡¯s true ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I was actually planning on patrolling the abandoned farmland or even crushing it once to control the mass outbreak.¡± Mil sighed. ¡°Y-You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°So, we have no choice now. We¡¯re going to use this Big Wave.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡°use¡±? Besides food?¡± I smiled even more wickedly. ¡°The wild boars don¡¯t always come this way, do they? It¡¯s the start of a fun-filled chaos across the region.¡± The two fell silent, knowing my intentions. ¡°I¡¯m really glad ¡­¡­ I¡¯m on Al¡¯s side ¡­¡­ Oh ¡­¡­ can I report this to the village chief? We just need him to be on the lookout.¡± ¡°Of course. This will make him distrust me, though. It¡¯s much better than keeping quiet.¡± I¡¯ve been sighing a lot lately. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to do it ¡­¡­¡± There¡¯s a lot to clean up. The devoured lands. The impact on the ecosystem. How many years will it take to get things back to normal? ¡°It¡¯s annoying to have to clean up the mess of another territory. I wish you were in charge.¡± I waved my hand in a pose of rejection. ¡°It¡¯s too much for me to handle. So far I¡¯ve only had to look at this area. Now I have to keep the world map in mind.¡± Kiara can¡¯t seem to keep up with my thoughts. She was taken aback. ¡°The world?¡± ¡°Well, when you¡¯re affected like this, you have to expand your horizons.¡± I shrugged my shoulders and looked up at the sky. Mil is looking a little apologetic. ¡°We¡¯ll help you as much as we can, you know. I don¡¯t know how much we can help you though ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. In the first place, I can¡¯t do it without you two. I¡¯ve been relying on you two from the beginning.¡± This is my honest and sincere feeling. It¡¯s not about ability, it¡¯s about the two of you that keep me uncompromising. Mil and Kiara looked at each other and looked relieved. ¡°The only thing that remains to be seen is how many immigrants we can accept. And whether the immigrants we accept will be obedient ¡­¡­¡± Kiara¡¯s face became a little grim. ¡°The immigrants complaining, huh?¡± I scratch my head. ¡°Humans are better than demi-human. Such people with that common sense are coming ¡­¡­ and they¡¯re coming in droves. When people are in groups, they become overzealous.¡± Kiara was disgusted as she envisioned the future. ¡°True¡­ I suppose a small number of people would have to be convinced. But if it¡¯s a lot of people ¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So, some of them will be banned.¡± ¡°Do you want me to give them advance notice?¡± I shake my head and smile sarcastically. ¡°But common sense that has been ingrained in us for years won¡¯t disappear soon. It¡¯s a fun way to meet the ugly side of human nature ¡­¡­¡± I looked up at the sky again. You can¡¯t look in the mirror and see your ugly nature. ¡°Somehow, It makes me so angry. Even though brother is going through so much trouble to accept them ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. On the contrary ¡­¡­ If we do the right thing here, we can win the trust of the demi-humans. And it will become common knowledge in this town. It¡¯s not all bad.¡± My optimism was met with a worried look from Mil. ¡°Will that convince the humans?¡± ¡°When they¡¯re hungry, they¡¯ll have to accept it. Maybe it¡¯s too much to ask. We¡¯ll just have to be cautious and accept them.¡± The two nodded with a worried look on their faces. CH 112 The next day, I listened to Umberto Orengo¡¯s determined report. ¡°We can accept 800 people, provided we can last for six months.¡± Ohhhh ¡­¡­ that¡¯s what I thought. The teacher looked at me as if to demand a solution. ¡°Kiddo. What are you going to do to get food for six months?¡± I explained the details of Operation Big Wave. They were dumbfounded. Charles looked impressed. ¡°How can you know the habits of a wild boar?¡± Originally, it was because I knew about animal damage in the Edo period. The teacher grinned. ¡°If you¡¯re surprised at every little thing the monk knows, you¡¯ll never get anywhere. Sir Rossi. Let¡¯s just call it the Alfred phenomenon.¡± Don¡¯t make up a new word. Or I¡¯ll embed a jewel in the bronze statue. Oracio gave a small sigh and folded his arms. ¡°So we¡¯ll leave the old farmland alone?¡± Maybe they don¡¯t have good memories of wild boar. ¡°Yes, please do.¡± Charles laughed as if it doesn¡¯t concern him. ¡°However, this region is going to be a mess. ¡° ¡°We have no choice. We have to live.¡± Charles was looking at me with a look that said, ¡°Thank you for your hard work¡±. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to be asked to be the feudal lord if I had to go through all this trouble.¡± The teacher looked at me with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s easier if you¡¯re unserious about it. After all, you¡¯re like this, Kiddo.¡± Everyone was saying whatever they wanted. I cleared my throat and looked around at them with a serious face. ¡°However, there are some things that we need to be thorough before accepting them.¡± Charles seemed to realize from the look on my face that this was not a casual topic. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°As long as you live here, there is no difference in race. If you use your humanity as a shield to assert your superiority, you will be exiled or punished. This is the basic rule of this town. We will not consider any circumstances.¡± Abraham furrowed his brow. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that hurt milord¡¯s position?¡± I can¡¯t accept such a reason. I shook my head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be the lord if I can¡¯t abide by these basic principles. There is no need for concern.¡± Touko nodded immediately. ¡°It¡¯s the lord¡¯s decision. We have no objection.¡± ¡°There are so many of you, so you¡¯ll probably be living in tents at first. If you were living in a house, there would naturally be people who would complain.¡± The teacher smiled sarcastically. ¡°He¡¯s right. Even if you think you can start your life over again, not many people really think about starting from zero.¡± It¡¯s tough, but we have to do something about it. ¡°Therefore, I will warn you at the time you file a complaint. If you say more, you will be exiled. And as a rule, no contact with the children. They may be abused by uncaring immigrant parents, after all.¡± Oracio folded his arms with a difficult look on his face. ¡°Children are curious, so they might want to meet them. That is ¡­¡­ exactly what this town¡¯s policy is, many children are not wary of humans.¡± I sighed. ¡°As you can see, we can¡¯t monitor them, and we can¡¯t afford to. So anyone who abuses a child will probably be punished.¡± Charles nodded reluctantly. ¡°It¡¯s harsh, but we have no choice.¡± Touko leaned forward. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just let them build another town to develop?¡± It¡¯s true that we can do that too ¡­¡­ But that¡¯s not a good idea. ¡°I thought about it. If we do that, only that town will become another town. They¡¯ll live by the logic of humans alone.¡± Abraham gave a rare chuckle. No matter what you think, it¡¯s just a nuisance. ¡°I see ¡­¡­ What are you going to do then?¡± ¡°In the future, we¡¯ll build a town with people who can accept our policies.¡± Charles confirmed. ¡°So it¡¯s as long as they stick to the policies of the town.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± The teacher turned serious. It¡¯s rare to see him serious. ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, kiddo. But, It¡¯s up to the ¡­¡­ individual to name plants, right?¡± Why did you throw a bomb that we don¡¯t need in there ¡­¡­? Mil intimidates him with a smile, only the eyes are not smiling. ¡°Professor Fabio? Would you like to talk with me for a moment?¡± The teacher slumped ¡­¡­ ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ No ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s strange ¡­¡­ But, you know ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have such a weird hobby ¡­¡­ Guha!!!¡± Ah ¡­¡­ Mil shot him with magic. I guess he deserved it. It¡¯s fine as long as he doesn¡¯t die. Mil looked at me with an expression like a Noh mask. ¡°Al. Can you teach me that killer ray? I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± Hey ¡­¡­ Your motives becoming dangerous, you know! And so the meeting ended in a muddle again. This has been the pattern lately, hasn¡¯t it? CH 113 A famine broke out in the territory of the D¡¯Este family. Ferdinand, the head of the Scala family, was reluctant to respond to the request for assistance from the royal family and the D¡¯Este family. ¡°The mismanagement of the D¡¯Este family is beyond reproach.¡± His wife, Alessandra, nodded quietly. ¡°They are too lazy to take care of their food. Since we¡¯re preparing for the coming of the Apostles, so it is only natural that we¡¯re focused on that, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. If he comes conveniently, it will be easy to solve the problem.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t work out that way, though.¡± ¡°In the end, even the royal family has thrown their request for support to us. It seems that they want to deprive us of our power no matter what.¡± ¡°I guess they¡¯re aware that we can¡¯t afford it since we¡¯re developing our territory.¡± ¡°If we were in turmoil, they would probably try to blame us for it and try to reduce our territory.¡± Alessandra looked as if she had just survived that. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Alfred¡¯s administrative reform plan, the town would have resisted and we would have been in trouble.¡± ¡°Fortunately or unfortunately, we¡¯ve also been able to strengthen our control over the town.¡± Ferdinand remembered what Alfred had said earlier. ¡°While you¡¯re taking away the vested interests, you might as well second the officials. The pretense is to liaise with the main family in case of problems due to changes in the balance of payments.¡± Ferdinand shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way that guy was expecting this to happen ¡­¡­ right?¡± Ferdinand¡¯s overestimation of his son is growing. Alessandra shook her head unsurely. ¡°No matter how you think about it ¡­¡­. There¡¯s no way he can anticipate the region next door to have an emergency.¡± Alfred could have done it. We can¡¯t see the whole picture, so the false image grows. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re gonna need some help with that thing too ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be pretty expensive.¡± "" Ferdinand sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to negotiate with Alfred either, you know. I would rather negotiate with a hundred monks of the church.¡± ¡°The family¡¯s survival is at stake. Whether it¡¯s demons or devils, we¡¯ll have to rely on them.¡± The treatment of his son as a person is also disappearing. ¡°But ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll leave that up to you two.¡± ¡°Y- ¡­¡­ Yeah. It¡¯s a good lesson to learn.¡± This is the moment when we decided to throw the whole thing to the two older brothers. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô ¡°Brother Amilcarre! It¡¯s bad!¡± I guess they¡¯re getting more comfortable these days. Baldassarre, whose skin has become more radiant, comes running into Amilcarre¡¯s office. ¡°What happened. Did Alfred ¡­¡­ finally get pushed down by Kiara? Or is Kiara pregnant with Alfred¡¯s child?¡± ¡°No, ¡­¡­ that would trouble, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to run in here surprised!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s true too.¡± Baldassarre caught his breath. ¡°You know of the famine in the D¡¯Este Family, don¡¯t you?¡± Amilcarre looked up at the sky. ¡°Oh, I wonder what they¡¯re thinking ¡­¡­ How dare they starve their people.¡± Amilcarre was furious. We¡¯ve been struggling to come up with a solution to the famine, but ¡­¡­ ¡°The royal family has also asked us to help them.¡± Amilcarre shook his head like he was not joking. ¡°I know that, too. But we don¡¯t have that much to spare either.¡± ¡°Yes. So father and mother asked me to ask Alfred to help with that too.¡± A minute or so later, Amilcarre seemed to lose consciousness. ¡°Oi, you¡¯re joking! Please tell me you¡¯re joking!¡± Baldassarre was furious. ¡°If you say this is a joke, I¡¯ll have nightmares!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ So, how are we going to ask him for help? If you make too many outrageous demands, we¡¯ll even make Kiara our enemy.¡± ¡°Lately, she¡¯s suddenly become very intense. To be honest, I was relieved when she went that there.¡± The sighs of the two of them ¡­¡­ certainly synchronized now. ¡°I¡¯m sure Alfred will still take it easy on us, considering our position. But ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad ¡­¡­ Kiara is not good ¡­¡­. When Alfred is involved, common sense is less than garbage ¡­¡­. She¡¯ll treat us exactly like dust on her clothes.¡± Amilcarre was horrified. That¡¯s exactly it. She has always been very close to him, but lately, she has gone beyond that. Amilcarre looked at Baldassarre as if seeking help. ¡°W-What are we going to do ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°L-L-L-Let¡¯s try to do this in a way that involves as little interaction as possible.¡± A frightening vision of the future invaded both of their brains. ¡°Y-Y-Y-You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ If things get out of hand and Kiara comes in as their representative ¡­¡­ What do you think will happen?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be separated from Alfred ¡­¡­. I won¡¯t be able to walk down the street at night just thinking about Kiara coming like that!¡± Fear ruled the two of them. They opened the door to the bathroom in the middle of the night and found a zombie doing its business. Something like that is ¡­¡­ a horror that makes you think it¡¯s cute. Amilcarre shivered and pondered. ¡°I think so, too. There¡¯s got to be something we can do ¡­¡­ Our lives and dignity are at stake. We must be careful here.¡± Baldassarre¡¯s face suddenly lit up with an idea. ¡°That¡¯s right! Alfred had originally said that the poor people would be accepted in stages. Even now, we send them regularly, don¡¯t we?¡± At the bottom of hell, Amilcarre saw a thread hanging down from heaven. It felt like that. It was certainly an idea that he had mentioned. The number of people would have to be negotiated, but it would not be complicated. ¡°We could ask him to accept a certain number of poor people.¡± Amilcarre calmed down a bit. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do whatever it takes. Baldassarre seemed to agree with him. ¡°This will reduce the number of times we need to negotiate. I will hastily calculate the number of people to be sent out.¡± A chill ran through Amilcarre, and he stiffened for a moment. It¡¯s okay to ask for help, but ¡­¡­ "" If Alfred snaps after presenting a number that is out of the ordinary, it will be a disaster. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. But ¡­¡­ too many numbers is ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know! It¡¯s for my own protection! I¡¯ll do the math on that properly!¡± The moment he was relieved, Amilcarre suddenly came back to himself. Am I overlooking something important? Yes, something very important. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. But you know ¡­¡­ Baldassarre. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s unreasonable?¡± Baldassarre¡¯s head seemed to be occupied with his calculations. He looked as if he had no idea what he was talking about. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The D¡¯Este¡¯s, you know. They¡¯re drinking wine and dancing ¡­¡­ while we¡¯re having such a scary time!¡± Baldassarre seemed to have realized the root of the evil. ¡°That¡¯s unforgivable ¡­¡­. Let¡¯s have them weep a little.¡± Amilcarre looked stern. Make them cry? Stop kidding me. The duties of a nobleman must be drilled into the marrow of their bones. By no means! That it¡¯s a retaliation!! There¡¯s no way that we¡¯re taking it out on them!!! Yes ¡­¡­ We¡¯re just teaching them!!!! ¡°That¡¯s too naive, don¡¯t let the famine happen again. We need to discipline them to think that way. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Yes. Shall we take the D¡¯Este family¡¯s property and other things and use them as money to buy more food?¡± Amilcarre thought. That would be too generous. I can see them buying it back later anyway, with heavy taxes. We need them to work. Physically ¡­¡­. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve ever done any physical work before. I don¡¯t care about any of that! If they don¡¯t, it won¡¯t be teaching!! ¡°We¡¯ll need more than just their household goods ¡­¡­ We need them to work too. It¡¯s a good opportunity to let them know about the value of food. Nfufufufufufufu.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it! Thoroughly!! I want them to pay for this unreasonable situation!!!!¡± And their two souls synchronized. ¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make them pay!!!!!!!¡± ¡° ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Thus, the D¡¯Este family was beaten down to hell. The family property was confiscated and the family was sent to cultivate the farmland. Since we¡¯re assisting them, we¡¯ve received permission from the Royal Family¡¯s to leave the decision-making to us. They cried out to the royal family, but Amilcarre¡¯s attitude toward the royal messenger was cold. ¡°If you have any objection to our policy, why don¡¯t you let the royal family assist you? Are you suggesting that a family that has fallen into famine due to neglect should be allowed to live in luxury? The D¡¯Este Family is not a part of the Scala Family. Originally, the family is under no obligation to you. It is the duty of the royal family. I wonder what would happen if such a story reached the ears of the descended apostles. Ohhhh ¡­¡­ there is a precedent for that, isn¡¯t there? Would you like to follow it?¡± The precedent that the apostle set was ¡°The King and the head of the family was reduced to common people and their heads were replaced.¡± It seems that the people applauded this. The messenger had no choice but to crawl away from Amilcarre¡¯s place. Then, word spread through the noble community. ¡°Owing the Scala family is expensive.¡± But, Alfred had no way of knowing that. CH 114 Eight hundred poor people, I wonder how many ships they will come ¡­ After informing them that we would be accepting them, we asked the children to help us build temporary tents and houses. Occasionally, I¡¯ll visit the injured, but ¡­¡­ Manora, whose pain has superficially subsided, wanted to help. I had a hard time stopping her. The pain of an injury ¡­¡­ throbs when you mistakenly think it¡¯s healed and try to move. There¡¯s no way I can ask her to go through that ¡­¡­ I managed to soothe her back to bed. However, it¡¯s not a good idea not to go visit her. I want her to rest for 2, or 3 more months. For meals, the injured and sick should follow the same diet as before. We can¡¯t afford to cut back on this, after all. Hygiene, including water and bathing, seems to be fine. Everyone was preparing to stockpile food reserves. But we can¡¯t neglect the maintenance of the mining town, so we¡¯ll leave that one untouched. We were walking a tightrope of manpower. We have to make sure that there is enough room for the injured and sick ¡­¡­ When I think about it, my head feels like it¡¯s going to explode. I can¡¯t just throw everything at them, so I have to give them a lot of instructions. But it¡¯s not all bad. We need to make the best use of our human resources, and our political staff has become much more capable. It¡¯s just a matter of necessity. This is a really nice thing. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô ¡°Brother. Do you want me to call an official from the main family to support us?¡± Kiara suggested, but I rejected the idea. The food is the same as the citizens, and the grade of life is definitely lower. We can¡¯t afford to let them connect with the common people ¡­¡­ and incite a riot. The only time a dissatisfied group will break out is when there is someone who incites them and brings them together. I don¡¯t want to put myself in danger. Mil smiles at me. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a big difference between when Al trusts people and when he doesn¡¯t. ¡° ¡°It¡¯s foolish not to question everything, but it¡¯s also foolish to question everything.¡± That was my only answer. I believe it if it¡¯s okay after confirming it. I can¡¯t bring myself to trust a stranger. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After a few heart-warming exchanges, they finally arrived. It¡¯s not exactly 800 people. About 800 people. 803, to be exact. That¡¯s about right, I guess. Once everyone was gathered, I greeted them. I asked the representative to come up behind me. They were all surprised to hear that the beastmen was the representatives. I knew it. I greeted and explained to everyone. If they think I¡¯m a naive young man at first, they¡¯ll probably underestimate me and think they¡¯re superior. It can¡¯t be helped. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll use a rather stern tone. ¡°I am Alfred Della Scala, the lord of Ravenna. I¡¯m sure you were informed of this when you came here, but I¡¯ll explain it again. As you can see, there is no hierarchy of races here. We are all citizens of Ravenna. If you come here and think that you will be treated better because you are human ¡­¡­ please leave.¡± I look around at the immigrants. They are all frozen in place. Well, I don¡¯t blame them. ¡°As a fellow citizen, I welcome only those who agree with this one point. In other words, the people who tell you what to do regarding your jobs and lives are not necessarily human. When you heard about this, there is no discrimination between humans. In other words, you probably came to Ravenna believing that the treatment would definitely be better than before ¡­¡­. Of course, you will not be treated any differently. You are just citizens. If you speak or act in a manner that disrespects any non-human species here, you will be punished or exiled in my name.¡± I looked around at the 803 immigrants, and they were all looking down. They must have gotten off on the wrong foot. I felt a faint sense of repulsion and discomfort. But nothing good will ever come from indulging them. And if I don¡¯t get their word, it¡¯ll be troublesome. I was fooled ¡­¡­ it¡¯ll be troublesome if they say something like that later. It may cause dissatisfaction and complaints to the residents who come later. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time. Talk it over and decide if you want to accept these terms.¡± I kept my tone low so as not to be overbearing. Everyone was silent. Then, as I was about to leave. Mr. and Mrs. Villani, formerly poor people, came to me. ¡± ¡°My lord. Please give us some time to explain to them again.¡± ¡° ¡°I understand. But please be careful not to offend them and hurt them.¡± I put my hand on their shoulders to remind them. With this pose, they would be a little more respectful. In reality, the immigrants were surprised. Every once in a while, a lord would address his people directly. But rarely does he touch them physically. They are valued so much that their lords can touch them ¡­¡­ That¡¯s what they¡¯ll think. In fact, I do value them. Now they won¡¯t be made a fool of. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I was on my way back with the others, the teacher gave me a hard look. ¡°Kiddo. Is that okay? If you talk like that, they¡¯ll hate you, you know?¡± I¡¯m aware of that. ¡°That¡¯s fine. If you have a vague or weak attitude, they might get high and start acting selfishly. I¡¯d much rather be hated than have everyone get hurt for believing my words.¡± They¡¯re in a state of food insecurity now. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll listen to anything we say. But it will be different when you can afford it ¡­¡­ I had no choice at that time. It¡¯s a common line. Oracio furrowed his brow in concern. ¡°We all know and appreciate that you recognize us as your fellow citizens. But ¡­¡­ aren¡¯t you being a little overzealous?¡± Yes, I suppose it looks dangerous to others. I guess I¡¯ll explain what I think with my gratitude. ¡°Thank you very much. But if we let the humans have their way here, all the other tribes in this region will become our enemies. It would also put you in a bad position, since you are the ones who recommended the migration. It¡¯s a dangerous bridge, sure, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s not a big deal if I¡¯m the only one who gets hated.¡± Touko, who has already grown accustomed to the place, shook his head. The more you get to know a muscle brain, the faster you¡¯ll be able to close the gap. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if we just protect our lord. The lord is protecting us, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about the children, you know. The children will be responsible for the future of this town, after all. When they can live a normal life, their dissatisfaction will naturally disappear.¡± I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen, though. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to let a bunch of people in at once ¡­¡­ In the midst of the seriousness of the conversation, the teacher began to laugh in an irresponsible tone. ¡°One of these days we¡¯ll just have to start a campaign to make the kiddo more likeable.¡± Kiara¡¯s immediate response with a straight face. ¡°Professor Fabio. I think you need to educate the people who don¡¯t understand my brother¡¯s appeal unless you go out of your way to tell them, though?¡± That¡¯s not funny. CH 115 The Villani¡¯s came to me. ¡°Milord. We¡¯ve finished our discussion with them.¡± ¡°Thank you for your help. How did it go?¡± ¡°They all assured me that they would follow the instructions.¡± I¡¯m sure they will. They¡¯d rather say anything than starve when they get sent back. Politics is a messy business, and sometimes you have to accept something even if you know it¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s such a gut-wrenching world. It is said that the enemy is more trustworthy than the politicians of the country ¡­¡­ ¡°I understand. Then please proceed with the preparations for acceptance.¡± The Villani¡¯s looked at me strangely. ¡°Do they not have to pledge themselves in front of milord?¡± If they do, and they break it, I won¡¯t be able to forgive you, though ¡­¡­ This is why I dared not intervene. However, I didn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t coming. I guess it¡¯s my mistake. If I hadn¡¯t been there, they would have felt left out. I wonder if there was a better way to say it. I scratched my head. ¡°Have you told the new people that I¡¯m coming?¡± Mr. and Mrs. Villani became anxious. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ Yes. Was it a bad thing to do?¡± Hurriedly, I dismissed their concerns. "" I can¡¯t ask them to guess what I haven¡¯t stated yet, after all. If you¡¯re a veteran, it¡¯s different. ¡°No. If it¡¯s like that, then let¡¯s go.¡± The problem would be if the immigrants were punished for breaking the law. The Villani¡¯s will probably blame themselves. They want to believe in people because they are good people. But the world is not so simple. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Then I returned to the slightly anxious immigrants. It¡¯s just me this time. ¡°I have received a report from Mr. and Mrs. Villani. I take it that you agree with our intentions.¡± They all nodded. ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡± ¡± ¡° ¡°So you are pledging?¡± ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡°Yes, I pledge.¡± ¡± ¡± ¡° ¡°Good. You are all new citizens. Welcome to Ravenna.¡± They all looked relieved. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Villani. Please consult with Mister Elora¡¯s Ministry of Immigration and proceed with their acceptance.¡± Mr. and Mrs. Villani looked pleased. ¡°Yes. Please leave it to us.¡± ¡°I would also like you to select a few representatives from among them. There will probably be several groups. I¡¯ll leave the number up to you.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Who are these people?¡± ¡°They work for the Ministry of Immigration and Civil Affairs. I¡¯ll leave the distribution to you. And they¡¯ll attend the representatives¡¯ meeting when the time comes.¡± I don¡¯t want them to attend out of the blue. I don¡¯t know what they think. I think it¡¯s best if we wait until we know that. The Villani¡¯s nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± In a flurry of activity, Mr. and Mrs. Villani moved on. I hope this good will will be rewarded. In this way, only those with good intentions will be hurt. There is nothing we can do about this. Some level of deterrence will be necessary, I guess. I am afraid of a world where a perfectly honest person does not see the fool. If those who see fools are not honest, they¡¯ll be labeled. It could end up like the book of Job. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô With such depressing thoughts, I returned to my office. Kiara seemed to have sensitively read my emotions. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong? Your face tells me that it didn¡¯t go well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got their word.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your concern then?¡± I sank back into my chair helplessly. ¡°When a pledge is broken, there must be severe punishment. That in itself is fine. It¡¯s just that Mr. and Mrs. Villani, who recommended the pledge ¡­¡­ will probably blame themselves. I feel like I can¡¯t do it when I think of it. People with good intentions are often unwilling to see the malice lurking within others. Because they can¡¯t.¡± I gazed outside with a cheeky grin. ¡°I¡¯m the one who valued their good intentions and selected them for the job. I can¡¯t help but wonder ¡­¡­ if I¡¯m making them unhappy after all.¡± Before I knew it, Mil, who had come up next to me, grabbed my arm tightly. ¡°If that happens, I think the couple will just have to get over it. It¡¯s Al¡¯s bad habit to feel responsible for everything.¡± She sounded a little angry. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°At least they¡¯re happier than they were before. You can¡¯t deny that.¡± I shrugged my shoulders in resignation. ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s not overthink this.¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ If you think too much, I¡¯ll make it impossible for you to think again.¡± No ¡­¡­ that ¡­¡­ makes me happy, but ¡­¡­ it will affect me the next day. When Kiara saw how I was doing, she asked me curiously. ¡°What on earth are you going to do?¡± Mil winked. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can do it.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Dear Sister, can I ask you about it later?¡± ¡°¡®No, not even Kiara. It¡¯s a secret between Al and me.¡± Kiara¡¯s smile turned darker. ¡°Can I take that to mean that it¡¯s ethical?¡± It¡¯s just my imagination, but ¡­¡­. I feel like the atmosphere in the room seems to have dropped. ¡°Wait, wait, wait, we¡¯re not there yet. I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t fight each other ¡­¡­¡± Without thinking about it, I feel like flying. Is there ever a time when you thought of that ¡­¡­? CH 116 For the time being, we have to keep a close watch. But we can¡¯t just keep watching them. It will make people think that we are suspicious of them, which will lead to distrust. If we do this, we will end up turning people who are trying to fit in into the system into disgruntled people. In the end, we can only deal with problems after they occur. So should I actively interact with the beastmen and appeal for equality? Then it would be a different kind of problem, a conflict between the newcomers and the old inhabitants. What should we do? We can only wait. We can only put out the fire after it has started. It¡¯s really unpleasant, but that¡¯s what we have to do. After that, we have to accept the insinuations that ¡°nothing will be done until there is a problem¡±. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to accept so many at once. And so, I don¡¯t show it, but I¡¯m in a very bad mood. It makes me want to break a glass. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô In the midst of all this, the unpopular woman Silvana, who doesn¡¯t read the atmosphere, came to me. ¡°About the retired group that I was talking about before. Can I call them now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve calculated the food supply on the assumption that they will be there.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great.¡± ¡°Are you worried about something?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana looked at me with a more serious look than ever. ¡°Well, Mil said that ¡­¡­ Al is in a very bad mood. I just thought that I don¡¯t want to add to your problems.¡± It¡¯s good and bad that I can¡¯t hide anything. ¡°I¡¯ll be following up with Mil tonight to make sure it¡¯s okay. We need people with skills. Also, the hunt starts in a few months. I want us to be ready as soon as possible.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana pointed a stern finger at me and said. ¡°Listen? Mil is quite reserved with Al, after all. You should watch her.¡± ¡°I had no words to say. I¡¯m telling her that she doesn¡¯t have to be reserved, though.¡± ¡°Idiot! If there was no need to be reserved, half the couples would break up!¡± She¡¯s strangely spontaneous when it comes to love. Except for herself ¡­¡­ ¡°Yes, I know that too. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll talk to Mil about it so she doesn¡¯t have to worry about it in the future.¡± ¡°Please do so. So how many ¡­¡­ people are allowed? If it¡¯s the retired group, we can get quite a few.¡± ¡°Can we start with about 20 people? If each of them has 10 people, that¡¯s 200 people to train. That¡¯s a lot of people in itself.¡± ¡°I understand. If they have a family, I can add that to the total, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana wriggled her body. It¡¯s time to talk about something weird ¡­¡­ ¡°And also, it¡¯s still a long way off, but¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering if we could set up a system that would allow us to accept these retirees on a regular basis.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°People who are adventurers don¡¯t have a place to stay in their hometown, you know. I think it would be nice to have a place where such people can finally go. It would also be useful for the town.¡± I was surprised, she was surprisingly sane. ¡°It would be nice if Ms. Silvana could take care of them.¡± ¡°Ugh ¡­¡­ W-Well ¡­¡­. If the apostle does not choose me in the next five years. I¡¯m going to make up my mind and become a citizen here.¡± You just don¡¯t break, don¡¯t you? ¡°At that time, the teacher will be 41 ¡­¡­¡± The unpopular woman Silvana came to me with real killing intent. ¡°Al, do you want to die?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll arrange for twenty people. I can have one of them represent them, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask my master.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Let¡¯s hope he¡¯s not a lascivious person with a bad drinking habit. The unpopular woman Silvana is suddenly staring at me. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just think of something really rude?¡± For an unpopular woman, she is unusually perceptive. ¡°It was just your imagination.¡± The unpopular Silvana took the liberty of introducing him. ¡°He¡¯s an old man, nearly forty. He has a wife and children.¡± With a wife and children? Are you sure they want to change their environment with a child? ¡°Is it okay for a man with a wife and children to come here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do in my hometown, after all. They¡¯ll have plenty to do here.¡± ¡°What about his wife and children?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana said with some reminiscence. ¡°His wife is also an outsider and a former adventurer. So she has a lot on her shoulders. That¡¯s why they¡¯ll come happily. There are a lot of kids here. And Al is kind to children, so I don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be nice.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I wrote to him and he told that he¡¯d love to meet. He said he¡¯d like to meet Al.¡± I have a bad feeling about this¡­ ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t give him a funny name.¡± ¡°I mentioned that you¡¯re sixteen-year-old, but also not sixteen. An Elf-loving weirdo.¡± Hey. ¡°It¡¯s true, though.¡± Did I do something wrong? CH 117 There are two main types of riots that occur when more people are involved. When the military power is vacant due to defense or other reasons. The other is when dissatisfaction builds up to the limit and an outburst occurs. If anything, this town is probably the former. To avoid amplifying dissatisfaction, we try to keep immigration to a minimum. In my previous life, people would say that I violated their human rights, but this is a different world. That area will be divided by the rights of the lords. If you say ¡°human rights¡± and let them do whatever they want, they will definitely freeze. Then, their dissatisfaction will amplify and they will erupt. As expected, I¡¯m not going to separate them from their family ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a bit of a problem when such an opening is instigated by the cat tribe. But it¡¯s hard not to show an opening. First of all, they need to be fed properly so that they don¡¯t starve to death. Once the food is stable, the next problem is a different kind of problem ¡­¡­ It will be less likely to cause riots than the food problem. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô We¡¯ll do what we can in advance. So I called up Oracio. ¡°What do you want to ask me, my lord?¡± ¡°How are the immigrants doing?¡± Orazio looked like he had no problem with it. ¡°So far, we¡¯re just winging it. At first, they were worried, but now they are able to eat steadily. And lately, they seem to have calmed down mentally.¡± ¡°I guess they¡¯re fine for now.¡± Oracio looked puzzled. ¡°You really worry about them a lot.¡± ¡°A surprise attack can do a lot of damage, you know. Once the food is stable, the next step is housing. Then social status, and ¡­¡­ there is always something to complain about.¡± ¡°Too many people are also a problem, huh.¡± ¡°No, not at all. The problem is that so many people from different cultures came here at once. If there were only ten thousand people in this town, I wouldn¡¯t have any problems.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s be as careful as possible.¡± If that makes the immigrants even more cautious, they will become even more suspicious. ¡°Rather than being overly cautious, just treat them as you normally would and only push back on requests that are too much. Just tell them the frequency of requests and so on.¡± Oracio seemed to understand what I was trying to say. ¡°An omen, huh.¡± ¡°Yes, and let me know if any cat people start sneaking in.¡± ¡°What are the chances that the cat people will send some of their people here under the guise of immigration?¡± ¡°Decline it, since they are our enemies now. The cat people will only split up when the wild boars start rampaging. Until then, it will be a disguise.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be on the lookout then.¡± ¡°Please.¡± I see more than 90% probability that a riot will occur. I hope it¡¯s just an individual outburst. I can¡¯t be that optimistic. Seriously, being a lord is not something to be taken seriously. I have come to understand the meaning behind the mass production of stupid lords. Nevertheless, we are creating a society that goes against the common sense of the world. There is no way that such foolishness can be tolerated ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After Oracio left, that¡¯s when it happened. The unpopular woman Silvana came running in to replace him. ¡°Al! She¡¯s here! She¡¯s here! A person is here!¡± I wonder why this unpopular woman Silvana is always so excited. ¡°Is it a teacher that teaches letters?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s just one person, but better than nothing!¡± ¡°What¡¯s she like?¡± ¡°She¡¯s an acquaintance of mine who used to work as a receptionist at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. She¡¯s quite pretty.¡± The word ¡°receptionist¡± made Mil and Kiara¡¯s hands stop. The word ¡°beautiful¡± made Mil and Kiara¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Did she quit?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana looked in the direction of the day after tomorrow, as if she had difficulty saying it. ¡°Oh, yes. Actually, there was someone she was engaged to ¡­¡­ an adventurer.¡± I don¡¯t like the way this is going. ¡°It¡¯s just that ¡­¡­ the adventurer was double-timing with another receptionist.¡± Wow, ¡­¡­. I can¡¯t think of anything else to say. ¡°So she quit and came here.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana is upset because she remembers. ¡°She found out after she was dumped. It happened right before they got married. She quit the guild and was petrified for a while. But then she remembered my letter. She said she didn¡¯t want to have to face the two of them.¡± I¡¯ll have to be careful about that. ¡°I see. Well, we¡¯ll have to be careful then, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Please do. She¡¯s pretty hurt. But I¡¯m sure Al won¡¯t do anything that will hurt her.¡± Kiara, who had been listening in, looked at me. There was no expression on her face. ¡°Ms. Silvana. May I ask you something?¡± "" The unpopular woman Silvana looked at Kiara as if something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kiara?¡± ¡°We welcome it if it¡¯s a literature teacher. But the gender is a problem.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana made a face like it doesn¡¯t make any sense. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong with being a woman?¡± Kiara waved her index finger. ¡°Look. My brother attracts heartbroken or unhappy women with extraordinary power. It¡¯s so powerful that even a bird in flight will fall to the ground ¡­¡­ He has such a troubling constitution.¡± Hey! What do you mean by constitution? But even Mil nodded with a serious expression. ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s really dangerous. That magic power is dangerous ¡­¡­¡± The unpopular woman Silvana started to panic at the unexpected attack. ¡°Ohhh, if it¡¯s about that, it¡¯s fine. She¡¯s twenty-five and she likes older men.¡± ¡°Does she look sixteen!¡± ¡°She looks sixteen, doesn¡¯t she!¡± Hey, that can¡¯t be true, you two. The unpopular woman Silvana tries desperately to think of a way out of this situation. She is sweating profusely and looking at me accusingly in the corner of her eyes. What? It¡¯s my fault? Suddenly, her expression brightened. ¡°No ¡­¡­ it¡¯s fine! She likes strong men, after all!¡± Kiara nodded seriously at her words. ¡°If that¡¯s the case ¡­¡­ it¡¯ll be fine then.¡± Even Mil breathed a sigh of relief. She even put her hand on her chest. ¡°Al is certainly not macho enough, after all ¡­¡­¡± The unpopular woman Silvana looked deeply relieved. ¡°She said she¡¯s moving here with her luggage on the next ship. She also said that she wants to become a citizen.¡± ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll consider her position after we see how she works.¡± Wait a minute. Do they have to go through an interrogation every time a woman comes in? Have I been hitting on women without restraint? I don¡¯t think so ¡­¡­ I think they¡¯re worrying too much ¡­¡­ CH 118 If I keep doing this, I¡¯ll become depressed. Let¡¯s get to work on Part 2 of a Man¡¯s Romance. Only this time, it¡¯s for my own personal pleasure. Part 1 has been put on hold until Manora is healed. I visited Onyxim¡¯s workshop by myself. Recently, I¡¯ve been working alone since it¡¯s just before the founding of the Elite Guards. ¡°Milord. I¡¯ve finished what you asked for.¡± ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve been waiting for it!¡± It is the grip of a sword. The grip is tubular in shape. Onyxim was looking at the grip with great interest. ¡°How will you use this?¡± I¡¯m glad you asked. ¡°I can only use it for about ten minutes a day. Is there anything I can cut? I want something as hard as possible.¡± ¡°I have an iron bar.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± We tried a test cut. Onyxim was excited when he saw the bar that had been cut cleanly. ¡°Woaaaaah, this is amazing!¡± I looked a little smug. ¡°It¡¯s romance.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, good. I wonder if the others will ever be able to use it.¡± ¡°It will take a lot of training.¡± Onyxim pondered. I guess he¡¯s thinking of ways to use it. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s possible ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s an issue for the future.¡± ¡°I agree. This is dangerous ¡­¡­ It has the kind of force that can cut through an iron bar without any resistance. It¡¯s just that ¡­¡­ when I¡¯m cutting something hard, I¡¯m going to need your help.¡± It was the birth of a lord and manual cutter. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I returned to the house with a complicated feeling, the unpopular woman Silvana was waiting for me. ¡°Al, where have you been wandering? She was here sooner than I expected!¡± Prowling, you say? You know ¡­¡­. I¡¯m a busy man, you know. ¡°She¡¯s a literature teacher, isn¡¯t she?¡± (T/N: They used ¡°moji no sensei¡± in this part, Moji means ¡®Letter¡¯ and Sensei means ¡®Teacher¡¯, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll use ¡°Teacher of Letters¡± for its meaning so I used Literature Teacher instead. It¡¯s much better, I guess.) ¡°Yes, follow me, I¡¯ll introduce her to you. I¡¯ve got her waiting in the reception office.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana dragged me to a woman, who is calm, with brown hair, dark eyes and white skin. She was a solid woman with a strong maternal figure. That was my impression. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Alfred Della Scala, the Feudal Lord of Ravenna.¡± ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Delphine Masia.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a literature teacher. I welcome you.¡± Delphine bowed in a light, smiling, theatrical manner. ¡°I shall work hard to live up to your expectations.¡± The unpopular Silvana pointed a finger at me. Does that action mean anything? ¡°Oh, Al. About the place where Del will live. Until Del¡¯s house is ready, it¡¯s fine if she stays at my house, right?¡± So Del is her nickname. ¡°That¡¯s fine, if that¡¯s okay with you, Ms. Masia.¡± Delphine smiled quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t mind being with Vana.¡± If they wanted to, I have no objection. But I have a concern. There is a problem that I need to check. ¡°Mr. Silvana has a drinking problem, like a raging tornado. Did you know that?¡± The unpopular Silvana seemed surprised. No, normally you would check that. ¡°Hey! What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fact, though ¡­¡­¡± Delphine started giggling. ¡°You really are an unusual person. He¡¯s very different from the aristocrats that I know.¡± Somehow, I¡¯m not convinced. I guess she thinks that it¡¯s not aristocratic-like if you¡¯re not arrogant. ¡°Is that so?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana folded her arms and nodded approvingly. ¡°Al. If you were ordinary, the world would end.¡± That was a terrible thing to say. I regained my composure and cleared my throat. ¡°Anyway. ¡­¡­. I don¡¯t accept complaints about your roommate¡¯s bad drinking habits.¡± Delphine looked down slowly. "" ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have a lot of things too ¡­¡­ things that I¡¯d like to wash down with alcohol ¡­¡­¡± The temperature in the room dropped dramatically. This is bad ¡­¡­ Something heavy is coming. I shouldn¡¯t touch that. It¡¯s not something that should be easily entered into by others, after all. ¡°I think it would be better if the two of you could talk about it in private. Also, I¡¯ve asked Ms. Silvana to do all the teaching of the letters. So please follow her instructions. Wages are as offered, but ¡­¡­ meals are free in the dining hall.¡± Delphine looked a little surprised. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s amazing that the food is free.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t afford to buy and sell freely yet. We all eat the same thing, so don¡¯t worry. Of course, I do too. It depends on that and your work skills, though. We haven¡¯t yet established a department to oversee all aspects of education. I¡¯m thinking of leaving that to you.¡± Delphine¡¯s face turns into a puzzled expression. The unpopular woman Silvana puffed out her nonexistent breasts. ¡°See ¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t he weird!? He¡¯s suddenly saying things like leaving one of the divisions of his territory to someone who just came. You fake sixteen-year-old.¡± What¡¯s with that last thing ¡­¡­ ¡°Shall I reduce your alcohol ration ¡­¡­?¡± The unpopular Silvana started to get panicky. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a joke! Joke!¡± ¡°I hope you are decent, Ms. Masia. After all, there¡¯s the saying, ¡°Birds of the same feather flock together¡±.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need Al to tell me I¡¯m weird!¡± I wonder if this unpopular woman Silvana thinks she¡¯s a decent person. When I returned to my office, I was met by the two¡¯s relentless interrogations. CH 119 The day after the small storm. It was about a month later, though. The unpopular woman Silvana called me to the house that served as the school. She said it was a confidential matter. Today¡¯s classes were over, so there should be no one else there. Most of the time, when a woman comes up with something confidential, it¡¯s a bad idea. But since I¡¯m the lord, I couldn¡¯t ignore her. When I entered the classroom, Silvana came running up to me. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana looked like a Buddha in hell. ¡°Ah! She¡¯s here! She¡¯s here! It¡¯s about Del. I want you to listen to her.¡± I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Why me?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. ¡°It¡¯s because a man like Al is the perfect person to listen to a woman¡¯s problems.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t women usually do that? ¡°No, women are always complaining to each other. That¡¯s why ¡­¡­ Del is by far more superior in mass. You know the rest.¡± ¡°You mean, she was just being swept away ¡­¡­¡± The unpopular woman Silvana was trying her best to talk me out of it. ¡°Well, yeah. And Al is the feudal lord. You have to solve your people¡¯s problems!¡± ¡°No, the lord of Ravenna has no right to intrude into the private lives of his people ¡­¡­¡± If I do that, there¡¯ll be no end to it. First of all, I¡¯ll die! The unpopular woman Silvana asks her with her hands together. "" ¡°No ¡­¡­ I understand that, but¡­! Please do something about it!¡± The unpopular woman Silvana is driven by emotions and does not accept theories. It¡¯s really troublesome ¡­¡­ I sighed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s only this time ¡­¡­¡± Let¡¯s get it done quickly ¡­¡­ From now on, I will let Mil or Kiara go through her. Yeah, that¡¯s good. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I was taken to the other room, Delphine was waiting for me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord ¡­¡­ Vana told me that I should tell my story to Milord.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana fluttered her hands and fled quickly. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that me listening to you will help ¡­¡­¡± Delphine smiled calmly. ¡°Vana told me. She said that if I told milord my story, I will strangely feel refreshed. Vana¡¯s intuitive way of saying things has never struck me as strange.¡± Is that so ¡­¡­ I had no choice but to listen to her. The outline was as I had heard it. But hearing it directly is very heavy ¡­¡­ They started dating when she was 18, when she started working as receptionist. He promised to be with her when he made it big in the future, and ¡­¡­ she supported the man materially and emotionally all the way. When she turned 23, the man¡¯s range of activities expanded. He started to work in other cities and didn¡¯t come to her as much. But he still showed up once in a while. It was around that time that she was advised to start saving money for her future marriage. I guess it would hurt his conscience if he threw her out penniless. If you have a conscience, don¡¯t do two-timing ¡­¡­ It¡¯s just the guy¡¯s theory. He probably thought it would help if she could rush into a relationship with another guy while he was trying to buy some time. It was too messy to even be a plan. It¡¯s a story that can¡¯t be boiled or baked. And it was six months ago when he said goodbye to her, just by letter. It¡¯s no wonder she was stunned. She heard through the rumors that he had married another receptionist. The Guild are left to their own devices, unable to intervene in private disputes. And, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and quit the guild. While she was holed up in her house, she received a letter from the guild asking for a reading and writing teacher for the unpopular woman named Silvana. She didn¡¯t even want to see what the guild had to say. So she put them together and left them there, but ¡­¡­ she didn¡¯t feel like burning them down. Or, more correctly, she didn¡¯t even have the energy to do so. And then she just forgot about it. After she calmed down a bit, she remembered something she had neglected and found it when she was sorting through. I came here because I have nothing but bad memories of being there. (T/N: She said.) It¡¯s a staple situation, but you know what? It¡¯s too heavy ¡­¡­ The weight of being told face to face isn¡¯t half as heavy as this ¡­¡­ And it¡¯s intense because she said it while staring at me. You should experience it once. This torture. When Delphine finished speaking, she sighed deeply and profoundly. ¡°You may think I¡¯m an idiot, but ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t even want to take revenge ¡­¡­ I just wanted to get away.¡± In the meantime, I basically just nodded my head and told her to keep talking. I have to choose my words very carefully on this one. I have to be careful not to mix in any nuance of blame or denial. ¡°I can¡¯t say anything about that decision. After all, I don¡¯t know what kind of time you spent with that man, Ms. Masia. It¡¯s probably true that you had a terrible time as a result. I wonder what the first few years of your relationship were like.¡± Delphine looked at me as if she were looking at a cherished memory. But ¡­¡­ soon she shook her head slowly. ¡°I was very happy that time. Only until that time, though ¡­¡­¡± I nodded quietly. My stomach hurt as I continued to walk the tightrope of words. "" ¡°It depends on whether you can turn everything into hate.¡± I guess she didn¡¯t expect me to say that. Delphine gave me an unexpected look. At times like this, I am usually comforted. But for some people, it¡¯s even more miserable. ¡°Is that how it is?¡± ¡°Yes. Some people want to throw away the whole thing because part of it is dirty. If you can cut out only that part, some people may want to cut it out and leave it.¡± Delphine gave him a self-mocking look. ¡°I just ran away, you know. I didn¡¯t even dare to take revenge.¡± If I affirmed this statement, I would be hurting her. The rope seemed to become even thinner. ¡°No. I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t think it was wrong until you felt it at the time. I think that¡¯s why you chose to leave it behind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that when we first started going out, it was very pure and happy.¡± ¡°If you deny it until then, you won¡¯t be able to believe anything in the future. For some people, it¡¯s easier than others. For some people, it¡¯s heavy and painful.¡± Delphine remained silent, looking at me with serious eyes, so I continued. ¡°So, Ms. Masia, you have to live anew. I think you chose to leave it behind.¡± It was a stinky line for me, but ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say. Delphine looked at me with a look of surprise. I was afraid that she might say something negative about me. So I prepared myself to be told something. Maybe that was her state of mind. ¡°Did I really look like that?¡± ¡°I think so. And the residents here are a bunch of people who have no place in the world. There will be people who will sympathize with you or be angry with you. But no one will deny it.¡± For now, I smiled so as not to be taken too seriously. ¡°If pity is a burden, just keep up appearances and you¡¯ll be fine. As for me, I¡¯ve been having a hard time finding a literature teacher. I¡¯m very grateful that you¡¯re here.¡± For a moment, Delphine looked at me in silence. Then she looked relieved and happy. ¡°It¡¯s just like Vana said. I feel much lighter now. And I found the lord to be a very nice man. If I were ten years younger, I would have attacked you.¡± Delphine joked at the end. I hope you will be able to recover somehow. ¡°You¡¯re still young, Ms. Masia. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll still have a lot of opportunities.¡± Delphine seemed to sulk a little at my words. ¡°Oh my. It sounds like sarcasm when it comes from a sixteen-year-old lord.¡± The tone was light, but a bit accusing. Yes, that¡¯s true ¡­ Before my reincarnation, a woman of 25 is a young lady ¡­ Seriously, I¡¯m so stupid. Delphine saw my flustered face and gave a small laugh. ¡°But you don¡¯t look sixteen, and I¡¯ll take that as pure encouragement.¡± No, I¡¯m sixteen, though. But, well ¡­¡­ I guess it¡¯s good since it¡¯s fine now. It¡¯s itchy and painful. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô At that time, Robert came running in, looking unusually flustered. ¡°Milord, there¡¯s a problem with the immigrants.¡± It¡¯s finally here. CH 120 ¡°How big is the riot?¡± ¡°One man in the square, screaming at a dog tribe child at knife point.¡± ¡°All right. Sir Melchiorri, please escort Ms. Masia home.¡± ¡°Where is Milord going?¡± I turned around as I left the room. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the scene. In the midst of this uproar, it¡¯s a problem to let a woman go home alone. ¡° ¡°I understand. But please be careful!¡± I nodded silently and started running. One person ¡­¡­. It¡¯s a blessing in disguise, but a child is a hostage. Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get away with it easily. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I arrived at the plaza, people saw me and cleared the way for me. I go straight to the front of the crowd. One of the immigrants is holding the dog tribe child, holding a knife to his face and screaming something. The child is frozen in fear, and the woman who looks like his mother is being held back by a knight. When I tried to step forward, Charles, who was quarantining the perimeter at the scene, stopped me. ¡°Milord, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± But I shook my head and stepped forward further. I spoke to the immigrant who was holding the child hostage. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying because I¡¯ve just arrived. Could you please start again from the beginning?¡¯ The man has bloodshot eyes and is breathing hard. Apparently, he¡¯s agitated ¡­¡­ ¡°Y-You¡¯re the lord, aren¡¯t you!¡± ¡°Yes. Would you please let the boy go?¡± He is often posed you often see in dramas as he¡¯s trembling, holding a knife to his face. This is not good. There¡¯s not a moment to lose. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! If I do that, I¡¯ll be killed!¡± So you know that much. ¡°I¡¯ll take his place then, if you don¡¯t mind. Please let that kid go.¡± Everyone was making surprised. The immigrant shouted with his spit flying around. ¡°You come here and I¡¯ll let him go! Come here! I don¡¯t suppose you have any weapons!¡± I silently raised my hands and turned around. I don¡¯t carry a weapon to begin with. ¡°All right, come here slowly ¡­¡­¡± "" I walk with my hands in the air. The moment I was two meters away from the man, the immigrant lunged at me, trying to take me hostage. The kid¡¯s away. Part 2 of the man¡¯s romance I have them made last time. A lightsaber. That¡¯s why I commissioned the tubular grip. It¡¯s short and doesn¡¯t look like a weapon. I keep it in my pocket. I guess in this world it¡¯s a magic saber. I had seen the movie, so it was easy to imagine. It¡¯s much easier to control than the killer ray because I just project the image. It¡¯s a lot of work to create an area of light rays in the middle of nowhere, you know. If you extend it from the grip, you have a fixed starting point and width, and all you need is the length. Magic is more powerful if you limit the area. This thing is a high-voltage laser sword that uses magic. Ten minutes is the limit, and if I exceed that, extra power will be coming out. The image of that thing is so strong that it even comes with a set of sounds when it is released and waved ¡­¡­ That¡¯s right! I¡¯m an old man who watched that thing when I was a kid! A red light stick extended from the grip with a Vuuuoom. (T/N: Like the sound in Star Wars. Vuooom!) The immigrants are startled, but he can¡¯t stop. He hurriedly sticks out his knife. I shifted my body and swung my magic saber sideways, avoiding the knife. I couldn¡¯t avoid it completely, and the knife grazed my body. The sword of light passed through the man¡¯s torso with that distinctive Vuooom sound. There was no resistance at all as it cut him. When I swung it out, it cut without any resistance. Just a swipe and the object in its path would be cut clean off. In a way, it was a scary weapon. The upper half of the man¡¯s body slides down to the ground, parting with his lower half forever. The lower half of the man¡¯s body fell to the ground as it is. It was the first time I had ever cut a man. I don¡¯t feel any emotion. I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m broken somehow. So I was not surprised. I used a kind of high-pressure laser to burn it off, so the blood didn¡¯t splatter immediately. The blood leaked out of the crumpled corpse. In addition, I could smell the unpleasant smell of burnt flesh. When I cut off the supply of magic power, the blade disappeared with that sound. The grip was hot, but not so hot that it burned. I ran over to the kid who had been pushed away and was slumped over. ¡°Boy, are you hurt?¡± Someone who looked like his mother rushed in and hugged the child. Then the child remembered his fear and suddenly started to cry. Feeling very uncomfortable, I bowed my head to the mother and child. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to go through this. It was my fault as a lord. I¡¯m very sorry.¡± As I bowed, the people around me were again in awe. I¡¯m used to it now. The mother bowed deeply to me in surprise. ¡°N-No. Thank you for saving my child.¡± In the meantime, I¡¯ll have to follow up with the other immigrants ¡­¡­ ¡°Ladies and gentlemen. This situation was caused by one unscrupulous person. The newcomers are all people who are trying to follow the rules here. Please don¡¯t think that everyone is like this one.¡± I looked around and everyone nodded. I¡¯ll leave the rest to the representatives. When I was about to leave, Charles was angry with me. ¡°My Lord! You¡¯re being too reckless! You¡¯ve even been injured!¡± But the child has been taken hostage, I don¡¯t have a moment to spare. Charles pointed it out and I started to feel the pain. My clothes were partially cut and blood was seeping from my chest area. I was too nervous to notice. It wasn¡¯t bleeding much, so it should be fine. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful from now on. So what did he say?¡± ¡°He demanded to be given money and food. And a boat, I guess he was planning to run away.¡± ¡°Did he make any complaints?¡± ¡°He couldn¡¯t stand to be in the same standing with the beastmen. We¡¯ll have the full results of our investigation at a later date ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What more?¡± Charles silently pointed in the direction of the mansion. In that direction, I saw Mil and Kiara running towards me with tearful faces. Oops, this is bad. This is going to be a super long version of the sermon course ¡­¡­. When I tried to escape with Charles as a shield. "" And he¡¯s gone! Why are you guys so quick to run away! CH 121 After two of them cried and hugged me, they took me to the room. They patched me up first, but it was just a scratch. It hurt, though. The hardest part is that there is no way to argue with their sermon while crying. And there were two of them. Do you know what this means? It amplifies their emotions and made things even worse. And, well. Sometimes, when I get choked up or something, I feel like I¡¯ve done something ¡­¡­ really, really bad. I have my own logic ¡­¡­ But. The momentum is too different to match. The only way is to escape from reality ¡­¡­ By the way, I thought Kiara looked British before. And now I thought Mil was more like a ¡­¡­ Russian. Because she lived in hiding, she didn¡¯t have many clothes. In fact, she was very fashion conscious. When she bought clothes, she was very particular about them. On the frontier, we could not afford such luxuries. She use the clothes that were given to her as a gift during my pilgrimage. Sometimes she even makes her own accessories. She is also quite outspoken in her opinions. She is very considerate of me. She is rather straightforward at the representative¡¯s meetings. She is mild-mannered to others, but does not show much emotion. She is more emotional toward those who are close to her. To me, she is very affectionate, like a different person. I thought she would be more like Japanese, but ¡­¡­ She is not shy when she expresses her affection for me. Lately, though, I feel that her expressions of affection are getting more and more intense. That¡¯s different from the Japanese. I guess that would make her a Russian. She¡¯s pale and beautiful ¡­¡­ But she won¡¯t get fat, will she? When I was thinking about it, my ear was pulled. ¡°O-O-O-Ow.¡± Mil¡¯s eyes turned red and she was angry. ¡°Al, you were thinking about something else, weren¡¯t you!¡± I was scolded. The sermon went on for three hours ¡­¡­ I was grounded for a week ¡­ That¡¯s harsh. And she wouldn¡¯t let me sleep that night. She was persistently worried about my wounds, and after I convinced her that I was fine, it was ¡­¡­ amazing. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I¡¯m 16 years old¡­I can stay awake for a while. But, It still makes me want to sleep. As I was fighting that sleepiness. Jules came in with three soldiers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the delay, milord. I¡¯ve finally decided on the initial members of the Elite Guards, so I¡¯ve come to introduce them to you.¡± One from each race, as expected. ¡°Considering your wishes, there will initially be one from each race.¡± ¡°Yes, well done. Now, please start with the introduction.¡± A young wolf person stepped forward. ¡°I am Ramiro Rio! I¡¯m honored to be chosen for the Elite Guards! I will serve you with all my life!¡± For all your life is too much ¡­ Next, a young dog person stepped forward. ¡°I am Mickey Sargent! I¡¯m honored to have been chosen for the Elite Guards! I will serve you with all my life!¡± Isn¡¯t that a rat¡¯s name! Oh no ¡­¡­ The name has too much impact. Copyright and Sergeant ¡­¡­ That impact is too strong. I can¡¯t laugh ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t laugh ¡­¡­ Calm mind, calm mind ¡­¡­ I guess their introduction is fixed. Finally, a young tiger person stepped forward. ¡°I am Ale Ahokainen! I am honored to have been chosen for the Elite Guards! I will serve you with all my life!¡± Are you guys here to make me laugh? Calm mind, calm mind, calm mind, calm mind. I somehow managed to remain calm. ¡°So including these three and Sir Jules, there will be four of you.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. That¡¯s how it will be.¡± ¡°The basic command will be in Sir Jules. In case of emergency, can I give some orders?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°No!¡± Geh. Mil and Kiara interrupted me. The two of them nodded to each other and said. ¡°My brother has a bad habit of neglecting his own safety.¡± ¡°Yes, he did that yesterday, after all ¡­¡­ He¡¯ll say that he¡¯ll be fine, so you should protect us. Definitely.¡± Jules, who is troubled, is scratching his head. ¡°T-Then ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll take basic command. Other than that, I¡¯ll leave it to their own decision.¡± Kiara thought for a moment and then nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. The only thing is that the Elite Guards is there to protect my brother. It¡¯s fine as long as you remember what that means. ¡° Wow ¡­¡­ they took away my command. Mil also interfered. ¡°Even if we are in danger, Al¡¯s safety must be your top priority.¡± You can¡¯t do that. I can¡¯t accept that kind of thing. ¡°No, that is indeed not acceptable.¡± Jules continued to scratch his head in confusion. ¡°We¡¯ll be adding more men soon, at that time, they¡¯ll be tasked with guarding your wife and sister. Is that all right with you?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± I had no choice but to nod. Kiara looks at me and the Elite Guards with a decisive attitude. ¡°My brother is unable to go out for about a week due to various reasons. So I think it¡¯s a good time to prepare.¡± You weren¡¯t kidding ¡­¡­? CH 122 It¡¯s like a punishment, a hundred warnings, but since then, things have become calmer on the surface. But the world around me really busy. Why is that? It¡¯s because I¡¯m about to turn 17. Before my reincarnation ¡­¡­ when I was an old man, I didn¡¯t care about birthdays anymore. But that¡¯s not possible here. In this entertainment-free frontier, I¡¯ve become the main entertainment for my people. Why. ¡°It¡¯s only 16 going to 17. Rather than spending the budget on such a trivial matter, it would be better spent elsewhere.¡± I said, but was overruled. Charles struck a pose as if he¡¯s saying, ¡°Good grief¡±. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t understand, milord. It¡¯s just an excuse to make a fool around.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t deny that there are festivals. As long as everyone can enjoy them, they should be held regularly. But you don¡¯t have to celebrate my birthday, do you?¡± Kiara stood up quickly and began to argue forcefully. ¡°Your birthday is very important to us. Originally, we should make a bigger celebration than this!¡± My sister ¡­¡­ there¡¯s a word for that called ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal¡±, you know. Because it was a personal matter, the heartless teacher gave a thin smile. ¡°Well, just give up. Isn¡¯t it great, kiddo, they won¡¯t say you¡¯re 160 years old anymore.¡± It¡¯s not great at all. ¡°You¡¯re just going to change it to 170 anyway, aren¡¯t you?¡± The teacher folded his arms in a serious manner. ¡°No ¡­¡­ There¡¯s been some controversy here, too. The 161 camp and the 170 camp were engaged in a heated battle.¡± I¡¯m a mushroom mountain and a bamboo shoot village ¡­¡­ Mil raised his hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just make it a holiday in Ravenna ?¡± Mil ¡­¡­ Even you are making the situation bigger than it is. Charles nodded happily. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. But why don¡¯t you just get officially married?¡± Mil¡¯s cheeks flushed as she glanced at me. ¡°Erm ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t care what time we¡¯ll do it. Really ¡­¡­ We can do it now if you want. But Al is, you know ¡­¡­¡± ¡°There are many people who haven¡¯t even found a town yet, let alone a girlfriend. So I thought that I shouldn¡¯t be the only one to get married there ¡­¡­¡± Charles¡¯s face became deeply puzzled. ¡°Milord. You¡¯ve been living with her for a while now, and you¡¯re talking nonsense.¡± ¡°No, well ¡­¡­ That may be right if you say so ¡­¡­ I was hoping to have a honeymoon in the mine¡¯s recuperation town after it was built, though.¡± Charles, for some reason, was not convinced. ¡°It¡¯ll be too late ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why is Lord Rossi so concerned about my marriage date? If you don¡¯t want to get married yourself, that¡¯s not necessary. ¡° Charles shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do anything strange like that. My subordinate, Robert Melchiorri. You know that purist, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, what about Sir Melchiorri?¡± ¡°He¡¯s having good quite a good time with Ms. Delphine Masia. To my surprise. I¡¯m still a little skeptical, though.¡± Isn¡¯t that so quick? ¡°It seems that Ms. Masia has taken a liking to that purist. I¡¯ve seen the two of them together a lot lately.¡± Ooh ¡­¡­ this is unexpected ¡­¡­ With a grin, Charles laughed. ¡°Please think about it. Do you think that straight-laced guy will get married before you do?¡± ¡°I, indeed ¡­¡­¡± ¡°To me, love and marriage are like eating mushrooms from a mountain that catches your eye. I¡¯m sure you thought about it that far.¡± ¡°So you want me to get married ¡­¡­ as soon as possible?¡± Charles leaned forward. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a formal noble marriage. And it¡¯s just after that kind of thing happened. I¡¯m sure your wife will want to get married as soon as possible. Just make it a formal Ravenna wedding day, that¡¯s all. And why not do it with your seventeenth birthday as well?¡± Hey, there¡¯s less than a month left. ¡°Isn¡¯t there still a lot to prepare? Like deciding on the format and preparing the costumes ¡­¡­¡± Mil stood up with great enthusiasm. ¡°I love it! I like it! Let¡¯s do it!¡± Kiara nodded and clasped her hands together. ¡°I think so. I¡¯m sure Dear sister would like to have her last name officially too. I think it¡¯s a good idea. Once my brother is officially married, he won¡¯t be so reckless.¡± I felt vulnerable when she brought up that. Even so, I don¡¯t know anything about the formalities of a wedding ¡­¡­ It was unrelated to me, after all. The teacher looked as if he had a good idea. ¡°Ohhhh ¡­¡­ If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s that pitiful woman who¡¯s been single her whole life, right? Why don¡¯t we let her in on the plan too?¡± Teacher ¡­¡­ It¡¯s because you say unnecessary things like that that you get into terrible trouble. CH 123 The age of the lord is well-established, though he¡¯s probably not 16. This is the topic of conversation when that lord is about to turn 17. How was it when you were 16? ¡ö Kiara Della Scala. I¡¯m only fourteen, but even at sixteen, I¡¯ll still love my brother. ¡ö Milva Layara. I used to live in the forest. I have nothing but melancholy memories. ¡ö Fabio Visconti. Oh, for me, I¡¯m using a bad church textbook as a shield to read a sensual novel ¡­¡­ Forget it. ¡ö Silvana Kitty. I used to run around as an adventurer in a pair with a friend. We were pretty popular. It¡¯s me we¡¯re talking about, so I¡¯m sure of it. I was more popular than you, you know!!!! ¡ö Charles Rossi. When I was 16 years old? I think it was three. You¡¯re talking about the number of women I¡¯ve experienced, right? ¡ö Robert Melchiorri. Well. I was training to become a knight that they wouldn¡¯t be ashamed of in the hope that I would meet the love of my life in the future. ¡ö Jules D¡¯Avorio I think that it¡¯s when I started to enjoy cooking. "" I¡¯m thinking of how to make food taste good with local ingredients. It was quite profound. ¡ö Oracio Elora Of course, I spent all my time hunting. ¡ö Ludvig del Donno. I was strangely interested in drains, so I did a lot of trial and error. ¡ö Onyxim Arensky. Of course, I was drinking and digging holes. ¡ö Umberto Orengo I¡¯m so busy with my daily life that I don¡¯t have any memories of ¡­¡­ my childhood. ¡ö Joseph Paoli I¡¯ve spent my whole life flipping girls¡¯ skirts. White is supreme. ¡ö Rabo Villani I had just gotten married and was full of dreams and hopes for the future ¡­¡­ At that time, though. ¡ö Emanuela Villani It was when my husband and I got together ¡­¡­ It was the time when I was looking forward to the future. ¡ö Aaron Glynn. I don¡¯t remember the old people talk about their childhood. And, my wife was very pretty and quiet ¡­¡­ No, never mind ¡­¡­ ¡ö Abraham Allston. I just ran around and walked around looking everywhere. ¡ö Touko Priyura. "" Every day is a fistfight. I don¡¯t see how age can change that. ¡ö Ferdinand Della Scala It was not long after I married my ex-wife ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s forget about that. ¡ö Alessandra Poletti Della Scala I was very nervous every day when I got married. I had to get along with my ex-wife¡¯s sons. I had a lot on my mind. ¡ö Amilcarre della Scala It was two years before I went to hell. I was playing innocently, not knowing that such days would come ¡­¡­ ¡ö Baldassarre Della Scala Two years before I was thrown into the abyss ¡­¡­ The government officials will listen to you easily, don¡¯t they ¡­¡­? I guess there was a time when I thought so too ¡­¡­ ¡ö Edmund Rustico I was raised in a knight¡¯s household, but I was still a 16 year old brat, I was playing around as I pleased. Drinking, women, gambling ¡­¡­ How nostalgic. ¡ö Mario Del Donno I used to play by stepping on mushrooms and kicking turtles. I guess thIs suffering is retribution for that ¡ö Delphine Masia. There¡¯s no way I can tell you! CH 124 A wedding is a major event for women. And I¡¯m out of the picture. Kiara told me in an unusually blunt manner. ¡°Brother¡¯s going to put a damper on this wonderful conversation anyway. So please leave it to us.¡± And with that, they had a big meeting with all the ladies. When deciding on the format, I made one request. It should be a race-neutral format. Delphine, surprisingly, seemed to be on board. Maybe because it¡¯s a new format that it¡¯s easier for her to separate from the past. As long as Delphine gets well, she can do it in any direction she likes. As expected, the unpopular woman Silvana knows what she¡¯s doing. I wonder if it¡¯s in the nature of men to want to run away for a moment and say ¡­¡­ ¡°Goodbye, my dear¡±. I wanted to escape for a moment and be free. The men for the festival. And the women were planning the wedding, and strangely enough, the integration with the immigrants went very fast. I wondered if it would be good for everyone to do something unusual and fun. I guess logic alone is not enough in this world. I scratched my head and said, ¡°I¡¯m still not good enough¡± ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô While I was thinking about this in my office, Robert paid me a visit, which was unusual. He always has a serious look on his face, but today it¡¯s 30 percent more serious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have something to thank you and report to you, milord.¡± ¡°Have I done something?¡± Robert stiffened, forty percent more than usual. ¡°Yes, Delphine. Oh, no, I¡¯m just thanking you for giving me the opportunity to meet Ms. Masia.¡± What do you mean ¡°opportunity¡±? ¡­¡­ I just made you send her to a safe place, though. I had a look of confusion on my face. When Robert saw this, he averted his gaze a little apologetically. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ when we sent Ms. Masia home, we got into the conversation about milord.¡± It¡¯s me again. ¡°And then we talked about the men here.¡± ¡°And?¡± Roberto scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°We did talk about the others. I¡¯m ashamed to say that ¡­¡­ I¡¯m aware of the anachronism, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It differs for each person. Since you are not preying on others, there is no need to be ashamed.¡± ¡°Yes. She wanted to talk about me ¡­¡­ So I had no choice but to talk to her about me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I naturally leaned forward. I think I might be starting to look like the unpopular woman Silvana. ¡°Most of the time, people laugh at me or make fun of me, but ¡­¡­ Ms. Masia praised me.¡± ¡°And that made you conscious of her?¡± ¡°Oh, no. At the time, I just thought she was looking out for me.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°After that, in her ¡­¡­ spare time, Ms. Masia started to talk to me.¡± ¡°Then I began to wonder, so ¡­¡­ I asked her.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana is possessing me ¡­¡­ It¡¯s too much. ¡°I am such an anachronistic man that I am conscious of it when people talk to me frequently. I said that ¡­¡­ I shouldn¡¯t do anything that would them misunderstand me.¡± ¡°What was her answer?¡± Robert scratched his head, embarrassed again. ¡°She told me why she came here. I was deeply enraged. I wondered how such a thing could be allowed. I¡¯m ashamed to admit it, though ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± ¡°So she said that she¡¯s attracted to people who are not anachronistic or ¡­¡­ sincere. Just ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just?¡± ¡°She was going to marry the last guy, and she gave it her all. So she said that she might not be worthy of me.¡± Oh ¡­¡­ you¡¯re hooked. It¡¯s a basic technique. However, even Delphine has the right to be happy. I¡¯m sure she was looking for a man who would never betray her. "" She¡¯s also 25. She was probably in a hurry because she was past the right age in this world. She must have been afraid of living the rest of her life alone. I also thought that it was too early for them to meet each other ¡­¡­ but only they can understand their impatience. In the end, if they are happy, why not? Robert noticed my gaze and cleared his throat lightly. ¡°I told her emphatically that it¡¯s not true. So we began dating on the premise of marriage. Naturally, I thought I should inform milord ¡­¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°D-Did I ¡­¡­ say something funny?¡± ¡°No, you should have informed me when you decide to get married.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an assumption. It¡¯s just a matter of timing, so I thought it would be worth reporting.¡± I was about to lose my temper. Oh, right, going out with someone = marriage. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Of course, I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you two will be happy together.¡± Robert¡¯s face was bright red. The pure love of a thirty-year-old man. If he were a teacher, it would smell like a crime. ¡°Ohhh, thank you very much! Then I¡¯ll go tell Delphine about it!!!!¡± He ran out. I wonder how it went with me ¡­¡­ Whatever it was, it felt good to see everyone happy. CH 125 Plans for the festival and wedding were finalized. This day would be a national holiday in Ravenna. I just had to shake my head in approval. Can you see it? ¡­¡­ Do you know how embarrassing it is to have your birthday and wedding anniversary made into a holiday? If that happened in the world before I was reincarnated, it would be awful. It¡¯s not funny. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a dictator or a president who mistakenly shoots a movie starring myself. I was in a state of agony, still retaining the common sense and senses I had before my reincarnation. That Charles, so he was trying to get back at me for the statue. He steadily led the agenda. I¡¯ll never forget the look on his face as if he¡¯d done it. Everyone is busy, but happy, working toward implementation. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Regardless, the thing came running in. The Elite Guards know the footsteps, so they are not alarmed. ¡°Al! Do something!¡± Yes, it¡¯s Silvana, the unpopular woman. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana leaned forward fiercely. ¡°It¡¯s good that Del is feeling better, I¡¯m serious! But, you know!!!!!¡± ¡°Every day, she talks about her love life with her boyfriend! This is about my position who has to listen to her from zero distance.¡± I smile freshly. ¡°Ahhhhh~ I¡¯m glad Ms. Masia is very happy.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re right, but! Isn¡¯t it too fast! I thought it would take longer that, that¡¯s why I¡¯m living with her! And What¡¯s with her finding a guy in just a month or so?¡± ¡°Actually, wasn¡¯t that your goal as well?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana stiffened. ¡°I, I¡¯ve been tricked!!!!!¡± ¡°No, I think it was natural that you wanted to escape here.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana stomps her feet. ¡°W-Well , you¡¯re right, but ¡­¡­. It¡¯s too early! It¡¯s too! Early!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it great that they got to meet each other?¡± ¡°I want to say that it was thanks to Al, but ¡­¡­ You fooled me! Al!¡± What am I, Char? (T/N: I don¡¯t understand what he meant by Char(Shaa) here.) ¡°I think it was Ms. Silvana who agreed about the idea of the house. Anyway, I think it would be better if Ms. Masia lived in Sir Melchiorri¡¯s house.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana performed a dexterous trick of complaining while shouting. ¡°That¡¯s what I said, too.¡± In addition to shouting and complaining, the unpopular woman Silvana said, twisting her body. You¡¯re really dexterous ¡­¡­ ¡°And then, ¡°Let¡¯s live in the same house after we get married. I don¡¯t want it to be a random thing. I want to welcome you with open arms. I won¡¯t keep you waiting. Because you said that I ¡«¡«¡«¡«¡±, while showing their love to each other!¡± The unpopular woman Silvana seemed to be out of breath. She quickly regained her breath and spoke up. I was beyond amused at this point, and it was becoming difficult to hold back my laughter. ¡°She can¡¯t get over how serious he is, and it felt like they love each other now ¡­¡­ It¡¯s unstoppable now! I think she said that she felt like she¡¯s found her ideal partner!!!!¡± Oh, that¡¯s poison to the heart of the unpopular woman Silvana. I cut it off her with a refreshing business smile. ¡°Then, please endure until the two of them are married.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so heartless.¡± I don¡¯t care ¡­¡­ ¡°The chemistry between the two of them was better than I thought it would be.¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ Del is a caring and level-headed person to begin with, but ¡­¡­ he still admired the idea of a wife supporting a serious husband.¡± I don¡¯t think a sincere man would be an adventurer ¡­¡­ The unpopular woman Silvana continued mumbling. ¡°The last time I saw him, he was seriously trying to make it as an adventurer ¡­¡­ which is what Del liked.¡± ¡°That was a terrible story. The only thing that bothers me is the letter.¡± ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ that. I was curious, so I looked it up.¡± ¡°Oh, and?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana grinned. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re curious too. Gufufufufu. Alright, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± (T/N: She¡¯s like an old woman using the old Japanese way of talking.) Who the hell are you¡­? ¡°It seems that the new town¡¯s receptionist stole him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very unprincipled of her.¡± ¡°Oh, the receptionist is the daughter of a guild officer. The idiot was such a good adventurer that he wanted to keep him in the guild.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana continued, sounding indignant. ¡°And it seems that he was liked by that thieving cat. And that stupid guy was definitely good-looking.¡± I wondered about the story. ¡°Even so, Is it so easy for him to discard of her.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana gestured in disgust. ¡°I heard that he was troubled, but he was more interested in the woman near him than the woman far away ¡­¡­ And it¡¯s a terrible thing, but ¡­¡­ Del is already over 20 years old, but you know what? That thieving cat is only 17 years old.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Oh, so he was defeated by the lower half of her body ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, and he doesn¡¯t have the guts to tell her ¡­¡­ Del is the type who¡¯d do anything, after all. It seems that he was scared of what she might do if she knew she was betrayed.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t develop that much of an eye for people when you¡¯re 16, after all ¡­¡­ It can¡¯t be helped.¡± You should be aware of the fact that adventuring is a very dangerous profession to begin with ¡­¡­ I guess it¡¯s impossible for a 16-year-old to fall in love. Then the unpopular woman Silvana suddenly turned serious. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you can say that, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sixteen.¡± ¡°Yes, yes ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll leave the mutant stuff out of this. Then he just ended it with a letter, and the guild officers paid an apology to the guild Del was in, and that was the end of it.¡± What do you mean by mutant. ¡°That¡¯s how they let a betrayal of their staff go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small branch and they had some ¡­¡­ financial difficulties. Also, they have a rule that any romance between staff and adventurers is at their own risk.¡± ¡°But even so ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, organizations are like that. On that note, Al wouldn¡¯t tolerate it, so I thought it was okay.¡± ¡°If they do that to my people, they¡¯ll have to pay for it. That is, if there is no mistake about my people.¡± ¡°She felt that way too when she met Al. She said that he¡¯s a strange but very kind lord.¡± ¡°The strange part is unnecessary. It was only because she trusted me. Didn¡¯t she find the courage to go out with my subordinate?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana seemed to have realized the main point. It would be great if you just forget about it and leave ¡­¡­ ¡°That¡¯s good and all, but¡­ what am I supposed to do after all!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you get married?¡± ¡°Al, are you going to let me waste 19 years of my life as a girl?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the best way to deal with it.¡± ¡°Uhhh ¡­¡­ Shut up! You¡¯re the Feudal lord, so do something about it!¡± It¡¯s starting to be a pain in the ass. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell Sir Melchiorri to hurry up and marry her ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! Al, you¡¯re a genius! I¡¯ll go tell him!¡± The unpopular woman Silvana ran out. I¡¯m not a genius or anything ¡­¡­ notice that first. I heard a laughing voice behind me. ¡°My lord ¡­¡­ You¡¯re really generous to listen to a story like that. Normally, I would send them away.¡± The Elite Guard, Mickey Sargent, seemed to have lost his ability to hold in his laughter. You still don¡¯t get it. ¡°I can¡¯t do that ¡­¡­ Basically, if you turn away that type of person, it will cause more trouble ¡­¡­¡± CH 126 ¡°Kiara. Are you sure we don¡¯t need to invite the family to the ceremony?¡± I was curious, so I needed to check. I¡¯ve already told them about the wedding. ¡°Since this is a Ravenna ceremony, I think we should have a separate marriage for the Scala family.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mil was a little nervous. ¡°Al¡¯s family ¡­¡­ I¡¯m a little afraid of meeting them but also looking forward to it ¡­¡­¡± You¡¯re right ¡­ but I don¡¯t want you to worry. They won¡¯t complain, and I won¡¯t accept any objection from them. ¡°It will be fine.¡± Kiara encouraged with a smile. ¡°Yes, I can assure you of that.¡± Mil nodded happily. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll try not to worry about that.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I was basically out of the picture, so ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t imagine the groom not doing anything, so let¡¯s make sure. ¡°Is there anything I should do before the ceremony?¡± ¡°Yes. I want brother to arrange a necklace for Dear sister, the bride.¡± ¡°A necklace? Not a ring.¡± Kiara¡¯s face turned into a look that said, of course. ¡°Some other species would find it difficult to ¡­¡­ wear a ring, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± It¡¯s a formality for all species, after all. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to Mr. Arensky. They¡¯ve already prepared the materials, so you can just decide on the design.¡± You¡¯re really quick on the arrangements ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go see him then.¡± I feel uneasy even when I am told about the design. ¡°However, Mil¡¯s aesthetic sense is very good. I wonder if it¡¯ll be okay ¡­¡­ I¡¯m afraid if she doesn¡¯t like it or something.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a gift from Al, I¡¯ll be happy with anything.¡± Anything. This is quite a challenge. ¡°Uh, the pressure ¡­¡­¡± I went to see Onyxim, puzzling over the design of the necklace. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô ¡°My lord. I¡¯ve been waiting for you, now decide on a design.¡± As I walked, I pondered over which design would suit her best and managed to come up with one. "" It should be as simple as possible and not too flashy. Mil is a beautiful woman by nature ¡­¡­. It¡¯s better to have something that enhances her beauty than something that asserts itself. ¡°Can you ¡­¡­ do the design like this ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ho ho ¡­¡­ Leave it to me, otherwise, my life will be in danger too.¡± Kiara again. I hope she¡¯s not walking around threatening people. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you then.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Ramiro Rio, who¡¯s guarding me and is part of the Elite Guards, asks me with great interest. ¡°Since the lord is a clever man like a great sage, but I see that you¡¯re just like a human being in this kind of thing.¡± I¡¯m not a great sage. "" ¡°Strategy just requires a different kind of reading. That kind of thing just doesn¡¯t work in this kind of thing ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is it harder to deal with one person than many?¡± ¡°Of course it is. And ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to apply such formalities to the people I care about.¡± Ramiro Rio seemed to be impressed by these words. ¡°I see, now I want to learn how milord thinks.¡± I guess I¡¯ll give him a warning for once. ¡°Don¡¯t copy ¡­¡­ Think on your own, and use mine only as a reference. That¡¯s the best way.¡± ¡°Is that how it is?¡± A crude tactic is the source of injury. The art of war is just a basic principle. ¡°Yes. If you can decipher my thoughts, you¡¯ll arrive at the answer I just gave you.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I keep silent, and go to visit Manora. Manora noticed me and gave me a small wave. ¡°Ah, milord.¡± I sat down on the chair, as usual. She seems to be getting better and has been getting bored. ¡°Hello, Manora. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. But the doctor told me to go to bed ¡­¡­ It¡¯s so boring.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you read a book?¡± Manolas puffed out her cheeks. ¡°I can¡¯t read ¡­¡­¡± ¡°If so, let¡¯s make it that you¡¯re able to read then. I¡¯ll get a teacher for Manora.¡± Manora¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, we¡¯ll have a teacher come to you.¡± She wanted to jump up and down, but she held her ground. She¡¯s a good girl. A child like her should be guaranteed a happy childhood. ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be back. Please be obedient, okay.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I guess it¡¯s better to have her learn to read and write and become a teacher in the Elite Guards¡¯ reserve. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I went back to the mansion and asked for Delphine. ¡°My lord. You wanted to see me?¡± ¡°Yes. I have one task for you.¡± I asked her to teach Manora how to read and write. Delphine seemed to be curious and smiled mischievously. ¡°I see that you care about the girl a lot.¡± ¡­¡­ The two secretaries¡¯ hands paused. ¡°No. She took part in the defense of the town even if she¡¯s a child. She was injured defending another child. So I want to take care of her as much as possible.¡± Delphine looked at me suspiciously. ¡°A child in your defense?¡± There was no excuse for this. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I accept the blame. There¡¯s no excuse for it.¡± Delphine shook her head in panic. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think milord would like to send the children out.¡± ¡°Can you do that for me?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach her in between.¡± ¡°Please do so.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô In the meantime, Charles gave us a troubling report. He said that they¡¯ve recently started to see cat people on their rounds. The wedding ceremony may be postponed ¡­¡­ and I felt disappointed when I thought about it. I guess I was looking forward to it a lot too. Mil is looking very happy now. No ¡­¡­ it was nice to see my fianc¨¦e looking forward to the wedding. CH 127 We all reviewed the report from Charles. Charles confirmed it with me. ¡°What do you make of this, my Lord?¡± ¡°First, I¡¯d like you all to explore the possibilities.¡± I guess they¡¯re getting used to it, so they all started thinking about it. It was the first time for Dog Tribe and Tiger Tribe, so they were a bit confused, but they understood that it was important to express their own ideas. The possibilities raised at the meeting were generally in line with my assumptions. Gradually, the results are coming in. It is now Mil¡¯s role to summarize the conclusions of the meeting. ¡°I¡¯ll summarize it then ¡­¡­ If I left anything out, please point it out. They may have mistakenly thought they were going to be attacked when they saw the preparations for the festival. Did they sense the danger of building a fort, so their reconnaissance became active? Wasn¡¯t this a preliminary reconnaissance for a preemptive attack? And the rest is just by chance?¡± They all nodded. It was Kiara¡¯s role to see if she could draw any conclusions. ¡°We still don¡¯t have enough information to draw any conclusions yet.¡± When Kiara looked around at the others, they all nodded. When Kiara saw this, she cleared her throat. ¡°We¡¯re going to discuss what we¡¯re going to do to get more information.¡± I felt a deep sense of emotion. I kept my mouth shut and watched the meeting unfold. But here, the topic of conversation began to veer towards my birthday celebration and my wedding. I guess this is where we stop. I stopped everyone with my hand. ¡°Birthdays are not important to begin with. Weddings are important, but we can¡¯t celebrate them if people who don¡¯t need to die do so.¡± Mil nodded. "" I don¡¯t know where her true feelings lie, but I guess she gave priority to my thoughts here. Then I suggested a further direction. So, please consider it as a no.¡± If I wanted to, I would like to hear it from everyone. But I think it will take some time for this to happen. Society has stopped in the Middle Ages, after all. No, even in my previous world, this kind of thinking is difficult. I wonder if it¡¯s just a matter of wanting what¡¯s not there. It¡¯s military, so Charles is basically in charge. ¡°I guess it all depends on what they¡¯re trying to accomplish.¡± Touko leaned forward, energized by the prospect of conflict. ¡°Can you get any information out of them?¡± Oracio shook his head in resignation. ¡°Not enough of anything, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Abraham offered his opinion. ¡°If we can¡¯t even guarantee that we¡¯ll know what we¡¯re dealing with, we might as well leave it at that.¡± They all nodded. That¡¯s where it would have ended before, but ¡­¡­ Kiara, who remembered what they had talked about before, led the way. ¡°Then ¡­¡­ If we¡¯re not going to do anything about it, we still need to think about how to deal with the cat people.¡± Nice, my sister. Charles opened his mouth. ¡°I think we should just be on alert. If they know we¡¯re on alert, they won¡¯t be able to do anything to us.¡± He seems to have come to a conclusion. They all looked at me. I nodded and made my final decision. ¡°That¡¯s fine. As for the vigilance, please consider mobilizing non-knights as well as Sir Rossi as the main guard. Please formulate a plan in that direction.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders jokingly. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like the cat people to wait a little longer, though.¡± Everyone laughed. I¡¯m sure some of them were really praying for nothing. Touko seemed to have a question. ¡°Was it like this when you fought us?¡± Oracio¡¯s face became troubled. ¡°Before, the lord planned the strategy alone. But ¡­¡­ milord wants us to reach that level. I feel like I¡¯m being told to go from the bottom of the earth to the top of the sky ¡­¡­¡± I decide to laugh lightly. ¡°You¡¯ll get there, if you keep at it.¡± In fact, that¡¯s what I think. They just haven¡¯t had the chance. So if I give them a chance and watch over them, they¡¯ll get there. I¡¯m sure of it. If they don¡¯t start walking, though, they¡¯ll never get there. The teacher opens his mouth with a sigh. ¡°If only there were four or five of the kiddo. If there are no apostles, I think we can conquer the world.¡± Everyone but me laughed and the meeting ended. It¡¯s not funny, because that¡¯s what I am. CH 128 When we got back to the room and were alone, Mil sat down next to me. ¡°Al. What do you think the cat people are after?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything ¡­¡­ honestly. There¡¯s not much information to go on. There is absolutely nothing to disprove everyone¡¯s decision.¡± Mil seemed surprised. ¡°So you don¡¯t know too.¡± ¡°I can imagine all I want. But I can¡¯t do it when I¡¯m asked to provide evidence.¡± Mil sat down right next to me and asked. ¡°What kind?¡± ¡°How do you think the cat people are going to get their hands on our information?¡± ¡°Hmm. There¡¯s a limit to how many scouts they can use. We don¡¯t have much interaction right now, after all. If anyone tries to sneak in, they¡¯ll be found out right away.¡± ¡°Yes. So do we live in fear without knowing? Or do we run away?¡± ¡°It looks like they were pretty adamant about their land.¡± Mil seemed to remember the conversation with the cat people. ¡°The cat may be a humanoid version of the story that lives in the house. If the cat people do nothing ¡­¡­ one day we will attack them. And they know that they won¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°So what will they do? They¡¯re going to try to figure out what we¡¯re thinking and what we¡¯re going to do.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s where you start.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t think of the right strategy if you don¡¯t know your opponent.¡± Mil nodded. ¡°I agree. Al has always been trying to get to know his opponents, after all.¡± ¡°Even if they disguise themselves as someone else, our town is so interconnected that they¡¯re bound to be recognized.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like ¡­¡­ there¡¯s no person who doesn¡¯t have a relationship with anyone.¡± ¡°The other possibility is the ship that¡¯s coming and going from the main family. It can¡¯t penetrate the inner workings of our side too.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be stopped at the entrance, after all. And I don¡¯t think they have anything to do with the cat people deep in the forest.¡± Then I smiled mischievously. ¡°The only possibilities left are the messenger and winged tribe.¡± Mil¡¯s expression was surprised. So she didn¡¯t imagine it. ¡°You¡¯re letting a messenger sneak in?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t shut them out completely, you know. So there¡¯s a possibility. Can you get rid of all the stray cats? I think some of the stray cats are messengers.¡± Mil wanted to know a little more about it. She grabbed my hand. ¡°What about the winged tribe?¡± ¡°They can get close enough to avoid the patrol nets.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°You can use your far-seeing magic from there.¡± Mil was still not convinced. ¡°But why would the winged tribe help the cat people that much?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll help if it¡¯s just gathering information. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d like to know our motive too.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­¡­ Which one do you think it is, Al?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s both. They can get more accurate information by combining the two. It will give them a better idea of where to send their messenger.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± So I decided to ask her to think back to her past memories. ¡°It was during the attack on the town. Why do you think they were able to pinpoint the room we were in?¡± Mil¡¯s face changes like she¡¯s saying, ¡°That¡¯s right¡±. ¡°Ahhhhh! Could they have been inside the house too?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. It would have been caught by Mil¡¯s spying net. There are no cats in the mansion, so if it comes in, you would sense it.¡± ¡°You mean to the outside ¡­¡­ Then how will they come?¡± I said, sounding a bit like a teacher. ¡°First of all, is time a friend or foe to them? How will they know?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t time the enemy?¡± ¡°Of course not if you don¡¯t know about Operation Big Wave. I think we¡¯ll have more immigrants first, and then we¡¯ll run out of food and destroy ourselves.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s leaked?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be ready to deal with a horde of wild boars before they attack us. Their main focus is to protect their own home, after all.¡± Mil nodded her head in a cute way. She was a grown woman, but sometimes she also acts like a little girl. This side of her is also cute. Oops, let¡¯s not stretch our noses just yet. Mil, oblivious to my worldly desires, tilted her head. ¡°What difference does it make if they¡¯re prepared to deal with the wild boar?¡± I thought, ¡°I guess a beautiful woman can make such a picture too ¡­¡­¡±. ¡°They could monitor the abandoned farms. Or exterminate wild boars.¡± ¡°So you think it¡¯s not leaking.¡± ¡°Yes. The reconnaissance is to see if we¡¯re running out of food. They¡¯re looking for that possibility.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± I know it doesn¡¯t sound like much, but ¡­¡­ You can get a lot of information from outside too. ¡°If the food supply is low, there will be less patrols or a blatant increase in food procurement. You can see that from the outside, can¡¯t you?¡± Mil sighs and leans in closer to me. ¡°Huh. I still don¡¯t think I¡¯ll reach Al¡¯s world ¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get there. Especially you, since you¡¯re the one closest to me. I¡¯m looking at the world the way Mil looks at me.¡± She puffed her cheeks a little. ¡°I know it¡¯s selfish of me, but ¡­¡­ I want Al to keep looking only at me. It¡¯s impossible right now, though.¡± I hugged her shoulders in silence. Mil stayed silent and leaned. ¡°So that¡¯s what I¡¯d like to do when we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m thinking about it a lot because I probably want to help you, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not always thinking about the hard stuff.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Mil smiled. ¡°The wedding is all I can think about right now. It really makes me so happy to be an official bride, too. I¡¯ve been alone for so long. I¡¯ve always wanted a family, you know. And now, I got such a wonderful husband. Now I can proudly claim my ownership.¡± ¡°You can still claim it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different, you know. Husband.¡± ¡°Is it? Wife.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. Then, I guess the wedding will be okay.¡± ¡°I hope so ¡­¡­ They might see it as a festival and attack us.¡± The tone of Mil¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°If they do that, I¡¯m going to be very angry indeed.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be any great unity at the moment. If they do attack us, it¡¯ll be easy to fight them off.¡± Mil hugged me. ¡°It¡¯s fine then. I don¡¯t want to see Al ignoring the casualties of the battle, but¡­ I don¡¯t want to see you suffer because of worrying too much.¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s in my nature ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t like it, that¡¯s why I make plans.¡± ¡°I know¡­ but, that¡¯s not the point. Al¡¯s ideas are off point with what we discussed earlier in the meeting, aren¡¯t they?¡± I knew you¡¯d notice. I guess I can¡¯t fool Mil. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She pulled her body away from mine and looked at me with serious eyes. But she still kept one hand on me. ¡°But ¡­¡­ Al didn¡¯t say anything, did he? Why?¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ I want you guys to fail and move on.¡± ¡°You want us to fail?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you only succeed all the time ¡­¡­ you will become extremely afraid of failure. And failure becomes a bad thing.¡± Mil thought for a moment and let out a small sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe so.¡± ¡°And ¡­¡­ if you¡¯ve never fallen before, you won¡¯t be able to get right back up when you do.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be afraid of falling again.¡± Mil closed her eyes and pondered a bit. ¡°Yeah, I think I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°And even that choice won¡¯t result in any damage. I¡¯m not missing the point.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the blame, so don¡¯t worry about it and ¡­¡­¡± While I was speaking, Mil stopped my lips with her index finger. ¡°It¡¯s not me ¡­¡­ it¡¯s us. Don¡¯t leave me out.¡± I¡¯m really no match to you. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s us.¡± CH 129 In the middle of the night, as I gently nudged Mil who was sleeping happily beside me, I wondered if the enemy would really make a move on me. I said so, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel uncomfortable. I don¡¯t think that my thoughts are always right. I need to rethink my thinking. Are they waiting for us to starve? The cat people must know that we¡¯re preparing for a festival or something. We don¡¯t have enough food to do that. In other words, they must be guessing that we have some kind of food source. So what are they going to do when that happens? Will they provoke a riot of migrants and attack simultaneously? Not likely. The migrants have no reason to move aggressively now. "" In the first place, there is no effective means of communication. Then, will they launch a surprise attack? The surprise attack itself would be difficult and unprofitable. Moreover, the damage from the previous defeat is too great. If they fail here, the other tribes will probably turn in the cat people to save their own asses. Then they can sneak in and assassinate me. This was also a little too far away and difficult. In such a situation, what is the pattern of making the scouts visible? They are deliberately trying to draw our attention. We don¡¯t know when the cat people are going to attack. There is almost no option not to be attacked. There¡¯s only one possibility left. They must be confident that they can draw us into the cat people¡¯s territory and destroy or defeat us ¡­¡­ There may be a strong trap on the terrain. That is why they are deliberately trying to show up and draw us in. So is it right to be defensive and not take it lightly? The more I thought about it, the more I lost consciousness. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô With only two days left until the wedding and the festival, a ship came into port. It seems that the unpopular woman Silvana ran into the port. Maybe it was the family of Silvana¡¯s master. Mil had come to the same conclusion. ¡°Vana ran into the harbor, but I wonder if it was her master.¡± ¡°Probably so.¡± After a while, something seemed to have caught Mil¡¯s attention. ¡°Al. Vana¡¯s here.¡± I nodded silently. The mansion¡¯s sensing is now at a professional level. If there was anything that the plants could detect, Mil would know about it. Then, with the sound of hurried footsteps, the unpopular woman Silvana came running in. ¡°Al! The master and the others are here!¡± ¡°Where are they now?¡± The unpopular woman Silvana can use the mansion quite freely. She¡¯s the guild¡¯s contact and my friend. She¡¯s become quite flexible. Compared to the time when she was adventuring, she is treated incomparably better. "" She seems to be comfortable. Except for the lack of entertainment and alcohol. ¡°The usual reception room.¡± ¡°Shall I go meet them then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with you today, Brother.¡± I decided to take Kiara and Elite Guard Ale Ahokainen to meet with the master. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The person waiting for me in the room looked like a seasoned adventurer. He was a rugged middle-aged man with red hair and red eyes. The one next to him is probably his wife. A human woman of around 30, with black hair and eyes. She looks strong-willed, but has a shady look on her face. In between the couple is a child. There was a human girl around five years old with red hair, black mesh and dark eyes. ¡°Welcome to Ravenna. I am Alfred Della Scala, the feudal lord of the town.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana opens her mouth. ¡°Oh, let me introduce you.¡± A middle-aged man stopped her with his hand. ¡°No ¡­¡­ Silvana, I can at least say hello myself. I¡¯m Gerald Rosa.¡± The woman continued, bowing. ¡°I¡¯m Despina Rosa.¡± The girl hides behind her mother. The mother looked at the child and gave a small smile. ¡°This child is Arsinoe Rosa.¡± I urged for the three of them to be seated. We sat down and waited for tea and sweets to be served. Arsinoe¡¯s eyes were glued to the sweets. ¡°Please don¡¯t hesitate. That¡¯s why we brought them out.¡± At my words, Arsinoe began to chew on the sweets. So let¡¯s get down to business. ¡°You are Ms. Silvana¡¯s master and his family, right?¡± Gerald straightened his back. ¡°Yes. As an adventurer, I can¡¯t work on the front lines anymore, but ¡­¡­. Even so, she said that I could be of help in some way, so we¡¯re here to thank you for having us. ¡° ¡°I want you to make use of the know-how you have accumulated as an adventurer. My immediate request is to train the citizens to make it that they can protect themselves.¡± Gerald replied, a little nervously. ¡°Of course. I¡¯d be happy to work with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you with Ms. Silvana ¡­¡­ we¡¯ll do it later, but I was hoping you could talk to the chief military officer about that.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Are you sure you only want Mr. Gerald to work here?¡± Gerald and Despina looked at each other and nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s possible, could you give Despina a job as well?¡± ¡°Is that fine with you, Ma¡¯am?¡± Arsinoe stopped chewing on her candy and grasped Despina¡¯s hand tightly. Despina looked at Arsinoe and smiled reassuringly. Arsinoe started to chew on the candy again. That¡¯s really sweet. I don¡¯t have a taste for little girls, you know. It¡¯s just purely sweet. ¡°Silvana told me ¡­¡­ that this place is safe for children, So it¡¯s fine.¡± But it¡¯s not like you can come here all of a sudden and leave the child alone. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel uneasy. I¡¯ll have to talk to her first. ¡°By the way ¡­¡­ what can you do, Ms. Despina?¡± Despina seemed to be nervous as well. ¡°I can heal and read and write.¡± My brow naturally creases. What¡¯s a good person like you doing in retirement? ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ I hope you don¡¯t mind if I ask you a few questions.¡± Despina stiffened even more. ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so good, Ms. Despina, you must be in great demand, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t think you need to come all the way to this remote place.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana who had been silent until now, leaned forward. ¡°Sister Pina, this is a place where race has nothing to do with anything. You can just throw away your common sense from that side.¡± Race? I thought you were human. To be honest ¡­¡­ it¡¯s not really important. Despina looked at the unpopular woman Silvana and gave a small nod. And then she nodded to Gerald as well. Despina has a determined look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m a quarter of a demon. It¡¯s hard to tell them apart from the rest of us, but they¡¯re still ¡­¡­ there.¡± She brushed up her hair. I can see a few horn marks on it. Did she cut it off? However ¡­¡­ I thought demons were in the apostles¡¯ harem. It¡¯s supposed to be a recognized species. When she saw me thinking, the unpopular woman Silvana cleared her throat. ¡°Al. You¡¯re a nobleman, so you probably don¡¯t know this. But, the demon tribe is recognized as a race, but it¡¯s avoided by ordinary people.¡± I see. So there are a lot of things going on. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not familiar with world affairs. After all, I¡¯m just the son of a great aristocrat. ¡°That¡¯s about it? Is there anything else?¡± I said it so lightly that Despina froze in surprise. Gerald also froze. The unpopular woman Silvana starts laughing. ¡°Master, common sense of the outside world doesn¡¯t work on Al, you know.¡± You make it sound as if I lack common sense. I didn¡¯t want to be told that by the unpopular woman Silvana at least. CH 130 Isn¡¯t this the only thing you don¡¯t want to be told? An alcoholic warning you about your health. Or an obese fat man pointing out your lack of exercise. I don¡¯t want to be told that by you at least. Don¡¯t you want to say it out loud? I was told by the unpopular woman Silvana that I had no common sense. That¡¯s exactly how I feel. Despina, who had been rigid, finally started to move. ¡°No, that¡¯s all ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, may I ask you to be a literature teacher for the children? Then you can keep an eye on your kid.¡± Let¡¯s go straight to the job description I want her to do. ¡°I¡¯d also like you to teach me some recovery techniques, but that can wait until you¡¯re more settled. If you can also teach me recovery magic, I¡¯ll pay you extra wages. Please discuss the details with my sister, Kiara.¡± Then, Kiara introduced herself. ¡°I Alfred¡¯s sister, Kiara, at your service.¡± Despina looked as if she wanted to say something. I know what she wants to say. It¡¯s not important to me. I dare to be blunt. ¡°There is one person who teaches children to write, who is Ms. Delphine Masia. I¡¯ll introduce you to her later. Please coordinate with her.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana started laughing unbearably. ¡°Sister Pina. To Al, it doesn¡¯t matter what race you are.¡± I was a little annoyed at the way she said that. ¡°It does matter to me. When the beastmen go into the public baths, they end up with a lot of hair floating in the water.¡± This is pretty serious, but¡­ ¡°I¡¯m wondering what we should do about that problem.¡± Gerald and Despina stiffened. I think it¡¯s time to end this charade. I say seriously. ¡°I have only one question for my citizens. Will you abide by the rules of Ravenna? ¡­¡­ That one question only.¡± Oh, there¡¯s one more thing. ¡°Oh, and ¡­¡­ In two days, there will be a festival and my wedding in this town. If you want, you can show up. It¡¯s going to be a bit noisy during that time, though. If you prefer a quieter environment, please excuse us.¡± I made a signal with my eyes to the unpopular woman Silvana. ¡°Then you and Ms. Silvana can work out the rest.¡± As I was about to leave the room I was stopped by Gerald and Despina. ¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with you.¡± ¡° They bowed to me. Arsinoe also bowed a little while holding the candy. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± I also gave a short reply and left the room. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Kiara started giggling. ¡°They were really taken aback at brother¡¯s response.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to startle them, though.¡± The Elite Guard officer, Ale Ahokainen, said with a wry smile. ¡°Milord is a walking wonder machine, after all.¡± That¡¯s a terrible thing to say. However, I am grateful that I have someone to educate the children. And then there¡¯s that kid ¡­¡­ It must hard to make friends because of her upbringing. She is also very shy. I should take some action. In that case, I can just ask the kid¡¯s boss for help. I then went to visit Manora while I was on my way to lay the groundwork. ¡°Ah, my lord¡­¡± She seems to be in good spirits today. ¡°Hello, Manora. How are you?¡± ¡°Yes! My lord! You¡¯re getting married soon, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Manora imitated Kiara¡¯s request pose. You don¡¯t have to imitate anything weird, though ¡­¡­. ¡°Can I be at the wedding too?¡± ¡°If the doctor says it¡¯s okay, of course.¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine now.¡± Children have a lot of energy ¡­¡­. It¡¯s hard to sit still in a hospital room when everyone else is making noise, after all ¡­¡­ ¡°You can if you¡¯re being obedient.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m being obedient!¡± Really ¡­¡­ ¡°I came here today to ask a favor of Manora.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She doesn¡¯t need any extra information. ¡°We¡¯ve got a new kid on the here. She¡¯s a little shy, but can you be her friend if you can?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Okay, I got the boss¡¯s approval. She¡¯s very good at taking care of others, so I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be lonely now. On the way back to the mansion, Ale Ahokainen murmured with a hint of astonishment ¡­¡­ and admiration. ¡°You really like children, don¡¯t you, my lord?¡± He is a resident for a reason and has children. The important thing is that the child can live in a safe environment. Once they know that, they will be able to settle down and exert themselves. That¡¯s why. CH 131 Finally, it was the day of the wedding and the festival. Partly because I hadn¡¯t had the chance in my previous life, I couldn¡¯t help but feel restless. Today, the Elite Guard¡¯s captain, Jules, is in charge of the escort. It was decided that the wedding would be the first look. So I¡¯m waiting in the other room for Mil to finish her preparations. I¡¯ve never worn a white garment before, and it¡¯s ¡­¡­ very embarrassing. But ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be killed if I say the black clothes of the template. When Jules saw me looping around the room, he looked at me in astonishment. ¡°My lord ¡­¡­ the bride will not run away. Why don¡¯t you calm down?¡± I know, but ¡­¡­ I just can¡¯t calm down. ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ I just can¡¯t seem to relax.¡± The bridesmaid, Kiara, is laughing. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen brother act like his age.¡± If I kept going around and around, Kiara would get mad at me. ¡°Brother, please sit down. It will be black history.¡± I stopped moving and sat down on a chair. ¡°Before I left on my pilgrimage, I never dreamed that I would be married in a year. I never dreamed of that, after all ¡­¡­¡± Kiara, too, sighed with a faraway look in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m in a state of shock as well.¡± When I was feeling a bit sentimental, I was called in. Mil was waiting for me in another room, so I knocked on the door and entered. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I couldn¡¯t help but admire her. She was wearing a light green dress that gave her a mysterious look. Today, she wore her hair up, which was a refreshing change. I really wanted to take a picture ¡­¡­ Mil asks a little shyly. ¡°How is it ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful that I was fascinated by you ¡­¡­¡± ¡°T-T-Thank you. Al looks great in that outfit too.¡± After a few moments of my back itching, the two of us walked arm in arm to the venue. The ceremony was to be held in front of the statue we had built as a symbol of the city. My maid of honor was Kiara, and Mil¡¯s was Silvana. (As expected, she don¡¯t feel like wearing an unpopular dress today.) This would be the first time we would put into practice the plans the women had made for the ceremony. It seems that they did their best to keep the religious element to zero. Someone said they would have a review meeting later. First, the bride and groom faced each other in front of the statue and pledged their love to each other. At this point, I was embarrassed to the max. The bridesmaid listens to the oath. Then they both signed the marriage vows as a sign that they have heard them. Kiara, of course, and Silvana are taking it very seriously. The vows are said to be stored in the city¡¯s archives. We each received a necklace from our bridesmaid to wear around our necks. I kept it simple. Mil¡¯s necklace was also simple and unobtrusive. She seemed to have thought I would do that and matched it. The bride and groom kissed each other in marriage ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve done this on the spur of the moment, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s really embarrassing. But it¡¯s bad for Mil to hesitate here. I thought I did it as smartly as I could, but it was ¡­¡­ awkward. The bride will toss her bouquet. Mil turned around and threw it lightly. I feel like it was a clich¨¦, but ¡­¡­ Delphine got it. Naturally, there was a chilling whistle from all the knights. The rest of the party was to be held at the ceremony site (outdoors this time), where we would drink and eat. Later on, everyone made fun of me for being stiff. Manora even laughed at me. I mean, I was completely blank. It seems that it was easy for Mil. She was more than happy to see how tense I was, and tried her best to hold back her laughter. When the party was over, the groom took the bride in his arms and went through the gate of the house. The door of the house was opened in advance. After all, Mil is very light. That¡¯s how the tense wedding ended. By the way, the dress will be made available for another wedding if there is someone of a similar size. A vacant building in the city was to be preserved as a marriage memorial. In the marriage hall, costumes will be displayed for everyone to see. They can prepare them themselves, or rent them from this stock. I heard that the wedding dresses of public figures will be in here. If they make their own, though, it will be theirs. The power of women is amazing when it comes to stories like this. I went back to my room and changed into normal clothes. The two of us were limp in bed. ¡°I¡¯m tired ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t realize how exhausting it would be ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad everything went off without a hitch today.¡± Mil chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m really glad. But since we¡¯ve been living together for so long, it doesn¡¯t really feel real to me.¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ But it feels like closure.¡± ¡°Oh, so today I¡¯m going to be Milva Rayala Della Scala?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mil was smiling. ¡°I see.¡± Seeing this, I ended up wanting to say. ¡°Today, I¡¯m not going to think about anything but you.¡± Mil blushed in surprise. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t talk to me like you¡¯re hitting on me after getting married.¡± ¡°Should I not?¡± Mil¡¯s cheeks flush red and she turns to the side. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± She said, leaning in closer. I really want to keep my strategy to myself for today. From tomorrow, it will be a battle in the devil¡¯s territory again, after all. CH 132 Since I got married, I¡¯ve been concentrating on building infrastructure and administrative structures. Once the area is leveled, it¡¯s the honeymoon. As for my life, Mil and I have changed our minds about something. Not in a bad way, but in the direction of trying to get to know each other better. To be honest, I stopped thinking for a few days. There was one thing that I had forgotten since I got married. It wasn¡¯t that I was trying to forget. It¡¯s just that I was so strangely merry by married life that ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. Operation Big Wave. That¡¯s when Mil asked me about the wild boar. I looked at her for a moment and wondered what she was talking about. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Mil look at me with such a blank stare. ¡°Al ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t tell me, you forgot?¡± ¡°I was so excited about being a newlywed that I forgot ¡­¡­¡± Mil laughed at me as hard as she could. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. You can¡¯t let everyone know.¡± I had to scramble my head to cover it up. Mil smiled. ¡°Before we got married, I thought you were an outrageous person, but ¡­¡­ Now that we¡¯re married, I realized that you¡¯re a person too.¡± I¡¯m a person, you know ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next day at the representatives¡¯ meeting, I secretly plan to start again. I checked with Charles on the number of wild boars hanging out in the old farmland. Because we¡¯re still using scouts to survey the numbers. Charles grinned at me when I asked. ¡°Have you woken up from your honeymoon?¡± I can¡¯t say anything back. ¡­¡­ Charles starts laughing and telling the backstory. I¡¯ve been working too hard since development started. Isn¡¯t it okay to have a honeymoon at least? That¡¯s what he said, and everyone let it off the hook. The only person who thought we hadn¡¯t been caught was me. What a mistake. Charles turned a serious face. ¡°The scouts report that the number has increased considerably. It seems to be spreading.¡± It was unexpectedly fast. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll start even sooner ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯ll take steps to deal with the possible situation. ¡°Kiara, please negotiate with the head family. Can we trade dried boar meat for seasonings and vegetables?¡± ¡°Oh? Will we trade with the head family?¡± ¡°Because ¡­¡­ Will everyone be satisfied with wild boar meat all the time?¡± Everyone stiffened. The teacher looks up to the sky. ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t do that ¡­¡­ Wild boar meat in the morning. Wild boar meat in the afternoon. Wild boar meat as a snack for drinks in the evening. It¡¯s torture.¡± ¡°The Villani¡¯s need to find out how to cook wild boar meat from someone with experience. Mr. Oracio, Mr. Touko and Mr. Rosa should start preparing for the hunt together. Mr. Abraham, please formulate a plan to prevent them from invading our farmland. We have a lot of people from the dog tribe, after all. They should be suitable for the defense.¡± Everyone nodded at my instructions. However, there is one more condition for this. ¡°Please don¡¯t over-hunt. We¡¯ll have them rushing into other places.¡± "" Touko folded his arms and growled. ¡°You want to use the wrath of nature? That sounds terrible.¡± To be honest, it¡¯s not a good idea and I¡¯m not keen on it. ¡°It¡¯s not really an area that people should be messing with, though.¡± Abraham nodded his head, seemingly in doubt. ¡°I think it¡¯s a clever strategy. What are the disadvantages of this strategy?¡± It must have seemed like a strange move to him. It¡¯s a bit difficult, you know. I folded my arms with a reluctant look on my face. ¡°The long-term effects on other tribes will be unpredictable. ¡° Abraham is still nodding his head. ¡°What do you mean by unpredictable?¡± ¡°How will they move when the boars destroy the farmland? I was wondering if the power of the demon tribe that is keeping the monsters in check would weaken and the whole region would become chaotic.¡± Abraham nodded his head in agreement. ¡°You mean it will affect the entire region? You¡¯re right, we don¡¯t even know all the groups. So it¡¯s forbidden. If you say with a straight face that a wild boar is forbidden, people usually laugh at you.¡± That¡¯s how it is. In fact, there is a more dangerous trap waiting for them. It¡¯s no use agitating about it at this point. ¡°It¡¯s a card we played because it¡¯s an emergency. Never mind that, we need to increase food production on a permanent basis.¡± Ludvig raised his hand in a rare gesture. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to build a new city and increase the amount of land under cultivation. It¡¯s a long way from the town to hunt wild boar every time we go out, after all.¡± ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s build a camp to serve as the prototype for the town. We¡¯ll have soldiers stationed there, and they¡¯ll be engaged in farming.¡± It¡¯s a kind of field-encampment soldiers, but in this case, it¡¯s for the best. Charles leaned forward with interest. We¡¯ve been talking about a camp for a while. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve made plans privately. ¡°Shall we get on with it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to. But only after the wild boars have settled down¡± The teacher sighed. ¡°I hope the boars won¡¯t show up in my dreams. How many times did the word ¡°boar¡± come up today alone ¡­¡­¡± CH 133 Finally, the wild boar started to go crazy. I never thought I¡¯d have to use something like this. For the time being, we have enough to satisfy our food needs. And there was one more big change. The cat tribe¡¯s movements had stopped. It seems that they have their hands full dealing with the situation. Then, a big problem arose. The supply of wild boar meat is much larger than expected. Yes, we are bored. In other words, the residents are complaining. They are tired of eating wild boar meat all the time. They want to eat something different. A week goes by at this pace. Meat, meat, meat, fish meat, meat, meat. The meat dessert was a sausage made from the intestines. I knew that, so I¡¯m taking quick action. But I also arranged for an exchange with dried meat ¡­¡­ We don¡¯t have that much coming and going with the original family. If you take too much fish, the rest is not good. There¡¯s no way we can get crops right away. To be honest, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. At the representatives¡¯ meeting, I had to give up for the first time. ¡°I can¡¯t solve this problem with my head alone! Can someone please give me a good idea for ¡­¡­ Something that won¡¯t let them starve. I¡¯ve tried to think of ways to make it not as frustrating as possible, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s not working. I want to throw all the kitchen wisdom to the ladies.¡± When I cried out, everyone laughed at me. As a result, the women¡¯s group took the initiative to devise a plan. Once word got out that I had cried at the meeting, the residents quieted down. They seemed to realize that they had been selfish. I wonder ¡­¡­ It¡¯s funny how something you¡¯ve thought about so hard can be solved by crying in a meeting, isn¡¯t it? ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I complained about it when it was just the three of us, Mil and Kiara. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m lamenting the unreasonableness of the world.¡± The two of them laughed at me. Kiara was in tears from laughing so much, but she caught her breath and wiped away the tears. ¡°That¡¯s because everyone knows of how hard you¡¯ve been working for them. Everyone knows that.¡± Mil gave me a look that was almost a wry smile. It¡¯s not a teary-eyed look. She was smiling, but her gaze was gentle. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Even Al gave up, after all. Everyone realized that their demands were selfish.¡± ¡°Is that how it is?¡± Kiara was still smiling at my frustration. ¡°Yes, it is. Brother¡¯s thinking is very focused on strategy, after all. Even you can¡¯t think about the details in the kitchen.¡± Mil grabbed my hand and winked at me. ¡°You just need to think ¡­¡­ until they don¡¯t let them starve to death. From there, you can just leave it to others.¡± I¡¯m still not convinced. ¡°Hmm, I wonder if that¡¯s okay.¡± Kiara still looks at me with dissatisfaction and shrugs her shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s say brother keeps worrying about the taste of the wild boar meat. What if there are casualties as a result of the delay in dealing with the conflict?¡± That would be dumb ¡­¡­ Mil laughed and nodded. ¡°She¡¯s right. Al tells everyone to think. But he¡¯s trying to figure everything out on his own.¡± I scratched my head, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll just pay attention to strategy. Is it okay if I leave the kitchen-related arrangements to you two?¡± The both of them looked at each other and started laughing again. Mil laughed and said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that, you can just say ¡°do the rest¡±.¡± Kiara started laughing again, as if she had gotten the point. ¡°Brother. It¡¯s a bit strange to equate strategy with the taste of meat.¡± I¡¯ve been taking a lot of hits from the ladies today ¡­¡­ I think I¡¯m spinning my wheels a bit. I guess I¡¯ll relax for a bit. CH 134 I feel like I¡¯ve become an idiot since I got married. It¡¯s not good ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want her to get fed up with me. It¡¯s not going to happen, but it¡¯s a matter of man¡¯s honor too. I¡¯ve got to get back on track. I felt it keenly once again. The animals in this world grow fast. It¡¯s more than twice as fast as in my previous life. The mortality rate is high because of the monsters living in the world. This is probably the reason why they evolved to be prolific and grow fast. However ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t think they would be that fast and that many ¡­¡­ Thanks to that, it¡¯s ¡°meat meat meat meat meat meat meat meat¡±! "" It¡¯s like they only think about the apostles and don¡¯t care about important information about food. If you are a local hunter or tribe, you probably know about it. But still, it¡¯s only local. It¡¯s too bad, this world. Watch me, and I¡¯ll turn it upside down. That said, we have a problem. It¡¯s a good thing I started the fire, but it¡¯s getting too big. I put on a cool face, but inside, I was panicking. How do I put out the fire? It¡¯s a simple theory that we should defeat it faster than it grows. (T/N: The fire he¡¯s talking about is the wild boar.) ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô While I was thinking about this, Kiara called me. ¡°Brother. Please stop your thinking there.¡± I was lost in thought at the representatives¡¯ meeting. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how to deal with the wild boar fiasco.¡± Charles gave an unusually distant look. ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about food anymore, but we¡¯re getting tired of it ¡­¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll send the surplus to the head family and increase the variety of items we exchange.¡± Gerald, who had been dragged into the representatives¡¯ meeting and had become a regular, raised his hand. I nodded and encouraged him to speak. ¡°Skins and bones have their uses. I¡¯d like to have them processed so that they don¡¯t rot, but there are so many that we can¡¯t keep up. In addition, we can no longer keep up with the processing of unused parts of internal organs. We can¡¯t turn them all into sausages.¡± Delphine, who had become a regular attendee of the meeting, raised her hand cheerfully. She may look like a quiet person, but she¡¯s been working as a receptionist for the guild for quite some time now. She¡¯s pretty quick and efficient. Originally, I would like Despina-san to attend the meeting. But she refrains from doing so because it would be inconvenient for her to leave her child. I nodded and encouraged her to talk as well. ¡°Let¡¯s have the children help with them. It¡¯s an emergency, and there¡¯s no danger. I don¡¯t know how to deal with the internal organs and stuff, though.¡± I don¡¯t know anything about composting ¡­¡­ And we don¡¯t have any manure to use as a base. The smell is strong too. The technology of this world has not reached that point. The teacher smiled casually at my bitter face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just throw it in the river?¡± If we¡¯re not careful, the ocean will be in trouble due to a massive plankton outbreak. The effects will definitely be faster than in the world before my reincarnation. ¡°No. If the amount is too large, it will affect the fishing industry. There will probably be some sort of ¡­¡­ mutation in the ocean and the fish will die in large numbers. Would you reduce the catch of fish in the current state?¡± Everyone was silent. Rabo Villani raised his hand. I decided to encourage him to speak. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°How about digging a hole and burying it? Even if we burn it, the wood is important for building houses.¡± Yes, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s simple, but effective. ¡°We don¡¯t have to treat everything in one way. The Ministry of Civil Affairs should consider the method of disposal. It¡¯s okay to dump some of it into the river.¡± Let¡¯s leave the disposal to them. Let¡¯s see what everyone has to say about children¡¯s labor. ¡°What do you guys think about having kids help out?¡± The teacher folded his arms and looked at me. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea. But ¡­¡­ We¡¯ll have to figure out how long this emergency will last. The kids will ask too. Only adults will understand if we say we don¡¯t know, right?¡± Yes, that¡¯s true. Children need to be told when to quit. They¡¯ll get bored if they don¡¯t have a deadline of at least that long. ¡°That¡¯s right. The time frame for considering a child as a member of the workforce is several months. I think it¡¯s within six months ¡­¡­ More than that, I¡¯m not sure yet. That¡¯s where I¡¯ll try to control the numbers. I¡¯m thinking about the distribution of the boars and maybe driving some of them away a bit.¡± Mil gave me a strange look. ¡°Can you do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡­ to some extent, though.¡± They all looked at each other. Charles smiled wickedly. "" ¡°Finally, Milord is beginning to look like a feudal lord.¡± The teacher also smiled wickedly. ¡°There were even rumors that he was abnormal only when he was sixteen.¡± Even Oracio laughed. ¡°It was said that he was at his peak by the time he was sixteen, and that he deteriorated rapidly when he turned seventeen.¡± You guys are all terrible. Even Touko joined the chase. ¡°It was said that he was boned by his wife.¡± Kiara does a dexterous trick of tugging at one of her cheeks while laughing. Mil turned bright red and stood up. ¡°H-Hey! I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve done that much since we¡¯ve been married ¡­¡­!¡± Mil, why are you blowing yourself up ¡­¡­ Mil cringes and looks to me for help. But I can¡¯t just leave it there, so I have to follow up on it. I cleared my throat like it¡¯s intentional. ¡°Anyway ¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t really changed since I turned 17. It¡¯s just that I got too excited since I got married.¡± Charles gave a follow-up that was not a follow-up. ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s a relief to know that you are a normal person.¡± Damn it ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve become a tool for everyone¡¯s amusement. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. ¡°Please burn down the old farmland near the cat people¡¯s territory.¡± The teacher looked at me like I made no sense. ¡°Burn it down?¡± ¡°If the boars can¡¯t find a place where they can easily get nourishment, they¡¯ll move on to the next place.¡± The teacher looked up at the ceiling as if anticipating the future. ¡°So there is no danger of all the wild boars coming to this side?¡± ¡°Some of them will drift over. If we just want to burn it, they will just spread out from the old farmland. So ¡­¡­ I¡¯d like you to expand the burning area to some extent so that they don¡¯t come to this side.¡± Abraham seemed to understand the purpose. ¡°I see, so we¡¯ll guide them ¡­¡­ But can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°After the burning, the land will be unusable as farmland for a while. Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it by harvesting from other sources. Only one part will be burned. I¡¯d like to know how long it will take before we can use it as farmland again.¡± Oracio pondered. ¡°We¡¯ve never farmed in burned farmland before.¡± While they all looked at each other with a troubled expression, one of them, Kiara, smiled. ¡°Mario will do his best to find out if we can contact the family.¡± Mario is going to lose weight again ¡­¡­ CH 135 The representatives¡¯ meeting is over. I¡¯m supposed to be the last one to leave. It¡¯s also a sign that anyone who wants to talk to me should wait. Mil and Kiara are always with me, though. Unusually, Gerald was still here. Apparently, he retired because he felt that it¡¯s too much for his age. If something happened to him, his wife and children would be left behind. That¡¯s what he thought when I retired ¡­¡­ When he returned to his hometown, things were not going well. It seems that the wives of demon quarters were shunned, and they felt uncomfortable. Because of this, there was little work and life was hard. He decided to move to a new place because he thought that his wife and children would not have to live in such cramped conditions. That¡¯s what he heard before. He stayed, but seemed to be at a loss for words, so I decided to ask him. ¡°Mr. Rosa, you have something to tell me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. It¡¯s about Despina, but ¡­¡­. Is it really fine?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve seen a lot of wolf people and beastmen in human society. There are many adventurers as well. But you rarely see demons.¡± That reminds me, I¡¯ve never seen them before. There were also beastmen on the pilgrimage. I¡¯ve never seen an elf, dwarf, or demon before. Elves basically don¡¯t come out to human villages. Dwarves seem to settle down and work, and I never saw them on the pilgrimage. I¡¯ve never heard anything regarding demons, though. ¡°You¡¯re right, I haven¡¯t seen any.¡± ¡°Demons are ostensibly allowed in human society. But only the ¡­¡­ demon race is recognized. It¡¯s only the demon race that has ever been hostile to humans as a species. But that was over a thousand years ago.¡± That¡¯s right, there was a story about that. Gerald¡¯s face is serious. I think it¡¯s going to be a heavy story from here. ¡°So, when the apostle is not around, the hostility towards the demon race comes out.¡± Do you have a backstory for me? ¡°What do you mean by ¡­¡­ when they¡¯re not here?¡± ¡°The demon tribe will always offer the apostle the most beautiful girl they can find.¡± Seriously? The more discomfort I perceive, the more grumpy I become. From my pre-reincarnation senses, I did not like the idea of offering women as human sacrifices. If she is trying to get into the limelight, it¡¯s a different story. Gerald looked at me with a curious expression on his face. ¡°Of course, it would be disrespectful to say that they were offered ¡­¡­ So they¡¯re going to make it look like it¡¯s voluntary.¡± ¡°Will they ever find out?¡± ¡°They teach them from an early age. She will be devoted to the apostle from the bottom of her heart.¡± ¡­¡­ here too? It¡¯s a disgusting story indeed. ¡°What does that have to do with the disagreement between demons and humans?¡± ¡°The number of people who can receive the Apostle¡¯s favor is limited. The whole world is fighting behind the scenes for that seat.¡± The benefits of the lottery are unbelievable. It would change their life forever. ¡°I¡¯m sure they do.¡± ¡°And the demon race has a reserved seat for one person every time. The other races don¡¯t have such a rule.¡± I hate to admit it, but I know why. I hope I¡¯m wrong. I know it¡¯s a futile expectation. But I guess I¡¯ll confirm it. ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± ¡°A girl of a species that they fought with in the past adores them. I guess It will satisfy the apostle¡¯s need for protection and self-esteem. So it¡¯s an advantage.¡± I wanted to be wrong. I don¡¯t think Gerald hit the nail on the head because of external jealousy. He¡¯s been so assertive, he must have primary information. In secondary information, it is an estimated word. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± ¡°Because my wife¡¯s ancestor is the girl who is to be offered up. The ancestor heard about the intention by accident. She said she ran away from that disgust. She couldn¡¯t go back to the demon tribe anymore, and when she escaped, she was united with another human being. Their offspring is my wife.¡± You¡¯re starting to see why Gerald worries so much. However ¡­¡­ To me, it¡¯s a ridiculous reason. I don¡¯t feel the need to be considerate. ¡°To the demons, she¡¯s the descendant of a traitor, and to the humans, she¡¯s a distraction who¡¯s taking away their precious seat.¡± Gerald nodded emotionlessly. ¡°My lord accepts many different races. The demon tribe may bring up the story of my wife¡¯s ancestors. It is a known story among the demon tribes. Of course, this story has been replaced by something else. For us, it was enough to be able to live here ¡­¡­¡± Gerald shook his head helplessly. I waited in silence for him to continue. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the work my wife would be given would be important. My lord has even entrusted her with the important job of educator. Eventually, you would like her to attend the representatives¡¯ meetings, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± The children¡¯s educations are very important. If you can use them, of course, you should use them. If the person doesn¡¯t mind, that is. ¡°Yes. But only after the child has grown. As long as Ms. Despina is okay with it, that¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous ¡­¡­¡± as if Gerald is saying that, shaking his head strongly. ¡°If we were to ask the demons to join us, my wife¡¯s position would be an obstacle. Are you still okay with that?¡± Even that didn¡¯t it get through to him? Or is it that the common sense of this world is so strong? ¡°As for me, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing that your wife¡¯s ancestors ran away. Even if it¡¯s a bad thing to give up a thousand steps ¡­¡­ Your descendants will be accused of the crime. I would never tolerate such a thing.¡± In order for him to know that I was serious, I made my words stronger. ¡°If the demons bring up the past and reject it. I don¡¯t need them. I don¡¯t see the point in suggesting that we join forces.¡± Gerald seemed surprised. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re so protective of my wife ¡­¡­¡± I interrupted Gerald with my hand. ¡°It¡¯s not for your wife¡¯s sake. Please don¡¯t misunderstand me on that. I haven¡¯t made a statement yet, but ¡­¡­ Only those who follow the laws of Ravenna are eligible to be accepted as citizens. As for the purpose of the law, I¡¯ll make a statement in the near future. But this is a definite decision. If you are guilty of a crime, the punishment must be limited to you. There will never be a general guilt by association, or a guilt by descent.¡± Gerald stared at me. He looked at me with a determined expression on his face. ¡°I understand. Then please give my wife the job you think she deserves. She was really happy to be able to work for the good of all, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you ¡­¡­ But, that¡¯s only after your children have grown up.¡± Gerald scratched his head, embarrassed for the first time. ¡°No. My daughter has made her first friend, and she doesn¡¯t want to stay home. It seems like she was so happy. I heard that the Lord had arranged it. Despina and I talked about how glad we are that we came.¡± I wonder if we need a temporary place to keep her. I¡¯ll leave that to the ladies. As I was thinking this, Gerald grinned. ¡°You¡¯re so caring and considerate of so many people. Not many 30-year-olds can do that. You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re sixteen ¡­¡­ or even seventeen at all.¡± That again? CH 136 A large population of wild boars. Almost no other tribe would have the know-how to deal with them. Their know-how is limited to using the apostles. Such is the world. The other tribes would surely be in chaos and face food problems. Even if they did use the boar as food, they wouldn¡¯t be able to think about processing it. If they don¡¯t dispose of the bodies properly, they¡¯ll have a lot of problems, starting with a massive outbreak of maggots. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to handle it. I can say this with confidence. That I¡¯m fighting with the world¡¯s lamest and most humble means. It¡¯s also a very simple story. And we¡¯re on the defensive here. We have food supplies, and we have taken measures to deal with the wild boars. If the population was dispersed, it would be difficult to deal with. But since they¡¯re concentrated in one place, we can concentrate our labor force. Since we already have time on our side, there is no need to force ourselves to move. Our strategy is basically to make time our ally. I¡¯ve been taking steps to make sure that happens. No matter what kind of surprise our opponent has in store, it will be based on the assumption that we will make a move. Strategically, there was nothing left they can do but to take us by surprise. Even if the cat people tried to draw us in, we would stay back and do nothing. The only moves they can make in this situation are kidnapping children and assassinating important people. ¡°Thinking mode again?¡± Mil¡¯s voice jolted me back to reality. "" She is a little angry, her cheeks puffed up. Oh shit ¡­¡­. After the day was over, we went back to my room and unintentionally ¡­¡­ ¡°I told you that if you have something on your mind, you should talk to me about it.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry, just a habit ¡­¡­¡± Mil sighed. ¡°Yes, yes. Then ¡­¡­ Spit it out. ¡° ¡°In this situation ¡­¡­ the other tribes is thinking what they can do against us.¡± ¡°Al said that if we wait, they will raise their voice.¡± ¡°Yes, and what can the other tribes do in such a time of distress?¡± Mil started thinking. ¡°Hmmm, what do you have?¡± ¡°The cat people are trying to drag us closer to their stronghold.¡± ¡°Yes, they are. But Al doesn¡¯t want to do that.¡± That¡¯s right. It doesn¡¯t matter if we don¡¯t do what the opponent wishes us to do. ¡°What are the situations in which we really need to attack?¡± Mil folded her arms and pondered. ¡°If Al gets hurt ¡­¡­ or a child gets kidnapped, I guess? I think that¡¯s what will happen when I¡¯m furious.¡± ¡°Yes, it would. Then what are the chances of me getting killed by someone?¡± Mil gave me a heartfelt look of disgust. But I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t like the fact that she spoke before I could even say what I¡¯m thinking. ¡°That¡¯s impossible because I have my search surrounding on the house. They don¡¯t know where Al¡¯s traps are, so it¡¯s not safe from the air either.¡± ¡°Yes. In this case, they can¡¯t rely on their flight ability unless they know what¡¯s causing them to lose their ability to fly.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think they used their familiar?¡± (T/N: Changed the messenger to familiar, because the familiar of the cat tribe is a cat, after all. I guess they can use cats and get information that way, just like how the Elves use the trees, plants, grasses, etc. I¡¯m wrong before, so I¡¯m sorry for that.) Mil has been with me for a long time now. That¡¯s how she got into the habit of thinking. It made me happy, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You¡¯ve got a good point. The only thing they could find out through their agent was that I was breaking glass and scattering it. What do you think they¡¯ll think of the purpose of all this is?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s to stop them on the ground ¡­¡­ It wouldn¡¯t work with boots. I think they¡¯ll think it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Well, the winged tribes have lost their ability to fly. I¡¯m sure there are people who would relate to that. ¡° ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s how they¡¯ll know of it?¡± I replied with a nasty look on my face. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have their suspicions, so the question is, what are they going to do about it? Where are the places we can¡¯t fly, are there any blind spots? We don¡¯t know that. And if that¡¯s the case, what do we do?¡± Mil smiled as if something had just occurred to her. ¡°Cats aren¡¯t their only familiar, right? There are birds too, right?¡± But that¡¯s not enough. ¡°They can check with the birds. But they don¡¯t know why they can¡¯t fly. The principle of flight is different between birds and the winged tribe, after all.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Winged people can fly because of magic. Those wings can¡¯t fly without magic.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± My knowledge from before my reincarnation came in handy. ¡°Birds and insects can fly without magic. If the winged people want to fly without magic, they need bigger wings and lighter bodies.¡± Mil seemed to be under the impression that winged people could fly with just their wings. ¡°Hmm, that doesn¡¯t quite make sense to me, but I see now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain it to you later. My trick is to interfere with their ability to fly with magic. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible to use magic to fly a bird familiar that can¡¯t fly. ¡° ¡°So that¡¯s why they don¡¯t know if it can fly or not.¡± I got a mean look on my face. ¡°They can¡¯t make plans like that, right? They¡¯ve already lost about twenty men in the last battle, after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, they wouldn¡¯t do that unless they were stupid enough.¡± ¡°No, not even an idiot would do that. That would be different if they were afraid of their tribe being wiped out, though. ¡° Mil nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s why Al is accepting more and more people as citizens. It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a byproduct, though. It¡¯s also a great strategy to keep your opponent from despairing.¡± ¡°The other thing is the cat people, but ¡­¡­ can¡¯t we disguise our appearance and get close to them? Like changing my appearance with magic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯ve become so thoughtful. It makes me so happy. Even so, it¡¯s hard for strangers to get close to our town.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°The inhabitants are concentrated in the town, not dispersed. And It is quite a distance to the town and has been cut down. So it¡¯s hard to get close enough there to get past the patrols.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­ Is that why you keep all the inhabitants in one place?¡± I waved my hand in denial. ¡°No, it¡¯s just an advantage as a result. Let¡¯s say they¡¯re able to get through and get to town. My behavior is fickle, so it¡¯s hard to attack me in town.¡± Mil seemed to be thinking back to my usual behavior. She laughed at me. ¡°You really are fickle, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t go to the mansion, so the only place they can go to go after me is outside. It¡¯s no good sending an assassin if he can¡¯t get to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But there¡¯s still something I want to check.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow. I want to use the rest of my time for other things. I have a very attractive wife in front of me, after all.¡± Mil smiled shyly. ¡°You¡¯re right, we can talk about this tomorrow. The rest of the time I¡¯ll be in front of my wonderful husband, too. I¡¯d rather spend my time there.¡± CH 137 The next day, we received an unexpected visitor. Three people arrived at the port in a small boat. They were an old woman and two people who looked like guards. They reported to me that they wanted to see me. They said they were taking her to the reception room. I took Mil and Kiara and headed for the meeting. On the way, Kiara looked up a little and put her index finger on her chin. It¡¯s that pose you sometimes see in manga. ¡°Brother. Where do you think she came from?¡± I chuckle at Kiara. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have any information about her, after all.¡± What was waiting for me in the reception room was¡­ A hale and a hearty old woman with gray hair, and she was in her sixties. She probably used to be quite beautiful ¡­¡­ Oops, I thought rudely. The guards were two men in their 30s. Black hair, black eyes, tall and thin. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed and macho, but not that tall. Either way, they must be skilled at what they do. I greeted the old woman first. ¡°I am Alfred Della Scala, the feudal lord. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°My name is Magali Plunkett. I¡¯m Magali Plunkett. Let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ I¡¯m the master of the people who attacked your territory last time.¡± Kiara, Mil and Jules, who was my bodyguard, were nervous. I was more interested in how they got here than be nervous. The three of them seemed to have calmed down as I didn¡¯t react. ¡°I see. But how did you get here?¡± Magali stared at me and then smirked. ¡°Is that the first question you want to ask?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Our territory includes the sea. From there, we took a small boat ¡­¡­ and here we are.¡± ¡°You come here by boat?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s in the right place and the right time, the wind will carry you right over.¡± In other words, you¡¯re good at reading the wind. ¡°May I inquire about your business then?¡± Magali paused to raise her hands. ¡°I¡¯m giving up ¡­¡­ The white flag.¡± Mil and Kiara¡¯s eyes lit up at the lighthearted tone. "" I almost started laughing. ¡°That was pretty easy.¡± Magali laughed loudly. ¡°What do you mean that was easy. If you use such a cruel trick ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t do anything but give up. Boy, aren¡¯t your personality a little too evil?¡± So you know everything. Is it true? I guess I¡¯ll try playing dumb. ¡°Is that so? Did I do something wrong ¡­¡­¡± Magali gave me a stare. ¡°We can¡¯t compete with such a large number of moving forest products. No matter how many times we turn them away, they keep coming. They¡¯re not only delivering the goods, they¡¯re also devouring our food without permission. I can¡¯t stand it. They¡¯re supposed to be the food, but they¡¯re messing with the food.¡± Do they know it¡¯s my fault? I¡¯ll just scratch my head and cover it up. ¡°We¡¯re having a hard time with the wild boar overpopulation too, though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie. Didn¡¯t you prepare well in advance?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± Magali glared at me. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ I guess I¡¯ll just leave it at that. Anyway, We¡¯re surrendering, so I want you to do something about it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know where you guys live. Maybe we can¡¯t even reach that far.¡± ¡°I know. But I thought you said you welcome people that would move here.¡± ¡°You know very well.¡± Magali waved her hand somewhat exaggeratedly. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve heard rumors. I thought they were just rumors. We can only rely on it even if it¡¯s a rumor. That¡¯s how cornered we are. I saw the town while they were showing us the way. The people who had fought you in the past were all here. It was so shocking. I thought I was going to lose my mind.¡± You ¡­¡­ are still kicking and well, though. ¡°It¡¯s true. But how are they going to get here?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got a couple of boats we can use to get around, we¡¯ll use that.¡± ¡°How many people are there?¡± ¡°About six hundred. However, boy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you ¡­¡­ going to give some kind of condition? Normally, when they¡¯re this weak, you¡¯ll make the most of it.¡± That¡¯s not a benefit. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ don¡¯t discriminate on the basis of race. Don¡¯t think of past grudges. Follow the laws that will be enacted soon. The first two conditions are included in the law, though.¡± ¡°Also, I guess I¡¯ll have Ms. Plunkett become a regular attendee at the representatives¡¯ meetings ¡­¡­¡± Magali gave me a questioning look. ¡°What¡¯s the representatives¡¯ meeting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a council of elders. It¡¯s a meeting that decides how the town is run and what the rules are.¡± Magali shook her head lightly and let out a small breath. It¡¯s not a condition you get normally, after all. ¡°Just in case, let me ask you this ¡­¡­ I fought you guys once, remember?¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°And you want me to go to that meeting?¡± ¡°That way, if there are any problems after we move, we can deal with them quickly.¡± Magali sighed. ¡°You are either a big man or a big fool. It means to welcome us on equal terms, you know. Don¡¯t you ever worry that we¡¯ll betray you if we get inside?¡± The question and answer was repeated so many times that I was indeed getting bored. ¡°Once you emigrate and betray us, all those involved will have to disappear from the world. The first attack was in self-defense, right? Then it¡¯s your right.¡± Magali closed one eye and stared at me. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. If I just listen to your words, it¡¯s the idealism of a greenhorn. But ¡­¡­ If you look at the town, it seems like you¡¯re not all talk. I guess the cat people have made an enemy out of an outrageous guy ¡­¡­ Just out of curiosity, what kind of laws are you deciding?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the very basic stuff. Like don¡¯t steal, don¡¯t kill or injure people, that kind of thing.¡± Magali nodded her head in satisfaction. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll just have to trust the boy. The town wouldn¡¯t be like this if people didn¡¯t say strange things afterwards, after all.¡± ¡°By the way, did you have anyone who has objections to the move?¡± Magali started laughing. ¡°We¡¯re drifters by nature, we¡¯re not attached to the land. Anywhere is fine as long as we can eat and not be frightened.¡± ¡°All right. How do you plan to emigrate? Will there be any interference?¡± ¡°There is no power left in the winged or in the cat to interfere with the movement by the sea. The plan is to bring back the two that are following me. And we¡¯ll move there and back. It¡¯s okay to bring in some personal items, right?¡± ¡°Yes, even livestock if necessary. By the way, women and children will be given priority to live under a roof ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, the bastards will have to wait until the house is built. That¡¯s very considerate. A good man is supposed to be kind to women and children.¡± ¡°So, Ms. Plunkett, you will stay in the visitor¡¯s room. I¡¯ll send someone to take care of your personal needs.¡± Magali looked refreshed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m counting on you. I¡¯m finally relieved of my burden.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course. How can a feeble old woman who uses a coffin as her bed be expected to take care of everyone?¡± She¡¯s weak, she said ¡­¡­. The people who say that are usually the toughest. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± Magali said with a wink. ¡°I can throw it all over the boy. Now I can feel more at ease. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± Am I a dumping ground for responsibility? But old women in the fantasy world are so strong and tough. CH 138 Before the representatives¡¯ meeting, I had a few things to check. To do so, I met Magali who was resting in her room. Kiara and Jules are the only ones following me. I¡¯ve asked Mil to take charge of the reception. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Magali greeted me with a mischievous wink. ¡°Oh, since you came to see this old woman, are you picking on me?¡± (T/N: Not in a bullying way, what she meant was in a man-to-woman picking up way.) ¡°If I were forty years older, yes.¡± Magali gave him an exasperated look. ¡°What¡¯s with that smug ¡­¡­ answer? How boring. How old are you, boy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m seventeen.¡± Magali is looking at me with blank eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Kiara chuckles. ¡°No ¡­¡­ I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but ¡­¡­ he¡¯s 17.¡± The first word was unnecessary. Magali shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Oh dear, what a troublesome boy. So, what do you want from me?¡± ¡°Please tell me about the cat people and the winged people.¡± ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°The reason you attacked me in the first place was because you were instigated by the cat people, right?¡± Magali shrugged his shoulders as if it were obvious. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve known each other for a long time. But that¡¯s not all. You guys took on the wolf tribe and defeated the tiger tribe with ease. That¡¯s pretty scary.¡± So far is as predicted. ¡°So you¡¯ve been made to feel threatened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡± I have an idea of what I want to ask. But let¡¯s make sure. ¡°Whose idea was it to attack me directly?¡± Magali gave me a mischievous look. ¡°It was me, as you might expect. You know that such a fast-growing group is bound to have a smart person.¡± Kiara glared at Magali and looked like she was about to jump on her. I chuckled and restrained Kiara with my hand. ¡°Kiara, please calm down.¡± Kiara nods her head disapprovingly. ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ Brother.¡± I¡¯m sure the old woman was the one to initiate the next thing. ¡°How about the attack on the Dog tribe¡¯s messenger?¡± ¡°Oh. There was a dog tribesman who was opposed to the migration too. He told the cat people about it and they asked him about it. You already knew it, right?¡± ¡°So you really planned the raid and the diversionary tactic.¡± Magali started laughing. ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was someone else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, yes. But the whole operation made sense to me. I thought it was one person¡¯s decision, no matter how it happened.¡± Magali looked at me as if she had found a toy. ¡°Hmmm. But I can¡¯t give you any credit for that answer.¡± Oh dear, an oral hearing. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s here to asked things to you, though. ¡°There is a minimum number of people that can attack a dog tribe. So the casualties were kept to a minimum. It was a clear diversion, proof that they were working toward a single goal.¡± Magali grinned, as if she was just starting to enjoy this. ¡°Hoh.¡± ¡°If they put all their strength into it, they could have killed the messenger and defeated the knights guarding him. But you didn¡¯t take the small immediate results.¡± Magali gets a big smile on her face. The old lady¡¯s big smile is uncanny. It made me feel a little sorry for the grim reaper who had picked her up. I wonder if he gets a pain allowance. I had no choice but to continue answering the examiner. ¡°You¡¯re focusing on me clearly, and if possible, reduce the local forces as much as possible. It would be difficult for several people to execute this series of strategies if they thought of them separately. It¡¯s all too coherent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡± What a stubborn old lady¡­ ¡°In a way, it¡¯s a plan with a stone to throw away. If there are multiple planners, they will want to avoid responsibility for their own part of the plan. If there are many leaders, they will be more concerned about sucking up their victory than winning. If they succeed, the difference in damage could cause resentment after the war. If we start playing tug-of-war like that, the operation will be ruined.¡± Magali looked as if she was enjoying herself. Am I supposed to be this old lady¡¯s entertainment? ¡°How nice ¡­¡­ How nice ¡­¡­ It¡¯s the first time in a long time I¡¯ve felt my back straighten.¡± You don¡¯t have to grow, just give me a pass. I sigh. ¡°A person who is willing to take on post-war resentment as a solo initiative. That person will make or approve the plan. That person would also have to have the authority to pass on opinions. From what you have just told me, I know that you are intelligent and decisive enough. You¡¯ve just met the requirements.¡± Clap, clap, clap. Magali clapped her hands and gave a big smile. ¡°That was very good¡± I came here to ask for information and now it¡¯s like she¡¯s making me take some kind of test. How did this happen ¡­¡­. This old lady is evil. I¡¯ve just decided that. I want to get some information from her, but ¡­¡­ Is she going to give it to me honestly, Magali, you ill-natured old woman. ¡°Now that you know where the house is, how did you manage to locate it?¡± Magali looked blank and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s because the boy¡¯s a public figure, and if anything goes wrong, he¡¯s in that room talking.¡± Oh no. I¡¯m beaten. So you¡¯re thinking that far ¡­¡­ I scratched my head. ¡°So you had an idea that we would probably evacuate there?¡± Magali started laughing. ¡°I had an idea. But I used a familiar to confirm it in the end ¡­¡­ You should cut down that tree by the window, boy.¡± I can¡¯t even make a sound. ¡°The only thing I didn¡¯t expect was for two women and a boy to easily defeat four elite men. It was supposed to be two against four. I didn¡¯t think the girl there and you to be strong enough. I don¡¯t think the elf lady is that strong either.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that either.¡± She looked at Kiara and smiled. It¡¯s really a big victory. Kiara also smiled. Magali, the ill-natured old woman, shook her head. ¡°And to top it all off, the winged ones are trapped in a trap where they can¡¯t fly at all. What the hell kind of trick is that?¡± I knew it, she was aware of that. I smiled at Magali. ¡°How do winged people fly? The child¡¯s curiosity led him to try to figure out the question. And that was the result.¡± As if she had run out of ideas, Magali shrugged her shoulders exaggeratedly. ¡°That made the winged ones scared so much ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a big shock to have your strengths destroyed. To the extent that it¡¯s a pity.¡± I have one more question. ¡°By the way, the cat people are trying to draw us into their stronghold. Do you have any idea about that?¡± ¡°The Cat People are very secretive. They only talk to us when they want to use us. Other than that, they don¡¯t talk to us.¡± In other words, you don¡¯t know. Magali exaggeratedly looked up at the sky. ¡°There was a lot of distrust around, and the winged ones were no longer useful to them.In addition, they blamed us for the failure of the raid. And to top it all off, we got a delivery of forest produce. There was nothing we could do. So we raised the white flag.¡± I didn¡¯t doubt the white flag itself, but it did clear up a lot of questions. ¡°I see, I understand.¡± "" As I was about to leave my seat, the ill-natured old woman stopped me. She stopped me with her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve got a question for you, too.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Magali smirked. ¡°Why did you come to talk to me when I¡¯m alone?¡± CH 139 Oh my God, this ill-natured old woman, Magali is a pain in the ass. I scratched my head. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal ¡­¡­¡± Magali, the ill-natured old woman, smirked again. ¡°It¡¯s a big deal ¡­¡­ to me. Very interesting.¡± I¡¯m not very good at her type, this ill-natured old woman Magali ¡­¡­ ¡°Are you sure those two guys in the back were guards?¡± Magali¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have your reasons for wondering.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that certain of it. We have very little information on you people.¡± Magali, the ill-natured old woman, smirks. ¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t mess with the old people.¡± ¡°No, I was wondering if you all thought it would be a good idea to join us honestly.¡± Magali, the ill-natured old woman, pondered. ¡°Hmm ¡­¡­ So you¡¯re suspecting us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that serious, you know.¡± ¡°Hoh.¡± Do you think I¡¯m accepting this without thinking? ¡°You attacked me, migrated to such a place. Isn¡¯t that pretty scary?¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°The only reason you came here in the first place was to end it with your head, right?¡± Magali, the ill-natured old woman, smirked as if to say that this was an overestimation. ¡°I¡¯m not that crazy.¡± I¡¯m tired of this boring farce. ¡°People like you are not the type to put their own lives first, are you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. If that were the case, I¡¯d have gone to the other side long ago.¡± You¡¯re really not that honest. You¡¯re getting old, and not only your veins but also your mind has become sticky. ¡°You¡¯re different. You¡¯re smart, decisive, and you¡¯re enjoying my time here.¡± In total, I¡¯m about the same age as you. I don¡¯t want him to think I¡¯m just a kid. ¡°Such people don¡¯t just prioritize their own lives. Rather, they would be the type who values the quality of life. And those who only think about self-preservation won¡¯t plan a strategy that requires sacrifice.¡± The expression on the ill-natured old woman Magali¡¯s face who had been teasing me disappeared. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± I grinned back at the ill-natured woman. ¡°I¡¯m just a 17-year-old boy from an aristocratic family.¡± Magali sighed in resignation. ¡°So you still haven¡¯t told me why you talked to me when I was alone.¡± She seemed to realize that her questioning of me was futile. Serves you right. But this old lady is tenacious ¡­¡­ ¡°They¡¯re not guards, they¡¯re executioners.¡± The old woman looked at me suspiciously, as if she was thinking what I was thinking. ¡°Executioners?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to give your head to them and make a deal. I have no intention of killing you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need an executioner if you¡¯re going to offer me, right? It¡¯s a thing that can be done with me alone. Besides, isn¡¯t it better to let them kill me than to kill one of your own.¡± What a futile resistance ¡­¡­ no, it¡¯s a gamble. She seems to think that it¡¯s rare to find a toy that can talk like this. She¡¯s really troublesome ¡­¡­ ¡°No. If you are the only one, we will be suspected. As a result, the entire tribe may not trust us. And who is going to tell them the results? The information you get from the familiar is only unofficial. Don¡¯t you think sincerity would be better conveyed by voluntarily offering your head ¡­¡­ than by having us kill you? I¡¯m sure they¡¯re trying to keep the resentment of the entire tribe from being directed at us.¡± She really sticks like rubber tape. I can¡¯t wait to get rid of this ill-natured old woman Magali. The tone of voice is blatantly troublesome. ¡°They¡¯ll think it¡¯s a waste of time to have a grudge against the group they¡¯re joining. It¡¯s just an act of self-destruction.¡± Magali, the ill-natured old woman, was shaking and laughing. ¡°I like it. You¡¯re really great, Boy. But it¡¯s not enough.¡± You¡¯ve been corrected from rubber tape to Aron Alpha. (T/N: Product name Aron Alpha? Color Change is an instant glue that changes color from purple to clear once cured.) ¡°So, what are you unhappy about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me, you still haven¡¯t told me why yet.¡± I told you earlier, though ¡­¡­ ¡°When you told me about the planned attack on me, isn¡¯t it supposed to end with me with no choice but to kill you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point if I asked you to forgive me, right?¡± ¡°However ¡­¡­ There is a problem. When you say so, no one will believe you at first. Not even the people who didn¡¯t plan the attack on me. Can you believe the people who planned it?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about. You explained to everyone that the situation was a dead end and that you had no choice but to raise the white flag. And finally, I think this is how you convinced them. ¡°The attack is my plan. If anyone asks, you¡¯ll have to end it with my head.¡± That¡¯s the way it is, isn¡¯t it?¡± The ill-natured old woman looked surprised, as if she was wondering how I knew that. ¡°But in the end, you didn¡¯t ask. I didn¡¯t expect that at all. Why did you think I was bringing them back?¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the two of them, you would have been killed if you were attacked on the way back. Just in case.¡± The ill-natured old woman, who seemed to have regained her pace, seemed to have calmed down and was enjoying herself. Even though I was so close to peeling it off. Damn it ¡­¡­ ¡°I think you could have done with a larger group.¡± ¡°No, I guess you were prepared for the worst, that they would all be killed. With the damage from the earlier attack and the fight with the boars, you can¡¯t reduce the number of people. Originally you probably wanted to come alone. I think the line is just barely three people. Those two are the ones you can absolutely trust. Other than that, you don¡¯t trust them that much. In terms of ability.¡± ¡°By the way ¡­¡­ Come and join the old lady¡¯s fun.¡± Isn¡¯t that enough¡­ I got a blatantly annoyed expression on my face. I¡¯ll never be like that, definitely. Magali, the ill-natured old woman seemed to be enjoying herself, ignoring my expression. ¡°What did you think I would do if you hadn¡¯t asked me?¡± ¡°You¡¯d just come and talk to me.¡± ¡°Mh-hmm, that¡¯s good. One last thing. Isn¡¯t it dangerous for the residents to migrate after I¡¯ve been killed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll check the situation beforehand. And they can be sure we won¡¯t do any harm to the immigrants.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah? Why?¡± You already know. I sighed. ¡°Good grief. You know we¡¯re ¡­¡­ trying to assimilate other tribes and expand our influence, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So, Harming the immigrants with that is just ¡­¡­ self-destructive.¡± Magali¡¯s grin deepened. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°By the time they come to the mansion, they¡¯ll have seen exactly what happens to the other species. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re watching closely. They will have realized that I mean what I say.¡± Clap, clap, clap. Magali, the ill-natured old woman, clapped again. ¡°I think it¡¯s time I let you go. The girl right there has been releasing a lot of killing intent, after all. It¡¯s not something a little girl can do.¡± Kiara said with a blank expression. ¡°Please don¡¯t play with my brother.¡± I left Magali¡¯s room, exhausted. CH 140 When I returned to my room in the evening, I flopped down on my bed. ¡°I hate that old lady ¡­¡­¡± Mil blurted out. ¡°I guess Al has his weaknesses too. I remembered that Kiara was angry. Does that have something to do with it?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. That ill-natured old woman was playing with me.¡± ¡°Oh, that will definitely make her angry. Now lie down on the bed.¡± I didn¡¯t say a word and did as I was told. Then she got on top of me and started massaging me. ¡°You must be tired.¡± ¡°Yeah~ thank you~. It seems to cleanse my mind that was tainted by the ill-natured old woman ¡­¡­¡± However, I didn¡¯t know that elves are so light ¡­¡­. Mil¡¯s voice, as if she was startled. ¡°Am I ¡­¡­ heavy?¡± ¡°No, the opposite. You¡¯re very light. I¡¯m a little impressed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating ¡­¡­ I¡¯m glad.¡± Maybe she has gained a little weight, though. Because¡­ it¡¯s meat, meat, meat, meat, and meat every day¡­ If it was just meat, you won¡¯t gain weight. But they use a lot of carbs to change the flavor. So ¡­¡­ That¡¯s what happens. I don¡¯t even need to mention it. ¡°So, can we continue where we left off yesterday?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to pay you back for the massage next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. So, yesterday, you said that if they send an assassin, it won¡¯t reach Al.¡± ¡°If they¡¯re going to do that, they have to stay undercover for a certain period of time.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Is that too much? You¡¯re too stiff ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I worked at the desk all the time, after all ¡­¡­ Anyway, our town is special, and each group has its own place to live.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s noticeable when strangers are mixed in.¡± Mil¡¯s massage felt really good. ¡°Mil¡¯s hands are so soft and feel nice ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a massage for my Al, after all.¡± ¡°Oops, it¡¯s hard to buy food with money now. I¡¯m sure it will be difficult to wait without food. Plus, the patrolmen in town are always on the lookout for people they¡¯ve never seen before.¡± It feels so good that I feel like falling asleep ¡­¡­ ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ Do they make it harder for strangers to blend in? Wait ¡­¡­ Your back is also stiff ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even get a good workout ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not that they were conscious of it that much. But if people think of it as their own town, they¡¯ll be less indifferent to others.¡± "" Like in rural Japan, though, too much interference is a bad thing. For now, we prioritize unity. Then, I want to gradually value privacy. ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ I guess they can¡¯t send an assassin then. For now.¡± ¡°But they can blend in with the group of the ill-natured old woman.¡± Mil¡¯s hands stopped moving. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± If I can throw it to them, I will. The voice naturally sounds like it¡¯s troublesome. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to the ill-natured old woman. She¡¯ll figure it out.¡± Mil¡¯s voice was mixed with doubt. ¡°Is she that good?¡± But she¡¯s so sticky ¡­¡­ I wonder if old age makes you more tenacious ¡­¡­ ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ Her mind is pretty sharp. It¡¯s a mystery why she¡¯s been hiding in the woods. I¡¯ll ask sometime.¡± ¡°I wonder if Al shouldn¡¯t show himself to the newcomers as much as possible.¡± She said and resumed her massage. ¡°No. There¡¯s a more scary thing than assassination. It has a higher success rate than assassinating me.¡± She sounded a little worried. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Kidnapping children and blackmailing us. Then they¡¯ll call us in to deal with us. Or maybe they¡¯ll be put in a position where they¡¯ll have no choice but to kill the children and attack if they¡¯re cornered.¡± She sounded even more worried. ¡°Would they do such a terrible thing?¡± ¡°The cat no longer expects to get away with it easily. They¡¯ll get desperate. And the children are not so wary of newcomers.¡± ¡°Well, they do have children too ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you feel the need to cooperate with the cats so much ¡­¡­ I guess that¡¯s the problem.¡± She sounded a little relieved. ¡°I see, is it going to be okay then?¡± Hmmm, I don¡¯t know if I should say anything that might make her more anxious ¡­¡­ ¡°Al. Spit it out.¡± I was quickly exposed ¡­¡­. I gave up and confessed. ¡°It¡¯s possible to forcefully make them do it.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°A cat will kidnap the children of the newcomers and will threaten to move them. We¡¯ll trade our kids for the kidnapped ones.¡± ¡°T-Then ¡­¡­ what are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to the ill-natured old woman too.¡± The massage became strangely strong. ¡°How does that help?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the family structure of these new people. We¡¯ll have to leave it to someone who knows.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but ¡­¡­ Even if they do kidnap them, how are they going take them?¡± We were talking about something pretty risqu¨¦, but I don¡¯t feel any tension. Maybe it¡¯s because of the massage. ¡°By using the boat.¡± ¡°Ohhh. They came by boat, didn¡¯t ¡­¡­¡± ¡°The only thing that has a higher success rate is the murder of children ¡­¡­¡± Mil¡¯s voice became a little sad. Of course, she knows that I cut a guy who took a kid hostage. ¡°If they do that, I guess they won¡¯t get off scot-free either.¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ I¡¯d force him to leave.¡± ¡°That sounds kind of awful.¡± I think I¡¯ll talk to Kiara about it. That¡¯s not good either ¡­¡­. Just because I was born in a mafia town in my previous life ¡­¡­ doesn¡¯t mean I know their tricks. ¡°There¡¯s still time for the migrants to arrive. We can discuss it with the others tomorrow.¡± The force of the massage became gentler. ¡°Well, it¡¯s best if nothing happens ¡­¡­¡± Mil¡¯s massage is so good, it¡¯s almost addictive. ¡°Did you like it?¡± ¡°Very much.¡± Before long, I fell asleep. CH 141 The representatives were called together the next day. It was decided to have a discussion with Magali. She gave a small smile. ¡°Hoh ¡­¡­ Inviting me continuously? I hope your new wife doesn¡¯t get jealous.¡± Oh, yeah, she¡¯s like the unpopular woman Silvana. Like her vector, though. When I told them about my concerns, they all turned serious. Magali, the ill-natured old woman, has a serious look on her face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly possible if they try.¡± ¡°The most important issue here is the safety of the children.¡± Touko, the muscle-brain representative, leaned forward. As expected, he was in charge of physics. ¡°We can just hit the cat people before they cause any problems.¡± Charles folded his arms with a reluctant look on his face. ¡°The damage could be catastrophic if we run into them while they¡¯re waiting for that.¡± I guess I should do a simple prediction of the future so that everyone is not too conscious of the cat person. ¡°If we can survive this migration, the cat people are almost over.¡± Magali the ill-natured old woman laughed in amusement, as if playing with a new toy. ¡°What tricks are you going to do?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Will it end even if you don¡¯t do anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything. I won¡¯t.¡± Oracio makes a face like it¡¯s incomprehensible. ¡°Milord, what is going to happen?¡± "" I smiled a little wickedly. ¡°It¡¯s simple. The group of Ms. Plunkett¡¯s people will be moving here. Then, then abandoned farmland will become a breeding ground for the wild boars.¡± They looked up at the sky, imagining a horde of wild boars. Gerald chuckled. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to dream about wild boars.¡± Magali, the ill-natured old woman, chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s really vicious. It was a good thing we raised the white flag so quickly.¡± So now we just have to do our best to outrun the crisis in advance. ¡°Aside from that, how do we ensure the safety of the children? In addition, we need to make sure that Ms. Plunkett¡¯s group doesn¡¯t feel unsafe.¡± Delphine raised her hand. ¡°Erm ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll try to get the kids to stick together as much as possible then. Right now, the children are divided into three groups, right? One is helping with work. Children who are studying. Children who are too small to go outside. The children who are stuck together should have a guard. Children who are at home should always be with their parents. Now they were going home by themselves, but let¡¯s have them be escorted by their parents. This will ensure a minimum level of safety.¡± That¡¯s a fair point. I guess it comes more from her caring nature than her experience at the counter. Mil nodded his head, looking a little uneasy. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be suspicious if they suddenly changed their mind when Ms. Plunkett¡¯s group arrives?¡± They all pondered. You don¡¯t have to think too hard. ¡°We can just start before they arrive.¡± Kiara looked convinced. ¡°Then we won¡¯t be suspected.¡± This topic was settled. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I cleared my throat and suggested a change of subject. ¡°And as I¡¯ve suggested before ¡­¡­ I¡¯d like to decide on the laws of Ravenna. It takes time to enact a law, but we will make a public announcement that we will enact a law.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders. ¡°So ¡­¡­ Milord, do you have a draft of the law? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll tell us that we¡¯ll have to figure it out from there.¡± I took a deep breath. We need to talk about the starting point for enacting the law. ¡°First, the scope of the law. What are the limits of what constitutes a crime, such as murder, injury, or fraud? Then, the sentence for the crime. However, laws can become complicated later on, so we should try to keep it simple at first.¡± They all remained silent. I need to present the next point. ¡°In addition, the enactment of laws is based on the principle of priority of subsequent laws. The reason is that if the previous law is given priority, the government officials will have too much power.¡± In Japan, the bureaucracy has become too powerful because of the priorities of the law. Even if the politicians try to make a decision, the bureaucrats can interfere by bringing up any precedent they want. I looked around at the group again. This is not enough. ¡°There is a related matter that needs to be decided. The establishment of a police force. And the establishment of a justice system to judge the guilty, which is the purpose of administering the law. That¡¯s all.¡± They all stared at me. He¡¯s saying something outrageous again. Their eyes all said so. CH 142 They all stiffened at my outlandish explanation. The teacher couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°I have one question. I understand that you decide the rules. But why this much?¡± Everyone nodded vigorously. ¡°Everyone, please think about it. Let¡¯s say you¡¯re a group of people from different races, or even the same race, but born in different environments. How would you live together? What¡¯s okay in one area is not okay in another. You have to bring such customs with you. If you lived in the same land, wouldn¡¯t those differences in customs cause conflict?¡± The teacher folded his arms as if to say, ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ I see.¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ it would.¡± I look around at everyone again. ¡°How do you live without conflict?¡± Kiara put her finger to her mouth and thought. ¡°Erm, we need to set some rules ¡­¡­ Ahhhh!¡± Then she stood up. ¡°So you call that a law!¡± Nice, my little sister. I nodded my head like I¡¯m in a good mood. ¡°I¡¯d like you to decide on a rule for that, so that all the races can get together without any problems.¡± Mil also got up to compete. ¡°So you want to keep it simple at first? You can¡¯t just try to cover everything.¡± I¡¯m glad to hear that, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m just curious about one thing¡­ ¡°Um, you don¡¯t have to stand up for the rest ¡­¡­¡± Mil and Kiara blushed and took their seats. The teacher looked at them and chuckled. ¡°So ¡­¡­ when those rules clash, the one you decide later is the right one. So the new one is right. So that¡¯s post-law priority.¡± The teacher, who was not being an idiot, was indeed very smart. ¡°Exactly.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders ¡­¡­ as if it was his turn and have no choice. ¡°And the police are there to crack down on those who break the law. I don¡¯t mind if the Knight¡¯s Order does it, though.¡± That¡¯s a lot to handle if it¡¯s like that. ¡°It¡¯s too hard for the knights, and we can¡¯t get enough of them. Knights are basically supposed to fight external enemies.¡± Charles groaned as he realized that he had a blind spot when it came to numbers. ¡°It¡¯s true that it¡¯s not easy to become a knight. We can do it now, but it¡¯s going to be ¡­¡­ difficult when the number of people increases.¡± ¡°If a situation arises that is beyond the control of the police, we will ask the Knights for support. As a classification, the police only have the authority in our territory. The knights are not limited to that, right?¡± Charles seemed to be convinced. ¡°I see, that makes sense.¡± Abraham raised his hand. ¡°What is the court system?¡± That¡¯s the key point. I¡¯ll need a detailed explanation. I need to give an example that is easy for everyone to understand. It¡¯s a bit difficult to explain ¡­¡­ ¡°Suppose you are told that someone has committed a crime. Is that a fact?¡± They all looked at each other. Gerald let out a deep breath as he remembered the troubles he had experienced as an adventurer. ¡°I see. We need to determine if it is correct. That¡¯s what a trial is for.¡± That was very well done. ¡°That¡¯s right. I hope you now understand what I am trying to say.¡± Ancient Rome and America are countries of immigrants where laws are important. The United States still has Christianity. It complemented the law. And it becomes the force that keeps the immigrant group together. Ancient Rome was polytheistic, so law became the main thing. The role model would have to be ancient Rome. Kiara¡¯s expression changed like she gave up. ¡°Big brother ¡­¡­ Where on earth do you come up with such outrageous ideas?¡± It¡¯s simple enough to understand. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s harder to understand the whole thing at once. ¡°No. When it comes to creating a society for all races, there is no other way.¡± Magali, the ill-natured old woman who seemed to be in a good mood because of the good quality of her toy, gave a muffled laugh. ¡°Well, I guess it was worth living a long life. You¡¯re interesting, boy, you really are.¡± Then it reminded me of the thing I left to them to do. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. The ladies did something similar, right?¡± There was a moment of silence. Delphine raised her hand fearfully. ¡°U-Um, is it perhaps, it¡¯s the wedding formality?¡± I smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t we do a wedding that could be done regardless of race ¡­¡­? It¡¯s the same story.¡± Delphine plopped down on the desk. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was a stepping stone to this. Milord ¡­¡­ are you really human? It¡¯s scary.¡± They all burst into laughter. Delphine stood up, her face flushed. ¡°It¡¯s no laughing matter! Isn¡¯t it scary that what milord asked me to do so casually was actually the groundwork for the future!¡± At last, they suspected if I was even a human. But I can¡¯t help it, after something like that, they¡¯d be distrustful of people. They¡¯ve only known me for a short time, after all. Robert smiled soothingly at Delphine. ¡°It could be the groundwork. But there is no need to be afraid. Milord has never done anything to trick us. So we¡¯ll be fine.¡± Delphine seemed to have calmed down a bit. She sat down quietly. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± I laughed and waved my hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I know for a fact that I prepare a few things here and there.¡± Kiara smiled at Delphine. ¡°We had a lot of fun when we decided on the format of the wedding.¡± Delphine smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, very much.¡± ¡°If I had said that it would be the groundwork before deciding on the law ¡­¡­ Would you have enjoyed it?¡± Delphine seemed to have realized what Kiara was getting at. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true ¡­¡­. So, did milord make sure that we didn¡¯t put too much effort into it?¡± Kiara looked as if to say that she did very well. ¡°Yes. And since you had fun doing it without exerting yourself, I can think of it as a reference.¡± Then she puffed out her chest. ¡°As a leading expert in the field of the brother study, I knew it from the beginning. I thought that if you¡¯re going around the trouble of ordering them around, then there must be something to it!¡± Like I said, let¡¯s stop that study. CH 143 The thing I¡¯d been expecting comes to me. It¡¯s from the teacher. The non-idiot version is quite formidable. ¡°But hey, if you¡¯re thinking that far ahead ¡­¡­ you might as well figure it out everything, kiddo.¡± Charles agreed, as if he wanted to throw the troublesome things to me. ¡°It would be quicker and more appropriate. A lot more than what we can come up with.¡± No, I can¡¯t. For obvious reasons. ¡°That¡¯s the only thing I can¡¯t do.¡± The usual question mark appeared in their minds. ¡°If I decide, who will make the changes and conflicting afterlaws?¡± Kiara said as if it were obvious. ¡°That kind of thing can only be done by you, brother.¡± I sighed. I sighed. Kiara was visibly depressed, as if she thought I hadn¡¯t responded in a way she wanted. I want to comfort her, but ¡­¡­. I¡¯m going to move the conversation here. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. I am not immortal, you know. And ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want you to ever think that I¡¯m always right.¡± Mil seemed to understand my intentions. ¡°So we can figure it out and fix it if we need to.¡± I¡¯m unwilling to do that, but I¡¯ve become an authority in my own right. So, if I make the decision, I¡¯m giving the opposition a flag of honor. I¡¯m not going to make a law for Lycurgus. It¡¯s not a law, it¡¯s a religious commandment. What I want is human law. Everyone seems to have understood my intentions. I need to make something clear here. ¡°I believe we need laws written on paper. I don¡¯t need them carved in stone.¡± The teacher looked as if he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Please make it a little clearer.¡± I guess I was a little too close to the image. ¡°You all go to a lot of trouble to decide on the law. Can you honestly correct any inconveniences that may arise?¡± Kiara seemed to be trying hard to make up for lost points. She quickly got up from her seat to speak and even raised her hand. You¡¯re putting too much effort into this. ¡°I don¡¯t want to change it because I went through so much trouble. That¡¯s what you mean when you say it¡¯s carved in stone. If you carve it in stone, it would be hard to change.¡± "" That was very well done. Seeing my satisfied face, Kiara was in a good mood. When God makes a contract with a human being, it¡¯s in stone. ¡°However ¡­¡­ I just don¡¯t want you to take it easy because it will be changed anyway. Even so, if the situation changes, there will be inconveniences.¡± Mil nodded his head. ¡°When that happens, don¡¯t hesitate to change. You won¡¯t allow future generations to be spoiled, will you?¡± We can¡¯t just let things happen without thinking about them ourselves. That¡¯s not good. And the result is this world. ¡°All we have to do is to hand over the situation to the next generation so that they can think for themselves and change ¡­¡­ And the next generation will be the one after that.¡± Delphine gave an astonished look. ¡°I¡¯ll never believe it even if milord says that he is a seventeen-year-old ¡­¡­¡± Hey, I¡¯m seventeen. Ignoring my indignation, Charles laughed. ¡°Of course, no one would believe it. But then again ¡­¡­ the feudal lord doesn¡¯t have to be a seventeen-year-old person. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re 0 years old, as long as you get results.¡± Magali, the ill-natured old woman, gave a nasty laugh. ¡°It would not be strange if this boy was older than me.¡± They all nodded vigorously. Damn it ¡­¡­ You can laugh at me all you want. In exchange, I¡¯ll make you guys work hard to decide on the law. The teacher then takes another step forward. He was so dependable that his clumsy behavior during the pilgrimage was like a lie. ¡°I understand that. But tell us how to start the discussion.¡± It can¡¯t be helped. "" It¡¯s a concept that¡¯s never existed before, after all ¡­¡­ ¡°I understand. As for the law ¡­¡­ the representatives of the various tribes, Ms. Delphine, Mr. Gerald, and Ms. Plunkett should take the lead. Please bring up what you did in the past and what you will be punished for. That way, you can talk about it naturally.¡± Delphine raised her hand. ¡°Why me?¡± She couldn¡¯t seem to read the intent of the nomination. ¡°If you were a receptionist at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, you may have had to deal with some trouble. I want you to make use of that experience.¡± Gerald seemed to understand what I was saying. ¡°So I can use my experience as an adventurer to give you my opinion when there is trouble?¡± Magali, the ill-natured old woman, shrugged her shoulders. ¡°So I¡¯m supposed to spill my life experience. You really aren¡¯t very kind to old people, are you?¡± Shut up! Why don¡¯t you just spit it out and be a little more silky? Hiding my inner resentment, I smiled and nodded my head. ¡°And now for the police. It will be an auxiliary role for the Knights. Sir Rossi will take the lead. Please create an organization based on the advice of the chiefs.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I have no choice.¡± I¡¯ll give him one request. ¡°The police should cover all races. It would be unfair to be biased.¡± Charles nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± That¡¯s all they need to know about the police. ¡°As for the trials, it depends on the frequency the judgments occur.¡± Touko questioned. ¡°What do you mean by frequency?¡± That¡¯s a difficult question to answer. I scratched my head lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll compare the judgments to the deployment of knights. It depends on whether it¡¯s a peacetime response or a wartime response.¡± Charles was convinced. ¡°If it¡¯s wartime, they¡¯ll be on alert. In peacetime, they¡¯re usually doing something else.¡± Nice. It was worth explaining about military affairs. ¡°Will they always be on standby? Do you want them to be engaged in other work as well? You¡¯ll have to think about that, too.¡± The teacher scratched his head. ¡°Ahhh, how troublesome¡­¡± That¡¯s right, but you¡¯ll have to do it on your own. I won¡¯t accept any objections. ¡°There will be circumstances between the races when it comes to judging. Those who judge should include all races.¡± Oracio folded his arms and gave me a difficult look. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± I guess he doesn¡¯t fully understand my intention yet. I¡¯ll have to explain it to him patiently. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely necessary. Let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ for example, a fistfight between the tiger tribe is not a bad thing, is it?¡± Touko nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But among other species, it is. Let¡¯s say there is a fistfight between tiger people and they are judged. What if there is no tiger people among the judges?¡± They were all surprised, but satisfied. Abraham was convinced, as if it made sense. ¡°All races must be taken into account. It makes a lot of sense.¡± ¡°Also. There is one more thing we need in order to make a judgment.¡± Abraham took the bait. He is leaning forward with tremendous energy. He really likes logic ¡­¡­ This guy. ¡°What¡¯s that? Interesting.¡± I scratched my head vigorously. It¡¯s easy to say, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s also difficult. ¡°A defense attorney.¡± Abraham looked at me with eyes that demanded an explanation. ¡°Some people who are being judged can¡¯t really talk about their circumstances.¡± They all seemed to understand somehow. ¡°Only the smartest people get a lighter sentence or are acquitted. That¡¯s not fair.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes lit up. It seems to have touched the heartstrings of his heart. ¡°I see, that¡¯s wonderful!¡± I¡¯m taken aback a bit ¡­¡­ I thought he was good at academics, but I¡¯m beginning to think that it¡¯s better off leaving this to him. ¡°This should be decided by the representatives of each race, teacher, and Ms. Plunkett.¡± (T/N: The teacher he said here is Fabio, the advisor, and Alfred¡¯s teacher.) Magali, the ill-natured old woman, paused as if she was lamenting. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be so overworked at my age. I feel like raising the white flag was a mistake ¡­¡­¡± They all burst into laughter as usual. When the meeting was about to end, the teacher asked a sharp question. ¡°You know, kiddo. You say that we live in a society where there is no difference between races, but you are thinking about the differences between races. Isn¡¯t that a contradiction?¡± That¡¯s how it came about. I answered with a smile and decided to end the meeting. ¡°Humans don¡¯t have the arm strength of a tiger tribesman, right? I will take individual differences into account. But I don¡¯t accept the hierarchy of races. That¡¯s all.¡± CH 144 In the evening, Mil was unusually sweet to me. She seemed to be very tired from the legal discussion. ¡°Then lie down on the bed. I¡¯ll repay you for yesterday.¡± ¡°Please~. I think I¡¯ve used my brain more than any other time since I was born ¡­¡­¡± It would be too heavy for me to sit on her. I straddled Mil¡¯s hips and massaged her. But ¡­¡­ ¡°Mil¡¯s body is so soft. Did you need a massage?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you need it or not. I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re worried about me like that. So keep doing it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± As I continued to massage her, Mil asked me a question. ¡°You know ¡­¡­ Al is very particular about everyone thinking for themselves, right?¡± ¡°You can do it by yourselves. So it¡¯s not normal to live your life relying on someone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°The world so far seems to be a world of borrowed things being used up and waiting for the next ¡­¡­. That¡¯s what the world looks like.¡± ¡°You mean the apostles?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s part of it. Even in such a world, things are ostensibly going well.¡± Mil sighed. ¡°Well, I had no place in such a world, but ¡­¡­. If my father hadn¡¯t gotten involved with the apostles, we could have lived quietly in the forest all these years.¡± I didn¡¯t ask if that would have been better. Because that would be like denying Mil her life. ¡°So, when they get used to getting things, they take them for granted. Moreover, they complain about being extravagant.¡± She seemed to have realized my intention. She laughed a little. ¡°That¡¯s kind of unsightly, isn¡¯t it ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, but if they want to, that¡¯s fine. But, some people will conclude and say, ¡°You are wrong¡±. That¡¯s what I find so annoying.¡± ¡°You were the first one to say that. You said you hated it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay for other people to be alive. But to live outside the mainstream, you need confidence.¡± It¡¯s possible to do that with blind faith, but ¡­¡­ It¡¯s just the opposite of the mainstream. ¡°Confidence?¡± ¡°Once we have the laws we have now, we¡¯ll have confidence in ourselves. Then we can say it¡¯s okay to be alive.¡± Mil listened to my words in silence. ¡°In order to do so, they¡¯ll need to accomplish this on their own. But if I decide to do everything and they go along with it, then ¡­¡­. That¡¯s no different than being an apostle.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. You want everyone to feel confident and to take good care of what they have created. That¡¯s why Al makes everyone do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, as expected of my wife.¡± "" ¡°That¡¯s great, but ¡­¡­ What¡¯s left for Al?¡± I hadn¡¯t really thought about it. I¡¯ve been following my own thoughts and this is what I¡¯ve come to. ¡°Self-satisfaction. Nothing else.¡± Mil started laughing. ¡°Seriously ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll just brush it off if I question it anyway. Can I ask you one more question?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with Mil asking me anything, is there?¡± Except for my reincarnation story, though ¡­¡­ ¡°Al doesn¡¯t like to have the children fight or work, right? It happens a lot, you know?¡± I was trying to choose my words as I continued my massage. Then Mil interfered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to choose your words.¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ You can laugh if you want. Children, you know, they don¡¯t know how to make their own decisions in life yet.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind adults who understand that a battle is a life or death, a fight for their lives. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to make children fight.¡± ¡°Even in a pinch?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you allow it, the interpretations will keep growing. You can easily push a child into a fight. Fighting is only for those who choose to do so. That¡¯s what I think.¡± I put a little more effort into the massage. ¡°That¡¯s why when they grow up, they¡¯ll remember the old days and say, ¡°Come to think of it, I wish I hadn¡¯t fought.¡± I don¡¯t want them to regret that they were forced to fight.¡± Mil noticed this and took a gentler tone. ¡°It¡¯s your own choice, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Also, it¡¯s more dangerous for children because their physical abilities are still developing. If you want to, you can trick ¡­¡­ them into fighting you.¡± I continued with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t want to put a child in a life or death situation. It¡¯s not about being nice. It¡¯s that I hate myself for making them do it. I say a lot of things that sound great, but that¡¯s the truth. Also, I don¡¯t want them to work, because when they grow up, they will work even if they don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m talking about letting them play while they can. A lord who can¡¯t even guarantee that is incompetent.¡± Mil suddenly changed her position and faces up. She grabbed my arm when I stopped massaging her and pinched it hard. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Al, please don¡¯t blame yourself.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mil, for listening to me like this. That¡¯s how I¡¯m getting by.¡± Mil sighed loudly. ¡°I think Al needs a different kind of massage ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, no way ¡­¡­¡± Mil looked at me like she was a hunter. ¡°That¡¯s how it is. Don¡¯t expect to sleep today.¡± CH 145 Avalanches aren¡¯t just about snow. If you have time on your side, you can get results even if you don¡¯t do anything. When thinking about strategy ¡­¡­ you should aim for this rather than something cool like a one-shot comeback. In the first place, I myself do not have the guts to put everything into a one-shot comeback. Basically, I am a chicken-hearted person. The group of Magali the ill-natured old woman migrated to the area. As expected, the two guards who came last time were the first to arrive. They seemed to be surprised that Magali was still alive. But then they talked for a while and seemed to be convinced. After talking with them, Magali called me over and smirked at me. ¡°You should be happy. The winged one wants to come to here, too.¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting that. According to Magali the ill-natured old woman, the cat tribe was the only one floating around. Maybe they¡¯ve been working together. ¡°That¡¯s quite easy.¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ how much do you think winged ones did you scare, boy?¡± Don¡¯t you usually walk? We¡¯ll have to solve that mystery later. ¡°We¡¯ll welcome them, whatever it is. Is the messenger coming with you?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s here by himself. Would you like to meet him?¡± It¡¯s strange that he¡¯s alone, but ¡­¡­. I have no reason to refuse. But I can¡¯t do that first. ¡°Of course. But first, let me say hello to the people who have moved here.¡± Magali the ill-natured old woman laughed with a curious look on her face. "" ¡°You¡¯re very disciplined, aren¡¯t you, boy. Oh well, get on with it already.¡± No, I¡¯m not disciplined or anything. If I give the impression that they¡¯ve been neglected, it¡¯ll end up being trouble later. It¡¯s only natural that those who have been confirmed would take precedence over those who haven¡¯t been confirmed. I don¡¯t feed the fish I catch. I don¡¯t like that attitude, and it¡¯s not an effective way to look at the future. The greeting went easily. After all, it seemed that Magali the ill-natured old woman was well respected by the group. The Ministry of Immigration will be in charge of the immigration. Those who have knowledge and skills in fishing will be assigned to Joseph Paoli¡¯s Fisheries Department. We need to look into improving the fishing industry. After making some announcements about the children, I decided to head to the reception room. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Today¡¯s escorts, Ramiro Rio and Kiara, are following me. After I got married, Kiara stopped coming to my room. In the meantime, Kiara has started to follow me around on political matters. It seems to be the result of a discussion with Mil. I don¡¯t want to complicate things by saying unnecessary things, so I¡¯ll leave that to her. I¡¯ve also asked Mil to take overall charge of the immigration process. Kiara looked up at me with a wry smile. ¡°Brother, you don¡¯t have time to relax, huh?¡± ¡°I guess so. But the people who were suddenly visited by a large number of wild boars must have been even more upset.¡± Ramiro laughed. ¡°Milord is really an incomprehensible man, using wild boars as soldiers.¡± I didn¡¯t do it willingly. The bill will definitely be high. I have to be prepared for it. Waiting for me in the reception room was a winged woman in her early twenties. She looked like an albino. She had white hair and red eyes. Her unhealthy white skin was impressive. She had an air of transience about her and was extremely beautiful. If she were in a anime or video game, she would be a legitimate goddess. (T/N: So it¡¯s a woman.) The woman bowed to me. ¡°My name is Ardelheid Streichwerda. I would like to thank you for meeting me.¡± I introduced myself and asked her to take a seat. ¡°My name is Alfred Della Scala, the feudal lord. Let¡¯s hear what we can do for you.¡± Ardelheid began to speak with a tense expression. ¡°Old woman Magali told me that you do not consider the recent attack a crime. Is that true?¡± Is it really that strange ¡­¡­ ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Perhaps she had been told beforehand, but she didn¡¯t seem surprised there. Ardelheid bowed again. ¡°327 people of the winged tribes. We would like to be accepted as part of Lord Alfred¡¯s affiliate.¡± There was no reason to refuse. ¡°Of course, you are welcome. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the conditions that you have to meet.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about the method of immigration. I guess you won¡¯t be able to fly with your luggage, will you?¡± I¡¯ve never heard of the winged tribe transporting anything. ¡°Yes, because we don¡¯t know where we can¡¯t fly ¡­¡­ If possible, I would like to use the ship that old woman Magali is using and join them.¡± Mmmmmm, is it that traumatic? I remember that Magali said that it scared them. It seems that we hit the vital point without realizing it. ¡°May I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Are you so afraid that you won¡¯t be able to fly?¡± Ardelheid stiffened for a moment. ¡°T-That¡¯s ¡­¡­ of course. There are places where you can fly without being aware of it, and then suddenly you can¡¯t. It¡¯s very frightening.¡± It seems that it was more powerful than I thought. I did not anticipate that much, though. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll explain to you about not being able to fly once you¡¯ve been relocated.¡± After Ardelheid nodded, she began to squirm. This strange sexiness. A normal man would fall in love with her. I have a bad feeling about this, but I¡¯ll ask her. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ Yes. If it¡¯s okay with you, Lord Alfred. I was hoping you could keep me close.¡± I knew it¡¯d come. It was a very beautiful messenger, so I was expecting it. But¡­ ¡°Is that your idea? Or was it decided through a discussion with your tribe?¡± Ardelheid was at a loss for words for a moment. ¡°I-It was my idea. Is it possible that you don¡¯t like me ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m sure it was decided by her tribe anyway. In fact, it was annoying. ¡°No, you are very attractive. However, I¡¯m married, and I can¡¯t see any other woman but my wife.¡± I guess she had expected this answer. There are many cases where a man refuses once in a social situation. Ardelheid was not upset. ¡°Please, could you include me in your sight?¡± If I refuse badly, it will complicate things. But ¡­¡­ I have no intention of sharing a bed with any woman other than Mil. And Kiara¡¯s Noh mask-like expression is even scarier. ¡°If I were a man without a lover, I would be very happy. I have made a vow to myself that I will not embrace any woman other than my wife.¡± That¡¯s an honest and untrue statement. I¡¯m a man myself, and it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like being wooed by a very beautiful woman. But with two women plus Kiara, I don¡¯t think I can balance it out. What¡¯s more, I can¡¯t make Mil sad. I stopped Ardelheid from saying anything. ¡°If I am to hold more than one woman ¡­¡­ I will have to allow my wife to be embraced by more than one man. Even if I look like this, I¡¯m a very possessive person. So I want to have my wife all to myself.¡± At this point, Kiara opened her mouth for the first time. ¡°No woman would fall in love with your brother at first sight. He¡¯s too plain, after all. I¡¯m sure you want to serve my brother and improve your position to your tribe. There is a sure way to do that.¡± Kiara ¡­¡­ Plain is too much. And what are you going to say? Ardelheid took a bite out of her words. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear about it.¡± ¡°If you are a secretary, you can help with political affairs. It¡¯s much more certain than trying to get a position as a mistress or concubine.¡± Ardelheid seemed to realize that ¡­¡­ this is as far as she can go. ¡°So, would you be willing to let me serve you as your secretary?¡± I can¡¯t say no to that ¡­¡­ ¡°Yes, secretarial work is very busy, so it would be very helpful.¡± After that, we went over the details of the migration. At last, I was in a position where women were coming to me. I was fed up with it. CH 146 That night, Kiara came to my room, which was unusual for her. The topic of conversation was about Ardelheid. Mil was looking at me with a serious face. ¡°Al! Did you turn down that person¡¯s offer?¡± Of course, she was talking about the mistress or concubine thing. ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t need any other woman as long as I have Mil.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it inconvenient?¡± What¡¯s inconvenient. It naturally made me unhappy. ¡°No.¡± Kiara looked at Mil with a slight accusation in her eyes. ¡°Sister, my brother has made it clear. As long as he has Sister. He said didn¡¯t want any other women.¡± Mil looked down sadly. ¡°I ¡­¡­ because Al is an aristocrat and a feudal lord. I was prepared for it, you know.¡± Ohhhh ¡­¡­. I guess she¡¯s been thinking about it a lot. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve been thinking about it. And I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t notice.¡± I patted Mil gently on the shoulder. ¡°But ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t like the idea of offering women and hoping for status and power.¡± A harem sounds great, but it¡¯s like using women as mere tools to deal with sexual desires. And women can¡¯t complain when they use their position to lust for power. I don¡¯t want that kind of stomach-churning private life. If you want to laugh at me for being fastidious or green, laugh at me. Kiara looked at Mil with a slightly kinder look in her eyes. ¡°Sister, is it too heavy to have my brother¡¯s love all to yourself?¡± Mil shook her head with a sigh. ¡°Not at all, I would rather not give him to anyone else.¡± ¡°So isn¡¯t it fine?¡± Mil grabbed my hand on her shoulder and looked at me. ¡°Al, are you really sure about this? If you are, you¡¯ll never be allowed to cheat on me again.¡± Certainly, I am sure about it. ¡°Yes or not, that was the plan all along.¡± Kiara laughed. ¡°I guess you still don¡¯t understand brother enough, Sister.¡± Mil puffed her cheeks. ¡°What, I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s worried and prepared, and I feel like a fool.¡± I can¡¯t think of a better word. I scratched my head in embarrassment. ¡°I never thought about other women, so it¡¯s too obvious for me ¡­¡­¡± Kiara gave a lingering smile. ¡°¡®Sister, if your brother¡¯s love has become too heavy for you ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll take care of it for you whenever you want. Yes ¡­¡­ whenever you want.¡± No, wait ¡­¡­ you¡¯re my sister, aren¡¯t you? Mil gave an unexpected reply. ¡°Not now.¡± What do you mean, not now? And what¡¯s with the implication? Kiara has a slightly disappointed face. "" ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad.¡± What, are you two colluding again? ¡°I hope you two are not planning something together.¡± The two of them smiled as if they were planning something. ¡± ¡°No, not really.¡± ¡° It seems it¡¯s no use questioning them on that ¡­¡­. I cleared my throat and started all over again. ¡°But I want to make sure that women don¡¯t have to do that. I just can¡¯t accept that it¡¯s obvious for them to offer up their women.¡± Mil smiled wickedly. ¡°Then, will you establish monogamy as a law?¡± That¡¯s my personal preference. Besides. ¡°It would be bad if some of the immigrants were polygamists. We¡¯d have to force them to leave. Let¡¯s not do that.¡± Kiara nodded with a hint of a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. I think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± I feel like she¡¯s hiding something behind that smile. I hope it¡¯s just my imagination. Mil¡¯s face showed that she realized something. ¡°Al. So, according to your theory, it¡¯s okay for Mr. Rossi¡¯s womanizing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. As long as the person themselves agree. And as long as he doesn¡¯t make them pay for it and then throw them away.¡± In the first place, I don¡¯t have time to interfere in my subordinate¡¯s private life. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next day, there was a slight change. Kiara began to come to our room frequently. Mil closed in on Kiara. ¡°Hey, Kiara! Don¡¯t interrupt my alone time with Al!¡± Kiara¡¯s face turned teacher-like. ¡°It¡¯s your punishment for questioning brother¡¯s love for you.¡± Mil¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt it! How did it become like that!¡± Kiara and Mil started to argue. Please, don¡¯t fight here. CH 147 In the days when we were closely and at the maximum level of vigilance to our children. In addition to the group of Magali the ill-natured old woman, a group of winged people migrated. Because of this, the cat people are unable to do anything about it, even if they want to. As a story, it¡¯s lacking in excitement. If you take the right strategy, the situation will go in your favor without you having to do anything. As for me, I¡¯m more relieved than excited that the children are safe. And there are some changes in my daily life. Ardelheid has inadvertently become my third secretary. She was looking around at the amount of work I had to do and the variety of content. Mil and Kiara were used to it. They¡¯re getting the job done quickly. Ardelheid was still going left and right, and at the end of the day, she left with a sullen look on her face. By the way, Ardelheid was the daughter of the chief. After about two weeks, she was getting tired, so I called out to her. ¡°Ms. Ardelheid, you must be tired after all. You should take a break.¡± Ardelheid, who is so tired, replied with a firm tone. ¡°N-No, I¡¯m fine!¡± When I looked at the winged people, I discovered something new. When they¡¯re healthy, their wings stay upright even when they¡¯re folded. When they¡¯re tired, they¡¯re dull, even when they¡¯re folded. ¡°You¡¯ve never done this kind of work before. No wonder you¡¯re tired.¡± When I first met her, she was a mysterious beauty ¡­¡­ But when I worked with her, she was just a normal person. Ardelheid replied, with empty energy. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to raise our voice here!¡± ¡°It would have been much easier if you had held me¡± was written on her face. Kiara smiles. ¡°Yes. Ardelheid is prepared to be my brother¡¯s secretary, after all. You can do better.¡± Ardelheid¡¯s face was being filled with despair. Actually, she¡¯s pretty funny. Mil, too, is trying to hold back her laughter. ¡°Actually ¡­¡­ this is still a lot easier, you know.¡± (T/N: What she meant was that this is not the busy day that there¡¯ll be a lot more paperwork or work to do.) That¡¯s for sure. Ardelheid¡¯s face changed from a look of despair to a noh mask. It shows on her face every time. It¡¯d be troubling if she leaves her position and runs away. ¡°Then, shall we pause here?¡± Ardelheid is blatantly relieved. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Kiara prepared tea and sweets for us and we took a break. And Kiara was looking at me intently, as if she wanted to ask me something. When she noticed my gaze, she smiled at me. ¡°What are you going to do about the cats, brother?¡± It¡¯s like talking about the weather over a cup of tea. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to do anything.¡± Mil didn¡¯t seem to have any objection. ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s no need to rush to attack that place.¡± Ardelheid raised her hand fearfully. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Actually, my father told me to go and learn about the Lord¡¯s wisdom ¡­¡­¡± Wisdom, you say. You¡¯re exaggerating. Well, I suppose it could be. ¡°Feel free to ask questions.¡± Ardelheid is blatantly relieved. ¡°It would have been easy to ask you on the bed.¡± was written on her face. More and more, her image is falling apart. ¡°You recognize the cat people as the enemy, right? So why don¡¯t you attack them?¡± Because they are our enemies, you¡¯ll attack them immediately with force. That concept alone is not enough. Force is only a last resort. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go into battle with someone who will collapse on their own, right?¡± Ardelheid ponders. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about ¡­¡­ being attacked?¡± ¡°I have more important things to do than being worried. That is how to achieve our goals with the least amount of sacrifice.¡± Mil and Kiara smiled at each other as if they were looking at a junior student just entering school. It seems that Ardelheid still doesn¡¯t get it. ¡°What does that have to do with waiting?¡± I chuckled a little. ¡°What makes you think we haven¡¯t attacked the cat people in the first place?¡± Ardelheid stiffened. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°We are building a fort to put pressure on the cat people. We¡¯re already attacking them, you know?¡± First, we attack the mind. This is also an excellent attack. In this world, there is no art of war. And quoting one theory will not work. I¡¯m sure one of the apostles would be smug about it. For me, I can¡¯t help but feel sick about it. There was a question mark in Ardelheid¡¯s head. ¡°Is that so?¡± It¡¯s not so easy to get people to understand the method, after all. ¡°By building the fort, we are putting psychological pressure on the cat people. This will force the cat people to be aware of the fort and act accordingly.¡± "" ¡°Yes, they are aware of it, but ¡­¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel like an attack.¡± ¡°They have to be aware of the fort, don¡¯t they? If they¡¯re not careful, the attackers and the cautious will be at odds over how to deal with it. It¡¯s a fine attack in itself.¡± In the game, it¡¯s called a poison attack. It works slowly. Kiara smiled as she remembered the past. ¡°You can¡¯t understand the theory behind this until you get used to it. But in the end, it all adds up.¡± Ardelheid was thinking frantically. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it later ¡­¡­ But ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t much of a break at all ¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t know about that. CH 148 My name is Ardelheid Streichwerda. Right now, I¡¯m mildly confused. The cause is my new master, Lord Alfredo. Ever since I was a little girl, people have been complimenting me on my looks. I was even told that I was one in a hundred years and so on. I was educated in certain areas so that I could be of use to my family. It was close to the time of the apostles¡¯ descent, so there was a possibility of that. One of the certain areas is to preserve your beauty and another is to cajole men. Maybe I was being treated like a tool, but she wasn¡¯t complaining. When you are a member of the chief¡¯s family, you live for the family. That¡¯s the way it should be. I don¡¯t do any of the work that other kids do, and they don¡¯t let me do it. To others, it would seem strange. But I couldn¡¯t wait for the time when they would need me. If the time doesn¡¯t come when I¡¯m offered to a man ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll just eat and keep my body clean. To be clear, I felt bad for everyone else. I could not face the people who were hurt by the hunt or the people who were struggling to grow crops. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô It was when the cat tribe¡¯s messenger visited my father that a subtle change came over those days. I¡¯ve been helping my father because I was told that ¡°a simple idiot is useless in an emergency.¡± I¡¯ve been helping him, but only with messages. Even so, I¡¯m able to access a lot of information from my father¡¯s side. The cat tribe¡¯s messenger is Suzana Hayda. She comes to me from time to time as a messenger, but I don¡¯t get along with her. "" I don¡¯t know why. But, I guess it¡¯s the same for her. She would occasionally look at me with contempt. At the audience, I just watched in silence. Suzana seemed excited. She doesn¡¯t have her usual reserve. Normally, she gives and receives answers in a relaxed manner. She is also sexy and seduces men with her seductive attitude. Suzana seems to be the chief¡¯s favorite. Nowadays, she looks like a representative of the cat people. ¡°Lord Lefi, this is a time-sensitive matter.¡± Lefi Streichwerda. That was my father¡¯s name. All winged people are slender. My father is no exception to this rule. Even so, as the chief of the tribe, he maintains a dignified appearance. But I also know that he¡¯s really a worrier and small-minded. Suzana was desperately talking about a group that had recently appeared. They quickly took over the wolf tribe and defeated the tiger tribe. Such a group is evil itself. It seems that human arrogance has taken shape ¡­¡­ The tiger tribe¡¯s cronies are the cat tribe, and when the cat people try to harm the human boss, but turned the table on them. They decided that the cat people were behind it and sent the head of the tiger tribesman who was the general. We tried to make our case, but they urged us to choose between unconditional resettlement and the signing of a non-aggression pact. I don¡¯t trust emigration, and I don¡¯t know how long the non-aggression pact will be kept. And if we leave it, we will be destroyed. Of course, we would be the next target. Now that the boss has been targeted, retaliation is inevitable. I understand that. In this world, it is common sense to retaliate when the boss is targeted. If you back down and have a weak attitude, then there is no future for your tribe. A simple question came to mind as I listened to the story. What happened to the wolf people that they took under their wing? However, it would be impolite to interrupt them, so I kept quiet. My father thought for a while and then opened his mouth. ¡°Miss Suzana. Do you think we can win? They¡¯re strong enough to defeat the tiger tribe, aren¡¯t they? I don¡¯t think we can beat them head-on.¡± ¡°So, I think we should ask for Miss Magali¡¯s help.¡± I visit Grandma Magali from time to time. I enjoy talking with her and she loves me like a grandchild. She is also a very wise woman. I heard that she used to be a lady knight in the service of some family. She must have been very famous. But there was only one answer to that story. ¡°It¡¯s still too stimulating for a little girl. I¡¯ll let you know when Ardelheid is no longer an innocent girl.¡± She laughed and brushed it off. Later that day, they went to Grandma Magali¡¯s to discuss what to do. Suzana went to Grandma Magali¡¯s place first. "" My father, who had taken care of some chores, also went to Grandma Magali¡¯s place. This year¡¯s crops were poor. They were busy dealing with it. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next day, my father¡¯s messenger came to call me. I immediately flew to Grandma Magali¡¯s place. It is a distance of several hours to fly. While I¡¯m flying, I feel like I¡¯m free. It¡¯s my favorite time. ¡°There¡¯s a chance that Ardelheid might get involved, call her.¡± That¡¯s what he said. When I arrived, Grandma Magali, my father, and Suzana were waiting for me. Grandma Magali looked at me and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. That kitty over there is rushing me. Let¡¯s get started.¡± Grandma Magali nodded as I sat down behind my father. ¡°I think I understand what kitty is saying. But I still want to make sure of one thing.¡± Suzana¡¯s face became wary. ¡°What is it?¡± Grandma Magali¡¯s face became a little puzzled. ¡°You can¡¯t keep changing your expression like that, you know. Well ¡­¡­ It¡¯s fine. The wolf tribe had migrated ¡­¡­. Is that correct?¡±¡± She must have noticed something. Suzana answered with a sudden expressionless face. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did they have any hostages of any kind?¡± ¡°In a way, I think they all were.¡± Grandma Magali said with a pondering look on her face. ¡°The first thing we need to do is to use a messenger to find out their internal affairs. And you, Little Lefi, you should have your familiar and men take a look around. Anyway, find out what you can.¡± Distant view is a magic that allows you to see far into the distance. We winged people perform it from a high position. That way, we can identify a kitten a kilometer away. My father looked at Grandma Magali as if he is looking at his teacher. ¡°What do you need me to find out?¡± Grandma Magali shook her head, as if she were looking at her son, who was a bad boy. My father is reliable, but he¡¯s not the resourceful type. Sometimes, Grandma Magali gives him a lecture. She¡¯s been taking care of him since he was a little boy, and my father can¡¯t do anything against her. ¡°Everything, and the residence and location of the boss of the opponent.¡± Suzana¡¯s face brightened and she started to talk. ¡°So you¡¯re going for the enemy¡¯s head!¡± Grandma Magali shook her head in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. It depends on the information we have. Now, hurry up. If you don¡¯t hurry up, I might just pass away.¡± I have a feeling that Grandma Magali will not die even if you kill her ¡­¡­ CH 149 Grandma Magali gave my father one suggestion ¡­¡­ or rather instruction. As a result, I had to stay with Grandma Magali for a while. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m staying over, though ¡­¡­ I wanted to ask her. ¡°Grandma Magali, why am I involved in this?¡± Grandma Magali answered with unusually kind eyes. ¡°Because I think your turn might come.¡± I was surprised. ¡°I¡¯m going to the human leader?¡± Magali nodded. ¡°If we don¡¯t win, there is a good chance you will.¡± I asked, unable to believe that Grandma Magali would lose. Grandma Magali¡¯s plan had never failed before. She has a hidden influence in this region. People who know her have high regard for her. There is only one demon tribesman that considers her as a rival. That person is called a wise man at a young age. Grandma Magali does not take kindly to such a wise man. ¡°The one who thinks he is the smartest is, without exception, a fool. If you were really smart, you wouldn¡¯t want to be called a wise man.¡± She was so smug. I can¡¯t imagine how she could lose at all ¡­¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll lose?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a hunch, but I can¡¯t help but think it smells strange.¡± I didn¡¯t know what she meant. ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything, though?¡± Grandma Magali laughed. ¡°When you¡¯ve been in a fight for a long time, you understand. This one is tricky. I can¡¯t see them, after all.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t see?¡± ¡°The wolves are very proud. It¡¯s unusual for them to migrate so quickly. I¡¯ve never heard of emigrating a defeated enemy in the first place. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t see what we¡¯re up against. It¡¯s scary when you can¡¯t see them when you¡¯re fighting, you know.¡± This was the first time I had ever heard Grandma Magali say that she was afraid. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop fighting?¡± Grandma Magali chuckled. ¡°People is, you know, no matter how much they say they are going to get burned. They will reach for it until they are actually burned. It¡¯s no use even if you tell them that.¡± I didn¡¯t know what Grandma Magali meant by that. I wondered if she was speaking from experience. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After that, the information was gathered by the familiar and distant view. It was decided to gather at Grandma Magali¡¯s place again. To my surprise, the leader of the humans seemed to be a young man. An elf woman and a human girl. He seems to be with those two for the most part. They live in a mansion, and we were able to identify the location. The wolf tribe is not being held hostage. They seemed to be living normally with them. I couldn¡¯t understand them at all. The main force was the Knights, and they seemed to be a very elite unit. Grandma Magali listened to the report in silence. "" Suzana approaches Grandma Magali and draws closer to her strongly. ¡°How shall we win?¡± Grandma Magali gave her a pitying look. ¡°We can¡¯t do it now. If the other side doesn¡¯t move, we won¡¯t be able to do anything. If there is any movement, let me know immediately.¡± The meeting was dismissed. The remaining Grandma Magali had an unusually serious look on her face. ¡°Ardelheid. You have to think about your own happiness, not that of your family.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. I asked her what she meant by that, but she remained silent. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô A few days later, Suzana came again. I don¡¯t know what she was in such a hurry about. Anyway, she seemed to want to fight. Suzana was even more excited than before. ¡°It seems that the dog tribe has surrendered to the humans and are migrating! Some of the opposing dog tribesmen have informed us!¡± Grandma Magali restrained Suzana with her hand, as if she were trying to calm her down. ¡°Who is the messenger? Who are their attendants?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, it was only the chief, Abraham. He may be trying to kill himself. He may have lost his mind under the pressure.¡± Grandma Magali looked amused. ¡°Abraham the theorist. It¡¯s a bold move to go alone without an escort. At least he¡¯s sane. This is interesting. Maybe he¡¯s taken a liking to the boy. Maybe he¡¯s been pushed too far ¡­¡­ Now then.¡± Suzana closed in on Grandma Magali. ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer! Please give me a plan!¡± My father, who had remained silent, stopped her. ¡°Miss Susana, calm down. Madam Magali, what do you think?¡± "" Grandma Magali sighed. ¡°You young people are too impatient. You only get one chance.¡± Suzana¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh! Please tell us about it!¡± After a moment of silence, Grandma Magali opened her mouth. ¡°We¡¯ll have to sacrifice some people. Are you prepared for the blood that will be spilled?¡± CH 150 Grandma Magali¡¯s plan. As a diversion, a small group of people would attack Abraham on his way home. The idea was to use only cat tribesmen and humans, but Suzana insisted. ¡°It won¡¯t do any good if we don¡¯t hit him with all of us. We need to be accomplices!¡± My father¡¯s expression became blatantly sullen. ¡°Why? Do you think we¡¯ll betray you?¡± Suzana hurried to deny it. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m saying that we all have to make equal sacrifices!¡± Grandma Magali¡¯s face became expressionless. ¡°You¡¯ll be revealing our hand, you know. The winged ones are the trump card. They won¡¯t even know they¡¯re there.¡± Suzana shook her head. ¡°The Chief is worried that a quarrel will break out over the amount of sacrifices we make after we win.¡± My father became blatantly unhappy. ¡°You say equality, but the Chief has not shown up. I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s ill.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to expect from the battle, but I wondered if we could win like this. Suzana shook her head frantically. ¡°Our apologies for the Chief¡¯s absence will be made after we win. Lord Lefi. For the diversion, we will not participate, only the humans and winged tribe.. Is that alright with you?¡± You¡¯re right, that wouldn¡¯t satisfy us ¡­¡­ My father fell silent. Grandma Magali sighed. ¡°If you insist, then it can¡¯t be helped. However. Don¡¯t complain if your plan fails because of it.¡± Suzana puffed out her chest. ¡°We won¡¯t! Besides, the wise Miss Magali said that we can win. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll win.¡± Granda Magali looked up at the sky. ¡°The plan is this. The enemy knights are elite. We can¡¯t fight them head-on. First, when Abraham returns, we¡¯ll attack them with the minimum number of men. The boy will certainly have an escort. Without guards, the doggies won¡¯t join them. Abraham was testing them with his own body.¡± My father, who had been listening intently to the conversation, nodded his head. ¡°Did he try to find out their true intentions? The chief himself as bait?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a theorist, but he¡¯s got guts. However, it¡¯s a gamble. So he used himself as a bet.¡± Suzana leaned forward as if she could not wait. ¡°I understand that. So we¡¯re going to make an example out of Abraham for abandoning us!¡± Grandma Magali looked up at the sky with a look like she was helpless. (T/N: She means Suzana.) ¡°This is a diversion ¡­¡­ because we don¡¯t need to win. The enemy will then have to send out the maximum number of guards to emigrate the doggies. If they don¡¯t, the doggies will suspect them. They¡¯ll send out all or almost all of their knights. Then, the base will be thin. If we get attacked there, they won¡¯t be able to defend the leader. The boy probably didn¡¯t think he¡¯ll be a direct target, either. If we just go through the ground, we¡¯ll never get there. We¡¯ll just swoop in there and be done with it. At least they won¡¯t fight back right away.¡± My father looked a little curious. ¡°What if the guards are not from the Knight¡¯s Order?¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you guys will scout and confirm it. If it is not the Knights, we will attack with all our might against the migration of the dog tribe.¡± Suzana looked at Magali with expectant eyes. ¡°Will that be enough to win?¡± Grandma Magali looked at Suzana with a perceptive look. ¡°If all the immigrants are wiped out, no one will go to the humans anymore. And then the enemy¡¯s movement will stop.¡± ¡°Just stopping them is ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll send out the Knights. That¡¯s for sure.¡± My father didn¡¯t seem to understand what Grandma Magali meant when she assured him. I don¡¯t know what she meant, either. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m right, the boy is very clever. He would never send the wolf tribe with a grudge to guard the dog tribe. And he¡¯d have to send out the Knights. The doggies will think they¡¯re taking them lightly. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s stupid enough to accept those dogs like that ¡­¡­¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Grandma Magali had instructed us to continue to gather information even after the mission was set. After father and Suzana left. Grandma Magali suddenly looked very old. ¡°Grandma Magali, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Well, you see, it¡¯s difficult to combine species. Just like before, there¡¯s a grudge afterwards and the strategy changes.¡± ¡°But I can understand Suzana¡¯s point.¡± ¡°If you want to win, you must not worry about such things. People who think about the mess they¡¯ll make after they win before they fight usually lose. Unless the opponent is a total idiot. When you lose, you can¡¯t afford the luxury to hold grudges.¡± ¡°But will we lose just because we¡¯re mixed together? I can¡¯t imagine it.¡± ¡°Since we can¡¯t see them, we should do our best to keep them in the dark. If they find out the existence of the winged ones, the raid itself could fail.¡± ¡°You knew it was a young man, didn¡¯t you?¡± Grandma Magali started laughing. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t judge people by their looks. Even if it¡¯s just a kid, if it¡¯s a demon inside, it¡¯s a bad joke.¡± Grandma Magali¡¯s face turned serious, as if she had never seen it before. ¡°It won¡¯t end with just burns. If you¡¯re not careful, he¡¯ll take your whole arm.¡± CH 151 Grandma Magali listened to the reports without hesitation. But when she heard one report, she froze. ¡°They¡¯re shattering the glass and scattering it?¡± One of the scouts nodded nervously. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re scattering it like a line.¡± ¡°Thank you, you can step back now.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Grandma Magali was unusually thinking carefully. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Grandma Magali?¡± ¡°To be honest ¡­¡­ I think we should call off the operation. But I don¡¯t think we can stop it. They¡¯ve already set up a diversion. Neither your dad nor the kitty can stop it now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so dangerous about the scattered glass?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I can¡¯t read their intentions, and that is what¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Even though it doesn¡¯t make sense?¡± Grandma Magali sighed. ¡°The boy is no fool. I¡¯m sure he has some terrifying intentions.¡± ¡°Grandma Magali, you really have a very high opinion of the boy. I¡¯ve never seen you evaluate anyone so highly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to overestimate than to underestimate. Especially in battle.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next battle was a defeat, just as Grandma Magali had feared. The more shocking thing for us winged people was that we suddenly lost the ability to fly. We had taken pride in our ability to fly. And now it was suddenly destroyed. The winged tribe that could not fly, a tribe that had nothing to offer can only perish. I will never forget the pale face of my father. I, too, must have looked pale, though it was not noticeable since I was not pale, to begin with. Grandma Magali was indifferent. Suzana, whose previous words were reverted, began to criticize Grandma Magali¡¯s strategy. But when Grandma Magali gave her a glare ¡­¡­ she immediately ran back. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Grandma Magali said that she would like to discuss the future with me. My father just nodded silently. My father also thought that this was the only place he could use me. When my father left, he was afraid to check if he could fly. It seems that all the winged tribesmen have fallen into a fear of flying. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ Ardelheid. Have you prepared yourself for this?¡± ¡°Yes, I can finally be of use to everyone.¡± "" Grandma Magali smiled with a clear expression. ¡°I guess I¡¯m done with this world, too.¡± ¡°Grandma Magali!¡± ¡°The boy is not a fool. He¡¯ll take good care of you. You¡¯ll have to seduce him with your body.¡± All I could do was nod. ¡°We¡¯re going to give him the white flag. We¡¯ll let you know how the negotiations go. You should see how the situation goes and do the same too. I¡¯m sure the winged tribe can¡¯t fight anymore.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have to take the responsibility alone, Grandma Magali ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll do my best too, so¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the one in charge. I have to take responsibility for the deaths of my men. The boy¡¯s men have killed a few people, too. I have to settle this grudge.¡± I couldn¡¯t do anything but shut up, hug Grandma Magali and cry. As I returned to the winged tribe¡¯s village, I too felt a sudden surge of fear. I would naturally and fearfully check to see if I could fly. It sounded ridiculous to be afraid of flying, but I was actually afraid. When I returned and reported to my father about what to do from now, he nodded silently. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô In the midst of my anxiety, a further blow came. For some reason, a large number of wild boars suddenly appeared. They were devouring our crops. We, the winged people, who could no longer fly, had nothing to do. Everyone was in despair, and the village was filled with crying voices in the daytime. We didn¡¯t even have the energy to fight the wild boar. Defeat, the inability to fly, and the attack of the wild boar. If it¡¯s one, I could endure it. If it¡¯s two, I could still manage to hang on. But three at the same time, my heart was completely broken. If this was that young man¡¯s idea, how horrible would he be? It made me aware of what Grandma Magali meant when she said he might be a demon inside. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô In the meantime, a messenger came from Grandma Magali. ¡°I¡¯m going to raise the white flag, so you can blend in with the rest of us who are moving. I¡¯ll talk to them, so you should go see the boy.¡± That¡¯s what the letter said. I turned to face my father with a serious expression. ¡°Let¡¯s get them to surrender and accept us. If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll be annihilated.¡± My father nodded with his face being lifeless. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you ¡­¡­. Is there anything you need?¡± ¡°I think we only need a few people.¡± I bowed and was stopped as I left my father¡¯s room. ¡°Ardelheid, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s finally time that I can be of use to everyone. I¡¯m glad.¡± I meant it. I was just afraid that I didn¡¯t know what kind of person the young man was. Then I finally understood. ¡°This is what Grandma Magali was talking about when she said she couldn¡¯t see him.¡± CH 152 I joined the group of migrants and exchanged a few words with one who was a close associate of Grandma Magali. ¡°Mr. Ernesto, how was your talk with the other party?¡± Ernesto Azar shrugged his shoulders with a distracted expression at my question. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a letdown, they said it¡¯s our right to attack them so they won¡¯t blame us. They said we¡¯re welcome to emigrate.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it ¡­¡­ We¡¯re just relieved that we didn¡¯t have to put our hands on Miss Magali. ¡° I was relieved ¡­¡­ But what followed darkened my eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m sure Miss Magali is going to take the blame for this.¡± ¡°No way ¡­¡­¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô We arrived at the port of the boy¡¯s territory in a heavy silence. And they were all taken aback ¡­¡­. By the fact that Grandma Magali came to pick us up still lively. They were all astonished. Then she explained what had happened. She offered to give him her head, but he refused, saying it was useless. Instead, he asked her to help the town administration, and was mercilessly worked around. ¡°It would have been easier to die.¡± We all laughed at the fed-up voice of Grandma Magali. After that, through her intermediary, we had a meeting with the young man. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô As we waited in the room, a boy, a girl, and a person who looked like a guard came in. The young man, who called himself Alfred, was plain in appearance. It was strange to think that Grandma Magali would be afraid of such a young man. But he had a calmness about him that I couldn¡¯t believe for a young man. When I talked to him, I knew that he would not be violent or do anything terrible to me. Now that I was reassured, let¡¯s find the right time to start talking. We¡¯ll finish talking about immigration first. After that, I made up my mind and asked him to keep me around. I had heard that he was married, so I had already factored in the fact that he would reject me the first time. I was baffled when my second offer was also rejected out of hand. At that time, the girl told me that a secretary would be fine, so I decided to accept it. I calculated that if I stayed close by his side, I would have the opportunity to become his woman. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After that, the winged tribe arrived and my father and Lord Alfred met had a meeting. But my father was terrified. The gap between Alfred¡¯s troubled face and my father¡¯s fear made me laugh. Until my father calmed down, I was to be the representative of the winged tribe. Right now ¡­¡­ he can¡¯t do it yet. The mere mention of the word ¡°Al¡± is enough to freak him out. The first girl I met is called Kiara, and she¡¯s Lord Alfred¡¯s sister. Lady Kiara smiled at Lord Alfred. ¡°Brother. You¡¯ve finally risen to the level of making people fear you.¡± Alfred looked up at the sky. ¡°I wonder if I did something so horrible ¡­¡­¡± Inwardly, I wanted to say, ¡°You¡¯ve done something outrageous!¡±. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I had plans to become Lord Alfred¡¯s woman after waiting for the right opportunity, but ¡­¡­ But it was shattered immediately. I couldn¡¯t understand it with the education I have. I was dizzyingly busy with work of such dimensions. I had watched my father work, but it was like a different dimension. It was as different as a child¡¯s mommy work and an adult¡¯s housework ¡­¡­ Surprisingly, his wife, Lady Milva, and his sister, Lady Kiara, took care of such work very quickly. They are so amazing that they look like different creatures. When I told the two of them about it, they laughed and said that it was doubtful that they could even keep up with Lord Alfred ¡­¡­ I felt like I was already lost in another world. When the day was over, I had no more time to think about anything else. Night Visit? I¡¯m tired ¡­¡­ I just want to sleep ¡­¡­ I am so tired that my wings have lost their tension. I¡¯ve only learned how to seduce men. So I don¡¯t know how to deal with men who don¡¯t see me as an object of desire. This is the source of my confusion. This is why Lord Alfred seems to think I¡¯m an interesting woman these days. It¡¯s shocking in a way, but ¡­¡­. I¡¯ve been thinking lately that if it¡¯s fine to have a relationship like this, where there¡¯s no need for bargaining. I was strangely happy that they were looking at what I am inside, not just my body. CH 153 The next day, I saw Ardelheid with even more wilted wings, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. While I was working on the paperwork, Charles came to me. ¡°Is there a problem? Sir Rossi.¡± Charles nodded, an unusually puzzled expression on his face. ¡°The winged tribesmen have offered to help us with scouting. So we had them scout the Cat tribe¡¯s territory from a distance.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, remembering how frightened the winged people were. ¡°Have they recovered their mental health to the point where they can fly?¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders with a subtle expression. ¡°Even the kids are working in the town, after all. They were flying around looking desperately for something to do.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, imagining the scene. Ardelheid was looking at me with a Mil-like stare, as if she wanted to complain about something. ¡°Please just don¡¯t make them overdo it.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. And that brings me to my report.¡± Charles¡¯ face turned serious. ¡°The plague seems to be spreading in the town of the Cat tribe. It appears to be coming from the corpse of the wild boars. ¡° It finally happened ¡­¡­ I had to keep a straight face. ¡°I understand. Then please stop sending scouts to the cat tribe¡¯s territory.¡± Charles looked surprised. ¡°Is that fine?¡± ¡°If the cat people find the scouts, they will catch them, no matter what. And then they¡¯ll spread the plague and bring it back here.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll keep the cat people out of the fort as well?¡± ¡°If they come near you, feel free to drive them away with your bow.¡± Charles pondered for a moment, then gave me a probing look. ¡°Is it okay to leave the Cat tribe¡¯s children alone? ¡° Yes, because they think I¡¯m a child lover regardless of species. I¡¯ll try to help the children ¡­¡­ Do they think that? That¡¯s not the case, though. If you show any hesitation, it will cloud your judgment in the field. This time, if we let it get out of hand, a catastrophe awaits. I took a no-nonsense attitude. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The cat tribe¡¯s children should be helped by cat tribe¡¯s parents. There is no need for us to take the risk of helping them.¡± Everyone seemed surprised. Mil asked with concern. ¡°Al. Are you sure?¡± I made a conscious effort to keep my expression the same. ¡°The first thing I care about is the children of this town. I don¡¯t have time to worry about other people¡¯s children.¡± Mil still didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°But it¡¯s not their fault, is it?¡± ¡°Yes, but children should be protected by their parents first. If they don¡¯t have parents, their relatives or society should protect them. It is not something that the hostile camp should risk their lives to protect. That¡¯s all.¡± Kiara¡¯s face became thoughtful. ¡°Brother. What would you do if a cat person¡¯s child came to the fort looking for help?¡± She knew what I meant, but she wanted to make it clear. ¡°Send them away with arrows, as I ordered. Try not to injure them.¡± Charles seemed surprised. ¡°If it¡¯s an order ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll execute it ¡­¡­¡± As a warrior, he would not want to shoot arrows at an unarmed child. His integrity is commendable. But this time, we could not afford to do so. We may be told to be more virtuous in times of crisis. But ¡­¡­ this is not a confrontation, it¡¯s a battle against an invisible enemy. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a clear order. I will not accept surrender. Not now that the plague has broken out.¡± He seemed to realize from my demeanor that we were in a state of emergency. Charles stared at me and nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. Do you have any other accompanying instructions?¡± ¡°Any military personnel whose condition has deteriorated will be quarantined and treated. Daily bathing is mandatory. In addition, make sure they eat and sleep well. If this makes it difficult for you to patrol the area, you may abandon it. Preventing the spread of the plague is our top priority.¡± He seemed to have listened to my detailed instructions and understood the current situation. Charles nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After Charles had left, I decided to ask Mil for a favor. ¡°Mill. Please make sure that the quarantine measures that I requested from Sir Rossi are implemented in the city.¡± Mil seemed to be taken aback by my attitude. ¡°Y-Yes.¡± And I¡¯ll ask Kiara to do the same. ¡°Kiara. Please ask Sir Rossi to confirm the medical condition of the scouts that witnessed the cat people. Please inform the head family of the symptoms and have them send us some medicine that might help.¡± ¡°Understood, brother.¡± The two of them left. The impact was bigger than I thought ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t help but wonder if using nature as a weapon was too much of a force to be reckoned with. I can¡¯t help but sigh. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The room is now just me and Ardelheid. ¡°U-Um. Lord Alfred.¡± Ardelheid looks at me timidly. She seems to be puzzled by my seemingly cruel attitude. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Lord Alfred had welcomed us as a citizen, even though it¡¯s an enemy he had fought once. The cat people are certainly enemies, but is it really necessary to send them away, even children?¡± I guess she can¡¯t imagine shooting a bow at a child. They don¡¯t understand the seriousness of the situation. It¡¯s not just a common cold. They probably don¡¯t know the horror of contagious diseases. ¡°Let¡¯s say the cat people send their children ¡­¡­ It is using the children as weapons to attack us. The war against them is not over yet.¡± The notion that fighting can only happen on the battlefield seems to be really strong. Ardelheid couldn¡¯t seem to understand what it means to use a child as a weapon. ¡°A weapon?¡± Rather, the actual battle is the final confirmation. A lot of things are decided in advance by preparations. ¡°War is not just about killing each other on the battlefield, you know.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Sending people infected with plague to damage the enemy is also war. Especially if they think I like kids, they¡¯ll find it very effective.¡± Ardelheid seemed to have an idea of what the threat was other than weapons. Her face goes a little pale. ¡°Let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ Is it possible that ¡­¡­ the boar you sent is also a weapon?¡± ¡°Of course it is. It¡¯s a great way to reduce the power of the enemy by providing food for us and sustenance for them. Then we spread the plague and destroy their forces.¡± Ardelheid¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°If I tell my father about this, I¡¯m sure he will never be able to appear in front of Lord Alfred ¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t afford to take that much into consideration since I used a forbidden move. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Well, if I can save a child with no risk, I¡¯ll even save a cat person¡¯s child. ¡° ¡°So it¡¯s a high risk ¡­¡­¡± You still don¡¯t get it? I guess you can¡¯t understand fear if you¡¯ve never seen it before. ¡°A child is infected with a disease and we are trying to save him. How many people do you think will die if it infects the citizens here?¡± Ardelheid was unusually unconvinced. ¡°That¡¯s true, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you willing to risk the lives of over a thousand citizens just because of your personal feelings of pity? If it were contagious, the death toll would be in the triple digits.¡± Ardelheid is depressingly pale. But ¡­¡­ the leader can¡¯t be ignorant. ¡°It is the right thing for a human being to feel sorry for the cat tribe, Miss Ardelheid.¡± Ardelheid is nodding. ¡°So what is right for a man is not the same as what is right for the feudal lord ¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°If the cat person¡¯s child is important, the parents should think and act properly.¡± I was in a bad mood myself, so my tone intensified. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­ true. But we can¡¯t go against the tribe¡¯s policy, can we?¡± That is correct. I didn¡¯t want to put my people¡¯s lives on the line because it was the right thing to do, but because of my own sentimentality. ¡°But should we risk our lives to save the children of other tribes? It¡¯s not just the cat people who are in danger, is it? How far do you think it has spread?¡± I know it sounds harsh, but I have to say it. This is not just a matter of burns. ¡°Let¡¯s say someone dies trying to help others. ¡°That was for a good cause. That¡¯s why that can¡¯t be helped.¡± Can you say that to the person who is grieving the loss of a family member? I can¡¯t do that. I can¡¯t just say it in the moment and run away. It¡¯s a burden I¡¯ll have to bear as long as I¡¯m the feudal lord.¡± Ardelheid shook her head, and her expression became complicated. ¡°I can¡¯t just sacrifice the lives of others just because it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± Personal morality and the morality of a leader are two different things. If I could help, I would. But to save a child of a hostile tribe, I would risk the life of my ally. I can¡¯t make that choice. If they are in an alliance or under my protection, it would be a different matter. Even then, I would choose to abandon them at worst. If it¡¯s just me, I can act on my personal morality. I¡¯m not in a position to have that luxury. I have no choice but to accept the resentment and disdain from others that will result from my choice to abandon them. I guess Ardelheid has never studied to be a leader before. And she¡¯s a good person, so she¡¯ll put her personal goodness first. But I¡¯ve seen a world where personal goodness is not always considered right. She¡¯s also troubled by the difficult questions I¡¯ve presented to her. For now, I¡¯ll take responsibility for all your choices. So, she should think about it to the fullest. Then she can accuse me of being wrong. But she will eventually be in a position of responsibility. By that time, I hope she will be able to think for herself and come up with an answer. Don¡¯t give priority to personal morality without thinking about it. If you have made a thoughtful choice, you¡¯ll be able to accept the consequences. Regardless of which one you prioritize. CH 154 The town itself was in a flurry of activity to implement countermeasures against the plague. In the awkward space where it was just me and Ardelheid, came the ill-natured grandma Magali. (T/N: Changed Old woman part to grandma.) ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Madam Plunkett?¡± ¡°I thought you were torturing Ardelheid, so I came to check on you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not torturing her.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali winked meaningfully. ¡°If you¡¯re going to torment a woman, do it in bed.¡± She¡¯s not listening to me ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Mil about it someday.¡± ¡°Good grief, you should just take care of Ardelheid. She¡¯s the type who¡¯ll do anything for you, you know. That¡¯s what you like, don¡¯t you? The devotional type.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the seat for the woman I love is occupied. Besides, you didn¡¯t come here to talk about that, did you? "" Ill-natured grandma Magali sat down next to Ardellheid with a wicked look on her face. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all right. What are you going to do with the kitties, boy? ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Hmm, you mean annihilating them.¡± Ardelheid¡¯s face became surprised. It seems she hadn¡¯t thought about them being annihilated. ¡°Why annihilation?¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali smiled gently at Ardelheid. ¡°If we don¡¯t do anything, the kitties will have to die out from the double blow of the plague and the wild boar. The boy¡¯s already taken care of that.¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali seemed to be kind only to Ardelheid. It¡¯s not a good idea to give her the wrong answer. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I wonder.¡± ¡°Will you ignore them even when they come to you crying?¡± Why do you insist on talking about this? And I¡¯m sure the ill-natured grandma Magali has no attachment to the cat tribe. If there is, it¡¯s Ardelheid ¡­¡­ Either way, my response is going to be curt. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can let a plague carrier in the house, you know.¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali sighed as if she had no choice. ¡°I¡¯m sure, I suppose the kitties have misjudged their enemy ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s their choice.¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali said with an amused look on her face. I think she¡¯s planning to do something crazy. It won¡¯t end with just being burned from a bad prank. I¡¯m sure she knows at least that much. ¡°By the way, kid. Have you ever heard of the kitty called Suzana?¡± I can¡¯t see the point. ¡°Yes, I do. I¡¯ve met her before as a messenger, after all.¡± ¡°What did you think when you saw her?¡± What¡¯s wrong with that? I have a bad feeling about this, so I¡¯m going to say a salty response. ¡°I think if she¡¯s that expressive, she¡¯s not fit to be a messenger.¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali started laughing, wondering what was so funny. Ardelheid¡¯s eyes widens. ¡°I see you feel the same way, boy. By the way, they said that the cat people¡¯s chief has been sick ¡­¡­ for a long time and has not come out to the public. What do you think?¡± There are certainly advantages to knowing about it. In the current situation, the balance of risk is a huge deficit. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any difference if he¡¯s sick or healthy. It¡¯s not like it will change their behavior.¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali shrugged her shoulders when she saw my lack of response. ¡°You¡¯re so boring, boy. As you can see, it¡¯s doubtful that the chief is still alive. I¡¯m sure the cat people are panicking as well. Suzana¡¯s level of power is not enough to control them. At best, she¡¯ll be able to maintain their unity by instilling fear by using the boy. Well, it¡¯s too late for the kitties anyway.¡± I can pretty much guess what she¡¯s trying to do with all this talk about cat people. I¡¯m not going to help you. ¡°Madam Plunkett, did you come to check on the situation?¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali looked at Ardelheid and smiled. ¡°No. I thought Ardelheid might have said she wanted to help the cat people anyway.¡± Ardelheid pouted. Ill-natured grandma Magali turned to Ardelheid. ¡°Do you want to help your friend, Ardelheid?¡± That¡¯s new to me ¡­¡­ So she has a friend in the cat tribe. That¡¯s why she was so obsessed with it. That doesn¡¯t change my decision. I¡¯m not willing to trade the lives of the citizens for a non-citizen friend of Ardelheid. In the first place, the rate would go up on this side. Ill-natured grandma Magali turned to me. ¡°One of Ardelheids friends is a mother and child of the cat tribe.¡± She seemed to know that it would be useless to appeal to me emotionally. But in my position as lord, it would be politically unwise to treat the newcomer¡¯s representative lightly. I have no choice but to listen to her. Nevertheless, I don¡¯t want to get Ardelheid¡¯s hopes up because of some strange story. ¡°What about the husband?¡± ¡°He died in a war with the wolf tribe.¡± ¡°I see. So what do you expect from me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping you can help them with your miracle. If you succeed, Ardelheid will be soaking wet and he¡¯ll be in love with you.¡± I sigh largely and blatantly. I don¡¯t need a mistress or a concubine ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve told you so many times. ¡°No. I only need Mil for my bed.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali looked at me like I was boring her. ¡°You¡¯re like a hermit, aren¡¯t you?¡± No, hermits don¡¯t do that with their wives. I¡¯d rather see Mil¡¯s happy face than dally with other women. ¡°In the first place, I don¡¯t have any information about the cat people. And if they have the plague, it¡¯ll spread it to the citizens. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be satisfied with just saving the mother and child anyway.¡± It was absolutely impossible to save only two people. And If I save only two people, it will make the mother and child suffer later on. Does that count as saving them? And I don¡¯t approve of putting my people in danger. If you want to hate me, you can hate me. ¡°Are you really seventeen? I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not jumping on it at all. Ardelheid.¡± Ardelheid was startled by the sudden call of her name. ¡°Ha, yes.¡± ¡°What about you? Are you satisfied with just mother and child? That might be possible. That¡¯s what the boy says.¡± I didn¡¯t say that, and I don¡¯t have that miracle technique. This isn¡¯t good ¡­¡­. She¡¯s going to drag me into this, even if she has to force it. Ignoring my frustration, the ill-natured grandma Magali stared at Ardelheid. ¡°It¡¯s just that the rest of them can¡¯t. What are you going to do?¡± Ardelheid looked down and froze. She stood up abruptly and walked out of the room. She was probably crying. What an unnecessary thing to do ¡­¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too mean? I¡¯m sure Ms. Ardelheid is still in pain, there¡¯s no need to drive her in a corner.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali looked up at the ceiling. ¡°If they had just gotten down on their knees and surrendered, she wouldn¡¯t have had to go through that hell.¡± You¡¯re talking like that after inciting me to do it? If she hadn¡¯t been an old woman, I would have grabbed her by the chest. My reply was cold, not to mention curt. ¡°It¡¯s too late for that.¡± In an act of indifference to my reaction, the ill-natured grandma Magali threw a bomb at me. ¡°Boy. What if Ardelheid wants to help as much as she can on her own?¡± I was trying to hold her back from doing so, but this grandma ¡­¡­ ¡°It depends on what the responsibilities are. I will be questioned about the consequences of her responsibility. I can¡¯t let someone die who doesn¡¯t have to, you know.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali ignored my irritation and looked up. ¡°The only responsibility she can take is to put her life on the line.¡± It will never happen, one person raises their hand and an avalanche will break out. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t accept it. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with that.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali turned to me. ¡°Why if I ask you to let her risk her life?¡± I made a face of utter disgust. ¡°You¡¯re asking me a nasty question. If she insists on putting her life on the line, I have no right to stop her.¡± ¡°She will.¡± My patience was about to reach its limit. My tone of voice naturally became harsher. ¡°She will? You must be mistaken, she will be forced to do it. Please use your correct word. I¡¯ll never listen to you.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali turned serious. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, she¡¯s my granddaughter. I don¡¯t want her to die for nothing. But if she misses the right time to put her life on the line ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll live with regret. I don¡¯t wish to let that happen.¡± She¡¯s talking from experience ¡­¡­ Every single time, everyone presses me for a decision I don¡¯t like. "" This grandma only sees Ardelheid. Or is it that she can¡¯t see them anymore? My frustration was overwhelmed by the worst thing that could happen. ¡°U-Um¡­¡± Ardelheid had come back before I knew it. She had a serious look on her face. ¡°I-If I risk my life, is there a chance that many of them can be saved?¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali set me up. She cornered her and made her squeeze her courage to make a decision. That¡¯s not my decision. Damn you ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll remember this ¡­¡­ CH 155 Ardelheid ran up to me and grabbed my hand tightly. ¡°Please! If there¡¯s any chance at all ¡­¡­ please let me do it!¡± You didn¡¯t do it of your own free will. You were forced to do it that way. But it won¡¯t stop now. Enthusiasm is unmanageable when it starts rolling downhill. You¡¯ve done a really good job, you diabolical grandma Magali. She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If you want to hate me, you can hate me. You¡¯re not going to be satisfied with that, though.¡± It¡¯s not something you can get away with. Ardelheid squeezed my hand even harder. ¡°Please!¡± ¡°Do you understand your position? You are the representative of the winged tribe, you know. I can¡¯t let someone like that die.¡± ¡°No, the representative is my father! Please!¡± It¡¯s no use ¡­¡­ She will never back down. Seriously, you diabolical grandma Magali, this favor is going to cost you. I let out a sigh in annoyance. If I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d definitely go on a rampage. ¡°Ms. Ardelheid, I need you to urgently call all the representatives.¡± Ardelheid¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Ha, yes!¡± Without even answering me, she cheerfully walked out. I couldn¡¯t help but glare at the diabolical grandma Magali. "" ¡°Madam Plunkett. You¡¯ve set me up beautifully.¡± The diabolical grandma Magali laughed. ¡°What are you talking about? An old woman of almost sixty was beaten by a young man of sixteen. If she doesn¡¯t get back, I won¡¯t be able to die in peace. Besides, you¡¯re not exactly calm, so you fell for that too.¡± I sighed largely. You¡¯re putting a lot of people in danger for such a trivial reason? No, the Middle Ages might actually be like that. The leader¡¯s emotions drive the group. A world of humanity rather than rationality. I guess I underestimated this world somehow, after all. Maybe things had been going too well up until now. By looking at myself objectively, I was able to calm down a little. ¡°Don¡¯t make me your rival by yourself.¡± Battling with an old woman is like the Power Instinct ¡­¡­ Don¡¯t tell me ¡­¡­ she¡¯s not going to kiss me and steal vitality, is she? If I don¡¯t think about something stupid, I really feel like I¡¯m going to have an outburst. (T/N: Power Instinct, released in Japan as G¨­ketsuji Ichizoku is a fighting video game series created by Atlus.) ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Ardelheid is on a roll. And the diabolical grandma Magali, who got what she deserved. I was completely expressionless. The meeting started with a strange atmosphere. I¡¯m reluctant to do this, but I have to explain why I called the meeting. ¡°It seems that Ms. Ardelheid wants to risk her life to save the cat people.¡± Everyone was murmuring. I decided to wait for everyone to calm down. I just hope that as much as possible, there won¡¯t be a contagion of good intentions. I¡¯m sure it would be a futile prayer, though. Once everyone has quieted down, I open my heavy mouth again. ¡°There are no miracles, though. There is no guarantee that we can save them. There is a possibility that all the cat people will die, and even Ms. Ardelheid.¡± Ardelheid stood up. ¡°I forced him to let me do this!¡± With words like that, there was no way that Ardelheid could complete it on her own. Charles put a hand to his chin, a difficult look on his face. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± At times like this, the cool-headed Charles can be counted on. He¡¯s not the type to be swallowed up by a flood of good intentions. He will be able to read my true intentions and move the Knight¡¯s Order. The only saving grace is that I don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯m really glad that Charles is here. I try very hard not to show my emotions. Because if I do, I will feel like I¡¯m going to have an outburst. ¡°First, we will abandon the fort closest to the cat tribe. In that fort, we will bring in medical equipment, cooking utensils, and bathing equipment.¡± I was in a foul mood, despite the murmurs of the others. I¡¯ll have to do my best to wipe up the mess, even if I¡¯m unwilling to push through. It¡¯s not something that really makes you great. If I say, ¡°I don¡¯t know, she started this voluntarily,¡± I¡¯ll definitely regret it later. I can¡¯t just sit back and let good intentions run rampant and cause more damage. I had to hold the reins, or it¡¯ll be dangerous. I managed to stifle my irritation with reason. ¡°I¡¯m going to launch a few arrows near the cat people¡¯s town. Here¡¯s what they say. ¡°Those who wish to surrender to us or surrender and still save their children must come to the fort without weapons. If you come to the fort, we will provide you with food, bath, and treatment for your illness. However, although we will do our best, there is no guarantee that you¡¯ll survive. And once you enter the fort, you cannot leave unless you die or are cured. If you leave the fort under any other conditions, we will consider you an enemy and attack you¡±.¡± The excitement in the group grew even louder. I held up my hand to calm them down. ¡°Please build a fence and a barrier between the fort and the town. If any cat people escape from the fort, shoot them dead, no questions asked. After that, we¡¯ll burn them with oil.¡± Everyone remained silent. I was facing forward. But I didn¡¯t look at anyone, just opened my mouth as if reading out a sentence. ¡°Ms. Ardelheid, you will be in charge of preparing the food and treatment in the fort. You will be assisted by a cat person with a relatively minor illness.¡± They all stared at me. So I look coldly at the diabolical grandma Magali. ¡°Madam Plunkett, is there any way to tell if they¡¯re fully recovered?¡± The diabolical grandma Magali ponders. Despina interrupts her and raises her hand. Uh, I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s a representative ¡­¡­. Did she voluntarily participate in the epidemic control meeting? ¡°What can I do for you, Ms. Despina?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a healer, so I can see if she¡¯s healed.¡± Does she understand that she has a child? I shake my head. ¡°I can¡¯t allow you to put yourself in danger, Ms. Despina .¡± Despina smiles at me. ¡°No, I¡¯m a demon quarter. And demons are very unsusceptible to disease.¡± There is no guarantee that you are unsusceptible to anything, though ¡­¡­ If something happens to you, what about the children you have left? When Arshinoe resents me and asks me ¡­¡­ what am I supposed to say? I just felt helpless at the prospect of this flood of goodwill about to begin. ¡°It¡¯s not zero, is it?¡± ¡°No, I can tell by magic if I have the disease. And if I¡¯m beginning to have the disease, it can be cured with magic. So I can help with it too.¡± I looked at Gerald. Gerald nodded silently. ¡°Please let my wife do it.¡± I sighed largely. Every single one of them ¡­¡­ Do you understand how much danger you will be in? There really is nothing more dangerous to the people around than good intentions. However, I can¡¯t turn something that they¡¯ve thought about and decided on themselves upside down. Think for yourselves and act for yourselves. The things I¡¯ve been saying have now come back to bite me. ¡°All right, please take care of yourself. Be careful with your clothes when you work. Do not wash them by mistake. Be sure to burn them after you take them off. The same goes for dead bodies. Don¡¯t bury them, just incinerate them.¡± I was beginning to feel like a fool, struggling to keep my boat afloat in the raging current. If there was ever a time I can laugh hysterically, I guess it is now. But I had to keep my sanity and composure. ¡°Please make a temporary bathing area in front of the fence. We need to cleanse their bodies as well, or you¡¯ll risk infection. At the end of the day, medical personnel should bathe there. You may not want to use it because of the smell, but please do. I¡¯ll have someone prepare a perfume to take away the smell later. Then return to your accommodation, the camp.¡± The soap is made from animal oil. So it smells very bad and people don¡¯t like to use it. But in this situation, that can¡¯t be helped. I didn¡¯t realize how exhausting it would be to force myself to suppress my emotions ¡­¡­ I leaned back in my chair, feeling very tired. ¡°That¡¯s about it. We just need to work out the details. ¡° Touko raised her hand. ¡°We¡¯re not susceptible to disease either. Despina should focus on healing and detecting the disease. Other than that, we¡¯ll help with the heavy lifting.¡± When I tried to object, Touko interrupted me. ¡°We used to be on the same side too, so I don¡¯t like the idea of abandoning them. I¡¯ll do it even if you say no, my lord.¡± He said something outrageous. Thanks to him, the dog tribe, the wolf tribe, and the tribe of the diabolical grandma Magali also offered to help. Ardelheid was so moved that she cried without being seen. Everyone was innocently excited. I don¡¯t want to be a part of this atmosphere. I was full of shame in allowing this operation ¡­¡­ knowing that I was putting everyone in danger. CH 156 But I can¡¯t let their good intentions get out of control. I put my hand up in the air and interrupt their excitement. I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d have to spend the political cost of this place. Politics is not a game, but costs accumulate as you accumulate achievements. The more they accumulate, the easier it is to get things done. It¡¯s like authority, it¡¯s hard to oppose someone who has accumulated costs. In ancient China, they used to call it ¡°virtue. I think it¡¯s close. But when you go against the will of each member or force them to do something, you consume the cost. This is the case when everyone rushes forward with good intentions, as we do today, but then stops short. When good intentions run amok and damage is done, the act of stopping consumes a cost. ¡°You tried to stop me, but I caused damage.¡± That¡¯s what they¡¯ll think. However ¡­¡­ if I take action beforehand to limit the damage, the cost remains the same. No, in fact, it decreases. ¡°I could have helped more.¡± It¡¯s because they feel that way. If I want to make future governance easier, I shouldn¡¯t let their good intentions run wild. The damage that can be expected should be moderately controlled. If I am to follow my policy of ¡°no unnecessary sacrifices¡±, I will make sure that no damage is done. I sighed. Everyone was looking at me. There¡¯s no need to hesitate. No, I shouldn¡¯t hesitate. I can¡¯t betray the sacrifices I¡¯ve made. I¡¯m not cut out to be a politician after all ¡­¡­ If I¡¯m a cold-hearted politician, the right way to go is to allow sacrifices for the future. This way, the final sacrifice will be less. If possible, I would like to keep the sacrifice to zero. In order to do that, I need to control the good intentions that are about to go out of control. ¡°All participants in this operation will not be allowed to enter the town until I declare the situation under control.¡± Everyone was thrown for a loop. I keep a hard expression on my face. ¡°Sir Melchiorri. Please make your quarters at the gate where I direct you.¡± I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. ¡°All participants in this mission must live in the camp. You will be traveling to and from the treatment center. Only one parent may participate, if they have children. If you are a single parent with a child, you can never participate. The exchange of supplies will take place at a receiving and delivery point to be set up near the camp. At a set time, things will be dropped off from the town and picked up by personnel on the camp side. Please avoid direct contact on either side.¡± I¡¯m beyond angry, and I feel like it doesn¡¯t concern me. But I would never allow myself to become desperate. I took a breath and opened my mouth again. ¡°This is strictly a one-way passage. We will only send supplies from the town to the camp, not the other way around. There will be no exceptions. Naturally, we don¡¯t allow messengers to go back and forth either. I will give instructions on how to raise the personnel after we see the progress. Decide what action to take if you want to communicate something from the encampment to the town. A messenger will be stationed near the place where supplies are delivered. Keep a distance of 3 meters between you and the messenger. To measure the distance, draw a line on each side. Do not go further than that.¡± I look around at the group. So far, they seem to be listening to me quietly. For now. ¡°And everyone in the camp must be inspected by Ms. Despina at the end of the day. If any of the workers are infected and do not heal, they will be transferred to the treatment center. If any of my previous communications are violated, we will immediately cease the treatment and move into the infection-control phase. This means that anyone undergoing treatment will be left behind.¡± The conference room fell silent as if it had been hit by water. Why so much? I guess that¡¯s what they think. Touko raised his hand. ¡°My lord, is it really that necessary?¡± My patience finally exceeded its capacity for tension-free questions. Bam!!! I slap the desk with all my might. Everyone looks surprised. I feel a faint pain in my hand. I tried my best to keep my voice calm. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how scary an invisible enemy can be? Do you want to see your parents, husbands, wives, children, and friends die in agony and helplessly? Do you want to see them disposed of like ¡­¡­ burning garbage? You are going to a battlefield with invisible arrows flying, you know!¡± I tried to continue with my words. A quiet voice interrupted me. It was the diabolical grandma Magali. As expected, she seemed to feel guilty. But I wish she had learned that earlier. ¡°Hey, guys. The boy forcibly gave up and allowed the part that he couldn¡¯t give up in order to protect you. He doesn¡¯t want you to die. The old guys should try to remember, that¡¯s what he has always done, right?¡± Everyone was silent. No one noticed the contradiction in their words and actions. It was like an arsonist trying to put out a fire. It was so ridiculous that I wanted to laugh hysterically. Without knowing my intentions, Ardelheid stood up and said. ¡°I will definitely remember Lord Alfred¡¯s word.¡± Following that, everyone swore an oath. The die was cast. No, the die was forced to be cast. CH 157 I was silent until we finished the meeting and went back to the room with Mil. Of course, Kiara came into the room as well. I sat down on my bed. I felt very tired. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ I showed you something lame.¡± I had done a poor job by letting my emotions run rampant. It seems I¡¯m still naive. Mil and Kiara sat gently on either side of me. Mil quietly shook his head. ¡°Not at all ¡­¡­ In fact, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve held it for so long.¡± Kiara also nodded quietly. ¡°Yes, brother seemed to be in great pain.¡± She smiled weakly. ¡°I¡¯m really glad you two were there. If I had been alone, I would have been ruined by now.¡± They shook my hands on either side of me in silence. Kiara had a worried look on her face, as if she was trying to help me. ¡°Will the orders you made be enough to control the damage?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh sarcastically. ¡°If they can follow it ¡­¡­ that is.¡± Mil¡¯s face became puzzled. They won¡¯t be able to follow it even though I said it that strongly. I can¡¯t believe that, that¡¯s the kind of face she¡¯s making. ¡°They won¡¯t?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll do, but not everyone who participates does.¡± "" She didn¡¯t seem to understand at the moment. Mil nodded her head. ¡°But you¡¯ll tell the people who¡¯ll join that they have to follow it, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but they can¡¯t keep following them.¡± Mil pondered for a moment. ¡°So somewhere along the line, they won¡¯t be able to follow it ¡­¡­¡± Kiara¡¯s expression changed like she gave up. ¡°It¡¯s true that if they continue to do well every day ¡­¡­ they¡¯ll end up doing it accidentally. Brother¡¯s procedure is troublesome, after all.¡± You know exactly what I mean. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s going to be troublesome, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s been fine until now, after all. But that¡¯s when the Grim Reaper comes in.¡± It seems that Mil didn¡¯t understand my abrupt statement. ¡°Grim Reaper?¡± ¡°Yes, the Grim Reaper is always watching the living from a distance. They reap what they sow when they see an opening or carelessness. Normally they are far away, but now they are just a few steps away. But people don¡¯t realize it.¡± Kiara chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s why brother instructed them to take such thorough measures. It may seem cold at first glance, but it was the way to protect everyone.¡± I naturally made a face as if I had grasped a bitter bug. ¡°And that diabolical grandma ruined it. I¡¯m sure she did it for her sake, who is like a granddaughter to her. The last time I persuaded her, she told me that I had caused the problem ¡­¡­ To be honest, I was angry.¡± Kiara gives a scary smile. ¡°One day, she might not wake up just like that.¡± That¡¯s a bad idea. I strongly deny it. ¡°You definitely can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll make that diabolical grandma work hard future.¡± Kiara shrugs her shoulders. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad.¡± I¡¯m sure Kiara would kill for her without any hesitation. I need to put on the brakes. My tired face makes Mil look worried. ¡°Do you want to keep warning them so they don¡¯t get hurt?¡± The thing is, it¡¯s not that simple. ¡°No, it¡¯s no good to say it over and over again. They¡¯ll say, ¡°He saying it again¡±, and they¡¯ll stop listening. So we¡¯ll just have to wait and see if that fails.¡± Mil¡¯s face became very displeased. ¡°It¡¯s annoying that there¡¯s nothing we can do about it ¡­¡­ I know it¡¯s going to be very hard for Al after that, too.¡± I felt much calmer after talking to them. They¡¯ve really helped me a lot. I finally managed to smile. ¡°That¡¯s why ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t want to do them to do it.¡± Kiara chuckled along with me. ¡°But when they¡¯re that motivated ¡­¡­ there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡± Oh, did she misunderstand that I was talking about the treatment? I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not about that. It¡¯s about something I¡¯ve always said I didn¡¯t want to do. It¡¯s called retribution.¡± Mil¡¯s face became thoughtful, and then she realized. ¡°Massive breeding of wild boars?¡± Very good. ¡°Yes, I expected the plague to spread. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to do it. It was my choice to start the fire in the first place. And I¡¯m mad at the diabolical grandma, but ¡­¡­ she just added more oil, after all.¡± Actually, it¡¯s actually nitroglycerin than oil¡­ but there¡¯s nothing of that in this world. I sigh, which has become a habit lately. ¡°It¡¯s just a little bit of water after that. It still pisses me off, but ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t blame her that much.¡± Kiara suddenly changed the subject. ¡°So to comfort brother, why don¡¯t the three of us sleep together today?¡± What? What is this girl saying? ¡°Hey ¡­¡­¡± Mil was surprised. ¡°Kiara, what are you talking about!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine once in a while? We¡¯re just going to sleep, after all. It doesn¡¯t fall under your domain, Sister.¡± Mil glares at Kiara with a frown. ¡°No, Kiara, aren¡¯t you aiming for something by doing it little by little?¡± ¡°You¡¯re worrying too much. When I was little, I used to crawl into my brother¡¯s bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing now as when you were little!¡± Kiara smiled devilishly. ¡°Yes. But if brother asks for me ¡­¡­ I will gladly offer myself. It¡¯s already like ¡­¡­ I¡¯m asking him to take me. Children are wonderful, aren¡¯t they ¡­¡­?¡± Wait a minute, don¡¯t just step over the red line! Mil¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say something so dangerous while looking so happy!¡± Kiara was unconcerned, as if to say, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just talking to myself. Besides, I crawled into his bed once before, about a year ago. It was like a dream come true.¡± Why drop a bomb so effectively!!!!! Mil¡¯s gaze hurt. ¡°Al~. Can you elaborate on that for me?¡± Kiara is trying to change the atmosphere with good intentions. No, it¡¯s good intentions, right? It¡¯s really good intentions, right? I¡¯m not so sure anymore. CH 158 We had to do everything we could to fight the plague. As for the treatment, about 80 people participated. This was because we instructed them to limit the number of people, as too many would be too much of a burden for Despina. Then, more than 200 cat tribesmen who had seen the letter affixed to an arrow came with their children to seek protection. There were quite a few cat tribesmen ¡­¡­ Ardelheid¡¯s friend was among them, and the mother and child were safely taken care of. Ardelheid seemed to be happy with tears in her eyes. I wonder if she understands that it is too early to be relieved. We¡¯re in a bit of a shambles right now with the response, but we¡¯re managing. It¡¯s been about a week now, and they¡¯re reporting ten dead. It¡¯s time for the people who are helping to heal to start getting tired and demoralized. In other words, it¡¯s time for discipline to be broken. The medicine I ordered from the head family won¡¯t be coming soon. ¡°The only thing between you and death is to stay on your toes. Tell them that.¡± I took David¡¯s line and asked him to tell the people working on it. Kiara, who was listening to my instructions, frowns a little. ¡°You think discipline would start to loosen up soon.¡± People can¡¯t be tense all the time. ¡°If this works, we should be able to maintain discipline for about two weeks.¡± Mil handed me another document. Mill¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°How can they maintain discipline without being careful?¡± There is a way, though it¡¯s an impossibly ruthless way. ¡°That is ¡­¡­ If every month one of the workers gets infected and dies ¡­¡­¡± Mil shook her head and sighed. ¡°So that¡¯s how hard it is.¡± Mil has been reading my intentions very carefully, especially since we got married. Probably because she wants to help me as much as possible. Once again, I was glad that I had turned down Ardelheid¡¯s offer. I smiled sarcastically at the current situation. ¡°Good intentions are like flames, you know.¡± Kiara became curious. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°A flame can ignite spontaneously, but it needs fuel to keep it burning. Flames cannot exist on their own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Even if you start with goodwill, and if you want to accomplish it ¡­¡­ You need a good plan and the will to sustain it.¡± Mil seemed to be getting the idea. ¡°So now that fire is dying out, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°The flame itself, you only know if it¡¯s burning ¡­¡­ or if it¡¯s extinguished.¡± Kiara looked troubled. ¡°That¡¯s a problem ¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s why it¡¯s so tricky and difficult to handle. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem if you have good intentions that can be settled quickly. It¡¯s a long-term battle. I don¡¯t know how much I said they¡¯d understand, though.¡± Mil looked up at the sky. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Al was thinking about the long-term that much either.¡± I smile weakly. ¡°It¡¯s a very unreliable goodwill. But I have an obligation to protect that unreliable goodwill.¡± Mil put her hands on her face and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s really tough being a feudal lord ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard enough to do without someone who understands. Now, can you call Sir Arensky?¡± Mil nodded. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Kiara looked at me with interest. ¡°You¡¯re going to do something, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, fortunately or unfortunately, the plague has put a lot of manpower in that direction. The dwarves tend to have more time on their hands now that construction has stopped.¡± Originally, I wanted to do this when I had a little more time. I¡¯m going to save the cat tribe at the cost of my life. Thanks to such a turn of events, we were forced into a situation where we had to send the dwarves out to build against the plague. And after the construction was completed, they were given a vacation. Even after the vacation was over, plague control was still the top priority. As a result, he has less work to do as an engineer. This was a good time to do so, as he had a lot of free time on his hands and was itching to get back to work. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Onyxim, the chief of the dwarf engineers, arrived with Mil. The dwarves were at their own pace and not swallowed up in the whirlpool of goodwill. It was a refreshing change for me. Onyxim looked at me expectantly. ¡°My lord, since you have summoned me, you must have something you want to be done. I don¡¯t mind doing anything since I have time.¡± ¡°There is something I would like you to do for me.¡± Onyxim grinned and fiddled with his beard. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°The soap bars they¡¯re using in the bathrooms are very smelly. So a lot of people don¡¯t want to use them ¡­¡­ This will reduce the effectiveness of the quarantine. It¡¯s about time they stopped following the instructions.¡± The soap bars in this world are called soft soap bars. They are made from animal fat and wood ashes, and they stink. You have to sprinkle perfume on it very carefully. And perfume is not free. It¡¯s inefficient. And with the wild boar fiasco, I¡¯ve been making quite a few of them ¡­¡­ The warehouse is becoming the source of the stench. And they¡¯re soft and hard to use. Onyxim looked reluctant. ¡°Yeah, that stuff stinks. It¡¯s like the inside of a pair of boots in the middle of summer.¡± That¡¯s a bad analogy. Don¡¯t tell me, you smelled it before? "" It made me sad just thinking about it. ¡°So, please make a non-smelly soap bar.¡± Onyxim gave me a blank stare. ¡°If I could do that, I would have done it by now.¡± That¡¯s not a good assumption to make. ¡°The one the apostles used didn¡¯t smell, right?¡± Onyxim¡¯s expression turned dumbfounded. ¡°They can do that because they¡¯re an apostle. Don¡¯t you even know that?¡± I take on a challenging attitude. ¡°You mean you can¡¯t?¡± Onyxim grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s challenging, my lord.¡± I¡¯ll show him the way to the struggle that¡¯s about to be ignited. If I do that, he will start running. ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing. It¡¯s just something that doesn¡¯t smell.¡± The Leblanc process and baking soda soap bars are still beyond the reach of this world¡¯s chemistry. So we¡¯ll try to improve it as much as we can. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± The basic form of technological development. It is an improvement on the existing. ¡°If we combine materials similar to what we have now, can we do something?¡± I smirked at Onyxim and continued. ¡°Substitute plants for the boar fat, or something similar if you can¡¯t use wood ash.¡± Onyxim stopped. Suddenly, he became excited. ¡°Ooohhhhhhhhhh! That¡¯s right! I see! So you want me to find a similar material that doesn¡¯t smell.¡± I smirked. ¡°Exactly, please try it.¡± ¡°All right, here we go! I¡¯ll use the kids for this kind of trial and error. The kids here are curious, just like anyone else, after all.¡± In these dark times, it would be nice to have something fun to talk about. Inappropriate? What do I care? ¡°I don¡¯t care, as long as it¡¯s fun.¡± Without answering, Onyxim ran off. Mil looked impressed. ¡°So that stubborn vodka should be piloted like that.¡± That¡¯s a terrible nickname. ¡°A less stinky soap bar will keep the flame of goodwill alive a little longer, don¡¯t you think?¡± Kiara sighed in astonishment. ¡°You really are too good at using people, brother ¡­¡­¡± CH 159 Another two weeks passed. A total of twenty cat people died. And then, what I had feared had finally happened. One of the dog tribesmen who had been treating them got careless. He skipped Despina¡¯s diagnosis and bath for a few days and got infected. The locals were naturally in an uproar. Then, the dog tribesmen were transferred to the treatment center. They said the symptoms were unpredictable. I heaved a deep sigh. Abraham, the representative of the dog tribe, had come to me to apologize. ¡°I can¡¯t apologize enough, my lord. Even though my lord had warned us about it so much ¡­¡­¡± I waved my hand. ¡°No need to apologize. As a result, it was my responsibility to grant the permission.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not Milord¡¯s fault because we pushed it through ¡­¡­¡± I shook my head and stopped Abraham. ¡°I gave the final approval. I¡¯d rather you enforce discipline from now on.¡± Abraham said, surprised. ¡°It¡¯s alright if we continue?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just pull people out of the treatment center while they¡¯re recovering, or shut out all the people who are out there for treatment.¡± ¡°Then, Milord, since the beginning ¡­¡­¡± We can¡¯t afford to let our guard down here. I said in a strong tone. ¡°No, depending on the situation, I will forcefully stop it.¡± Abraham bowed deeply to me. ¡°I¡¯ll pass on Milord¡¯s kindness to all of them and make sure they follow your instructions!¡± Abraham left the room saying that and ran out. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After that, my shoulders slumped. Seeing this, Mil said with concern. ¡°Al. I¡¯m not going to tell you not to worry about it, but ¡­¡­ If you¡¯re having a hard time, I¡¯m here for you.¡± As I was about to thank Mil, I heard a hard running sound in the hallway and Onyxim came in. He had dark circles under his eyes. He seemed to have been immersed in it for a long time. ¡°My lord, I¡¯ve done it!¡± Oh, you finally did it. He was holding something that looked like a stick. "" I stood up vigorously. ¡°So you did it!¡± ¡°Yes, smell it!¡± I sniffed the soap bar, and they don¡¯t smell. ¡°Will it remove stains?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What language is that? More importantly, we need to check it. I handed Kiara the soap bar. ¡°Kiara, can you try it out for me? I¡¯m sure your hands are dirty from all the paperwork.¡± Kiara took it with a smile. ¡°I understand.¡± "" When she saw how happy I was, she left in a good mood. ¡°Well done, how did you make it?¡± ¡°It took a lot of trial and error, but ¡­¡­ it was really fun. It was actually a kid¡¯s idea. It was a sticky vegetable oil, olive, I think. It¡¯s a mixture of that and seaweed ash. I tried every kind of ash I could find, and it was the kid¡¯s idea to use seaweed ash.¡± Thank you, kids. So they got there on their own. I was so happy that I felt like crying. ¡°Is it possible to mass-produce it?¡± Hunsu and Onyxim puffed out their chests. ¡°We¡¯ve already started. In three days we¡¯ll have a decent amount. I¡¯ve sent Silvana out to help with the drying.¡± Great job, unpopular woman. Kiara came back, her hands fluttering with dirt. ¡°Kiara. I have a small favor to ask you.¡± Kiara must have sensed that I was up to something. A big smile appeared on her face. ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s a request from my brother, I won¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°We have a lot of stinky soap bars in jars, don¡¯t we?¡± Kiara¡¯s face turned grim as she remembered. ¡°Yes, it smells very bad.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t thanked the eight hundred poor people yet. We should give them to our other brothers.¡± Kiara laughed quickly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s very nice. I¡¯ll arrange it right away.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô A week later In the warehouse at the port where the report came in, Amilcarre and Baldassarre held their noses and went rigid. A fantasia of strange odors. No one dared to approach them. The scent emanating from the large number of soap bars tried to carry their souls to heaven. Hearing that it was a gift from Alfred, Amilcarre and Baldassarre had no choice but to come and check it out. The smell was so strong that Baldassarre was in tears. ¡°This amount of soap bars ¡­¡­ Is this Alfred¡¯s payback!!!¡± The expressionless Amilcarre opened his mouth. ¡°When ¡­¡­¡± Baldassarre looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Hm? What do you mean by that?¡± The expressionless Amilcarre continued to twitch minutely. ¡°When did you start to think that this was all there was?¡± ¡°What ¡­¡­ did you say ¡­¡­¡± CH 160 A month and a half have passed since the start of the plague control measures. A number of reports have come in. First, there was the report of the death of an infected dog tribesman. I can¡¯t help but sigh. Abraham looked apologetic. But I told him there was no need to apologize again. I had prepared myself for this. He also rejected the traditional burial method of the dog tribe and ordered that they be incinerated like the other dead. This seemed to have caused a great deal of shock and fear among all the workers. Anyone would hate to have a dead body incinerated and disposed of like burying garbage. But I don¡¯t care if they hate me. "" My top priority is to prevent the damage from spreading. It was originally because he had broken my instructions. That¡¯s why no one is blaming me outwardly. But I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll come out later. After the gloomy report, there was also a positive one. Thanks to the hard soap, we were able to enforce the use of soap bars. The medicines from the original family have also arrived and are helping to alleviate the symptoms. And then there were the cat people who were diagnosed as cured by Despina. It was not possible to keep the cured people in the treatment center forever. Therefore, we decided to let them choose what to do with themselves in the future. They could return to their original territories. Or they can move to Ravenna. If they choose to move, we¡¯ll ask them to help out at the camp for a week, just in case. If there are no problems after that, we welcome them to the city. As with other tribes, we do not send representatives immediately. The selection of the representatives will be decided at the representatives¡¯ meeting after a certain period of time. There were naturally some objections to this. I¡¯m not like the tribesmen who emigrated honestly. After being tricked, I made it clear that I could not treat the tribe we had risked treating the same way. To be honest, I wanted to make more of a difference. However, I conceded because of the outpouring of sympathy at the meeting. I¡¯ll have to decide on immigration rules for the future, though ¡­¡­ This is not the time for goodwill to get out of control. I¡¯ll decide when I¡¯m calmer. The cat tribesmen were very reluctant to return after experiencing that hellscape. All of the ten people who had been cured wanted to emigrate. It was clear that this lenient treatment would definitely be a disaster in the future. I was overwhelmed by goodwill again. Lately, I¡¯ve been pushed around by goodwill. I wonder what they would do ¡­¡­ when their goodwill backfire. I pulled myself together and asked for an accurate report of the current figures. The result was this report. There were 204 cat people, 10 fully cured, 41 dead, and 90 critically ill. Seventy-eight citizens engaged in treatment, one dead. We decided to put this up in the town square. It¡¯s an emergency situation now, and if we don¡¯t give them the information, the citizens will get worried. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô We¡¯ve been able to get the plague under control to a certain extent, but the town¡¯s operations have become a bicycle operation. The cost of treatment is ridiculous. The clothes are disposable, and my money is dwindling fast. All my plans are falling apart. But it¡¯s too early to start casting gold coins. It¡¯s too conspicuous. Thanks to this, the city¡¯s power has been completely focused on fighting the plague. We haven¡¯t even gotten around to other projects. I¡¯ve been sighing a lot lately. But sighing is not the way to start. I have to do what I can. ¡°Kiara, I have a request to make to the head family.¡± ¡°What is it? I¡¯ve already sent all the old soap bars.¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ I think that most of the plants that the apostles brought in a long time ago are still here somewhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°I was wondering if you could arrange for some potatoes of different origin. If we do that, we¡¯ll have more priorities than making soap bars. Please tell the big brothers that.¡± Potatoes are from South America, so they are not native to this area. But I¡¯m sure the apostles have brought some here. Let them come in handy once in a while. Kiara blurted out. ¡°So we¡¯ll threaten them with the soap bars. I understand. But what is the reason for specifying a different stalk?¡± So I turned to Mil, who I had already guessed was a professional. ¡°Mil. Do you know if the plants are derived from the same stem?¡± Mil nodded, not understanding my intentions. ¡°Y-Yes. I can tell the difference, just like I can tell the difference between people¡¯s faces. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Plants have diseases, too. Plants derived from the same stem can be wiped out by a single disease.¡± Mil looked shocked. ¡°W-Wait, how do you know that! Only elves know about plant diseases!¡± They¡¯re not making any progress in this direction either, huh. There was a potato famine in Ireland. I knew about it, which is why I came up with this idea. Kiara looked at me as if to say, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal now?¡± ¡°Sister ¡­¡­ It¡¯s brother we¡¯re talking about here, you know?¡± Mil¡¯s face became convinced. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right ¡­¡­ It¡¯s Al ¡­¡­¡± And that¡¯s supposed to convince you? I¡¯m sure Kiara understood my intentions. ¡°It¡¯s a measure to ensure a stable supply of food, right?¡± ¡°Yes, can you do that for me?¡± Kiara smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± Potatoes are easy to grow. We should take care of them now. I just remembered the potato famine when I thought about the plague and the food supply. CH 161 Another month later, the potatoes arrived early. I had Mil identify all of them. She endorsed that they were derived from different stalks, so I instructed her to grow them. The plague is almost under control. We are beginning to pull up those who are engaged in treatment. There are 204 cat tribesmen, 104 fully cured, 80 dead, and 10 seriously ill. Currently, there are 35 remaining citizens engaged in treatment and 1 death. After all, almost half of the cat tribesmen are dead¡­ Call me cold-blooded, but I won¡¯t feel much emotion about the number of dead cat tribesmen. I feel sorry for them, but I can only imagine the number of deaths on TV. If I had to seriously think about the life and death of non-citizens, I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. For me, one dead dog tribesman is more important than 40 dead cat tribesmen. I really wanted to give them a proper burial. At the very least, it would have been nice if I could have given some peace to the bereaved family. If I had said such a thing in my previous life, I would have been beaten to a pulp. Certainly, there is no nobility in life. But the weight you feel depends on your relationship with that person. I don¡¯t care if the cat tribesmen that resent me for the friends they couldn¡¯t save. The weight is different, you know. The mother and child of Ardelheid¡¯s friend who survived would be heavy for Ardelheid. But to me, they are two out of 204. I don¡¯t care if Ardelheid blames me for my thoughts. I¡¯m not willing to accept that. They are different personalities, so they carry different weights. For me, Mil and Kiara are two irreplaceable people. But to others, they are the wife and sister of the feudal lord. That¡¯s fine. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô In the meantime, the chief of the winged tribe asked for a meeting with me. Lefi Streichwerda. He¡¯s Ardelheid¡¯s father. He seems to be scared of me, and trembling but ¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never threatened you, though. ¡°How may I help you? How can I help you, SIr Streichwerda?¡± ¡°Ha ¡­¡­ ah ¡­¡­ yes. It¡¯s about my daughter, Ardelheid.¡± I know what he¡¯s going to say. "" But it would not be in Ardelheid¡¯s best interest to allow it. ¡°What about your daughter?¡± ¡°The plague is nearing an end. The two people my daughter wanted to help the most have been saved.¡± Lefi pleaded with me while choosing his words carefully. ¡°May I call Ardelheid back?¡± I said in a voice so cold that I surprised myself. ¡°No. She¡¯ll be the last one to leave.¡± Lefi was probably thinking because her daughter was cute, managed to resist. ¡°B-But ¡­¡­ She¡¯s been working on the front lines for a long time.¡± That¡¯s because she wanted to take the risk of saving them. It¡¯s true that she keeps working, but she tries not to get so exhausted that she become susceptible to disease. Mentally, though, it will be very hard. "" ¡°I won¡¯t say it twice. It was her personal desire that got a lot of people involved. And there have been deaths.¡± ¡°Th-, that¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± The temperature in my voice drops even lower. ¡°The dead died because of their own fault. If you say something like that ¡­¡­ you won¡¯t get away with it.¡± The pale face of Lefi stiffens. ¡°He died for her. The ultimate responsibility, of course, lies with me. But he died because he wanted to help her. I will not allow her to return because she has achieved her goal.¡± I relaxed my expression a little. ¡°When she comes back, I will hold her accountable for this. But ¡­¡­ please welcome her kindly when she returns home.¡± Ardelheid at least needs a place to rest. But ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not sure that Lefi got the message. It¡¯s not good for my mental health to ask and answer any more questions. I¡¯m going to take a no-nonsense attitude. ¡°If that¡¯s all you have to say, please leave.¡± Lefi left while still being stiff. I couldn¡¯t help but complain. ¡°Such a doting parent ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not good for Ms. Ardelheid too. It¡¯s not even good for the friend she saved.¡± Why are you so narrow-minded ¡­¡­? You¡¯re the chief, aren¡¯t you? Mil¡¯s expression was indignant. ¡°Yes. Even I¡¯m tempted to shoot out magic myself ¡­¡­¡± You¡¯re getting faster and faster, aren¡¯t you? Kiara also looked unhappy. ¡°Aren¡¯t everyone depending too much of brother?¡± ¡°Well, we can¡¯t help it. I really think we should take a break somewhere ¡­¡­¡± "" Mil smiled and said. ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s nice.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô While I was trying to imagine a brighter future, Charles appeared after a long time. ¡°My lord, may I?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should tell you at a time like this ¡­¡­¡± I have a bad feeling about this ¡­¡­. But we must never cut off information. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just tell us.¡± ¡°We made contact with the rabbit tribe.¡± Goodbye, my vacation. CH 162 Rabbit, huh ¡­¡­ I wonder why now. Anyway, I let me through. In other words, a bunny. She looks almost exactly like a human, but she seems to have bunny ears and a round tail on her butt. She was young and tall with dark hair and eyes. I wonder if it¡¯s customary to have many women as messengers. I¡¯ll introduce myself first. ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Alfred Della Scala, the feudal lord.¡± Ms. bunny bowed politely. ¡°Nice to meet you too. I am Adelaida Paula Hugo Larrocha. I am a messenger of the Rabbit Tribe.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear what you¡¯re here for.¡± ¡°Recently, the number of wild boars has suddenly increased, and we are having trouble finding food. I would like to ask for your assistance if possible.¡± ¡°There were other tribes, I think. Why us?¡± ¡°We are basically self-sufficient. But lately, it has become difficult.¡± I feel like I¡¯ve caused trouble by starting the fire. Personally, I feel really guilty. Mil¡¯s eyes are also swimming around. (T/N: Means that she can¡¯t look at her straight because of the guilt.) I guess that¡¯s how it is. Kiara is unconcerned with her normal routine. Let¡¯s not affirm anything I do ¡­¡­. I urge her to continue with a poker face. Ms. Bunny continues to talk with serious eyes. "" ¡°Although unfamiliar, I have examined each tribe. Even though they¡¯re unrelated to you, you people were reaching out to the sick people of the cat tribe. So ¡­.. we thought we could count on you people.¡± No, I had no intention of doing it. It hurts my heart so much when people think I¡¯m merciful ¡­¡­ or something. She took my internal struggle as a prompt for her next statement. Ms. Bunny bowed her head deeply. ¡°I would like to ask you again. Even though it¡¯s a little rude, we¡¯d like to ask for your assistance.¡± Our side can¡¯t afford it ¡­¡­ We¡¯re on a tight budget ¡­¡­. But you know what? ¡°Even if we wanted to, we don¡¯t have the capacity to transport food to you.¡± Ms. Bunny nodded immediately. ¡°I understand that. So we would like to ask if you could take in some of the elderly, mothers and children who have difficulty hunting.¡± I see. ¡­¡­ That sounds doable. ¡°How many people are they?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s possible, we¡¯d like you to take 100 people, if it¡¯s difficult, 40 people are fine.¡± 100 people ¡­¡­ I have this debt to pay, after all. I can¡¯t say no. I¡¯m still too naive. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll accept 100 people.¡± Ms. Bunny¡¯s face brightened up. ¡°Really!? Thank you very much!¡± The seriousness of her attitude pricked my guilty heart. ¡°Well. How do you want to do this?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting for you in two weeks at the place where we first met the scouts. Can you send an escort to meet us there?¡± ¡°I understand, I promise.¡± Ms. Bunny shook my hand, thanked me over and over again, and left. My mental strength was down to zero ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô A silence fell over the office. Mil looked at me awkwardly. ¡°Uh, uhm ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say anything ¡­¡­¡± Kiara is unconcerned. ¡°Is our food supply sufficient?¡± ¡°Yes. We need to reduce the number of wild boars, after all. If it¡¯s meat, I¡¯m sure we can find some anywhere.¡± Mil was mumbling something with a faraway look in her eyes. ¡°One week, meat meat meat meat meat meat meat ¡­¡­¡± Don¡¯t say it ¡­¡­ I was trying to forget about it. ¡°Besides, in two weeks, the plague will be almost under control. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have the manpower to handle it.¡± Kiara said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything then.¡± I stopped Kiara as she started to leave. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°What can I do for you, brother?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t think that everything I do is right.¡± Kiara stared at me and then smiled. ¡°Of course, I know you don¡¯t like blind faith. But I also know that you regret it. So I don¡¯t blame you.¡± So you see right through me. All I could do to scratch my head. CH 163 It was after the rabbit tribe¡¯s messenger had returned. I screamed inwardly, ¡°Oh, no!¡± I was so guilty that I forgot to ask something important. What a mess. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Kiara looked at me suspiciously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, brother?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I just forgot to ask something important.¡± Mil looked at me and gave a small smile. ¡°Al being careless is quite rare.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s unusual ¡­¡­ Why have they been hiding instead of interacting with other species? And have they ever been attacked?¡± Mil nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s how you start to think about things, huh.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. She¡¯s watching me very closely. I¡¯d be afraid if she was observing me for anything other than fondness. No wonder men are often controlled by women as if they¡¯re in the palm of their hand. I cleared my throat as my thoughts went elsewhere. ¡°I was also wondering if there were any taboo activities for the rabbit tribe living here.¡± Kiara nodded her head, a little curiously. ¡°If there were, wouldn¡¯t she have mentioned it first?¡± It¡¯s not that simple. That Ms. Bunny was surprisingly low-key. She didn¡¯t seem to be malicious or calculating. ¡°No, it was the way the messenger was acting. I don¡¯t want him to think I¡¯m making excessive demands since I¡¯m the one making the offer. Isn¡¯t it possible that she thought so?¡± Kiara looked a little surprised. ¡°Is she that reserved?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility.¡± Kiara looked like a student looking for answers. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find out carefully. If we do it wrong, we could get into trouble.¡± Kiara said regretfully. ¡°I guess I¡¯m still too inexperienced with brother¡¯s study ¡­¡­¡± Let¡¯s stop that study. I¡¯m scared that you¡¯ll really start up a department. ¡°¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want her to think that I¡¯m accusing her of that. It¡¯s my mismanagement, so I¡¯ll take care of it myself.¡± On the other hand, there is another important issue that has been left unattended. I¡¯ll have to start on that one too ¡­¡­ I decided to ask Mil for a favor. ¡°Could you please go get the diabolic grandma for me?¡± Mil blurted out. ¡°All right. But I¡¯m not going to use that nickname.¡± Mil winked as she left. Her true feelings leaked out ¡­¡­ Kiara made a disgruntled face. I¡¯m sure she thought I was going to ask her to do it, given the way the conversation went. ¡°Brother, is there a reason why you asked Sister and not me? ¡° ¡°Of course, because Kiara is not good at hiding her emotions when it comes to me.¡± "" Kiara puffed up. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± I decided to pretend not to hear her. This question and answer would be absolutely fruitless. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to suddenly have a heart attack because of Kiara¡¯s intimidation, after all.¡± It would be a problem if she dies. I don¡¯t want that diabolic grandma to have it easy. I have another use of her in mind. And I don¡¯t want her to be more cautious than necessary. If I blame the diabolic grandma too much, the people who love her will start making a commotion. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I was lost in thought for a while, Mil brought the diabolic grandma Magali to me. The diabolic grandma Magali looked up to the sky at my cold stare. ¡°You¡¯re still angry with me? I hope you¡¯ll get over it already.¡± ¡°One person died because of you. I¡¯ll never forget it.¡± The diabolic grandma Magali sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t say anything back if you say that. The older you get and the closer you get to death ¡­¡­ the more careless you become about things.¡± Don¡¯t apply that standard to others. But it¡¯s a waste of time to question them. Let¡¯s get down to business. ¡°Give me some information about the rabbit tribe. If you¡¯ve been around here for a long time, you probably know a bit about them.¡± The diabolic grandma Magali closed her eyes and looked as if she was remembering something. ¡°I heard that the rabbit tribesmen came here. If those timid people are coming out, they must have been cornered too far.¡± I¡¯m the one who caused that, though ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sure. We¡¯re going to accept about 100 people. So, please spit out all the information you can.¡± ¡°Oh dear ¡­¡­ I get it. I just don¡¯t know much about them. They don¡¯t come out very often.¡± After a few more persistent questions, I give another order of request. I got the look of a punishing prison officer instead of a cold stare. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡± Seeing the look on my face, the diabolic grandma Magali gave me a look of blatant disgust. ¡°What is it? I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°The law-making process has been halted due to the plague. Madam Plunkett will take the lead on the draft and have it ready in a week.¡± The diabolic grandma Magali made a face of disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd. You know how hard it is.¡± Yes, I know. But you¡¯re the one who caused the delay. You will be held accountable. I open my mouth in a stern manner. ¡°No, you will do it. If you do, I¡¯ll let you off the hook for what happened before.¡± The diabolic grandma Magali looked at me for a while. Eventually, she raised her hands as if she gave up. ¡°Good grief, that¡¯s some payback ¡­¡­ I get it. It wouldn¡¯t be good for my ex-subordinates if I¡¯m being stared at by you.¡± If that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking, don¡¯t try to set me up in the first place. I guess only your own subordinates and Ardelheid are in your sights. That¡¯s not good enough for me. By enacting the law, even if you don¡¯t like it, you¡¯ll have to turn your attention to it. I will not allow you to escape. It will be of no comfort to him now that he is dead. We must create a society where his bereaved family can live comfortably. That was the only way I could think of to take responsibility for him. CH 164 In order to draft the law, the diabolic grandma Magali¡¯s stayed at the government building and began a rush job involving all the tribal chiefs. Work hard and everything¡¯s fine. The quarantine measures also came to the point where we could declare the situation under control. There were 204 Cat People, 118 fully cured, 84 dead, and 1 seriously ill. 15 civilians engaged in treatment, 1 dead. One more in critical condition, and one in minor condition. But if we let our guard down here, it will spread again at once. Once again, we need to make sure that our instructions are thorough so that we are not caught off guard. I named it ¡°The Proclamation of Howard Smythe¡± after the deceased dog tribesman, and posted the instructions on the wall. I thought it would be more memorable to remember ¡­¡­ if it¡¯s a person they knew than just a piece of paper with instructions. One dead. I didn¡¯t want it to be just a number like that. "" For the bereaved, it might be a bad reminder. But for me, the priority was to prevent further casualties. Naturally, I went to the bereaved families to ask for permission. They had the right to refuse it. To be honest, I was scared to go see them, but I couldn¡¯t run away. No one knows how they really feel, but they readily agreed. We decided to use his name in all future announcements regarding quarantine measures. There seemed to be no movement among the non-protected cat tribesmen, who seemed to have been almost completely destroyed. When I talked to some of the healed cat tribesmen, they said that those who could not move satisfactorily had been driven out and turned to this place. I went to the building where the cat tribe was gathered to talk to them. When the cat tribesmen saw me, they all got down on their knees and begged me to spare their lives. I was really taken aback. No ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t understand why they¡¯d think I¡¯d treat them to kill them. Apparently, to the cat tribe, my true form is¡­ A ruthless demon in the form of a young man who could control animals at will. That¡¯s the rumor spreading around them. They thought I was helping them so that I could punish them later, and no matter how many times my men explained it to him, they couldn¡¯t easily accept it. They also thought that the incineration of the body was an execution. As a result of my men¡¯s desperate efforts to persuade them, the misunderstanding was supposed to have been cleared up ¡­¡­ But it seems that seeing me have recalled their fears. I¡¯ve become a symbol of fear to the winged tribe and cat tribe. I don¡¯t know why. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I went back to my room at night, still puzzled. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been alone with Mil. ¡°I¡¯ve got a favor to ask.¡± Mil gave a small laugh. ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask for it, though.¡± ¡°Let me lie down on your lap. And, can I complain while I¡¯m at it?¡± Mil laughed at me so hard. When the laughter subsided, she sat down on the bed and beckoned me over. Just like that, Mil let me lie down on her lap. It¡¯s thin, but the feeling of her thighs feels good. It¡¯s like my mind is being cleansed. And then I start to complain. ¡°Well, I thought, ¡°What do you mean, I saved your life, but let me spare your life?¡±.¡± ¡°Oh, the cat tribesmen.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯re putting your people in danger for something so stupid ¡­¡­¡± Mil also looked a little astonished. ¡°I know. Al hates that kind of thing, after all.¡± I put one hand to her face. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to be thought well of by others or anything, but ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not like that.¡± Mil, who had been watching the scene, chuckled. ¡°Maybe Al is very scary to the enemies.¡± ¡°I doubt it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even want to imagine it. It¡¯s never going to happen, but if it did, I¡¯d run away as fast as I could.¡± ¡°And even the Winged Tribe is scared of me. Give me a break.¡± Mil chuckled with a look on her face ¡­¡­ ¡°Oh, maybe it was because the Chief was glared at by Al.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s an unforgivable thing, you know. I even followed up on it.¡± Mil started to chuckle. ¡°Maybe he was too scared to realize it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the chief, so he should be calmer ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even more so since Ardelheid, who was supposed to be our bridge, was out treating the plague.¡± While I was complaining about all this, I seemed to have fallen asleep before I knew it. When I woke up in the morning, I was properly tucked into bed. When I woke up, Mil laughed at me. ¡°Al, you¡¯re pretty heavy, you know.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh too. That night, I was unusually called to my room by Kiara. I knocked and entered the room. Kiara sat on the bed and beckoned me to give me a lap pillow. Mil ¡­¡­ so you told her. To Kiara of all people. Come to think of it, the two of them were taking a bath together. CH 165 The countermeasure against the plague has finally come to an end. The last of the seriously ill unfortunately passed away. There were 204 cats, 120 fully recovered, and 84 dead. One civilian engaged in treatment died. All of those who were cured requested to emigrate, so we will accept them as per our existing policy. We will observe their progress at the camp for one more week. If they are safe, they will all be allowed to enter the town. Ardelheid¡¯s father came to see me, but when he got a glare from me, he ran away. He was that much of a doting parent ¡­¡­ Why would you give your daughter to a man you didn¡¯t even know? I wondered. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I talked about it to the unpopular woman Silvana, who I hadn¡¯t seen in a while, she laughed at me. She said that if you become the woman of a powerful man, you are guaranteed a wealthy life ¡­¡­ The unpopular woman Silvana came to see me. In other words, I have an ominous feeling. After a moment of laughter, the unpopular woman Silvana turned serious. ¡°Al! I have a request to ask of you!¡± The unpopular woman Silvana¡¯s request. I can assure you. It¡¯s definitely not a good thing. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Del! Lately, she¡¯s not just talking about her love life. She¡¯s been complaining about her insecurities.¡± Anxiety? Did anything happen for that to happen? ¡°Sir Melchiorri would never cheat on his girlfriend or dump her.¡± The unpopular woman Silvana points her finger at me. ¡°Nooooooo! Seeing how easily people die from the plague, she said, ¡°If Robert suddenly dies, I won¡¯t be able to live¡±. And then she started crying!¡± Oh, you mean that. That was a blind spot ¡­¡­ ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­ that¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± The unpopular woman Silvana grabbed my shoulders and started rocking me back and forth violently. ¡°Talking lovely and insecurity, it¡¯s a combo! Just when you think she¡¯s talking lovely, she starts crying because she¡¯s insecure!!!! What do you want me to do!!!!!! ¡°P-Please calm down ¡­¡­¡± The unpopular woman Silvana is on the verge of going berserk. ¡°It¡¯s every day, you know! Everyday! Can you understand this hell?????¡± ¡°So, what do you want me to do ¡­¡­¡± The unpopular woman Silvana¡¯s power grows stronger. ¡°Use your position as the feudal lord and order him to marry her already!!!!!¡± ¡°No. Marriage is not something you are ordered to do ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just do something quickly!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s me talk to them about it first ¡­¡­¡± The unpopular Silvana was breathing roughly. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you! If you don¡¯t get it done quickly, I¡¯ll come here every day!¡± Give me a break ¡­¡­. So that¡¯s what they used to call the coercive lawsuit in Japan. Mil was trying desperately to hold back her laughter. When the unpopular woman Silvana left, she couldn¡¯t stand it and started laughing. Kiara was unusually stunned. ¡°Kiara. Please call Sir Melchiorri and Miss Delphine ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ Yes ¡­¡­ I understand.¡± Mil¡¯s laughter had finally subsided. She had tears in her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Vana would turn out like that. It¡¯s funny just thinking about it. So she gets like that when it comes to people.¡± I remembered that happened a lot on my pilgrimage and had suffered a lot. I looked distantly. ¡°It¡¯s okay to do it, but it¡¯s not okay if someone does it to you. It¡¯s human karma.¡± Mil seemed to have finally calmed down. ¡°We can leave it for another month or so, but I don¡¯t want Al to be killed by Vana before then. Let¡¯s figure it out.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Robert and Delphine walked into the office, glancing at each other. Robert bowed to me, but he was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s going on, my lord? Your hair looks a bit disheveled.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a minor natural disaster. Never mind that, how is your relationship with Miss Delphine going?¡± Robert seemed to have no idea what I was asking. ¡°Y-Yes ¡­¡­ We¡¯ve been busy lately, but we try to make time to see each other.¡± I looked at Delphine. Delphine seems to have guessed somehow. ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ yes. Robert has been coming to see me. It is true that the amount of time we can see each other has decreased, but this is a very difficult time for us, so ¡­¡­¡± They¡¯re both shy, so I¡¯ll have to be forceful with them. I said to the two of them. ¡°Sir Melchiorri, Miss Delphine is crying daily from anxiety. Did you know about it?¡± Robert was surprised. He looked absolutely astonished. ¡°What? D-Del, is that true?¡± Delphine hurriedly denied it. ¡°N-No, not at all ¡­¡­¡± If you don¡¯t proceed with it, her direct petition will continue ¡­¡­ That¡¯s all I want to avoid. ¡°People die easily from plagues.. This is because it is such a time. She¡¯s afraid that Sir Melchiorri will die suddenly, that¡¯s what she¡¯s worried about.¡± Robert stiffened. ¡°N-No ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not going to die suddenly and leave Del ¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Delphine is exposed, and she starts freaking out. ¡°Oh, no, I mean ¡­¡­¡± I told her seriously. ¡°I have a proposal for you ¡­¡­ How about you get married in the near future, let¡¯s say ¡­¡­ in 2 a week, how about it?¡± Robert is even more surprised. ¡°As much as I would like to ¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t this an emergency situation right now?¡± Well, I guess it¡¯s a good opportunity if you just look at the results. ¡°As a symbol of the transition to normalcy, I thought it would be appropriate to have a wedding for the two of you. From a gloomy atmosphere to a joyous one. It¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it? And Miss Delphine wants to get married as soon as possible. That¡¯s what it looks like. Am I right?¡± Delphine¡¯s face turned bright red and she started to fidget. But the way she looked at Robert was that of a hunter. ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m not young anymore, so ¡­¡­ As the days went by, I felt bad for Robert ¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s a world where people get married at 16 or 17 ¡­¡­ Roberto is visibly distraught. ¡°No, there¡¯s no way I feel like that! But I¡¯m just looking for the right time ¡­¡­¡± I guess he is the type that aims for the perfect time and fails. ¡°So, you have no objection to each other getting married?¡± They nodded. ¡°Well then ¡­¡­ let¡¯s have your wedding with a formal declaration of returning to normal. Alright?¡± They nodded, as if I had pushed them. ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to say. SIr Melchiorri will report to Sir Rossi. All that¡¯s left is for the two of you to prepare for your wedding later.¡± The two of them nodded like toys until the end. ¡°Now, things must be done in a timely manner. Please hurry.¡± They hurriedly left. I wonder why I have to go to all this trouble ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next day, the unpopular woman Silvana came running in again. ¡°Al¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°What is it this time ¡­¡­?¡± I¡¯m going to salt you! ¡°She¡¯s going on and on about wedding plans! Help meeeeee!¡± I don¡¯t care. CH 166 We received a report that Ms. Bunny and the others had arrived. When we greeted them, Adelaida, the previous messenger, was at the front. I greeted them all politely. ¡°Welcome to Ravenna. I welcome you all. And in my name, I promise to protect your lives and property.¡± The bunnies bowed in unison. Probably on behalf of all of them. Adelaida opens her mouth. ¡°We are all very grateful for your kindness in response to our sudden request.¡± Feeling guilty I managed to keep my mind from wandering. ¡°What should I call you?¡± ¡°Adelaida is fine.¡± ¡°Adelaida, then. May I ask you a few questions?¡± Adelaida looked a little nervous. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask any strange questions. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Am I correct in assuming that you are the representative?¡± ¡°Yes, the Chief is in his original residence. But I am the representative here.¡± I looked at the other rabbits. ¡°The people in charge will take care of the residents. Aside from Ms. Adelaida, please follow the one in charge.¡± I signaled to Oracio to take over. After that, I turned to Adelaida. ¡°There is something else I would like to ask you. Please come with me.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I took her to the reception room. I recommend her to be seated, and then we get down to business. ¡°Let me ask you then. You have been living without any contact with the outside world, haven¡¯t you? Is there a reason for that?¡± After a moment of silence, Adelaida asked back. ¡°Please forgive me for returning your question with a question. Why didn¡¯t you ask before you accepted?¡± I can¡¯t say to her ¡­¡­ that I was too guilty, and I carelessly forgot. I can only say something cool to cover it up! ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem to accept it ¡­¡­ However, I realized later that I don¡¯t want you guys to be inconvenienced when you¡¯re accepted ¡­¡­.¡± I scratched my head and continued. ¡°I should have checked with you first. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Adelaida stiffened in surprise. ¡°No, we¡¯re at the ones who made a request from you, so ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to be so concerned about your position that you can¡¯t communicate your needs, right? Adelaida turned her glittering eyes on me with conviction. ¡°I guess you are even more merciful than they say.¡± Please, just talk to me normally. My heart is writhing. Do you actually know it and you teasing me!? ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that. Can you tell me about it then?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a legend, so It¡¯s not accurate ¡­¡­¡± Some of the things Adelaida had told me were new to me. She said that in the past, they had interacted with other races in a normal way. After a certain incident, they became afraid of human society and fled to a deserted place. It seems that the reason for this was the second apostle. They used to live near the current 2nd Apostle base. However, during the war, the 2nd Apostle unilaterally killed people with a submersible ship that they called a submarine. The horror of the carnage was horrifying, but what was decisive was the apostle¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stand out too much. But, you know, you¡¯ll have to fight off any fire that comes your way.¡± The rabbit people were truly horrified by the apostle¡¯s complete lack of guilt and shame. They also felt empty and sickened by the humans who praised these words. It was as if they had no idea what they were talking about. It seems that the reason they were not inspired by the apostle was because it was during that war that he first became involved with them. They didn¡¯t know when the power would strike them. It was very frightening. That¡¯s why they drifted here so that they wouldn¡¯t have to deal with people. And the reason they didn¡¯t have to deal with the people around them was because they carefully chose where to live. On top of a hill away from the water source. It is surrounded by wetlands. A location that would normally be avoided. In other words, there would be no profit in attacking it. They thought that no one would come in contact with them here. Well, if the land is unattractive and harmless, they¡¯ll leave it alone. However, are there any apostles here as well ¡­¡­? And before that, the apostle language is after the third ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sure that the spread of the apostolic language took until about 300 years after the third apostle. Why are you guys using the apostolic language?¡± Adelaida nodded her head, as if searching her memory. ¡°Our ancestors had minimal contact with others so as not to get into a conflict. I was told that after a certain point, they can¡¯t communicate with each other.¡± This phenomenon is interesting ¡­¡­ I naturally leaned forward. ¡°They were able to communicate before, but it happened suddenly?¡± She seemed to be slowly remembering. Adelaida¡¯s response became more firm. ¡°They said that it wasn¡¯t sudden. There was a lot of change in this region because of the demons that attacked.¡± ¡°What kind of change?¡± ¡°Our ancestors escaped without fighting, so they were able to avoid difficulties. But those who did were lost to the demons. Then new ones drifted in.¡± So they sensed the danger and left. Now the demon tribe has become a shield for the monsters. Was Ravenna a danger zone before? ¡°After a certain point, the new settlers and the language ¡­¡­ became incompatible.¡± Adelaida nodded. ¡°Yes. Then it became inconvenient not to be able to tell them that we will not fight. It is dangerous to be near a group of people who do not speak the same language as you. So we managed to communicate with them and learned their language.¡± I¡¯d love to know how that happened. ¡°Did you learn it right after you became unable to communicate?¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ they said that all the different languages spoken by the different people sounded the same. So they understood that the language everyone was speaking had changed.¡± That¡¯s a lot of work ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m glad you were able to tell me that.¡± ¡°Luckily, some of the people we came into contact with could understand our language as well.¡± ¡°I see ¡­¡­ By the way, are people still being changed?¡± Adelaida shook her head. ¡°No, the demon race moved in a little while after the language was changed. After that, we seldom see demons anymore.¡± This means that we need to be very careful when dealing with the demons. ¡°Have you had any contact with the demon tribe?¡± ¡°My ancestors did, once.¡± Then I can¡¯t ask for much information. ¡°Even with all that consideration, did you ever come under attack from other tribes?¡± ¡°In that case, they ran away as fast as they could. I heard that eventually no one bothered us anymore. We do not like to fight. And we don¡¯t get involved with other tribes because if we do, it could lead to conflict. But in this town, different tribes live together, and we felt that it was different from the human society we had known. So we thought we¡¯d ask you for your help, even though we¡¯re reluctant to do so.¡± Well, that¡¯s peculiar. But if we¡¯re looking for a quick way to spread our influence, I think this is reasonable. I decided to ask Adelaida for some more information. ¡°I¡¯m changing the subject, but are there any other customs that the rabbit tribe don¡¯t eat or avoid? Of course, we will consider them.¡± Adelaida seemed to be wondering. ¡°Why do you consider so much about it?¡± I¡¯m used to that now. ¡°Your species and mine are different. There is no way to change this. Do you think that forcing you to live the same way without taking into account those differences will work?¡± Adelaida tilted her head. It didn¡¯t seem to make sense to her. It would be easier to explain the reason clearly later. ¡°You don¡¯t like conflict, do you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you okay with being forced to live in a world like the tiger tribe, where fistfights are conversation?¡± The tiger tribe in times of trouble. Very useful for metaphors. Adelaida finally seemed to finally understand. ¡°Ohhh ¡­¡­ I understand. So you have such deep intentions.¡± ¡°So, if there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to avoid, please let me know.¡± Adelaida nodded deeply. ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t eat vegetables that have been cooked. We can¡¯t eat hard meat. That¡¯s all.¡± The diabolic grandma Magali¡¯s information is right on point, huh. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll arrange it that way.¡± Adelaida bowed profoundly and looked at me with sparkling eyes. ¡°Thank you very much. You are truly a merciful man ¡­¡­¡± S- ¡­¡­ Stop it¡­ Don¡¯t look at me like that¡­ (T/N: GUILTY!!!!!) CH 167 After the meeting with Adelaida, I came back to the office. I could finally catch my breath. As I was pondering what to do next, Kiara came up next to me. ¡°Brother, is Ms. Bunny going to emigrate? At this stage, I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t say yet ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Which would you prefer, brother?¡± Either way, I don¡¯t see a problem. She doesn¡¯t seem like the type to conspire. She seems very harmless. If I had been deceived, I¡¯d give up. ¡°Even if they go back, they won¡¯t antagonize us, so I don¡¯t mind either way.¡± Mil seemed to wonder about my generosity. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be to our detriment?¡± Sure, if you¡¯re only thinking about profit and loss. ¡°In the short term, yes. We¡¯ve met the minimum conditions, so ¡­¡­ I¡¯m fine with it.¡± Mil wanted to know what I meant by minimum conditions. ¡°The minimum requirement is that we don¡¯t antagonize each other?¡± ¡°Yes, if we wanted to, we could be favorably neutral. If we assume that they are going to emigrate, and later they notice that we have different perceptions, there will be problems.¡± Mil pondered the problem. Kiara saw this and puffed out her chest. ¡°It¡¯s going to affect the other tribes, isn¡¯t it?¡± The two of them are quite competitive. It has become a habit to think about it. Well ¡­¡­ I guess it¡¯s fine since they¡¯re not bickering. I guess it¡¯s like communication between them. ¡°That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t have to make all of this region our territory. Everything¡¯s fine as long as they don¡¯t antagonize us. However, if we try to force them to migrate by attacking them or taking advantage of their weaknesses ¡­¡­¡± Mil nodded strongly, perhaps in agreement. ¡°They¡¯ll be wary ¡­¡­ in the worst-case scenario, they¡¯ll be hostile to us.¡± Kiara becomes a little pissed off. Calm down ¡­¡­ But lately, they are strangely competing with each other ¡­¡­ Is it because of the lap pillow thing? ¡°After that, I don¡¯t know how the demon tribe will move. So I think we should refrain from doing anything that might arouse suspicion.¡± Mil seems convinced, and understands that the current situation is hectic. ¡°I agree. There¡¯s a sudden increase in the number of people here, and I need some time to calm down.¡± She¡¯s getting a better perspective now that she¡¯s closer to me and has a chance to see the whole picture. "" That¡¯s really encouraging. I felt happy and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, you understand me very well.¡± Kiara¡¯s cheeks puffed up even more. Then Oracio came in. ¡°My lord, the representative of the cat people who moved here has a favor to ask you.¡± An important conversation, huh ¡­¡­ ¡°So it¡¯s something that cannot be handled under your authority, Sir Oracio ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, he said he wants to work for my lord in some way.¡± ¡°All right, then. Led him through here, please.¡± When Oracio left, I folded my arms and pondered. Kiara¡¯s face went from puffy to thoughtful. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m wondering what the heck the cat person is good ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask him?¡± Ask him directly. It¡¯s not as simple as that. ¡°It¡¯s not that self-reported and actual are the same thing. And ¡­¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°They¡¯re already citizens, but they have a history before coming here. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s hard for them to say with pride that they are citizens. It¡¯s no wonder they want to make a name for themselves as soon as possible. In order to do so, they may want to take on dangerous missions and show off their contribution. I don¡¯t want to make any unnecessary sacrifices as a result, though.¡± Kiara¡¯s thoughtful face returned to normal, but her cheeks remained slightly puffy. I guess she¡¯s in a bad mood. ¡°So what are you going to do about it?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I can¡¯t say until I hear what he has to say.¡± Oracio brought in a cat tribesman and introduced him. ¡°This is Mr. Adalberto Runyonichka, representative of the Cat Tribe.¡± He is a man with a small build, brown hair, green eyes, and slightly brownish skin. His movements were flexible. Well, there aren¡¯t many cats that are stiff. The cat tribesman bowed. ¡°Thank you for allowing me to see you.¡± Now ¡­¡­ let¡¯s see what has to say. ¡°I heard that you wanted to work at something ¡­¡­ What is it that you guys are good at?¡± Adalberto answered, standing tall. I guess they want to contribute as soon as possible. ¡°I would like to say anything, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯m told to give specific answers to my lord. Gather information using a stray cat as a familiar. Then we can move around the building without making a sound.¡± Adalbert must have prepared some questions and answers on the way. You answered without hesitation. You have clearly answered the advantages of your race. I guess he thought of the possible answers beforehand. I see that he answered the bare minimum requirements. Now it¡¯s a matter of whether or not I can trust them. ¡°I see. What if I were to ask you to do that information gathering for your hometown?¡± Of course, he will assume that. Rather than that, I¡¯d be troubled if he didn¡¯t. Adalberto was quietly staring at me. After a while, he opened his mouth. ¡°We have been welcomed here if so ordered. We must show the appropriate attitude.¡± That was exemplary. It seems that he knows that an immediate answer, even if he doesn¡¯t really mean it, is bound to raise suspicion. He¡¯s quite smart. I¡¯m not that smart myself, though. I just look great because I¡¯m going where no one else is thinking ¡­¡­ I should probably ask around a bit more. Now, let¡¯s find out what the next response will be. ¡°You know how much I value information. To entrust it to you is to entrust our fate to you. Do you understand that?¡± ¡°I believe that information must come from us alone ¡­¡­¡± He¡¯s much better than the previous messenger, Suzana. I guess I¡¯ll entrust him to do one thing. This is the organization we want, and we can¡¯t do anything if we keep doubting. ¡°Kiara, I have one request.¡± Kiara seemed surprised by the suddenness of the conversation. ¡°You don¡¯t need to preface it. I will do whatever my brother asks, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave him with you. Gather the right people from other races and create an intelligence unit that will report directly to me. I want you to be in charge of it.¡± Kiara looked a little uneasy. ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ yes. I¡¯d be happy to do it ¡­¡­ But will I be able to do it well ¡­¡­¡± Suddenly entrusting our fate, it seems that she was worried when I told that to him. I smiled and reassured her. ¡°I can only ask Kiara to do it. I have so many things to do that I don¡¯t have time to do them all.¡± She stood up and said in high spirits. ¡°I understand! I¡¯ll get it done! Oh ¡­¡­ what should we name the organization?¡± Hmm? Oh, I guess we need one. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to Kiara.¡± Kiara smiles. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll pick ¡°Alfred and Kiara¡¯s Children¡±.¡± Oiiiiiiii! Mil turns red and stands up. ¡°Hey, hey! Don¡¯t pick such a confusing name! No! I disagree!¡± She can¡¯t use that name she said ¡­¡­ It¡¯s no use for an intelligence unit to put on too much of a front. I sighed largely. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped ¡­¡­ Ravenna¡¯s ears, please.¡± If the name becomes too personal, it will be troublesome later on. If possible, loyalty to the town is preferable. Kiara puffed up for a moment, but then she smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t help it, we¡¯ll do it that way then.¡± Adalberto had a look of disgust on his face. That happened, after all ¡­¡­ CH 168 Robert and Delphine¡¯s wedding was just around the corner. We have officially announced that the situation has been brought under control, and everyone is to be taken into town for a rest. In particular, the medical personnel has been instructed to take a week off. Everyone seemed relieved to be out of the tension. I decided that an interval was necessary, so I instructed them not to rush any of the regular cases, except for the most urgent ones. I could see that everyone was getting tired from the constant tension. More than that, I wanted to make some changes to the administrative structure. It¡¯s just right because I needed some time to think too. In the meantime, the long-awaited draft of the law came up. I skimmed through it and was mostly satisfied with it. The diabolic grandma Magali looked tired as expected. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I¡¯m sure everything will be fine, except for one thing.¡± The diabolic grandma Magali made a disgusted face. ¡°Is there something wrong with it?¡± No, maybe I¡¯ve overdetermined some of my ideas. ¡°No, it¡¯s just a supplementary one. Children¡¯s crimes will be considered for reduced sentences uniformly. That¡¯s the only point.¡± It seems she wondered if I was going to say something stupid. The diabolic grandma Magali looked at me with a puzzled look. ¡°Are you going to acquit them?¡± No way. We don¡¯t give preferential treatment to children out of principle. ¡°No, if a child commits a crime in anticipation of a reduced sentence ¡­¡­ he or she will be treated as an adult. Please add this one note.¡± The juvenile law that existed before my reincarnation. If a child commits a crime, he or she will never be sentenced to death. They underestimate that even if they do something bad, it won¡¯t be a big deal. Such people do not need protection. I feel the need to explain the purpose to the diabolic grandma. ¡°The reduction of a child¡¯s sentence is based on the fact that they are not yet ready to judge right from wrong. We don¡¯t feel the need to protect them if they prey on that purpose.¡± ¡°So just because they¡¯re children doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re unprincipled.¡± ¡°In the first place, penalties are a deterrent. So, it is abusive to commit crimes by calculating the punishment accurately. If it continues to be abused, the system itself will lose its credibility.¡± I guess she had an idea. The diabolic grandma Magali put her hand on her chin. ¡°It¡¯s true, there are those who think that they can only be punished to this extent. I usually give them a hard punishment.¡± And I¡¯m not just talking about kids, I¡¯m talking about you too. The hardest punishment is yet to come. I said I¡¯ll swallow it, but I didn¡¯t say I¡¯ll get rid of the smell. ¡°That¡¯s right. Please include that goal in it.¡± The diabolic grandma Magali nodded, looking tired. ¡°Okay, when this is all over, give me some rest.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. After that, it¡¯s a different story ¡­¡­¡± The diabolic grandma Magali looked fed up. ¡°I¡¯ve approached one hell of a demon ¡­¡­¡± You mean angel. I¡¯ve been cleaning up your mess, after all. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After the diabolic grandma Magali left, I went to check on Manora, who was feeling better. This time of the day, she should be leading the map model making that has resumed activity. She was originally the boss of the group, but she seems to have developed a talent for leadership. "" I¡¯m secretly looking forward to seeing her as a member of our future leadership team. When Manora saw me, she waved her muddy hand. ¡°My lord, welcome to man¡¯s romance.¡± I was flabbergasted. ¡°Where did you come up with that name ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I heard from Miss Kiara that the milord called it the man¡¯s romance.¡± You¡¯ll make me hate you ¡­¡­ my sister ¡­¡­. When I regained my composure and looked at everyone, they were working fine. Gerald and his wife¡¯s daughter, Arsinoe, is attached to Manora. They look like sisters. Arsinoe seems to be able to talk to the other children, but she still seems to be shy. It would be good if she could gradually make more friends without rushing. As I was thinking this, Manora tugged on the sleeve of my clothes. ¡°Oh ¡­¡­ that¡¯s right, my lord. The other kids told me that the map here is wrong. Can I fix it?¡± Oh, so they know your way around ¡­¡­. ¡°Please do so. I¡¯ll bring a lot of white paper. Can I ask you to write it with everyone?¡± Manora smiled. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± It seems that the children are getting along well with each other, regardless of race. It¡¯s really a good thing ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll have to reward them for their enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯ll have them send you some candy later as a reward for noticing the mistake.¡± The children shouted with delight. ¡°But please don¡¯t go outside to check. It¡¯s still dangerous. The adults will do that.¡± There was an exclamation of ¡°What?¡± Then, a voice told them firmly. ¡°He! You have to listen to my lord!¡± It was Manora. The children nodded in unison. What leadership skills. I¡¯m wondering if I should call her Little Boss. CH 169 At last, it¡¯s the day of the event that would symbolize the switch to normalcy. It was the day of Robert and Delphine¡¯s wedding. Whoooo! Other people¡¯s weddings are so easy! As I was making myself comfortable, Kiara looked at me with a puzzled expression. ¡°Brother, you were so restless in your own wedding that I was surprised, though ¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s okay! I don¡¯t look back on the past! I was just thinking that then Mil replied. ¡°What¡¯s that? I¡¯m really interested in that.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s fine ¡­¡­ It was a long time ago ¡­¡­¡± They both made eye contact. No, this is just a leak ¡­¡­ When I look away from Mil and see a tense Robert, somehow ¡­¡­ I feel a sense of familiarity And the female attendant is once again the unpopular woman Silvana. She is an attendant twice in a row and has a complicated expression on her face. From now on, I¡¯ll call you the Escorter. The man is Charles, naturally. He was dressed in a formal attire, and he was showing off his male sex appeal ¡­¡­ He¡¯s eating Robert¡¯s presence. The wedding ceremony is over. Since it was a dinner, I went to Robert¡¯s place. In fact, if I don¡¯t go first, no one else can. I didn¡¯t realize this until I was lightly elbowed by Mil. I greeted the tense Robert and the Delphine who is in a trance. ¡°Congratulations on your marriage, you two. It¡¯s nice to finally have some company.¡± Kiara and Mi also congratulated them. Robert tries to respond to them, but he¡¯s a little tense. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. ¡°T ¡­¡­ T ¡­¡­ Thank you very much.¡± Delphine, her eyes moist, bowed to me. ¡°Thank you so much, my lord. You are my savior.¡± You¡¯re exaggerating ¡­¡­. Then Charles came in. ¡°Hello, Robert. You¡¯re a curious fellow, aren¡¯t you? Marriage ¡­¡­ it¡¯s a big deal, you know.¡± Normally, he would be accused of being inappropriate. But because of his normal behavior and the fact that he was joking, he didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable ¡­¡­ It¡¯s important to have a normal routine. If Charles had congratulated him as is customary, it would have been very uncomfortable. Unusually, Robert rebuked. ¡°No, I thought it was very nice ¡­¡­ after seeing my lord¡¯s married life. I was very envious.¡± Mil nodded in a good mood. Kiara¡¯s smiled wryly. It¡¯s not a gift, but with the knight¡¯s marriage, I felt it was necessary to be considerate. I made a small suggestion to Charles. ¡°Sir Rossi, there is actually an item in the Knight Order¡¯s rules that I would like you to add.¡± Charles seemed to have realized that I was up to something. ¡°What is it? I¡¯ve already sent him congratulation item from all of us.¡± It¡¯s not a collar that symbolizes being tied to the home, is it? ¡°No, the newlywed knights will be forbidden to go to the front line for three months ¡­¡­ Actually, I¡¯d prefer a year, but ¡­¡­ we¡¯re short-staffed, after all.¡± Delphine¡¯s eyes moistened with tears. ¡°My lord ¡­¡­¡± Robert scratched his head with an indescribable look on his face. Charles chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to obey my lord¡¯s orders.¡± He turned to all of them and said loudly. ¡°I¡¯m adding a new rule to the Knights Order, starting today! Newlywed knights are forbidden to go to the front for three months!¡± A cheer went up. It was as if Charles had just nailed it. ¡°That said, if you repeatedly divorce and marry, I¡¯ll stick you on the front lines!¡± They all burst into laughter. In this way, the lively wedding ended without incident. As a lord, there is no greater joy than to see my citizens happy. There is no greater joy than this. I was in a good mood the whole time. The next day, Robert and Delphine were absent from the representatives¡¯ meeting on the authority of the lord. And it¡¯s been a while since Ardelheid has attended. I look around at everyone. ¡°First of all, everyone ¡­¡­ thank you all for your hard work on the quarantine measures.¡± Ardelheid also bowed to everyone. ¡°We¡¯ve declared an end to the situation and are trying to return to normalcy. Now that we have more people, we will be reorganizing.¡± They were all in an uproar and looked at me. ¡°First of all, Ms. Ardelheid.¡± Ardelheid looked nervous. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I am relieving you of the position as the third secretary. The reason is because you are unfit to act as a secretary if you let your emotions get the better of you and endanger the lives of many people.¡± The whole place was in an uproar again. Ardelheid bowed her head in shame. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very sorry.¡± I took a breath and opened my mouth again. ¡°And now, Ms. Ardelheid, I am appointing you as Minister of the newly established Ministry of Public Health.¡± Ardelheid¡¯s expression was puzzled. I looked at Ardelheid and explained her duties. ¡°The Ministry of Public Health is in charge of public health, disease control and prevention. You can¡¯t waste your experience learning what¡¯s important on the front lines of epidemic treatment. The lives of our residents are in your hands.¡± On the verge of tears, Ardelheid bowed. As much as it bothers me as the feudal lord, I can¡¯t let my emotions get the best of me and handle this mess ¡­¡­ I have to take the conversation in a constructive direction. ¡°Ha, yes ¡­¡­ yes! I¡¯ll take it!¡± Then I looked at the ill-natured grandma Magali with a grin. ¡°Madam Plunkett, you will serve as an advisor and assist Ms. Ardelheid.¡± If it¡¯s to help Ardelheid, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do it without me telling her. The ill-natured grandma Magali shrugged. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Then I looked at Gerald and Despina. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Rosa, I am appointing you deputy ministers of public health. Please use your healing experience as adventurers and your recovery magic to help Ms. Ardelheid. There Many prospective employees may not be able to read or write yet. Madam Plunkett and Ms. Despina, please educate those people.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali looked up at the sky. Despina raised her hand. ¡°What about the children I¡¯m currently teaching?¡± I answered the question seriously. ¡°In addition to the children you are teaching now, there will be many new children. Until the Ministry of Education is established, I would like the two of you to teach the children how to read and write. Rather, Madam Plunkett will be the main teacher and Mr. and Mrs. Rosa will be in a supporting role. I¡¯m sure you advisors have spare time anyway.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali put her hands in her face. ¡°Are you the demon?¡± Teacher murmured. ¡°An advisor is an overworked handyman, you know ¡­¡­¡± I pretend not to hear. And I pronounced to the ill-natured grandma Magali, smirking. ¡°You were going to throw away your life when you came to us ¡­¡­ weren¡¯t you? If you were going to throw it away, then please use it to plant seeds for the future.¡± ¡°I stand corrected ¡­¡­ You¡¯re not a demon, you¡¯re a demon king ¡­¡­¡± Everyone burst into laughter. ¡°Mr. Gerald, you are training together with Sir Rossi, right? I know it¡¯s a lot of work, but I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Gerald nodded vigorously. He seems to be leading a much busier and more fulfilling life than before. ¡°No! I¡¯ll do my best to lessen the burden on my wife!¡± I nodded and finally gave everyone their homework. ¡°The number of citizens has increased. I¡¯d like you all to compete for and find the people you think we need in each ministry.¡± Fight it ¡­¡­ Fight it more. I think I had that look on my face. It goes without saying that they all called me a demon and a demon king. CH 170 There has been a desire to replace the representatives in each tribe. Indeed, there is a lot of prejudice in the organization. It was a bit miserable, but I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. Our attention was focused on quarantine and public health. As for human resources, the Ministry of Immigration had a bias towards the chief class. In addition, there were a lot of people who were not appointed. It was a regrettable blunder ¡­¡­ If I want to make up for my mistake, I¡¯ll do everything at once and announce that I¡¯m going to rework the organization. They only need to look at me with a blank face once. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a draft of the organization of the ministries. The Legal Department will be added as a division of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and will be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the law. Mr. Abraham Allston will be the head of this department.¡± Abraham nodded naturally. This would be more in line with his wishes than academics. "" Then, with a casual look on my face, I continued. ¡°Madam Plunkett will also serve as Legal Department¡¯s Advisor. Milo Quartullo will be the deputy head of the Legal Department. Madam Plunkett will be assisting Mr. Allston.¡± Milo Quartullo was one of the guards that the ill-natured grandma Magali had brought with her. Milo was not present at the representatives¡¯ meeting, but he will be asked to attend the next one. He had helped Magali with the drafting of the law, so he would be a good choice. Despite my thoughts, the ill-natured grandma Magali looked at me with cold eyes. I guess I¡¯ve gone a little overboard. I should stop attacking now. I cleared my throat and told about the next department. ¡°The Police Department will be newly established as an auxiliary organization of the Knights Order. Touko Priyura will be the head of the department and Ernesto Azar will be the vice head.¡± I¡¯ve recently noticed ¡­¡­ Touko is a muscle brain, but he¡¯s actually pretty smart. It is good to be compassionate, but ¡­¡­ To avoid being too emotionally biased, I placed Ernesto to him. He is a calm and collected person who is able to make sense of things, which is perfect. Touko nodded silently, as if he thought he was the right person for the job. I took a breath and told the rest. ¡°We have established a new Science and Technology Department under the Ministry of Construction. It will be responsible for the development of new technologies and the improvement of existing ones. This department will be headed by Mr. Onyxim Arensky.¡± Onyxim looked as if he would rather concentrate on the Science and Technology Department. I can¡¯t afford to do that. I cleared my throat and said the last thing. ¡°The rabbit tribe¡¯s departure is unknown, so that¡¯s on hold.¡± I thought it was just a matter of people moving on, but the number of departments had increased, and everyone looked ghastly. The teacher looked annoyed and raised his hand. ¡°Kiddo ¡­¡­ I hope that¡¯s all¡­¡­¡± There¡¯s one more thing I¡¯ve been telling them for a while. ¡°When we have more people to teach reading and writing, we will create a Ministry of Education with Ms. Delphine Masia Melchiorri at the head. We don¡¯t have many people yet, so that¡¯s for the future. That¡¯s all for now.¡± They all looked up. ¡°Let¡¯s settle down the system in this way first. If the area of responsibility is too large, you can create a new department at your discretion.¡± The teacher looked at me suspiciously. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t add to the workload ¡­¡­¡± They all nodded. W-Well, I can¡¯t deny that ¡­¡­ I looked at Kiara, trying to change the flow of the situation. ¡°Kiara, have you been able to organize everyone¡¯s interest?¡± She looked like has been waiting for this for a long time, and puffed her chest. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve got the basic organization down.¡± That¡¯s good. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you for your first job.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s where the children come in.¡± No, it has a different name, though ¡­¡­ I thought, but then Mil stood up. ¡°Hey! Stop it with that name!¡± Kiara turned her head to the side. ¡°I can at least fantasize about having a child with brother, don¡¯t I?¡± The other attendees, except for Mil, are blatantly looking away. This atmosphere was uncomfortable. Mil pointed at Kiara. ¡°Stop. it.¡± Kiara sighed. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. What should I investigate?¡± I was relieved that we hadn¡¯t been derailed. ¡°I want you to find out what¡¯s going on around us so that we don¡¯t run into a herd of wild boars.¡± Kiara became a little puzzled. ¡°Not the demons?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too far away, so it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll start when the boars calm down.¡± Kiara nodded strongly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll gather all the information I can.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine to be excited, but ¡­¡­¡± Kiara interrupted me. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t let you overdo it.¡± Charles leaned forward. ¡°So you want to be able to do something about it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure Madam Plunkett doesn¡¯t have any information, after all.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali¡¯s eyes returned from white to black. ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a bit far, so we only know that each other exists.¡± ¡°Then tell Chiara the approximate location of the other tribes. Sir Rossi, we¡¯re going to reduce the number of wild boars in earnest, so we¡¯re going to set up multiple campsites. Please extend our sphere of influence to the former village of the wolf tribe.¡± Charles put a hand to his chin. ¡°Are you sure you to leave the cat people that haven¡¯t submitted alone?¡± ¡°Yes, fortify the campsite we built earlier. If any cat people come close to you, drive them away without making contact. If they come in contact with you, the plague may spread.¡± As expected, Ardelheid is silent. Then Oracio raised his hand. I silently encourage him to speak. ¡°The rabbit tribe has offered to help us. They¡¯re curious since they saw us being busy.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll visit them myself tomorrow.¡± To be honest, I¡¯d rather wait until things settle down for the next year. But I can predict that it will never settle down based on the patterns until now ¡­¡­ CH 171 The next day, we had a meeting with Ms. Bunny. Adelaida was frozen because of being nervous. As calmly as possible, I opened my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s very kind of you to offer to help us. I wonder what is the Rabbit Tribe good at?¡± ¡°We can do almost anything except fighting.¡± That¡¯s the line that bothers me the most. I¡¯ll have to ask for details. ¡°There are a lot of people working in the town right now.What kind of work are you good at?¡± Adelaida¡¯s face became very puzzled. ¡°No ¡­¡­ Since we¡¯re under your protection ¡­¡­.¡± I stopped Adelaida with my hand. That refrain is just a hassle if it goes too far. ¡°It has nothing to do with protection or not. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re doing your job or not. From now on, please throw that idea.¡± Adelaida shuddered. Are the rabbit people so weak? ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ yes ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­¡± An unpleasant certainty began to run through my brain. Do rabbit people have a troublesome personality ¡­¡­???? ¡°Uhmmm, you see ¡­¡­ There is the word ¡°the right person in the right place¡±. It would be nice to know that each person can use their abilities to the fullest.¡± Adelaida pondered. Then she looked at me and opened her mouth slowly. ¡°Many of us are very good with our hands. We¡¯re also good at cooking and farming ¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s what I was hoping you would say. ¡°Oh, that would be great. We didn¡¯t have any specialized people here.¡± Adelaida¡¯s face lit up with happiness. ¡°Please use us. We¡¯ll do our best to get everyone¡¯s approval!¡± Hm ¡­¡­ Wait a minute ¡­¡­ Did they want to emigrate and officially become our comrade? This way of talking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this is a misunderstanding. Would the rabbit people who live here be willing to move to Ravenna?¡± Adelaida paused. Then said in surprise. ¡°What, you¡¯re going to allow us to emigrate!?¡± I knew it ¡­¡­ Were they withdrawn because of their difficulties with interpersonal relationships? ¡°Yes, of course. I didn¡¯t ask because I thought you would all return once you settled down ¡­¡­¡± Adelaida, doing her best to shake her head. ¡°No, you took care of us ¡­¡­ and then say goodbye because we¡¯re done! We can¡¯t do that!¡± If you¡¯re emigrating, you¡¯ll have to make the obvious request. They¡¯ll have to attend the representatives¡¯ meeting. ¡°So, Adelaida, will you attend the representatives¡¯ meeting?¡± Adelaida¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ohhhhh ¡­¡­ Are you sure!?¡± Isn¡¯t your character breaking down? Have you actually been forcing yourself to keep up appearances to look normal? Maybe that¡¯s it ¡­¡­ ¡°Yes, then would you like to start attending today?¡± Adelaida did her best to shake her head. What, were you that happy? ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± I¡¯m starting to see the real situation ¡­¡­ I try to keep my tone as gentle as possible. ¡°May I ask you something?¡± Again, she pauses and looks uneasy. ¡°W-What is it?¡± Ah ¡­¡­ This is a sure thing. The rabbit tribe is communistic. ¡°No ¡­¡­ if perhaps the entire rabbit tribe wants to emigrate, they are welcome to do so, you know?¡± Adelaida¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A-Are you sure!?¡± I knew it ¡­¡­ ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll send out a messenger! By all means! By all means!¡¯ I have a slight headache, but I should get used to it gradually ¡­¡­ ¡°So, please consult with the Ministry of Immigration to discuss the details.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll also receive a shawl to signify of being a representative.¡± I have been informed that it will be completed soon. When Adelaida heard about it, she became excited. ¡°Yes! Thank you for your approval! I¡¯ll go tell everyone about it!¡± She ran out of the room as quickly as she could. Jules, the guard, chuckled. ¡°She was quiet amusing, wasn¡¯t she ¡­¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh dryly. Then it occurred to me. If Kiara intimidates them, won¡¯t they die of shock? CH 172 A month later, the remaining 400 or so rabbit tribesmen will move in. In connection with this, the wild boar extermination was expanded to a reasonable extent, in order to procure food as well. It was also used as an actual military training exercise for the citizens. Since there were five people among the rabbit tribe who were skilled in recovery magic, we asked them to take charge of the medical treatment for the military training. It took me a while to get used to it because I¡¯m a communicative person. ¡­¡­ However, they were good at handling wild boar, which greatly increased their hunting efficiency. I just want to forget about the wild boar! In the midst of all the wild boar, Charles came to me with a report. I¡¯ve been informed that the number of boars is higher than I expected. ¡°What do you think, Sir Rossi?¡± ¡°It seems they¡¯re being driven back.¡± ¡°So the tribesmen in the inside are driving the wild boars away.¡± "" ¡°Of course they are. It¡¯s a mystery whether they¡¯re using the same methods as milord, though.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait for reports about them ¡­¡­¡± As if to change the subject, Charles leaned forward. ¡°The rabbit people who are accompanying me on our military training have made some interesting suggestions.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°They¡¯re suggesting that we domesticate them. ¡° ¡°So the rabble says it can be done?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll leave the decision to you.¡± After Charles left the room, I folded my arms and thought about it. It¡¯s true that pigs are domesticated wild boars ¡­¡­ ¡°Mil, Kiara. What do you think?¡± It¡¯s a simple question, and when I asked them for their opinion, they looked at each other. It was an unspoken agreement between the two of them, and Mil opened her mouth. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea, but ¡­¡­ do you have something in mind?¡± ¡°No, well, the boar is growing faster than I assumed. I wonder if we can manage it ¡­¡­¡± We have to be cautious because of the unexpected effects. Kiara pondered for a moment. ¡°Will there be enough food for the boars?¡± I see. ¡°So you¡¯re wondering if it was possible to secure enough food ¡­¡­ Mil, please go get Ms. Adelaida.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I folded my arms and pondered. ¡°Pushing the wild boars to each other, huh ¡­¡­¡± Kiara also smiled wryly in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s amazing how much of an impact they have since there are so many of them.¡± I scratched my head and grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated the power of nature ¡­¡­¡± The effects of nature are faster and greater than the world in my previous life. I really want to join forces with another tribe and exterminate them all at once. If we don¡¯t hit them on both sides, not just on one side, it will take longer. I¡¯m looking forward to working with other tribes while somehow expanding the area of influence. While I was in my usual thinking mode, Kiara poked me on the cheek. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kiara had a puzzled look on her face. ¡°Ms. Adelaida is already here.¡± Oops ¡­¡­ ¡°Oh, Ms. Adelaida. Actually, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± Ms. Adelaida seems to be expecting some kind of work. ¡°What is it?¡± The rabbit tribe seems to get anxious when their position in society is not clear. If left unclear, communication disorders tend to be exposed. Stamping and gnashing of teeth ¡­¡­ They also do things like cower in the corner of the room. If you give them a territory ¡­¡­ In other words, a position in society, they can give you a normal response. Adelaida is the most flexible and interactive of these rabbit people. She seems to have taken a liking to it and wears her representative shawl all the time. I told her that she only needs to wear it for meetings, though ¡­¡­ This may be another way of them claiming their territory. ¡°The rabbit people suggested during military training that we domesticate the wild boar ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I was wondering if there was a reason why we haven¡¯t domesticated them here.¡± Actually, I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. ¡°No, I hadn¡¯t thought of domesticating them. Is it possible to sustainably domesticate them?¡± ¡°Yes, they eat leftovers and excrement, so we domesticated them as cleaners.¡± Are they similar to pigs because they come from the same source? ¡°Is it safe to suddenly domesticate a wild animal?¡± ¡°The rest of the rabbit tribe bring domesticated wild boar with them. If we cross-breed them, they will be almost the same as pigs.¡± I wonder if the rabbit people are actually experts in internal affairs. They¡¯re difficult to deal with, but they¡¯re really excellent. ¡°You worked for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, didn¡¯t you, Ms. Adelaida?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please establish a new Livestock Department. Can I leave the rabbit people who haven¡¯t found work yet to you?¡± Adelaida¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯m happy to accept the direct order from my lord!¡± It¡¯s very unusual for her to be so happy about an order from me. I wonder ¡­¡­ will she die of loneliness like an actual rabbit if left unattended for a period of time. Do I need to make an instruction manual? CH 173 There are some things I need to decide before I meet up with the bunnies. The contact with the wild boar that has been going on for a long time. I¡¯m sick of it ¡­¡­ and so is everyone else. We¡¯ll talk about how to end the wild boar thing. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all want to get to the finish line now.¡± Charles chuckled. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to end it as soon as possible.¡± Exhausted by the new Ministry of Public Health, Ardelheid mumbled to herself. ¡°We can finish now, can¡¯t we ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move towards a clear goal, shall we? Before the wild boar appears in my dreams.¡± The teacher nodded. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡­ too late for that.¡± Charles looked at me and chuckled. ¡°So, how will you realize the goal of this mirage?¡± If I could see the goal, I would still feel differently about it. ¡°It¡¯s not immediate, but I can see it clearly.¡± Teacher seemed to want me to say it quickly. ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± ¡°It seems that the wild boars are being driven away by another tribe as well. I¡¯m wondering if we can coordinate with them.¡± Kiara, who had no idea how to work with them, nodded her head. ¡°We haven¡¯t heard back from them yet.¡± I explain the details. ¡°There are others who are doing the same thing. If we let them know of our existence, it¡¯ll be easier for them to contact us.¡± Teacher seemed to have noticed. ¡°So we¡¯re chasing the wild boar off each other.¡± Charles gives me a faraway look. ¡°It¡¯s like pushing women with mental illness on each other ¡­¡­¡± So you¡¯ve experienced that before! The boar is not a mentally ill woman, though ¡­¡­ Teacher was unusually enthusiastic. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unusual for a teacher to be so motivated.¡± The teacher gives me a blank stare. ¡°It¡¯s way better since you have other things on your mind. I¡¯m a handyman ¡­¡­ in other words.¡± Teacher leans forward. ¡°Things about the wild boars is the only conversations that come up!!!!!!!!¡± When I thought, ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡±, I get more questions. ¡°Kiddo ¡­¡­ you just realized it ¡­¡­¡± I cleared my throat to cover it up. ¡°Let¡¯s not look back at the past, let¡¯s look forward to the future.¡± I feel like Ardelheid and ill-natured grandma Magali are giving me the blank stare. ¡°We will work with another tribe to exterminate the boars. If we do it from two sides, it¡¯ll be more efficient. As for how to drive them out, we¡¯ll clean up the old farmland. It is not necessary to burn everything down. Just use moderate flames to drive them away.¡± Charles asks to confirm. ¡°We just have to drive them back, right?¡± ¡°A couple of letters about the boars and they¡¯ll likely make contact with us.¡± Touko, who had been silent, turned to me. ¡°You don¡¯t want us to contact them?¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer it if we could ¡­¡­ We don¡¯t know where they are. So there is no way to dispatch them.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible to find them?¡± It is possible ¡­¡­ but I folded my arms. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous because the wild boars are on the loose right now.¡± Touko was still not convinced. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be better to contact them first, so that we can get more information?¡± You¡¯ve got a good point there. Since you¡¯ve said such a good opinion. I¡¯ll ask everyone how to make it happen. If I decide on my own, it won¡¯t help them grow. It will only accelerate their reliance on me, after all. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point there ¡­¡­ I wonder if we can pinpoint the location to some extent.¡± Oracio opened his mouth. ¡°If we increase the distance we send our troops, it will be better, won¡¯t it?¡± That¡¯s not enough. Ill-natured grandma Magali sighed. ¡°It¡¯s no use sending them out blindly. It would be better to take the winged ones and the kitties and survey the surroundings. I can vouch for their survey abilities.¡± One more word! Kiara thought about it for a while, but then she realized something. They all looked at Kiara. ¡°The children are working on revising the map, aren¡¯t they? Why don¡¯t we combine this with the mapping of the region and send a survey team?¡± As expected of Kiara, I¡¯m glad you noticed. The others must have thought it was a good idea. They nodded honestly. Kiara looked at me with the eyes of a student expecting to be graded. "" ¡°Brilliant. It¡¯s perfect. Mr. Ludvig will take the lead in making the map, in consultation with Sir Rossi.¡± Kiara puffed out her chest. Mil looks a little frustrated. You don¡¯t have to compete so much ¡­¡­ Touko opened his mouth to sum up the conversation. He was more aggressive than ever, probably because he was fed up with the wild boar. ¡°So that survey team is also entrusted with contact with the other tribe.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll leave the survey procedures to them.¡± The goal was finally in sight, and they all seemed relieved. As I thought ¡­¡­ They¡¯ve had enough of it. CH 174 ¡°Goodbye, Operation Wild Boar.¡± This questionable name for the operation was decided at the meeting. There was no reason to dismiss it out of hand, so I decided to shake my head. I have a lot to say about the naming sense. But if I did, they would ask me to think of a name instead. It¡¯s too much trouble, so I¡¯ll compromise. After dispatching the survey team and the envoy, we¡¯ll have to wait and see. The preparations for receiving the rabbit tribe are going well. But there was another problem that needed to be dealt with. There is a rift with the winged tribe. But it¡¯s no use asking ill-natured grandma Magali ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll say something like, ¡°It¡¯ll be easy to solve if you embrace Ardelheid.¡± Ardelheid had been scolded by me before, so it would be difficult for him to express her opinion freely. I was in trouble, so I decided to ask the usual two for advice. ¡°This is why ¡­¡­ I want to do something about it before the relationship with the winged tribe gets worse. What should we do?¡± Kiara pondered. ¡°Are there any signs of danger?¡± She sighed, remembering the past. ¡°They didn¡¯t come here by their own choice, you know. So I¡¯m sure that their frustrations will build up differently.¡± ¡°Madam Plunkett told you to do this, didn¡¯t she?¡± I nodded. ¡°They were in a panic because they couldn¡¯t fly anymore, so they didn¡¯t have much time to argue. When they calm down, they¡¯ll probably change their mind.¡± Mil, who had been listening in silence, let out a small breath with a slightly puzzled expression. ¡°I¡¯m meeting with Ms. Ardelheid because of work, but ¡­¡­. She¡¯s been wondering about Al.¡± I didn¡¯t understand why he cared about me. ¡°What do you mean, ¡°wondering¡±?¡± ¡°She was worried that you hate her. Does Al hate her?¡± I scratched my head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate her. I was angry at her for what she did, but it was just a difference of opinion.¡± Mil¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°You¡¯re still so logical. I think you should go see her and talk to her. Alone.¡± I was surprised, to be honest. ¡°What do you mean, ¡°alone¡±?¡± ¡°Literally alone, without any guards.¡± Kiara looked at her in protest, but Mil shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s hard to talk when there are other people around. Also, I believe in Al, you know. That nothing strange will ever happen.¡± Kiara puffed out her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s just payback for last time. Sister ¡­¡­ you¡¯re quite good.¡± Kiara and Mil were very proud. ¡°I¡¯m not Al¡¯s wife and Kiara¡¯s sister as a joke, after all.¡± With this flow, I have no choice but to go. I feel heavy. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll have the Elite Guards follow me until her room.¡± Mil nodded. ¡°Yes, do that.¡± Thus, I had to go to the Ministry of Public Health, unwillingly. Ramiro Rio of the Elite Guards looked at me with a wry smile. ¡°Milord, why do you look troubled when you are the most important person here?¡± ¡°Your position is irrelevant. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not about work, after all.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it your job to improve relations?¡± I shook my head. ¡°If it was work, she would have to do it. She doesn¡¯t need to do that because it¡¯s not her job.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re okay with her hating you?¡± ¡°Do your job according to the law. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking.¡± ¡°But you can give orders, can¡¯t you?¡± It is a feudal society, after all. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s quite hard to change that mindset. Like Friedrich Wilhelm I, I can¡¯t just say, ¡°You¡¯re going to love me!¡± and physically beat them up. ¡°There¡¯s a big gap between what you can do and what you do. In the first place, how will you check how the other person feels? It¡¯s frightening to me that you have to control what people feel too.¡± While I was asking and answering questions that made me feel uncomfortable, we arrived ¡­¡­ Haaaah, it¡¯s so depressing. CH 175 When Ardelheid saw me, she seemed surprised. ¡°©¤ What can I do for you, Lord Alfred?¡± I¡¯ve come this far already, I¡¯ve got to do it. ¡°Erm, can we talk alone?¡± Ardelheid stiffened a little. She nodded as if she had made up her mind and invited me into the other room. The two of us faced each other and were silent for a while. Ardelheid was staring down. I guess I¡¯ll have to start the conversation. ¡°Ms. Ardelheid. I heard from Mil. She told me that ¡­¡­ you were worried that I hate you.¡± Ardelheid freaks out and looks at me timidly. When a beautiful woman looks at me like that, I feel like I¡¯ve become the bad guy. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you at all, Ms. Ardellheid.¡± She was staring at me with an upturned gaze, but she was thinking about what to say. In times like this, if I talk too much, she¡¯ll start thinking about it. I can¡¯t blame her or look at her like I¡¯m urging her to speak. I try to keep my face as calm as possible and wait patiently. After a moment, Ardelheid looked down and began to speak. It wasn¡¯t very logical, but I listened in silence. She let my emotions and memories guide me as I string the words together. The conversation went back and forth. The chronological order of events had been skipped. I silently sort out the story in my mind. (T/N: Ardelheid starts thinking or talking from here.) I was so shocked at the sight of the burning corpse that I secretly threw up all over myself. I realized how naive my thinking had been. "" I was so happy to be able to save my mother and child friend that I shed tears. But I thought I was being self-centered when I made eye contact with a dead body that I couldn¡¯t save in time. It was very painful to see the people who offered to help me become more and more emaciated day by day. My mind went blank when I saw that one of my helpers had died and was burned. I felt that I had killed him. Eventually, I realized that I no longer felt anything when people died, and I was overcome with self-loathing. I was relieved to hear that the number of sick people had dwindled and that my father would ask me to return, but on the other hand, I was troubled by the fact that it would be very despicable. When he told me he had brushed it off, I felt saved. A proclamation was issued in the name of the dead dog tribesman, and I was devastated that I had forgotten about him. With him dismissing me as his secretary, I thought he scorned me for seeing through the contents of such a heart. I thought that my appointment as Minister of Public Health had given me an opportunity to atone for my sins. When she finished speaking, Ardelheid was crying. (T/N: She stops here.) I have to have to do something about her before I can improve relations between the winged tribes ¡­¡­ I waited until she calmed down a bit and I decided to start talking. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you something first. I don¡¯t despise you, and I didn¡¯t give you the opportunity to atone for your sins.¡± Ardelheid wanted to say something, but I stopped her with my hand. ¡°First of all, I can¡¯t blame you for not knowing the harsh reality. It¡¯s not wrong to take the lives of your friends so seriously and take others so lightly.¡± Ardelheid looked surprised. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°If you prioritized your friend¡¯s treatment and put others aside for later, I suppose you should take the blame. Did you do so, Ms. Ardelheid?¡± Ardelheid shook her head. ¡°Then, you just didn¡¯t get there in time. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. The Chief of the Cat Tribe made a bad decision and couldn¡¯t save them ¡­¡­ It¡¯s natural to feel the weight of the lives of those closest to you. It is unreasonable to consider the lives of your own children and those of others to be of equal weight. Of course, we shouldn¡¯t insult or use other people¡¯s lives as tools.¡± Ardelheid was blaming herself so much, that she¡¯s losing her mental balance ¡­¡­ With that in mind, I¡¯ll tell her what I think. ¡°It is human nature to become insensitive to death as it becomes more familiar. It¡¯s impossible to ask people to continue while remaining sensitive. It is also human nature to be relieved at the thought of escaping from such a hell. I used Mr. Smythe¡¯s name because I didn¡¯t want everyone to forget his name.¡± Ardelheid seemed to have calmed down a bit. I hope this gets through to you ¡­¡­ I thought, opening my mouth again. ¡°I didn¡¯t dismiss you of the secretary position because I scorn you. As long as there are dead people, we must at least settle the score.¡± Ardelheid gave a small nod. ¡°Yes, I understand that.¡± ¡°As the Minister of Public Health, I thought that you, who have seen hell, would be the best person to deal with the situation.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Yes, although I have a personal hope that you will grow from your mistakes.¡± Ardelheid began to cry aloud. "" I know I¡¯m right at this point, but I¡¯m a married man. However, I¡¯m partly responsible for driving her away, too. I sat down beside Ardelheid and gently patted her on the head. After that, Ardelheid buried her face in my chest ¡­¡­ and continued to cry loudly for about 10 minutes. It was so awkward. When she stopped crying and looked up, Ardelheid had an expectant look in her eyes, but ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t do that. If I had been single, I would have been caught perfectly. I scratched my head again. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ So why don¡¯t you be my friend?¡± With the word ¡°friend,¡± the face of Silvana the Escorter flashed through my mind and I instantly became calm. Thank you, Silvana the Escorter. Ardelheid looked disappointed but after a while ¡­¡­ she smiled. "" ¡°Please, be my friend.¡± After that, I excused myself from her room, embarrassed, but Ramiro Rio was trying hard to hide his grin. ¡°My lord, you¡¯re still very popular.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use for a married man to be so popular.¡± When I returned to my office, Kiara came running up to me. For some reason, she stopped in front of me for about three seconds. A low, well-cleared voice echoed in the room. ¡°Brother ¡­¡­¡­¡­ where is this other woman¡¯s scent coming from?¡± Oh, a d¨¦j¨¤ vu ¡­¡­ CH 176 The two women pursued and there was a minor disturbance. Where did the ¡°I believe¡± line go? Saying such a thing is like pouring gasoline on a fire. Silence is golden. That gentle Mil who said she believe me is ¡­¡­ Gone with the Wind. The wind is not blowing, but ¡­¡­ The world is full of unreasonable things. After that, Ardelheid often came to the office. A smiling Ardelheid declares that she has come to see a friend. The gaze of the two women hurts. She¡¯s really just a friend. There¡¯s nothing more than that! Since then, I¡¯ve been sleep-deprived. In the meantime, the winged tribesmen¡¯s attitude toward me is ¡­¡­ Apparently, Ardelheid was so happy that he told the whole clan about what happened the other day. This ironically improved the situation ¡­¡­ The reason for the distance is because they don¡¯t understand why I don¡¯t touch that super beautiful Ardelheid. If she is the most beautiful woman in the tribe, she deserves to be touched. They think that the fact that I didn¡¯t touch her suggests that I have some kind of bad feeling towards the winged tribe. It seems that they have a strange sense of relief that I have desires like other people ¡­¡­ But at this rate, my reputation would only spread as a seducer. The reason for this was that I was gaining a nickname in the winged tribe. ¡°Seducer from hell.¡± No! What do you comforting her is seducing her! If I was going to pick up a girl, I¡¯d finish the job! Moreover, what do they mean by hell! It makes no sense. And the only reason I seem to be popular is because of my position as a feudal lord. I have a simple appearance. I don¡¯t have much of a sense of humor. I don¡¯t favor anyone. I don¡¯t have strong strength. I don¡¯t really think I match the criteria of an attractive man. The only thing that hits the mark is that I¡¯m the son of a great aristocrat. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô This story was made into an interesting topic at the representatives¡¯ meeting. It was so unreasonable that I tried to issue a proclamation of correction, but ¡­¡­ Charles blocked me from doing so. ¡°It¡¯s good to know that they¡¯re becoming more familiar with my lord. This is not a good idea. It is an abuse of authority to issue a proclamation like that.¡± He stopped me thoroughly. It¡¯s not only that ¡­¡­ the women¡¯s gaze has been painful lately. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Then I noticed. That this was payback for the fact that I had increased the workload and was now throwing it all away. Meanwhile, the rabbit tribe arrived. A man who seemed to be the chief of the tribe looked worried. He was a man with white hair and red eyes. His coloring was that of a normal rabbit tribesman, but his age was probably in the late thirties. The hair on the top of his head seemed to be getting a little lonely, probably due to his hardships. He seemed to be relieved after talking for a while with Adelaida, who had come to meet him. ¡°My name is Sirino Ramon Guevara Iniesta. I¡¯d like to thank you for accepting our request to move to Ravenna.¡± ¡°Welcome to Ravenna. I welcome you all.¡± After the standard greetings, I turned them over to the Ministry of Immigration. I guess it¡¯s time to add more members to the Representative Council. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô At the night¡¯s representatives¡¯ meeting, I¡¯ll make a proposal. ¡°I gap has appeared in the number of representatives between the races. I think it¡¯s time to consider increasing the number of representatives.¡± Oracio folds his arms. ¡°There are some cases where a single representative is not enough to keep an eye on things.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you all to decide how many of which species you want to increase.¡± Adelaida looked uneasy, so I decided to give her a helping hand. ¡°Ms. Adelaida. The rabbit tribe has been contributing more than I expected. You don¡¯t have to be reserved about recommending a new representative in such a situation.¡± I¡¯ll be careful with the bunnies, too. "" My hair might become gray faster ¡­¡­ Or maybe that Sirino and I will be comforting each other about the hair on my head. Is it about that that he still looks anxious ¡­¡­? The territory ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not going to cut back on the areas I¡¯ve entrusted to you. I want to leave another part to you.¡± Adelaida smiles. I see that the bunnies is also very territorial ¡­¡­ There, Abraham raised his hand. ¡°How many people are you planning to add?¡± How many do we increase¡­ I think it would be easier if I decided on the number of chairs and then they could fight for them. ¡°I don¡¯t have a specific number. A number of people who can follow the tribe. A number of people who need to have an overall view in each department. I think it¡¯s appropriate to discuss based on those factors.¡± "" I also want you to understand how to calculate the appropriate number of people. Mil seemed to be convinced. ¡°You mean we should all think about it based on this?¡± That¡¯s right. I nodded in a good mood. ¡°As the number of representatives increases, I would like to transfer more and more of my authority.¡± Ardelheid raises her hand. As usual, I remain silent and encourage her to speak. ¡°What is the maximum number of representatives are you thinking ultimately, Lord Alfred?¡± She suddenly asked me for a final number ¡­¡­ I folded my arms and searched for a few words. Do I have to show the way? ¡°It depends on the population. If I give you that number of people ¡­¡­ you¡¯ll have to apply the ratio to the current population to get the answer.¡± Kiara started pondering. ¡°So you mean to say that the optimal number depends on the population?¡± Nice try. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much right. The maturity of the society is also a factor. We can¡¯t predict the future, so please give the number of people you think we need at the moment.¡± Kiara looked a little disappointed. Since this was the first time this had been done, there was a lot of discussion and it was decided to carry it over to a later date. The fact that there were so many discussions was a result of the steady growth of the project. Honestly, I¡¯m happy about that. However, I¡¯m not satisfied with the fact that my nickname is increasing more and more. CH 177 My name is Fabio Visconti. I want to get this wild boar nightmare over with as soon as possible. That¡¯s why I offered my help ¡­¡­ The kiddo suddenly made me the leader and envoy of the survey team. ¡°Eh, I couldn¡¯t hear you very well just now?¡± The kiddo put on a cool face. ¡°You¡¯re a handyman advisor, so I thought you¡¯d be a good envoy.¡± ¡°Hey, you could have sent someone else.¡± ¡°Sir Rossi can¡¯t be moved, and neither can the chiefs. You¡¯re the only one who can. You¡¯re the only one who can act as an envoy.¡± This kiddo is so outspoken ¡­¡­ Normally, he would be an annoying little brat, but he¡¯s doesn¡¯t act like a kid at all. I felt as if I was being verbally abused by an older man. Unable to say anything back, I reluctantly decided to leave. I have a handwritten intent from the kiddo and a gift (alcohol). I thought that if it was a village-level group, alcohol would be safe. Sending meat would only be harassment. The Knights are 30 people and can¡¯t send out too many. They are a mix of trained humans, dog tribesmen, tiger tribesmen, cat tribesmen, and winged tribesmen. In total, there are about 40 people, and the actual fighting force is about 30. The man in charge of the battle is the tiger tribesman, Miska Nisra. He was recommended by the leader of the tiger tribe, Touko. The man in charge of the survey was a winged tribesman named Shelt Nordermer. She was recommended by Ms. Ardelheid. She¡¯s been looking at the kiddo a certain way lately. She has the eyes of a hunter who wants to be embraced by the kiddo at every opportunity. Even I, who am not familiar with women, can tell that the way she looks at the kiddo is hot. The kiddo is a strange one too. He can afford a harem if he goes with the flow. If not, it is his duty as the feudal lord to leave an heir. The people around him are also wondering. It is common knowledge that it is a man¡¯s duty to take more than one woman as a wife if he can provide for her. I thought it might be because his parent didn¡¯t have any concubines, but ¡­¡­ Since they have had children, there is no need in terms of an heir. It¡¯s just that the head of a great aristocratic family doesn¡¯t have a concubine easily because it would lead to internal strife. If he was assigned to such a remote area, it was normal for him to take the daughter of the chieftain as his concubine for stability. My father, Lord Ferdinand, also thought so. He even went out of his way to tell me, ¡°Please see to it that my son¡¯s choice of wife is not biased.¡± If you ask me if I¡¯m fastidious, I¡¯m not. A fastidious basically demand it of others as well. There is not a whiff of discomfort in Sir Rossi¡¯s history with women. There have been a few cases where he has had his own sister too. It¡¯s rare, even among the nobility, but it has happened. He would make her his wife for form¡¯s sake and hide her from the world. It¡¯s just a baseless rumor, but ¡­¡­ Church members who forbid it are more likely to have sexual relations with close relatives. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the fact that it¡¯s forbidden that makes it so hot. I think Miss Kiara¡¯s love for the kiddo is a bit abnormal. But ¡­¡­ it¡¯s not that insane. It¡¯s not a common thing, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s on the level of an affair that could be dangerous if exposed. If you really try to hide it, you can fake it as much as you want. There is another ethic to not embrace your sister to that extent. He assumes that he is not popular. The kiddo is thoroughly indifferent and unapproachable when it comes to his own affairs. He is so determined to be with only Milva that he doesn¡¯t even look at other women. Even Milva seems to think he is too good for her. Even Milva is not interested in any man other than the kiddo. She¡¯s also very active in their night life, especially for an elf. The two of them are a strange pair in many ways. Speaking of women ¡­¡­ all members are men ¡­¡­ The kiddo said it as if it were obvious. ¡°Teacher becomes clumsy when it comes to women.¡± I¡¯m sad that I can¡¯t argue with him. Thanks to this, it¡¯s suffocating. It¡¯s nice that I can take it easy, though. We brought our own food, but we mainly replenished it by hunting. Unexpectedly, I¡¯m happy to find something other than wild boar. It had been about ten days since our departure. I was finally able to get in touch with the cat tribesmen who were members of the Ear. Thanks to them, we were able to decide on the direction to investigate. We avoided the route where wild boars were rampaging, and asked the winged tribe to grasp the surrounding from a high place. (T/N: The Ear is the intelligence unit that was made recently, called Ravenna¡¯s Ear) Fortunately, we found a river. We can use this as a landmark for further exploration. And the villages should be mostly along the river. I raised my hand lightly to Shelt as he came down to the ground. ¡°Shelt, how is it? Do you see a village nearby?¡± Shelt shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t see any settlements yet, maybe they¡¯re hidden by the forest.¡± Sometimes it¡¯s good to be all men. They were so excited about complaining about women that they were completely at ease with each other. The kiddo¡¯s situation was a good snack for the alcohol. ¡°Miska, is it fine to move upstream as it is?¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s keep an eye on what flows into the river.¡± Hopefully, we¡¯ll find the village, as they dump things along the river. With the kiddo¡¯s education, everyone is thinking about things and becoming more cautious. The words and actions of those at the top are quite contagious to those below. As we were about to head upstream, the cat tribesmen, Kaspar Znamenacek, stopped us all. ¡°I feel a presence.¡± They all quieted down and searched their surroundings. I can use cloaking magic to distort their vision, but I¡¯m also an envoy. In other words, if I hide, it will become difficult to explain that I¡¯m an envoy. So I¡¯m moving without hiding. Kaspar is staring deep into the forest. As he does so, a one-armed cat tribesman appears from behind a tree. Then the cat tribesman asked us. ¡°Who are you people?¡± He looked at us suspiciously. Is it unusual to see a mix of different races? Anyway, let¡¯s try to contact them as a representative. ¡°We are messengers from Ravenna, looking for a settlement nearby.¡± The cat tribesmen said suspiciously. ¡°Ravenna? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a town that started developing about a year ago.¡± The cat tribesmen seemed to have an idea on something. He asked me as it is. ¡°Is there a large population in your village?¡± The kiddo told me that I could tell him all the basic information ¡­¡­ ¡°About four thousand people.¡± The cat person looks blatantly alarmed. ¡°Are there that many humans here?¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ As you can see, it¡¯s a mix of different races.¡± The cat people seemed surprised. ¡°Is there such a place beside us?¡± I was surprised too. So there are still people who think like the kiddo? This region is kind of scary ¡­¡­ ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­¡­ So, what business do you have with us?¡± Let¡¯s get to the point. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to get rid of the wild boars that are proliferating. The Lord wants to see if we can cooperate with each other in that matter.¡± The cat tribesmen said without taking his eyes off me. ¡°Wait a moment and I¡¯ll ask for instructions.¡± He remained motionless for about three minutes. ¡°All right, the Lord Commander will see you now. Follow me.¡± He started to move on. We decided to follow him without saying a word. It would be a lot easier if the leader was like the kiddo ¡­¡­ I wonder what will happen. CH 178 We had no choice but to follow him, even though he took us deep into the forest instead of along the river. We were carrying our luggage, so we had to take our time and rest. I tried to get information from the cat tribesman, but there was nothing I could do. ¡°He forbade me to speak.¡± Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t get any information. He led us down a wilderness path and we followed him silently. The further we went, the denser the forest became, but it felt like we were walking endlessly up a gently sloping path. It was pretty hard for a 37-year-old. We must have walked for about half a day. Suddenly, the forest opened up and I was surprised by the sight before me. I saw a walled city in a basin. There were many villages around the city. (T/N: basin(eg. between mountains).) The cat tribesman pointed at the town and said. ¡°That¡¯s where the leader is.¡± The winged tribesmen couldn¡¯t fly that high, so they couldn¡¯t see it because of the hills and tall trees. The area was a wide flat plain. As we were being led to the town, I took a distant look at the villages and could see that people were living in poverty, if not devastation. There were quite a few villages outside the town alone. The population is estimated to be about 10,000 ¡­¡­ The walls are high and solid masonry, with dugouts all around, but no water. There is no drawbridge, but rather a road leading directly to it. I hadn¡¯t expected such a scale in such a remote area. The gate was open, but there were two gatekeepers. When the cat tribesman said something to the gatekeeper, the gatekeeper came over to us. He was a human, armed to the teeth with a chainmail. He seemed to have been working out quite a bit. He said bluntly to us. ¡°Wait a moment. An intermediary will be along shortly.¡± It¡¯s not a good idea to talk about unnecessary things, after all ¡°I understand.¡± As I waited in silence for a moment, a man in an expensive-looking robe came towards me. ¡°So you¡¯re a messenger from Ravenna. The leader will see you now, so I will show you around.¡± Is there any way to communicate with cat tribesmen over long distances? Ravenna¡¯s name had already been conveyed. I had to follow him anyway. ¡°Please lead the way.¡± As we were about to enter, the man in a robe turned around. ¡°Beyond the gates is a place for humans only. Your demi-human companions will be escorted to another part of the building where they can rest.¡± It was the kiddo¡¯s influence that made me a little uncomfortable hearing that. There was no point in arguing, so I did as I was told. I turned back to the companion who had accompanied me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ll have to do as they say.¡± There were eight of us, just humans. The rest nodded in silence. And when the dog tribesman guide arrived, the demi-humans followed them. It¡¯s not immediate, but it¡¯s a definite problem in the future ¡­¡­ When we were about to leave, the kiddo secretly gave me a golden necklace, saying that if the gift of alcohol does not work, I can use this ¡­¡­ "" Well, I had the tiger tribesman carry the sake jar. It was too heavy for a human to carry. The road was very neat and clean, and there were only humans on it. It was paved with white marble-like stones. I got the impression that the population was not that large. But it¡¯s a lot nicer than most towns ¡­¡­ As we walked straight down the main street, we saw a magnificent palace. We went straight inside. The interior was not flamboyant, but simple and sturdy. We were taken to another room in the palace. I stopped the official who was about to leave. It was not a good idea to suddenly offer him a gift. ¡°I have brought a gift from our feudal lord to the leader. In what way should we present it?¡± The messenger nodded. ¡°I see that you¡¯re a polite man. Please wait a moment while I call the man in charge.¡± After a short wait, a small, fat man with a round head came in. He wore flashy clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll inspect the gift and present it to the leader.¡± I handed him the golden necklace in a wooden box. ¡°May I ask what¡¯s inside?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine.¡± When he opened the box, the round man seemed surprised, but his expression quickly faded. ¡°I¡¯ll inspect it and present it to him.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± He then led me to the waiting room. ¡°Please wait here for a while. I will call you when the time for your audience arrives.¡± I nodded, and the official left. The room was luxurious, but not magnificent. What the hell is this region ¡­¡­? Don¡¯t tell me that this is actually a dangerous place? Where in the world could such money be found in such a remote area? The mystery never ends. CH 179 After waiting for about an hour, an official came to call us. It¡¯s a different guy from the one before. Maybe their position was determined by their robe. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, sir. The leader will see you now.¡± We nodded and followed the official. Probably in the audience room. In front of the room, we were checked for weapons. For some reason, we were made to stand in front of a white wall. Another official was chanting something. It must be some kind of magic to detect something. I wondered if the white wall was some kind of key. Their armor was checked one by one, and after everyone was checked, we were led into the audience hall. AD It was a rather large and luxurious room. It looked like an audience hall of a king. There were about 40 guards and officials waiting on either side of us. The back of the room was one level up, and the man reclining in the chair there was probably the leader. He must be about the same age as me. There were five people in white robes near the leader. Two people are standing behind him on each side, two on his left and two on his right, and an old man is standing to the left of the king. The more white the robes were, the more important they seemed to be. It¡¯s because the color was getting lighter and lighter until we got here. The old man gave the leader a whisper, and the leader nodded. The man in the gray robe raised his voice. ¡°The Leader, Lord Dorius has an audience with the envoy from Ravenna!¡± AD So the leader¡¯s name is Dorius. Dorius opened his mouth. He had a low, clear voice and was a macho type. ¡°Well met. Envoy of Ravenna.¡± I¡¯m not the kiddo, but if I don¡¯t know who I¡¯m dealing with, I¡¯d better be careful. ¡°An envoy of Alfred Della Scala, Feudal Lord of Ravenna. Professor Fabio Visconti.¡± I should add my official title. Dorius¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°Professor ¡­¡­ is Ravenna the land of the Church?¡± You know about the church, huh. ¡°It is officially recognized, but it is not church land. It is the land of the Della Scala family.¡± Dorius looked as if he was not very interested. AD ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± Are you not interested in the country? ¡°The Della Scala family is one of the three most important aristocratic families in the kingdom.¡± Dorius¡¯ eyes narrowed again. ¡°So you have power.¡± It would be troublesome to compete with them. The kiddo also imposed a troublesome role on me. ¡°It¡¯s not a powerless or tokenistic entity.¡± ¡°Very well. I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t want to rely on me to get rid of the wild boars.¡± ¡°We do not intend to rely on you. I don¡¯t intend to rely on it. You can look at it as a force to exterminate wild boars.¡± Dorius nodded seriously. ¡°Very well. You may discuss the extermination with the general later.¡± AD ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Dorius looked at the old man next to him and the old man nodded. The official that is waiting presented Dorius with the gift we had brought him. Dorius took the gift and looked at me with a grin. ¡°So Sir. Alfred is his name, I understand your sincerity. We will have a welcome banquet later. Let¡¯s discuss it there.¡± That seemed to be the end of the audience. Dorius and the five white-robed men followed him out. We were asked to leave as well. After that, we were taken to a separate room for lodging. Each of us seemed to be in a private room. It¡¯s not fancy, but it has gorgeous furnishings. The mystery deepens. AD I sat down on a chair and took a breath. However, you can never be too careful. I can¡¯t relax. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I was able to talk a lot with Dorius at the banquet afterwards. I¡¯ll have to have a serious talk with the kiddo about this. He also introduced me to the man they call the general. He is a one-eyed middle-aged man who calls himself Gryllippus. We made small talk and had a general discussion about the extermination mission. His answers are clear, and he has a perfect grasp of his soldiers. Another man that you have to be careful with. It¡¯s not easy to tell who¡¯s better between him and Sir Rossi. He said he would send a messenger later to return the favor. So I told him the location of our town. The food seems to be relatively simple. It wasn¡¯t that they were taking us lightly, but it seems that this is the content of their luxurious banquet. We were asked how long we would be staying, so we politely said we would leave the next day. I was curious about the beastmen who had accompanied us. Also, I was afraid that if I stayed here for a few days, I would get ripped off. They didn¡¯t seem to be particularly offended. Rather, they seemed to think that we were afraid of them and were in a hurry to tell our lord. Because they had an expression that seemed to be feeling amused. The next day, we met up with the beastmen and headed home. I was relieved to find that they weren¡¯t harmed. On the way back, we were accompanied by a guide to the river where the cat tribesman and I had met. I couldn¡¯t talk about anything in private, so I just kept quiet and followed him. This silence is tiring, though ¡­¡­ We¡¯re back at the river, and we parted ways with the guide and headed home. We all sighed at the same time, as if to say, ¡°I¡¯m tired ¡­¡­¡±. I can¡¯t wait to go home ¡­¡­ CH 180 Once the Ears are back, we¡¯ll put them on standby to rest. It¡¯s easy to get overwhelmed in an organization just starting out. And the staff is small. It would be impossible for them to continue their intelligence activities without shifts and rest. I¡¯ve instructed them to increase the number of personnel, conduct training, organize the information they¡¯ve gathered, and see if they can improve their operations while they¡¯re on standby. On a different note, the increased number of members of the representatives¡¯ council are only observing the discussion. Since I¡¯ve been keeping a perfect silence, everyone has made up their minds and the discussion has become serious. It will take some time for the teacher to come back about the will boar suppression. I guess things have calmed down a bit. Except for my surroundings ¡­¡­ The usual competition between Mil, Kiara, and Ardelheid. I don¡¯t know how they never get tired of it ¡­¡­ If you look at it, it¡¯s not a serious competition. This seems to be a part of communication too. I¡¯ll just keep my mouth shut. Just as I was thinking this, the door opened and Escorter Silvana came in. ¡°Al~, I¡¯ve received a request from the guild.¡± Oh, I forgot. I had so many other priorities that I had ¡­¡­ forgotten the unimportant guild part thing. I thought I could just stretch it out every time it came up. I pretend I knew it because there is absolutely nothing good will if I say the truth. ¡°Oh, I knew it was about time.¡± She froze for a moment and then glanced at me. ¡°Are you sure?¡± The Escorter Silvana is a pain in the ass if you get tangled up with her, you know. ¡°I had a lot of things going on, and that was my priority.¡± It seemed that Silvana was convinced. ¡°Well, nevermind. What do you want me to do about it?¡± It¡¯s important to do things every day. ¡°It is possible to accept the adventurers, you know.¡± The Escorter Silvana said, relieved. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Hm ¡­¡­ she¡¯s actually quite assertive. I have a bad feeling about this, so I should try to solve it. ¡°I just ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t afford to embrace their style as an adventurer.¡± The Escorter Sylvana tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Adventurers can choose to do whatever they want, whenever they want. Some requests are assigned by the guild.¡± Adventurers don¡¯t have any benefits. Instead of being responsible for their own actions, they are free to choose their own requests and timing. In cases where they can¡¯t wait, they can pay an emergency fee to the guild, and the guild will make a compulsory appointment for them. It¡¯s only an emergency. If they send out urgent mails on a daily basis, their outgoing messages will be ridiculed and they won¡¯t be taken seriously, even if it¡¯s really urgent. That¡¯s the wolf boy. And if it¡¯s full of urgent messages, you lose the advantage of being an adventurer. Will they be satisfied if their merits are made famous or unknown? I¡¯d rather they didn¡¯t come than have them complain. The Escorter Silvana looked as if she had noticed. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true ¡­¡­ If you want to use an adventurer, you have to appeal to a representative.¡± She said and then she stopped. ¡°Then, Isn¡¯t this a world that doesn¡¯t need adventurers?¡± Well, that¡¯s how it is. ¡°The population is so small now that the government can see every detail.¡± The Escorter Silvana nodded her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the opposite?¡± ¡°Now we can appeal to their representatives to solve the problems. At the moment, the maximum number of people that one representative can take care of is about three hundred.¡± I also told them to increase the number of representatives because of the overflow. ¡°Oh, and if it¡¯s 1,000 people, that¡¯s impossible ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m going to issue a subject in anticipation of that, though. ¡°But I guess it¡¯s no use to keep pushing. ¡° The Escorter Silvana seemed to be troubled. ¡°But there are no jobs that suit the temperament of an adventurer, are there?¡± ¡°I have one suggestion, they will be under our direction for a certain period of time. They won¡¯t have freedom of choice and timing, but ¡­¡­ they¡¯ll be guaranteed vacation and benefits.¡± ¡°In other words, you¡¯re removing the disadvantages of being an adventurer, so you¡¯ll the remove the advantages too. We¡¯ll give them free medical treatment and meals.¡± ¡°Yes, we will negotiate the renewal or non-renewal of the contract on a three-month basis. How about that?¡± I feel like I¡¯m a contract employee before my reincarnation. When I recall it, it¡¯s a difficult story ¡­¡­ ¡°I see, I guess that gives us room to talk. In that case, do you make a house or something for them? In my case, I wasn¡¯t worried because I¡¯m an Al friend.¡± What¡¯s an Al friend ¡­¡­. And you, you don¡¯t have a set contract period, but you¡¯re working in that form, you know. ¡°Let¡¯s set up an adventurer¡¯s branch and quarters. We¡¯ll give them rent-free accommodation and basic food. If they want to splurge, they¡¯ll pay for it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty good.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll build it first, but the guild will take care of the maintenance.¡± The Escorter Silvana nodded her head. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll talk to the guild about it.¡± That¡¯s what she said and started running, but not fast enough. It¡¯s too much of a dream to reincarnate and talk about a contract job! CH 181 The long-awaited teacher returned. The contents of his report were a real headache. ¡°They live inside the city walls and the beasts are outside?¡± The teacher nodded. ¡°The difference in status is very clear.¡± This time, the leader of the beastmen who had gone on the mission was present as an observer. ¡°How are the demi-humans treated?¡± Shelt Nordermer, the winged tribesman, opened his mouth. ¡°We¡¯re all in one place.. We were not treated as envoys, were we?¡± The cat tribesman, Kaspar Znamenacek, looked as if he was recalling a bad past. ¡°The food was indeed served, but ¡­¡­ it was much worse than when I was in the village in the past.¡± The tiger tribesman, Miska Nisra, folded his arms. ¡°We were ¡­¡­¡­¡­ reminder of how wonderful we are treated here.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Everyone is the same citizen regardless of race in Ravenna. It¡¯s outrageous that you¡¯re treated so poorly. ¡° Kaspar opened his mouth. ¡°We were not allowed to have any contact with the other beastmen. I¡¯ve seen from a distance how poorly they ¡­¡­ dress.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised there hasn¡¯t been a riot.¡± Shelt looked at me and opened his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing, but they seem strangely frightened.¡± Miska nodded. ¡°The beastmen were quite numerous, but they didn¡¯t even seem to be in the mood to rebel.¡± This is troublesome. ¡­¡­ There will be no compromise with the ideology of tribal superiority. I let out my usual sigh. Then the teacher looked at me with a sour look. ¡°There are probably about three thousand beastmen. I¡¯ve seen the town, but it doesn¡¯t look like there were that many humans ¡­¡­. They might have been hiding.¡± A few ruling the many. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m sure the humans are elite. ¡°What do you think of the general you were introduced to?¡± Teacher put his hand on his chin and struck a reminiscent pose. ¡°I couldn¡¯t decide who¡¯s better between him and Sir Rossi.¡± They all started murmuring. Charles gave him an amused look. His warrior¡¯s blood seemed to be getting excited. ¡°Well, I look forward to meeting him.¡± So much for thinking about the other side for now. ¡°I hear they¡¯re sending a messenger to thank us and discuss their plans.¡± Teacher nodded with a reluctant look on his face. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s going to be a pain in the ass to talk through here.¡± I¡¯m sure it will ¡­¡­ ¡°If people who look down on demi-humans saw this place, they would consider the humans here to be equal to the beastmen.¡± Teacher gave me a look that asked me to make a decision. ¡°So we¡¯ll deal with them with just the humans?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even a thoughtful gesture, so that¡¯s a no. Everyone here has nothing to be ashamed of in front of anyone.¡± ¡°Are you prepared for a deterioration in relations, or worse, conflict?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what will happen if the other side asks for unreasonable concessions from us.¡± Everyone was in an uproar. I raised my hand to stop them. ¡°But the wild boar operation will be done by the knights only. In other words, it will be handled by humans alone.¡± Abraham gave me a probing look. ¡°What¡¯s in your heart, sir?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t care about non-human damage, because that¡¯s what¡¯s most likely to happen.¡± (T/N: Meaning, the other side won¡¯t care if they accidentally kill some beastmen from their side.) Charles shrugged his shoulders in disgust. ¡°In other words, it could impose damage on us.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible that humans alone could do that, but ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think we need to raise the possibility too much.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find that out when the messenger arrives. In the meantime, I have a favor to ask of you, Sir Rossi.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The number of knights in the order is too small. I would like you to promote the number of squires and recruit from other races as well.¡± Charles smirks. ¡°So the number of people should be appropriate for the current situation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, of course. If there is a shortage of graduates, I will ask the head family to send some. You should discuss this with Kiara.¡± ¡°Even if we include beastmen, they won¡¯t be knights by the time of the mission, so it won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°After the wild boar extermination, the worst case scenario is possible. I¡¯d like you to consider the possible battlefields and build forts and roads, and discuss this with Sir Rossi and Mr. Ludvig.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders with a look that it¡¯s such a sad situation. ¡°I¡¯d like to say that Madam Plunkett should be the only one overworked ¡­¡­ but ¡­¡­ it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali sighed and looked at Charles. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about me like I¡¯m a synonym for overworked. Well, I¡¯ll select some of our own who can fight and recommend them to you.¡± I have one more thing to do. I turned my gaze to Onyxim. ¡°Mr. Arensky, why don¡¯t we invent something for the future?¡± Onyxim grinned happily. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what you come up with next ¡­¡­¡± After all, I wanted to settle down for a year, but that didn¡¯t work out either ¡­¡­ My vacation is missing. Finally, I guess I should thank the people that was made to feel unpleasant. ¡°It¡¯s an alcohol that has become useless. Please drink it with the rest of the survey team. I¡¯d be glad if you could wash away your unpleasantness with alcohol.¡± The happy faces of the survey team lightened my heart a little. CH 182 Chapter 182 - When in Rome, do the Romans do While I was making all the preparations, the messenger came from the other party. However, I didn¡¯t want to go out there myself, so I asked the teacher to take care of it. The messenger¡¯s name was Zenon. I wonder if he has a last name. I¡¯ll ask him when I see him. There was a bit of a hiccup with the presence of the beastmen, but he led him to the representatives¡¯ hall. There¡¯s no such thing as an audience hall in the first place. The messenger who looked surprised that there was no palace was ushered in. The messenger was wearing a light gray robe. In other words, a high-ranking official. He frowned for a moment at the presence of a beastman in the room, but his expression quickly disappeared. ¡°Welcome to Ravenna. I am Alfred Della Scala, Feudal Lord of the town.¡± The messenger bowed politely. ¡°I am Zenon, envoy of the chieftain Dorius.¡± I suggest for him to be seated and asked him a question after Zenon had taken his seat. ¡°Sir Dorius¡¯ territory or country, but what would you like me to call it?¡± ¡°It is called Tiryns, for a start. It is common practice to refer to him by his first name.¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do from now on. One more thing, you don¡¯t give your last name. Is that customary?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a surname, our social status takes its place.¡± Hmmm, it¡¯s a very unique place¡­ I thought, and Zenon opens his mouth. ¡°May I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°In our custom, it is an insult to be in the same space with a demi-human. Didn¡¯t your messenger tell you that?¡± Everyone became tense. Do they think they are in a superior position by far? But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. ¡°The beastmen envoy¡¯s were kept outside. But we still obeyed because we were following the customs of Sir Dorius¡¯ domain.¡± Zenon nodded as if it was obvious. I did not change my expression. ¡°You should follow your own customs even if you are in our territory. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Zenon looked at me for a moment, then opened his mouth nonchalantly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go that far, but don¡¯t you think you should extend the proper courtesy to the envoys?¡± I knew he was looking at us as if we were a vassal state. I shook my head. ¡°They are our equal citizens, and they hold important positions. We have asked them to be present because we want them to know that. And there is a limit to how much we can respect their manners and customs in our territory.¡± Zenon¡¯s suppressed his expression, but he asked me more questions. ¡°Are you saying that treating demi-humans as equals is the one thing you cannot let go of?¡± ¡°Yes, they are only required to abide by Ravenna¡¯s laws.¡± Zenon backed down easily. ¡°I see. Please forgive my rude question.¡± He was a polite messenger, despite his inner feelings. ¡°It¡¯s just small talk, so there¡¯s no need to apologize. ¡° Zenon gave me a look like he¡¯s evaluating me. ¡°I would like to present to you a gift from my chief, Lord Dorius, in return for Sir Alfred¡¯s kindness. ¡° The Elite Guard¡¯s chief, Jules, took the box and brought it to me. There is no possibility of bringing any dangerous goods at this stage. I told him I didn¡¯t need to bother checking. When Jules opened the box, he found only a sword sheath, and it was gorgeous, studded with gold, silver and jewels. I knew what he was getting into, but I was too lazy to ask a question. ¡°Thank you for your kindness. But isn¡¯t there anything in it?¡± Zenon bowed with a theatrical gesture. ¡°I have no intention of fighting, that¡¯s what it meant. Chieftain Dorius wants us to coexist.¡± I nodded quietly, my face expressionless. ¡°I see, I also wish to coexist with Sir Dorius.¡± This was followed by a heartless exchange. The meeting about the extermination of the wild boar should be held with Charles. I told him not to worry because only humans would be attending the welcome party. I guess he couldn¡¯t grasp the fact that my expression didn¡¯t change at all. One of the most important tasks of an envoy is to find out the personality of the head of the other party. Zenon just nodded expressionlessly. After that, Kiara, not Mil, attended the banquet. The situation was such that Mil had no objection. We talked about our respective territories and got some information. The territory of Dorius is a large plain. I was told that the brave cavalry deployed in the plains was invincible. I exaggerated my admiration. But it seems that Zenon was still unable to grasp me. I went out to see Zenon off on his return the next day, and asked the knights to escort him on his way. As we parted, I said a few words to Zenon. ¡°Let¡¯s both do our best and succeed in exterminating the wild boars. Please give my regards to Sir Dorius and thank him for the gift.¡± Zenon bowed and left. His face seemed to be unsure of me until the end. CH 183 When the messenger returned, an urgent meeting of the representatives was held. Everyone was waiting for me to speak. ¡°Well, that was to be expected.¡± Teacher seemed to agree with me, but he laughed and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Yes, but ¡­¡­ that¡¯s not enough for us to understand.¡± That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying. I shrugged my shoulders and pondered where to start. Mil, who had been staring at my face, smiled at me, trying to get a flow of questions going. ¡°Al, are we going to clash with those people?¡± ¡°Yes, the timing is unknown, but it is certain.¡± Touko was next to ask a question. ¡°I thought you said we would coexist.¡± I gave a sarcastic laugh. ¡°They didn¡¯t say equally, did they?¡± The group murmurs. The ill-natured grandma Magali nodded. ¡°They¡¯re talking about the coexistence of making us subservient, in other words, beating us down. The fact that they only sent us the scabbard is a clear indication of their intentions.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Kiara gave a small tilt of her head, as if she had something suspicious in mind. ¡°Did you know that and not say anything?¡± ¡°Yeah, because conflict is inevitable. I¡¯m trying to keep my cards as low as possible.¡± Kiara tilted her head, perhaps wondering at the word ¡°card¡±. ¡°Your cards?¡± ¡°What kind of person I am and what I¡¯m thinking. That¡¯s what I hid from them.¡± Charles laughed mischievously. ¡°You can¡¯t understand my lord just once, don¡¯t you?¡± I held up a finger and gave him a serious look, like a teacher. ¡°Did they think that I¡¯m just a puppet after seeing how old I am age, then whose puppet am I? Or was it idealism? That¡¯s what they were trying to find out.¡± Oracio growled. The lord is difficult to understand even by himself ¡°It¡¯s hard to understand what my lord it thinking as it is already. If you add a blank expression to the mix ¡­¡­ you won¡¯t understand anything.¡± Ardelheid raised his hand as if he didn¡¯t know what it meant. ¡°Um ¡­¡­ by keeping your cards hidden ¡­¡­ What are you aiming for?¡± I smiled wickedly. ¡°I know we¡¯re going to fight. But I don¡¯t know what my opponent is thinking. Then, how will you fight?¡± Ardelheid opened her mouth unsurely. ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Ardelheid was happy suddenly, but ¡­¡­ Mil and Kiara¡¯s gaze hurt. ¡°So, will you want to know more about me? Will you only carefully prepare for battle because you are confident? Even there, you can learn about your opponent. If you know your opponent, you can come up with a strategy that requires less sacrifice.¡± Abraham didn¡¯t seem convinced, his face remained puzzled. ¡°Reducing the sacrifice. I¡¯ve heard that¡¯s your number one priority. I also understand that it is better not to give information to the other party. I¡¯d like to know the basis for your belief that they will attack us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy. Our presence would destabilize their social structure.¡± Abraham nodded honestly. I had expected it, but he just wanted to check his answers with me. That¡¯s how he reacted. So, I looked around at the group and explained my plan for the future. ¡°There¡¯s not much I can think of at this point. We¡¯ll see how much information we can get from the joint operation to exterminate the wild boars.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders in a casual manner. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of responsibility.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to do as well. The beastmen are the key to fighting them. They look down on the beastmen and their society will collapse if they are defeated by you.¡± Touko nodded. It seems that his blood of the muscle brainers is starting to feel excited. ¡°I see. It¡¯s our first big role.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the Knights will play a supporting role in the fight against them.¡± Charles nodded, amused. ¡°So the beastmens that they look down upon will crush the arrogant humans. This is interesting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it will be. Of course, we will spare no effort to minimize casualties. However, there will inevitably be casualties. Just be prepared for that.¡± Oracio stared at me. ¡°I am well aware that my lord does not consider us as a sacrificial pawn. But I want to make sure of one thing.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°The fact that the messenger had a human and a beastman in the same room must have decided the fight. Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to hide it and let it slide?¡± That¡¯s no good. You can¡¯t just let your opponent get the upper hand ¡­¡­ I gave a small shake of my head with a stern face. ¡°Their assumptions and our assumptions are incompatible. Whenever such people come here ¡­¡­ should I hide them from them? Who would believe such people when they say they are equal?¡± Oracio nodded. ¡°I am sorry for testing you. However, milord is very distressed by every sacrifice. That¡¯s what we¡¯re worried about.¡± Well, well, ¡­¡­ When I scratched my head and kept silent, Oracio opened his mouth again. ¡°When it comes to non-negotiable fights, instead of being heartbroken, you can just thank them. Otherwise, we will be fighting with our backs against the wall. Making more sacrifices.¡± I can¡¯t hear a peep out of him. I looked at them all and they all nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll try to do as much as I can. But please don¡¯t stop those left behind from resenting me. Only they can understand the pain, after all.¡± Everyone looked at me, astonished. But I can¡¯t allow them to criticize me or think negatively about me. I don¡¯t want them to have that kind of thought control. CH 184 I commenced the operation to exterminate all the wild boars and entrusted everything to Charles. I asked Teacher to accompany them to gather information as well. Originally, I would have liked to go and gather information myself, but there was so much to do before the war. In preparation for the coming battle, we have built several forts and are accumulating supplies there. One of them is the site of the former settlement of the wolf tribe. The road has been laid out in a straight line, so it used to take an adult a day to get there, but now it can be cut down to about three-fifths. At the same time, the old people of the wolf tribe wished to die in the place where they were born. The fort is a campsite, shaped like a small town, so I¡¯ll ask them to help us manage a simple fort. Accompanied by Mr. Aaron, about twenty elderly or pre-senile wolf tribesmen headed for the fort. After seeing them off, Oracio gave me a deep bow. ¡°I thank you, my lord, for granting the wishes of the old men.¡± ¡°The future war is fixed. That¡¯s why I was so worried.¡± ¡°I explained it to them, and they still wished for it. I¡¯ve had my share of conflict and I¡¯m prepared for it.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯ll make sure that their attack won¡¯t make it that far.¡± Oracio nodded and then left. He must have a lot of work to do. My escort, Ramiro Rio, thanked me, but I just waved him off and told him he didn¡¯t need to thank me. Safety is my top priority ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t refuse the old people¡¯s earnest request. Before I was reincarnated, I had been a grandmother¡¯s child, so I¡¯m vulnerable to the earnest wishes of the elderly. Unlike the time of the plague prevention measures, I had a plan to prevent the attackers from going that far, so I allowed it. In fact, I wanted to wait until after the war was over ¡­¡­ However, one day, one of the old men suddenly passed away. I guess that drove the old people to become impatient. I can¡¯t be consistent either, I thought to myself. I can¡¯t say anything great about it. Changing my mood, I went outside to visit Onyxim¡¯s workshop. It¡¯s also a hangout for curious children. It¡¯s okay if they¡¯re having fun. But I had to be very careful not to soak the kids in vodka. ¡°Oh, milord.¡± Onyxim raised his hand, but ¡­¡­ quickly returned his attention to the weapon he was developing. The request was for a repeating crossbow. In medieval Europe, there were crossbows, but not repeating crossbows. However, it existed in ancient China, so it is feasible even with the technology of this era. And above all, unlike longbows, it is easy to train. To put it bluntly, if a longbow archer is killed or injured in battle, the strength of the force is greatly reduced. However, the repeating crossbow can be quickly replaced, so it is difficult to lose strength. In World War II, Japan relied on master craftsmanship, but the U.S. prevented the decline in strength by automating the process. I¡¯ll learn from anything if I can reduce my casualties, even if it¡¯s a copy. ¡°You seem to be having trouble.¡± ¡°Yeah, the rapid-fire mechanism ¡­¡­ I feel like I¡¯m almost there. But there¡¯s one problem with making it happen.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The arrows need to be uniform in size. I can¡¯t get that far. Do you have any ideas?¡± Well done, we¡¯ve arrived at a common standard. Onyxim is good at what he does, but if we stop accepting things without thinking about them, there is potential for everyone ¡­¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find a rabbit tribesman who is good with their hands and can make many things. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll do a great job.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. It¡¯s too dangerous to leave it to a child, after all ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Instead of arrows, why don¡¯t you think of a mechanism to shoot round clay-like objects in rapid succession? You might come up with some good ideas.¡± Onyxim¡¯s face showed that he had noticed the blind spot. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right ¡­¡­ As I thought, If we get stuck, we should talk to the lord.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also something else I need to ask the engineer.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The current long spear is two meters long, right? I need one that is four meters long. About six hundred of them.¡± Onyxim spurts out. ¡°Don¡¯t suddenly start talking outrageous things. I¡¯ll talk to them, but ¡­¡­ Anyway, we¡¯re short on manpower.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you some of those rabbit tribesmen who are bored and emotionally unstable.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± In case we ask the Rabbit Tribe, it would the chief¡¯s if it¡¯s the other tribes ¡­¡­ There is some kind of strange territory, and if I don¡¯t talk to Ms. Adelaida, who came first, there will be trouble ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to start any trouble right now, so I¡¯ll just follow the custom. Then I headed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Just then, I found Ms. Adelaida, who was working with some documents. At first, Adelaida couldn¡¯t read or write. However, the administrative forms are simplified as much as possible, and if there are any unclear points, they ask for verbal confirmation. Even though Adelaida¡¯s level of reading and writing has only just begun to improve, she is getting by. She¡¯s been studying hard and improving fast, but ¡­¡­ She¡¯s definitely not fit as a good teacher. I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t be good at making flexible changes to suit the children. The system around here is a model case that was painstakingly created by Umberto Orengo, who was forced to become a minister from an ordinary person. ¡°Ms. Adelaida, I have a request.¡± She was working with the documents, but her ears perked up when she heard my voice. When I asked for a request, she looked happy. If I ask her too much ¡­¡­ she¡¯ll probably work until she dies of exhaustion. ¡°What can I do for you, my lord!¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re looking for a dexterous rabbit tribesman to help us develop weapons for the Ministry of Science and Technology.¡± ¡°How many people do you need?¡± ¡°How many people do you have available now?¡± ¡°About thirty!¡± Thirty emotionally unstable rabbit people ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s get it over with quickly. Because of the large population, we were not able to assign people to specific jobs. It seems to be stressful for the rabbit tribesmen if they¡¯re put it as temporary help when short on manpower. It seems that the rabbit people are stressed when they have to devote themselves to a certain task. It would certainly be difficult for them to get along with the other tribes. Some of them may be fine with it, but ¡­¡­ those who are will probably become adventurers and leave. ¡°Then send all of them to Mr. Arensky¡¯s Science and Technology Department. If they wish and are suitable for it, they will be officially affiliated.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go tell them right away!¡± She said and started running quickly. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because it¡¯s a remote region ¡­¡­ but all women are powerful. CH 185 The strategy to get rid of the wild boar was simple. We used fire as if we were pulling in a net, and we drove them away by destroying their feeding grounds. The other side seemed to be using manpower to cut down trees and burn them to create a place where they could not escape. If the territory is mainly flat, the cavalry will be powerful. When I had a conversation with Zenon, the messenger, he was unclear but said that they were proud of their cavalry. When I asked him for more details, he said that they were not archers but spearmen. I was a little relieved that it wasn¡¯t a hit-and-run strategy. If it¡¯s the Mongol or Parthian light cavalry that uses a bow-based strategy, we would have to deal with them differently. I asked them to confirm their opponent¡¯s armament and tactics during the joint operation just in case. The final countermeasures would be based on that information. While I was thinking about this, I received a report that a merchant wanted to see me. She said she had a letter of introduction from the head family. The cases I had to deal with kept coming and coming ¡­¡­ When I asked what kind of merchant she was, she answered incomprehensibly that she dealt with a variety of things. First, I asked Kiara to check the letter of introduction from the head family. ¡°It¡¯s authentic. It¡¯s signed by dear mother. It seems to be a distant relative of dear mother¡¯s.¡± Whatever the case, I¡¯ll have to see her anyway. I took Kiara to the reception room. There was a well-dressed merchant woman and a male escort. Seeing me, the merchant stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting. I am Alfred Della Scala, the feudal lord of the city.¡± ¡°I am Isabeau Floquet, merchant. Thank you for sparing me your time.¡± She is in her late twenties She is probably her father¡¯s representative. Brown hair and eyes. A slim, fair-skinned woman. Her dress is simple, but even I, who am not familiar with women¡¯s clothing, can sense her good taste. Her bodyguard was probably in his thirties, with blond hair and blue eyes and a macho look like Schwarzenegger. I asked her to seat and started with small talk. It¡¯s hard to make a decision when you don¡¯t know the person. ¡°I was told that Ms. Floquet is a merchant, what business association do you belong to?¡± Isabeau answered with a sales smile. ¡°Call me Isabeau, my lord. The Floquet Chamber of Commerce is, I¡¯m ashamed to say this, but ¡­¡­ We¡¯re not famous.¡± A private business association, huh. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true or not, but I¡¯m going to have to ask a little more. ¡°So, Ms. Isabeau. May I ask what brings you to this remote region?¡± ¡°Yes, none of the merchant associations have established themselves here. It¡¯s a great opportunity for a small business association like ours. This town has taken some shape in about a year, right? We see it as a town with a lot of room for growth. You are also looking for teachers of reading and writing at a high price. There are no merchants here, so there is no outlet for the money that comes in. That¡¯s what makes it so attractive.¡± "" Of course, they know the information here. With the absence of rival merchants, they can handle anything. ¡°So you deal in all sorts of things?¡± Isabeau smiled at me. ¡°Yes, you are indeed Lord Alfred who is known for your intelligence.¡± That¡¯s definitely not a good rumor. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a young man pushing myself to the limit. And I¡¯m just watching over them warmly.¡± I replied with an answer that I didn¡¯t even mean. I didn¡¯t even mean it at all. Instead of this kind of exchange, let¡¯s get some information from them. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re so broad-minded. But if you¡¯re too broad, won¡¯t that make you shallow?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll try to meet your request depending on the situation. A small business is much more flexible.¡± "" That¡¯s true ¡­¡­ Large merchants compete on security. A small business association has to compete on a small scale. I don¡¯t trust them entirely, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll try entrusting it to them first. They¡¯ve got a referral from Maman, after all. But first, I have a question. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but ¡­¡­ is Ms. Isabeau here on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce?¡± Isabeau shook her head. ¡°My father has fallen ill, so I have taken his place and I am the representative.¡± She needed something tangible to show for his replacement, and that¡¯s why she turned to Ravenna. I wonder what did the people around her think? It¡¯s not good if the girl who took over is just spinning her wheels. If that happens, there will be a backlash in the Chamber of Commerce, and it will come back to us. ¡°But ¡­¡­ are you sure? I think it is better to expect the apostles¡¯ descent to convince the people around you.¡± Isabeau chuckled. ¡°No, I¡¯m too old and too much of a spectacle for the Apostles.¡± She put her hand on her chest. Oh, I hadn¡¯t been paying attention to it at all, so I had forgotten about it. It¡¯s a crazy world ¡­¡­ where only big tits have human rights. ¡°Excuse me. What conditions do you want for the deal?¡± The terms and conditions that were put forth were very general. The problem is the tax rate. So I decided to present my own criteria. ¡°The port entry tax will be proportional to the weight of the cargo to be sold, in addition to the standard rate. The ratio should be adjusted. As for the shipment, only the base value will be used.¡± "" Isabeau pondered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it simply a matter of weight?¡± ¡°That could mean cutting back on what the crew needs in order to reduce taxes. That wouldn¡¯t be good for us in the long run.¡± Isabeau seemed surprised ¡­¡­ If we are so focused on profit that we cut back on what we need, and then an accident happens, we are screwed. The cost of recovery would be enormous. I don¡¯t want to see a catastrophe like the Titanic when I¡¯m in control. ¡°The tax rate is 1/10th of sales tax only. There will be no other taxes.¡± If you raise taxes, you end up putting more pressure on the consumer. The more complicated the tax system becomes, the more the bureaucracy becomes bloated, and taxation becomes the raison d¡¯etre. And tax evasion becomes popular. We don¡¯t want tax evasion to become a national sport like in Italy. "" Isabeau¡¯s eyes lit up. I¡¯ll offer a few more conditions. ¡°The water is running to the town, so we need you to pay for the connection and the annual maintenance fee. If you give us that much, you can use it all you want.¡± The maintenance of the water supply also costs money. But the water itself doesn¡¯t cost any money, since it flows from the source. Isabeau continued to stiffen. It¡¯s time for her to come back to reality. ¡°By the way, I would like to ask you one question ¡­¡­ Are you also in the money lending business?¡± Isabeau seemed to be jolted back to reality. ¡°Yes, if there is a demand for it.¡± ¡°In that case, the law will specify that the interest rate will be capped at 6/100 per annum. It is also forbidden to enslave those who cannot pay back.¡± Isabeau¡¯s face turned grim. "" ¡°Isn¡¯t that too loose of a condition?¡± ¡°Instead, we will not enact any laws to reduce or exempt the debt. The government will guarantee repayment.¡± We will guarantee repayment. In return, we will not accept high interest rates. Low risk, low return. High risk in an underdeveloped country will cause many people to lose their lives. Besides, the inhabitants of the frontier will be easily preyed upon. Protecting residents against debt is the job of the government at this point. If we don¡¯t reduce the causes of insecurity internally, the economy will stagnate and only the rich will get richer. Then the cost of maintaining security will become too high, and taxes will have to be raised. After that, it¡¯s all doom and gloom. Isabeau sighed and said. ¡°I had heard that the lord was very wise, but ¡­¡­ It looks different than that.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing odd about it. It¡¯s just that this way results in a more developed economy and more revenue.¡± Isabeau stared at me. ¡°Are you really seventeen years old, my lord?¡± I¡¯d forgotten about it and here it is again!!!! CH 186 We have finished our discussions with Isabeau and have come to a consensus. Our wishes will be summarized and communicated when the warehouse and branch offices are built. Kiara looked interested. We had hardly talked about anything involving merchants. I¡¯m sure she would like to know what kind of vision I had in mind. ¡°How did you see it, brother?¡± ¡°Nothing yet. But now that the merchants are starting to take notice, I think the next priority will be to develop the port.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the sanatorium for the mines is almost ready. You named it Bahia, didn¡¯t you?¡± She asked me to give it a name since it was not what they called it in the sanatorium. The name of the resort just popped into my head. ¡°Yes. After it¡¯s completed, we¡¯ll let them rest in Bahia, and then they can work on development.¡± ¡°Will you sell the soap through the merchants?¡± ¡°If we do that, we¡¯ll have to buy a lot of olives. Then the process will leak.¡± ¡°Then people will buy more olives and the price will go up.¡± ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t have a lot of olives here. If the price goes up and there is a shortage, we will be back to that stinky soap.¡± Kiara shuddered. ¡°W-Well ¡­¡­ I absolutely don¡¯t want that.¡± I put my finger on my mouth and struck a secret pose. ¡°So, for the time being, don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± The purpose of the soap is to improve public health. It¡¯s true that we want money, but if we are blinded by immediate money, it will hurt us. And if trade becomes too frequent, pirates will take notice of us. We have yet to establish a navy. If we do, we will have no choice but to find one. We need to hide ourselves a little longer. The war is waiting for us, so it will have to wait. There¡¯s another matter waiting for us. That¡¯s a long way off. We don¡¯t have the luxury of human resources right now. I can work with zero reserves, but I don¡¯t feel like taking any chances. How many tasks am I working on in parallel ¡­¡­. If I do task management on paper, Mil and Kiara will die. I also need a secretary to assist me. I don¡¯t have enough people ¡­¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s not enough. If I force more people, money and food will be in short supply. But what we need to do doesn¡¯t wait for us. If I get flustered, it¡¯ll affect everyone and they¡¯ll start to panic. If it was just for me, I would have thrown it away long ago ¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s amazing that they were able to do this just for themselves. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After that, I went to Onyxim¡¯s workshop with Kiara. Kiara looked at me blankly. ¡°Brother ¡­¡­ what romance did you seek this time?¡± I¡¯m not always playing around, you know. ¡°No, it¡¯s a secret weapon for the next war.¡± Kiara silently followed me. ¡°How¡¯s the crossbow coming along, Mr. Arensky?¡± Onyxim looked a little tired. ¡°My Lord. The prototype is ready. Follow me for a moment.¡± He led me to another room. There was a battered scarecrow standing there. Onyxim indicated for us to move away. ¡°Don¡¯t get too close.¡± Onyxim held up his crossbow, which fired a series of arrows, though not as many as a machine gun. One set of ten shots. The current crossbow fires about one or two per minute. The power is reduced, but the firing rate exceeds the longbow¡¯s 6 to 10 shots per minute. I asked for a cartridge format that would hold ten arrows. Onyxim pointed to the cartridges. ¡°Some don¡¯t fly because of the cartridge. I think we still need to improve it.¡± Kiara was dumbfounded. ¡°W-What is this ¡­¡­ thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a weapon that covers the shortcomings of the crossbow. The killing power of a single blow is lower than the existing one. Instead, the number of arrows is far greater. The most important thing for a weapon is to be small and easy to use, after all.¡± ¡°This will have a tremendous killing power if it is put into actual use.¡± Onyxim scratched his head. ¡°But it won¡¯t penetrate a knight fully armed with plate mail and shield. If it¡¯s a chainmail, it would only crack the bone.¡± ¡°No, not against heavy equipment. There is not much heavy equipment and they can be dealt with by magic. The reason for this is to target lightly armed enemies, or their horses, which are more numerous.¡± Kiara shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to be targeted by something like this.¡± Then I looked at Kiara and told her the true reason why I had brought her here. ¡°I want Kiara to find out which poison fits this arrow. And also an antidote in case it is used by the enemy.¡± Onyxim gave a tight smile. ¡°I guess the sign of the Demon Lord is true.¡± Kiara looked at the crossbow with serious eyes. ¡°Is it a deadly poison?¡± ¡°No, just paralysis or temporary incapacitation. If it¡¯s a deadly poison, people might die during the test.¡± Kiara patted her chest as if relieved. I¡¯m sure she felt the fear. ¡°I understand, I will look into it.¡± I will do what I can to win. It¡¯s best if they lose their will to fight with this ¡­¡­ CH 187 As we were leaving the workshop, I received a report from Onyxim. He said that the rabbit people that were sent were even better than he had expected, and that he wanted to hire them officially. They are very good at repetitive tasks and keeping things in a certain shape. It¡¯s rather hard to stop them from overdoing it, he said ¡­¡­ I happily approved it. Now we can avoid the neuroses of the rabbit people. As we walked home, Kiara was pondering with a difficult look on her face. At times like this, I keep my mouth shut. It wasn¡¯t an aura I wanted her to hear. Eventually, Kiara gave a small shake of her head and let out a breath. Giving up. ¡°Does brother think that the opponent is mainly cavalry?¡± ¡°Humans dominate beastmen on the plains. If that¡¯s the case, it won¡¯t be enough to just clash. We will need some other means. Cavalry will be the most effective means.¡± ¡°My brother won without cavalry, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°We won once, and then we proposed assimilation on terms they would accept, not domination. They keep winning and establish dominance. It¡¯s a different premise.¡± Kiara nodded her head, so I continued to explain a little more. ¡°When I say dominate, it won¡¯t be a one time thing. The opponent will either flee or desperately resist. Soon, they will be worn out and defeated.¡± Mickey, who had come along as an escort, agreed. (T/N: Mickey is a dog tribesman and one of the Elite Guards.) ¡°Abraham also said before joining. If I¡¯m going to be dominated, I¡¯m going to fight. He said it later when he became a representative. He said this would make it difficult for us to rebel even if we joined you.¡± That didn¡¯t seem to sit well with Kiara. ¡°How is this unlikely to lead to a rebellion?¡± I explained with a wry smile. ¡°If the chief is reduced to the same position as his subordinates, everyone will be dissatisfied. When there is a change in the environment, everyone has a complaint, big or small. If a former chief is dissatisfied, it is easy to start a riot. Even in Ravenna now, it will happen.¡± Let¡¯s say a company is being merged. What would happen if all of the executives of the merged company were made common employees? It wouldn¡¯t end up good. And the other companies will definitely try to avoid being merged. Kiara sighed. ¡°Haaa ¡­¡­ There¡¯s a lot of depth to brother¡¯s studies ¡­¡­¡± Like I said, let¡¯s stop that ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s change the subject. ¡°Let¡¯s get back on topic. If you want to overpower the beastmen, use something they don¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Is that the cavalry?¡± ¡°With training, even the beastmen can ride, but they are not in the habit of riding themselves.¡± Mickey agreed. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. We just have to run.¡± Considering the cost of breeding horses and the range of the beastmen¡¯s activities, there is not much advantage in using horses. ¡°Beastmen can naturally surpass humans in terms of leg strength and agility. But they can¡¯t beat a horse that specializes in running.¡± Mickey looked a little frustrated. ¡°You¡¯re right, we can¡¯t beat a horse ¡­¡­¡± It would be bad if you could win. ¡°If the cavalry is used skillfully, the beastmen will not be able to compete with their mobility. In addition, if they rush at you with spears, they will instill fear in you.¡± Kiara seemed to be convinced, but she also had some doubts. ¡°But that¡¯s not going to happen against us, is it?¡± ¡°Yes, I know I said it was mainly cavalry, but it¡¯s not only humans fighting.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll make the beastmen they control to fight?¡± Rather, they fight in a way that minimizes the consumption of humans. ¡°They treat them as disposable pawns, auxiliary in tactics.¡± Mickey seemed to be suspicious. ¡°What good is that to them? Won¡¯t they turn their fangs on its master?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens if you don¡¯t do anything.¡± Kiara pondered. ¡°There is a way to keep them from turning, that¡¯s what you¡¯re saying, right?¡± ¡°There are ways to keep resentment from turning on humans.¡± Mickey¡¯s face twitched. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to ask, but ¡­¡­ What is it?¡± ¡°Fear is the natural method. Of course, they will take hostages.¡± Mickey looked unsatisfied. It¡¯s a method anyone would consider. It was written on his face. So I explained the rest. ¡°They¡¯ll make them fight each other for different treatment. They will also divide them into certain groups in order to prevent them from working together as beasts.¡± Mickey¡¯s face became serious. He must have remembered that he had been manipulated by the cat tribe in the past and had a falling out with them. Seeing this, I looked like a naughty boy who wanted to play a prank. ¡°The treatment of the group will vary depending on the outcome of the battle. However, peacetime blunders will also affect them in tandem. This will accelerate the bickering among the governed.¡± Mickey¡¯s face twisted in fear. I told him the final touches. ¡°They¡¯ll make an accusation so that the lower levels are not fixed, and switch the hierarchy appropriately. This will break the link between the beastmen. If there is resentment, and there is something below you, your frustration will go there.¡± Kiara gave an astonished look. ¡°If you¡¯ve been mistreated by the higher-ups, and suddenly you¡¯re the higher-up, you¡¯re going to ¡­¡­ they¡¯ll get back at them. It¡¯s a simple but scary negative cycle.¡± Mickey looked at me as if I were a demon king. ¡°So you could have done it if you wanted to, my lord ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There is a difference between being able to do something and doing it. To operate, humans need to fight and show their strength on a regular basis. First of all, I don¡¯t like that kind of method.¡± Mickey chuckled. ¡°Because my lord is an unparalleled lover of children, after all. Regardless of species.¡± No, that¡¯s not true ¡­¡­ It¡¯s just the result of following my policy, and I don¡¯t protect children without principle. Kiara didn¡¯t seem to think this was perfect ¡­¡­ She pondered a little. ¡°But even so, isn¡¯t there a possibility that the beastmen might turn on the humans in battle?¡± ¡°That¡¯s where human psychology comes into play.¡± ¡°Psychology?¡± ¡°For the beastmen who are fighting each other, beating those who rebel will make them feel better about themselves. If they are in the top rank, they will protect their position.¡± Kiara seemed to agree with him honestly. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Even if you attack the humans, there is no guarantee that the enemy will not attack you.¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡­¡± I smiled at Kiara, strangely amused by the conversation. ¡°And the people who control them are not stupid. Humans are loosening the reins just enough to keep the beastmen from despairing. Now ¡­¡­ would you really betray them in this situation? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to take out your frustration on your enemy?¡± Kiara glared at me with a scowl. ¡°It¡¯s because you say things like that with a smile on your face that you¡¯re called the Demon Lord. You need to reflect on that.¡± I can¡¯t even reply. CH 188 Isabeau arrived here unexpectedly early. I had a list of requests, so I handed it over to Isabeau. Kiara was reluctant, but she couldn¡¯t stop the desire of the men and approved the establishment of the brothel. She asked Ardelheid to check the health of the prostitutes. Ardelheid came to visit me in my office. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the women who have lost their looks or are unable to continue working. Can you help them to live an independent life?¡± She gave me an unexpected request. I couldn¡¯t help but think about it. Originally, Ardelheid¡¯s mission is also to use her body. I guess she thinks of it as something personal. ¡°The person¡¯s decision comes first, though. We can help them learn to read and write ¡­¡­ and help them find a way to live.¡± Ardelheid¡¯s face lit up with happiness. ¡°Yes! Thank you very much!¡± ¡°The ownership of the prostitute remains with the brothel. And we need a budget to take care of them when they retire.¡± Ardelheid pondered. I continued. ¡°Can the ladies figure that out? I don¡¯t mind paying for the budget after their retirement, but ¡­¡­ I would be problematic if they just say goodbye after they become free, you know.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°If they want to settle down in this town when they finish their work as a prostitute ¡­¡­ that¡¯s fine. The people who have been working for the citizens will settle down. That will be the pretense to help them do so. There is no such thing as a high and low profession. If there was a demand for it, it would be a job for the citizens. ¡°Doing that to a prostitute is¡­¡± ¡­¡­ I would not tolerate the idea of something like that.¡± Ardelheid nodded. ¡°Thank goodness ¡­¡­ Even prostitutes are allowed to work. It must be for the benefit of the citizens. Not for the benefit of the person.¡± ¡°Yes, taxes are used for the benefit of the citizens. That¡¯s the purpose of collecting them. I think it¡¯s okay to use it for the benefit of those who work for the citizens.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to everyone about your idea. Do you mind if I consult with Lord Alfred from time to time?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ardelheid bowed happily. ¡°Thank you !¡± I watched as Ardelheid left and pondered. She was too good to be a woman who offered her body. If she became the woman of an influential man, she would probably end up in misery. I still don¡¯t know whether it was fortunate that she came here or not ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I¡¯d been thinking about this for a while, and then Charles came back. ¡°Thank you for the hard work. It¡¯s thoughtless to ask this, but how was the result?¡± Charles grinned. ¡°Of course, the extermination was a success. I think it will calm things down a lot.¡± ¡°Yes, it will stabilize as long as we thin it out periodically.¡± It will take a few years for the ecosystem to return to normal, though. ¡­¡­ I was silent, so Charles continued. ¡°So, about the main objective with our partner. The one-eyed general is quite good. His use of cavalry was skillful. He mainly used spears, and almost no bows.¡± ¡°So that how it is. What about the rest of the cavalry?¡± ¡°The infantry consisted only of beastmen. They were disposable pawns.¡± I figured. ¡°Who was in charge of the infantry?¡± ¡°A demon woman, I think. She was pretty good.¡± Are they working with the demon tribe in the back regions ¡­¡­ ¡°Good grief, so it¡¯s demon this time. Were there any demons among the infantry?¡± Charles said in astonishment. ¡°No, only beastmen with no armor and only weapons. It was terrible.¡± ¡°I guess the cavalry were heavily armed.¡± ¡°Yes, the horses were lightly armed.¡± If they were too heavily armed, they would lose their mobility, after all. ¡°How many cavalrymen did they have?¡± ¡°About five hundred. That¡¯s quite a lot of cavalry. But since it was a wild boar extermination, I don¡¯t think they were all out in force.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they are serious to some extent. I¡¯d say they¡¯ve got 60 to 70 percent of the force out there.¡± Charles looks at me with slightly sharper eyes. ¡°What is the basis for this?¡± He¡¯s standing in a field where lives are at stake, after all. It¡¯s natural to ask for evidence. ¡°I¡¯m sure they see us as a danger, but they¡¯re only looking at the number of knights in the force. So I think they intend to threaten us by showing their power. If we are overwhelmingly outnumbered, there will be people who will become weak. We can expect an internal split.¡± It¡¯s a warning not to mess with them. Charles nodded his head in agreement. ¡°I see, so they don¡¯t consider the beastmen to be a force to be reckoned with.¡± ¡°The beastmen hit the beastmen. So they only look at them as numbers.¡± Charles winked meaningfully at me. ¡°So how do we fight them? I¡¯m expecting another ridiculous strategy.¡± I explained the strategy I had in mind. Well, what does he think of it from a military professional¡¯s point of view? Charles said, folding his arms. ¡°It all depends on the setting of the battlefield. I feel sorry for them.¡± ¡°The other side will probably expand the plains by cutting down trees. Please make preparations for the construction of the fort, too.¡± Charles nodded. He leaned forward as if he really wanted to know something. ¡°So how long will it take them to ask for a fight with us?¡± It¡¯s a rough calculation, but ¡­¡­ ¡°Not today, not tomorrow, but probably within a year.¡± CH 189 The plan is set. Now that we have Charles¡¯ OK, we need to figure out how to set up the battlefield ¡­¡­ I had a rough idea based on the map made by the survey team, but I want to see it with my own eyes and make a final confirmation. We decide to set off with Charles and some of the Knights. Before we left, Jules suggested that we increase the number of the Elite Guards, and I agreed. As expected, four people are not enough. When we left for the survey, I had a dispute with my two secretaries ¡­¡­ Naturally, they were fighting over which one of them should accompany me. I convinced them that the two of them should stay behind since we are all men. I¡¯ve entrusted them to take care of things, so they won¡¯t have a problem with my absence. As a matter of fact, I had another goal in mind. I want to make it possible for them to operate without me. As the scope of governance expands, the number of cases where I¡¯m not present will also increase. I want to practice this in advance and identify any problems. If I don¡¯t always try to kill two birds with one stone, or even three birds with one stone, it will take too much time. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had been interested in history and hadn¡¯t known about past cases and criteria ¡­¡­ They are getting by by relying on history. I hope they will accumulate such examples as well. I can¡¯t help but talk to myself. ¡°I need someone to write down the history.¡± The teacher who had been brought in for the survey asked me sullenly. ¡°What¡¯s with that so suddenly?¡± ¡°People in the future will be able to use examples from the past when making decisions.¡± ¡°The past is the past. What good is that?¡± ¡°At least it gives them something to think about when they make a mistake. The future is based on the accumulation of past examples. If you don¡¯t know that, you¡¯ll keep making the same mistakes as in the past.¡± The teacher looked at me as if I were a strange creature. ¡°Kiddo ¡­¡­ Are you aware that ¡­¡­ your words and actions are causing allegations of age fraud?¡± Feeling outnumbered, I explained with great enthusiasm. ¡°W-Well ¡­¡­ Anyway, I want you to make use of your past and future actions for the future.¡± ¡°Hmm. But who wants to write history?¡± ¡°If I wasn¡¯t a lord, I¡¯d want to write it.¡± Even the teacher looked at me with a scowl. ¡°Kiddo ¡­¡­ are you aware that you¡¯re special?¡± ¡°When you have a group of people with different values ¡­¡­ you¡¯re bound to have people like that.¡± ¡°Well, you can do what you want.¡± Charles interrupted me. ¡°No, it¡¯s not quite as ridiculous as it sounds.¡± The teacher gave him a surprised look. He couldn¡¯t imagine that Charles would be interested in talking about history. ¡°What do you mean, Sir Rossi?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve been explaining the battles we¡¯ve fought to my men and my squires too. It¡¯s quite useful.¡± ¡°Then, do you want to write a book about it?¡± Charles put his hand on his chin with a devious look. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea. I think it should be called The Ageless War.¡± What¡¯s with that title! Seeing my frustrated face, Charles waved his hand lightly. ¡°Joking aside, it¡¯s not a bad textbook for training prospective executives.¡± I suggested earnestly. ¡°Now, go ahead and create that textbook.¡± Charles became reluctant, anticipating the side effects. ¡°You¡¯re right. But ¡­¡­ there is always the possibility that they will imitate my lord and destroy themself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the reader¡¯s problem. I can¡¯t be responsible for that much.¡± I feel like I¡¯m talking to myself, though ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The destination of the survey is located through the forest area. It took me three days to get there, struggling to get used to riding. There is a 20-meter river that runs through the forest on the other side. A flat area with grass growing all over. The flatland is quite wide and a good place for the cavalry to deploy. ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s build a fort a bit in front and lead them here.¡± Charles, who took a quick look at the planned site, seemed to agree. ¡°I¡¯m sure the enemy will want to fight here.¡± But the enemy also thinks. We need to guide them. ¡°It would be better to let them think that we¡¯re going to intercept their cavalry in the forest behind us, rather than aiming for this spot outright.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a safe bet. If you go for it too hard, it¡¯ll raise suspicion, after all.¡± ¡°Let us hurry up with the construction of the fort.¡± The teacher opened his mouth in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Will there eventually be dead bodies here ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t imagine what it would be like in such an idyllic setting.¡± I couldn¡¯t find the right words, so I just shrugged my shoulders. CH 190 When I returned from my survey, I was greeted with an exaggerated welcome for some reason. Kiara stood in front of me and after about three seconds, she smiled at me. ¡°Welcome back, brother.¡± I wondered if she had been sniffing for the scent of a woman. I was feeling tired, partly because I was not used to camping. ¡°Do you have any urgent matters that require my judgment?¡± Mil also came up to me and gave me a hug. ¡°There isn¡¯t. Welcome back, Al.¡± ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Mil pulled away easily, but the dirt on my clothes had transferred. ¡°You¡¯ve got dirt on you now.¡± Kiara realized what was going on and tried to hug me, but Mil forcefully blocked her. Mil pressed her hand to Kiara¡¯s forehead as she walked toward me. She¡¯s got a lot of strength in those thin arms, huh? ¡°Al is dirty and needs to take a bath soon. Oh, I¡¯ve gotten dirty too ¡­¡­¡± Kiara protested, her face turning red. ¡°T-That was too obvious!¡± Mil turned a triumphant face to Kiara. ¡°What do you mean? Kiara, Al is tired, so please take care of the rest of the affairs.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re despicable!¡± Mil took me by the arm and started walking away. ¡°Kiara, weren¡¯t you the first one to sneak out and say hello to Al? And it¡¯s you who let the chance go, you know?¡± Kiara¡¯s face showed her grumbling. They all burst into laughter. I¡¯m afraid of what¡¯s to come ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to say what happened after that, but I was tired even though we hadn¡¯t seen each other for almost a week. But let¡¯s just say that I was able to sleep at dawn ¡­¡­ ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I woke up a little after noon, and it looks like Mil has already gone back to work. She¡¯s really tough ¡­¡­ I got ready and headed for my office. The escort, Ale Ahokainen, who was waiting in the office, was usually very serious ¡­¡­ ¡°You had a lot of fun last night.¡±, was written on his face. Seriously, I am everyone¡¯s main source of entertainment. ¡°Anyway, tell me what happened while I was gone.¡± Mil gave us a quick explanation. When she was done, Kiara stood up and walked over to me. I was wondering what was going on ¡­¡­ She pulled my chair with great force, forcibly opened the space between me and the desk, and sat on my lap. It took 3 seconds. Mil and I were astonished at how quickly she did it. ¡°Uh, Kiara?¡± Kiara as if nothing had happened. ¡°I¡¯ll add to the report.¡± ¡­¡­ Kiara finished her report without caring about me in that place. ¡°Alright. I understand what¡¯s going on ¡­¡­ but can you please move aside now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°But ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I, don¡¯t, want, to.¡± Oh, this is the pattern of not coming down until she¡¯s satisfied. Ale Ahokainen couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter. ¡°N-No, e-excuse me. In fact, Ramiro, who was in charge yesterday, was put in a chair and Kiara-sama practiced pulling the chair for three hours without dropping his lord ¡­¡­ He was complaining ¡­¡­ My butt hurts, he said ¡­¡­¡± What are you doing, Ms. Kiara. ¡°Um, Kiara?¡± Kiara looked up at me and smiled proudly. ¡°It was brilliant, wasn¡¯t it?¡± No, it was brilliant, but ¡­¡­ No, that¡¯s not it. Finally, Mil came back to herself. ¡°H-Hey! Kiara. We¡¯re at work now! Get down!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. You can always get my brother to do this for you, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Give me a break ¡­¡­ After all, I didn¡¯t get any work done that day ¡­¡­ CH 191 The tension in the town had risen since it was made known that the first merchant was coming. However, the stores are still under construction, though ¡­¡­ Next, it seems that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild also sent a letter to the Escorter Silvana. I checked the contents with the Escorter Silvana. ¡°The adventurer¡¯s guild is saying that all they need to do is specify the land and they¡¯ll build it themselves.¡± Silvana, the Escorter, fluttered the letter and nodded. ¡°They said they would pay for the necessary materials. They also want us to provide accommodations for the construction workers.¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll have to build accommodations for the future.¡± ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll have enough rooms until the branch is established? They¡¯ll be staying somewhere.¡± ¡°How many people will be coming?¡± She didn¡¯t remember the details, so the Escorter Silvana looks at the letter. ¡°There will be about ten. They want to hire the missing labor locally.¡± I was a little surprised. ¡°There are enough rooms for that many people. I thought Ms. Silvana would be the branch manager.¡± The Escorter Silvana shrugged her shoulders and said, ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡±. ¡°I¡¯m just an adventurer. And I¡¯m working as a window for now.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t interfere with the adventurer¡¯s guild, but there is one condition that we can¡¯t comply.¡± The Escorter Silvana gave a puzzled look. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will reject anyone that Ms. Delphine does not want to be involved with.¡± The Escorter Sylvana became aghast. ¡°Ohhh ¡ª You¡¯re right. I was careless. I¡¯ll make a blacklist with Del and send it to you. Thank you, Al.¡± The Escorter Silvana fluttered her hands and left. Speaking of adventurers ¡­¡­ I should go to Gerald to confirm the training I have requested. I¡¯ve got Charles¡¯ consent to check it out. I headed to the training grounds with the Elite Guard, Mickey. Gerald is giving training to the beastmen. ¡°How¡¯s the training going, Mr. Rosa?¡± Gerald turned to me. ¡°We¡¯re almost ready to put it to the test. ¡° ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation.¡± Gerald looked at me with admiration. ¡°No, no, no, however ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re following up on the flaws that come with the physical prowess of a beastman ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making them fight to make them die, after all.¡± It may seem like a contradiction, but fighting is something we do to live. You can¡¯t expect me to be calm and disciplined when the people next to me are dying in droves. Gerald squinted and looked at the beastmen in the training ground. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just a question of how much we can control their overly aggressive spirit.¡± It¡¯s a training to avoid dying. Before I was reincarnated, evacuation training was not much of a training. This is because of the peace, though. The training here needs to be taken seriously. ¡°Therefore, a solid training is required.¡± Gerald nodded. I had one more thing I wanted to make sure of. ¡°By the way, Mr. Rosa, you know about the new branch of the Adventurers Guild, right?¡± ¡°Have you received an official response?¡± ¡°Yes. If there¡¯s someone you don¡¯t want to invite, you can discuss it with Ms. Silvana.¡± I guess he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. Gerald tilted his head. ¡°Someone who should not be invited?¡± ¡°A person who you have a deep hatred in the past. Or Someone who is blatantly racist.¡± Gerald crossed his arms as if searching his memory. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone like that. Besides, since I¡¯m here, only people who are related to me would come.¡± Well, you¡¯re right. It¡¯ll be smoother that way. It¡¯s better to have more than one connection to me, not just the Escorter Silvana. ¡°That¡¯s a relief then.¡± Gerald looked a little uneasy. ¡°Let¡¯s see. The only thing I¡¯m worried about is ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate. Go ahead.¡± ¡°This is a remote area, but it¡¯s relatively stable. Also, since it¡¯s a fixed-term contract, it¡¯s hard to get credit as a guild member ¡­¡­¡± That can¡¯t be helped. ¡°It¡¯s highly unlikely that a capable people will come.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry about that ¡­¡­¡± I waved my hand and gestured that I didn¡¯t need an apology. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t cause any problems and perform your normal duties, there¡¯s nothing to say. It would be more troublesome if they were too ambitious and got involved with us.¡± Gerald seemed relieved. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear you say that. There is also a possibility that retired people will come to the area now that a branch has been established.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, the guild is the one adventurers turn to when they retire ¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s hard to ask for help from a place you don¡¯t know, after all. ¡°I see. If they can be of help to the citizens, I welcome them.¡± Gerald nodded confidently. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure they can handle that.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Gerald gave him a look that was hard to describe. ¡°I get letters asking me how things are going here. It seems they¡¯re concerned about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be the contact person if that happens. I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯ll have to take on more than one job ¡­¡­¡± Gerald waved his hand in an exaggerated manner. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fun when it¡¯s this rewarding. My wife is very enthusiastic, and my kid seems to be enjoying it, so I¡¯m really glad we moved here.¡± I scratched my head, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m very happy to hear you say that. I¡¯ll be careful not to overwork myself, so thank you.¡± Gerald bowed his head. ¡°Thank you too.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I¡¯m going to go back to the mansion since I¡¯ve finished my business. Mickey, who was following me as my guard, started talking to me. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing the results of our new fighting style. It will give us confidence too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I hope it reduces our casualties ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be very difficult to imitate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point. I want to secure an overwhelming advantage before they do.¡± Mickey looks like there are some things that don¡¯t make sense. ¡°My lord, are you sure you have no experience in battle command?¡± ¡°No, I do not.¡± ¡°As Sir Rossi said ¡­¡­ No matter how he looks at it, you¡¯re not just an amateur.¡± You¡¯re overestimating me too much, I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°If I were in charge of a real war, I¡¯d be exposed as an incompetent. At best, I can only prepare in advance. ¡° ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°You think too much and don¡¯t take chances. In a 6-4 game, you can¡¯t just take the 6 or 4. I don¡¯t have the ability to make quick decisions at all.¡± I can¡¯t make decisions that require the immediate sacrifice of my right or left hand. It is possible to do it if I was just being desperate, but ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t say that it is possible ¡­¡­ Mickey was looking at me suspiciously. ¡°If you are thrown into the front line, I think you¡¯ll be active despite what you say, though.¡± You¡¯re overestimating me too much ¡­¡­ I waved my hand in an exaggerated manner. ¡°If you take my word for it, you should also take my word for the fact that I¡¯m incompetent at frontline command.¡± CH 192 Chapter 192 - The Disposable Messenger The construction of the store and brothel was completed and the opening was near. As for the brothel, Ardelheid had come to inform me of the terms that had been decided with Isabeau. ¡°Lord Alfred, I would like to inform you of the terms that have been decided with the Chamber of Commerce.¡± I silently urged her to continue. Ardelheid began her report with a more serious face than usual. ¡°The health of the prostitutes will be checked on a regular basis. There will be no charge for bathing in the public baths to prevent them from contracting diseases. This will be a quarantine measure.¡± Citizens could take a bath for free, but non-citizens could take a bath with a single copper coin. I¡¯ll have to hear the report before I interrupt. Ardelheid was watching my reaction. But when she saw that I was silent, she continued the rest of her report. ¡°In exchange for no charge, they will be required to bathe at least once every two days, unless they are sick or injured. They must be given one day off per week. The loss of vacation time will be made up for by a lower tax rate. The tax rate on sales of regular prostitutes will be reduced to 8/100. The tax rate for prostitutes who wish to emigrate will be 5/100. For those who wish to migrate, one day a week will be set aside for job training. The training itself will be free of charge, and the reduction in earnings will be compensated to the chamber of commerce by lowering the tax rate mentioned earlier. In this way, the tax rate will fluctuate in two ways.¡± Will they be able to manage that? I should confirm it just in case. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a lot to manage individually, but did Miss Isabeau agree to it?¡± Ardelheid nodded. ¡°The Ministry of Public Health will be sending a representative to assist her in this regard.¡± I have a few concerns, but¡­ I guess I¡¯ll leave it to her. I don¡¯t want to interfere too much, after all. I kept quiet and encouraged her to continue. Ardelheid looks even more nervous now that my question is out of the way and gives her report. ¡°Those wishing to emigrate can acquire citizenship at the age of thirty. In which case they will be required to stay for ten years. The fee for subcontracting will be arranged by the government. For those who have obtained citizenship, the government will provide them with a housing complex and exempt them from rent for the next five years. That will be all.¡± Ardelheid exhaled largely and looked at me with some anxiety. ¡°I understand. Then please do your best to make this agreement operational.¡± Ardelheid nodded happily. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± After Ardelheid left the room, I couldn¡¯t help but think about it. I honestly thought it was too easy. However, I accepted it since the women had made it on their own initiative. If there were any inconveniences, we could correct them as needed. I¡¯ll leave that in everyone¡¯s hands. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After that, the head of the adventurer¡¯s guild also arrived. Cesar Salignac, a man in his forties with a medium build. He has black hair, black eyes, and some gray hair. He seems to be a sincere person who is not good at bargaining. It was just a greeting and a standard conversation. I guess I won¡¯t be able to interact with him in earnest until after the operation starts¡­. "" In the report that followed, we were told that the Sanatorium town at the mine was also completed. The workers are supposed to start developing the port after a short rest. While going about their normal duties, we were secretly preparing for war when a messenger from Dorius arrived. It had been half a year since the messenger, Zenon, had arrived. I heard that the messenger was a cat tribesman. This is already a definite thing. The cat tribesman who was brought in front of me didn¡¯t identify himself, just said he was a messenger and read out the letter. ¡°Chief Dorius considers humans who live in harmony with the beastmen of Ravenna to be the same as beasts. If you join the ranks of Dorius the Chief, you are promised a generous treatment.¡± Then he raised his voice even louder. ¡°If you refuse, we will kill you as enemies.¡± I replied emotionlessly and matter-of-factly. ¡°As you wish, I refuse.¡± The messenger shook his head exaggeratedly. ¡°The merciful chieftain Dorius declares war on Ravenna. Ravenna will pay for her folly with her own blood. And then they will cut off Alfredo¡¯s head and expose it as a sign of his stupidity.¡± The messenger looked from side to side, a little uneasy. I just said without any emotion. ¡°Then you should come and reap the harvest.¡± The messenger seemed to snicker, but left without saying a word. As soon as I saw the messenger, I already ordered Charles to move the army. After the messenger returned, I looked at the ceiling and crossed my arms. Mil seemed to have a few questions and approached me. ¡°Why did they make a cat tribesman their messenger?¡± ¡°If I kill the messenger, he¡¯ll use it as blackmail material against the beastmen under my control. Saying that these guys are just like us.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying he¡¯s certain that we¡¯re going to kill him?¡± It¡¯s not a big problem for him. I can¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°From Dorius¡¯ point of view, it doesn¡¯t matter either way. If he returns alive, he will return spying on our own territory.¡± Kiara didn¡¯t seem to understand the details. ¡°What do you mean by spying?¡± ¡°Do you remember what the teacher said when he first met the cat tribesman?¡± Kiara made a face as if she remembered. ¡°I remember him saying that that he felt as if he could talk to someone even though he were far away.¡± ¡°In other words, that country is using beastmen as familiars.¡± The whole group was in an uproar. Ardelheid¡¯s face became incredulous. ¡°You say familiar, but Isn¡¯t that what you do with animals and magical creatures?¡± "" I shook my head. ¡°There are no such restrictions. It¡¯s just that the person being treated doesn¡¯t like it.¡± Kiara didn¡¯t seem to know what I was talking about and looked at me for an explanation. ¡°What happens?¡± ¡°They know your thoughts, they can control your movements. It¡¯s not a good thing. In human terms, he is almost as good as dead. Everything he sees is known to the practitioner. Even if he is asleep, he will be woken up by the practitioner.¡± If it¡¯s before my reincarnation, I¡¯d imagine I was controlling a character in a VR game. Mil¡¯s face took on a look of disgust. ¡°That doesn¡¯t end with just being terrible.¡± ¡°But if you accept that you are a messenger, you will rise in the ranks of the group. In other words, they¡¯ve sacrificed themselves.¡± There was no need to finish. Everyone was indignant, but Kiara was relatively calm. ¡°What would happen if they spied on us? Since brother knew about it, you must have taken measures to prevent it, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°They¡¯re already moving their forces. Deploying on the plains, where they excel. I¡¯ve placed our troops in places where I think they can interfere with that. If we hurry, we can deploy on the plains, but if we delay, we will be blocked by the cavalry in the forest. That kind of place. The messenger has politely informed them of the location.¡± Kiara seemed to be convinced. ¡°So you rushed them and led them to the plains?¡± ¡°Yes, and they will cross the river in a hurry. Otherwise, they will not be able to deploy the cavalry they boast of.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s all going according to my brother¡¯s plan for now?¡± ¡°For the time being¡­ yes. You never know what will happen on the battlefield.¡± That¡¯s why I explained the strategy, but left the actual decision to Charles. CH 193 Chapter 193 - Quiet Talk - The Main Characters is the Beastmen The lord¡¯s strategy is really beyond my imagination. I was astonished that he could come up with so many new methods. During the march, I found an enemy messenger sneaking around our camp. Of course, we had to restrain him. If they find out what we¡¯re up to, we¡¯re screwed. When I arrived at the battlefield, the scene was just as I had expected. My opponent had hurriedly completed the river crossing and was in a backwater position. In a way, it was rational. They were trying to prevent the beastmen from escaping with their low morale. Even if they take a hostage and sit in a row, there will be some who want to save themselves and run away. The beastmen are in the center. About four thousand of them. "" That¡¯s quite a number. There are 1,000 cavalrymen on each side. There are about 1,000 of us. The enemy has four times as many, while we have almost the entire army. I wonder if my lord was wrong about the number of the enemy ¡­¡­ Or is that the full strength of the cavalry? Or did they think they could afford not to use them all? While the center held the enemy, the superior cavalry went around to the left and right to encircle and destroy them. It must have been a tactic of the opponent. It made sense. This is how they have been winning. Up to this point, it was as the lord predicted it. We have 30 knights on standby as a reserve force. The total number of my squires is about 100. This time, it was the beastmen who were the main actors. Normally, beastmen use long weapons to keep their distance in order to take advantage of their physical abilities. Humans use that space to divide them, so beastmen lose a lot of fights with humans. The Lord¡¯s answer to this was to give them daggers and equip them with shields. It takes two of them to kill one. He demanded that we change our style to fight in a dense formation. The beastmen would not have liked it even if the other leaders had demanded it. However, the beastmen have sworn near-faithful allegiance to my lord because of his actions so far. They accepted it because it¡¯s what my lord said. My lord is not like a fake military strategist who makes complicated strategies and then gets complacent. He uses a combination of simple strategies to make it easy to execute and change during the course of the war. It¡¯s not the most flattering way to win, so it won¡¯t be well received by the stupid lord and all. Oracio, the vanguard of the beastmen, came up to me. He seems to be very motivated. ¡°Sir Rossi, we are ready. We¡¯re all itching to get started.¡± The commander shouldn¡¯t get caught up in the excitement. I nodded in my usual way. ¡°It seems that they¡¯re ready to go too. Well then, shall we begin?¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The sound of the trumpet signals the start of the war. The enemy beastmen rushed forward. There, the 100 vanguard, led by Oracio, makes it look like a hit. Of course, they are outnumbered, so they are defeated immediately. They serve as bait. It cannot be used against trained opponents. It is a strategy that takes advantage of the fact that beastmen are disposable pawns. Seeing this, the enemy beastmen increased their forward speed. At the same time, the enemy cavalry started to move. Against the cavalry, the lord came up with a childish trick. When I first heard about it, I started laughing. The main body of friendly beastmen, 600. They were holding four-meter long spears that they had placed on the ground. It was made just for this purpose, and is usually too long to use. It was then split into left and right sides to meet the cavalry¡¯s charge. Without flinching from the onrushing cavalry, they stand with their spears pointed at them. Not throwing the spear, but pointing it at the horse. This takes a lot of courage. The allies are angry at the enemy¡¯s treatment of the beastmen. So ¡­¡­ They do not run away, wishing to be helpful to my lord with all their heart. The lead horse tries to make a sudden stop and ends up in a pile-up and chaos. I would never want to be in that cavalryman¡¯s position. We continue to drive them in with the human fence, but since our numbers are small, the safe cavalrymen are fleeing and scattering. Even if they stay and try to counter us with spears, ours is longer. More than half of the horses were either dead or fractured by this suicide. The cavalrymen who fell from their horses would not be safe either. And cavalry can¡¯t be a force to be reckoned with if they don¡¯t stick together. I was a little relieved. This will not be a complete defeat anymore. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The pressure of a quadruple enemy is ridiculously hard. If it hadn¡¯t been for my lord¡¯s plan, I¡¯d have been thinking about how to lose. Then, in the center, they¡¯ll flee, scattering dried Trapa Natans to slow their pursuit. The enemy beastmen were not trained properly, so they naturally shifted from horizontal to vertical formation. They naturally clustered in the center. As the enemy beastmen reached the planned point, I had them blow the trumpet again. I had placed 100 crossbowmen on each side as ambushers. They were wearing grass on their backs to make it harder for them to be spotted. Since the enemy cavalry is aiming for encirclement and annihilation on the outside, they will not be found. "" They stood up at once and fired their crossbows in rapid succession. The beastmen at the point where the line of fire of the crossbow intersects with the crossbow fall down in a heap. They are even carefully coated with poison. Each person is given 10 crossbow cartridges. Up to 10000 poison arrows will fly. At the same time, the magician troops that were on standby¡­well, there were only about ten of them. They cast an explosion magic that made a loud noise. My lord reminded me to give priority to the sound over the power. The goal is to strike fear into the opponent. This was the final blow. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The beastmen panicked at the suddenness of the situation. As they had no protective gear and would fall if hit. I can¡¯t believe the plan worked so well. It¡¯s hard to control myself when I¡¯m both shocked and want to start laughing. The enemy beastmen, looking left and right, were shaken that there were no cavalry on their side and started to run away. If there were cavalry, they would be so terrified that they would rush in, ready to destroy us. If so, we would be overwhelmed by their numbers. This is where the chase begins. If we don¡¯t beat the beastmen, they will reorganize their forces and the war will drag on. They can¡¯t fight with cavalry alone. They need to be combined with infantry to be extremely powerful. Some tried to stay and let their allies escape, but they were powerless against a two-man battle to kill one. I¡¯ll have the winged tribesmen confirm the whereabouts of the enemy cavalry. With the reserve force, we¡¯ll respond when the opponent¡¯s cavalry regrouwasps. The reserve troops also had crossbows, so they would be able to respond. The enemy beastmen are fleeing, but there is a river in their path. They have no training, no armor, and no human cavalry to watch them. The river was not that deep, but many of them panicked and fell, or were trampled by their allies and drowned. It was becoming a one-sided slaughter. However, the value of victory would be diminished if they were to reorganize themselves here. Those who have crossed the river will not be pursued. Those who have surrendered will be spared. This is a well known fact. The battle was settled in about three hours. In the end, the enemy cavalry did not return. Our losses were 39 dead and 181 wounded. The enemy¡¯s losses were about 1,800 dead beastmen and 160 prisoners. Human dead: 120, prisoners: 400. The human prisoners were all fractured from falling off their horses. It¡¯s truly a hellish picture, but¡­ it turned out just as my lord planned. Once again, I definitely don¡¯t want to be his enemy. An excited Oracio came back. He had taken on a dangerous decoy role and was injured as well. ¡°I suppose we can call it a great victory!¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t complain. But the whereabouts of the enemy cavalry is unknown. Let us return to the fort and report to our lord with caution.¡± Oracio nodded. ¡°But I¡¯m sure this will still hurt his heart.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to give up on that. We¡¯ll just have to support him.¡± Oracio tried to grin and said, frowning at the pain. ¡°If everything is too perfect, I don¡¯t feel like supporting it. It¡¯s just right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s frustrating that I can¡¯t argue with that.¡± CH 194 Chapter 194 - War Report gets exaggerated I¡¯ve received reports of the battle commencing. There¡¯s nothing I can do right now. My turn will come after the war is over. I also told them in advance that they don¡¯t need to contact me every time. I can¡¯t help but sigh when it comes to combat. I liked it in the game, but that¡¯s because it¡¯s just a game and soldiers are really numbers. In reality, they are just numbers for convenience¡­ However, I¡¯ve been told not to worry too much about this. I can¡¯t seem to calm down. I can answer the consultation properly, but I don¡¯t feel like searching for an issue from myself. So this is what they mean when they say you can¡¯t get any work done. In comparison, the women were calm and collected. What a shameful sight I am. After a few days of this, the report finally came. The beastman who was the messenger brought the report to us. The messenger could hardly contain his excitement as he opened his mouth. ¡°I report to you, my lord, that the battle has been a great victory. Our damage is minor and the enemy¡¯s damage is major!¡± Mil and Kiara looked happy. It is a psychological thing to want to exaggerate the message when you are in high spirits. The more bewildered the people around me, the more indifferent I seemed to be. ¡°Thank you for the hard work. Please tell me the specific damage to us and the damage to the enemy.¡± The messenger looked disappointed, as if he thought I¡¯d be overjoyed too. But he quickly regained his composure and continued with his report. ¡°We have 39 dead and 181 wounded. The enemy¡¯s losses were about 1,800 dead beasts and 160 prisoners. Human casualties are approximately 120 dead and 400 prisoners!¡± One-fifth of the damage can¡¯t be called very minor, though. Let¡¯s decide on the rules for reporting that in the future. ¡°I understand. What did Sir Rossi say?¡± ¡°Ha! He wants to ask for my lord¡¯s instructions on the future course of action.¡± So that¡¯s how it will end no matter what. I had expected that. I folded the paper in the drawer, sealed it, and handed it to the messenger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask of this even though you have just arrived, but this is for Sir Rossi. It contains my instructions.¡± The messenger bowed and walked out. Kiara¡¯s face turned surprised. ¡°Brother, you have already thought of the results and what to do afterwards?¡± I shrugged my shoulders deliberately. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anyway, we should prepare to receive the wounded in the sanatorium town for treatment. Make sure that their families can stay there as well.¡± Kiara said with a huff. ¡°Yes, what about the injured prisoners?¡± ¡°They will be in a different place. We need to monitor them. Whatever it is, I¡¯ll leave it to Sir Rossi.¡± Mil¡¯s expression seemed to want to know what I thought. ¡°Al, what are we going to do now?¡± I can¡¯t really make any plans at this point. I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. But I can tell you that we don¡¯t have to worry about our life today or tomorrow.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re waiting for more information?¡± ¡°Yes, and order any medical supplies that may be in short supply from the Chamber of Commerce. In the worst-case scenario, we may need the women¡¯s help for their treatment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let Ardelheid know.¡± I sighed deeply when I saw the two leave in a hurry. The two guards went with them, so I was the only one left in the room. The organization in this area needs to be gradually expanded. There were 39 dead. I wonder how many of the 181 people who had been injured would lose their lives due to worsening injuries, and how many would have problems with their lives in the future. The more I think about it, the more I sigh. Winning is important, of course, but if we make mistakes after winning, we will end up destroying ourselves. And what will the enemy do in the future. We can¡¯t just leave the cat people, who have been decimated by the plague, unmarked. There¡¯s no end to the worries. If we¡¯re not careful, we could end up in a war with the demon tribe as well. Either way, our national power is vulnerable. We¡¯ve exerted ourselves in this battle. Everyone is too elated from the victory to realize it right now¡­ It would have been easier if we were in a position to make some noise together. CH 195 Chapter 195 - Conditioned Reflexes A few days later, Charles came back. We¡¯ll get a report on the aftermath later, but for now, we¡¯ll just welcome him home. The town is in a state of excitement, though it¡¯s good that they¡¯re in good spirits. But I don¡¯t want them to develop a belief in invincibility and start fighting without a plan. ¡°Thank you for your efforts. It must have been difficult with so many enemies.¡± Charles grinned. ¡°No, no, I was just looking at the whole thing.¡± He said and looked at the beastmen behind him. ¡°It¡¯s because the main actors did a great job. It¡¯s thanks to them.¡± I looked at them, alongside Charles, and bowed. ¡°Thank you ¡­¡­ for protecting us all.¡± For some reason, the beastmen cheered. No, it¡¯s ¡­¡­ something different, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s okay, though. Oh, right, because they don¡¯t have a set salute. That¡¯s the only reaction I¡¯m going to get. I continued to open my mouth. ¡°Everyone, after completing the simple procedures, please go home and get some rest.¡± I couldn¡¯t just dismiss them out of hand. We have a lot of work to do on our end, like checking on the casualties. However, I¡¯m sure they want to go home as soon as possible, so I¡¯ll keep the formalities to a minimum. Due to the fact that they fought with all their might, the only ones who can move right now are the knights. Anyway, resting is the top priority. We¡¯ll be able to confirm the details individually later. The military organization is still very primitive. ¡°Sir Rossi, when you get settled, please come back and report.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The town is in a festive state. The police force has just been established, and this will be its first real attempt. Some kind of trouble is bound to happen. When everyone is in such a state of excitement, it¡¯s necessary to have a good-natured smile. I¡¯m not very good at this kind of situation ¡­¡­ The sad thing is that I can¡¯t always say that. I returned to the villa and took a breather. I was really tired. When Kiara saw me like that, she brought me a cup of tea. ¡°It¡¯s an herbal tea that I got thanks to Ms. Isabeau. It will help you relax.¡± I smiled at Kiara. ¡°Oh, thank you. Please make some for everyone.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± After a short break, Mil asked me a question. ¡°Al, you didn¡¯t tell Mr. Rossi to go after them, did you?¡± I laughed silently and shrugged my shoulders. Mil and Kiara looked at each other and put question marks on their heads. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô A few moments later, Charles came in, having changed into his civilian clothes. I¡¯ve always notified them that they can wear plain clothes when they meet with me. When I reminded them not to wear overexposed clothing, one of them turned away. I heard that he had taken a bath and felt refreshed. ¡°Thank you for waiting, my lord.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kiara. Bring Sir Rossi some tea.¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡± Charles sipped the tea and was in a good mood. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s pretty good.¡± I decided to get down to business. ¡°So, what do you see from now on?¡± Charles put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. ¡°They¡¯ve lost half the cavalry, though, so it will be difficult to continue fighting. Unless they can do something about our counter-measure.¡± I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°The beastmen¡¯s infantry has been almost completely destroyed, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to rebuild anytime soon.¡± ¡°What will we do when the beastmen come again?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already planted the seeds.¡± Charles¡¯s eyes narrowed, as if to say, ¡°So you¡¯re up to something ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t notice that. What¡¯s that vicious seed?¡± That was harsh of you to call it vicious. However, my face might have looked like a prankster. ¡°After a series of crossbow shots from the ambushers, you simultaneously launched a roaring explosion magic, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that was to stop the rush, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°There is another purpose.¡± Charles thought about it for a moment, but he didn¡¯t understand and nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯ve just done all that physical labor, so you can¡¯t tease me.¡± ¡°The sound of an explosion like you¡¯ve never heard before, followed by a storm of arrows. Then, an ally suffering from poison. That¡¯s the scene, isn¡¯t it?¡± Charles closed his eyes and remembered, but he was unfazed, as if it doesn¡¯t concern him. ¡°Yes, it was a hell of a scene.¡± I winked at him, because that was the point. ¡°They¡¯ve memorized that sound.¡± Everyone was silent. ¡°They survived, and they¡¯ll talk about it a lot in an exaggerated way. It¡¯ll spread among their friends. Exaggerating the story.¡± I realized that I was definitely wearing an evil smile. ¡°What would happen if they heard the same sound and saw the same scene on the battlefield?¡± It¡¯s a conditioned reflex. It¡¯s called Pavlov¡¯s dog. Mil sighed deeply at the trick that was beyond my mischief. ¡°Al ¡­¡­ I¡¯m going to promote you to the Great Demon King ¡­¡­¡± No, it¡¯s just psychology. If you see the sight of lightning striking and killing your neighbors ¡­¡­ How would you feel if you came across a lightning strike afterwards. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying. Charles looked at me suspiciously and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d think of that unless you had actual combat experience. Were you a combat demon in your previous life?¡± Finally, even my previous life is being questioned ¡­¡­ This will definitely spread ¡­¡­ If I don¡¯t spread other entertainment quickly, I¡¯ll seriously be in trouble! CH 196 ? Chapter 197 - More immigrants is not...Chapter 196 - Confidential InstructionsChapter 195 - Conditioned ReflexesChapter 194 - War Report gets exagger...Chapter 193 - Quiet Talk - The Main C...Chapter 192 - The Disposable MessengerChapter 191 - BlacklistChapter 190 - Secret TrainingChapter 189 - The Significance of His...Chapter 188 - The Men''s DesiresChapter 187 - The Method to Control t...Chapter 186 - The Demon King''s Sign i...Chapter 185 - The age fraud allegatio...Chapter 184 - Ms. Bunny wants to workChapter 183 - Inevitable ConflictChapter 182 - When in Rome, do the Ro...Chapter 181 - Vacation is MissingChapter 180 - A Contract Worker in a...Chapter 179 - Quiet Talk - Professor...Chapter 178 - Quiet Talk - Professor...Chapter 177 - Quiet Talk - Professor...Chapter 176 - Seducer in HellChapter 175 - D¨¦j¨¤ VuChapter 174 - The difference between...Chapter 173 - Boar LetterChapter 172 - How to handle the bunni...Chapter 171 - Bunny''s True IntentionChapter 170 - The Cost of BlunderChapter 169 - The EscorterChapter 168 - Little BossChapter 167 - Alfred and Kiara''s Chil...Chapter 166 - Seems special but RationalChapter 165 - It''s every day, you kno...Chapter 164 - Howard Smythe''s Proclam...Chapter 163 - True feeling are things...Chapter 162 - Endless MeatChapter 161 - Goodbye, my vacationChapter 160 - Future DisastersChapter 159 - Soap Bar InnovationChapter 158 - Goodwill are like a flameChapter 157 - An Effective Bomb DropChapter 156 - The die was forced to b...Chapter 155 - Annoying Rival RecognitionChapter 154 - When to put your life o...Chapter 153 - Personal morality and L...Chapter 152 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 151 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 150 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 149 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 148 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 147 - The Concept of AttackChapter 146 - Harem is Right or WrongChapter 145 - Boar SoldierChapter 144 - Brainwork can be exhaus...Chapter 143 - The Law on Paper and th...Chapter 142 - Human DoubtChapter 141 - Protecting the childrenChapter 140 - I''ll leave it to the il...Chapter 139 - The type of person who...Chapter 138 - The Fastest-growing gro...Chapter 137 - For some reason, the ol...Chapter 136 - The World''s Most Lame a...Chapter 135 - The Law of RavennaChapter 134 - Peak at 16-years-oldChapter 133 - Meat, Meat, Meat, Fish...Chapter 132 - The Forgotten Big WaveChapter 131 - White Costume is embarr...Chapter 130 - Ask for a Child if it''s...Chapter 129 - The best people are the...Chapter 128 - I hate it, that''s why I...Chapter 127 - You can''t get there unl...Chapter 126 - It''s more difficult if...Chapter 125 - The Power of Zero DistanceChapter 124 - I''m out of the pictureChapter 123 - Quiet Talk - Everyone''s...Chapter 122 - The 17-year-old FrenzyChapter 121 - The Violence of NamesChapter 120 - It''s a set with the sou...Chapter 119 - Itchy and PainfulChapter 118 - The one who wants to th...Chapter 117 - Suspicious ConstitutionChapter 116 - Reason for my Bad MoodChapter 115 - I want to fly in the skyChapter 114 - Educational Guidance of...Chapter 113 - Quiet Talk - The Main F...Chapter 112 - The more earnest a lord...Chapter 111 - We must hunt this big waveChapter 110 - When it''s my time, it''s...Chapter 109 - The price to improve th...Chapter 108 - Making moves while ther...Chapter 107 - The more black history,...Chapter 106 - The Logic of RetaliationChapter 105 - A high salary is useles...Chapter 104 - Independence is quite d...Chapter 103 - Statue ControversyChapter 102 - The Elite Guards CandidateChapter 101 - Quiet Talk - I like to...Chapter 100 - Only I''m Hard ModeChapter 99 - King or Law?Chapter 98 - However, there''s a diffe...Chapter 97 - Persuasion is PhysicalChapter 96 - Flying Alone is Advantag...Chapter 95 - Quiet Talk - The Differe...Chapter 94 - Debt and Enemies Often I...Chapter 93 - Good People Need Good Re...Chapter 92 - One Thing After AnotherChapter 91 - Line, Afternoon Tea, and...Chapter 90 - The Formula of Subordina...Chapter 89 - Not Everyone Likes to ta...Chapter 88 - Women Can''t Understand a...Chapter 87 - If you''re too special, y...Chapter 86 - Souvenirs Aren''t Always...Chapter 85 - The Difficulty of being...Chapter 84 - Slanted Eyes Looks Intim...Chapter 83 - Quiet Talk - The Incompe...Chapter 82 - Quiet Talk - The Advisor...Chapter 81 - Quiet Talk - Silvana''s C...Chapter 80 - Determination For RevengeChapter 79 - You don''t have to take o...Chapter 78 - Quiet Talk - Bloodshed i...Chapter 77 - A Letter I Don''t Mind Se...Chapter 76 - A Life of DIsparitiesChapter 75 - The Symbol of the TownChapter 74 - Even connections have th...Chapter 73 - The PuppeteerChapter 72 - A Man''s Life is HardChapter 71 - Maintaining Magic Requir...Chapter 70 - The Basics of SubterfugeChapter 69 - Disobey the women, and t...Chapter 68 - What is a UnitChapter 67 - Recalling the Tale of th...Chapter 66 - Britain at the Front Gat...Chapter 65 - Women are strongChapter 64 - War is not always an ext...Chapter 63 - The Necessity of Enterta...Chapter 62 - Quiet Talk - Milva Rayal...Chapter 61 - Quiet Talk - Milva Rayal...Chapter 60 - Quiet Talk - Milva Rayal...Chapter 59 - A Grandpa being loved by...Chapter 58 - Suspected Loss of One of...Chapter 57 - Thus the letter becomes...Chapter 56 - Quiet Talk - Charles Ros...Chapter 55 - Quiet Talk - Charles Ros...Chapter 54 - The Many and the Few: Be...Chapter 53 - The Knights Order''s Name isChapter 52 - An Advisor is a HandymanChapter 51 - Self-Cooling Function No...Chapter 50 - The Woman who fusses ove...Chapter 49 - Quiet Talk - Adding One...Chapter 48 - Apostle RecessionChapter 47 - A World for OutcastsChapter 46 - Nothing good can come fr...Chapter 45 - The Government Officials...Chapter 44 - Economics is a Must for...Chapter 43 - The Battle between Broth...Chapter 42 - What we left behind when...Chapter 41 - Woman''s Intuition is an...Chapter 40 - Codependent SystemChapter 39 - If It''s for Someone ElseChapter 38 - The Egotist''s WayChapter 37 - Paparazzi are generally...Chapter 36 - Never give up on a plan...Chapter 35 - Multiplication, Not Addi...Chapter 34 - Plague is Scarier Than WarChapter 33 - Piranha of LoveChapter 32 - A Butterfly in the Versa...Chapter 31 - A Certain Steward Gets i...Chapter 30 - It''s Precisely Because I...Chapter 29 - Turning PointChapter 28 - Catch and DrinkChapter 27 - Bonfires Aren''t Always f...Chapter 26 - A Cheap Optimal SolutionChapter 25 - My common sense is lack...Chapter 24 - When you''re hungry, Qual...Chapter 23 - Cutting corners in the n...Chapter 22 - Too much is better than...Chapter 21 - A woman''s decisionChapter 20 - Easy to establish, Diffi...Chapter 19 - The Sultan of Habsburd,...Chapter 18 - The World is wide, the S...Chapter 17 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 16 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 15 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 14 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 13 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 12 - Observing the Stars and...Chapter 11 - Survival of the FittestChapter 10 - They can only work hard...Chapter 9 - The Order of the ApostlesChapter 8 - The Wisdom of IgnoranceChapter 7 - The more power you have,...Chapter 6 - I''m still bad at what I''m...Chapter 5 - To hide a tree, hide it i...Chapter 4 - I thought sisters are ann...Chapter 3 - This world has its own ra...Chapter 2 - I''m the type of person wh...Chapter 1 - It seems like I died56 - Charles Rossi (2) Anyway, let¡¯s change the subject. ¡°Sir Rossi, the whereabouts of the enemy cavalry are unknown, are they not?¡± ¡°Yes, so we¡¯ve left a peacetime force in the fort. They will be taking turns.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± Charles crossed his arms, as if there was something bothering him. ¡°Among the enemies we took prisoner was a woman who looked like a demon commander.¡± It¡¯s an expected possibility. ¡°A commander?¡± ¡°Yes, and she was well-dressed. She was the only demon in the room.¡± ¡°What did you do with the dead?¡± ¡°I wanted to bury him, but we didn¡¯t have the spare energy to do so.¡± It was unreasonable to expect that much. I nodded. ¡°Yes, you had no choice. When the demon messenger comes to take her back, please don¡¯t interfere with him.¡± ¡°Yes, I instructed that as long as they don¡¯t attack us.¡± I guess we have to assume the worst in case of a collision with the demons. ¡°About the treatment of the injured ¡­¡­ Treat them in Bahia. If they have a family, let them stay with them.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Let¡¯s held the funeral services for the war dead first. If it¡¯s after the victory ceremony, the body will be in a worse condition.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. This time the eulogy will be given by me and Sir Rossi, and since Sir Oracio is wounded, we will ask someone to speak in his place.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll decide on that, sir.¡± ¡°If there is nothing else from you, you may rest now.¡± Charles grinned happily. ¡°Yes, I will do that. I never dreamed in my life that I would fight an enemy four times the number and win.¡± That¡¯s true. ¡°They don¡¯t use beastmen as soldiers, after all. So I don¡¯t think they can count the number of soldiers as it is. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s four times as many. It¡¯s at most double.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still a hell of a story, though ¡­¡­ Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± Charles was about to leave, but Kiara stopped him. ¡°Mr. Rossi, please wait.¡± ¡°Miss Kiara, what is it?¡± Kiara leaned forward, filled with a strange sense of mission. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about the instructions my brother gave Mr. Rossi after the battle. I¡¯ve been wondering about it. What did it say? He seems to have a tremendous foresight into the future, and as a leading scholar of brother¡¯s study, I need to know!¡± Like I said, let¡¯s not do that study. Mil seemed to be curious about it too and was very enthusiastic about it. ¡°Please show me too!¡± Charles looked at me in astonishment. ¡°My Lord, haven¡¯t you told your wife or Miss Kiara?¡± I said with a clear face. ¡°That¡¯s classified information, after all.¡± Charles chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest¡±. He pulled out the sealed instruction manual from his pocket. ¡°It would be better if you see it than to explain it.¡± Kiara ran over and snatched it from him, and he stiffened. Mil saw it and stiffened as well. The two of them were whispering to each other, looking at it with one eye and the other with the other. Charles started laughing, like a child who had pulled off a surprise. ¡°It¡¯s a blank sheet, you know.¡± Mil and Kiara froze for about ten seconds, then said in unison. ¡± ¡°Eeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡± ¡° Oh, come on, don¡¯t be surprised by that. ¡°It¡¯s not that surprising.¡± Kiara was indignant, as if she had been tricked. ¡°Brother! Because you didn¡¯t say that it was a blank sheet of paper ¡­¡­ or that you were leaving everything to him!¡± It wasn¡¯t just a surprise, though. ¡°I thought it would have a better effect on Sir Rossi than a lot of verbal communication.¡± Charles seemed to have finally stopped laughing as he remembered his happy past. ¡°I also froze for about ten seconds when I saw it with Sir Oracio. We both had a good laugh after that¡±. Charles grinned as he took the instructions from Kiara¡¯s hand. ¡°I can¡¯t give it to you because it¡¯s an appetizer I tell my men.¡± Charles fluttered the instructions and walked out. I decided to organize it nicely. ¡°In other words, I¡¯m leaving everything to you. That¡¯s what I mean.¡± Then I realized. The two of them were glaring at me. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, did I! CH 197 ? Chapter 197 - More immigrants is not...Chapter 196 - Confidential InstructionsChapter 195 - Conditioned ReflexesChapter 194 - War Report gets exagger...Chapter 193 - Quiet Talk - The Main C...Chapter 192 - The Disposable MessengerChapter 191 - BlacklistChapter 190 - Secret TrainingChapter 189 - The Significance of His...Chapter 188 - The Men''s DesiresChapter 187 - The Method to Control t...Chapter 186 - The Demon King''s Sign i...Chapter 185 - The age fraud allegatio...Chapter 184 - Ms. Bunny wants to workChapter 183 - Inevitable ConflictChapter 182 - When in Rome, do the Ro...Chapter 181 - Vacation is MissingChapter 180 - A Contract Worker in a...Chapter 179 - Quiet Talk - Professor...Chapter 178 - Quiet Talk - Professor...Chapter 177 - Quiet Talk - Professor...Chapter 176 - Seducer in HellChapter 175 - D¨¦j¨¤ VuChapter 174 - The difference between...Chapter 173 - Boar LetterChapter 172 - How to handle the bunni...Chapter 171 - Bunny''s True IntentionChapter 170 - The Cost of BlunderChapter 169 - The EscorterChapter 168 - Little BossChapter 167 - Alfred and Kiara''s Chil...Chapter 166 - Seems special but RationalChapter 165 - It''s every day, you kno...Chapter 164 - Howard Smythe''s Proclam...Chapter 163 - True feeling are things...Chapter 162 - Endless MeatChapter 161 - Goodbye, my vacationChapter 160 - Future DisastersChapter 159 - Soap Bar InnovationChapter 158 - Goodwill are like a flameChapter 157 - An Effective Bomb DropChapter 156 - The die was forced to b...Chapter 155 - Annoying Rival RecognitionChapter 154 - When to put your life o...Chapter 153 - Personal morality and L...Chapter 152 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 151 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 150 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 149 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 148 - Quiet Talk - Ardelheid...Chapter 147 - The Concept of AttackChapter 146 - Harem is Right or WrongChapter 145 - Boar SoldierChapter 144 - Brainwork can be exhaus...Chapter 143 - The Law on Paper and th...Chapter 142 - Human DoubtChapter 141 - Protecting the childrenChapter 140 - I''ll leave it to the il...Chapter 139 - The type of person who...Chapter 138 - The Fastest-growing gro...Chapter 137 - For some reason, the ol...Chapter 136 - The World''s Most Lame a...Chapter 135 - The Law of RavennaChapter 134 - Peak at 16-years-oldChapter 133 - Meat, Meat, Meat, Fish...Chapter 132 - The Forgotten Big WaveChapter 131 - White Costume is embarr...Chapter 130 - Ask for a Child if it''s...Chapter 129 - The best people are the...Chapter 128 - I hate it, that''s why I...Chapter 127 - You can''t get there unl...Chapter 126 - It''s more difficult if...Chapter 125 - The Power of Zero DistanceChapter 124 - I''m out of the pictureChapter 123 - Quiet Talk - Everyone''s...Chapter 122 - The 17-year-old FrenzyChapter 121 - The Violence of NamesChapter 120 - It''s a set with the sou...Chapter 119 - Itchy and PainfulChapter 118 - The one who wants to th...Chapter 117 - Suspicious ConstitutionChapter 116 - Reason for my Bad MoodChapter 115 - I want to fly in the skyChapter 114 - Educational Guidance of...Chapter 113 - Quiet Talk - The Main F...Chapter 112 - The more earnest a lord...Chapter 111 - We must hunt this big waveChapter 110 - When it''s my time, it''s...Chapter 109 - The price to improve th...Chapter 108 - Making moves while ther...Chapter 107 - The more black history,...Chapter 106 - The Logic of RetaliationChapter 105 - A high salary is useles...Chapter 104 - Independence is quite d...Chapter 103 - Statue ControversyChapter 102 - The Elite Guards CandidateChapter 101 - Quiet Talk - I like to...Chapter 100 - Only I''m Hard ModeChapter 99 - King or Law?Chapter 98 - However, there''s a diffe...Chapter 97 - Persuasion is PhysicalChapter 96 - Flying Alone is Advantag...Chapter 95 - Quiet Talk - The Differe...Chapter 94 - Debt and Enemies Often I...Chapter 93 - Good People Need Good Re...Chapter 92 - One Thing After AnotherChapter 91 - Line, Afternoon Tea, and...Chapter 90 - The Formula of Subordina...Chapter 89 - Not Everyone Likes to ta...Chapter 88 - Women Can''t Understand a...Chapter 87 - If you''re too special, y...Chapter 86 - Souvenirs Aren''t Always...Chapter 85 - The Difficulty of being...Chapter 84 - Slanted Eyes Looks Intim...Chapter 83 - Quiet Talk - The Incompe...Chapter 82 - Quiet Talk - The Advisor...Chapter 81 - Quiet Talk - Silvana''s C...Chapter 80 - Determination For RevengeChapter 79 - You don''t have to take o...Chapter 78 - Quiet Talk - Bloodshed i...Chapter 77 - A Letter I Don''t Mind Se...Chapter 76 - A Life of DIsparitiesChapter 75 - The Symbol of the TownChapter 74 - Even connections have th...Chapter 73 - The PuppeteerChapter 72 - A Man''s Life is HardChapter 71 - Maintaining Magic Requir...Chapter 70 - The Basics of SubterfugeChapter 69 - Disobey the women, and t...Chapter 68 - What is a UnitChapter 67 - Recalling the Tale of th...Chapter 66 - Britain at the Front Gat...Chapter 65 - Women are strongChapter 64 - War is not always an ext...Chapter 63 - The Necessity of Enterta...Chapter 62 - Quiet Talk - Milva Rayal...Chapter 61 - Quiet Talk - Milva Rayal...Chapter 60 - Quiet Talk - Milva Rayal...Chapter 59 - A Grandpa being loved by...Chapter 58 - Suspected Loss of One of...Chapter 57 - Thus the letter becomes...Chapter 56 - Quiet Talk - Charles Ros...Chapter 55 - Quiet Talk - Charles Ros...Chapter 54 - The Many and the Few: Be...Chapter 53 - The Knights Order''s Name isChapter 52 - An Advisor is a HandymanChapter 51 - Self-Cooling Function No...Chapter 50 - The Woman who fusses ove...Chapter 49 - Quiet Talk - Adding One...Chapter 48 - Apostle RecessionChapter 47 - A World for OutcastsChapter 46 - Nothing good can come fr...Chapter 45 - The Government Officials...Chapter 44 - Economics is a Must for...Chapter 43 - The Battle between Broth...Chapter 42 - What we left behind when...Chapter 41 - Woman''s Intuition is an...Chapter 40 - Codependent SystemChapter 39 - If It''s for Someone ElseChapter 38 - The Egotist''s WayChapter 37 - Paparazzi are generally...Chapter 36 - Never give up on a plan...Chapter 35 - Multiplication, Not Addi...Chapter 34 - Plague is Scarier Than WarChapter 33 - Piranha of LoveChapter 32 - A Butterfly in the Versa...Chapter 31 - A Certain Steward Gets i...Chapter 30 - It''s Precisely Because I...Chapter 29 - Turning PointChapter 28 - Catch and DrinkChapter 27 - Bonfires Aren''t Always f...Chapter 26 - A Cheap Optimal SolutionChapter 25 - My common sense is lack...Chapter 24 - When you''re hungry, Qual...Chapter 23 - Cutting corners in the n...Chapter 22 - Too much is better than...Chapter 21 - A woman''s decisionChapter 20 - Easy to establish, Diffi...Chapter 19 - The Sultan of Habsburd,...Chapter 18 - The World is wide, the S...Chapter 17 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 16 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 15 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 14 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 13 - Quiet Talk - Kiara Della...Chapter 12 - Observing the Stars and...Chapter 11 - Survival of the FittestChapter 10 - They can only work hard...Chapter 9 - The Order of the ApostlesChapter 8 - The Wisdom of IgnoranceChapter 7 - The more power you have,...Chapter 6 - I''m still bad at what I''m...Chapter 5 - To hide a tree, hide it i...Chapter 4 - I thought sisters are ann...Chapter 3 - This world has its own ra...Chapter 2 - I''m the type of person wh...Chapter 1 - It seems like I died56 - Charles Rossi (2) The funeral proceeded solemnly before the victory celebration. At first, I thought about reading out the names of the victims, but decided not to because I would not be able to read out all the names if there were more victims in the future. It would be a bad idea to read out the names once and then not do it again because of the increase in the number. Instead, we decided to erect a stone monument in the cemetery with the names of the dead. I asked them to make multiple monuments, going back to the previous battles. The victory party that followed was¡­well, it was a blast. I hope this will bring us closer together. The victory party lasted for three days because everyone was pushing for it. What a long time, right? It¡¯s hard to think calmly when you¡¯re in the middle of a victory party, so I stayed in my office. Mil and Kiara said they wouldn¡¯t go if I didn¡¯t attend, but I asked them to attend in my place. They discussed which of them would attend and decided to take turns. "" I want to keep my attendance to a minimum. I¡¯ve always been the type of person who likes to watch this kind of foolishness, but I¡¯m not the type of person who likes to be at the center of it. In my position, it won¡¯t end with just watching. Besides, I think it¡¯s important to think about the future. They¡¯ve declared war on us, so we need to settle this. It¡¯s true that if we push ourselves, we can crush the enemy in one fell swoop. But that¡¯s only if everything goes according to plan. So we need to withdraw our troops and re-establish our position. If we fail, we will be destroyed. The current number of troops we can move is 500, and no matter how you think about it, we can¡¯t move now. It would be bad if the enemy were to cooperate with the demons, but I¡¯m not too worried about that. There will be talk of an internal blame game, or that they lost because they fought with non-humans. "" If they¡¯re not careful, there¡¯s even the possibility of a backlash against the beastmen by increasing the suppression to them. It¡¯s better to put this matter behind us. Besides, they need to change their perspective. There must have been more than one other tribe in this region. What will happen when they find out about this. I¡¯ll have to make some moves. It is possible that they will approach us and make a move. If we are only passive, we might miss the timing. While I was thinking about it, Gerald came over to me. ¡°What¡¯s up? It¡¯s okay to enjoy the victory celebration.¡± Gerald narrowed his eyes and chuckled. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the first time my wife doesn¡¯t have to worry about her race and she¡¯s having a great time. My daughter has made some friends and is having a great time with them. It¡¯s amazing how energetic kids are¡­¡± The stamina of children at a festival is amazing, after all ¡­ I laughed at the thought. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you stayed with them?¡± ¡°At my age, it¡¯s hard to keep up with all that tension sometimes.¡± Gerald turned serious. ¡°There are quite a few retirees moving here.¡± Did they want to emigrate so badly? ¡°How many people?¡± Gerald hesitated for a moment, then turned to me. ¡°About ninety.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of people. I wonder if someone put them together.¡± Gerald shook his head. ¡°No, there was a famine in many parts of the country and they were having a hard time making ends meet, but they were also afraid to emigrate.¡± I folded my arms, smiling at the human psychology I understood so well. ¡°I see, now that the guild has its own branch, they think it¡¯s safe to come here.¡± Gerald smiled and said that he wished they could have come earlier. ¡°Yes, and the treatment in this town is also well known. They said they¡¯ve always been quite interested.¡± ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll accept 90 people. I think we should stop inviting more people to move here.¡± Gerald puzzled over the fact that everyone had accepted and that he couldn¡¯t read my intentions regarding the cancellation. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The ones with poor behavior or gambled that has ruined their lives. I don¡¯t want such people to come here thinking that they can just run away here. ¡° ¡°Yeah, we can manage a few, but¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is. If there are too many of them, we won¡¯t be able to handle them.¡± ¡°I understand. Then I¡¯ll tell Silvana to call it off.¡± ¡°Please do. If they have no problems, they¡¯re welcome, but we won¡¯t know until they come.¡± Gerald chuckled as he looked at me with a worried look. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of work, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It is. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to eliminate as many headaches as possible.¡± After Gerald had left the room, I thought about it again. He can train them, but they won¡¯t be of much help ¡­ Mil, who was staying in the house today, came up next to me. ¡°How hard can it be with 90 people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot for Mr. Rosa to follow up alone.¡± Mil paused for a moment to think, then winked. ¡°We can put people who are retired and can be used in the Ministry of Immigration. You can basically keep them out of Mr. Rosa¡¯s hands. If there¡¯s anything they need, they can just ask him.¡± Oh, that¡¯s right. I was thinking of leaving everything to the individual again. I felt embarrassed and scratched my head. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s easy to fall into the habit of focusing on one person¡¯s work¡­¡± Mil chuckled, as if to say, ¡°Seriously¡­¡±. ¡°You¡¯ve been thinking so far ahead that you¡¯ve lost sight of your feet?¡± I shrugged my shoulders, thinking this was a bad idea. ¡°I had no words to reply. But that saved the trouble. Thank you.¡± Mil smiled. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Why don¡¯t you have a change of scenery sometimes?¡± ¡°A change of scenery?¡± Mil leaned forward even more. ¡°Everyone asks me about the victory party. They ask me if Al is coming.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a change of scenery¡­¡± ¡°Alright, just come. We need to be out there together as a husband and wife sometimes! What if there are rumors about us not getting along?¡± I was dragged out into the crowd, my words of rebuttal blocked. CH 198 Chapter 198 - After the Festival, Homework Awaits The frenzied victory celebration was over. At the representatives¡¯ meeting, one agenda came up. They wanted to increase the number of representatives and give one of the seats to a cat tribesman. At least, they said, since they had fought together in the last battle, they would love to. Even after the war, I knew that not giving them seats would be a problem. But I told them that I would not interfere with the increase in the number of representatives. I just told him that I would accept what they all decided. As for the other organizational changes, I made a request. ¡°Now that the festival is over, I have some homework for everyone.¡± Everyone was on alert at the same time. With the look of a teacher giving homework, I gave the first task. ¡°We need an assistant secretary to assist the two secretaries. Please select a female who is less likely to be assigned muscle-intensive work.¡± Mil and Kiara nodded. As it was, I looked at Kiara. ¡°I will now inform you of the action plan of the intelligence unit.¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡± ¡°Please investigate the cat tribesman that would have been destroyed, but since it is unclear whether the plague has subsided, please investigate in a reasonable manner. And mapping of the area outside of Dorius¡¯ sphere of influence. We will need to confirm the location of other forces. I¡¯ll leave the planning and implementation to you.¡± Then I looked at Ludvig, the Minister of City Development. ¡°The Ministry of City Development is no longer limited to cities, so we are changing its name to the Ministry of Development. Also, I would like you to establish a library. Even if you can read, if you don¡¯t have a chance to use it, it won¡¯t be of much use and you won¡¯t be motivated to learn. It is also necessary as a form of entertainment. The purpose is also to improve the intellectual ability of the citizens. In addition, we will also have the minutes of the representatives¡¯ meetings and decrees in the collection.¡± The Minister of Development, Ludvig, looked like Munch¡¯s scream. I almost blurted it out. I cleared my throat and looked at Rabo Villani, the Minister of Civil Affairs. ¡°Please arrange for the installation of a regular carriage service to Bahia, so we can use it as a mere hot spring town.¡± Rabo nodded silently. Next, I looked at Abraham and Touko. They felt my gaze on them and straightened up. ¡°I will give you permission to move to the former settlement. It It has become a fort, so please improve it like a town. Since the winged tribe has no one who wants to move there and it is not a direct sphere of influence, we will forgo it this time.¡± Abraham and Touko seemed relieved. Apparently, there were quite a few people who wanted to go. I then looked at Joseph Paoli, the Minister of Fisheries, and Ludvig, the Minister of Development. ¡°The port and the town are connected by a river, so we will try to utilize water transportation using boats. In the future, I want to be able to transport goods to the town by water.¡± The Minister of Development Ludvig¡¯s face went from Munch¡¯s scream to looking like someone from Kazuo Umezu¡¯s manga. I looked at the Minister of Immigration, Oracio, holding back my laughter. Oracio was bracing himself for his turn. ¡°We¡¯re establishing a contact point at the Ministry of Immigration to accept retired adventurers. Mr. Rosa will remain in an advisor-like position, and the contact person will be chosen from the retired immigrants.¡± He was relieved to hear that. Some of them were relieved, but most of them looked fed up with the large amount of homework. Gentlemen, after the festival, there is always homework. As for me, I¡¯d like to see this form of input from everyone. I¡¯ll think about it when the representatives¡¯ meeting gets a little bigger. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Later on, there was a report from the frontline fort. A messenger from the demon tribe came to ask for permission to collect the bodies and bury the dead beastmen. They agreed to it as I was instructed, but they said they had some information to tell me. The dead commander was the chief¡¯s sister. He didn¡¯t tell anything other than what was necessary, so I couldn¡¯t get any other information from him. When I heard this, I almost made a bitter face. It was a common reason for the opponent to start a war. We don¡¯t know how to fight the demon tribe. And they¡¯re already on cautious of us. We don¡¯t know how many demons there are, but if they¡¯re holding back the demons, they can¡¯t be that few. If we were to win, there is even a possibility that the demons will come flooding in. It¡¯s no use ¡­¡­ I need information. It¡¯s no use worrying about the unknown. And there are very few things that I can think of at the moment. Even if they are demons, can they send an army beyond the territory of Dorius? The logistics are also a big responsibility. That¡¯s the only bright spot. We have a flat road and high transportation capacity, so we have a definite advantage in a long-term battle. For the time being, we¡¯ll have to limit the damage and improve our strength per man. I¡¯ll leave that part to Charles. Yeah, that¡¯s good. As I was worrying about it, the effects of the previous victory came into play. Another tribe has made contact with us. The species was said to be demons. There is the matter of Despina too. It¡¯s not simple ¡­¡­ Alright, let¡¯s meet up. Either way, we need to meet and talk. If there were demons here, Despina wouldn¡¯t have come here. She wouldn¡¯t even know they existed. If I were to talk to the demon tribe over their heads because I didn¡¯t know them, Gerald and his wife would distrust me. I don¡¯t know if they will be convinced. But I think we should give them an explanation. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I felt I needed to explain, so I asked them to call Gerald and his wife. If the couple was called together, they must have thought that something special was going on. I was a little nervous. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is good news or ¡­¡­ bad news. But, there¡¯s something I think you should know about.¡± When I saw that they nodded, I opened my mouth. ¡°The demon tribe ¡­¡­ although, I¡¯m not talking about the demons further inside. They have contacted.¡± Hearing the word ¡°demon tribe¡± made the two of them tense. They were about to say something, but I stopped them with my hand and continued talking. ¡°I will tell them about Despina-san. Then, I¡¯ll see if they want to join hands with us. For me, I thought that I shouldn¡¯t talk to them without informing you guys. That¡¯s why I asked you to come all the way here.¡± I remain silent and wait for their reaction. The couple looked at each other and nodded. Gerald looked at me with serious eyes. ¡°I believe in what you said before, my lord. And I¡¯m convinced it¡¯s true based on what you¡¯ve done so far.¡± Despina is as serious as Gerald. But I did not feel anger, fear or disgust. ¡°Therefore, we will follow the Lord¡¯s decision. And we know that the Lord was sincere in informing us in advance.¡± I was inwardly relieved. If the trauma was strong enough, the rejection might come naturally. But not to the point of unconditional rejection. Hiding my inner relief, I changed my expression. ¡°Thank you for believing in me ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll say it again. Your family ¡­¡­ naturally, it includes your children. I can assure you that you will not be treated unfairly.¡± The couple bowed their heads and left. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Kiara walked up next to me and smiled. ¡°As expected, my brother is really kind.¡± ¡°No, I just kept my original promise. I¡¯m not being nice.¡± Mil and Kiara looked at each other. ¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡± ¡° They gave a very insincere reply. CH 199 Chapter 199 - Somehow, all the messengers are women The messenger of the demon tribe has arrived, and I ask them to let her into the reception room. I was told that the messenger was a woman. Is there a rule in this world that only women are allowed to negotiate? I headed for the reception room with Mil, Kiara, and Jules, my bodyguard. On the way, a simple question came out of my mouth. ¡°Somehow, all the messengers are women.¡± Mil¡¯s face became puffy. ¡°Al is a man, after all. They¡¯re probably underestimating you, or that they¡¯re trying to get themselves to be your mistress.¡± Kiara laughed, but her eyes were not smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give my brother to anyone but Sister. I¡¯d consider it after I¡¯ve become my brother¡¯s mistress, though.¡± Like I said, let¡¯s not ignore the taboo so easily. Jules chuckled and said, ¡°Good Grief¡±. ¡°My lord is really loved so fiercely, huh? ¡° ¡°¡®I¡¯m glad to hear that. But I don¡¯t want them to offer me another woman.¡± The conversation ended there, and we entered the reception room in silence. There was a demon woman, probably a teenager, with dark hair, dark eyes, slightly brown skin, tall and slender, with a slightly young appearance. Making a young girl a messenger, I¡¯m feeling that line more and more strongly. As the messenger stood up, I urged her to be seated. ¡°I am Alfred Della Scala, the feudal lord.¡± The demon tribeswoman bowed with a serious face. ¡°I am the messenger of my tribe. I am Kriemhild Kahler. Thank you very much for meeting with me on this occasion.¡± ¡°Miss Kahler, may I ask your business?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Ravenna welcomes all comers, regardless of race. It is surprising that you accept losers even after a battle. We¡¯ve been debating whether we should join Ravenna or not, and we can¡¯t come to a consensus. So I would like to confirm the policy of Ravenna.¡± ¡°The policy?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard many conflicting rumors. It is difficult to find out what is really going on from the outside because of the tight security. I¡¯ve come to the conclusion that the only way to find out the truth is to meet him in person.¡± So someone is spreading rumors, whatever it is, we should proceed with the discussion first. ¡°First of all, if you wish to move to Ravenna, you will be accepted as a citizen, on the same level as existing citizens. If you do not wish to move to Ravenna, we will sign a treaty of mutual non-aggression.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with that term. What does it mean?¡± ¡°We will not touch each other¡¯s territory. No external agitation. In other words, we recognize and respect each other¡¯s existence.¡± Kriemhild nodded her head as if that was all. ¡°Are there no other options?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s an alliance, we inevitably take more than we give. I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s an equal partnership.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°There are only a few areas where we can be attacked by the enemy. And if we stay on the defensive, I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t be defeated.¡± Kriemhild seemed to be a little alarmed. Her expression did not change, but her eyes became slightly sharper. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of confidence.¡± ¡°You know the story of the last battle. That¡¯s the answer.¡± ¡°I see, so what you¡¯re saying is that there¡¯s no need to fight.¡± I nodded nonchalantly. ¡°If mutual non-aggression isn¡¯t enough for you, then ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± I don¡¯t accept something like ¡°Just protect me¡±. It¡¯s simple logic. However, Kriemhild shook her head, as if she didn¡¯t want their power to be determined without their permission. ¡°But I haven¡¯t said so yet. I¡¯m just asking about all the possibilities.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Just think that an alliance is not an option.¡± ¡°Have you thought about forming an alliance and going on the offensive together?¡± I shook my head as I knew that would be impossible at this point. ¡°There¡¯s no need don¡¯t attack someone when I know we don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t attack them to remove the danger?¡± That¡¯s bullshit. I shrugged my shoulders, a little exaggerating. ¡°There¡¯s no end to it if I say that. I think it¡¯s just a way for people who want to attack do so. If I could see a clear intent to attack, that would be a different story.¡± Kriemhild stared at me, trying to figure out my true intentions. If you look closely at her, you can see that she is on the borderline between an adult and a child, and she has a strange charm about her. Then Kriemhild opens her mouth. ¡°So, why did you move to this region? If you want to expand your control over the region, that is understandable. But Ravenna is not dominating, it is taking in and becoming more powerful, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve never heard of such a concept.¡± ¡°People who have a hard time in today¡¯s world can survive if they obey the law. That¡¯s the kind of world I¡¯ve always wanted.¡± As expected, Kriemhild was surprised, and looked at seriously. ¡°E-Excuse me, but I was surprised by the unexpectedness of your story.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are. I¡¯ve gotten used to that reaction.¡± ¡°May I go back and consider if we¡¯ll join you?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine.¡± For the first time, Krieghild leaned forward, showing enthusiasm and curiosity. ¡°May I take a look at the town once? I¡¯d like to see it for myself.¡± It¡¯s more convenient for us, too. ¡°I¡¯ll have an escort you, so you¡¯re free to go. But you will not be allowed to enter private homes or rooms.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± That¡¯s the way it is in Ravenna. ¡°Even I can¡¯t enter without permission.¡± Kriemhild¡¯s eyes lit up, as she had expected a lord to be able to go anywhere. Mil and Kiara seemed to be struggling to hold back their laughter. CH 200 Chapter 200 - If it''s too much trouble, set it on fire The discussion with Miss Kriemhild ended. The probability of sudden hostile action is low. We would have to wait and see. Then one day. We received the results of the investigation of the destroyed cat tribe. Kiara presented me with the report. ¡°It seems that the cat tribe¡¯s village is now uninhabited.¡± I scratched my head as I looked at the report. ¡°Hmm, did they abandon the village ¡­¡­ or was it wiped out?¡± Kiara tilted her head and gave me a surprised look. ¡°So it wasn¡¯t wiped out?¡± ¡°You heard about it from Miss Kriemhild, didn¡¯t you? That there were some bad rumors.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes narrowed as she remembered those words. ¡°Do you think that the survivors of the cat tribe are planning something?¡± ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t say for sure. She may have simply heard an unfounded rumor.¡± Kiara sighed, as if she had no idea what to do. ¡°You are saying that it is impossible to determine at this time?¡± ¡°I think we should keep it in mind as a possibility.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t afford to have them stirring things up behind our backs.¡± ¡°If the cat tribe becomes connected to Dorius, it¡¯ll be troublesome.¡± Mil, who had been silently listening to the conversation, leaned forward. ¡°But they¡¯re all about human supremacy, aren¡¯t they? They don¡¯t listen to cat people.¡± ¡°But there is a possibility that they will take advantage of the surrounding beastmen and incite them. We¡¯re the ones they¡¯re afraid of, after all.¡± Mil shook her head in astonishment. "" ¡°They¡¯re such a pain in the ass ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Not really. Actually, it¡¯s easier if they stick together.¡± Kiara gave me an expectant look. ¡°What will you do, brother?¡± Even if you expect of me that much, there¡¯s no quick solution for that, you know ¡­¡­ ¡°A mouse has escaped into the grass. If we leave it alone, it will spread disease, what should we do in this case?¡± Kiara sighed as she imagined the grass and the rat. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to search for them all at once.¡± Mil looks at me and opens her mouth. ¡°Al wouldn¡¯t take the time and trouble to do it himself, would he? ¡° You really know me, after all I kept my smile on my face and kept quiet. Kiara seemed to have thought of something. She clapped her hands together. ¡°It¡¯d be easy if we cook the whole grass.¡± Mil looked shocked. ¡°No, it¡¯s definitely easier, but ¡­¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine?¡± Kiara¡¯s happy face and Mil¡¯s astonished face. The contrast between the two is interesting. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to physically burn them or wipe out the rest of the tribe.¡± Mil glared at me with a frown, seemingly a little dissatisfied. ¡°I know what you mean. I just don¡¯t see what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say the grass is the anxiety of the other tribes.¡± ¡°Can you make other people¡¯s fears disappear?¡± ¡°In a situation like this, it¡¯s better to take the straight and narrow approach than to play tricks. It¡¯s only an aid.¡± Kiara tilted her head and seemed unsure of what I meant. ¡°The straight way?¡± ¡°If the cat people were to spread rumors, it would be one thing. They¡¯ll say that we are a dangerous group of people who spread plague and wipes out an entire tribe. This rumor is the disease.¡± Kiara laughed, as if to say it was troubling. ¡°You¡¯re partly right, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t, the rumors wouldn¡¯t spread. Some truth mixed with a lot of wishful thinking. Otherwise, vice versa is most effective.¡± Kiara urged me happily. ¡°So, how do we burn them down?¡± The way she said it sounded dangerous. ¡°We won¡¯t attack them unless they commit treachery. The rest of us will be on equal footing when we join up. And even though they were hostile, we helped the cat people who suffered from the plague. All we have to do is spread the truth.¡± ¡°How do you want to spread the word?¡± I laughed. ¡°We¡¯ve just found someone who can help you spread the word, don¡¯t we? Someone who really wants to get to know us.¡± Mil and Kiara looked at each other. I¡¯ll add one last thing to that. ¡°She¡¯ll pick up the truth and bring them back on her own, without us having to do anything. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not restricting her.¡± Kiara looked at me with sparkling eyes. Mil had a look on her face that said, ¡°So you¡¯ve been planting a lot of stuff again¡±. CH 201 Chapter 201 - A legacy for the future The representatives¡¯ meeting on the day Miss Kriemhild left. Before the daily agenda, I decided to explain our strategy against Dorius. ¡°We won¡¯t be fighting with weapons, but we will be attacking using other means.¡± Everyone looked distantly at those words, remembering the wild boar. No, it¡¯s not that. I cleared my throat. ¡°It¡¯s not by using the wild boar. It seems that you¡¯ve all forgotten¡­ that we have prisoners of war.¡± Many people averted their eyes. Those who were directly involved with the POWs remembered. They all looked at me as if I was going to do something outrageous again. ¡°The beastmen prisoners will be released once their injuries are healed, after we show them the town.¡± Umberto Orengo of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, who had been struggling to arrange food and other supplies for the prisoners, looked relieved. Kiara looked at me like I¡¯d forgotten something. ¡°What about the humans?¡± It¡¯s not an easy thing to do, I shook my head. ¡°If we return the humans, it will only restore the enemy¡¯s strength. Besides, we¡¯ll use them as bargaining chips.¡± Charles looked as if it was a natural thing to do. ¡°But the enemy hasn¡¯t said a word.¡± Assuming the worst-case scenario, I couldn¡¯t help but make a bitter face. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that those who are defeated by beastmen and taken prisoner are not human. It¡¯s not easy since they¡¯ve been ordered to choose death over being a prisoner.¡± The whole group was in an uproar, but I held up my hand to stop them and waited for them to calm down. ¡°So, please get the information out of the prisoners.¡± Charles had a look of surprise on his face. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it yourself, my Lord?¡± That would be the fastest way. If we¡¯re talking about the short term. ¡°We¡¯re in a different position now. We¡¯re now in a position where they¡¯re being cautious of us.¡± They all looked at each other, but they still didn¡¯t seem to understand. It seems an explanation is necessary. ¡°In other words, we¡¯ve reached a point where they¡¯re wary of people surrendering in disguise, internal disturbances, and assassinations of important people.¡± Kiara, who had an idea of what to do, gave me a worried look. ¡°You¡¯re not going after the prisoners this time?¡± This time, I nodded. ¡°Yes, so there is no danger this time. I want you to accumulate the know-how to get information from the prisoners.¡± Charles nodded his head in agreement. ¡°In other words, it¡¯s the first exercise.¡± I will lay the groundwork for the future. I looked at Kiara and Charles, indicating to them that they were in their own domain. ¡°Sir Rossi and Kiara¡¯s Ears should work together to extract information from the captives. Not only from humans, but from the beastmen as well.¡± ¡°What information should we get out of them, brother?¡± ¡°This time, their lives, their society. And how they are treated when they lost, or how they treat their captors.¡± Seeing them nod, I gave them the look of a teacher giving homework. ¡°In addition, please keep a record of how you interrogated each person and what answers you got. Not only the library, but the military and intelligence unit should keep the same as classified documents.¡± Charles shook his head with a troubled look on his face. ¡°Is that necessary? It seems like a lot of work.¡± At first glance, yes. ¡°It¡¯s a legacy for the future, to be passed on to newcomers and the next generation. This is about looking far into the future.¡± Kiara looked at me with a sparkle in her eye. ¡°That¡¯s my brother. You see not only into the distance, but also into the future.¡± ¡°Well, we can¡¯t keep relying on the old stories of the elders, can we? If the results of the interrogation are confirmed to be true, the results will be written down. If there is a difference, please note the cause.¡± Charles looked up to the sky as his rebuttal was blocked. ¡°I understand. But isn¡¯t it unfair that we¡¯re the only ones doing it?¡± I gave him a very bad smile. I could tell right away that everyone was on alert. ¡°Of course, the other department will have to do something similar later on. There will be no exceptions.¡± There would be a lot of paperwork, but that couldn¡¯t be helped at a stage when they didn¡¯t have the know-how yet. I Ignored the protesting stares from the others! It¡¯s going to be important later! CH 202 Chapter 202 - An Old Tale called Fairy Tale Retired adventurer immigrants are likely to come individually. As for accepting them, I¡¯ll leave that to the Ministry of Immigration. In the first place, I don¡¯t have time to meet with them individually anymore. So I decided not to meet with them unless there was something special. I feel that the bureaucracy is slowly being established. Most importantly, the person in charge has started to use his or her head and do trial and error. I am really happy about this. Subordinates want to conform to the tastes and preferences of their superiors ¡­¡­ Was it true what they said? Even before I was reincarnated, I wasn¡¯t a member of the ¡°company = life¡± generation of the Showa era, so I didn¡¯t understand why subordinates would want to conform to their boss¡¯ hobbies. When you¡¯re the top executive, there are times when the power of your influence scares you. It was hard to put on a grim face. They seem to be struggling with the prisoner¡¯s interrogation, but I decided to keep my mouth shut and watch. If I were to interfere carelessly, they will keep expecting more of you. In the meantime, I received a report that Kriemhild had arrived surprisingly quickly. Depending on what kind of results we get and what she says, we may have to bring up the issue. When I went to the reception room, I found Kriemhild waiting for me, dressed in a more feminine outfit than last time. It was easy to see where this was heading. If I looked too closely at her, the women on either side of me would look at me stricter, so we both sat down and got down to business. ¡°Thank you for coming all this way. What can I do for you today?¡± Kriemhild smiled. ¡°Yes, we would like to move to Ravenna. I have come to request for that because the tribe has come to a consensus.¡± ¡°I see. But first, there is something I really need to confirm.¡± Kriemhild probably has a different expectation, of course she does. She wasn¡¯t shaken and kept smiling. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you know the story of the woman who was offered as tribute by the demon tribe to the apostle?¡± Kriemhild was still smiling, but her eyes narrowed in alarm. ¡°The Apostle does not accept women as tribute, does he?¡± ¡°Yes, in that pretense. But if the woman being offered has been brainwashed since she was a child, that would be a different story.¡± Kriemhild did not change her expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know that much about it, so I can¡¯t answer that question, but ¡­¡­ Is that what you want?¡± Oh no, the discussion has turned a strange way. I waved my hand hurriedly. ¡°It¡¯s not that. Did you know that there was once a girl who escaped the fate of being a tribute?¡± Kriemhild stared at me, then averted her gaze. ¡°I think there was such a fairy tale, but I don¡¯t ¡­¡­ remember much about it.¡± ¡°If it is a fairy tale.. then the demon tribe will consider her a traitor and denounce her ¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t there any such lore?¡± At this point, Kriemhild seemed to have realized my main point. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then her face turned serious. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll accept anything as long as it doesn¡¯t violate Ravenna¡¯s laws. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After a ten-second silence, Kriemhild opened her mouth. ¡°Even if you expect an opposition from the demon tribe, you still accept the lineage of Kriemhilde?¡± Kriemhilde? Sisters? No, they¡¯re too different in age. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard the name Kriemhilde before, though. Nevertheless, I have no right to deny the opposition of the demon race. But we are not obligated to obey them either. Let¡¯s say that the demon tribe is opposed to Ms. Kriemhilde¡¯s actions. And If Ms. Kriemhilde asks for Ravenna¡¯s protection, we will accept it as long as it does not violate Ravenna¡¯s laws.¡± Kriemhild is still silent as ever. She seems to be waiting for a word from me. If I say words, they will be words that show my true intentions. The only way to do this is, to be honest. ¡°Even if it is against the law ¡­¡­ its descendants will not be blamed. That¡¯s what I think. Unless, of course, their descendants have broken the law. The guilt lies solely with the individual.¡± Kriemhild nodded, perhaps she heard the words she wanted. ¡°I understand. You have brought up something I had not expected. I¡¯d like to tell you something about the past too.¡± I nodded in silence. Kriemhild closed her eyes and opened her mouth. ¡°There was once a time when Kriemhilde and Kriemhild were close sisters. Kriemhilde was particularly good-looking, and people hoped that she would become the Apostle¡¯s lover.¡± That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard about sisters. I guess Ms. Despina didn¡¯t know that either. ¡°Kriemhilde was taught to adore the Apostle from a young age. Kriemhild told the adults that she wanted to be the same way.¡± Kriemhild opened her eyes, but her face was bitter. ¡°They said, ¡°Your appearance is not worthy of being an apostle¡±. There didn¡¯t seem to be that much difference in appearance, but ¡­¡­ the size of her breasts was different.¡± Oh, come on, seriously? I naturally had an unpleasant expression on my face. Kriemhild seemed a little surprised to see that. ¡°When Kriemhilde learned of this and she questioned for the first time. Then she saw Kriemhild in grief, her heart began to ache.¡± I just shook my head. It¡¯s a crazy world, but that was normal for its inhabitants, right? When Kriemhild saw me, she gave a small smile. ¡°One day, Kriemhilde thought, ¡°If I disappear, wouldn¡¯t Kriemhild be chosen?¡±, so she ran away from everyone by herself.¡± The story is a little different, but the gist of it is as I heard it. I silently nodded for her to continue. Kriemhild nodded. ¡°We never found out where Kriemhilde went after that. She may have died, or she may have fallen in love with an adventurer and given birth to a child ¡­¡­ But for Kriemhild, it was the beginning of despair.¡± CH 203 Chapter 203 - I''m looking for a disgusting story I can imagine. It¡¯s a disgusting story. Aren¡¯t I listening to these kinds of stories only? It¡¯s like a radio show that¡¯s looking for heartbreaking stories. I looked at Mil and Kiara, both of whom were giving Kriemhild a sympathetic look. No, not sympathy, maybe they think they¡¯re in the same boat. Kriemhild took a breath and opened her mouth. ¡°Naturally, there was an uproar in the tribe. And they blamed Kriemhild. ¡°So you drove her out because you wanted the Apostle¡¯s favor¡±, they said, and banished Kriemhild¡¯s tribe.¡± That¡¯s messed up. But I honestly didn¡¯t know what to say at a time like this. As it was, Kriemhild quietly continued her story. ¡°Even from the clan¡¯s point of view, anger was directed at Kriemhild. Even though they knew it was out of spite, they had no choice.¡± The story isn¡¯t finished yet. I urge her to continue. I¡¯m sure Kriemhild would like to finish too. Kriemhild nodded in silence. ¡°It must have been hard for the family to keep taking it out on her. Gradually, their anger subsided. Then the tribe drifted here.¡± Are they separate from the demon tribe in the back? I thought they were a branch tribe¡­ That thought seemed to have been realized. Kriemhild chuckled. ¡°The demon tribe in the back are those who lost the war within the original tribe and drifted in later. It seems that they didn¡¯t want to live with the traitorous clan, so they migrated further back.¡± I wonder how long they¡¯re going to drag this out¡­ Was it just a pretext, and they didn¡¯t want to their authority? Or was it fear of retaliation? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s much of a stretch if you¡¯ve moved to an uncharted land. I¡¯ll cut to the chase, but I¡¯d like to confirm this first. ¡°How long after you arrived did the later demons arrive?¡± Kriemhild chuckled in exasperation. ¡°I heard it was a hundred years later. It seems that as time went on, their resentment increased rather than decreased.¡± If you spew hatred as a substitute for teaching material to children, they will grow up and believe it to be true. And if there¡¯s something to complain about, they¡¯ll use that as a reason and increase even more. It¡¯s a negative perpetual motion machine. Kriemhild, who had been watching my expression with interest, opened her mouth. ¡°Back to the topic at hand. The tribe¡¯s grudge may only be on the surface, but ¡­¡­ they retracted their grudge against Kriemhild. But they have not forgotten their grudge against Kriemhilde.¡± It¡¯s starting to get a little weird¡­ The ¡°on the surface¡± thing is bothering me too. Kriemhild looked at me thoughtfully and smiled. I think it¡¯s a little different. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what happened to Krimmhilde. It seems that they wanted to tell them of their fate, if they lived and had any descendants.¡± I¡¯m starting to see the story, but it¡¯s vindictive¡­ that¡¯s all I can say. But if you have nothing else to live for, do you cling to the grudges of the past? ¡°So, if any of Kriemhild¡¯s descendants have a daughter, we will name her Kriemhild. If not, they will name the girl closest in blood to her Kriemhild.¡± I knew it¡­ But Kriemhild laughed. ¡°Having said that, the story of Kriemhilde¡­ is now only told to those who carry the Kriemhild name. They used to tell it to other people, but then no one seemed to talk about it anymore.¡± Did the others choose to look forward? Or were they too busy trying to survive? ¡°The funny thing is, as the years went by and I inherited a certain name, this name became like the representative of my family.¡± I was at a bit of a loss for comment. Maybe there was a deeper meaning behind Kriemhild¡¯s insistence on the law. Kriemhild looked at me with serious eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t have any grudges against Kriemhilde or her descendants after all this time. It¡¯s the same with the tribe. In fact, I don¡¯t think the demon tribe in the back will be friendly to us because of our presence.¡± I opened my mouth in a firm manner. ¡°It¡¯s not worth considering at all. If we were afraid of that, we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation. I won¡¯t even fight Dorius.¡± Kriemhild nodded and leaned forward slightly. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to meet the descendant of Kriemhilde. I just want to meet them and talk about things.¡± Maybe they don¡¯t want to vent their resentment, but they want to talk to each other trapped in an unrelated past. ¡°I¡¯ll check with the other party on that.¡± I gave Kiara an eye signal. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and ask them.¡± "" Kiara left the room. That¡¯s enough of that. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m going to get involved in any further. There is something more important to be confirmed as the original business. ¡°How many of you are there? I¡¯d like to know if you¡¯ll need an escort and how long it will take.¡± ¡°About three hundred. I would appreciate an escort if possible. If it is a group, it will take about two weeks to arrive. It would be faster if it was just me and my escort.¡± ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll make arrangements. So, since we have to prepare for the escort, can we leave in about three days?¡± Kriemhild bowed her head. ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡± ¡°We will arrange a place for you and your escort to stay.¡± I gave Mil an eye signal. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it.¡± After Mil had left, I asked her because there was one thing I had forgotten to ask her. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t it the cat tribe who spread the bad rumors about us to you?¡± Kriemhild made a surprised face. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you know that. Is there any truth to the rumors about the all-seeing 1700-year-old Great Demon King in the form of a 17 year old?¡± Wait a minute! The nickname¡¯s becoming strange! And it¡¯s so damn long! CH 204 Chapter 204 - The Illusion of Resentment Ms. Despina agreed to meet with Kriemhild. She said she was afraid to go home, so she was going to see Krieghild where she was staying. We had to wait and see how this turned out. Gerald came to see me, perhaps feeling uneasy. Seeing that Gerald was unsure of how to start the conversation, I decided to help him out. ¡°Mr. Rosa, you want to talk about Ms. Despina, right?¡± ¡°Ha ¡­¡­ Yes. I heard that the messenger of the demon tribe was a blood relative of Despina¡¯s ancestor¡­¡± I tried to keep my tone as calm as possible so as not to make Gerald uncomfortable. ¡°It seems that the ancestors were sisters. The messenger¡­ Kriemhild does not seem to have any grudge against Ms. Despina.¡± ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s true¡­¡± That¡¯s right, if you¡¯re suddenly told that, you wouldn¡¯t believe it so easily. It is a person who has suffered since birth and a person who has supported her. "" ¡°Of course, I should tell you why I¡¯ve come to trust Kriemhild.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ no, I said before that I believe you, so¡­¡± Surely it would have seemed dishonest of me to say so and then question it. But, you know, the human heart is not that simple. I silently interrupted Gerald¡¯s words with my hand. ¡°I have no doubt that you believe in me. But ¡­¡­ I have no intention of telling you not to worry.¡± Gerald seemed relieved. ¡°Thank you. Please tell me about it.¡± ¡°First of all, Kriemhild is also a victim. But she doesn¡¯t seem to have any resentment about it. She seemed to be more concerned about the insubstantial resentment around her.¡± ¡°Substance?¡± ¡°Yes, a grudge that is just an unrelated oral tradition is insubstantial. It¡¯s like an illusion when you hear someone say something and then hold a grudge against an unrelated person. And because it¡¯s an illusion ¡­¡­ it¡¯s easy to project.¡± Gerald looked as if he had no idea what I was talking about. It¡¯s not just that I¡¯m talking about it in a roundabout way. If I put it in simple terms, it tends to fall on deaf ears unconsciously. It¡¯s a grudge that has tormented them for more than a decade. It would be hard to accept it even if it were said in ten seconds of words. Gerald waits for me to finish my sentence. ¡°It¡¯s a grudge that has tormented Mr. and Mrs. Rosa without substance. That is exactly what unrelated people do, if they are dissatisfied, they project their negative emotions onto the illusion. Have you and your wife ever thought? That It¡¯s not our fault. Why should we be resented and hated by people who had nothing to do with us?¡± Gerald nodded strongly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s¡­ But I didn¡¯t know how to get rid of it. The only thing I could do was to stay on Despina¡¯s side.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t get rid of it, you know. Even if you slash the illusion, you won¡¯t feel any resistance from it. And vague things with no substance are easy to use as an outlet for negative emotions.¡± I¡¯m sure Gerald had noticed that, too. But no matter how many times the person who is being victimized points it out, they are powerless. It will be seen as a desperate attempt to protect themselves. However, when someone who has nothing to do with the illusion of resentment points it out, the story changes. Gerald seemed surprised. It¡¯s not unrelated because I¡¯m the feudal lord and you¡¯re my people. But¡­ in the larger scheme of things, we were strangers. If someone else understands your position, it will help you in some way. I continued my explanation as it is. ¡°Let me go back to my first point. Kriemhild is also aware of the illusion of resentment. That is the reason why I left the meeting to Ms. Despina to her own discretion.¡± Gerald looked at me with a seriousness I¡¯d never seen before. ¡°I wonder if ¡­¡­ Kriemhild was tormented as well¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask her about that. But she is concerned about the fact that her family is being shunned by other demons because of it.¡± ¡°The demons in the back, huh¡­¡± ¡°Yes, and when she moved to Ravenna, there was one thing she was most concerned about. Is it limited to the person who is guilty? And will you not bend it out of deference to other forces?¡± Gerald closed his eyes and seemed to think for a moment. ¡°I wonder if Kriemhild is like us.¡± I wonder if he understands it somehow. ¡°Yes, and moving here will be good for Ms. Despina too.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Suppose Ms. Despina goes to the Kriemhild¡¯s tribe because she is told that she does not care about the past. But if you just go there ¡­¡­ you will be exposed to someone¡¯s malice at any opportunity. Even if it¡¯s something unrelated, they¡¯ll try to force it on you.¡± Gerald seemed to agree and nodded strongly. ¡°Yes. There have been many times when I¡¯ve had to change my previous remarks. She used to be told that I would be persecuted for having horns. If she breaks them off, she¡¯s no different from other people, and then they¡¯ll accept her as one of them.¡± Gerald looked as if he was remembering his unpleasant past. That¡¯s why she had the horn marks. When I remained silent, Gerald continued to speak as if he was letting something out. ¡°When you break a horn, it hurts like hell. But for the sake of the child, Despina endured. But afterwards¡­¡± Gerald seemed to be losing his patience as he spoke. As usual, I stopped him with my hand. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s too embarrassing for an old man to cry in public. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine if you stop there. When Kriemhild¡¯s tribe joins us here, they will be subject to the laws of Ravenna. And it will also be an opportunity to say goodbye to the past.¡± Gerald looked like he understood everything, and silently bowed to me. Then there was no need for any more words. ¡°Then, please wait for her at home. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to be gone when Ms. Despina comes to call for you.¡± He bowed to me again and again and left. If you say the wrong word, you¡¯re out, so it¡¯s pretty exhausting¡­ When I looked around to catch my breath, I saw that Mil, Kiara, and even Jules, my bodyguard, seemed to be overcome with emotion. What am I supposed to do in this case¡­ CH 205 Chapter 205 - The Wizard''s Rule The day after Ms. Despina and Kriemhild met. Normally, I¡¯m not informed about individuals taking a vacation. But with Ms. Despina¡¯s case, the report came to me. Apparently, she and her daughter, Arshinoe, were going to show Kriemhild around the town. There¡¯s no need to give a reason for taking a day off, though¡­ At any rate, it seems that Ms. Despina and Kriemhild were able to get to know each other. If they hadn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t have taken Arshinoe out, who was very shy. Mil, who came to tell me this report, looked as happy as I was. So, the ill-natured grandma Magali is teaching the letters all by herself. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem, but I¡¯ll go check it out. It was the teacher in there, not the ill-natured grandma Magali, for some reason. ¡°Hey, is Teacher teaching them letters?¡± The teacher looked as if he had seen the Buddha in hell. ¡°Oh, kiddo¡­ Well, that old lady¡­ when she heard that Ms. Despina was taking a vacation, she said she should take one too¡­ So I¡¯ll be taking care of the brats for the rest of the day in exchange for some alcohol¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ then why do you look troubled?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just that I¡¯m unusual that I¡¯m being asked so many questions about me¡­¡± It¡¯s probably a good thing. What¡¯s wrong with that? ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing?¡± The teacher struck a pose of exaggerated lamentation. ¡°You idiot! It¡¯s my private life they¡¯re asking me about!¡± The teacher¡¯s private life was probably not the most interesting thing to hear. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell them that you drink and become clumsy when women are around?¡± ¡°You really remember everything in that pilgrimage¡­¡± Then one of the kids stood up and raised his hand. Then he opened his mouth cheerfully. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Teacher Fabio getting married?¡± Oh¡­ that¡¯s a problem. The teacher looked at me with eyes that seemed to ask for help. ¡°Kiddo¡­ help me!¡± It can¡¯t be helped¡­ I gave a serious look and cleared my throat. The children¡¯s eyes focused on me. ¡°Listen. Teacher Fabio is a wizard.¡± Another child raised his hand and opened his mouth. ¡°Can¡¯t you get married if you¡¯re a wizard?¡± I open my mouth seriously. ¡°Look. Teacher is not just a wizard.¡± The teacher looked at me as if he had a bad feeling about this. ¡°Kid¡­ don¡¯t you tell them something unnecessary¡­¡± The kids were curious to hear why he wasn¡¯t just a wizard. In order to live up to their expectations, I continued my story with a serious attitude. ¡°Teacher Fabio is fighting the bad guys without everyone¡¯s knowledge. And the wizard has a rule that they can¡¯t fall in love.¡± The children opened their mouths in admiration. ¡± ¡°Ooooh!¡± ¡° The teacher was stunned by my huge lie. I smiled and asked them. ¡°So don¡¯t ask the teacher about marriage. He¡¯ll be single for life, after all.¡± The children nodded in unison. ¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡° ¡°From today on, please can call Teacher Fabio, ¡®Magical Teacher¡¯.¡± The children replied cheerfully, their eyes shining. ¡± ¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡± ¡° ¡°Well, good luck with your studies.¡± ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡°Yes~!¡± ¡± ¡± ¡° I left the teacher, who was still rigid, and hurriedly left the place. I think I heard some shouting in the distance, but it was probably my imagination. The guard, Ramiro, gave me an astonished look. ¡°My lord¡­ you have quite a bad personality.¡± I shrugged my shoulders exaggeratedly. ¡°That¡¯s not true. I was only helping him because he seemed to be in trouble with the marriage thing.¡± On the way back to the office, I met Ms. Despina, Kriemhild and Arshinoe¡¯s group. Arshinoe looked happy to be in between the two of them. The three of them looked at me and bowed. I returned the bow and opened my mouth. ¡°Hello everyone. I see that the two of you have talked things out and come to a good conclusion.¡± Ms. Despina¡¯s expression has lost the shade it had when we first met. Arshinoe¡¯s face had also become brighter, as befits her age. Ms. Despina smiled at me. ¡°Yes, thanks to you, my lord, I feel as if my years of sad feelings I have had been lifted. Gerald was also in tears and was very grateful for my Lord¡¯s help. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°No, no, I haven¡¯t done much.¡± Kriemhild also smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know of any lord who listens to his people¡¯s problems and solves them so well.¡± What? Am I a social worker¡­? Arshinoe puffed out her chest for some reason. ¡°My lord is, you know. He¡¯s a very kind Great Demon Lord.¡± I felt like I was going to lose it. But¡­ how can I say that to a five-year-old¡­ I bent down to make eye contact with Arshinoe and gently told her. ¡°Well, Arshinoe¡­ can you at least call me big brother instead of Great Demon Lord?¡± Arshinoe made a troubled face. ¡°Ehhhh, but¡­ Manora told me that my lord is an elderly, so I can¡¯t call him Big Brother~.¡± Manora¡­ you too¡­ When Ms. Despina and Kriemhild saw my devastated face, they could barely contain their laughter. CH 206 Chapter 206 - Clash of Ideologies The day Kriemhild returned, I received a report. The report came from Kiara, who was leading the interrogation of the prisoners. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve heard some troubling information from our captured beastman.¡± When I looked at Kiara, I could see that she was confused. For now, I had to hear what she had to say. ¡°What kind of information is it?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯ve been declared dead in Dorius¡¯ domain. They have nowhere else to go. So they want to live in this town ¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s a problem, indeed. They are treated as dead, but ¡­¡­. If we simply accept it, we will completely ruin our chances of negotiating with Dorius. That¡¯s the perfect collapse of the unstable society of Dorius. It¡¯s okay to let it collapse, but ¡­¡­ It¡¯s okay if the only tribe left at the end is the Dorius. But when the demon tribe¡¯s movements are unknown, this move seems a bit dangerous. If the collapse results in a disturbance involving the demon tribe ¡­¡­ it is dangerous if the bulwark against demons is cracked. I think I¡¯m being too cautious, but ¡­¡­ If you can¡¯t calculate it, you should refrain from doing so. Apart from that, I¡¯d like to hear the basis behind Kiara¡¯s decision. ¡°Why did Kiara think the information was troubling?¡± She opened her mouth in a slightly unsure manner, like a student undergoing an oral examination. ¡°Yes. Theoretically, they are still the people of Dorius. I think it would be politically negative to take them in without permission.¡± As I was thinking that this was a reasonable decision, Kiara opened her mouth again. ¡°And ¡­¡­ then there¡¯s the danger that my brother mentioned earlier. If you accept the offer once, it will be difficult to refuse it again. That¡¯s where the fake surrender comes in. It creates an opening that makes that possible. It makes it easier to target assassinations and internal disturbances. If the other side had surrendered or been destroyed, there would be less concern ¡­¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Kiara saw this and looked very happy. ¡°Full marks, sir. It¡¯s good that you thought of it that far.¡± I¡¯m just too cautious when it comes to demons. This is the only thing that can be clearly understood from the present time. ¡°What do you want to do? All the prisoners are refusing to be released.¡± They all seem to think they¡¯ll be killed if they go back ¡­¡­ ¡°It would be nice if there was at least some contact from Dorius ¡­¡­ The fact that he has no reaction to his human prisoners is a sign of danger.¡± Mil, who had been listening in silence, opened her mouth. ¡°They¡¯re a human supremacy but they¡¯re abandoning them?¡± I can¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°There are two branches of human supremacy ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Two branches?¡± ¡°First, they will protect human brethren by any means necessary. If they are captured, they¡¯ll do their best to get them back. And the other ¡­¡­ is that even with human supremacy, they do not recognize the value of anyone other than those who are powerful. In other words, they don¡¯t consider anyone who was a prisoner to be human.¡± Mil made an uncomfortable face. ¡°How can such a crazy person bring people together? Every time they fight, there will be fewer and fewer people, and in the end, it will be unsustainable.¡± Mil was getting into the habit of thinking in terms of time. I¡¯m really glad to see that. Seeing my smiling face, Mil looked pleased. The next part of the conversation was going to be a bit heavy, so I cleared my throat. ¡°In a normal fight, I would have done the former. But ¡­¡­ this time, the beastmen beat them. When we fought, Dorius announced to the people that we were impure and inferior ¡­¡­ and that we would be defeated.¡± Mil looked at me puzzled. ¡°They would do that?¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ almost certainly. It¡¯s a place where etiquette is so well established that they even declare war. Before the battle, he would declare his legitimacy to the people. And it¡¯s also necessary to keep the beastmen under their command from getting their hopes up. ¡°Justification ¡­¡­ Will that kind of thing make them right?¡± It¡¯s healthy not to understand. ¡­¡­ I hate myself sometimes for being able to understand. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Not only do they not see their justice as absolute justice, but what do they do about people who do the opposite?¡± Mil and Kiara¡¯s expressions instantly hardened. I¡¯m sure they understand what I¡¯m trying to say. With a wry smile, I continued my story. ¡°This is why I first pointed out that our presence was a threat to their society. And those who surrender or are taken prisoner in the battle are considered unclean. They have acknowledged our existence ¡­¡­ because that is how we are perceived.¡± Kiara seemed to notice the contradiction with my old statement. ¡°But you once said, ¡°If we return the humans, it will only restore the enemy¡¯s strength¡±, didn¡¯t you?¡± Yes, you remembered correctly. I nodded to Kiara with a well-done look. ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s up to Dorius to decide. That¡¯s why they have to win and make threats like ¡°get rid of the unclean¡±. Even if he is the head, it would be foolish to abandon two hundred cavalrymen.¡± Kiara furrowed her brow. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°At first I thought it was a personal decision by Dorius. If we don¡¯t hear anything from him, there¡¯s always one possibility ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a group of advisors who adhere to human supremacy as their doctrine. I¡¯m sure that Dorius can¡¯t go on ignoring the wishes of his advisors either.¡± ¡°What makes you think that there is such a thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first thing that struck me. It was the lack of a last name. The reason why they use their title as their last name is ¡­¡­ I guess they think that people belong to the organization.¡± Mil¡¯s question gauge seemed to have maxed out. She leaned forward. ¡°You can tell from just that?¡± That¡¯s not true. I¡¯m not a psychic, after all. I can¡¯t help but chuckle. When Mil saw this, she puffed up her cheeks a little. "" I hurriedly followed up. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. But that¡¯s not enough for me to know that. They don¡¯t have a last name, they¡¯re a human supremacist, and they are taking action rather than a pretext. They won¡¯t let beastmen into the town. There is certain etiquette, like declaring war. And no reaction to human prisoners. If you combine these, it¡¯s one of the possibilities, you know. I¡¯m sure Dorius also got approval from that advisory group when he became the head.¡± Mil didn¡¯t seem convinced at the moment. ¡°Is the position of the leader weak?¡± ¡°It¡¯s usually strong, as long as it¡¯s in line with their doctrine of human supremacy. They just can¡¯t bend it. It¡¯s like the Pope can¡¯t enforce anything that goes against the doctrine of the Church. But ¡­¡­ it¡¯s still just a guess at this point. I¡¯d like to see some corroboration, so can you interrogate the human prisoners to find out their reactions?¡± The interrogation would be divided between Kiara for the beastmen and Charles for the humans. If it¡¯s a beastmen, the humans on Dorius¡¯ side will not open their mouths ¡­¡­ The two of them will have to work out the best way to do that. Kiara nodded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll talk it over with Mr. Rossi.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll hold off on the prisoners. There is little need to make a hasty decision.¡± But the clash of ideologies ¡­¡­ It¡¯s really troublesome ¡­¡­ CH 207 Chapter 207 - Those who do not work shall not eat The next day at the representatives¡¯ meeting, it was decided to discuss the treatment of the prisoners and how to deal with Dorius. I couldn¡¯t get any direct information from the prisoners, but their reactions seemed to confirm that my guess was correct. Kiara, her face flushed, reported a series of information. ¡°It was just as you predicted, brother.¡± Kiara was in a slightly excited state. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle¡­ I just removed the things that didn¡¯t match the facts from the multiple possibilities. I don¡¯t want you to misunderstand that I knew about this from the beginning. I¡¯m not a psychic, after all. Charles looked at me as if he wanted my judgment. ¡°What do you want to do, my Lord?¡± To be honest, there¡¯s not much I can do. ¡°I can¡¯t accept the idea of accepting the beastman prisoners as citizens because of the dangers Kiara mentioned earlier. The problem is¡­ the human captives.¡± Charles must be feeling a little overwhelmed. He folded his arms with a difficult look on his face. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re still loyal to Dorius even after being abandoned. It¡¯s an admirable loyalty, but¡­¡± No, it¡¯s not. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°No, it¡¯s fear. They remember what they¡¯ve done and are afraid of retribution. And they can¡¯t afford to be equal to the beasts, as has been the custom for years. In the end, they must cling to their brightest hope.¡± Charles looked as if he wanted to be more specific. ¡°Hope?¡± ¡°Yes, it is the most convenient future for the prisoners. In other words, it¡¯s a future where Dorius destroys us and rescues the prisoners. Then the past will be undone.¡± Charles was astonished. ¡°That¡¯s a convenient future.¡± "" ¡°It¡¯s the easiest future for them to imagine.¡± It¡¯s like the Jews in Babylon, looking for salvation in the legend of the Messiah. ¡°So what do we do now? I can¡¯t get any information. It¡¯s hard to deal with them when they eat for free.¡± Umberto Orengo sighed when he heard that they were getting a free meal. ¡°I¡¯m okay with it for now, but¡­ We¡¯ll be in a lot of trouble in the future if too many tribes move here in a short period of time. That¡¯s why if we suddenly have a situation where we have to accept a large number of immigrants¡­ our food supply could collapse.¡± Food for about 300 people is no mean feat. We¡¯ve made arrangements to make sure we have enough, but¡­ We can¡¯t afford to run out of it. ¡°So, let¡¯s let them graduate from eating free food.¡± My words drew the attention of everyone. It¡¯s not that big of a deal¡­I¡¯ll explain it to them. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll have the prisoners cultivate the farmland. Of course, we¡¯ll keep an eye on them.¡± Mil seemed to have a few questions. She looked at me and opened her mouth. ¡°What if they don¡¯t like it?¡± Of course, it¡¯s decided if that¡¯s the case. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Those who do not work shall not eat¡± Mil¡¯s face tightened up a bit. ¡°So there¡¯s no meals for them¡­¡± I laughed briskly. ¡°That¡¯s about three hundred people¡¯s labor. Don¡¯t you think we should be grateful? Oh, and if they use their farming tools as weapons against us they¡¯ll face the consequences they deserve.¡± Mil sighed a little, but she didn¡¯t have a plan to solve the free food problem. She didn¡¯t want to force them to work, but she understood that it wouldn¡¯t be good to add to the burden of others. "" She nodded honestly. ¡°Well, I guess we have no choice¡­¡± Charles leaned forward. ¡°So¡­ we¡¯ll have them work in somewhat smaller groups?¡± I had no objection, so I nodded. I opened my mouth to tell my subordinates what to do. ¡°Please work out the details with Sir Rossi and Mr. Orengo, including the monitoring system for that area. Also¡­ we don¡¯t want any disease spreading among them. Please let them bathe in moderation. As a guideline, we will guarantee their bare minimum to live as a human being. Anything else is unacceptable, though.¡± Charles nodded his head, as if it was a fair point. ¡°Well, my lord, that¡¯s all right for the prisoners, but how do we deal with Dorius?¡± ¡°The distance between us and them is too great, and¡­ we don¡¯t have enough men. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll want more time. However¡­ we also need more time.¡± ¡°Will you give Dorius time to regain his bearings?¡± I smiled a little nastily. "" ¡°It will take them a long time to recover their strength. We should call for the other tribes to join us. If we do, we can reverse the power gap. If we can get the beastmen away from Dorius, we will have the upper hand.¡± It takes time to train cavalry. Even if they¡¯ve been training them since they were children¡­ And the loss of over 200 horses must have been a huge blow. Kiara leaned forward to see if it was her turn. ¡°Are you going to tell the beastmen of Dorius something?¡± ¡°Yes. First, we will inform the captives who want to become our citizens that they will not be accepted as long as Dorius is alive and well. If we refuse them without reason, they will feel uneasy.¡± ¡°What if they ask how they can be accepted?¡± ¡°The only condition is that the beastmen leave Dorius¡¯ fold.¡± Kiara didn¡¯t seem to understand this word. ¡°You want them to leave his group? I think the prisoners are already on their way.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not enough if it¡¯s just them. What we need is the whole tribe. If we do that, they can be considered as a separate force from Dorius. If we accept them right now¡­ what would happen if Dorius were to take the beastmen¡¯s tribe in his city hostage and force them to do something?¡± Kiara furrowed her brow. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ that would be a bit troublesome. But¡­ how would Dorius deliver such instructions?¡± Everyone seemed to have the same question. Have you forgotten they exist? ¡°By using familiar. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there are people who still use that method to communicate with Dorius.¡± Kiara¡¯s face turned ashen. And then she pouted. ¡°I was careless¡­ I¡¯m still a long way to the first grade of brother¡¯s study¡­¡± Wait, don¡¯t put ranks in it. Mil tilted his head and looked at me. ¡°But, a familiar is basically a contract with only one entity, right? Can you make a contract with a large number of beastmen? Even if you could¡­ small animals don¡¯t require that much magic power¡­ but beastmen require a lot of magic power.¡± That¡¯s a good question. Yes, the difficulty of contracting a familiar depends on the size of the other party, that is, the amount of magic power it contains. You have to screw in a connection of magic as a messenger. As I was about to answer, Teacher seemed like he realized something. ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s what you mean.¡± So Teacher noticed it too. As a familiar, they can see the current place they are in. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± This silent exchange made Mil and Kiara puff up their cheeks a little. Then Kiara leaned forward. ¡°Please explain in detail!¡± No need to be so forceful. I looked at the teacher and he nodded, as if he had no choice. "" ¡°How can a small number of people control a large number of beastmen? It¡¯s inefficient if you don¡¯t know what the beastmen are doing. And the wizards over there are not alone. Each of them has its own beastmen to watch over. So¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if one of them was among the captives this time.¡± I nodded as if to say that he was right. ¡°And to add to that¡­ Sir Rossi also captured the cat tribesman that came to declare war on. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s at least one.¡± Everyone but me sighed. I cleared my throat and then opened my mouth. ¡°We¡¯re not going to tell the beastmen captives about the familiar yet. Instead, let them hear one thing in secret. And if the surveillance system is leaked, it may give Dorius a chance to swoop in with a few cavalry. The beastmen would be left with a free meal. The beastmen won¡¯t explode in frustration if the people who have been oppressing them are put to work and they don¡¯t have to do anything.¡± Then I explained what I wanted them to hear in secret. They seemed to be taken aback by my plan. And then Ms. Despina, who rarely speaks, opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve lost confidence in my ability to tell my daughter that you¡¯re not the Great Demon King¡­¡± They all burst out laughing at that. It seems that Ms. Despina was concerned about Arshinoe¡¯s comment the other day about me being a Great Demon King¡­ To begin with, I¡¯m not a Great Demon King! CH 208 Chapter 208 - Incoherent Principles Kiara immediately wanted to tell me something secretly, but I stopped her. I told her to let me know about it later after Kriemhild¡¯s group arrives. We don¡¯t want to endanger the group that is going to settle here with this trick. We must not do anything that might cause them to distrust us. If you are going to carry out a strange scheme or trick, you must be on solid ground or you will be hurt. It¡¯s called being a schemer and falling for a trick. I¡¯m not a genius like that, so I¡¯ll stick to the basics. Other than that, I¡¯m proceeding with my decisions solemnly. The human POWs are obediently engaged in agricultural work such as cultivating the land. They have strong principles, and if they are pushed too far, they may starve to death to carry them out. To make sure that they don¡¯t have to, we haven¡¯t asked them to do anything unreasonable. The reason for this is that they are working for reasons that make sense to them to some extent. And only humans are allowed to interact with the POWs. We need them to be their labor force, so we¡¯re not provoking them unnecessarily. Not only that, but there is even the possibility that the beastmen on watch could be harmed if they became desperate due to humiliation. At the end of the day, while Mil and I were relaxing in our room, Kiara came in. Whenever Mil really wanted to occupy me, Kiara would sense it and not come to the room. It seems to be a signal for the two of them¡­ Well, I don¡¯t mind as long as they don¡¯t fight. As the three of us were chatting about something trivial, the topic turned to the labor of the prisoners. Mil¡¯s face was either shocked or impressed. ¡°Al is really good at putting people in bad situations if they don¡¯t move.¡± That¡¯s a terrible thing to say. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m good at it or not, but¡­ there¡¯s no point in pushing them into a corner unnecessarily. It¡¯s not about revenge. If I can get them to do what I want with little tricks, then I don¡¯t have to spare any effort.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve allowed yourself to be so disconnected from the beastmen, you don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to join you in the future, do you?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, their ideology is too extreme.¡± ¡°What are you going to do then?¡± I raised my hands in a pose of surrender. ¡°Honestly, there¡¯s nothing I can do. The worst that can happen is that they¡¯ll be wiped out. I hope we don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Mil looked a little sad. ¡°Coexistence is impossible with such claims¡­¡± ¡°They have been discriminating against them based on custom, but they don¡¯t have a clear sense of discrimination against them. It¡¯s only when it¡¯s a matter of life and death that they start to think twice. That would be ideal. ¡° Kiara looked at me and sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t think that will happen, do you, brother?¡± I shrugged my shoulders with a look of helplessness. ¡°People who live in a world where violence is the norm are afraid of violence when they are weak. People who have lived with the common sense of discrimination are afraid of it when they are in a weak position. In fact, it¡¯s more satisfying for them to be discriminated against.¡± Mil and Kiara looked at each other. Mill looked at me as if to say, ¡°Explain it properly¡±. I can¡¯t help it, it¡¯s the world of the human mind, you know. I open my mouth with a little wry smile. ¡°The values of those who discriminate are created based on discrimination. They can understand and adapt to who discriminates against whom. Equality is a weird thing for them to understand.¡± Mil looked as if she understood. ¡°It¡¯s kind of a sad value system.¡± Actually, it¡¯s not so sad. I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s natural to them. To them, we¡¯re just a bunch of pathetic people who can¡¯t decide who¡¯s up and down and who they can¡¯t get along.¡± Mil¡¯s face turned puzzled. ¡°So we¡¯re not on the same page¡­¡± ¡°They can understand you, though¡­ but we¡¯re still not on the same page.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ we¡¯ve been lucky so far?¡± I gave her an indescribable look. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see such pure human supremacy. That¡¯s exactly what the apostles would crush if they caught sight of them.¡± Mil¡¯s face turned surprising. ¡°Why would they do that?¡± I guess they were too impressed by the Fifth to think so. ¡°The Apostles like to use words like equality and righteousness, they want to be thought of well by others. Just think of them as little kids ruling the world.¡± Mil and Kiara seemed to agree with my point of view. The conversation drifted to the apostles. They both have a history with them, so when they talk about it, I can¡¯t help but get emotionally dragged into it. We need to get back on topic¡­ ¡°Back to the topic, maybe they¡¯ll change their mind and become more realistic, but it¡¯s hard to get our hopes up. We can¡¯t put everyone at risk by hoping for those low odds.¡± Kiara seemed to be concerned about the future. ¡°What do you think Dorius will do?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know much yet¡­ but there are several possibilities. The best case scenario is that he loses control of the beastmen and runs away. In most cases, the beastmen will be forced into a corner and will not have enough time to attack. The worst case is¡­¡± Kiara¡¯s face turned grim as I stopped speaking. ¡°Is the worst-case scenario is something difficult to say?¡± It¡¯s not like it¡¯s hard to say, but¡­ it¡¯s a tough story to tell. But I¡¯ll tell her. I opened my mouth in an unenthusiastic manner. ¡°They¡¯ll work with the demons. They¡¯ll have them attack us in the name of avenging the death of their commander in the previous battle.¡± Kiara didn¡¯t seem to understand what was stopping me from saying that. ¡°I can understand that, but¡­ what is your brother worried about?¡± ¡°Just after the Kriemhild¡¯s tribesmen arrived.¡± Kiara seemed to have realized something. ¡°Ahhhh¡­ I¡¯m sorry for being such a bad sister.¡± I chuckled and waved my hand. You¡¯re overreacting. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to apologize. Aside from Kriemhild, an attack from the enemy demon tribe right after the migration would cause dissatisfaction and anxiety in the tribe, which would lead to social instability. We would have to fight the instability inside and the attacks from outside at the same time. It would be troublesome if the demon tribes that migrated here felt victimized by us. If that happens, mutual distrust will accelerate. In addition, we don¡¯t know the strength of the enemy demons, but it will be troublesome for us too. It¡¯s a battle where I don¡¯t have any information about our opponent.¡± Mil looked up above. ¡°Is there anything we can do to prevent this from turning into a worst-case scenario? ¡° ¡°If we don¡¯t do anything, it could happen. That¡¯s why we need to do something. It has to do with the thing we¡¯re going to tell them in secret.¡± A question seemed to appear in Mil and Kiara¡¯s heads. "" I yawned without tension. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it when the Kriemhild gets here. Don¡¯t worry too much about the worst-case scenario. We haven¡¯t pushed them to the point where they lose their reason.¡± CH 209 Chapter 209 - The world if full of demons Before Kriemhild¡¯s arrival, the original proposal to add personnel to the representatives¡¯ meeting was presented to me. I made it clear that I would accept the proposal. But I did not say that I would accept it without saying anything. There was one condition, though, that I wanted them to be aware of. You must be able to give reasons for your selection of personnel. I did not say that I would accept them just for some reason or to admit some unintelligible reason. I would accept the conclusions they came to after thinking about them. This was not a problem since Mil and Kiara were holding the reins. Thanks to them, they were all on their toes. "" The selection of Mil and Kiara¡¯s assistants was almost complete. We need about three people each, but they want to make the final selection after Kriemhild¡¯s group arrives. It seems they would like to pay attention to those who have had unfortunate experiences with the apostles. I just told them that I had left it up to them and they didn¡¯t need my permission. As for the increase in the number of the Elite Guards, it was a difficult task. It was fine until we added the winged tribe, the cat tribe, and the demon tribe. Jules asked me for advice on how to balance the tribes of the rest of the personnel. ¡°My lord, I would like to increase the size of the Elite Guards from the current four to about twenty people. I¡¯m having a hard time figuring out what to do with the race composition ¡­¡­ How should I do this?¡± You¡¯re being dragged down by the fact that you¡¯re advocating for race equality. ¡°There should be a minimum of two people from each race to avoid alienation. Other than that, we can use any composition that will help us achieve our goal.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Would it be all right to make the three current vice-captains and assign personnel to each of them? Or is it better to keep the vice-captains equal as well?¡± If you insist on equality to that extent, you will end up with inequality. It¡¯s all about a sense of balance. This is something you need to accumulate experience with. I shook my head. ¡°As for the quota of the Elite Guards, there should be a minimum number of seats for each tribe. As for the ranks and assignments within the Elite Guards, please make sure the right people are in the right places. As for the meaning of the right person, I¡¯ll leave that to Sir Jules¡¯ judgment.¡± Jules seemed to tense at the mention of deferring to my judgment. ¡°Yes, sir ¡­¡­ So I have to think of it myself.¡± I don¡¯t want to him go too far, after all. I spoke to Jules in a casual manner. ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about everything on your own. You can consult with Sir Rossi and the current members of the Elite Guards to determine the criteria for your decision. Sometimes it¡¯s a good insight to ask for the wisdom of others.¡± Jules seemed to realize that he had been exerting himself, and scratched his head and smiled shyly. ¡°Yes, after all ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t claim to be 17 years old, my lord.¡± Hey. ¡°I¡¯m 17.¡± Mil and Kiara, who were working, looked at each other in astonishment. ¡°Al ¡­¡­ You¡¯d better stop your futile resistance.¡± ¡°Brother, it¡¯s unseemly.¡± What terrible people. I exaggeratedly looked up above. ¡°What are you going to do if I become a demon?¡± The three of them, Mil, Kiara and Jules, had a subtle expression on their faces that was hard to describe. As if to break the delicate atmosphere, Delphine came rushing in. ¡°My lord, w-w-what should I do?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯ve heard that your marriage is going well.¡± Delphine¡¯s cheeks flushed a little and she almost swooned, but she seemed to come back to reality quickly. ¡°No, it¡¯s not! ¡­¡­ What do you mean by suddenly establishing a Ministry of Education!¡± Delphine had been absent from the representatives¡¯ meeting yesterday due to illness. At yesterday¡¯s meeting, I ordered the establishment of a new Ministry of Education. It¡¯s not that I was trying to take you by surprise, it¡¯s just that I genuinely tried to declare it and forgot ¡­¡­ Delphine¡¯s absence only reminded me of it. The ill-natured grandma Magali grinned at the thought of being released from babysitting the children, but then turned white eyed at my pronouncement that ¡®you will also serve as an advisor there. Robert was happy to hear that his wife was being appointed to a key position ¡­¡­ I guess that means he was appalled. ¡°It¡¯s not out of the blue. I¡¯ve been talking about it for a while, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s right, but¡­ Why now? I don¡¯t know why being the minister is good!¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that many of Miss Kriemhild¡¯s group can read and write. If we have a Ministry of Education, we can argue with other ministries for human resources.¡± If it is a subordinate organization of a ministry, it will be less persuasive in securing human resources. People who can read and write are especially valuable, and there is a battle for them. We need to erase the handicap. Delphine, who didn¡¯t know what I was thinking, put her hand in her head. ¡°I understand that, but ¡­¡­ what should I do! I don¡¯t know what kind of organization I should create, it¡¯s like you¡¯re not even listening to me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a first for you ¡­¡­ So I¡¯m sure it is.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way everyone can organize themselves as easily as you, my lord, with brains of unknown age!¡± Hey, haven¡¯t been treating me badly lately? The other three are holding back their laughter. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re trying to do it all by yourself that you get so overwhelmed. You should consult with Ms. Ardelheid, who recently created a new ministry, and Madam Plunkett, the all-purpose advisor.¡± She stiffened for a moment, and then looked as if she had just had an epiphany. ¡°Y-You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll consult with her!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you consult your husband too? I¡¯m sure Sir Melchiorri if you rely on him.¡± Delphine nodded her head. ¡°I think so! I¡¯ll consult with him!¡± Delphine went out in high spirits. After seeing her off, I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s good that they¡¯re all thinking independently. But they seem to be putting too much effort into it¡­¡± Mil looked at me with a frown and sighed. ¡°After all that blasting, everyone¡¯s going to be overwhelmed.¡± Is it me? Is it because of me? CH 210 Finally, Kriemhild¡¯s group arrived. Since there were so many of them, I asked them to nominate a representative, including Kriemhild¡¯s assistant. She seemed to think that she was the only one, and she was feinted at¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve just moved here and taking care of 300 people ¡­ can you do it by yourself?¡± They were convinced, but for some reason, they laughed at me. They¡¯re definitely thinking of something bad. I thought it would be best to bring Ms. Despina to her tribe a little later, so I held her back when she wanted to meet them. It would only be risky to bring in more uncertainty when there was so much uncertainty about the migration. Naturally, Ms. Despina would not hate them. But there is still some fear. In other words, she¡¯s healthy, but recovering. Of course, I could have welcomed them with her to show that I believed in her. However, there was one problem. Ms. Despina has done something unbelievable for a demon. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s told her this, but if she hasn¡¯t, that¡¯s a problem. In fact, it is more likely that she has not dared to talk about it. It¡¯s that ¡°she has broken her horn¡±. Gerald told me that it was extremely painful. It would have been for the sake of the child, but¡­ it was pointless in the end. I thought that the demon tribe would be confused and terrified to see someone with such a past. Would a person with such a tragic past be able to let go of their resentment towards them? I can¡¯t blame them for thinking so. The reason why I didn¡¯t let her meet with them will be explained at the representatives¡¯ meeting. The ostensible reason is that they are murderously busy with the new Ministry of Education, so they will meet again at a later date. I honestly don¡¯t know if this is the best way. But the risk was too great. Because of her upbringing, Ms. Despina is very sensitive to negative emotions emanating from people. You can see that in Arshinoe. She is very shy¡­ but more than that, she is afraid of negative emotions and is probably a coward. There, when the demon tribe finds out that she doesn¡¯t have horns, if they feel fear¡­ You can probably guess what happens after that. There was a possibility that Kriemhild might have told the tribe¡­ In addition to the migration, there were people who were related to her, and anxious about being in an important position. If you think about it¡­ there was a good chance that she wouldn¡¯t dare to explain it to them and would think it would be better to resolve it after meeting them. People who don¡¯t hold grudges are naturally indifferent to people who hold grudges or feel fear of being turned inside out. It can¡¯t be helped, it¡¯s harder to understand the emotions that you don¡¯t have, and even the emotions that are hidden in the hearts of others. Just as a refreshed person can¡¯t understand the spirit of a persistent person, the reverse is also true. Thankfully, Kriemhild guessed that I had something deeper in mind when I didn¡¯t bring Ms. Despina. I¡¯m really grateful that she didn¡¯t take it personally. I think I¡¯ll leave the demon children to the boss (Manora) after things have calmed down a bit. Arshinoe is very attached to Manora¡­ Kiara wanted to go ahead and talk a little bit, but I stopped her after telling Kriemhild about it at the representatives¡¯ meeting. In the evening at the representatives¡¯ meeting. Kriemhild and a middle-aged demon man attended the meeting. After Kriemhild introduced herself, the man from the demon tribe introduced himself. ¡°I am Theobald Lichtenstein. I¡¯ve been Kriemhild¡¯s guardian. I¡¯m a newcomer here, and I don¡¯t know my way around, but I look forward to working with you.¡± He was about 40 years old, a little over 160 meters tall. He was black with red mesh and black eyes. I think he might be a distant relative of Kriemhild. I looked around at the group, but they seemed to be looking for someone who seemed to be a demon. I knew it, she hadn¡¯t told them. When everyone was seated, I made my statement. ¡°First of all, should I call you Ms. Kriemhild and Mr. Lichtenstein?¡± Theobald shook his head quietly. ¡°Theobald is fine, my lord.¡± ¡°Then, Ms. Kriemhild and Mr. Theobald, you will be in charge of the important positions in Ravenna. Your first priority is to reassure the newcomers, though.¡± Kriemhild and Theobald nodded in silence. I gave them a quick word of warning and resumed my conversation. ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to clear up a small doubt that you both have. It¡¯s regarding the fact that Ms. Despina didn¡¯t come to welcome you.¡± Ms. Despina bowed. Theobald seemed surprised to see that. I looked at the two of them and opened my mouth. ¡°As you can see, Ms. Despina has broken her horn. If Kriemhild hadn¡¯t told everyone about it¡­¡± Theobald nodded and looked at me to see if he could say something. I nodded silently. ¡°Indeed, we will be confused. Kriemhild didn¡¯t tell me about this¡­¡± Kriemhild looked uncomfortable. "" I guess she did it knowing of it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Theo, but I wanted the migration to be a success for Despina¡¯s sake. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to talk about the unimportant factors that could be used as reasons for opposition¡­¡± Theobald shook his head in disgust. ¡°Kriemhild always gets ahead of herself¡­ You could have at least told me.¡± This is sermon time. But I¡¯ll let you do that later in the other room. I cleared my throat and stopped them. ¡°You can talk about it later with Ms. Kriemhild, Mr. Theobald, Ms. Despina, and her husband Mr. Gerald. From day one, if Kriemhild-san¡¯s image is fixed as a character who is preached at¡­ she¡¯ll be used as a source of amusement here.¡± They all smirked. Kriemhild¡¯s face turned into one of embarrassment. I cleared my throat again and continued the discussion. ¡°The four of you should discuss and decide when to introduce Ms. Despina for these reasons and concerns.¡± The four of them nodded. Theobald looked at me admiringly. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for your deep consideration of our situation. It looks like I¡¯ll be free from babysitting Kriemhild now.¡± Kriemhild looked at Theobald with a protesting stare, but quieted down when he glared back at her. The grins on their faces deepened. I didn¡¯t care and started talking about something else. ¡°Now that the demons have arrived, we¡¯ll put the plan we¡¯ve been waiting for into action.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes lit up. Kriemhild and Theobald, naturally, had no idea what was going on. Kriemhild raised her hand, and I nodded silently. ¡°What¡¯s the plan that¡¯s been waiting for us? Do you need our help in any way?¡± ¡°No, not at all. We waited for you to arrive because if we activated this plan, it could endanger you and your people during the migration. Now, Kiara. Please let the beastmen prisoners under Dorius hear this secretly. ¡°It seems that Dorius¡¯ defeat has motivated other non-human species to cooperate with us. If we work together to attack Dorius, the beastmen under his command will sabotage or revolt.¡±.¡± Kiara smiled broadly. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for it. I¡¯ll arrange it as soon as tomorrow.¡± Kriemhild and Theobald looked at me for an explanation. Well, of course. ¡°But first¡­ we haven¡¯t introduced ourselves yet. Let¡¯s get that done.¡± I forgot to mention this in all the talk about Ms. Despina¡­ CH 211 I need to explain this to both of them. ¡°Do you two understand what will happen if we tell this story to our prisoners?¡± Kriemhild and Theobald shook their heads. Kriemhild then nodded her head. ¡°If we don¡¯t release the prisoners, the information won¡¯t get out in the first place. I don¡¯t think you need to wait for us, though.¡± As I thought, you don¡¯t know about familiars. ¡°No, Dorius uses beastmen as his familiars. We believe that some of the captives are also familiars.¡± Kriemhild and Theobald was in a lost of words. Theobald groaned. ¡°I-Is that kind of thing possible¡­?¡± I explained the methods of beastman domination that I thought Dorius was using. I also explained the existence of Dorius¡¯ advisory group. In addition to that, I told them that some people would volunteer to help him improve the treatment of their family. When Kriemhild and Theobald heard this, they looked at each other. Afterwards, Theobald looked up above. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was that bad¡­¡± I guess they couldn¡¯t understand it right away. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°You couldn¡¯t understand right away, but¡­ They¡¯re making war on us because we¡¯re living equally with the beasts. That¡¯s who they are.¡± Kriemhild raised her hand, and I nodded silently. ¡°What is Dorius¡¯ stance on the demon race. We¡¯ve only heard rumors, so¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re working with the demons in the back. But they are looking down on us. Making us fight with the beastmen¡­ This may seem unpleasant, but¡­ I guess they¡¯re saying, ¡°We¡¯re dirty, making us fight with the inferior beastmen.¡± I suppose.¡± From their point of view, it¡¯s a role that requires them to do jobs that they don¡¯t like, such as sewage disposal or garbage disposal. I guess that¡¯s the extent of their treatment. Then I added the story of the demon commander who was killed in the last war. Kriemhild and Theobald¡¯s faces turned pale. I then added another basis. ¡°If they care about equality¡­ they can approach us by demanding the return of the bodies of their dead commanders. They didn¡¯t even do that.¡± Kriemhild shook her head and managed to return to normal. Then she stared at me. ¡°I understand about the familiar. I understand that¡­ you waited for us to arrive because there was a chance that Dorius would attack the non-human tribes if that leaks out. But won¡¯t other tribes be attacked by this?¡± Of course, we have taken that into consideration. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re right. I chose this move to prevent them from taking the worst possible action against us. My priority is the lives of my people. I¡¯m willing to take criticism.¡± Kriemhild waved her hand hurriedly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not blaming you. But I¡¯m afraid that by taking this step¡­ some people might be reluctant to join us¡­¡± ¡°There is a possibility, I suppose. But if they take the worst-case scenario, it will be a matter of time before they join. Our system is not rock solid.¡± Then I explained the worst-case scenario I had assumed last time. They all sighed. Charles looked above. ¡°If that happens, we can¡¯t ignore the damage here¡­¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°In order to defeat that measure¡­ we need to take steps to prevent Dorius from gaining an internal grip.¡± Weapons are not the only way to fight a war. But this idea is not easily understood. Theobald seemed to be unconvinced. He raised his hand to make a statement. ¡°How does this reduce his grip? If they are successful in attacking the other tribes, his grip will increase.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile wickedly. ¡°Yes, if we succeed¡­ ostensibly. If it fails, it won¡¯t.¡± Theobald leaned forward. ¡°Ostensibly?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s where the advisors come in. They will insist that the last defeat was because they took the beastmen with them. I¡¯m telling you, logic doesn¡¯t work. It¡¯s just that they believe that it¡¯s right to consist of only humans. To them, Dorius is a target for elimination.¡± ¡°Is Dorius aware of this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he is. If he is not aware of it¡­ he will probably try to take down the other tribes by himself. If that happens, the city will be left empty and another chieftain will be brought in. If he is aware of it, he will send someone who has his back. His son, perhaps, would be a reasonable choice.¡± The people listening to the previous explanation were grinning. Because their reaction was the same as their own last time. But Theobald didn¡¯t have time to notice that. ¡°If he sent his son, then there is no problem, is there?¡± My smile deepens. ¡°I¡¯m sure the advisors will try to make the son their leader. From his point of view, he still has the strength to recover now. But¡­ if he fails again, and then he becomes the leader of the group as a way to deal with his defeat¡­? When you think about it, what do you think he will do?¡± Theobald heaved a deep sigh. ¡°His son will voluntarily seek the position of leader. But¡­ will his son go for the worst-case scenario?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re just starting out, you can¡¯t ignore the wishes of your advisors. There is a way to eliminate the advisors at the same time as becoming the leader, but¡­ If he does that, the territory will be in chaos and someone else will have ambitions. Either way¡­ they¡¯ll be weakened.¡± Theobald looked astonished. ¡°I thought Kriemhild was joking when he said you were a Great Demon King¡­¡± ¡°Of course¡­ she¡¯s joking.¡± All the heartless people shook their heads vigorously. CH 212 The operation has begun. This is not something that will have immediate results. This matter will remain quiet for the time being. Just in time, I confirmed with Kriemhild the information about the neighboring tribes. There is a good chance that they will come into contact with us in the aftermath of this operation. There are about five tribes, each with more than 300 people. They are of various races. Even Abraham couldn¡¯t get it. They are aware of our existence, but they don¡¯t care much about us. That makes me wonder if I should approach them. While I was worrying about this, I received a report from Charles. A man claiming to be the third child of Dorius wanted to seek refuge in Ravenna. This was unexpected ¡­¡­ Charles looked puzzled. I¡¯m confused, too. This is the effect of being on the lookout. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s true ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any way to confirm that. By the way, was he alone?¡± Charles opened his mouth with a puzzled look on his face. ¡°He was alone. He¡¯s not of high status, but ¡­¡­ If he¡¯s alone, good clothes will make him stand out. Would you like me to confirm it from the prisoners?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to talk to each other beforehand ¡­¡­ I guess that¡¯s the only way. Refuge, huh.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe my ears either when I heard that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see him when we have some proof.¡± Charles gave a small nod. ¡°If it¡¯s true, he¡¯ll be a great source of information.¡± ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s real ¡­¡­ that is.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô After Charles left, I felt like I was lost in a maze of thoughts. I think I¡¯ll ask Mil and Kiara for their opinions as well, just for a change of pace. The two of them have been struggling with the choice of secretaries. ¡°What do you both think?¡± Mil thought about it for a moment. ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit out of the ordinary ¡­¡­ The third son has security, right? Then he came here alone after running away?¡± Kiara furrowed her brow. ¡°It is possible that someone who has been going around in Dorius¡¯ domain is telling lies. But I think it¡¯s unlikely that they are spies or agents.¡± That¡¯s true. It¡¯s very possible. "" ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s dangerous to extract information from him. There is a possibility that some people really believe the lies that they are telling ¡­¡­¡± Mil looked troubled. ¡°It¡¯s good if we could tell if it¡¯s a lie ¡­¡­ But if it¡¯s a lie, won¡¯t they find out somewhere?¡± That¡¯s usually the case. ¡°The problem here is that we don¡¯t know their world ¡­¡­ If we were in the same society, we could understand some of it. We don¡¯t have the cards in hand to make a decision ¡­¡­¡± Kiara looks a bit thoughtful. ¡°You don¡¯t know the beastmen who want to emigrate. If we ask the upper echelons of society ¡­¡­ At least you can tell if it¡¯s a lie told by an ordinary person. I don¡¯t know if the human prisoners are upper echelon, though.¡± i knew that would be the case. ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ There is no way to know for sure, so we¡¯ll just have to be steady and check.¡± Of course, there are no silver bullets lying around. If there is only that, it is a versatile means to solve everything ¡­¡­ There¡¯s no such thing in any world, though. ¡°Al, would you mind listening to what we have to say?¡± Mil¡¯s words brought me back to reality. Ahhhh ¡­¡­ That¡¯s right, I remember they¡¯re having trouble choosing people. ¡°I would never turn you down.¡± Mil smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m in the process of selecting my secretaries ¡­¡­ I think I¡¯d like to have two or three for the both of us.¡± Kiara continued with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°4 to 6 people, increasing at once and teaching ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I can judge their work ¡­¡­¡± I see. It¡¯s true that if you work while teaching, you¡¯ll lose a lot of efficiency. ¡°The two of you don¡¯t have a clearly defined job description at the moment, do you?¡± They both nodded. If so, there¡¯s a way to do it. ¡°One of you will take care of the tasks that must not be delayed. For the other, why don¡¯t you just educate them based on the work that can be delayed?¡± Both of them looked like they didn¡¯t notice that. I followed up with a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s hard to make a drastic change. You can¡¯t help it that you didn¡¯t notice.¡± The two of them looked at each other and were disappointed. Maybe it was bad, but Mil stuck her tongue out a little. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that ¡­¡­ As expected, it¡¯s better to consult with Al if we have trouble.¡± Kiara also put her hand on her chest and sighed exaggeratedly. ¡°Brother¡¯s Study is such a deep field ¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t even feel like retorting from inside my head anymore. I don¡¯t know if this is what you call losing your patience. Never mind that. I should warn the two of them. ¡°Perhaps ¡­¡­ Are you two trying to appoint a demon who has just arrived¡­¡­ to a position such as chief secretary?¡± The two of them looked at each other. They must have realized from my tone that it was not a good idea. Mil gives me a curious look. ¡°I guess that¡¯s a no. I was hoping that if we did it, it would help them fit in faster.¡± I know what you¡¯re thinking. ¡°They don¡¯t know where¡¯s right and left. Suddenly being exposed to the whole information will only confuse them. If they¡¯re not good, they¡¯ll be crushed by the pressure. Secondly, I wonder what other people would think about it ¡­¡­ If you have a special seat just because you¡¯re a demon, you¡¯ll end up like the apostles.¡± The two of them were blatantly depressed. I guess I shouldn¡¯t have said it that way ¡­¡­ I scratched my head and tried to keep my tone as gentle as possible. ¡°It¡¯s okay to appoint them as assistant secretary. They can read and write, and they probably have a basic education. If you¡¯re going to appoint someone as the chief, you need to be able to explain to everyone why you did it. You consulted me because you had doubts about whether they should be made chief as it is ¡­¡­ didn¡¯t you?¡± Mil looked a little apologetic. ¡°Yes. At first, I thought it was a good idea, but ¡­¡­ I wondered if it was really a good idea considering the nature of the work they would be teaching.¡± Kiara¡¯s shoulders slumped as well. ¡°I thought it would be good for the person, but it turns out to be a nuisance. I¡¯m still inexperienced.¡± No ¡­¡­ Kiara, you¡¯re only fifteen. ¡°It will be fine if you gain experience like that. It would be the first time for both of you to have a direct subordinate too. Kiara¡¯s ears move when I tell them to, so they¡¯re a little different. In that sense, they are your first subordinates without my intervention. I¡¯m sure you two will do fine.¡± The two of them seemed relieved. Mil also looked at me, feeling a little better. ¡°So, if we need to talk about anything when we are alone, please let me know.¡± I was about to open my mouth to say yes, but Kiara interrupted me. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. Then, you won¡¯t want to listen to your beloved sister¡¯s consultation?¡± Then she turned her moist eyes to me. ¡°No, of course, I¡¯ll take both of your consultations, but ¡­¡­. Don¡¯t fight me about time allocation or anything like that ¡­¡­¡± And then Mickey gets tired of seeing this scene. He was in charge of today¡¯s escort. ¡°It¡¯s not easy being a feudal lord. Some people call you the legendary counselor.¡± Aren¡¯t the nicknames increasing? Mickey smirked at my astonished face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that? He can help you with your relationships, love problems, and tomorrow¡¯s weather. That¡¯s what they¡¯re saying.¡± Where did the weather and other weird psychic powers come from! CH 213 He said that when he made the refuge seeker with the prisoners met, it was as if he was a stranger. The asylum seeker called himself Mandrocradas. He claimed to be an unrecognized third son, so he was not generally known to the public. Charles smiled bitterly, and I smiled back. ¡°This¡­ there doesn¡¯t seem to be merit in accepting his request, does it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a self-proclaimed thing. Apparently, he was expecting to be treated well, and he complained a lot.¡± ¡°I think he was expecting to live a life of luxury. This is not a resort, by the way, but how did he feel about the beastmen?¡± Charles¡¯ smile deepened. ¡°He was wondering if why we¡¯re letting get close to a nobleman¡­ It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s here for sightseeing.¡± I looked disgusted, but opened my mouth in a crisp tone. ¡°I hope that whoever is associated with this person will leave before they become stressed out.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± The questioning look on his face was one of complete agreement. I nodded, unable to hide my disgusted expression. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll accept refuge. There¡¯s no such rule¡­ and there¡¯s no merit in accepting him. If he can at least treat the beastmen as an equal, I can consider accepting him as a citizen. Bringing Dorius¡¯ theory into this¡­ It would defeat the purpose of fighting.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders, then nodded and left. Mil looked at me puzzled. ¡°I guess it¡¯s also a problem to become famous.¡± Honestly, give me a break. The tiredness in her voice came out naturally. ¡°Is it a tax on fame?¡± Kiara was indignant. ¡°I¡¯m too busy to be bothered by people seeking refuge just for fun.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s courage or just plain stupidity, but ¡­¡­ let¡¯s just forget it. We¡¯ll have to set some rules for accepting refuge.¡± "" As we were talking, Charles came back again. It was the first time I had ever seen such a look of resignation. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you forget something?¡± Charles cleared his throat. ¡°My Lord ¡­¡­ A man claiming to be the third son of Dorius has come to seek refuge.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. What a bad gag. I managed to calm down and looked at Charles. ¡°Of course¡­ it¡¯s not the same person as the first one, is it?¡± Charles nodded silently. He seemed to have a blank expression on his face because it was so ridiculous. ¡°Is that person alone?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s got a couple of people with him.¡± ¡°I wonder if he has anything to prove his identity¡­¡± ¡°Yes, but he said that you can¡¯t judge if it¡¯s true even if I show you.¡± I kept a straight face. ¡°That¡¯s better than the first one. Let¡¯s let him meet the prisoners first. Oh, and let him meet the first third son. I don¡¯t know how it will turn out, though¡­¡± Charles seemed to be thinking of doing the same. He nodded instantly. Then he smiled sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ll try it that way, then. I just hope one of them is real¡­¡± ¡°Any other possibility¡­ honestly, I¡¯d rather not. In any case, there is no doubt that the territory of Dorius is swaying. If that happens, they may launch an attack to stabilize the interior. The next possible battlefield would probably be¡­ there.¡± Charles also returned to a straight face. ¡°I suppose¡­ the season is looking good. But¡­ how can you come up with new methods?¡± ¡°The other side is ideologically absolute¡­ If we fight with the concept of normal warfare, our damage will only increase. But¡­ I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll move what I want them to do.¡± Charles gave a small chuckle. ¡°Surely¡­ it¡¯s either they will kill us all, or be killed by us. If it doesn¡¯t work the way you want it to, you¡¯ll probably move it anyway¡­ You¡¯re such a bad person. However, I wonder if my lady who is a part of this method is okay with it?¡± Mil chuckled with a sigh as Charles looked at him. ¡°If I could live without having to deal with those people, I would have objected. When we¡¯re fighting against people who deny our very existence as equals¡­ well, I can¡¯t disagree. I was surprised when I first heard of that method¡­ but I don¡¯t think anyone, not even an elf, would have thought of using it that way.¡± Mil is in this together¡­ If I take this step and say it¡¯s irrelevant, it¡¯ll hurt Mil. ¡°This is a one-time only. You can¡¯t use it again even if you wanted to.¡± Charles gave a faraway look. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll fall for it the first time¡­ You have to be an idiot to fall for it the second time. I don¡¯t think there will be a second time, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming so much as thinking that we can coexist through discussion alone. But I never thought I¡¯d encounter such an ideology in this remote region. I don¡¯t mean to sound like a teacher, but I¡¯m having trouble grasping the reality of this region.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to wait until you win to worry about that. If the son of Dorius becomes the new leader, the situation will change in many ways. Maybe in a more radical way¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. When the third child fiasco settles down, we may be able to see the situation to some extent.¡± Charles looked as if he had just remembered something unpleasant. ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll go clean up that mess, however¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Charles¡¯ face became amused. ¡°How many more third sons will there be?¡± Mil and Kiara couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. Stop it¡­ ¡°I hope it¡¯s a stopgap¡­ And it could be an illegitimate child or even a fourth child¡­¡± I¡¯m getting sick of saying it myself. CH 214 The first self-proclaimed third child, Mandrocradas, turned out to be a fake. It seems that Mandrocradas did not expect the real one to come. The third child, who came later, called himself Prytanis and agreed to meet Mandrocradas. The moment Mandrocradas saw Prytanis, he tried to run away and was caught. Afterwards, he prostrated himself and asked for forgiveness, but no action was taken. When I took him to meet the prisoners, they all fell down at once, so I¡¯m not sure if this is the third child, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a high-ranking person. When I heard the report, I immediately made the decision to meet him. This time, I asked to ask Mil to accompany me. He has taken a non-human as his wife. I wanted to see how he would react to this. There was another reason as well. At the welcome party for the messenger Zenon, I asked him not to attend out of consideration ¡­¡­ "" That consideration was disgusting to me. And I only saw him for a moment at that time. I¡¯ll never forget the look on his face when he looked a little sad. I wanted to make up for that ¡­¡­ but I wanted to make my position clear. If we are in a public place and need to be accompanied by a woman, I will take Mil with me. Mil looks a little worried. ¡°Al, are you sure about this?¡± I smiled at Mil. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll make it clear that you¡¯re my wife. If you want, we can go in holding hands?¡± Mil¡¯s face flushed with surprise. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to do that! But ¡­¡­ thank you.¡± "" Mil was flustered, but she looked very happy. It was worth bringing her here just to see her face. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô When I entered the room, I found a boy waiting for me, accompanied by what looked like two guards. He was about fifteen years old with dark brown hair, dark eyes and a small, tanned face. He was slender and had an intelligent look on his face. I urged him to be seat, and the boy, who called himself Prytanis, sat down. The two attendants remained standing, but Prytanis turned to face them. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, you should follow the feudal lord¡¯s suggestion.¡± The two of them sat down on either side of Prytanis in silence. This is something we need to take seriously. The first one was too much for me ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m Alfredo Della Scala, the feudal lord. This is my wife.¡± Mil bowed. She seemed a little nervous. ¡°I am Milva Rayala Della Scala.¡± Prytanis opened his mouth quietly. ¡°Dorius¡¯ third child, Prytanis. On my left and right are my childhood protectors, Kunemos and Brasidas.¡± The two on either side bowed. Now, let¡¯s get down to business. ¡°I have heard that Lord Prytanis wishes to seek refuge in Ravenna. Is it true what I¡¯ve heard?¡± The two men on either side of me raised their eyebrows, as if they thought their master was being questioned. Prytanis nodded silently. ¡°Yes, it is true.¡± ¡°I hope you will forgive my questioning you. It is a very effective way of requesting a meeting with me, and I have confirmed it.¡± Prytanis smiled. ¡°I see, it is indeed a very effective way. My immediate goal is to seek refuge.¡± I guess so. I don¡¯t see him as the type to come here just to save his own skin. I guess it¡¯s getting a little interesting. ¡°I see, so can you tell me what your ultimate goal is? You took the trouble to suggest it to me. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be a riddle.¡± Prytanis seemed to be enjoying himself. He opened his mouth in a good mood. ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand it so quickly. My ultimate goal is to avoid the total annihilation of the ex-territory. That¡¯s my only goal.¡± That was quick. And even though it had just begun ¡­¡­ the conversation with Prytanis was pleasant. Since we¡¯re at it, I¡¯m going to enjoy this game. ¡°It is not a given that we will win.¡± Prytanis leaned forward, too. Are we actually on the same side? ¡°The only future that is perfectly clear to me is that everyone born ¡­¡­ will eventually die. The odds are pretty high that you will win this time. I don¡¯t know how you will win, though.¡± I¡¯d love to know how it lead him to that ending. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to lose at all. But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same for Sir Dorius. You have decided that there is something that can make the difference between victory and defeat. How did you see it, Sir Prytanis?¡± Prytanis straightened his back. ¡°First, my father does not want to know you. Even though he was beaten so badly. The Prophets are saying it¡¯s because of the beastmen in the mix.¡± Prophets? I think he means the five advisors. I¡¯ll check it out later. "" Prytanis continued with a foolish look on his face. ¡°The Prophets foolishly claim that we can win if we play a different hand with just humans. That¡¯s how easy it is to see. My father knows that he kept winning with the beastmen, but ¡­¡­ Even my father is troubled by the fact that his beastmen have become useless. On the other hand, Lord Alfred is trying to get to know us. On the contrary, you¡¯re even reaching out near my father. My father¡¯s surroundings are just as Lord Alfred expected. Of course, you know what¡¯s going on, don¡¯t you?¡± Prytanis shook his head in annoyance. ¡°Just before my father was about to listen to my opinion ¡­¡­ there was a commotion. It¡¯s irredeemably stupid. The leaders are convinced that the fact that they are using beastmen as familiars has not been discovered. They said that if they had known, they would have killed the familiars for sure. The idea doesn¡¯t occur to him until it is used against him. I¡¯m tempted to ask him how long has he been living.¡± Prytanis withdrew his ridiculous expression and looked at me seriously. No, it was more like he respected me. ¡°As a result, the only move that can improve the situation has been blocked. Of course, he must have known that and used the move to block it. It was nothing short of brilliant. Even if we continue to fight like this, the result will be obvious. It is inconceivable that Lord Alfred will not take any countermeasures. And the only way to end the battle is to eradicate the people on Dorius¡¯ side ¡­¡­ That¡¯s what it looks like.¡± That¡¯s dangerous. So there was a smart person on the Dorius side. And about 15 years old. If I hadn¡¯t been reincarnated as a cheat, he would have completely defeated me. Really, what kind of region is this? Hiding the cold sweat inside, I opened my mouth this time. ¡°If our presence threatens their existence ¡­¡­ we have no choice but to do so. Of course, we want to avoid it if possible. Do you have a plan to avoid annihilation, as you said?¡± Prytanis chuckled quietly. ¡°It¡¯s ostensibly human supremacy, but ¡­¡­ It is natural for parents to want their children to live when they are close to death ¡­¡­ There are also a certain number of people who will abandon the sign of human supremacy if they are not to be avenged by the beastmen. In that case, if there is no one who can explain it to Lord Alfredo ¡­¡­ he will never believe it. It¡¯s only natural to do so in order to protect your own people.¡± I see. However, I feel a little overwhelmed. There really is such a thing as genius. In any case, it would be very reliable if he could be on our side. Can I trust them ¡­¡­ That¡¯s the problem. Perhaps ¡­¡­ as long as I don¡¯t fall into the fools category, I should be fine. I guess he¡¯s the type of person who doesn¡¯t go out with the other person if he judges them to be fools. ¡°It¡¯s just like you said, Sir Prytanis. You have excellent insight. I will gladly accept your request to seek refuge, Sir Prytanis. Can I assume that the two of them who are following you will come as well?¡± They nodded in silence. So they and Prytanis are one and the same. Prytanis was a little relieved. He was only about 15 years old, so he was somewhat worried. ¡°Thank you for accepting us. Of course, we are equal to the beastmen. Of course, I know that, and please treat me as such. But please understand that it will be a bit awkward ¡­¡­.¡± Of course. I don¡¯t feel them like suddenly getting used to it or something stupid like that. ¡°Yes, of course, I understand that. But I was surprised to find someone like Sir Prytanis.¡± Prytanis opened his mouth with a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at martial arts ¡­¡­ and I¡¯ve always been preoccupied with my studies. I was a heretic in my father¡¯s court. And I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll kill me when he takes over. I don¡¯t want to die, but there is no one to support me. It¡¯s as good as dead to be a fool and a puppet of the prophets. I had just given up, that¡¯s when Sir Alfred appeared. I feel some kind of destiny.¡± If the power base is not so strong in a succession, there is a high possibility that someone who could be a rival for the succession will be eliminated. But still, fate is too heavy, but ¡­¡­ Am I attracting all those people? I¡¯m feeling a little depressed. I cleared my throat to get rid of it. ¡°I believe that Sir Prytanis is a man of brains, not brawn. If Sir Dorius had been able to utilize Lord Prytanis, we might have lost.¡± Prytanis scratched his head in embarrassment. This is part of him is a boy¡¯s behavior. Then he turned his gaze filled with passion on me. ¡°My idea was just a theory ¡­¡­ and I couldn¡¯t come up with anything like the battle before. So, I think I can learn a lot from Lord Alfred¡¯s side. In fact, that¡¯s the main reason why I¡¯m here. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been able to take such an intellectual interest in another person.¡± Isn¡¯t my rumor ¡­¡­ spreading like a wildfire? CH 215 I had a lot of fun and talked with Prytanis about many things. On my way back to the office, Mil gave me a hard look. She seemed to be in a bit of a bad mood. ¡°There¡¯s more Al¡­¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no increase.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really glad that you introduced me to him, but how can you just leave me there?¡± Oh no¡­ I can¡¯t help but scratch my head. ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m sorry. The conservation is just moving so fast, so¡­¡± Mil sighed. ¡°Seriously, you¡­ just be careful next time, okay? I¡¯ll get angry if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be careful. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s so natural for us to be next to each other all the time¡­¡± "" Mil looked a little happy, but then she made a difficult face, like she was trying not to be deceived. Then she pointed her finger at me. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be fooled by that!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad. I apologized honestly, and she didn¡¯t seem to be that angry and forgave me easily. I¡¯ll follow up with her later. If I¡¯m not careful this time and do it again, it could cause a huge fire. I¡¯ve been hurt by that many times before my reincarnation¡­ It makes me feel blue when I remember it, so let¡¯s not do it. Although I did something a bit dumb¡­ it was very beneficial to get a lot of information from Prytanis about the social structure of Dorius. No matter how well we hit it off, we couldn¡¯t just suddenly make Prytanis a representative. That would have to wait until after the battle with Dorius is over¡­ I only introduced Prytanis at the representatives¡¯ meeting. After he left, we started to discuss what to do from now on. I started with what I had heard from Prytanis. ¡°There seems to be a power struggle under the surface between Dorius, his eldest son Anaxandrides, and his second son Nikandros.¡± The teacher looked a little surprised. ¡°A three-way struggle, that¡¯s a bit surprising.¡± Infighting often happens when the odds are stacked against you. ¡°Anaxandrides, who has the Prophet on his side, is planning to drag down the relatively pragmatic Dorius. This is a radical. Nikandros is on the side of Dorius. He thinks that if he can force Anaxandrides into disinheritance, he can become the successor. On the surface, he¡¯s on the side of Dorius.¡± ¡°Will his second son betray him if the situation warrants it?¡± ¡°It seems so. Thanks to him, the other tribes are unable to select the right person to attack. It¡¯s a dysfunctional situation.¡± Charles folded his arms. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ they won¡¯t be able to move for a while. If they make compromising choices, they may end up failing. However, if they leave him out, there will be doubts about Dorius¡¯ leadership ability¡­ I wonder what will happen about that.¡± "" ¡°If the second son is an ordinary actor, it will be the second son. If he is a great actor, he will be discredited by both factions and drop out. In that case¡­ it will be the first son. It seems that Dorius himself is losing his power to speak out. It would be the group with the authority that would have the power in such a situation.¡± Charles chuckled. ¡°If you¡¯re more concerned about who¡¯s on your side than whether you win or lose¡­ I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re in for a rough ride.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali also laughed. ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s not only that people turn away from defeat and failure when they are in danger. When they are in danger, they not only turn away from defeats and failures, but they also lose patience with those who benefit more than them when they succeed.¡± That sounds strangely real. ¡°It remains to be seen¡­ whether they will attack the beastmen or turn on us.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali looked amused. ¡°So¡­ you think they¡¯re going to attack us?¡± How shameless¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been thinking about that possibility yourself. If I hadn¡¯t said it, you would have pointed it out¡­ ¡°If we win even once, the other beastmen will hesitate. It will take less effort and produce more results than crushing 3-4 tribes individually. And that¡¯s exactly what will follow¡­ in terms of internal power struggles. That is, if you don¡¯t consider the risks.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali snickered. ¡°I¡¯m sure this level of reading is a breakfast to the boy. But you can¡¯t be too careful all the time.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali has been able to afford to keep me entertained lately¡­. I¡¯ll give you more work to do¡­ ¡°Normal vigilance will suffice. I¡¯ve already made most of the preparations.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali looked at me with interest. ¡°Oh, is this in connection with that thing you asked about earlier?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. If we can get it right, we won¡¯t have to formally move the Knights from here.¡± ¡°The boy¡¯s handling of enemies and allies is the complete opposite. There is no other lord in the world who is as gentle with his allies as you are. It¡¯s all right when it¡¯s small. But when it gets big what are you going to do about it?¡± Only a few people knew about this plan. To the rest of them, it sounds like a riddle. ¡°I¡¯m hoping that by then you¡¯ll have grown up and I¡¯ll have less responsibility¡­ I¡¯m counting on that. Otherwise, I¡¯m almost certain I¡¯ll be ruined.¡± This statement made them all very upset. Oracio leaned forward. ¡°What the hell does that mean, my lord?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°If the population increases tenfold and everyone didn¡¯t grow, the decisions and responsibilities on me will increase tenfold or more. If that happens, my mind will almost certainly not be able to handle it. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can cut corners. It¡¯s in my nature.¡± Abraham gave me a stern look. ¡°Can you be a little more specific? It¡¯s not something I can pass off as a joke.¡± I laughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that for you to figure out. I¡¯ll leave it as your homework.¡± Kiara looked like she wanted to say something, but she seemed to have a lot on her mind. And it was Kiara who broke the silence that had gripped the group. ¡°In other words, brother is thinking seriously about each citizen¡­ We have to be able to take care of them. If we don¡¯t, brother will take it all on himself¡­ is that correct?¡± Her eyes were more serious than ever. It¡¯s not a joke, but the fact that I said it lightly¡­ made it seem even more serious to Kiara. But I dare not change the tone of my voice. ¡°That¡¯s about right. You¡¯re still growing properly. But you can¡¯t stop just because you¡¯ve grown more than before. You should also train your own people. If you do that, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± They all looked at each other. The ill-natured grandma Magali smiled a muffled smile. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, you might think that you can just leave it to the kid and he¡¯ll be fine¡­ but the next trick will be even worse. He may be a demon or a demon king, but he¡¯s not a god. You can¡¯t rely on him too much, you know. It¡¯s not easy to hand out blessings to believers.¡± Don¡¯t add anything unnecessary. I cleared my throat and returned to the topic. ¡°Anyway, you should also think about training people. I know you¡¯re only focusing on the most recent people right now, but¡­¡± They all nodded with serious expressions. After the meeting was over, I was tightly packed on both sides by Mll and Kiara. Mil was staring at me with fierce eyes. ¡°Al¡­ let¡¯s talk about the way you said that.¡± Kiara was also staring at me. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to tell you about that statement, too, brother.¡± Oh, this is a lecture course¡­ No, it was definitely not the right way to say, but¡­ Damn it¡­ That ill-natured grandma Magali¡­ Bringing up unnecessary topics¡­ CH 216 After I told everyone to grow up at the last representatives¡¯ meeting, suddenly the details stopped coming up. It¡¯s a good thing¡­ we can¡¯t afford to have an information blackout. But it¡¯s not a good idea to get involved carelessly. For the time being, I¡¯ll just sit on the sidelines and ask each department to report the number of difficult issues that have arisen. Instead, let¡¯s take care of the top priority. We need to move Dorius while my trick is still in effect. So I¡¯ll call Charles. When Charles was called, he looked at me with interest. ¡°Do you plan to do something, my lord?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to push Dorius back. Make sure that the beastmen prisoners know what to expect. In any case, if the enemy attacks, you will need to move your army.¡± ¡°When you say army, you don¡¯t mean only knights?¡± ¡°Yes, a mixed-race fighting force will be the main force. From now on, the Knights will be a raiding force.¡± When Charles heard this, he pondered a bit. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you having trouble organizing your troops?¡± Charles shook his head lightly. ¡°I think it would be better to leave the Knights to someone else and let me take care of the whole army.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll leave it to Sir Rossi. You don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m stepping down as Knight Commander and letting Robert take over. Even if you say that you will leave it to me¡­ it will be impossible for me to decide on the personnel of the Order on my own.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that, too. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­then please arrange it that way. I¡¯ll leave the selection of the vice-commander to the new commander. From now on, the head of the Military Ministry will also appoint the Knight Commander¡­¡± Charles interrupted me unusually. ¡°I think that would be premature. Besides, knights are different from soldiers. In addition to that, they will all be discouraged if we don¡¯t have an appointment ceremony from my lord. You should be a little more aware of your own value and weight. You are not replaceable, you know.¡± Mil and Kiara were nodding vigorously. It¡¯s not a good situation¡­ I scratch my head. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be more aware of that in the future. But, it¡¯s in my nature.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to be like those lords out there. But to be considerate in your own way.¡± No, this battle is unwinnable. I raised my hands in a pose of surrender. ¡°I understand¡­ I will follow your advice.¡± Charles grinned. ¡°That¡¯s good, I will proceed with the selection of the people, and leave the preparations for the appointment ceremony of the Knight Commander to you. ¡° ¡°No, if that¡¯s the case, you won¡¯t have an appointment ceremony, Sir Rossi.¡± Charles looked at me in astonishment. ¡°I thought you were going to follow my advice? It is important for a knight to be clear about who his appointee is. You owe me for not having my appointment ceremony.¡± Charles said and walked out. No, you just don¡¯t like the ceremony either¡­ I sighed and looked at Kiara. ¡°Kiara, please inquire with the head family about the procedure for the knight commander appointment ceremony. It was already Sir Rustico by the time I was born, you know.¡± Kiara nodded with a wry smile. ¡°I understand, we can use the original method to determine the Ravenna style. Naturally, I¡¯ll ask brother to join us.¡± Mil also stood up. ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± It¡¯s okay, because there¡¯s no way I¡¯m not going to let Mil participate¡­ ¡°T-Then¡­ let¡¯s deal with this matter after we receive the documents from the head family. I¡¯m going to go out for a bit.¡± Mil looked at me with a frown. ¡°Al, you¡¯re not going to run away, are you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to go file a complaint with the root of all evil.¡± I ignored the blank stares from both of them and left the room. I went to the ill-natured grandma Magali¡¯s place. When the ill-natured grandma Magali looked at me, she smiled like she had been waiting for me. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re early.¡± I was puzzled. ¡°I wish you would stop throwing bombs in anticipation of the outcome.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ so you were going to hold it back after the trick was set and their opinion on you had reached the level of faith?¡± That¡¯s a bit over the top. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t think my reputation will rise to that level.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali looked at me in astonishment. ¡°You have such a low self-esteem that it¡¯s shocking. I¡¯d say it¡¯s much better than the other way around, but it¡¯s too unbalanced. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to end well for you.¡± "" Everyone around me seems to overestimate me. ¡°Is that so?¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali finally began to sigh. ¡°You don¡¯t know yourself. But at least from my point of view, as a participant, everyone¡¯s attitude toward you is one step ahead of faith.¡± I scratched my head. It¡¯s hard to argue with my subjective point of view when I¡¯m confronted from that point of view. But aren¡¯t you toying with the idea of faith? ¡°I don¡¯t want faith, though¡­¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯d better give up. Maybe it¡¯s your low self-esteem that keeps you from embracing the Ardelheid?¡± So you haven¡¯t given up yet¡­ and it¡¯s not because of that. ¡°No, I prefer to give my all to one person rather than love more than one.¡± ¡°They say heroes love colors. You¡¯re not that kind of guy¡­ the same goes for that low self-esteem of yours.¡± "" I¡¯m not a hero. I¡¯m missing an important part to be a hero. ¡°You¡¯re not a hero. I don¡¯t have the essential elements.¡± ¡°Well, from the look on your face¡­ I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s not lust¡­¡± I chuckled to myself. ¡°It¡¯s the fighting spirit. The ability to take risks and go on the offensive. When the results are bad, you can choose another bold move without fear. And¡­ when there is peace, you lose your place. Such energy for conflict is something I lack.¡± That¡¯s the part I lack the most. I can¡¯t make a risky choice unless I¡¯m backed into a corner. Even war doesn¡¯t suit me. Even Churchill, who is considered a hero among politicians, got involved in wars when he was young. When World War II was about to end, he was so full of fighting spirit that he felt like killing himself. I¡¯m the complete opposite. I¡¯m more like Chamberlain, Churchill¡¯s predecessor, who was beaten to a pulp after the war started. ¡°I see¡­ but you are the third son of a great aristocrat who is easygoing if you keep your mouth shut. However, you are voluntarily acting as the feudal lord of the frontier. You don¡¯t fight in direct combat, but you have plenty of fighting spirit outside of it. I¡¯m surer you don¡¯t think that direct combat is the only way to fight.¡± The only reason I¡¯m a feudal lord is because I wanted a place for people like Mil and Kiara. It started with a reincarnation, and I was just driven to see what the apostles did on their pilgrimage. I can¡¯t tell this story to others¡­ so they see me as building an ideal world if they like. I can¡¯t help but feel that things are not going well in many places these days¡­ ¡°You seem to be analyzing me quite a bit, but am I really that interesting?¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali looked at him distantly. ¡°No, you remind me of my son¡­ who really believed in the pretext and died trying to protect it.¡± It¡¯s no wonder if she had a son. I think she used to be quite beautiful. She would have had no trouble finding a man to woo. And unless the apostles¡¯ descent was near, the marriage rate in this world would be quite high. ¡°Do we look so much alike?¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali sniffed. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, my son was much more handsome and cute than you.¡± I¡¯m not talking about his looks. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re very fond of your son, Madam Plunkett. ¡° ¡°You said too much. My son was a knight, just like me. I¡¯m sure you know what a knight is.¡± ¡°Loyal to your lord, protecting the powerless.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. ¡°Yes, on the surface, that is.¡± Now it¡¯s the old story of the ill-natured grandma Magali. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not just an old story, I guess it¡¯s a story to warn me. I¡¯m not aware of it, but¡­ am I that prone to danger? CH 217 Chapter 217 - Reality and Ideals I was supposed to come here to complain, but somehow I ended up listening to a story about her past. How did it come to this¡­? In spite of my inner confusion, the ill-natured grandma Magali closed her eyes and opened her mouth. ¡°My son Luca has grown up very straightforward. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because my husband died during a battle with bandits, but he was very determined to follow in his father¡¯s footsteps. It was true that he was a little green, and his insistence on formalities made him prone to danger. But¡­ he was a young man, not even 20 years old. If he was going to get dirty in the future, I let him do what he wanted, even if he was a little inexperienced.¡± A young knight with a burning dream¡­ what a dazzling sight. ¡°I¡¯m sure the only knights that are calculating at a young age are noblemen or upstarts.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali looked at my words with a slightly cold stare. ¡°Luca had been running around day and night for his lord and his people, without regard for danger. Some people didn¡¯t like him, but I had my eye on him. Even in the open, there was no one who would drag Luca down.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali has always been this way, and she grew up purely as a teacher¡­ The next thing I knew, the ill-natured grandma Magali was glaring lightly at me. ¡°Boy¡­ you were thinking of something rude anyway, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­ aren¡¯t you a bit paranoid?¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali sniffed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine¡­ A knight is not free to choose his lord, he is bound to the land where he was born. Such a lord who cannot escape is an imbecile. He¡¯s an idiot, just like in the picture books. He was a distant relative of the royal family, so there was no one who could stop his rashness. I¡¯m a top brass of the Knights Order, after all, so I can¡¯t help it.¡± If there¡¯s no tension¡­ it¡¯s easy to create stupid people in power. ¡°Are you a good match for the previous lord of this place?¡± Because there¡¯s only one incompetent lord that I actually know of. ¡°The previous fool I only know from rumors¡­ From what I¡¯ve heard, his vanity was strong. Our former lord didn¡¯t even have that, though¡­¡± So it¡¯s even higher, Its grade is quite high. ¡°If there is no tension, incompetence will accelerate. Until you fall off a cliff or hit a wall.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali gave a twisted laugh. ¡°You should at least wait until you¡¯re middle-aged to talk like that. For some reason, you don¡¯t feel out of place, so you don¡¯t look like a seventeen-year-old. Anyway¡­ it was bad where we were. There were a lot of bandits.¡± If the internal administration is not functioning properly, the number of bandits will increase. ¡°Did they continue to increase even after the Knights cracked down on them?¡± ¡°The funny thing is that by the time the Knights arrived on the scene, they were gone. They are attacking places where it takes longer for the Knights Order to arrive. If it were you, I¡¯m sure you know why.¡± There¡¯s nothing mysterious about it. ¡°Either the Knights have insiders or they are connected to the Lords behind the scenes.¡± ¡°I guess it was too easy, that¡¯s right¡­ they were connected to the lord. He was incompetent, but he was sensitive to where his tail was wagging¡­ In order to show that he was related to the royal family, he had adapted his rule to the royal family¡¯s direct territory. However, the royal family has a capital city and can afford a low tax rate. If you¡¯re not, you¡¯re not in the red, but¡­ you can¡¯t afford to live in luxury. ¡° The story is too simple to make me feel any emotion. ¡°The story is too shallow to be interesting. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s probably pinning the earning of the thieves.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, but no proof¡­ or rather, there¡¯s no way to investigate the vicinity of the lord. If Luca gets a smell on it, it was obvious that he would go straight to his lord. I didn¡¯t let him know about it.¡± A knight would be unsuited to investigate such a crime in the first place. It¡¯s not a matter of ability. It¡¯s just a lack of organizational aptitude. ¡°A knight is basically a person who fights against the enemy. It¡¯s not suitable for criminal investigation. Except for Madam Plunkett, of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to deny that, but¡­ Luca was so angry that he couldn¡¯t leave his people in distress. However, he was not very good at anything but fighting. The only thing I can do is to rush to the scene as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough. What else did you do?¡± ¡°There was a village that had suffered a lot of damage, and we started helping them rebuild. And then, Luca was completely moved by it. I told him not to be too supportive. But he insisted that he couldn¡¯t protect his people and couldn¡¯t abandon them. Even if I tell him the reality, his ideals will prevail. So I let Luca do what he wanted.¡± ¡°Did that calm him down?¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali sighed heavily. ¡°I could have distracted him. But then the lord got greedy and there was a commotion.¡± It was so ridiculous that my tone became bland. ¡°Did it double the amount of money he was getting?¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali started laughing. ¡°That¡¯s naive of you¡­ it¡¯s triple. There was a widow that the lord was crazy about. It was a way to buy jewelry for her. He was going to give her something gorgeous, no less than a hundred gold pieces.¡± It was even worse, but it was an expected motive¡­ astonishing, but not surprising. ¡°From the bandit¡¯s point of view, the risk is outweighed by the reward.¡± The bandits are human beings, they raid for food. The ill-natured grandma Magali stopped laughing and became expressionless. ¡°And then the lord sent his knights to take them down.¡± It¡¯s a mystery how long they¡¯ve been pinning on them¡­ If it goes on for too long, the bandits¡¯ power will increase and become uncontrollable. ¡°Is the bandits on a scale that can be suppressed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but the damage to our side is not insignificant. And then the bandits lost their temper. If you pay, you¡¯ll lose a lot of money. If you don¡¯t pay, you¡¯ll be killed. They were so desperate that¡­ they revealed all their connections to the lord. Naturally, the people were furious, and there were revolts all over the country. Taking advantage of the confusion, the bandits attacked the lord¡¯s mansion. They¡¯re quite clever, aren¡¯t they?¡± I don¡¯t know if it was targeted or just a coincidence of desperation¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sure you were able to repel the bandits.¡± Magali nodded quietly. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ there was a problem in the village that Luca had gotten himself into. It was rumored that the village the knight was involved with was connected to the lord. It was attacked by the mob. Luca was the first to leave, but I stopped him, saying that he had to protect his lord first. I told him that you can¡¯t put one village ahead of another when the lord¡¯s house is under attack.¡± It¡¯s true¡­ you can¡¯t decide priorities based on your own personal feelings. ¡°How far did Mr. Luca put up with it?¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali quietly closed her eyes. She was not the usual nasty grandma, but just a tired grandma. ¡°He was patient enough to fight off the bandits. The leader thought that if he rushed to the village now, he would not make it in time. It was a natural decision. The Knights Order has decided to save as many people as possible. I don¡¯t mean to sound cold, but we¡¯ll have to make a decision based on numbers if the uproar gets too big.¡± When the ill-natured grandma Magali said numbers, she opened her eyes and looked at me. Then she closed her eyes again and opened her mouth. ¡°The lord made a lot of noise about that they should protect him but they turned the attack back on us. The guards at the manor were enough to keep the lord safe. Of course, they ignored him. Luca¡­ couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so he went off by himself.¡± It would be impossible to abandon him if he was burning with idealism and even emotion. If they had tried to hold them back with logic, they would have been enraged. ¡°Did you make it in time after all?¡± ¡°After that, I went after him. I didn¡¯t want my only son to die, after all. When I arrived at the village, many people had been killed but there was no mob. Luca alone was able to protect the village, though not completely. The stupidest thing is that when the mob saw them kill Luca, they suddenly came to their senses and ran away. By the time I got there, they were already gone.¡± To be honest, there was no way to deny or confirm it. ¡°I see¡­ What happened after that?¡± That was all I could ask. The ill-natured grandma Magali looked at me with interest. ¡°I knew it, you¡¯re interesting. A boy of that age would usually be sympathetic or righteous indignation. Or complete indifference, or making fun of him to make himself look clever. And you¡¯re none of the above.¡± Oh boy¡­ all I could do was shrug my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m not qualified to discuss the pros and cons of Mr. Luca¡¯s actions. After all¡­ did Madam Plunkett come here with the survivors of the villagers?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m not human enough to protect the people who killed my son. Revenge goes against Luca¡¯s wishes¡­ It was troublesome. The only thing I have left to live for is taking care of the people Luca was trying to protect.¡± I see¡­ the important thing is why you told me this. I can tell what she¡¯s thinking¡­ ¡°So, why did you tell me about Mr. Luca?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb because you know. If you become emotional like Luca¡­ You¡¯ll fail at an important moment. I¡¯m the only one who can¡¯t recover from the loss of Luca. But if you fall, we¡¯re all doomed.¡± Good grief, I guess I¡¯ve become emotional that even the ill-natured grandma Magali is worrying about me. ¡°It¡¯s true that¡­ you may misjudge the situation if your feelings are aroused. But to achieve equality between different species, I have to set an example.¡± ¡°If you were a fool, you¡¯d just be a friendly lord. It feels bad because you solve most things beautifully. But you know, the population will soon exceed 5,000. I think it¡¯s time for you to take your perspective up a notch.¡± The population is just under 4,000 now. I think we¡¯ll reach 5,000 soon. I know exactly what the ill-natured grandma woman Magali is talking about. I¡¯m going to have to do that at some point. ¡°That will have to wait a little while, you know. Thanks to yesterday¡¯s bomb, I have a little more time before they become too dependent on me.¡± ¡°How long do you mean by a little while?¡± ¡°When the matter of the demons in the back is settled¡­ Timing-wise, that would be it.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali sighed. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, you¡¯ll have to switch things up from there.¡± "" ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want to be ruined either. I¡¯m somewhat reluctant, but I¡¯d like to thank you.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali sniffed. ¡°If you¡¯re grateful, you can hold Ardelheid in your arms. That kid only looks at you. She¡¯ll be happy to be held by you.¡± Just give up already, okay¡­ CH 218 I¡¯ve made all the moves I need to win. Then you have to think about what comes after that. Dorius¡¯ case is a very special case. In addition, Prytanis came here. Naturally, I should decide what to do with him. Prytanis, who was summoned by me, arrived accompanied by two of his bodyguards. As soon as they were seated, he leaned forward. ¡°Lord Alfred, you called me here because you want to talk about what happens after you win, right?¡± He¡¯s really fast to talk to. ¡°Yes, I want to talk about what to do with the humans we¡¯re holding captive. First of all, I¡¯d like to hear what Prytanis has to say about this.¡± After we hit it off, he asked me to call without honorifics¡­ I told him he could call me that too, but he refused, saying it was unreasonable since he was younger and the others didn¡¯t call me that. That¡¯s true¡­ the only ones who call me that are Mil and Escorter Silvana. ¡°In other words, you¡¯re thinking of doing something other than killing them. I¡¯m grateful for that, but I¡¯m sure there are only a few that can be subjugated at this point. If we win the next battle¡­ there will be a few more. But it¡¯s hard to subdue the many.¡± ¡°Prytanis has come here to avoid annihilation, after all. Whenever possible, I will respect your wishes. As for me, if I can avoid killing them, so much the better. It is my policy to avoid unnecessary killing. Even if they are on Dorius¡¯ side, I will spare the lives of those who are not affected by being kept alive.¡± Prytanis seemed to be unable to suppress a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s relatively easy to subjugate them. Our greatest virtue is obedience. Thinking for oneself, like the citizens of Ravenna, has been avoided. I think it¡¯s hard to abandon a virtue so suddenly.¡± Virtue and conflict¡­ I folded my arms. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to change it over time. That¡¯s a sophomoric way of saying that we should obey instructions to think and act for ourselves.¡± Prytanis started laughing happily. ¡°Hahaha, that might be a good idea. It¡¯s a terrible quibble, though. It¡¯s only logical if you¡¯re talking about the people who have beaten you.¡± ¡°In any case, it¡¯s probably not a good idea to suddenly throw them into the civilian population.¡± Prytanis stopped laughing and kept a straight face. ¡°If we don¡¯t, it won¡¯t change. If we leave them as they are, they¡¯ll be stuck with other humans for a long time. So, would you mind leaving me in charge of monitoring the captives? Currently, they¡¯re only in complete contact with humans. I will gradually increase my contact with the beastmen from now on. If I am in contact with beastmen, they will be open to change, unless they are stubborn prophetist.¡± You call a stubborn human supremacist a prophetist, huh. I don¡¯t have a good idea. Prytanis¡¯ idea is the only one that seems to work. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Prytanis seemed surprised that I agreed so easily. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I know what you mean. Do you not suspect the possibility of internal disturbance or escape in collusion with the prisoners? He must have wondered about the fact that I had readily agreed without questioning that point. All the questions and answers he had prepared beforehand had come to nothing. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not worried about Prytanis betraying me. Thanks to Dorius¡¯ social system, we can trust you instead.¡± It¡¯s a society that doesn¡¯t even want to have contact with beastmen. Infiltrating a society like Ravenna from there would be highly disadvantageous. They¡¯ll take advantage of you, but when you¡¯re done, they¡¯ll say you¡¯re unclean and exclude you. Maybe there are other factors I don¡¯t know about, but¡­ If I¡¯m afraid of even that risk, I can¡¯t do anything. ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re rumored to be a demon emperor. You won¡¯t leave it to me without thinking about it. After calculating the various risks¡­ I honestly admire your boldness.¡± Hey, aren¡¯t I changing from a king to an emperor? Mil and Kiara are desperately trying to hold back their laughter. I don¡¯t understand¡­but I have better things to do. I cleared my throat and told him in a whisper. ¡°Those stubborn Prophetists¡­ may suddenly disappear.¡± Prytanis furrowed his brow for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to show my loyalty to Ravenna? Equality of the races¡­ will you choose any means to that end?¡± He interpreted it as to kill, huh. Such a simple thing is unprofitable. You are right that I will choose any means to achieve our ends. But¡­ the end is not just achieved. The end is to maintain it. Machiavelli¡¯s words are often used as an excuse for choosing to do something foolish. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what Machiavelli really meant. But because of this misunderstanding, he¡¯s been portrayed as a cruel man. In reality, though, he seems to be a passionate and joyful man. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. That much is true. However, it is meaningless if you steal or commit other crimes to get what you want, but end up ruining yourself. Even if you achieve your goal, it is not effective to use means that will cause ruin and confusion afterwards. A prophetist who can¡¯t even be persuaded by Prytanis is just too much for me to handle. But¡­what is the point of having Prytanis kill the former Lords, if he can¡¯t influence them? That would reduce the number of people who would surrender in the future and increase unnecessary sacrifices. If Prytanis were to be used for such a purpose, he would think of protecting himself. It would be an unnecessary risk to take internally. It¡¯s not the same as having the turned people spearhead an attack on their original tribe. It¡¯s not my idea of an effective strategy. ¡°What benefit is there in doing so?¡± Prytanis folded his arms at my words. He seemed to be using his brain at full speed, trying to figure out what I was talking about. He seemed to have come to a conclusion. Prytanis opened his mouth cautiously. ¡°I feel sorry for the people who lost them. Even if they return, they won¡¯t have a place back home.¡± As expected¡­ he read my intentions correctly. ¡°Yes, if Dorius¡¯ colors turn bad, he could use them as human sacrifices.¡± Prytanis nodded. His cheeks were red, indicating that he was excited. ¡°It seems that I am still inexperienced. I think I can learn a lot from you, Lord Alfred. But on one point¡­¡­it is not always possible for a person who has disappeared to return safely¡­. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yeah, for some strange reason, the patrols are sometimes closed that day.¡± Prytanis burst out laughing. ¡°I¡¯m going to come and have a little chat with you before something strange happens.¡± With that, Prytanis looked outside. It¡¯s the height of summer now. It would be over forty degrees during the day¡­ But the road is forested and there is water. If the soldiers are well-trained, they will be able to return safely. ¡°Yes, by all means, please do.¡± Prytanis opened his mouth with a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure this trick will give you more nicknames. You might as well call yourself the Man with a Thousand Names, you know?¡± I don¡¯t want that! And it¡¯s none of your business! CH 219 Chapter 219 - The exposure battle It¡¯s been about a week since we unleashed the Prophetists. The two secretaries have been working hard to train the aides. At first, they seemed frustrated by the sheer frustration of it all. But¡­ things changed when the aides started to learn their jobs. They began to enjoy teaching. But¡­ things are a little strange. It¡¯s very hot today, even for summer. It¡¯s the hottest I¡¯ve felt since I¡¯ve been in Ravenna. It¡¯s not that humid¡­ but it¡¯s not as humid as in Tokyo. It¡¯s not the feeling you get when you land at Haneda Airport on a plane and you¡¯re enveloped by the atmosphere. By our world standards¡­it¡¯s humid today. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not that humid in Ravenna, though. I guess sometimes it¡¯s just a day like this. I¡¯ve never felt this kind of heat before, so I haven¡¯t given it much thought. It can¡¯t be helped¡­ but I should have thought of it. There was no wind blowing, so it was hot anyway. I guess it¡¯s better here because of the proximity of the river and the ocean. I decided to call out to them. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break in a cool place before you get down with the heat?¡± The both of them looked blatantly relieved. There were four aides in total, and they too seemed relieved too. Mil gave me a slightly tired smile. ¡°Thank you, it helps¡­ It¡¯s especially hot today¡­ my skirt is getting stuffy¡­¡± Mil¡¯s skirt was not quite mini, but it was about five inches above her knees. I¡¯ve always been a big believer that skirts below the knee are not cute, let alone long skirts. Ah¡­speaking of which, when I was a student before my reincarnation¡­ The girls used to flap their skirts. Was there a reason for that? When I was in school¡­ I think the length of girls¡¯ skirts was just above the knee¡­ There must have been a lot of heat in the air. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you go to the other room to cool off?¡± Kiara was wearing a long skirt, so the heat inside must have been quite intense. She didn¡¯t have her usual clear face. It¡¯s not that she¡¯s sloppy, but she looks like she¡¯s in trouble. You can flap it as much as you want when you are out of sight of men. ¡°Thank you very much, brother¡­ I¡¯m going to cool off for a bit.¡± With that, the women hurriedly left. I¡¯ll have to think of a way to cool down the room. Today¡¯s escort was Ramiro. The guards are wearing armor, so it must be even hotter¡­ Dogs stick out their tongues when it¡¯s hot¡­ I guess the same goes for the wolf tribesmen. But since they are guards, they seem to be holding back. I chuckled. ¡°If it¡¯s too hot, you can go cool off.¡± ¡°N-No! I can¡¯t leave my duty as an escort!¡± I¡¯ll just take shelter somewhere cooler. Just as I was thinking this, a messenger from the Ministry of Military Affairs came running in. He¡¯s very excited¡­ which means there¡¯s been an attack. ¡°My lord, we¡¯re under attack from Dorius!¡± Thank God, he set it off at just the right time. ¡°What did Sir Rossi say?¡± My calm demeanor seemed to have calmed the messenger. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll say it as it is, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the waiting area to check on him¡±, he said.¡± I nodded quietly. ¡°Okay, so please let me know when the result of the battle comes out.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± With that, the messenger left. There would be no further news soon. It would be tomorrow at the earliest. "" Ramiro opened his mouth, trying to distract himself from the heat. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll lose, but¡­ what do you think will happen?¡± I¡¯m not there, but I can almost see the outcome. ¡°Let¡¯s see, I¡¯m sure it will be hot.¡± Ramiro looked at my reply as if it made no sense. ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s hot today¡­¡± No, the battle is already over. Because of the distance. ¡°We¡¯ll get a report tomorrow. I expect almost no damage here. More importantly, this is the hottest weather we¡¯ve had since we got here. Let¡¯s think about how to deal with this¡­¡± I¡¯ve always been a nervous wreck in times of war. But this time, I was unconcerned. Ramiro seemed surprised by this. ¡°You¡¯re not worried about the cost of battle this time?¡± It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve changed my mind. ¡°If it was a battle, of course I would be concerned. But I wouldn¡¯t call it a battle this time.¡± Ramiro seemed to want to know more. But he knew I wasn¡¯t going to tell him at the moment, so he kept quiet. I was more focused on whether anyone would get sick from the sudden heat. I tell Ramiro in a light tone. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Mr. Arensky¡¯s workshop, shall we?¡± When we got to Onyxim¡¯s workshop, the children were quiet because of the heat. However, there was a peculiar smell coming from the entire workshop. It¡¯s vodka¡­ To be drinking in the morning¡­ But it¡¯s a little different. I wonder if the children are actually intoxicated by the smell of alcohol¡­ Hahaha, so that¡¯s what happened. Ramiro furrowed his brow. ¡°What¡¯s that vodka-scented smell?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you get to the back.¡± We went into Onyxim¡¯s room. In his room, Onyxim was naked. The room was filled with the smell of vodka. This is where the smell comes from. ¡°Oh¡­ my lord¡­ it¡¯s so hot today, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, you couldn¡¯t stand the heat, so you put vodka on your body¡­¡± Onyxim started laughing. ¡°Oh, you know exactly what I mean. It¡¯s a Dwarven secret, but¡­ it¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you knew it. It¡¯s a bit sticky, but that¡¯s no problem in this heat. Normally I would drink it.¡± I don¡¯t like the fact that because it¡¯s me¡­ Ramiro seems to be confused, despite my indignation. ¡°Does applying vodka to your body make you cooler?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not vodka, but¡­ you can apply alcohol to your body to cool down.¡± ¡°If we werewolves do it¡­ it¡¯ll be quite troublesome¡­¡± Ramiro¡¯s shoulders slumped as he said this. If the hair gets sticky, it¡¯ll be hell. I chuckled. ¡°I wanted to solve this heat problem. So I¡¯ve come to consult with you.¡± Onyxim¡¯s eyes lit up. The heat seems to have taken a toll on him. ¡°What kind of help? I¡¯ll spare no effort.¡± ¡°Please prepare an unglazed pot. If you don¡¯t have any, I¡¯d like you to make some. I also need a double pot for storing crops¡­ but that can wait.¡± A cooling system that existed in ancient Egypt and ancient India. It uses evaporative cooling. ¡°How big are they?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s too big, it will be difficult to carry around. So we¡¯ll go with numbers.¡± Onyxim looked distantly at me. ¡°It¡¯s hot to make pots, too¡­¡± I chuckled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. Do you have a jar I can use right now?¡± In silence, Onyxim looked at a jar in a corner of the room and spilled its contents. It seemed to be a blueprint. ¡°How about this?¡± ¡°This is fine. Fill this with water. If you leave it alone, it will cool down on its own. The more pots we have, the better.¡± After that, all the children poured the water into the pots. ¡°It won¡¯t cool down right away, but it will definitely cool down.¡± They booed, but their voices were weak from the heat. A modest cheer went up as they felt the gradual cool down. I guess he didn¡¯t want to explode with energy and get hot again. Onyxim stopped being naked and put on some clothes, as if it was getting too cool. Then he murmured quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll stop being Silvana. With these things, I¡¯m good now.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. This is going to be an ugly battle of revelations. I don¡¯t know anything about this. CH 220 Mass production of the unglazed pots began the next day. Everyone was very serious about this project because it directly affects their lives. A large number of unglazed pots were also installed in the office. This made the office more comfortable and was very well received by the women. Even Kiara, in her long skirt, seemed to be comfortable. But she was looking at me with a slightly resentful look. ¡°Brother. Would you please do something earlier ¡­¡­¡± This heat was totally unexpected. ¡°Please don¡¯t be unreasonable. I can¡¯t read the weather.¡± Mil shrugs at my words. ¡°You can¡¯t do it anyway because you don¡¯t have enough information ¡­¡­¡± She¡¯s right. There are no weather satellites or anything like that ¡­¡­ And I don¡¯t know anything about the weather. There¡¯s no way to know the mechanics of weather, which I wasn¡¯t really interested in even before my reincarnation. I can¡¯t conveniently draw on my knowledge of the world before my reincarnation. I¡¯m not one of those conveniently reincarnated people who can somehow recall knowledge of the inner workings of machines that only engineers know. Let¡¯s say I remember seeing some drawings for display and a bit of online explanation before my reincarnation ¡­¡­ But I can¡¯t build anything complicated like those. If I were that handy, I¡¯d be able to predict the weather. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine now that it¡¯s cooler. We also need a small canal at the end of the street in town as a countermeasure against the extreme heat. Maybe we should build a fountain or a park too. This is a separate matter, but ¡­¡­ If we¡¯re going to have unexpected heat, we also need to consider unexpected heavy rains.¡± Mil couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I wonder what Mr. Ludvig will look like this time when he hears about it.¡± The words made all but the newest demons burst out laughing. Just in case, I should follow up on that. ¡°We¡¯ll find out tonight. Sir Ludvig will make an amused face when I tell him about the large-scale infrastructure work I¡¯m doing.¡± While we were talking about this, a messenger came running in. ¡°I report to my lordship! We have successfully repelled Dorius¡¯ attack! Here is the report from Sir Rossi!¡± So he had enough time to write a report. I silently accept the report. I smile at the messenger, who is breathing roughly. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. You can step back and rest now.¡± The messenger bowed and left. There, I skimmed through the report. As I had assumed, the damage was only two people with minor injuries. The enemy was wiped out. There were approximately 600 enemy soldiers, all human. This is not annihilation in military terms. It literally means extermination. I felt no emotion about it. It was time to think about our next move. As I was thinking this, I saw Mil standing in front of me. She looked a little worried. ¡°Al ¡­¡­ Are you okay?¡± So she thought that I¡¯m splitting the difference on this one once and for all. Kiara came up next to me. ¡°Sister, brother will be fine. He is not just a kind man, after all.¡± When Kiara puffed her chest out with a ¡°humph¡±, Mil¡¯s face turns miffed. "" ¡°I know. But you know what? It¡¯s not good for Al to get used to this situation. If he gets used to it ¡­¡­ he will blame himself for it. That¡¯s why we have to look after him.¡± This time, Mil huffed and puffed her chest. Then Kiara¡¯s face turned miffed. These professional wrestling ¡­¡­ It¡¯s dangerous if I don¡¯t stop it because sometimes they get into serious fights. ¡°I¡¯m always grateful to you both. And ¡­¡­ I rely on you very much. But more importantly, let¡¯s talk about this battle. Can you call Prytanis? He¡¯s a party to this, too.¡± They both seemed to realize and calm down. Kiara signaled with her eyes, and one of the aides left. I wondered if they were already able to give directions by making eye contact. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Prytanis came with his usual two friends. He couldn¡¯t hide the expression on his face ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bit long, Chiara. Could you prepare tea for all of us?¡± Kiara smiles. ¡°I understand.¡± I took a sip of the tea served to me. ¡°Then, let¡¯s begin.¡± I look around at everyone. My assistants are supposed to be very reserved at times like this so that they can understand my intentions as best they can. I cleared my throat. ¡°First of all, Dorius¡¯ attack failed. Our only casualties are two wounded. The enemy is literally wiped out. They are about 600 human beings in all. I¡¯ll take your questions here.¡± Prytanis leaned forward. ¡°What do you mean, literally wiped out? How many people did they kill?¡± In the army before the reincarnation, you¡¯re wiped out with 30% of the losses. In this world, it¡¯s 50%, the same ratio as the old Japanese army. ¡°All combatants.¡± Prytanis¡¯ face turned blue and he nearly dropped his cup. The hand holding the cup trembled. Mil sighed deeply. Kiara is unperturbed, though she has not been told of the trick. The faces of everyone except Mil and Kiara were pale. It seems that Prytanis has not yet recovered from the shock. He is nodding deeply. It¡¯s no wonder. A lot of his old vassals have died. Kiara is looking at Prytanis with a pitying look. Eventually, she turned her gaze back to me. ¡°Brother. I have never heard of such a one-sided result in a battle. What kind of tactics did you use?¡± This is not a battle. It will not end unless we are all killed or we are all enslaved. We are not going to fight such an opponent by the normal rules of war. Before my reincarnation, there would be a fuss about humanity and soldiers would suffer from PTSD, so it would be difficult to use such a move. But this time is different. There are rules of war in this world. It seems that someone in the apostles decided on them. The contents of the rules were the same as the laws of war from my previous life. When I saw the section on poison gas, I laughed. I could see the smug look on the apostle¡¯s face when he decided on it. The rules have become a skeleton of the apostle¡¯s complacency. Even so, if they were to break it openly, it would only be a cause to allow the other party to attack. However. Even if you follow rules like the laws of war, it is meaningless if your opponent is religious. It would only cause soldiers to die needlessly. And the leaders are only useful to the extent that they gain a reputation for being humane. Rules are meaningless unless both sides keep them or the one who breaks them has the power to make the other keep them. If they are not willing to abide by them, they are sitting ducks. A gentleman cannot first win against an opponent who takes advantage of him being a gentleman. Even if they do win, the damage they take is incalculable. If it were an individual, it would be settled by a statement of principle. Our very existence is what shakes the social structure of Dorius. Dorius cannot tolerate our existence. And if they try to attack us, we have no choice but to annihilate them ¡­¡­ Or thoroughly disable them. If human supremacy is the ostensible principle, we can work out a compromise. Or if they are aware that it is a policy decided by humans, we can coexist. If there is a group of prophetist groups and they act like a commandment, there is no way to handle it. Play the gentleman carelessly and they will be rational, so you will be fine ¡­¡­ Such expectations are meaningless and futile. "" They will seek outside to settle the distortion of their own society and set it up again. As a result, the damage will only increase. I detached my consciousness from the question I was asking myself and looked up. ¡°I burned them to death.¡± I chose without hesitation the means that would cause the least amount of damage to us. It seems that Prytanis has recovered from the shock ¡­¡­ He is quite pale. But he shook his head as if to rouse himself. ¡°It must be difficult to burn people to death. They move around, after all. It¡¯s impossible unless you lure them into the center of an oil swamp. If there were such a swamp, they would be able to smell it. It would be impossible to lure someone in without being noticed.¡± I signaled to Mil. Mil nodded silently and brought a potted plant from her room. ¡°You mean this one, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks.¡± White flowers are blooming. Prytanis nodded his head. ¡°What kind of flower is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Noontime Hollyhock. The flowers are blooming now because it is near noon. Then they wilt in the evening.¡± I was curious about insectivorous plants before my reincarnation and was checking to see if there were any other strange plants and I got a hit. The flower that was distributed in Europe. I looked for this plant in a similar climate, and I found it. ¡°What in the world does this mean?¡± ¡°When temperatures exceed around 35 degrees Celsius, volatile oil is released from the stems. It is then grown in clusters around the point where the enemy attacks. It is also vulnerable to direct sunlight, so we use other tall grasses to protect it.¡± It is very difficult to make them grow in clusters. I was able to accomplish this with a lot of help from my plant-meister elf, who is my wife. Without Mil¡¯s help, it would never have been possible ¡­¡­ I scratched my head and looked around. All but Mil and Kiara were frozen in place. I had no choice but to continue with my explanation. ¡°I began my preparations from the moment I made contact with Dorius. If the other party was fundamentalist, we couldn¡¯t talk about being humane. They came at the right time of year, just when the flowers were blooming. If they wilted in yesterday¡¯s heat, they would be ruined, so I was in sweating coldly inside.¡± Prytanis¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°In other words, an oil swamp you¡¯d never recognize on first sight ¡­¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying to keep the cluster sites independent so we don¡¯t have forest fires. Our opponents cannot afford to send their forces in small amounts. If they don¡¯t consolidate, they won¡¯t have the strength to fight. Even with archers and cavalrymen, they need to get close to a certain distance. The flowers, of course, are not blooming near the fort ¡­¡­ They grow in clusters within range of arrows over there. Even if they come in front of you, it will not be a problem. I¡¯m sure they will be shaken if a fire breaks out behind them. That makes them a good sniper target. I said annihilate ¡­¡­ The non-combatants waiting in the rear would have gotten away.¡± The temperature in the room, which was getting cooler, seemed to have dropped even further. "" This is going to be another name to add to the list ¡­¡­ CH 221 This would not be the end of the explanation. I mean ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to convince them that this is the end of it. As I was thinking this, one of the aides raised his hand. A small, brown-haired, blue-eyed, slightly tanned person. I think his name was Rakere Zegna. (T/N: I¡¯m not sure if the aides is male or female, so I¡¯ll just make them male for now, since it¡¯s hard to see if they are male or female judging by their names. They have different naming senses, after all) ¡°Mr. Rakere. If you have any questions, go ahead.¡± ¡°Ha ¡­¡­ yes. I understand that you defeated Dorius¡¯ army with fire. But how were they able to direct the attack to the right place and at the right time?¡± Oh, yes, they did. I hadn¡¯t explained that. ¡°I¡¯ll start by talking about the location guidance. There are only two points that would be suitable for Dorius to attack us. The first is the first battlefield, and the second is the one ahead. There is a reason they chose the first battlefield, of course.¡± I looked at Prytanis. If only I could get Prytanis to explain it to me. Prytanis seemed to have regained his composure. He looked a little pale, but he met my gaze and nodded. ¡°The first is a mixed unit with beastmen. The road to the second battlefield is not suitable for a large mixed force. In front of the fort there is an open plain. But the distance is far and within Ravenna¡¯s sphere of influence. When passing through the long forest, the march will be difficult if there are too many people. If they are ambushed along the way, the untrained beastmen will drag their feet and cause damage to the humans.¡± Prytanis looked at me, and I nodded silently that that was correct. In response, Prytanis sipped his tea. ¡°If they rush to the first battlefield, they can deploy our forces before they hit the forest. Then they can fight with their best tactics. They had an overwhelming advantage in numbers of troops, so there was no need to go to the trouble of attacking in a high-risk area. And the second formation would probably be human only. Furthermore, the first fort is a large stone structure. It is difficult to attack a stone fort with mainly cavalry. The transportation of siege weapons through the forest would also take time, and they would be detected. The target of the attack this time is convenient from my father¡¯s side ¡­¡­¡± Prytanis was at a loss for words for a moment, but seemed to regain his composure. ¡°In other words, a fort where the defenses on Ravenna¡¯s side are thin and the number of soldiers is low. If they could take down the fort, the road to the city would continue, and the target of the attack would expand at a dash. It was the perfect point. In other words, they can turn the tables. There is no room for other gambles. Above all, there is no time. That was Lord Alfred¡¯s trap ¡­¡­¡± I nodded to Prytanis. I turned to Rakere. ¡°Gentlemen. Now there are no more questions about the location guidance?¡± When I looked at Rakere, he did not fully understand. But he understood that we were on target for a reason. It¡¯s the beginning, after all. Well, we¡¯ll learn as we go along. ¡°Ah, yes ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll figure out the rest on my own.¡± Very well. As for the timing, let me explain. ¡°About the timing ¡­¡­ This one is easy. We are going to attack Dorius jointly with the other tribes, that¡¯s what they¡¯ve told via their familiar. The beastmen will not only not be able to fight, but at worst, they may switch sides. The Dorius camp is in a desperate state due to an internal power struggle. If they are attacked by us at such a time, Dorius will lose his authority.¡± I look around at all of them, did they understand correctly? Maybe ¡­¡­ they did. ¡°So Dorius is now going to have to take steps before he is attacked. He also informed them that our army was getting ready to move. There is not a moment to lose. This would, to a certain extent, guide the timing of the attack. I¡¯ve already told you the trick to it, but ¡­¡­ Are you okay with the question of guidance on where and when?¡± I looked at Rakere again. He looked like a savage who had come out of the jungle into the city. Maybe ¡­¡­ you¡¯re thinking too hard at once. ¡°I, I¡¯ll think about this too, later.¡± Mil and Kiara looked at him warmly, as if he reminded them of their old selves. ¡°Do you have any other questions?''¡± Now another secretary raised his hand. He is a rather small cat person with white hair, brown eyes, and white skin. I think his name is ¡­¡­ Latka Tokachu, I think. ¡°Mr. Latka, please.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Even though the fire wiped them out ¡­¡­ Wouldn¡¯t the enemy either extinguish the fire or run away?¡± Prytanis, too, seemed to be concerned about that part. He leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯d love to know about that too.¡± You might be disappointed to hear this ¡­¡­. I scratched my head. ¡°There are two conditions under which a fire meter can be triggered. First, this one is a fire arrow. In this case, they are naturally wary, so even if they ignite, they will run around. It would be impossible to annihilate them. It will destroy them, though.¡± I looked at Latka. He seemed to be satisfied with my interpretation of this case. Let¡¯s talk about the rest of the cases. ¡°Perhaps ¡­¡­ this is the case that triggered it this time. The other party was trying to set the fort on fire, and the noontime hollyhock at his feet ignited. Even with a fire arrow, small sparks sometimes fall to the ground. When you try to set your opponent on fire, suddenly your own feet catch fire. Now what happens?¡± Latka shuddered. ¡°They¡¯ll be confused ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll know right away what happened.¡± I nodded silently and then drank the rest of the tea in my cup. ¡°If you¡¯re confused, you¡¯ll run around if it¡¯s ignited on you. If you do that, it will ignite the other noontime hollyhocks, and the flames will spread. They are distributed in clusters. As a result, the flames will spread to the place where they escape from.¡± Prytanis looked at me, a little thoughtful. ¡°Are they that easy to catch on fire? Where did you learn of such a thing in the first place?¡± That¡¯s a natural question ¡­¡­ And it¡¯s not a waste of time. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll start from where did I learn about it. When more people came, I was worried about a fire happening. That¡¯s okay, because we are taking measures to prevent that one. But due to the fact that we are building a fort in the former residence of a wolf tribe ¡­¡­ We forgot one important thing we needed to check.¡± The word ¡°forgot¡± surprises all of them. I pretty much always forget things, you know ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a forest fire caused by spontaneous combustion. So I heard from Madam Plunkett, ¡°Occasionally, but not on a large scale¡±. Assuming a phenomenon that wasn¡¯t a lightning strike, I assumed that there might be a natural ignition source.¡± I looked around at all of them. They thought I was talking about something out of the ordinary, but it was just an ordinary opportunity and it seems that it was a bit of a letdown. I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll keep explaining ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not an entertainer. ¡°I asked everyone if they had any idea what caused the fire in that area. Then I heard from Mil that there is a noontime hollyhock blooming in this area. That¡¯s about all I know about igniters.¡± Everyone¡¯s look of shrugs remains the same. You guys ¡­¡­ What on earth did you expect from me. Anyway, let¡¯s continue. ¡°I asked Mil what it was like. I wanted to ask her to pick that flower and see if it really burns. But first ¡­¡­ More tea, please.¡± Kiara chuckled. ¡°Yes. Brother.¡± The reason I looked into it was pure curiosity. And because I wanted to make sure it was something that required vigilance. The wild boar thing has made me cautious about the forces of nature. There had been rumors of the Noontime Hollylocks igniting at noon before my reincarnation, but there was no information of a fire happening. Rather, the eucalyptus is the one causing the fires. Eucalyptus is not here because it is native to the Australian climate. Noontime hollyhock grows in the wild. If there is a fire going on ¡­¡­ The organisms in this world may have stronger characteristics than those in my previous world ¡­¡­ Even the same name may not be exactly the same in different worlds. I sipped the tea that Kiara had brewed for me. ¡°The volatile oil came out of the stem, under the conditions I heard from Mil. And it¡¯s quite a lot, too. Even a small spark could ignite it easily. Moreover, the firepower was sufficient.¡± The oil of the noontime hollyhock before from my previous world ignites at temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. But it should not burn that spectacularly. If it had flared up that spectacularly, Europe would have been full of fires. Here, the oil of noontime hollyhock must be much hotter. "" But once it caught fire, it burned with a showy fire. This would cause a fire. At that point, it became my weapon of choice. My silence seemed to make Mil feel it was her turn. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just that the noontime hollyhocks don¡¯t grow in clusters. And it will die if it is exposed to direct sunlight for too long. They are scattered and do not ignite unless they are very hot. That¡¯s why fires rarely happen.¡± Once off the subject, Mil looked at me. I nodded, since there was no problem continuing the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s not the end of it ¡­¡­ Al asked me how to make them grow in clusters on the plains. I told him that if he planted them with other plants, they could grow in clumps. But ¡­¡­ I only heard about it orally when I was hiding in the woods. So we tried different things and managed to pull it off.¡± Prytanis sighed deeply. ¡°Finding a way to make it work as a weapon ¡­¡­ And since no one knows about it, that makes it a hidden weapon.¡± Latka looked pale and shaken. ¡°We cat tribesmen may not have known it, but we were picking a fight with an evil god, weren¡¯t we?¡± Hey ¡­¡­. Don¡¯t suddenly up the ranks! CH 222 Chapter 222 - People fear what they can''t understand When the fire meter was explained at the representatives¡¯ meeting, the reactions were mixed. The old-timers looked aghast, and the rest looked up in awe. But¡­ fear mingled in the eyes of the winged tribe and the cat people as they looked at me. And the demon tribe two newcomers were dazzled. A decision on a specific policy for the future was to wait for Charles¡¯ return. The next day, after a long absence, the Escorter Silvana came to me. ¡°Al, I need to talk to you about something¡­¡± It¡¯s definitely not a good thing. I reflexively avert my gaze. ¡°It¡¯s hot today¡­¡± ¡°I can come here every day, you know ¡­ until you listen to me.¡± I can¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°What is it today¡­?¡± The Escorter Silvana put her hands on her hips in exasperation. ¡°You¡¯re so rude, sighing in front of a lady, it¡¯s about the term contracted adventurer.¡± What happened to Cesar Salignac, the branch manager who acted as the contact person? ¡°Is Ms. Silvana no longer the point of contact?¡± The Escorter Silvana looked up above. ¡°But the thing is¡­ Mr. Cesar¡­ he said he¡¯s afraid of Al.¡± Hey, I didn¡¯t do anything. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to him¡­¡± The Escorter Silvana laughed unusually hard. ¡°For him who tends to be reluctant during the daytime, it seems like Al is quite creepy. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. I don¡¯t know what kind of words or mannerisms might offend him. His words and actions don¡¯t look like a 17-year-old, and that scares me.¡± Wait a minute, should I smack her¡­ Despite my indignation, the two heartless secretaries burst out laughing. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t make excessive demands, as you have a right to do¡­ I won¡¯t be grumpy.¡± ¡°I tried to convince him that you¡¯re not scary at all. So I made him make an appointment to see you today¡­ However¡­¡± Oh¡­ he definitely run away. The Escorter Silvana shrugged her shoulders when she saw my blank eyes. ¡°He¡¯s not faking it, but¡­ I heard that yesterday¡­ he went to a brothel to drink some booze and gather some courage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s as if I don¡¯t see the connection¡­¡± The Escorter Silvana was there, grinning and laughing. ¡°Hear me out until the end. Because he did something he normally doesn¡¯t do, suddenly¡­ his back gave out.¡± Then she started laughing while bashing my shoulder. What am I supposed to say at a time like this? ¡°I, I see¡­ So Ms. Silvana became the temporary contact person¡­¡± She laughed for a while, but finally seemed to subside. The Escorter Silvana wiped her teary eyes. ¡°Let me cut to the chase. When adventurers are at peace all the time, their instincts for danger become dull. What I¡¯m saying is it may create obstacles for future activities¡­ so I want to do dangerous work, too.¡± It was really serious. Indeed¡­I can see your point. If you only wanted a peaceful life, you wouldn¡¯t be an adventurer. ¡°There are jobs that are potentially dangerous¡± ¡°Then leave it to me.¡± The thing is, it¡¯s not so simple. ¡°I want to fill in the holes in the map of this region because it is still full of holes. It¡¯s a potentially dangerous job.¡± The Escorter Silvana folded her arms. ¡°With Al¡¯s perfect governance, the sphere of influence is safer than a pilgrimage site¡­ Surely that¡¯s about the only dangerous job¡­ okay, let¡¯s go with that.¡± I shake my head quietly. ¡°However, it¡¯s not that simple. Maps are military secrets. You can¡¯t simply leak them to the outside world.¡± Japan is a peaceful country, but maps are basically military secrets. From the enemy¡¯s point of view, it is important information. It has almost become a formality, though, because of the availability of free satellite-based maps. In this world, it is different. The Escorter Silvana had a difficult look. ¡°Ummm, that¡¯s also true¡­ Worst case scenario, there is no one who sells maps to the enemy because they are blinded by money¡­ Well, I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± However¡­it¡¯s about time they start to get frustrated. Better get a handle on it before it explodes. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be a problem to request an escort for a geographical survey team. Of course, I will ask the guild to sign a nondisclosure agreement.¡± Ideally, we¡¯d do it internally only, but we¡¯ve got adventurers in there. We can¡¯t afford not to use them. I see that there will always be jobs in the future that will rely on adventurers. If you waste time aggravating the relationship here, you¡¯ll find yourself on the wrong side of the table when it comes time to make a request later on. The Escorter Silvana thought for a moment and then nodded. ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s about right¡­ It would be best if we could talk about defeating the monsters that the demon tribe in the back is holding down.¡± That¡¯s the result of defeating the demon tribe, isn¡¯t it? I wouldn¡¯t want to fight then if I could¡­ I don¡¯t want to break the bulwark that we have built. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that. When we have more time, there will be a survey of the most dangerous route over the mountains.¡± The Escorter Silvana looked surprised. ¡°Can you even get over a mountain that big?¡± ¡°Yes, some tribes have crossed the mountains to get here. So there is always a route.¡± The Escorter Silvana looked amused. ¡°That sounds interesting! When you check it out, you should definitely let the adventurers have a piece of that!¡± ¡°I understand, and I will definitely do that research. I will call on you when I do.¡± Perhaps convinced, the Escorter Silvana quietly left this time. More importantly¡­ what¡¯s this I hear about the branch manager being afraid of me! ¡°Am I really that scary¡­?¡± Mil seemed to chuckle a bit. ¡°You¡¯re usually so soft-spoken and not pompous¡­ so you seem like a kind man. It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sensing something disturbing in your choked words.¡± ¡°When you add age and accomplishments¡­ Unless you¡¯re a very insensitive person¡­ you¡¯ll be turned off. If I had met Al after you became a feudal lord I wouldn¡¯t have gotten to know you so easily.¡± Kiara smiled at me. ¡°People fear what they don¡¯t understand. When they understand, they change again. But¡­I don¡¯t want to spend less time with my brother because you¡¯ve become too familiar with him.¡± No¡­ that¡¯s not the point to get hung up on. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­maybe now is as good a time as any.¡± It¡¯s no use¡­ Mil was the same kind of person as Kiara on this kind of topic¡­ CH 223 The Dorius side¡¯s forces will be almost completely destroyed. Should we stop at this point, or attack and crush them all at once? Information is important, but it is also necessary to take a gamble when the game is on the line. I told the two secretaries that I was going out for a while and went outside. The heat had subsided considerably, and a breeze was blowing. Feeling some heat, I headed for a place to think about something important. I headed for the war dead monument adjacent to the cemetery. I sit down near the monument and look up at it. Why here¡­. In Sun Tzu¡¯s book, it is said that when you plan an important event, you should hold a council in front of the ancestral mausoleum. He said that we should make decisions that we are not ashamed of to our ancestors and future generations. There is no ancestral mausoleum of the Skala family here. Even if there were, I wanted to think about it in front of those who lost their lives in the battle. If we attacked now, we would almost certainly win. But there is also the possibility that they will be trapped and the damage to us will be needlessly great. Dorius would also threaten the people to tighten up the inner circle. If we lose, he will kill us all or make us all slaves. It would be a joke to clash with a dead soldier. In fact, since they were cornered, they easily took my lead. Furthermore, the people on Dorius¡¯ side are not only nervous about us. They may be frightened of the beastmen outside their town. "" The conditions are there for them to despair and become dead soldiers. It is not only the possibility of fighting dead soldiers. If we attack, there is a good chance that the beastmen will switch sides. But there is also the possibility that they will make a false turnover there. To the people on Dorius¡¯ side, the beastmen are nothing more than pawns. And the beastmen have a habit of obedience that has been ingrained in them for many years. It is possible that they will jump at a blank check for better treatment in the future. It may sound strange, but they would rather choose the stability of the status quo, even if it is unfavorable, than a complete change in the social system. Rather than being freed from slavery, they choose to become slaves of a higher order. Such examples are possible. If you calculate based on simple profit and loss or logic, you will lose your footing. Dorius naturally assumes that I will attack. The best way to deal with this is to make the beastmen surrender under false pretenses and betray him. If the surrender of the beastmen under false pretenses succeeds, the results will be great. At the very least, it will buy time and make it easier to tighten the inner circle. If we fail, the only thing we lose is the beastmen. We can¡¯t continue the attack because we will consider the beastmen around us as enemies. When we calculate the risks involved in an attack, we are crossing thin ice. The moment we get careless, we¡¯ll drown. I¡¯m no thrill seeker, so this thrill is hard to stomach. But what if nothing is done on Dorius¡¯ side? The surrounding tribes don¡¯t care about us. If that¡¯s the case, they won¡¯t react well to our advances. If we do, there is a possibility that Dorius will attack from behind. Of course, they would be keeping an eye on the surrounding tribes. Because we can¡¯t afford it, we need to monitor what¡¯s going on around us. Dorius is now completely losing momentum. They will want any small result they can get to turn the tide. Therefore, even if there is no direct effect, there is merit in attacking other tribes. I will deliberately leak information to the familiar and manipulate Dorius. I¡¯m sure he heard me talk when Prytanis was there. I ignored it before, and this is the result. And the possibility of being used, even if he don¡¯t like it, will be on his mind. I will be collaborating with other tribes to launch an attack. He will have doubts about this information. In fact, it is a perfect opportunity for other tribes to attack Dorius. Still, there is no movement. As a result, they will assume it is false. If we launch an attack from Dorius, we will drive the other tribes back to our side. If that happens, the situation is hopeless. If they attack, it will be after our contact. They will feel that their livelihood is threatened because of our contact. That makes cooperation with us less likely. The tribes that are not attacked will increasingly try to maintain their neutrality. Even with Dorius, they have remained unmoved until now. In other words, they think they are safe as long as they remain neutral. Furthermore, since they are not interested in what is going on outside, they may not even know that Dorius¡¯ side is defeated. Dorius¡¯ side might attack and then forcefully add them to his fold. Although the human forces are drastically reduced, the number of beastmen under his command is large. And they could be used to attack anyone but us. Is it better to avoid contact with other tribes? Let them attack us on purpose, save the other tribe and add them to our group. At first glance, it seems like a good idea¡­ If it is discovered, it will only invite suspicion and increase uncertainty. Even if we try to cheat afterwards, it will take a lot of extra effort and we will not be able to see any results. The benefits of taking that risk and bringing in another tribe are unclear. We don¡¯t even know how useful they are. It cannot be included in the force immediately after it is added to the group. This is also difficult to recruit. In the end, we will have to rely on the other hand. I am tempted to settle for a blitz attack to escape this tension. But the sight of the monument calms my impatient mind. No¡­ I don¡¯t want more names to be inscribed as a result of my blunt decision. The other side has a larger population. It is easy to be under the illusion that we keep winning, but ours is not a military-oriented system, so we have fewer forces. We are conscious of switching from establishment to defense in the future. Therefore, we cannot easily increase the number of soldiers. In any case, I have decided on the move to take. The question is how this move will change the situation. Should I consult with Prytanis? As I was pondering my objective, I felt a presence other than that of my escort. I looked toward the presence, and there was Kriemhild. She saw me sitting down, bowed, and came over to me. ¡°What are you doing here, Lord Alfred?¡± CH 224 Chapter 224 - The Relationship between Personality and Magic Power Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t had a chance to talk to Kriemhild individually since I moved here. Did she think I was in a strange place? I scratch my head. ¡°I was just thinking about the future.¡± ¡°In front of a monument to the war dead?¡± I was embarrassed, and a wry smile appeared on my face. ¡°Yes, when you¡¯re making a life-threatening decision, will I be able to face those who have died? I look at the monument and ask myself ¡­¡­ if I¡¯m not jumping to an easy decision.¡± Kriemhild sat down next to me. She stared at the monument for a moment, then turned to me. ¡°When there are more people to be inscribed, will you be able to bear looking directly at it?¡± Indeed. But I can¡¯t ignore it either. More names to be inscribed are the result of my choices. Whether I see it or not, it¡¯s still the same. I guess this kind of thinking is dangerous in everyone¡¯s eyes. A person who can accomplish great deeds would be better suited to have little empathy for others. It is often said that psychopaths have the qualities of leaders. They do not mind taking advantage of others or making sacrifices. They do not hesitate to make bold reforms. They do not mind if someone else is sacrificed for their reforms. They will pretend to mourn the sacrifice if it serves their purpose. If the goal is to benefit society, the psychopath is probably a beneficial person. I wouldn¡¯t want to be anywhere near them. Uncle Steve Jobs, the apple innovator, was that type. If you stay close and don¡¯t get harmed, people around you will praise you as a great man. But I can¡¯t seem to go that far. I think too much. I couldn¡¯t help but giggle when I was confronted with the fact that I am not suited for this type of work. I didn¡¯t want to be reincarnated. But I walked away from it by my own choice. I can¡¯t run away from it now, and I shouldn¡¯t even if I could. I¡¯ve got a lot of people in my life. Once I start crossing the Rubicon River, I¡¯m doomed if I don¡¯t keep running to the finish line. I smiled to myself. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s in my nature to care. I don¡¯t want to move on and turn a blind eye to my own failures and the sacrifices I¡¯ve made.¡± Kriemhild smiled gently at me. ¡°You can think kindly of others. It is that kind of nature that saved Despina, isn¡¯t it? People like that are heartbroken at the cost of battle. It¡¯s not an easy thing to do.¡± It does not mean that I was unconditionally kind to them. He is a useful person, and he is doing his best for Ravenna. So I just helped them in any way I could. If he was an irrelevant person, I wouldn¡¯t have felt involved. My kindness is conditionally triggered. If I don¡¯t think someone is worth being nice to, I go beyond callous and become cruel. I guess they overestimate me or ¡­¡­ consider me a good person. I chuckled, but there was no point in denying Kriemhild¡¯s words. ¡°If the world were easy, I wouldn¡¯t be interested in it. In the end, I have to come to terms with it. If I were an irresponsible scholar or hermit, I could say, ¡°That¡¯s why the world is interesting¡±. But when you actually take up political office, you realize that. There is not the slightest room for fun.¡± Once I become irresponsible, I can¡¯t maintain tension. I am aware that I have an unstable personality. ¡°You really are a serious person, aren¡¯t you, Lord Alfred?¡± No, I can see the devastation after cutting corners. As long as I can see it ¡­¡­ I need to avoid devastation. Dealing with the devastation after it comes will only be negative. If it was just me, it would be fine, but it¡¯s involving a lot of people. I can¡¯t stand the thought of making Mil and Kiara unhappy through my negligence. In a way, I¡¯m dependent on others. I can¡¯t work hard just for myself. ¡°No, I am simply a coward. If I¡¯m out of touch or in a position of no responsibility, I¡¯ll play around. If possible, I¡¯d rather do nothing, see the results, and then just criticize and act all high and mighty.¡± Before my reincarnation, I hated irresponsible commentators and journalists as if they were snakes. Now that I am in a position of responsibility, I sometimes envy them. But then I remember the words of novelist Kafu Nagai. ¡°In the future, I will not be able to make a living by writing. I may have no choice but to become a newspaper reporter to support myself. Or, in some cases, even if I become a thief, I will not become a newspaperman. I am not yet so accustomed to corruption that I would sell justice and humanity as a commodity.¡± I can¡¯t accept these words easily. After all, I don¡¯t want to, even if I could. It is certainly better to be a thief who knows what he is doing is wrong. It is rare to find a thief who says he is doing the right thing. Kriemhild laughed uncontrollably when she saw me. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t do it, Lord Alfred, even if you say so yourself. I was the representative of the tribe, so I have a better eye for people than most people. I won¡¯t say ¡­¡­ right away, but I can tell what kind of magical power a person has by looking at that person.¡± Magic?¡¡What does personality have to do with it? That¡¯s a sudden change of subject. Whatever it is, it sounds important. I must listen to it seriously. ¡°What does magic have to do with personality?¡± ¡°Every living creature has magical power. It flows from the soul. It is like the relationship between water and a reservoir.¡± Kriemhild then pondered a bit. She must be thinking about how to tell me. Soon after, Kriemhild slowly opened her mouth. ¡°The stagnant reservoir stinks, doesn¡¯t it? Because of my upbringing, I have become sensitive to such people. The way one¡¯s mind works is reflected in one¡¯s magical power.¡± Magic is not only a force, but also a personality, whether it is the smell of the soul or the color of the soul. The demon tribe is skilled in the handling of magic. So, can you tell who a person is by looking at his or her magic? I¡¯ve never heard of this ability, but is Kriemhild just special? Maybe she meant to encourage me and told me I wasn¡¯t a dirty person. I scratched my head. ¡°That¡¯s the first I¡¯ve heard of it. I didn¡¯t know that you could tell about people by their magic.¡± ¡°This power is the result of my ancestors¡¯ constant, unspeakable accusations. It¡¯s even harder when you can¡¯t see into people¡¯s minds to some extent. I am in trouble because I represent my family. I cannot escape from my relationships with others. My mother also had this power, so it seems to be transmitted from mother to daughter. Ordinary people don¡¯t need this ability, though, so it will likely be lost by the time my grandchildren come along.¡± Kriemhild chuckled quietly as she said this. It would be a useful ability for others. It is easy to find people who are sympathetic and easy to use. But to the person herself, it is a power that confronts her with an unfortunate reality. Those who prey on it and don¡¯t fulfill their own desires¡­ may aspire to make the ability unnecessary. Such an ability may be lost in the future, I¡¯m a little glad to hear you say that. Kriemhild turned her gaze again to the monument to the war dead. ¡°Lord Alfredo seems to be a reservoir with a long history. It is old, but there appears to be very little dirt there. It has a unique shape, so ¡­¡­ Though perhaps it looks like something frightening to some viewers.¡± Then Kriemhild gave a small laugh. So you¡¯re indirectly saying I¡¯m an old man, right? ¡°I¡¯m 17, you know. I will be 18, though. And I don¡¯t understand why people are so afraid of me.¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t know why, it just feels that way. Besides, you can¡¯t fake behavior no matter how many words you use to cover it up.¡± No matter how many times I say this, I don¡¯t think they will change their viewpoint. I¡¯m not comfortable with praise from others. I scratched my head and looked at the monument. After a moment, I felt a gaze. When I turned my head to look, Kriemhild had stopped smiling and was looking at me with a serious face. ¡°I am not much help to Lord Alfred right now. I will surely be of assistance to you sooner or later. This idea is shared by our family.¡± Thank you, but I want you to hold it against everyone, not against me. But I¡¯d rather solve the problem of Dorius first than have your opinion of me. I don¡¯t have the luxury of worrying about it yet. Emphasizing this will upset everyone and create an opening. That said, it¡¯s also tricky when the myth of ever-winning is created. I really envy the ease of being able to run to extremes and be okay with it. CH 225 Chapter 225 - Rewards for Disposables I became embarrassed, said goodbye to Miss Kriemhild, and returned to the office. Then I ask them to call Prytanis to make the next move. I guessed that Prytanis knew that he was going to be called. Before I could speak, he leaned forward. ¡°Lord Alfred, I see that you have decided on your next move.¡± He is very aggressive¡­more like he¡¯s trying to hurry me up. ¡°I would like to confirm something before making my final decision. But you seem to be in a great hurry.¡± Prytanis took a breath and opened his mouth. ¡°If my father continues to be made to dance by Lord Alfred, more sacrifices will be made. Of course, I do not blame Lord Alfred. My father foolishly doesn¡¯t understand what he is fighting against.¡± Prytanis has defected. But my strategic goal ¨C to wipe them out ¨C hasn¡¯t changed. In between, Prytanis saves those who can be saved. I¡¯m just giving it the green light. ¡°If we fight a short war, our casualties will increase. If we are going to stand for assimilation, we will look at a short war so as not to increase resentment after the war is over. If we wipe them out, we will focus on how to reduce our casualties rather than how long it will take. We don¡¯t have to think about the aftermath of the war.¡± Prytanis shrugged emphatically. ¡°I have no right to interfere with your basic policy. All I can do is to help settle the matter as soon as possible, that¡¯s all I can do.¡± ¡°I, for one, would like it to be over as soon as possible. That¡¯s where I want to upset Dorius internally.¡± Prytanis folded his arms and pondered. ¡°Do you want to directly put your hand in my father¡¯s pocket and stir him up? How?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send the information to him via familiar. In addition, the fake third child who has been detained and left unattended for a long time. Let¡¯s use him too. But we¡¯re just here to get rid of the trouble.¡± As a matter of fact, we had him in custody the whole time, but we were having trouble dealing with him. Punishing them would be ex post facto law. There was no law that made identity theft a crime. There is a custom of deciding the penalty by the lord¡¯s authority. But I rejected that kind of man-made rule. I cannot decide to go against the spirit of the law right after the law is put into operation. Even if I wanted to accept them, they live by Dorius¡¯ theory. I have no choice but to kick them out. But still, I wanted a pretext. Prytanis looked interested. He leaned a little toward us. ¡°So, what kind of information do you want me to give to them?¡± ¡°If you withdraw your commitment to human supremacy, we will not take your life or enslave you. We will not tolerate discrimination in the future, although past deeds will not be questioned. That is all I want to tell them. There is a possibility that the practitioner who receives the information will suppress it for his own protection.¡± The task given to the magician is to get information about us. That and how to manipulate the familiar is all. So, if they are presented with a dangerous turnover, they will just have trouble coping with it. It could be taken as an act of self-interest. ¡°If I tell the beastmen, things will be a little different. What should I say to my impostor?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll release you on the condition that them tell me the same information.¡± Prytanis couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Exactly free good riddance. You would never give a message that could be dangerous.¡± ¡°Yes, because the cost of just feeding them and assigning surveillance personnel to them would be a waste of money. Instead, we need a way to get the message out to Dorius¡¯ people.¡± Prytanis pondered. I did not interrupt him from thinking, but waited for his answer. Prytanis has Dorius¡¯ inside knowledge. He is our best bet here. Then, Prytanis made a face like he made his decision. ¡°I can manage if you promise me one thing, Lord Alfred. But the beastmen in charge of the message will be disposable.¡± In other words, you¡¯ll use the captive beastmen. The secretaries¡¯ hands stop at the word ¡°disposable. The captive beastmen may operate under the direction of Dorius. They are not people that we can accept and feel comfortable with. In other words, there is no way to deal with them except to pass on information. Let¡¯s respect Prytanis¡¯ judgment here. ¡°It depends on the content. I¡¯m sure it will not be an unreasonable promise, but we need to be sure.¡± ¡°The promise is that after defeating my father, you will protect the clan and make the head of the clan a representative. And that the beastmen under my father¡¯s rule would henceforth be treated as equal citizens. Under these conditions, I will recruit the applicants and return them to my father¡¯s domain. I will spread the word among the beastmen, and at the same time, I will spread this story on paper throughout the town.¡± ¡°The beastmen won¡¯t let them in.¡± Prytanis gets a mischievous look on his face. ¡°There are secret back doors. Only a few people know about it.¡± There¡¯s one problem with that suggestion. ¡°If it were known that Prytanis had defected, wouldn¡¯t they block that road?¡± Prytanis chuckled, feeling troubled. That trouble was probably directed at the people back home. ¡°They can¡¯t them. It is an emergency escape route for the leaders only. And since it would be bad if they knew it existed, we don¡¯t even keep it under surveillance. Even when I used it, it was unmarked. In addition, the number of human beings is decreasing a lot. Even if we came up with the idea, they wouldn¡¯t have the time to monitor it.¡± If there¡¯s no damage here, I don¡¯t see a problem with trying. But¡­there is one thing we need to be sure of. ¡°Will the plan be passed down the connection via the familiar?¡± Prytanis gave a small laugh. Countermeasures would naturally be factored in. ¡°I will choose someone who is not a familiar. After informing them of the current situation, I will ask a non-familiar beastman to run for the position. Because of the future, there should be no falsehoods here. And as for the beastman who is a familiar, I¡¯m sure my father would want to keep him here.¡± Either way, there are not many moves we can make. We¡¯ll just have to leave it to them. ¡°I understand. I will keep that promise in my name. Will you do it that way?¡± Prytanis seemed relieved. ¡°Thank you very much. To be honest¡­I didn¡¯t expect the situation to change so quickly. Lord Alfred seems to be able to defeat the young sage of the demon tribe.¡± Is there some kind of weirdo out there again? ¡°A young sage?¡± ¡°Yes, he is a little older than Lord Alfred. He has been renowned for his talent since the beginning of the tribe. I have also compared wits with him, but I have never been able to beat him.¡± The hard mode is still going on. I can¡¯t help but feel sick of it. ¡°What is that person¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Valentin Helhenil Balschmiede. He is a man who belongs to the family of the chief.¡± I hope he won¡¯t be hostile to us¡­ "" Because lately, villains are becoming my addictive role. I don¡¯t mind it, but ¡­ Mil and Kiara resent it. I would be upset too if someone said something bad about Mil and Kiara. So I don¡¯t want to ignore their feelings by saying I don¡¯t mind¡­ ¡°I hope the chief is affected, and that he is a rational person.¡± ¡°There are influences. He is a skilled orator and has a very high level of pride. He is full of merit.¡± Ah, I feel like it¡¯s a bad flag¡­ great potential for hostility. But let¡¯s think about the thunderstorm in the distance, after we clear up the flood in the foreground. ¡°For now, that wise man will have to wait. Shall we finish the battle with Dorius?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. I know it¡¯s irresponsible¡­ but I can¡¯t wait to see which one of us wins.¡± That¡¯s just irresponsible¡­ It¡¯s not like this is a battle comic book, where the enemies get stronger and stronger, it should only be in the world of entertainment. I suddenly realized. I picked a fight with God¡­ Well, of course, they¡¯ll get stronger¡­ CH 226 Chapter 226 - The Timing of Society''s Collapse After Prytanis left, Mil and Kiara nodded to each other. That¡¯s a signal that it¡¯s a break or that they want to talk to me. The two told the aides to take a break. Despite the break, the aides remained in the room. They didn¡¯t have to stay in the room all the time. But the two of them are in charge of the aides. I have no intention of giving them instructions. Kiara brought me some tea. ¡°Here you go, brother.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kiara.¡± After drinking the tea and resting my head for a bit, not thinking about anything else, Mil came up next to me. ¡°Al, what did Mr. Prytanis mean by disposable?¡± Oh, come to think of it, they reacted to that, didn¡¯t they? ¡°The beastman has returned to the town of Dorius. If they find him, they will kill him. He calls him disposable because his survival rate is so low.¡± Mil sighed. ¡°Why would he go back when there¡¯s such danger?¡¯ ¡°Under Dorius¡¯s ruling logic, our people are strongly bonded to each other. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t survive.¡± ¡°Would you sacrifice yourself for your fellow man?¡± In order to survive, the group becomes the top priority. If you put the individual first, you will easily fall in that world. Prytanis is on the side who rules, so of course, he understands how that mind works. Otherwise, he would not be able to rule effectively. ¡°If there is a mother and her child, and both are in mortal danger¡­wouldn¡¯t most mothers try to keep the child alive at least?¡± ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m sure they would. So Dorius¡¯ beastmen are the same way.¡± They got what I mean. ¡°Yes¡­and the beastmen learn that Dorius¡¯ society is on the verge of collapse. If they make achievements there, then the position of their fellow survivors in the new society that follows will be more advantageous. At least that¡¯s an easier reason for them to accept than being told that they¡¯re suddenly equal, without doing anything.¡± When understanding others, it is natural to understand them based on one¡¯s own logic. If your logic differs from that of others, you will not be able to talk to each other. A foreigner who had doubts about the safety of Japanese society asked a Japanese person about it. ¡°Your society is very safe, isn¡¯t it? What religion do you believe in?¡± When he answered that most Japanese do not believe in religion, the foreigner could not believe it. In foreign countries, religion plays a moral role. According to their theory, it is natural that a non-religious society would be disorderly. Japanese people would think that is absurd¡­. Even if you try to persuade them long enough and experience it¡­ you cannot believe what your theory does not convince you. If a family¡¯s life is at stake, it is even more so. If you want them to cooperate, you need to talk to them with a logic that they can understand. If they want to cooperate with someone they don¡¯t understand, they would naturally prefer to maintain the status quo rather than take such a risk. When I came to, Mil was looking outside. I imagine that beyond her gaze are the oppressed beastmen of Dorius¡¯ society, whom she cannot possibly see. ¡°It¡¯s kind of sad¡­ it¡¯s very hard for me to understand.¡± ¡°That is why Dorius has attacked us. I¡¯m sure Dorius cannot understand us either.¡± They will feel a psychological aversion to each other. That is the only place we communicate. It¡¯s an ironic communication. ¡°How could he be so terrible and not be beaten up by anyone until now¡­ If the apostles had known about it, they would have crushed him first, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± That¡¯s where I¡¯m wondering too. ¡°The Ravenna region¡­apparently it¡¯s a natural gathering place for people who don¡¯t belong in the world. I have no evidence for this, though. Maybe it¡¯s a region where the power of the apostles and the church is not as strong.¡± "" Mil was nodding her head in admiration, as if she was impressed by my words. ¡°Mr. Fabio also said that this place was strange. I wonder if they are here because there is no place for such extreme human supremacy.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°It would have been nice if we could have gotten along with each other as fellow people without a place in the world¡­¡± Even Kiara is sitting next to me before I know it. She is leaning forward as if to assert her presence. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in what will happen to Dorius¡¯s side because of brother¡¯s trick.¡± Yes, it¡¯s no use thinking about the circumstances on Dorius¡¯ side. I would regret it later if I thought about it and added my hand to it. ¡°The most frightening thing is that everyone on Dorius¡¯ side will become a dead soldier. The only way to deal with the dead soldiers is to use force against them, since they have no sense of gain or loss, or even fear. Defeating Dorius will not solve all the problems of this region.¡± ¡°There are still the demons left, aren¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Yes, there is a high probability that we will have to fight them as well. They are all belligerent people, though, and I¡¯m fed up with them. In any case, it would not be wise to win but with a reduced force.¡± I don¡¯t want to see Pyrrhic victory. I¡¯m not a war fanatic. ¡°You show them that there is hope for life and that they won¡¯t become dead soldiers. What¡¯s next then?¡± ¡°The prisoners of the Prophetist¡¯s side that we released last time will certainly be killed. Then there will be those who question the supremacy of human beings that they stand for. They don¡¯t care how many beastmen die. But what about when their own people die? Are they used to humans executing humans? Moreover, they will be upset no matter how they think about it, whether the reasons for it are satisfactory or not.¡± Kiara thought about the situation and chuckled in resignation. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sure they would be shaken. And they won¡¯t think it was the POW¡¯s fault that they lost. If they had betrayed them and been killed, that would be different¡­¡± Well done. But praising only Kiara would put Mil in a bad mood. ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll make them distrust the upper management. Tightening the screws won¡¯t have much of an effect.¡± Perhaps sensing that I was about to be out of the mosquito net, Mil, who was sitting next to me, closed the distance with her whole chair. Is this¡­ Am I being sandwiched between the two of them again? Mil opened her mouth in a casual manner. ¡°Then that prophet, was it¡­ won¡¯t they get pissed off and tighten up their grip?¡± ¡°Yes, their tightening will escalate. But from Dorius¡¯ point of view, it¡¯s annoying. They are following their principles like a religion, and the tightening on such a group will be extreme. Their strength will be reduced even before they fight us. In fact, they might even eliminate the prophets.¡± In order to overcome the predicament, he decisively implemented reforms. It appears to be the right thing to do, because he knows what the problem is. But¡­ it is rare to find a case where you can rebuild in such a situation. Like Takeda Katsuyori, the society collapses under attack from the outside. So, is it enough to just try to maintain harmony in order not to fall into a tight corner and collapse internally? That too is not good enough. That is what the former Japanese military did when the war situation deteriorated. They were obsessed first and foremost with maintaining harmony within the organization. As a result, they could not even maintain the status quo and were defeated. In other words, the situation was deadlocked. We were finally able to get to that point. I was brought back to reality by a poke in the cheek from Mil. Mill gave me a look of silent protest as I was alone in my thoughts again. I scratched my head. Seeing this, Mil gave me a wry smile. ¡°You think there¡¯s going to be infighting?¡± ¡°Yes, almost certainly. Then we will mobilize our forces there, and when we do, there will almost certainly be no fighting.¡± Mil¡¯s face says that it¡¯s a bit of a letdown. She knows I was so nervous, I was taking so many factors into consideration. That¡¯s why it was so hard for her to imagine winning so easily. ¡°Is it really that easy for a society to fall apart?¡± When I turned around at the presence behind me, Kiara was standing there before I knew it. Suddenly, she hugged me from behind and gave Mil a victorious look. ¡°Sister, you still have a long way to go. My brother had been taking careful steps to ensure that it would collapse easily. Finally, it was time to see results. That¡¯s all there is to it. It seems like I can¡¯t give you a degree in brother¡¯s study just yet.¡± Mil¡¯s face puffed up. ¡°Hey, get off of him! I have more right to hug him than you!¡± Here we go again¡­only this place is the same as usual. All the aides are averting their eyes. Guess I¡¯ll have to intercede again¡­ CH 227 Chapter 227 - Mamma Mia They are waiting for the trick to be triggered, but my daily work is chasing me regardless. In the future, the area of control is expected to expand. If that happens, I won¡¯t be able to watch this town exclusively. ¡°Maybe we should elect a mayor from among the representatives and have him handle day-to-day operations.¡± The secretaries¡¯ hands stop at my casual soliloquy. Mil gives me a dubious look. ¡°A mayor? You mean you want someone else to do Al¡¯s job?¡± ¡°No, I must govern the entire Ravenna region. The group of secretaries is also intact. As for the management of the town, I think I will detach it and leave it to others.¡± Kiara was still and pondering, trying to figure out my true intentions. She immediately smiled. ¡°The thing that you¡¯re talking about taking brother¡¯s place before. It¡¯s connected to that, isn¡¯t it?¡± That¡¯s about right. ¡°Yes. And moreover, I can¡¯t be here all the time as the number of areas under my control increases. I would like to create a smaller version of this organization in each city, and leave the management to the residents of that city.¡± Mil put her hand on her head. ¡°I know Al has a final form in mind and that¡¯s where you want to go. The reason you didn¡¯t say it at once is ¡­¡­ Because you don¡¯t want to think so far ahead that you neglect your current work. Am I wrong?¡± If we¡¯ve been working together this long, you¡¯d know it. The final grand design is drawn in my head. ¡°Yes. This will be your first experience. Through trial and error, and through repeated failures, you are growing day by day. That experience is important, which is why I haven¡¯t revealed the final form.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been saying for a while now that you want us to fail and grow. What does that have to do with not telling me what¡¯s ahead?¡± It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust them by any means. But if I talk about it the wrong way, it can all go wrong at once. If I talk to just the two of them, there is nothing to worry about. But now they have their aides. I can¡¯t help but fold my arms. ¡°It¡¯s in my nature as a person ¡­¡­ My current job is a passing phase. When I think of it that way, I tend to neglect it. And once it piles up, it piles up more. Even if a problem arises ¡­¡­ you can improve it the next time. You think you have it all figured out, and then you can¡¯t get it back. That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.¡± All of them became meek. I waved my hand hurriedly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you all ¡­¡­ That¡¯s definitely not it. I¡¯m just afraid that I¡¯m getting too far ahead of myself, and that I¡¯m depriving you of your opportunity to grow.¡± Kiara started giggling, as if my haste was funny. ¡°Brother. No one thinks you don¡¯t trust us. When we chose our aides, I was very selective with Sister. I made sure to let them know what my brother¡¯s intentions were.¡± Mil laughed at the word ¡°carefully selected¡±. ¡°Yes. Al told that he would never entrust an important job to someone he didn¡¯t trust.¡± I don¡¯t want to have any say in the selection of the aides ¡­¡­ ¡°Anyway, ¡­¡­ First of all, please grow while making mistakes. Otherwise, you will be harsher than necessary on the failures of your juniors. Then you will plunge into a troublesome future.¡± At the words of the troublesome future, everyone looks at each other. A little more explanation is needed. ¡°We will become a society that is extremely fearful of failure, and we will fall into a point deduction system. Quick and easy ways to improve one¡¯s reputation will be the order of the day. That is, to keep blaming others for their failures while doing nothing yourself.¡± Mil seems to be taking a leap too far to understand what I¡¯m talking about. ¡°How can blaming others for their failures make you feel better about yourself?¡± It¡¯s a troubling story, rooted in human nature. ¡°It is a relative matter. Suppose there is one person who has done nothing but make zero mistakes. The rest of us all experience failure. If your boss is someone who fears failure, how will your subordinates evaluate you?¡± Mil looked aghast. ¡°That¡¯s true ¡­¡­ But by Al¡¯s logic, you can¡¯t have an organization like that.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I¡¯m being careful. And the way the secretaries and aides are close to me, others are watching. It¡¯s becoming more and more contagious.¡± The aides all tensed up at that line. Too much influence is a good thing ¡­¡­ I waved my hand lightly. ¡°I have no complaints about the way you¡¯ve been working. Please continue to work the same way you have always done. It¡¯s hard to think too far ahead and wonder if you¡¯re doing your job the right way. Of course ¡­¡­ I¡¯m thinking about the final goal. But people grow in different ways. You¡¯re reworking things as you grow and as circumstances change. In fact, there may be a more correct landing place than the final goal I think of now. In short ¡­¡­ I¡¯m also doing a lot of things myself, so there¡¯s no point in just talking about the future.¡± Mil does not seem to be serious about getting the final goal out of me, either. She looked easily convinced. ¡°I understand. I guess we¡¯ll just continue as before.¡± ¡°Yes. And even now you have your hands full. If you add more work, you¡¯ll have to hire more aides.¡± Kiara shook her head emphatically. ¡°That would be ¡­¡­ if I could. I wish it could wait.¡± The aides nodded their heads in a cackle. When I make it clear that I¡¯m going to do more work, it¡¯s a real battlefield. Such rumors were spreading. I¡¯d like to wait a little, though. There is a good chance that won¡¯t happen once the Dorius¡¯ matter is settled. ¡°I see. I think so too.¡± My mumbled response made Mil and Kiara look at each other and smile. It¡¯s because I know that when I say things like that, nothing good will happen. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Then, a staff member who manages letters to and from the outside world came to Kiara with a letter. Kiara received it, read it over, and then furrowed her brow. From Kiara¡¯s expression, it¡¯s not a good thing. It¡¯s impossible if we get asked to accept 800 poor people again ¡­¡­ Other tribes have approached me to join them. And after the defeat of Dorius, there¡¯s a possibility of population growth due to surrender. Kiara brought me the letter with a reluctant look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s from the head family. Fortunately, it does not concern us at this time. But there may be trouble ahead.¡± I received the letter from Kiara and read it over. Certainly ¡­¡­ ¡°The king has not been ill for long. So it is a replacement ¡­¡­¡± Living in the Ravenna region, I am not aware of being a citizen of the Langobardo kingdom. That¡¯s fine, but ¡­¡­. What the kingdom thinks, that¡¯s another story. Mil came up next to me and I offered her the letter. Mil seems surprised. ¡°Can I see it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no letter I¡¯m not allowed to show to the lady of the lord.¡± Nodding happily, Mil reads the letter. ¡°How does the change of king affect this place?¡± ¡°No, not directly. Unless the new king gets too ambitious and gets involved in the rule of the aristocrats.¡± Mil looked a little uneasy. ¡°Did Al anticipate that?¡± ¡°Hard to say. I don¡¯t know who will take over.¡± As in the Edo period, inheritance by the eldest child is not the rule. The father¡¯s nomination, the intentions of the chief vassals, and many other factors make it not easy to decide. The current king has four legitimate child. He has three daughters, each of whom has married. Even the wishes of the wives are involved. A feudal system in which the king¡¯s power is weak. It is like the Muromachi Shogunate in Japan ¡­¡­ Kiara sighed. ¡°It looks like father will have to go to the Royal Capital. Will the head family be okay with just the older brothers?¡± Kiara has a hard time appreciating her brothers. She just stumbled at the start. In the game of the Three Kingdoms, a young man in his 20s has a political ability of more than 80. With more experience, it¡¯ll be over 90. To put it bluntly, I even consider them a genius. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re much more capable than you think. They¡¯re much more capable of governing the defense than I am.¡± In fact, when I told him about the reform plan, he swallowed it very quickly. He is completing his administrative reforms faster than I could have imagined. Kiara¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°When they replace him, they may not be able to stay on the defensive ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want brother to be sent out to help the head family. If that happens ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be the only one who can govern here, and I¡¯ll be forced to stay at home.¡± "" She knew ¡­¡­ But I have no intention of leaving. I can¡¯t afford to leave. ¡°I can¡¯t leave here either. I¡¯ll make sure I don¡¯t have to leave. In order to do that, I have to gather information about the kingdom. May I ask you to establish an information-gathering connection with the head family?¡± Kiara smiled. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to establish it.¡± In my mind¡¯s eye, I suddenly saw Mario convulsing while shouting ¡°Mamma Mia¡±. CH 228 Chapter 228 - Case-by-Case matters I think it¡¯s best to leave the subject of the succession to the throne alone for the time being. It is not something I can do anything about. The priority right now is Dorius¡¯ problem. I will only give Charles instructions to prepare to mobilize the army and keep an eye on the situation. There is one more thing that I would like to start doing now. It¡¯s a dream come true to focus on one thing in my position. I asked for Delphine. Delphine came to me, mentally calm now that the Ministry of Education was back on track. ¡°What is going on, my lord?¡± ¡°Yes, there are some rules I need to set soon. Right now, you are the Minister of Education.¡± Delphine began to become nervous at my thought-provoking talk. ¡°Is there something about¡­ the way I work that¡­¡± Oh shit¡­ I tried to find the right moment to start talking, but all I did was nervous her in vain. I hurriedly stopped her with my hand. ¡°No, no, I have nothing to complain about. I¡¯m sorry I made you nervous. What I mean is that I would like to decide as an organization what to do when you have children in the future.¡± Delphine blushed a bit, but quickly slumped. ¡°Oh¡­it¡¯s true, when I was in the guild, if you got pregnant, someone will take over and you¡¯ll retire¡­¡± I guess I don¡¯t want to go as far as retirement. It is only her wish first, but I would like to be able to choose either way. ¡°No, I am not thinking of going as far as retirement. For me, her wish comes first, but I am considering taking a leave of absence. Of course, I intend to have her return to work after she has finished raising her children.¡± When she heard the word ¡°leave of absence,¡± it didn¡¯t seem to ring a bell. Is there no such concept in this world? ¡°A leave of absence¡­? What kind of system is that?¡± ¡°It is a response to the temporary inability to work due to pregnancy, injury, or illness. You wait until that person is able to return to work. When they are able to return, we hope they will be able to work again. As a man, I do not know how long it takes to raise a child. I would like the women¡¯s team to decide on a system.¡± Delphine seems to have gotten it off her chest. I wonder if she likes her current job. ¡°That makes me very happy. Because I like my job very much right now¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that expenses involved in raising a child can be significant. If the child is a citizen¡¯s child, we are considering offering support from the city. As for a leave of absence, we can¡¯t afford the normal wages, but we would be willing to give the bare minimum to make ends meet, including for the child.¡± Delphine is listening to me with a serious face. She doesn¡¯t seem to have any doubts at the moment. Let¡¯s continue just like this. ¡°If the leave of absence is for a month or so, there is no problem with a substitute, but if it is for a year, the substitute will not be able to maintain motivation. If that happens, you will have to ask them to take over the job. Apart from that, what will be your duties when you return to work in the future? I think a lot of decisions will need to be made. I would like Delphine to take the lead in deciding on the establishment of rules in that area. I will leave the selection of people to you.¡± Leave the women¡¯s matters to women. It would be best to let those who might be involved decide. And in Mil¡¯s case, if she gets pregnant, it won¡¯t be a problem because we have Kiara. Delphine nodded happily. ¡°Yes, I would be happy to do it! Oh, may I ask your lordship¡¯s wife to help?¡± ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s okay with Mil.¡± Mil also looked at Delphine and nodded with a smile. I told Delphine last night that I would appoint Delphine to establish the rules. I was very careful to explain to her that I didn¡¯t want her to assume that it was difficult to have children and didn¡¯t ask Mil to do it¡­ and she laughed at me. She smiled and said she knew I wouldn¡¯t decide for that reason. After seeing Delphine off in high spirits, I pondered about the social advancement of women, which is so foreign in this world. If they want to concentrate on housework and child rearing as is conventionally done, that¡¯s fine. If some women wish to work, let them do so. We cannot afford to say that it is only for men. As you can imagine, we have no intention of admitting women into the military¡­. In all the battles we have had with various tribes, there has not been a single woman in the offensive force. In other words, it is probably socially accepted that women do not stand in battle. It seems that this is not so different from before my reincarnation. If it is a small number like adventurers or knights, there is no problem if there are women. Or even if they are carried as banners, it would be fine. In a society where it is common knowledge that women do not go into battle, forcing women into a large group such as an army would be detrimental. A military researcher once said¡­ He said that having women in the military is like having a mixed team in football. If that happens, men will face double suffering. They will be accused of tackling female players, whether they tackle them or not. If he were to be knocked down by a female athlete, he would feel humiliated as a tough male athlete. Because of this dilemma, male athletes abandon the game. And they would focus on something else that would allow them to show off their male side. I heard that the Israeli army had a problem after the fourth Middle East war when they let women in and as a result, the best men ran away and the function and prestige of the army declined. In the U.S., too, women are being recruited into the military, but with unique problems. There was a theory that men cannot bear children, so they show off their social significance by fighting. It seems that the basic role of men is to fight, which is the same in every world. (T/N: I didn¡¯t make any problem with the theory part, that¡¯s what it says here.) Men and women are different creatures. It would be futile to bind them completely to the same rules. It will be more in the future when people will cry out loudly for gender freedom. Case by case will be important. Leaving that aside, I wanted to check something now. It would be fine if it was an oversight. ¡°Mil, I have a question for the elders of the Elves Hidden Village. Can you give him a message?¡± Mil stiffened at the sudden topic from me. She panicked for a moment, and then snapped out of it. ¡°E-Ehhh¡­ What kind of question is that?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been here for many years¡­ that¡¯s why they know some things.¡± Mil nodded her head a bit, trying to anticipate what my question would be. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll give them the message¡­ but they¡¯re in hiding, so they don¡¯t know the details of what each tribe is up to. They just know where they are and what they are doing.¡± I¡¯m sure they will avoid an attitude of favoring one side of the force over the other. If I ask such a question, it will be brushed off. It¡¯s got to be a question they have no reason to refuse. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s kind of like small talk in a way.¡± CH 229 Chapter 229 - Risks taken by Politicians It was a day about two weeks after the departure of the agent to Dorius. Mil brought me a reply from the elven village head. After telling me the reply, Mil looked at me with a fuming look on her face. ¡°Al¡­did you by any chance expect this answer? The village head was really surprised, you know. Asking who the hell is my husband.¡± ¡°No. if it¡¯s unusually hot, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if there were other extreme weather events. That¡¯s all.¡± What I wanted to hear was about the extreme weather that has occurred in the past. Have you ever experienced a heat wave before? Have there been other extreme weather events in the past? I checked that with the head of the elven village. According to what Mil told me, elves are sensitive to changes over a long span of time, so I thought he would remember. They would not be able to take a one-sided attitude toward them, as there would be opposition from the people of the village. "" However, if they are considering the possibility of joining us in the future, I don¡¯t see why they can¡¯t just talk about the weather. I don¡¯t think the people of the village would be repulsed by the idea of talking about the weather. I asked the other tribes about it, but no one seemed to remember it, as if it had not been a catastrophe that resulted in deaths. Just to be sure, I also asked the old men back in their hometowns, and their answers were vague. We should check with the elves to see if you have any connections. Depending on the frequency of extreme weather events, early action may be necessary. As a result, extreme heat had occurred about 50 and 100 years ago. Of course, we do not know the story before it drifted here. Nor that the extreme heat was followed a short time later by heavy rains. Since the town is built along the river, if it rains heavily, they have to install levees and so on. I¡¯ll give them instructions on how to deal with the rising river in the long rains and the damage to their crops. If there is a crop failure, it will not affect them immediately, but it will be troublesome later. I don¡¯t know the details of agriculture, so let¡¯s throw it to the professionals. If the measures end up coming up empty and I get laughed at, that¡¯s fine. If I am wasting money, I can only be blamed for the results. That is a risk that politicians have to take. Those who blame only the results should be expected to take that risk when they are in that position. Those who are only afraid of internal criticism and can only deal with disasters after they occur are not qualified to be politicians. Anyone can deal with the consequences after they have occurred. Citizens cannot implement measures on their own. Therefore, they have the right to criticize. If there is an election and a bad guy is elected, the citizens should accept the result. The only people who can criticize unconditionally are the citizens who have no choice. But those who have the means to implement measures, but only to fry or defend themselves, are probably their limit as politicians. I myself am not such a big fan. But¡­I didn¡¯t want to cause damage to the public by neglecting countermeasures. However¡­ budgetary constraints prevent me from taking countermeasures for everything. It¡¯s a combination of the size of the damage and the frequency¡­ When I was about to take a break after giving the instructions, Prytanis came to me. The top priority issue for the time being is now in motion. ¡°Lord Alfred, I have sent a message to the town. I have also spread the word to the beastmen living outside the town.¡± It sounds like a line I¡¯ve heard before¡­ In other words, you used that trick. ¡°That¡¯s very accurate.¡± Prytanis nodded. ¡°We have entered into a temporary familiar contract until the mission is completed.¡± Mil and Kiara¡¯s gazes sharpen. Sorry to the two of them, but it¡¯s up to Prytanis, and it¡¯s not even explicitly forbidden. And I also knew that if we wanted to achieve a quicker resolution, they would use this means. It would be wrong to blame them for ethical issues. I can¡¯t admit that after becoming a citizen, but at this point in time, they¡¯re a citizen of Dorius. ¡°I understand, and I repeat¡­I will keep my promise to them. Shall we go to Dorius then?¡± Prytanis was not expecting my declaration. He looked very surprised. ¡°Is Lord Alfred going too?¡± This is not a situation that can be thrown to Charles this time. There are other reasons¡­ but I don¡¯t feel like talking about them. ¡°Yes, this postwar process must include the wishes of Prytanis. This is not a thing that can be left to a single commander. ¡° Then I shift my gaze to Mil and Kiara. They¡¯re probably ready to follow me, so I¡¯ll have to say this to them now. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the place to you two. You two are the only people who can take over my daily duties. I am delegating Mil as my official deputy, with full authority to run the city. Kiara, please assist Mil. Without the two of you, I will not be able to deal the aftermath of the battle with Dorius with peace of mind.¡± They both tried to protest, but seeing the look on my face, they nodded reluctantly. There was no one I could entrust them to. Furthermore, it is too bad that I am the only one with a woman in a military operation. I looked at Prytanis and tapped him on the shoulder. I want to see how far I can take this big business in the future. I have no problem being cool-headed, all I need now is a practical ability to deal with the situation. It¡¯s not a matter of intellect, but a combination of heart and mind. I want to see how he can deal with his subordinates who are not as smart as he is. I¡¯m sure he was not happy when he was under Dorius. But can he control himself after their position is turned upside down? This much¡­ I won¡¯t know until we let him try. ¡°Prytanis will be in charge of assisting me and negotiating with the surrenderers.¡± ¡°Yes, you can count on me.¡± I can¡¯t take the Elite Guard with me. We have more men, but they are still in training. Besides, I need them to protect the two of them. I will inform Ramiro, who is today¡¯s escort, of this. Ramiro would be unhappy with the decision not to take the Elite Guard with me. But I won¡¯t be able to relax if I don¡¯t have them protecting the two of them. Accompanied by Prytanis, I go to Charles. When Charles saw me in his office at the Ministry of War, he looked surprised. ¡°I would have come to you if you needed me, my lord.¡± ¡°No, I will accompany you on this mission. If we talk in the Office, Mil and Kiara will only be concerned about us.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders as he seemed to imagine the scene. ¡°I see, indeed¡­ At last, it¡¯s my lord¡¯s first battle.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll leave the war to you to lead. So I will stand back and not interject. My turn will come after it¡¯s over.¡± Charles looked at me and grinned. Unusually, though, not his usual sarcastic laced laugh. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to deal with the aftermath of this war, after all. I would be very grateful if my lord would accompany me.¡± It seems he was wondering how to handle the postwar situation. I¡¯ll take care of the trouble, so I guess I¡¯m a big help. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to get in Sir Rossi¡¯s way. I will also take an engineer with me as we lay out the road. We¡¯ll have the surrendered beastmen help us with the construction.¡± Charles narrowed his eyes as he realized that the postwar process would be different now. ¡°You intend to add towns in earnest, I see.¡± ¡°Yes, we will divide the beastmen under Dorius into separate groups and settle them in the new town we are building. Long-standing grudges will not be so easily resolved. Staying in the same place will only spark more disputes.¡± Charles looked at me as if he had no choice. ¡°Thanks to your policies, we have had to work hard.¡± I know that, even if I don¡¯t like it. I just shrugged my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s in my nature, I suppose. Besides, the demon tribe behind it is suspicious. We have to keep the unstable elements out of it.¡± ¡°So you see it as a conflict with the demons.¡± ¡°Unfortunately. They are also a bulwark against demons, so it¡¯s hard to deal with them.¡± If you do it thoroughly, there will be repercussions. It is much easier to fight Dorius¡­ CH 230 Chapter 230 - Those who drag their feet They did not even ask me when I would be back when I left. Both Mil and Kiara would know very well that I could not answer even if asked. We received an exaggerated send-off from everyone and departed. This time was different from the usual military operations. The postwar process was expected to be particularly difficult. Even if we were to build a road through the town of Dorius, we would not be able to begin work unless we knew the exact location on the map. This time, in addition to a group of engineers, we are also bringing along personnel to prepare the map. For reasons of ease of protection and physical strength, all but the combatants are riding separately on horse-drawn carriages. I wanted to know more about the current situation on Dorius¡¯ side before we left. But¡­ since there is no further news, the beastmen who contracted to be familiar must have been killed. We have received reports that several people have infiltrated. There is no way to know if they are all alive or dead. Normally, there is only one familiar per person. Apparently, Prytanis is not a powerful magician. He said that one person was his limit. When I noticed his gaze, I saw that Prytanis was looking at me. ¡°What do you think my father will do, Lord Alfred?¡± I guess he couldn¡¯t stand the silence anymore and wanted to have a conversation. Prytanis¡¯s guards do not open their mouths unless spoken to by Prytanis. He is 15 years old, so it must be hard for him to remain silent. ¡°I can make an unsubstantiated guess, though. At the moment, there¡¯s nothing I can say with any certainty.¡± ¡°So, if you were in my father¡¯s shoes, what would you do, Lord Alfred?¡± I don¡¯t have a secret plan that¡¯s like a one-shot deal. And I¡¯ve made preparations to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen. ¡°At best, we¡¯ll set the town on fire and fall back to where it will be difficult to maintain your supply lines. If there is a castle there that can be fortified, we will stay there.¡± ¡°There are small castles. We originally used them to hold back the demons, though.¡± Near a demon tribe¡¯s sphere of influence? It¡¯s really troublesome¡­ Prytanis did not seem to be satisfied with my reply. ¡°But, can we just stay here? It is possible to maintain supplies by even laying roads, isn¡¯t it? Wouldn¡¯t we dry up more if we stayed in?¡± ¡°Certainly, a siege is effective when there is a bottleneck. Or if your opponent¡¯s supply lines are vulnerable, you can try to make them run out of time.¡± Prytanis folded his arms and pondered. ¡°A bottleneck¡­ Certainly, there is another castle as an auxiliary to that one. So that is the reason why he built two castles.¡± ¡°Who built the castle?¡± ¡°My late grandfather. My father¡¯s power grew so much because of grandfather, who was known as the founder of the clan. When I was a small child, I was very much taken care of by him. I wasn¡¯t much loved by my grandfather, although I was estranged from my father and older brothers.¡± Was Prytanis¡¯ grandfather a knowledgeable general? We are lucky not to have to fight against such a guy. ¡°Then he must have been at odds with the Prophet¡¯s faction.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But his achievements were so great that there was no overt criticism. My father basically inherited my grandfather¡¯s policies. But since he was not as accomplished as my grandfather, the prophet faction always interfered.¡± I guess so. I can¡¯t help but feel a little sympathy for Dorius. This is all too convenient, though, since such a tight situation made it easier for us to operate here. ¡°As for logistics, if they burn the town to the ground and take away its food supplies, they can reduce our own.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ it would be a disaster if the beasts starved.¡± ¡°Yes, if we don¡¯t give them food, we will be attacked by the beasts. It is better to run away than to stay in your current town. But it is not a win-win situation. They are probably stalling for time, hoping that I will make a blunder.¡± Prytanis sighed. ¡°Well, Lord Alfred, you¡¯ve taken away my father¡¯s options and now you¡¯re marching in. Even if he stalls for time, he doesn¡¯t have a plan to win.¡± The world is not as simple as that. ¡°If it were just me and Dorius on the stage, we could talk about this.¡± Prytanis¡¯s gaze turns grim. ¡°Are there any more actors?¡± I had no choice but to chuckle. ¡°The current situation is a great opportunity for the demon tribe. They¡¯ll let us fight until we either fall together or both sides are wounded to the bone. Then, it would be ideal for them if they could put the finishing touches on the winner, who has wounds all over his body.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s true. I think he¡¯d try his hand at it.¡± A wise man full of great achievement. I don¡¯t think there is such a wise man. ¡°He will try to avoid a one-sided development, so that both sides fall. There is no reason for them to join us. But they have no reason to help Dorius¡¯ side either. There were probably demons who had joined the war as reinforcements. Moreover, they were close relatives of the chief. They left such a person behind, after all.¡± I shrugged my shoulders and kept talking. That¡¯s a very nice vision of the future. ¡°We who defeated them and Dorius who they left alone. Both will retaliate when the opportunity arises. It¡¯s a very troublesome situation¡­¡± Prytanis also looked up above. ¡°Yeah¡­ my father tried to retrieve it at first, too. But he thought it would be outrageous to give priority to the subhumans without dealing with the captives. Of course, captives are limited to humans. That¡¯s what one of the prophets started a fuss about.¡± Prytanis looked like he really disdain them. Then, looking outside, he opened his mouth again. ¡°Then¡­ if we try to ask for the return of the captives, another prophet didn¡¯t acknowledge the existence of Lord Alfred and the others. He made a fuss, saying it was against our founding national policy.¡± There is nothing more disturbing than an authority group that drags its allies down. ¡°If they don¡¯t do that, they won¡¯t win anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s worked for them up to now. I¡¯m sure they will continue to drag their feet in the future. But more importantly, what are we going to do about the demons?¡± That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to ask. I wish someone would tell me the right answer. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say without seeing the scene.¡± However, if they are capable of calculating profit and loss, there are ways to do it. If they are full of merit, they will be averse to risk. It¡¯s a blessing in disguise. CH 231 Chapter 231 - Soldiers doesn''t always respect slow and steady We¡¯re marching in the long rain, wondering if it¡¯s going to be a dry spell. But this march is not just a migration. We will be moving relatively slowly as we lay out a simple road. It is also meant to exert pressure. However, as a basic policy of the military, supply is the top priority. That is why priority is given to the construction of roads to facilitate resupply. When I told this to Charles, I received his full agreement. This was the one thing that convinced me that I had made the right choice. There is a funny story in the army. ¡°I thought I was going to be a warrior, but I turned out to be a construction worker.¡± It¡¯s okay. It can be a post-retirement job option. "" It¡¯s my job to provide second career options. If you spend your whole life in the military alone, you become dependent on the military. When the military is disconnected from society, it¡¯s a bad thing. On the other hand, you can¡¯t assimilate. I want the military to be only one aspect of their life. And a slow march does not conflict with this operation either. This attack is not like the barbarians, who charges in like a storm and leave when they are done. Soldiers respect slow and steady That¡¯s what Guo Jia said in the Three Kingdoms. It is indeed a great saying. It is not always right to move as fast as possible. It is not always right to finish early. It is a battle that considers the total cost in the future. It is a great word when the strategy is to ignore supply lines and rely solely on local procurement. Or when you attack your opponent¡¯s weakest point with a blitzkrieg attack. It is also right when the war leads to high expenses and a decline in national power. Looting is nothing short of a bad idea when considering postwar handling. Catching the enemy by surprise with a blitzkrieg attack does not apply in this case. Dorius¡¯ territory is an attractive frontier for me because of the lack of utilization of the people. I envision a war while developing the area. A book on the Art of War like Sun Tzu has a universality that will last for generations to come because of the principles it describes. If reading the book was all it took to win a victory, then Zhao Zhuang could have won the war with his famous proverb, ¡°Never discuss soldiers on paper¡±. Capture them before they can escape and end the battle. That is one way. If we have no time to spare, we will try that. But there is no need to do so against an opponent who is on the verge of internal collapse. Rather, the priority this time is to avoid turning the beastmen under Dorius into enemies. While I was thinking about this, a messenger came to the carriage. ¡°I have something to report! Smoke is rising in the direction of our destination!¡± I knew it would happen. I nodded and left a message for Charles. ¡°I understand. There will be no changes. That¡¯s all I ask you to tell Sir Rossi.¡± Prytanis seemed to be interested in my lack of reaction after the messenger returned. ¡°I guess everything is as it should be for you, Lord Alfred.¡± Everything would be an exaggeration. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. When you¡¯re backed into a corner, you only have two choices: run or fight. If the Prophet¡¯s Faction had been in control, they would have fought. If not, they would have run away. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand your assessment of my father, Lord Alfred ¡­¡­ If he is wise or foolish.¡± Prytanis is still young. So he would simply divide it into black and white. Humans are not that simple. ¡°Smart people don¡¯t always do the right thing. People don¡¯t live only with their heads. People who seem foolish are not always wrong.¡± This is not a thing that can be easily explained by mouth. The element of experience is important. Prytanis must have had some doubts about my words. He leaned forward a little. ¡°Then how were you able to read my father¡¯s movements?¡± Are you under the mistaken impression that the actions of stupid people are easy to read? It¡¯s the opposite, though. In the first place, wise or foolish don¡¯t have much to do with how I read. ¡°Can you read where a person would go on an empty plain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an easy question to answer.¡± ¡°Then what if there were cliffs on either side?¡± Prytanis seemed to get it. ¡°So you take away the choice ¡­¡­ It¡¯s human supremacy, so you are limited in what you can do in the first place. And then you put pressure on them to reduce their options even further.¡± ¡°Dorius¡¯ society by nature doesn¡¯t have many options. If you lose the first battle, you are out of options. Especially if you have a fundamentalist authority group within you.¡± Prytanis looked up at those words. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we were that weak. I thought it would be a dangerous society in the future.¡± Prytanis would have been confident in his own intelligence. Here his self-esteem has been shaken by me, and he seems a little self-doubtful. ¡°You are right in your view. It¡¯s just that my presence has brought that future at once.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to deal with something so unpredictable?¡± Intelligence is not omnipotent, though. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the sheer, pure youthfulness of it. ¡°That would be impossible.¡± Perhaps thinking he was being taken for a fool by my reply and laughter, Prytanis became puffed his cheeks. I stop him with my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to make fun of Prytanis. I just felt that everyone goes through the same thing, and it feels a little funny.¡± ¡°Did you go through it too, Lord Alfred?¡± It was before my reincarnation, though. It¡¯s just embarrassing to talk about it, so I shrug my shoulders. ¡°Before the river flooded, I could handle it with knowledge. After it floods, it will be too late. Once the problem starts rolling downhill, no amount of knowledge can stop it.¡± My words seem to have Prytanis asking himself the same question. That¡¯s very funny. The fact that he doesn¡¯t perceive me as a fool here means he is talented. Maybe it¡¯s because he has the ability to do so. It may seem the other way around, but the really competent ones don¡¯t over-sensitively defend themselves. Those whose self-esteem is inversely proportional to their abilities will put others down and defend their own pride by saying, ¡°They are jealous of me¡±. They truly believe this, and it is irredeemable. It seems that the answer came from asking himself the question. Prytanis looked at me. ¡°Is Lord Alfred dealing with problems that are likely to occur in the future at a time when they can be easily dealt with?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯m doing much.¡± Prytanis seemed greatly impressed. He is nodding his head repeatedly. ¡°It seems that the demon¡¯s wise man and Lord Alfred have different natures. He likes to solve big problems, after all. He boasted that this was his power. This makes me look forward to your confrontation more and more.¡± It¡¯s really easy if it¡¯s somebody else¡¯s problem. CH 232 Chapter 232 - Can''t go home until it''s done For several days, I had conversations with Prytanis. I feel as if I were a teacher. The march stopped. It seemed that Charles had ordered a halt to the march. I got out of the carriage and saw Dorius¡¯ castle. It was too far away to see the details, but the fire had already been extinguished. Some of the surrounding beastmen¡¯s villages also seemed to have been burned down. Prytanis was standing next to me, looking at the castle with a grim gaze. ¡°It looks like it has been burned down. It is hard to tell without looking inside the town. The fire in the beastmen residences¡­ it wasn¡¯t caused by spreading. It looks like they set it on fire to prevent the beastmen from attacking them when they were escaping.¡± They have been very kind to leave us with the task at hand. I returned to the carriage, knowing that I would have to wait until I was sure it was safe. After a while, a messenger arrived. ¡°I have something to report! Representatives of the local population have come and offered to surrender to us.¡± Prytanis and I nodded at each other silently and got off the carriage. ¡°Tell Sir Rossi that I am coming to him with Prytanis.¡± I was offered a horse, but I declined and decided to walk. To be honest, horseback riding is not really my forte¡­ I¡¯ll let Prytanis ride and go ahead of me. I¡¯ll have him do the bare minimum of awareness before I get there. While walking with another escort, I check on the troops. "" The situation is still a bit tense. They are a bit fatigued. Even though a few days of rest will alleviate the fatigue, we are in enemy territory. We can¡¯t take it too easy. Thinking about the guidelines for the future, I found Prytanis and headed there. Seeing me, Prytanis came up to me. ¡°Lord Alfred, my father seems to have escaped with only humans. All the surrounding beastmen have offered to follow Lord Alfred.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to accept that. But didn¡¯t the beastmen burglarize the place?¡± Prytanis chuckled. Something happened in the past. ¡°Before, my father deliberately pretended to open the town. The beastmen tried to steal, but of course, they failed. As a result, the whole family was killed. So they were too scared to go in. It seems that when Lord Alfred¡¯s army came this close, they finally realized that the town was deserted. Even if they tried to rob them, they wouldn¡¯t make it in time.¡± Prytanis shrugged his shoulders. I chuckled and nodded. ¡°The question is, what¡¯s left of the burned down town¡­ A map of the area you control would be a big help.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a map, it¡¯s there if my room is still burning. I couldn¡¯t live in the palace because I was so estranged from it. Fortunately, we have a mansion outside the palace.¡± Charles came this way, looking for me. ¡°My lord, may I have the town surveyed?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just¡­ the well is probably poisoned. Even if there is food left, please be careful to make sure it is not poisoned. Also, I would like to check if Prytanis¡¯ mansion is still there, so please assign an escort to him as well.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Shall the army stay here?¡± ¡°Aside from the outside of the town, the standby location is at Sir Rossi¡¯s discretion.¡± It is not safe to enter the town yet. Worst case scenario, if the beastmen rise up en masse and surround the town, the damage would be horrendous. I said we would accept the situation, but it¡¯s not like I trust them. Even if they had a plan, they would strike out. That¡¯s the way to deal with it. This time, because of the immigration issue, Oracio is also accompanying us. That Oracio came to me. ¡°My lord, are you sure you want to deal with them as we discussed earlier?¡± ¡°Yes. We will disperse them by existing groups. We will use them as labor to help convert the fort into a town and to lay the roads. Perhaps we will need labor separately. If so, we will follow up with instructions. As for food, we will wait for Sir Rossi¡¯s investigation. If the beastmen are starving, please share the food we have with them.¡± Oracio nodded silently and headed for the beastmen with his men from the Ministry of Immigration. This is good for the time being. The question is where Dorius fled to. The reason I came out this time is to officially end the fight. Now that he has made his move, I will finish him off properly. Now that we have accepted the beastmen, we must finish the fight with Dorius¡¯ side or we will be left with a bomb inside. However, I have no intention of attacking them by force. I am even considering a long-term siege by building a castle in front of the enemy¡¯s castle. It¡¯s a form similar to Mori Motonari¡¯s attack on Amago. It will be a long war, but in this case, it is inevitable. We¡¯ll also have the group of engineers officially start work. I don¡¯t think Dorius will attack and suddenly start planning cities. Building a second capital in a different location. It is too far from Ravenna to rule the interior. This place cannot be a strategic point. It¡¯s a place with a lot of resentment. The beasts who surrendered would be able to switch relatively easily to a new town. I hope Prytanis map is still there¡­ if not, we¡¯ll have to look into it. Either way, the place where the big river was that the teacher found when he came here. That place is good. I¡¯d like to connect the current capital with a canal. I only have fun when I¡¯m thinking about this. I don¡¯t like the idea, but we have to finish the battle first. CH 233 Chapter 233 - A treasure trove Charles reported that the well had poison thrown into it as expected. The pantry was partially burned, but about 70% of it was safe and no poison had been found so far. This was a relief. Thanks to Dorius¡¯s politics of fear, the beastmen were saved from robbing the scene of the fire. You never really know which way things are going to turn out. Prytanis informed us that the house was safe and that the maps were safe. This is the best thing we could have hoped for. I will ask them to bring the maps to us. I will send a carriage to transport them. If the well is poisoned, we can¡¯t live there. Now we have a much better plan of attack. This is much more valuable to me than the treasure. In the late Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang¡¯s army was the first to reach Guanzhong. The generals searched with all their might for the treasure, but Xiao He entered the Qin Palace of Documents first and brought back all the books, saying, ¡°This is the treasure trove¡±. That is exactly how I felt. It is understandable that Huang Yu did not pay attention to it, but it is strange that Fan Zhao did not pay attention to it. Maybe it¡¯s fiction. Was he going to build everything from scratch? Too bad we will never know again, even if the research is done. I always get caught up in the past. The information obtained should not be relied upon. But I can formulate a plan much faster than if I had to gather information from scratch. I am surrounded by soldiers, silently thinking with my arms folded. From the outside, it is an odd sight. But since it is well known that this is what happens when I ponder, no one interrupts me. How will I settle things with Dorius? At this stage, it¡¯s hard to say. But I have decided not to follow the usual rules of war this time. We are not crossing the Rubicon River until the war is over. There have been many cases where they were on the verge of victory, only to have it reversed. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the carriage. Prytanis had returned. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the carriage was coming toward us. The carriage stopped, and as I expected, Prytanis got off. His face was smiling. He seemed to be very happy. ¡°Lord Alfred! It remained in one piece!¡± It made me smile too. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. May I see the map as soon as possible?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring it to you.¡± I motioned to a nearby soldier to set the table. He must have been expecting a request. It came immediately. When Prytanis came running back, he hurriedly unfolded the map. It¡¯s a very careful and detailed map. If we could use it as is, it would be a great accomplishment. ¡°First, Sir Rossi and the engineering department¡¯s¡­¡± Oh, man, I forgot his name. The Dwarven¡­ uh. ¡°Please call for Mister Ivan Rosin.¡± One of the soldiers replied and rode away. Ivan Rosin is a dwarf, an assistant to Onyxim, the Minister of Architecture, Science and Technology. He is a stubborn craftsman type, not quite the same type as Onyxim who loves invention. He was recommended for the job because of his passion for building a sturdy infrastructure. I looked at the map to find a suitable castle for a siege, and I soon found it. It is built in a basin surrounded by hills along the river. This basin is probably wetlands. It is indeed a suitable castle for defense. The method of attacks is quite limited. When this castle is attacked, the rear castle is just over the hill? The upper reaches of the river are narrow valleys. There are many hills downstream, and it is easy to dam up. Only one place needs to be dammed up. It would be possible to copy the water attack on Bitchu Takamatsu Castle. If a water attack was to be made, that would be the key point. However, to do so, we would have to defeat the rear line. If we can attack by water, it will save us the trouble of dragging them out of the castle. Furthermore, it would also stop the demons from taking advantage of the fishermen. Prytanis¡¯ voice interrupted my thoughts. ¡°Lord Alfred, there is not enough water in the river for a water invasion. My grandfather built the castle with this in mind. He also told me that even if the water were to rise, it would be difficult to defend a place that would hold back the water.¡± He predicted the possibility of a water invasion, huh. My aim is a little different. What matters is the size of the long rainfall of elf information. Even if the water rises, it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to flood. What happens if we dam it up and release it all at once? It would be worth a try. But more importantly, how do we handle the backlog? I¡¯ll have to think about that. I¡¯ll give him a different answer from what I have in mind here. ¡°Anyway, it has been decided that we will march up to that point. We¡¯ll figure out the rest on the spot.¡± Prytanis looked a little surprised. "" ¡°That¡¯s unusual. I have an image of you as an easy chair commander.¡± I am not usually on the front lines. This time, I have to be there. ¡°No, I¡¯ll leave the actual command to Sir Rossi. If I am in a place where security is unstable, I will have to assign a larger force to protect myself, after all.¡± Prytanis looks impressed. ¡°I see, you are indeed very cautious. You are much calmer and collected than those old generals.¡± The old general part is unnecessary. Some old men are too hot-blooded and not thoughtful enough. ¡°The first thing to do is to stay out of the way of the field commander. And the beastmen are getting away from the influence of Dorius, but I don¡¯t think they are completely out of it. We are taking steps to deflect their influence, though.¡± Prytanis seems to question my cautiousness, and he made a puzzled face. ¡°Then why did you accept them. If that¡¯s the case, I think it would be better if we could put them somewhere and monitor them.¡± Unfortunately, that¡¯s a no. I shook my head. ¡°The problem of the beastmen is also a political one. Unlike war, politics sometimes requires you to show a pose of trust to your enemies and gray partners. If you pose as not trusting them, you¡¯ll drive the beastmen to Dorius¡¯ side.¡± I looked at Prytanis with a sarcastic smile. I continued talking. ¡°Keeping an eye on beastmen is exactly the kind of behavior Dorius would expect. People would rather improve their status in a society they are accustomed to than in an unknown society that is said to be better¡­ even if it is worse. They will rise up as Dorius expects. Of course, I can think of a case where he will accept it like a good-natured person. In that case, too, they will make us let our guard down, make the beastmen happy, and then oppress them. The beasts will have experienced this, so they will easily believe this as well.¡± I look at Prytanis and he seems to be examining my words. ¡°It seems that you also can read the mind of the beastmen very well¡­ No one under my father¡¯s command can read that well.¡± I only see it from the dominant point of view. If I act from the same perspective, we¡¯ll lose our footing. ¡°Either way, it would be better if they were to become so suspicious that they could not march.¡± Prytanis looked impressed. "" ¡°I see that you have put Mister Oracio in charge of the beastmen, in order to weaken my father¡¯s influence.¡± ¡°It must be a surprise for them to hear that a beastman is a minister. It is impossible to open their hearts and minds to human beings out of the blue. It is the quickest way to show them the concrete differences from their original society. Besides, they will feel more familiar with Mister Oracio.¡± ¡°Then, we will disperse the beastmen so that their grudges will not flare up amongst themselves. This will make it a false hope even if they wish for a rebellion among the beastmen.¡± I nod in satisfaction at how quickly Prytanis understood. ¡°Yes, this case is too much for the military chief of staff to handle alone. I¡¯m leaving it to him because it¡¯s more efficient that way. If it would be less efficient to leave it to him, I would come out like I did this time.¡± As we were talking about this, Charles and Ivan came over. Charles came up to me and looked at the map. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. I heard you found the map.¡± Ivan looked at the map, using a crate he had brought out of nowhere as a platform. ¡°Is this map correct?¡± Prytanis¡¯ attempt to protest was stopped by a hand. ¡°Basically, we¡¯re working on the premise that it is correct. But please check the details, etc., and rewrite the map in the official Ravenna format. Make three copies of this map for Sir Rossi, Mister Oracio, and Mister Rosin. Sir Rossi, please use this as the basis for the construction of a fort that will serve as a defensive stronghold.¡± Charles nodded silently. He must have been thinking about the location of the installation from the moment he saw the map. ¡°Mister Rosin, please use this map as the basis for building the second city. As for the labor force, please coordinate with Mister Oracio about the beastmen.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. By the way, are we on the right track with the canal construction?¡± ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t move that.¡± Ivan gleefully trimmed his mustache. It was a rare kaiser mustache for a dwarf. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see how much fun it will be to build such a long canal. I¡¯ll never be bored if I follow my lord.¡± I can¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Then, you can start your work. The food will be stored at the fort. The construction crew should consult with Mister Oracio. Sir Rossi, after the fort is completed, well will go and greet Dorius.¡± Charles grinned. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing what you¡¯re going to do this time. I feel a little sorry for Dorius. They don¡¯t know what you will do, yet you are so careful in your warfare that it¡¯s a nightmare for the enemy.¡± Prytanis gave a drawn-out laugh. ¡°I too, when I heard about the first battle, thought we were definitely going to lose if we didn¡¯t do something about it¡­ I met him to see what kind of person he was, but he was so plain¡­ I got more and more scared. And yet, he had so many nicknames that I really didn¡¯t understand.¡± They all laughed, and I was a little grumpy. My bad, I¡¯m a plain guy anyway. And the nickname wasn¡¯t my fault! CH 234 Chapter 234 - It''s good if it''s only Aniki The fort was completed in no time. It was basic-like in three days, but quite large. It¡¯s really quite impressive. Our engineers have a lot of experience in directing mixed-race, efficient construction projects. In addition, the beastmen did a great job. It seems that Horacio has won the hearts and minds of the beastmen. He has a lot of contacts with other races in the Ministry of Immigration, so he knows how to deal with them. As a result, they call him ¡°Aniki¡± and love him. A good old man is confused when he is called ¡°Aniki¡±, but ¡­¡­ If that¡¯s all he has to deal with, it¡¯s quite cute. Compared to me ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s leave such blue stories alone. I didn¡¯t expect it to go this far. I think they may get out from under the influence of Dorius sooner than I expected. With that in mind, I¡¯ll leave the management of the beastmen to Oracio and Ivan. I said that he would leave it to them to take care of something. I don¡¯t have the hobby of confusing the field by giving detailed instructions to people I don¡¯t even know. As a result, the new beastmen called me ¡°Lord Entrust¡± in the shadows ¡­¡­ Will my name increase every time I do something? I shake that off my mind. I ordered Charles to lead the army to a high point overlooking the castle. As we moved, I stared at the map given to me by Prytanis and memorized the points where the enemy was likely to attack. Prytanis seemed to sense the change in my mood and refrained from asking questions. As usual, we are moving along the road. Dorius is probably baffled by the slowness of my march. The commanders don¡¯t mind, but the defenders need to show the soldiers they are the enemy. Especially since they have been losing so much that they are losing confidence. I am not aiming for that, but if the slowness of the march is not a plus for the enemy, then that¡¯s fine. After about three days, we arrived at our destination. Alongside Charles, we look down on the castle where Dorius is holed up. Down this hill, I¡¯m sure the wetland terrain will make our footing unstable. You can aim all you want with your bow. After all, it is a river in front of the castle. Certainly, there is not much water. It would take too much time to attack the castle using water. Perhaps they thought there was no need to go that far, but the walls were no more than 10 meters high. The castle walls were probably not built that high because of the fragility of the footholds. But this does not mean that a forceful attack is strictly forbidden. The moat is also deep. The defenses are very strong. Charles looked reluctant. ¡°It will take a lot of effort to attack this castle. Shall we start by building an encampment?¡± ¡°First, take the high ground in the direction from which the rear guard will attack, and then build a defensive position. Please build as quickly as possible. As you know, they will not attack us from the castle. I think the correct term is ¡°can¡¯t come out¡±.¡± Charles nodded and set about building a defensive encampment. Soon a thin wisp of smoke rose from the castle. They saw our arrival and signaled the rearguard with a wolfsbane. "" Maybe they plan to respond after they see my lineup. Dorius will have secretly requested reinforcements from the demon tribe. I don¡¯t trust them, but their current strength alone should not be enough. The only effective way for them is to stop us and wait for us to make a mistake. If possible, I would like to fight ignoring the demons. A series of battles is not realistic. The magic unit on our side has been enhanced with the addition of the demons, but it¡¯s still early. We can¡¯t expect such precise coordination. I have the upper hand, but it¡¯s only an advantage on thin ice. So much for all that hard work. Let¡¯s hope for the long rain for now. If the weather forecast is wrong, we can use a different method to draw out the enemy. Naturally, I have the means to do so. Dorius¡¯ rearguard arrived after the defensive encampment was made in a rush. The number of soldiers is surprisingly large. There are about 600 men. Are they mainly cavalry? I¡¯m surprised that they still had horses. Maybe ¡­¡­ they were scavenged from the territory. I am not sure because of the distance, but I guess they must have conscripted old people and children as well. If they don¡¯t have the numbers, even if they only look like it, they won¡¯t be a deterrent. Since we occupied the high ground first, it seems they set up camp a short distance away. That was the point where we could dam it up when we attack by water. I guess they were instructed to give priority there. Charles came back to me. ¡°My lord. What will you do next? We will be vigilant, but I don¡¯t think they will attack today.¡± ¡°I see. Let¡¯s set up camp here too and let our soldiers to rest. Tomorrow, we will start to dam the canyon upstream. I¡¯d like to ask Mister Oracio to arrange for more men.¡± ¡°I understand. Was it the elves¡¯ information? It will be easier if it rains.¡± ¡°Yes. We can turn all their calculations upside down.¡± Then Charles smiled, more sarcastically than usual. ¡°My lord. I thought you were an arson maniac, but I see you can handle water too. Perhaps you are better at using nature as a weapon than the elves.¡± What the hell is an arson maniac! That¡¯s such a rude thing to say. ¡°It¡¯s not my hobby to set fires. It¡¯s just that the best solution happens to be fire. And I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the right solution. But it¡¯s not like anyone is going to die trying it. At best, I¡¯ll be laughed at.¡± Charles looked at me with an astonishing look. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s a bad habit to be so quick to belittle yourself.¡± I had to scratch my head and cover it up. ¡°I¡¯ll be as careful as I can. I¡¯ve been warned by Mil and Kiara, too.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s hope our efforts will pay off. It¡¯s a forecast, so it can go wrong. You just have to keep a cool face like that.¡± I can¡¯t even make a sound to react. I¡¯ll have to improve. ¡°W-Well ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll improve on it later. I wonder how long it will take to stop the upstream.¡± Charles gave me a fierce white look for my blatant change of the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Where are you going to get the soil from? That will make a difference.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll drop the soil from the top of the canyon. Let¡¯s have an engineer sent to that area. We don¡¯t have to hold it up permanently. It would be nice if we could store enough water and let the canyon break on its own.¡± ¡°Is that part rather left up to the heavens?¡± I chuckled involuntarily. ¡°I can¡¯t control the weather. What do you think I am?¡± Charles grinned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you could.¡± I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re joking or serious with that line. CH 235 Chapter 235 - Sickness is the Military''s Greatest Enemy As soon as the engineers and laborers arrived, work began on the canyon¡¯s dam. The enemy could not interfere even if they wanted to. It was too risky. It was eerie, but I guess they were aware of the danger and did not want to attack us. An attack in the wetlands would cause heavy damage when they retreated. It could be considered just a diversion. From the castle where Dorius was holed up, I could only hear the occasional mocking voice. I was impressed by the fact that it must be hard for the voices to reach this far. Then everyone gave me the blank stare. Since a surprise attack by a small number of people is possible, I have enough guards for the laborers. Curious, I went to inspect the site and found that they were building a dam out of lumber. It would be washed away in a flood, but since that was the purpose this time, they said it was just fine. I thought they were going to build it by dropping soil, but I was impressed to find out that they were not. This is another construction project that is rarely done, so the engineers are having fun¡­. This is war, but¡­ if it motivates them, good for them. At the same time, I asked Ardelheid to send about 10 medical staff. I would like to teach the newly added beastmen medical skills if they have the aptitude for it. Let¡¯s start with the women who are not engaged in civil engineering work. Because of the large number of new additions, there is an urgent need to increase the number of medical personnel. Even in the capital, we will need more manpower. The maximum number of people we can request to be dispatched is 10. There are other things I want to do, but first, we need to end the war. For now, I just hope they don¡¯t starve or get sick. Construction is going well, and in two weeks we have a dam that is almost satisfactory. It¡¯s holding back the water, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be pooling at all. During the construction, we received a report that an army of demons had taken up position near the rear of Dorius. They were holding up some kind of conspicuous banner, which I heard from Prytanis was the banner of the much-talked-about wise man. I don¡¯t think I have the stomach for that kind of self-promotion. Some people like to show off. Even before my reincarnation, there were people who put their faces on big billboards. I don¡¯t deny the flag itself. Even the ancient Romans had flag bearers in their legions. It is probably useful to raise morale and unite people. I am thinking of introducing it when the size of the army grows. I want to have a symbol of unity for the multi-racial population. As the end of the construction work approached, people began to blatantly turn their eyes away from me. Are they worried about the lack of rain? I, myself, was aware that it was just as well it didn¡¯t rain. Then, the clouds began to gather and a heavy rain began to fall. Cheers arise from the military. It¡¯s not my knowledge, so I don¡¯t feel any emotion when people praise me for it. I felt everyone¡¯s eyes on me, and I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m just borrowing the wisdom of my predecessors.¡± We were prepared for the heavy rain, so we handled it without difficulty. Even from a distance, Dorius¡¯ haste to pack up was evident. The wise man of the demon tribe moved his army to higher ground. Just in case, I guess. ¡°Sir Rossi, the long rain could spread disease to the soldiers. Please build a bathing hut for the soldiers to prevent illness and relieve stress. Fortunately, we have plenty of lumber. We can take care of ours later.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Will the disease spread?¡± I chuckled as I recalled a bad memory. ¡°If Dorius¡¯ castle was flooded, the plague would spread. When people live together for a long period of time in a humid place, they tend to get sick. We will take precautions, but there is always the possibility that some of us will get sick.¡± When Charles heard the word ¡°plague,¡± he looked bitter. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that¡­¡± ¡°The living conditions have been so poor that some of the beastmen may contract the disease. This time the disease is not serious, but there is a possibility that soldiers may get sick. If that happens, our strength could be greatly reduced.¡± Charles bowed and left. Prytanis, who was standing next to him, was constantly impressed. ¡°Lord Alfred, you pay attention to many things, don¡¯t you? Do you think the plague could spread to the army?¡± The leading causes of death among Japanese troops in World War II were starvation and disease. In the wetland backcountry of the jungle, undernourishment leads to disease. Even in ancient China, plague spread during prolonged sieges and destroyed armies. The most important thing for a commander to pay attention to is the health of his soldiers. I consider such a commander who cannot pay attention to the health of his soldiers to be disqualified. At the very least, I would never want such a commander under my command. ¡°When there are too many people, it will inevitably spread. In a stressful environment like the battlefield, you are more susceptible to disease than in peacetime.¡± ¡°You really pay attention to the human psyche, Lord Alfred¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°War is what people do. In other words, you have to know their state of mind. Maintaining discipline and improving morale are closely related to the psychological state. The actual operation is left to Sir Rossi. But it is my job to set up the basic conditions for the operation to take place.¡± Prytanis gazed at the camp of the demon tribe in the distance. ¡°It is not difficult for the wise man. Just push them to work hard. That¡¯s what he said.¡± That¡¯s one of the right answers. Sun Tzu¡¯s argument, though, which is common sense, is that if you let your guard down, your troops will run away and scatter. Our army, which doesn¡¯t run away and scatter, doesn¡¯t have to be based on that. ¡°I can only say that it is not a mistake. But if that idea is the basis, that wise man seems to be disliked by the soldiers. If he had a cheerful personality, he might still be popular.¡± Huo Qubing is unmanned, and when the soldiers are starving, they themselves are having a banquet. Even though he did such things, he was strangely popular among the soldiers. Popularity is indeed a puzzling thing. Prytanis laughed, wondering if he had any occasion that came to mind. ¡°It is not so bright. I think he is disliked by everyone but himrself. He always says, ¡°Do as I say and everything will be fine¡±.¡± Prytanis doesn¡¯t seem to like it either. He doesn¡¯t look very wise. But he hasn¡¯t made any mistakes, so he manages to keep his position. Or is he a wise man who shifts the blame? If he has an extreme fear of failure¡­ I don¡¯t seem to have much to worry about. ¡°I wish I could believe in myself unconditionally like that.¡± As I watched the rain pouring down, I gave my mindless answer. CH 236 Chapter 236 - We''re not through it yet I heard it was a long rain, but it¡¯s been raining heavily for four days in a row. That¡¯s a bit extreme. I had them check the dam that was holding the water, and they reported that it could break at any time. Prytanis¡¯ face, which had been relaxed at first, became tense. ¡°¡­¡­ What will happen if this breaks?¡± ¡°That would mean the castle would be flooded. The water will recede quickly, but how many will survive is a mystery.¡± Prytanis shook his head. ¡°I guess it¡¯s already over ¡­¡­ But I guess we won¡¯t know until the water actually flows in. We might drown before we know ¡­¡­¡± I didn¡¯t reply to it and called Charles. Charles came right over. ¡°My lord. I think it¡¯s about time.¡± ¡°Yes. The water won¡¯t come this far. But I think the enemy will attack the first defensive encampment we made. Please let me reinforce the security at night. Also, if you hear a loud sound at night, make sure that you do not go down there.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I ¡­¡­ have never seen a water attack of this magnitude before.¡± Prytanis sighed. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve never seen it, too. I¡¯ve only heard of water attacks in folklore. Let¡¯s hope the water doesn¡¯t come this far.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t come this far with any great force. It is a straight line to the castle in terms of direction. We have done all we can, so let¡¯s wait and see what happens.¡± Prytanis would want to save as many people as possible. Despite his desire to do so, he could not imagine how many would survive. ¡°Those who were captured in the first battle were lucky ¡­¡­¡± I didn¡¯t want to comment on that. I didn¡¯t become a prisoner, so I don¡¯t know how it feels. It¡¯s no use thinking about the feelings of the enemy. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I was sleeping that night listening to the sound of rain when suddenly there was a loud sound. I get up and go outside. I had been sleeping in plain clothes in case of emergency. It was pitch black outside and I could not see anything. But there was a loud sound and a faint rumbling in the earth. Everyone who heard it came out of their tents. Prytanis, with a shaggy head, came running toward us. ¡°Lord Alfred! Did it finally break!¡± ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s too dark to see at all.¡± Even when the bonfire is raised, there is only darkness and eerie sounds. When everyone was silent, there was the sound of running water. From the volume, this place must be safe. After a while, the sound of water splashing came from below. We listened intently, and then there was no loud noise. The water level would not rise any higher. I turned to Charles, who had probably come to get instructions. ¡°Please hurry up and check the first defensive encampment we made. Dorius¡¯s rearguard will take refuge there to escape the muddy waters. They are most likely to be dead soldiers trying to stay alive.¡± Charles bowed and rode away. Prytanis stared in the direction of the castle, which was too dark to see. I put my hand on his shoulder. ¡°We won¡¯t know the details of the situation until tomorrow. But I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve been wiped out. The muddy stream is only a blow.¡± There was no direct reply to my words. ¡°If I could go back in time, I would have killed my father to stop the fight ¡­¡­¡± Only a faint voice reached me as I returned to my tent in the rain. I decided to sleep in silence. Tomorrow would be busy. Lack of sleep would cloud my judgment. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair for me to be talking about the damage now. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next day, I found out the result of the water attack. The water had receded, with some exceptions. Parts of the walls had collapsed. The walls had not completely collapsed. However, the upper part of the wall, which was directly hit by the muddy stream, had collapsed. It seemed that the building materials of the dam had been used as weapons against the castle, and there were even parts of the castle wall where trees had been stuck into the wall. I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead, but it was either driftwood coming down at high speed ¡­¡­ This is tough. I stood next to Prytanis, who had been staring at the castle since before I came out. Prytanis¡¯s bodyguard, who is always behind him, was shaking slightly and looked pale. Prytanis¡¯ eyes were bloodshot. It seemed that he had not slept. He was not soaking wet, so he must not have been here all night. ¡°Were you awake the whole time, by any chance?¡± Prytanis shrugged weakly. ¡°I tried to sleep. I couldn¡¯t sleep after all. It got bright eventually, so I gave up.¡± ¡°You must be tired. You should get some rest. You¡¯ll be busy for a while from here.¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­ I can¡¯t sleep anyway.¡± Then Charles came riding up on his horse. ¡°My lord, it is as you saw it. There was a battle with the enemy. As a result, the enemy has all surrendered. About three hundred men.¡± Quite many survived. We are not here with our entire army. There are about 600 of us. That¡¯s a lot of food to eat and a lot of watching. ¡°What¡¯s the damage here?¡± ¡°One dead, three seriously injured, five slightly injured.¡± Should I think that nine casualties are not so many against a dead soldier? There is no time for sentimentality now. I sigh deeply and turn to Prytanis. ¡°Would you like to meet them?¡± ¡°If Lord Alfred allows me to ¡­¡­ Please.¡± I nod silently. Prytanis rode with Charles to the prisoners on horseback. How can I make the most of these results? I shook my head strongly, feeling the weight of my heart increased by this sacrifice. We have not yet crossed the Rubicon. CH 237 Chapter 237 - The True Meaning of the Water Attack A short time later, Prytanis returned. ¡°Lord Alfred, I have finished talking to the prisoners.¡± I wonder they said. ¡°Yes, we are in no condition to fight. We hope that Alfredo will be lenient, they said. I was surprised that Gyurippos surrendered.¡± I think he has the ability to compete with Charles. ¡°Is Gyurippos a confidant of Dorius?¡± Plytanis nodded strongly. ¡°Yes, my father¡¯s best friend since he was young and more than just his right-hand man. It seems that Gyurippos has been driven into a corner to the point of putting the lives of his men above his own.¡± Was he entrusted to pack up because he was his trusted confidant? Prytanis seems shocked. ¡°For now, let¡¯s wait for Sir Rossi. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s busy disarming the weapon and arranging surveillance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t put up any futile resistance.¡± ¡°Well¡­you wouldn¡¯t be that stupid. If he wanted to resist, he would have used more effective means.¡± Prytanis¡¯ face turned grim at my words. ¡°Lord Alfred, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to kill the prisoners?¡± We will not do that. It is not an effective means. I laughed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Prytanis seemed relieved by my words. A short time later, Charles returned. I stopped him with a hand as he was about to report. ¡°Good work, by the way, do you think we will have enough food for the troops?¡± Charles looked reluctant. "" ¡°As one would expect, the consumption of 1.5 times as much is not what we had planned for. It would be unreasonable to ask the rear to suddenly increase the ration by one and a half times.¡± That¡¯s true. Arranging for rations is often neglected. If you think it is easy and anyone can do it, you are not qualified to be a commander. It is such a difficult and important job that even Napoleon himself had to direct his own transportation plans. This is the type of person who excelled as a front-line commander, but ruined himself leading a large army. It is a job that requires a lot of planning. It cannot be transported by train or ship. Even if they could, even the famous Great Moltke¡¯s rail transport had a series of troubles, and the supply to Paris was delayed. For some reason, the actual situation was not known¡­ With the current situation of greatly inferior transport capacity, it is not possible to suddenly increase transport volume by a factor of 1.5. We need to collect rations, arrange for wagons, and transport them. There is no surplus of wagons. First of all, collecting wagons will be a hard task. Even so, the company has added beastmen to its ranks. If I let the supply plan fail here, I would trip over my own feet. In ancient China, there were stories of people being buried alive for this reason. ¡°By the way, what did prisoners say?¡± ¡°They said they would follow orders as long as they were not to attack his old master.¡± I nodded quietly. ¡°Then have all the prisoners build defensive encampments. Meals must be reduced throughout, but¡­ Three meals are not possible for the prisoners. Let¡¯s give them one meal.¡± Prytanis was surprised. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Instead, tell them that we will release them once the defensive encampments have been built. We will not attack until we reach Dorius¡¯ castle.¡± Charles looked surprised indeed. ¡°My lord, are you going to return the prisoners to the enemy without a second thought?¡± ¡°Yes. If we force them to eat, there will be a shortage of food. And the beastmen could rise up. Nevertheless, it would be bad to just let them go.¡± Prytanis seemed surprised. ¡°What on earth do you have in mind?¡± I open my mouth in a strong tone. ¡°This is a clear order. Please make arrangements to do so.¡± Charles bowed and went out to carry out my instructions. Prytanis seemed confused, unable to keep up with the understanding. ¡°Lord Alfred, could you please explain this to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain why when the prisoners are released. I think it makes sense in theory.¡± Prytanis seemed to realize that I had nothing more to say. I held my head in my hands. I like Prytanis. But, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to change my strategy. Of course, I won¡¯t change what I said that I¡¯ll accept them if they abandon their human supremacy rule. I apologized to the soldiers for cutting back on the amount of food they eat to temporarily conserve rations. I told them that I would make it up to them and managed to get them to be patient. It is better to be honest than to play a trick. The prisoners who heard my instructions were silently building defensive encampments. I gave the prisoners only one meal, as promised. It seems that they are avoiding getting desperate just in time with the word that they will be released if they build the defensive encampments. On the second day, the construction of the defensive encampments was completed. As promised, we released the prisoners in the direction of the castle. Charles and Prytanis, who were watching this next to me, looked at me. ¡°As promised, I¡¯ll explain. First of all, this surrender was the action of Gyurippos under the instructions of Dorius.¡± The word ¡°instructions¡± made both of them taken aback. Charles folded his arms. ¡°What was he going to make them do by surrendering?¡± ¡°First of all, if they can defeat them in a normal military action, there¡¯s no problem. But he doesn¡¯t know what I would do. If they are forced into a situation where it is impossible to continue the battle, surrender with as many men as possible. In other words, they¡¯ll attack our rations.¡± ¡°Did he not consider any possibility that you would not consider unacceptable?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I had scattered papers in the town of Dorius encouraging people to surrender. You don¡¯t think they would refuse to surrender because of that, do you? Even if it would cause them to consume a great deal more food.¡± Prytanis shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s Gyurippos. At worst, he was prepared to be killed. Even if he survived, he would still carry the stigma of a traitor, and yet he still tried to help my father¡­¡± "" It is a very beautiful story. That said, I am not going to let it fulfill its intent. ¡°You probably think of me as an idealist. There is no such young man who places the highest priority on supplies. Even if I have to push myself a little too hard, I will pursue my ideals. That¡¯s what they would think. Besides, if victory is at hand and they are elated, they will readily accept it.¡± Charles shrugged. ¡°When I first met you, I thought you were an idealist, too. But I guess that speculation came up empty. It¡¯s a strange thing to say, but it was a brilliant reverse move. What are you going to do now?¡± I shrugged. ¡°If I¡¯m right, this is the end of this war.¡± Prytanis seemed surprised. ¡°Why? I think the number of troops has increased drastically.¡± ¡°What will happen to the food supply with the increased number of troops? And¡­ they won¡¯t let them into the castle at first.¡± ¡°Food will be tough, but¡­¡± I shook my head. "" ¡°What do you think I did the flooding for? The castle will be flooded and the food will be ruined. The sewage system in the castle would overflow, and contaminated food would be inedible. Almost everyone in the castle would have a stomachache and diarrhea that would not stop. And if the waste disposal system could not keep up, there would be a plague. Even if they get desperate and charge at us, we have the defensive encampments built for them.¡± Charles and Prytanis looked at each other. Charles shrugged. ¡°Such a nefarious scheme¡­ And, I suppose the reason they are not allowed to enter the place is to protect the remaining decent food.¡± ¡°But ostensibly, the Prophet faction would say, ¡°Those who surrender are not human¡±, or something to that effect.¡± Charles chuckled. ¡°I guess they can¡¯t tell them not to come because they¡¯ll have less food¡­¡± ¡°The only people who can give a good reason for refusing are the prophet faction. I am sure they would say so even if they didn¡¯t want to. It¡¯s what they would usually say, after all. They killed the former prisoners of the Prophet¡¯s faction who were freed in the previous battle, but they would not kill them this time. That kind of thing will not go through. If that were to happen, the prestige of the prophetic faction would be shattered. Some people don¡¯t want to abandon their comrades-in-arms. Rumors will spread that they are talking big, but in the end, they are only thinking of themselves. Internal strife will start within the castle.¡± As we were talking about this, the prisoners of war who had been released in front of the castle was not allowed to enter the castle. Let us in! I can hear those kinds of sad screams all the way here. There seems to be a struggle¡­ but I don¡¯t know the details. As Charles directs, a winged tribe¡¯s scout is checking the situation at the castle gate with far-sighted magic. Let¡¯s wait for their report. We can¡¯t let our guard down yet, but there is no way to reverse the situation from here. I looked at Prytanis and saw that he was slumped over. ¡°The next time the enemy surrenders, the battle will be over.¡± Prytanis simply nodded emphatically. CH 238 The gathering of information was left to the scouts. First, information about the demon tribe arrived. They seemed to have retreated from the area, thinking it would be difficult to gain a fishing advantage. If they were afraid of failure, they would have decided to retreat at this point. Because there was no need to take risks here. Even if I were the one in command, I would withdraw. Then, information about the castle came to me. It seems that a few soldiers outside the castle were hit by archers and several of them fell down. After that, the soldier who shot the bow was thrown off the castle wall. Then the gates opened and the soldiers entered the castle. As expected, civil strife broke out. The prophet faction will be killed off. The anger toward Dorius changes direction when he shoots his bow at his friends. Dorius will have given instructions to let them into the castle. Either way, he will be ruined, but if he closes the door on a moment¡¯s notice, he will be killed and the Prophet¡¯s faction will take over the power. Then he would want to get rid of the prophet faction, which was only getting in the way. Finally, a realistic response would be possible. Prytanis, who had been nodding his head, looked up. ¡°What do you see happening next, Lord Alfred?¡± You are strong at such a young age, you¡¯re looking forward already. ¡°The prophet faction in the castle will be wiped out, won¡¯t it? After that, it will be a matter of deciding when to surrender.¡± ¡°If they surrender, what will you do?¡± We do not intend to change anything from our initial decision. ¡°As per the original terms. If they do not want to live with the beastmen, we will allow them to leave. However, I don¡¯t think there will be any place without them.¡± ¡°Can I handle the negotiations with the surrenderers?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m bringing them here with that intention.¡± Prytanis sighed. ¡°Lord Alfred¡¯s soldiers are calm even when they released the captured soldiers. Normally, I would have thought they would have complained. I wonder how well they have been trained.¡± If nothing is done, they will be upset and frustrated. But this is not a problem that can be solved by training, you know. I shrug my shoulders. ¡°We have no choice but to release the Prisoners. That¡¯s what the soldiers understood.¡± ¡°What they understood?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy. We took in a lot of prisoners. As a result, we became short on food and had to eat less. There is no better persuasion than this. To kill a man who has surrendered would be a crime against conscience. But if we liberate them, we can compromise.¡± Killing an unarmed opponent does not make a soldier proud. They will think it is a disgrace. It is not a good idea to traumatize a soldier. Prytanis thought for a moment. ¡°Lord Alfred, are we really running short on food?¡± ¡°If we use all our reserves, it will last us some time. However, if something happens, there will be a shortage at once. So it is true that there is a shortage.¡± A constant decrease in consumption is not something that can be solved with a reserve. An anomaly has occurred, and there is not enough food to go around. But we have to feed the prisoners. So please be convinced and be patient. Such a foolish thing will not go through. Prytanis waved his hand hurriedly. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you¡­ it¡¯s simply my unexpectation. I can save many lives, that¡¯s all. I was completely at ease after that surrender. The battle was not over yet, though¡­¡± I looked at the castle from a distance. It looked quiet, but there was clearly less smoke rising from the food preparation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be caught off guard right before the finish line and have the tables turned on me. But¡­ it¡¯s natural to want to think you¡¯ve won. We are winning, but we are not winning. It¡¯s a truism.¡± So the turnaround from the brink of defeat is history. I don¡¯t want to be a part of it. In fact, I don¡¯t know if they really surrendered to reduce the number of troops. But that is where the weakness of my army lies. If there was a way to reverse the situation, I thought, it was that. I don¡¯t have the strength to monitor 300 men and keep feeding them. We would have to drive the surrenderers into the castle and make them help us reduce our rations. I also recognize that this is a ruthless but effective measure. I just decided to follow the methods of Nobunaga Oda and Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Like Guan Yu, he has no intention of being defeated by demonstrating his spirit of devotion. There is another aim. When dealing with a certain ideological group, it is not enough to just win. We needed to destroy the persuasiveness of the ideology, even if we accept its survival. Respect diversity¡­ It is not an ideology that can be accepted in such a pretentious way. As a result of pointing a bow at his comrade, the principle that he had upheld crumbled. The situation makes it seem like nothing more than a convenience for self-preservation. There is no way to know a person¡¯s inner thoughts. I don¡¯t think this is the perfect way to destroy it. When you force perfection, you usually fail. The only way to do it is to kill them if they attack you without abandoning their ideology. If they are willing to abandon it, I¡¯ll leave it to Prytanis. We have asked Prytanis to help us to reduce our losses. If we just use him here and discard him, there will be no one from the outside who will want to cooperate with us. I noticed that Prytanis was also looking at the castle. ¡°I hope my father doesn¡¯t get desperate and order them all to go with a suicide attack.¡± I don¡¯t know Dorius. So I am not in a position to comment on that. I can only comment from my perspective as a ruler. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t abandon responsibility¡­ he will try to keep as many of them alive as possible. ¡®A suicide attack is just an abandonment of responsibility.¡± ¡°Then what about suicide?¡± ¡°If he had killed himself in despair, that would be abandonment. If he entrusted the fate of his men to someone else¡­ it would be different. It depends on who he entrusts them to. Either way, I can¡¯t answer which action is the right one. There are cases where it works out better to abandon.¡± Prytanis chuckled. "" ¡°I guess Lord Alfred is not a man who easily tells you the right answer.¡± It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t tell you, it¡¯s that I don¡¯t understand. Politics is about results. If the people you entrust are able to connect it to the future, you can say that you have fulfilled your responsibility. If it is a failure, it is the wrong way to fulfill the responsibility. No matter how lofty the ideal is, if it does not produce results, it is a failure. The misgovernance of a virtuous ruler is no better than the good governance of a ruler who fills his own pockets. The trouble is that greedy rulers often do better than selfless ones. There is no way to know what the future holds. All we can do is prepare to have more choices in the future. If it¡¯s an ideology, someone might pick it up after it fails. It is often described as a premature ideology. Being a leader is very tough. Nevertheless, we have taken on the fate of many. We just do what we can. I only smiled bitterly at Prytanis. CH 239 Every day, the smoke rising from the castle is lessening. Prytanis, watching next door, is probably praying for a quick surrender. If we attacked by force, they would fall easily. But there is no need. But if they think we¡¯ll never attack, they may take extra measures. He may escape at the cost of many lives and flee to another castle. I¡¯ll ask them to call Charles. After a while, Charles came over to us. ¡°My lord, what are your instructions?¡± ¡°There is no need to reassure the enemy that there will be no attack. Besides, it¡¯s hard to keep up the morale of the soldiers if they¡¯re just waiting for Dorius. We have come all this way. Please pretend to attack the castle. Also, there is a possibility that the enemy will take advantage of the night to escape. If they were to flee, it would only be in the direction from which the rearguard came. Please light a bonfire and strengthen surveillance.¡± ¡°Will he run in any other direction?¡± ¡°It is useless to flee in a direction where there are no food reserves. Even now, they probably don¡¯t have enough food. They will be stuck in a state of starvation. However, it will be troublesome if they are forced into another castle and are then besieged.¡± A healthy body can survive. That is difficult in the current unsanitary and undernourished conditions. Wetlands, which are easy to defend, will be a hindrance in an escape. It is nothing more than a desperate attempt. Unless, of course, he plans to survive on his own¡­ Normally, the standard practice would be to surround the castle and open it up on one side only. But we don¡¯t have the manpower to do that. To begin with, with only about 600 men, a castle siege itself is essentially impossible. That is probably why Dorius chose to stay in the castle. ¡°I see, I understand.¡± There is a possibility that he is waiting for me to let my guard down as a last chance. There is a mood of optimism in the entire army. Now would be a good time to tighten things up. Prytanis looked at me with an astonished expression. ¡°I have never seen Lord Alfred let his guard down. You really are ageless¡­¡± Don¡¯t talk about my age. ¡°I¡¯m 17. What will the other party do to get out of this? I just keep thinking about it until it¡¯s settled.¡± I would appreciate it if this would break your heart. I¡¯m not the one who decides. Then we made an attack in looks only. But I just positioned myself at the very edge of the bow¡¯s reach and sounded the trumpet call. As expected, the response from the castle was sluggish. The forces have been almost completely destroyed. They may be pretending to be dead, but it doesn¡¯t matter either way. That night, a bonfire was lit brightly. Since there was no turn for me, I went to bed quietly. The next day, I wake up with an itchy body. The bath was not yet ready for us. My head is itchy because I haven¡¯t taken a bath yet. As I went outside, scratching my head, a messenger came to me. ¡°I have something to report! A messenger came from Dorius to surrender. Sir Rossi and Mr. Prytanis are handling it as you instructed.¡± I nodded mechanically. ¡°I understood. I¡¯ll wait for the next report.¡± I have told them what we are negotiating. The general manager is not in charge when negotiating terms with the enemy. I only appear when everything has been decided. If I show up, caught off guard by the victory, it will seem like an opportunity for the other side. There will be fierce retaliation, but if they are hungry and giddy, they will eat poisoned steamed bun. Let¡¯s at least give them a shot. It is even possible. I may be overthinking it, but I am in a position to be cautious. Let¡¯s leave the negotiations to them and think about the future. I kept staring at the map until I got the report. While I was scratching my head and looking at the map, I felt the presence of someone. I looked up and saw Charles and Prytanis. Charles gave me an astonished look. ¡°©¤ My lord, are you planning what you will do after you win? I would like your approval to decide on the premise of a victory.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s hear the details.¡± ¡°They¡¯re going to offer Dorius¡¯ head. They will also lower his claim to human supremacy. Instead, they want you to protect them as a citizen.¡± You¡¯re missing a point. ¡°They¡¯re probably bringing in treasure as well. Who has the right to it?¡± It¡¯s not that I want it. But there is one problem, you see. If they think they can take it all away and hide it, or if they throw themselves down a well with the treasure, it will be troublesome. ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s check on that. What about their personal property?¡± ¡°I have no intention of taking it from them if it belongs to them. We have heard from Prytanis that there are no extremely wealthy people. If it does not belong to him, we will keep it.¡± ¡°Do you want to sell it and use the money?¡± No, no, no, it¡¯s the other way around. I waved my hand. ¡°That¡¯s what I don¡¯t want you to do. What happens if the treasure goes to the outside world? Adventurers will come rushing in, thinking there are still others. And to make matters worse¡­ the royal family could take notice.¡± Charles looked impressed. ¡°I see¡­ it would certainly be tricky if they thought there was treasure.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want to be disturbed unnecessarily just yet. Even if we were to sell the treasure, we would need to time it right.¡± ¡°I am so worried that I want to burst out laughing. I wouldn¡¯t want to do my lord¡¯s work even if you asked me to.¡± I totally agree¡­ I sighed as I watched Charles go about his negotiations again. After some back and forth, we were presented with the final terms of surrender. "" They will offer Dorius¡¯ life, and they want their people to spare his life. Those that solely refuse to live with the beastmen will not be killed, but wish to be banished. Half of the treasures are to remain with Prytanis. And they want Prytanis to take care of the people who accept the change. The treasure will be used for that purpose. And they want permission for Prytanis to beget offspring, and in addition, they want me to be his guardian. All other treasures will be offered to the winner. I accepted these terms. Surely there is a way to eradicate the bloodline of the enemy leader. There are softer means, such as ostensibly protecting them, but not allowing them to produce offspring. There is no need for that, since Dorius¡¯ society is symbolized by the prophet rather than the bloodline. The first condition, Dorius¡¯ life, must be a punishment. The most obvious thing when it comes to a new society is the head of the leader. Even if they don¡¯t like it, they are confronted with reality. Prytanis, who had been negotiating for some time, looked terribly tired. ¡°I will be responsible for Prytanis. I have no intention of forbidding him to leave offspring. And all those who will become citizens will have a last name. There is no distinction by position, and without a last name, it would feel strange. You must make a final agreement on these terms.¡± Prytanis hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth. ¡°If the surrender is successful, may I give them food, since they were all starving? In addition, we would like your permission to mourn for the deceased.¡± ¡°I understand. Then, I will be present at Dorius¡¯ decapitation. If I am not present, it will not be considered official recognition. I know it will be hard for you, but please confirm it.¡± Prytanis laughed emphatically. ¡°I know. I think I understand a little of the weight that Lord Alfred is carrying right now. Their fate depends on me¡­¡± After that, a head was placed on a plate, though I couldn¡¯t see it. The soldiers almost cheered when they saw the head, but I made them stop. I have no taste for desecrating the dead. Besides, it would only have a negative impact on the future situation. Now that Prytanis has confirmed that it is him, I asked him to put it in the box as soon as possible. I wanted to bury him, but there was a chance that the garrison commander might resist in another fortress. I promised Prytanis that I would bury him after all the disarmament. Unless we took his head and asked him to disarm the various forts. That¡¯s what I thought, but I was told that since they had people entrenched in two places, the others were unoccupied. So, if we open the one remaining castle, that would be the end of it. To deal with the surrenderers first, I sent an escort to Prytanis to head for the castle. The soldiers looked uniformly relieved. It had been about two months since their departure. It was a quick attack for a war, but it was the longest military deployment. From now on, the period of military service will become longer and longer. We have to think about taking care of them. I want to send the soldiers home as soon as possible, but we need to be prepared for the demon tribe. It is imperative that we establish a defense system for our new territory. And we need to deal with the other tribes that have been indifferent to us. At the very least, I want to establish mutual non-aggression. We cannot ignore them. There is a possibility that they will target our backsides during the battle with the demons. Just because they are indifferent doesn¡¯t mean they will always be indifferent. I can¡¯t just leave the defense system to Charles. He would need my permission, too. I was looking at the map when I looked up and saw that the sun was beginning to set. I need the soldiers to be tense for a little while longer. It¡¯s war until they return safely. Then Prytanis returned. He looks tired, but more than that, he looks like he¡¯s had an incident. ¡°Prytanis, is something wrong?¡± ¡°It was Gyurippos who decapitated my father. After reporting this to me, he chose to commit suicide¡­¡± Then Prytanis¡¯s shoulders slumped. Maybe they were close. I had a feeling that would happen when he entrusted me with Prytanis. Normally, he would have wanted to entrust his son¡¯s future to his best friend. But Gyurippos could not choose to live only by himself. Others would never be able to measure the weight of the friendship they had formed over the years. I have no intention of saying that he should live even if he has to live in disgrace. Pushing beautiful things without considering the other person¡¯s situation. And then, you puff out your chest that you did a good thing. If a problem arises afterwards, they evade it by saying that it¡¯s not their fault. Or they ignore it. When the grade goes up, they begin to say that they are the victim of a betrayal of their good intentions. To me, this is nothing short of an abomination. I¡¯ve seen it all before my reincarnation and I¡¯m sick of it. Thus ended my battle with Dorius. CH 240 The fight is over, but I¡¯m glad it¡¯s over ¡­¡­ and I¡¯m ready to move on. Such luxury is not allowed to me. The next assignment awaits. The second town is under development, so I¡¯m moving to a fort built as a defensive base. There, for the first time in a long time, I could take a bath and relax ¡­¡­ but it didn¡¯t go that well. I wanted to empty my head and rest a bit, but my thoughts soon boiled over. The defense system and the layout of the fort would be the prototype for the town. And where to move the people entrusted to Prytanis. If I thought too much, my head would explode. First of all, I should think about the people who are difficult to deal with. No. This is not relaxing at all. I felt like falling asleep, so I got out of the bath and went back to my room. I got into bed and fell asleep. I was more tired than I thought. The next day, I asked Prytanis to come over. The humans were temporarily residing at the fort until they could find a place to settle. Only about 400 people survived. Before the war with us, there were less than 2,000. Prytanis came to me. His expression has become calm. He seems to have stabilized mentally. ¡°Lord Alfred, have you decided where the humans are going to be settled?¡± I scratched my head. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. We put the prisoners in contact with the beastmen in stages. We were able to do this because they were prisoners of war, but that will not be the case this time. But if we let them go free, they will gather up with only human beings.¡± Prytanis also folded his arms and thought about it. ¡°I was thinking about that too. At present, the very foundations of their lives have been shattered and disrupted. If we leave it as it is, they will want to go back to the way it was. It¡¯s a reckless move, but I think we can go for it and let them live together.¡± That¡¯s one way to go, though. ¡°If you take that step, I do have one concern.¡± ¡°Concern?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the phenomenon of values being turned over.¡± Prytanis nodded his head. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°People who have lived their whole lives discriminating against beastmen are forced to abandon it. When that happens, they end up doing the exact opposite of what they¡¯ve always done.¡± This was a common scene in America. When discrimination against black people becomes apparent, it leads to extreme preferential treatment of blacks. The same is true when incidents occur that can be noisily called discrimination, even if they are not actually discrimination. Some people ridicule and scorn extreme favoritism. Scorn is fine. I too am an outsider, so I laugh at them. But there are quite a few people who are involved in the situation and are dissatisfied with it. They think it is unfair that they are given preferential treatment instead of equality. Their grievances are so deep-rooted that they are justified. I don¡¯t know whether it comes from a sense of guilt for ignoring the preconceived notion of equality, or whether they felt they had to save the day out of the goodness of their hearts. Immediately after the turn-over, the momentum is great. If you point out that it is unnecessary up to preferential treatment, you will get the sack. After a while, the fervor dies down. Then the dissatisfaction with the preferential treatment becomes apparent, and they go back to discrimination. If things are a little better than they were before the turn over, it may be progress. But it doesn¡¯t work that way. It turns around from discrimination to extreme favoritism. Self-discipline is difficult. Some people usually get out of line and behave as if they are the privileged class. Because they are privileged, they end up with lenient treatment. To be privileged is to be noticed. When those who are privileged are not treated as well as they could be, there are those who make a fuss. It is almost as if they are watching to make a fuss. That is why incidents are more conspicuous than they need to be. Although it¡¯s not race criticism, similar preferential treatment sometimes leads to a cover-up, as in the case of the Cologne New Year¡¯s Eve mass sexual assault. When the target of preferential treatment commits a crime, their own claims are compromised. Naturally ¡­¡­. The feelings of discontent and insecurity are topped with hatred. Then it becomes a basis for justifying discrimination and exclusion. The situation begins to take a turn for the worse. The crooked preferential treatment drives even moderate people to discrimination, and a polarization of preferential or discriminatory treatment awaits. As a result, only those who truly desire equality will suffer. The turned-over side is that it appears to be actively doing good deeds, and that is why it is so tough. If you get burned, it¡¯s not a bad idea to stick your hand in the water. But a spiritual one is not the same as a burn. Both discrimination and extreme favoritism ultimately don¡¯t consider the other person the same person. In fact, maybe discrimination is better than thinking they¡¯re inferior human beings ¡­¡­ Extreme favoritism even gives the impression of being intoxicated with protecting rare animals. Or, you are protecting a baby that can¡¯t do anything on its own. If the person you are dealing with is an independent human being, just don¡¯t expose him or her to unfair practices. The rest is his/her life. It¡¯s not a story you can intervene and ruin on a whim. I just don¡¯t feel good about it. Oh no. My thoughts went off in a strange direction again ¡­¡­ I noticed that Prytanis had a difficult look on his face and folded his arms. It seems that Prytanis was also lost in thought. When he noticed my gaze, he chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a difficult story, isn¡¯t it? No matter how I think about it, I can¡¯t come up with a surefire solution ¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s right. There is no such thing as an easy solution. Maybe it¡¯s because we¡¯re human that it¡¯s a problem that will never be solved. But I am in a position to rule. I can¡¯t just give up. ¡°That¡¯s why ¡­¡­ I have to change the source.¡± Prytanis¡¯s eyes become dots. Oh, no. Did I jump the gun too far? ¡°I sometimes have trouble keeping up with your conversational leaps, Lord Alfred.¡± Human beings need something to hold on to. When it comes to discrimination or racial superiority, it becomes a problem. Some people find discrimination to be a source of strength. But we don¡¯t let the majority do so. Then it is possible. Before my reincarnation, religion was primarily responsible for this role. During World War II, Japanese Descent were persecuted in the United States. If they went to the butcher to buy meat, they were refused. They¡¯ll say, ¡°We have no meat to sell to the enemy¡±. Even if you say, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sell meat to the same American citizens?¡±, it was completely meaningless. Interestingly enough, he asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sell meat to the same Christians?¡± The effect was extraordinary. The butcher apologized and sold the meat. In theory, this is a very strange story. "" Religion is so much stronger when it is so much more important. It¡¯s very convenient, but we can¡¯t use that trick here. ¡°It¡¯s something they can find confidence in and a reason for being. It¡¯s about teaching them who you are. I¡¯m not pessimistic about the children, but the problem is the adults.¡± ¡°What are you going to make that they can hold on to?¡± ¡°I guess ¡­¡­ being a citizen of Ravenna. People are creatures who live with some distinction to begin with. I can only deny discrimination among citizens. If I were to extend the scope of non-discrimination to the world, I would be unrecognizable instead.¡± We are slightly weak, but we have to present a better place and make it stronger. Prytanis started laughing, as if something amused him. When he finished laughing, he caught his breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that your vision is too broad, Lord Alfred ¡­¡­ Yes, that would be understandable. You are not pessimistic about the children, do you think that time will tell?¡± I don¡¯t think doing nothing will solve the problem. People will flow in a natural direction if left alone. It¡¯s the direction that is least stressful for them. And if the parents infuse discrimination, nothing will change. ¡°As citizens, we create a place for our children to study. They will spend their time there.¡± ¡°I see. So you are going to educate the children, including a better place to live.¡± ¡°If people find it easier to live there, they will naturally adapt to it. That¡¯s what I intend to do as a plan. The problem is their placement. If they are too dispersed, they will not be able to receive the Prytanis¡¯ attention. If they are too tightly packed, they will gather with humans alone.¡± Prytanis thought for a moment and then looked at me. ¡°If we use that argument, if we spread them out too much, they¡¯ll probably stick together with people from their own village. I think it is better to reassure them to some extent than to make them feel insecure. I will bring them into contact with non-humans at work. Isn¡¯t this a good idea?¡± It is true that it is impossible to control even one¡¯s inner mind. Not only is it impossible, but it is also futile. ¡°I understand. For the time being, let¡¯s make it easier for Prytanis to manage. If that is the case, it would be better to have them move to the capital.¡± Prytanis smiled meaningfully. ¡°I think that would be a good idea. Lord Alfred has neglected to send a single letter to his wife and sister. I think they have reached their limit. It would be a good time to go back to town.¡± I went rigid for a moment. Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I forgot. I couldn¡¯t help but hold my head. My head was full of postwar processing ¡­¡­ ¡°W-What shall I do ¡­¡­?¡± When Prytanis saw this, he laughed out loud. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t even want to touch that kind of a drama. As Lord Alfred¡¯s assistant, I¡¯ll want to curry favor to your wife. So I have decided to side with your wife this time.¡± CH 241 There is work to be done before returning to the capital. It is the treatment of the medical team that was dispatched during the war. When I return to the capital, the Governor will be in charge of the new territory. Military affairs must be centralized, so I will throw all other personnel rights except military affairs to him. Personnel with practical experience are concentrated in the capital, so the governor will ask each minister to dispatch them. Oracio has been appointed to the post of governor, and the medical team will be left in his charge. A piece of paper or a message could have been used to inform him of this. However, I have not seen the medical team since I called them in, because I have been busy. As a matter of courtesy, I decided to meet them at least once. I asked for the leader of the medical team that had been dispatched. The leader seemed to be a male member of the rabbit tribe. That¡¯s very unusual¡­ It is not surprising that some of them are not communists. The man who came to the temporary office¡­ certainly¡­ it is a Rabbit tribesman. A macho Rabbit Tribesman, like a bodybuilder. Brown skin, chiseled face like Abe Hiroshi¡¯s¡­ Tight T-shirts that flaunt their muscles. Like Fist of the North Star, it looks like it will tear if he put too much effort into it. I was relieved to see that he was wearing pants. I wondered what I would do if they were thongs¡­ However¡­ I didn¡¯t know there was such a person. The Rabbit Tribesman took a bow, shining their white teeth like a bodybuilder. ¡°I am the leader of the medical team sent by Minister Ardelheid! My name is Rui Joaquin Lopez Menjivar! Please call me Louie!¡± I was stunned for a moment. ¡°O-Ohhh¡­ Excuse me¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before. Were you there when I picked you up?¡± Rui¡¯s white teeth flashed with brightly. ¡°No, I have seen you. I am ashamed to say¡­ at the time of my immigration, I was a hunchback and fair-skinned.¡± Who did you get your magical makeover from¡­ Is it from a questionable advertisement in a magazine! ¡°Have you made that much physical change since you moved here?¡± ¡°Yes! When I immigrated, I found the town strained by the plague control measures. In my own way, I wondered what I could do to avoid getting sick. I thought I could help the town by doing so¡­ At that time, I happened to have a chance to talk with Lord Alfred.¡± What¡­ We¡¯ve met? I don¡¯t remember that at all. Rui chuckled and scratched his head. ¡°I think Lord Alfred has forgotten about it. It was a very difficult time for us at that time. So I asked you what I should do to avoid getting sick. At that time, you said, ¡°If you keep your body healthy, you are less likely to get sick. Prevention is the key to everything¡±. I realized when you said that.¡± Rui¡¯s pectoral muscles twitched while his eyes sparkled. I almost felt my eyes go dark. ¡°W-What in the world did you realize?¡± I¡¯m trying to sound calm, but my voice is trembling. My answer isn¡¯t strange at all, right!? And you can¡¯t be calm in the face of this thing! ¡°It occurred to me that I should train my body like a tiger tribesman!¡± Why make such a leap? ¡°And you got that far in such a short period of time¡­?¡± Rui¡¯s white teeth shine again. ¡°Yes, since we moved to Ravenna, our diet has been meat-heavy, and it¡¯s helped me get in shape! I got up the courage to ask the tiger people to teach me how to work out, and they were more than willing to do so!¡± ¡°With all that musculature, wouldn¡¯t it have been better to be a soldier?¡± Suddenly, Rui looked blue and frightened. ¡°T-There¡¯s no way I can fight¡­ My back will lose its strength¡­ I can only fight against illness¡­¡± His mentality is like a normal rabbit person, huh¡­ Suddenly his voice becomes weak. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to force you to work against your own intentions.¡± Rui was explicitly relieved. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m not good at fighting, after all¡­¡± ¡°Later you will receive a formal letter of resignation, and you will be the head of the public health department of the new territory. You will be in charge of sanitation and medical care. In addition, please continue to educate those who are qualified.¡± Rui posed, although it is unclear what he meant. Will all bodybuilders die if they don¡¯t pose? ¡°Leave it to me! Everyone¡¯s so enthusiastic, which makes our instruction so much better! They had no concept of public health, so they don¡¯t get it at first. But when I told them that it could reduce the possibility of losing their family and friends to illness, their eyes changed.¡± Until now, they would have treated them as expendable¡­ That¡¯s fine, but he won¡¯t mass produce bodybuilders just for the sake of education, will he¡­? ¡°Please contact Ms. Ardelheid for any requests for personnel or supplies. Please consult with the governor of the new territory about other issues. Also, you don¡¯t have to force everyone to be muscular.¡± ¡°Yes! I keep in mind that Lord Alfred does not like it when we force others to do something. Body modification will be taught only to those who wish to do so. I will protect their health with my muscles!¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ I¡¯m counting on you.¡± After Rui left, I plopped down at my desk. What the hell was that¡­? I¡¯ll have to question Ardelheid when I get back. CH 242 The night of the shocking interview. Returning to the capital, I had a nightmare that the entire rabbit tribe had turned macho. We were greeted by a single line of people, posing in a row. It¡¯s just a dream ¡­¡­ It must be. And I have to go home. The march will be slow because the capital will include Prytanis¡¯ people. There are not enough wagons, of course, so healthy adults will be on foot. Therefore, it will be a march with breaks in between. The roads were paved and flat, so travel was relatively smooth. However, the distance between forts was a bit far. From my knowledge before my reincarnation, I remembered that the limit for horse-drawn wagons was about 190 km. Based on this, we are planning the construction of the fort. The population is not that large, so we have to squeeze in just barely. Still, I had the forts built with as much leeway as possible, so that the distance between each would be within 100 km. We should fill the middle more. It would be possible because the population has grown all at once. And we need to think about the disadvantages of increased territory and how to counter them. As a result of the increase in territory, the necessary defense force will also increase. As for that, we are in the process of constructing the most efficient defensive system possible. Since the boundary between Dorius territory and the demon tribe is unclear, we cannot build an earthwork. With reference to Limes Germanicus, we are repairing the existing fortifications. We will build a base to connect the two, and create a network of roads to increase the speed of the army¡¯s arrival. This will do for the time being. The borders are not set in stone. Furthermore, there is a time lag in the transmission of information due to distance. Dorius compensated for this by using beastmen as familiars. I cannot use that method. However, there is a high possibility that they would willingly offer to do so to show his loyalty. Unlike us, there is not so much a sense of avoidance. But if we allow it to happen, the scope will expand more and more. We have to think of an alternative. I need to gather more information about the demon tribe. We confirmed this when Prytanis defected, but we have never actually fought them. Therefore, we do not know how they fight. Should we check again with Miss Kriemhild ¡­¡­ I then stopped thinking and looked up, and my eyes met with Prytanis. ¡°Lord Alfred. What were you thinking about this time?¡± ¡°Directly, I guess, about the next battle.¡± ¡°You mean, it doesn¡¯t stop there. I for one am looking forward to the Wise man¡¯s showdown.¡± I looked as annoyed as I could. ¡°I¡¯m not a wise man. I don¡¯t feel like appealing to myself as a superior person.¡± The grumpiness is like taking it out on someone. Looking at the wise men in the light novels and wondered what a wise man was in the first place. The image I have in my mind is of a wise person or a thinker. When a problem arises, they do not solve it in a forceful and violent manner. Even if they have power, they solve problems with as little use of it as possible. The wise man in the light novel ¡­¡­ In other words, the light wise man solves things violently and superficially with his strong power. And the people around him praise him as a wise man ¡­¡­ Such a sickening image has become ingrained in me. I have no intention of becoming such a clown. I know you are not calling me that with such an image, but ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t like what I don¡¯t like. Then, the Demon King would be much better. At my words, Prytanis laughed bitterly. "" ¡°I think it¡¯s amazing how prepared and careful you are. But I can¡¯t imagine Lord Alfred boasting about it, being praised by everyone around him. Well ¡­¡­ no matter how much Lord Alfred denies it. The other party will see you as a rival on their own.¡± What a nuisance ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯d like to say that I¡¯ve had enough rivals. I wouldn¡¯t want to go to war for that reason.¡± Prytanis twitched the edges of his lips a little. ¡°But you don¡¯t have a choice, Lord Alfred. The wise man considers himself as the smartest man in Ravenna. Since Lord Alfred¡¯s arrival, he¡¯s been in a state of anxiety. Before that, he had recognized Madam Magali as his rival. But she didn¡¯t take him seriously, though.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh when I pictured the disgusted look on that ill-natured grandma Magali¡¯s face. ¡°That can¡¯t be. Are you saying that Ms. Plunkett knows about the wise man too?¡± ¡°Yes. When the wise man is not taken seriously, he says, ¡®It¡¯s because she¡¯s an old woman and has lost her ambitions¡±. Then someone presumably younger than him appeared and beat Madam Magali. He¡¯s feeling a sense of rivalry with you on his own.¡± Wait ¡­¡­ What do you mean, ¡°presumably younger¡±? ¡°I¡¯m 17 ¡­¡­¡± Prytanis wagged his finger from side to side and said, tch tch tch. ¡°You¡¯ve long since turned 18. You forget your own birthday, so you don¡¯t look your age. Even I remember my birthday.¡± What ¡­¡­ it¡¯s already my birthday ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Ah ¡­¡­ it¡¯s already past that. I look at them with a faraway look. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy. I can¡¯t be so obsessive about such trivial things. It¡¯s only one day in the year ¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re going back to those who think it¡¯s important, though ¡­¡­ I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t get retorted. You owe me one.¡± Why. My birthday doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t mean to underestimate the wise man who may be my future enemy, but there is no sign that he is that dangerous. Maybe he is a self-produced genius ¡­¡­ My attention was focused on something else. CH 243 Slowly, we continue to move toward the city of Ravenna. In the distance, I can see the nostalgic Ravenna. I had been away from the city for about four months. Winter is coming, but it is not that cold because of the mild climate. I was deeply moved to know that I was back. Instead of being sentimental, I want to check the current situation and prepare for various things, such as the battle against the demon tribe. And I haven¡¯t forgotten to question Ardelheid. Even if I look at it from the carriage all the time, I won¡¯t arrive early. I quietly sit back into the carriage and immerse myself in contemplation. I wonder if it will work, since this kind of research has not been done. Will we even have the right people? There is no point in worrying about it. First of all, we have to take action. While I was lost in thought for a long time, the carriage stopped. It seemed to have arrived at the town. When I got off the carriage, Mil and Kiara came running and hugged me. I almost fell down, but I managed to stay on my feet. Mil brought her face close to mine with a big smile. ¡°Welcome home, Al.¡± When I tried to scratch my head, I couldn¡¯t raise my hand because I was hugged by them. ¡°I¡¯m home, Mil.¡± Then, Kiara¡¯s hug grows even stronger. Kiara brings her face close to mine with moist eyes. ¡°Welcome home, brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m home, Kiara.¡± I can¡¯t move at this rate. ¡°Can I ask you both to step away? Let¡¯s take our time and have an emotional reunion later.¡± Mil and Kiara left us with a proportionally straightforward approach. Then Robert and her wife, Delphine, who had been guarding the capital, came forward. ¡°My lord, thank you for your hard work!¡± ¡°Welcome back, my lord.¡± I was a little embarrassed and scratched my head. ¡°I¡¯m home. Thanks for watching the place.¡± Then, Ardelheid, who had no idea what was going on, came stumbling in. ¡°Welcome back, Lord Alfred.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back¡­ by the way, Ms. Ardelheid¡­ I have a question¡­¡± Ardelheid¡¯s face became a bit of a scowl. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Is there something wrong my ass! ¡°It¡¯s about Mr. Rui, who was sent to us¡­¡± Ardelheid¡¯s smile quickly faded. ¡°Oh, Rui-san! It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it, those muscles!¡± It sure is amazing! It looks so uncomfortable! ¡°Why did you send him¡­?¡± Ardelheid looks not at all offended. In fact, you could call it naivete. ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s an excellent person. He¡¯s motivated enough!¡± That ain¡¯t what I mean. ¡°No, those muscles¡­?¡± ¡°It looks like he¡¯s been working out hard. I think the disease will run away from him when it sees that!¡± Don¡¯t you feel uncomfortable with that? ¡°Didn¡¯t you think anything of it when you saw those muscles, Ms. Ardelheid?¡± Ardelheid tilted her head cutely. Then she broke into a dazzling smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful!¡± ¡­Yes? ¡°Is¡­ it?¡± "" Ardelheid nodded vigorously. ¡°If the doctor is a man, he better be tough. I feel very safe!¡± I have only a sense of uneasiness through the sense of security¡­ ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡± ¡°Yes! Even men look at a woman¡¯s breasts and style. Women see toughness.¡± I-I see. Noticing my agitation, Ardelheid suddenly looked as if she had just realized something. ¡°Oh, Lord Alfred is in a different category, so you¡¯re okay!¡± That¡¯s not it! ¡°Then you think he is the right man for the job, don¡¯t you, Ms. Ardelheid?¡± Ardelheid nodded with a big smile. ¡°Yes, I am very pleased with my appointment!¡± I¡¯m getting dizzy¡­ ¡°Is it a good thing that there are more machos like him?¡± Ardelheid scowled. I thought you were going to ask about something important, that¡¯s the kind of face she¡¯s making. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing, you know? Lord Alfredo¡­ may I?¡± ¡°What, yes?¡± Ardelheid pointed her finger at me. ¡°There¡¯s no woman who doesn¡¯t like muscles! There¡¯s no man who man doesn¡¯t like breasts, right? It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t have it¡­ but I¡¯ve never seen anyone who didn¡¯t like having it!¡± No¡­ She¡¯s jumping to a logical conclusion. It¡¯s your whole hobby, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s too extreme! Delphine is¡­ no¡­ of course she agrees. That¡¯s right, Mil and Kiara would¡­ I looked at them both with eyes that were begging for help. Mil chuckled at that. ¡°Al is fine just the way he is.¡± Kiara was also smiling. ¡°Brother is fine just the way he is.¡± Arderheid did not stop there. She pointed her finger at both of them. ¡°How about a man other than Lord Alfred!¡± Mil and Kiara looked at each other and opened their mouths at the same time. ¡°Then¡­it would be better to have them.¡± ¡°Then¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± You guys¡­ there¡¯s should be a limit to that. CH 244 Chapter 244 - Distribution of Extra Energy I stopped my pursuit of the muscles. Further pursuit would be even more dangerous. Feeling defeated, I decide to return to the mansion, accompanied by Mil and Kiara. They ask me in detail what happened¡­ but it¡¯s not that interesting. There was no reason to fool them or¡­hide it, so I told them honestly, but their reaction was a little different. Mil was just staring at me for some reason. ¡°Al says it¡¯s all very simple¡­ but isn¡¯t it a serious thing?¡± It¡¯s just a rational way of dealing with the situation, nothing amazing or astonishing. ¡°The hard part will be the people who actually do the work. I was just trying to be careful not to drag down the people who actually do the work.¡± Even Kiara gave me that look. ¡°Brother¡­ I was fooled by that before. That trick won¡¯t work anymore.¡± I didn¡¯t fool you¡­ ¡°You¡¯re really not listening. I never fooled you both.¡± Mil next to me tapped my arm lightly. ¡°Whether I want to or not, I¡¯ve learned a lot from substituting for Al. And I realized how hard it is¡­¡± Kiara nodded. ¡°If you give the job to one person, you can¡¯t go wrong. But brother are organizing so that many people are involved in various aspects of the work. If we made one mistake, it would be very difficult to correct the course. During the long rainy season, it was just¡­¡± You don¡¯t have to exert yourself so much, but¡­ I must have been over-exerting myself. I scratched my head. For some reason, Mil started to panic. ¡°Kiara! You don¡¯t have to be specific!¡± Kiara shook her head. ¡°You have to make brother aware of this. Otherwise, he¡¯ll feel comfortable leaving you in charge again.¡± ¡°I, I don¡¯t want that to happen, but¡­¡± What the hell happened¡­ I know it sounds like they had a hard time. Did they screw up big time? ¡°I¡¯ll listen about it when we get back to the room. Is there anything else?¡± Mil laughed meaningfully, reassuringly. ¡°Al¡¯s birthday celebration, I had to postpone it until you came back. The festival starts tomorrow.¡± Huh? Knowing it is futile, I try to resist. ¡°No, we should have a festival on a certain date.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s not exciting to do it without Al. Besides, it will be easier for the newcomers to get used to the new place if there is a festival. You also said that before.¡± Y-Yes, that¡¯s true, but¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to wait for me.¡± Mil grabbed my arm forcefully. ¡°It¡¯s our wedding anniversary too, you know! Of course we¡¯re going to celebrate with festivities! You want me to celebrate our anniversary alone?¡± It¡¯s no use¡­ I have no chances of winning. ¡°I understand¡­¡± Kiara laughed at me. ¡°Brother, please make sure you treat Sister well. Specifically, don¡¯t refuse Sister¡¯s requests. And after that, please treat me well too.¡± Oof. ¡°It¡¯s natural to be sympathetic, but¡­ it depends on the degree to what you¡¯re asking.¡± Kiara smiled smugly. ¡°Of course I understand.¡± Really¡­ We finally arrived at the mansion. Kiara tactfully went back to her room, so when I returned to my room, I was alone with Mil. I sat down on the bed and Mil leaned over to me. ¡°Of course I¡¯m glad to have Al back, but¡­ I¡¯m also relieved.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything rash or dangerous.¡± ¡°I know. I didn¡¯t mean that, it¡¯s just being Al¡¯s substitute was very heavy¡­¡± I guess I was putting more strain on her than I thought. ¡°Well, let¡¯s listen while I give you a massage.¡± ¡°Then please!¡± Mil slumped on the bed with heavy movements. I massaged her and was surprised. Her body was quite stiff. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was that heavy¡­ your body is getting pretty stiff.¡± ¡°Oh, I knew it would show in my body. It¡¯s not the workload, it¡¯s the pressure. I can¡¯t believe that Al handles it with such composure¡­¡± Oh shoot, I forget to tell you the most important thing. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I forget to tell you something important.¡± ¡°Oh, a little lower¡­ there, there. So, what¡¯s important?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give it your all.¡± ¡°Al¡¯s full effort is not the same as my full effort¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. When you focus on one thing, you need all your energy. But that¡¯s not what I do. I keep a reserve of power.¡± ¡°Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Even I can¡¯t anticipate every eventuality. That¡¯s why I leave some extra energy to deal with the unexpected.¡± ¡°And what if you still can¡¯t?¡± ¡°I just do the bare essentials and put everything else for later.¡± Mil was going hmmmmm. She was lost in thought. ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. You can¡¯t do the impossible no matter how hard you try.¡± ¡°When I hear the word ¡°extra energy,¡± it conjures up images of laziness.¡± There was a time when such an idea was done before I was reincarnated¡­ but I guess it¡¯s still true here. ¡°No, there is a big difference between being lazy and saving your energy. Oh yeah, you know those worker ants, right?¡± ¡°Again with the out of the blue¡­ I know of it, but only by name.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Eighty percent of worker ants work. Among them, 20% work as hard as they can, and 60% slack off from time to time. The remaining 20% slack off as much as they can. The ratio is 2-6-2.¡± ¡°Wow, but that¡¯s so unfair. Besides, is it fine that they all don¡¯t work?¡± ¡°When the 20% that work well stop moving, another ant starts working well. It¡¯s a funny story, If you take out the 20% of ants that are slacking off at all costs, the ratio is 2-6-2.¡± ¡°How mysterious¡­ when there¡¯s a problem, will they give it their all or fall together?¡± I am happy to see that she understood it quite quickly. There is another problem. I¡¯m sure she will understand. ¡°In the short term, their efficiency goes up. But we all get tired at the same time and take a day off. In the long run, the ants will not be able to exist because of the workload. It¡¯s the difference between a group that always gets a certain amount of food and a group that only gets it during certain periods of time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work. If they can¡¯t eat when they¡¯re resting, their tiredness wouldn¡¯t disappear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same with the distribution of work. Rest is part of the job, and you have to plan for the amount of rest you get. The ant society has a proper workload of 2-6-2. Our job is to give them instructions, and if there is a problem, we take a report and deal with it. Ants can adjust their workload. When they are exhausted from working as hard as they can, they can avoid having to deal with serious problems. Therefore, I can give instructions with a little more extra energy.¡± When I massage a little stiffness, sometimes a sexy voice comes out of Mil. Physically, I¡¯m a young man, so I¡¯m highly stimulated. ¡°How do you allocate the extra energy?¡± ¡°The amount of work to be directed during the planning stage is, to a certain extent, fixed. If there are too many problems, the plan is inadequate and will be reviewed. If you feel there is too much leeway, you increase the amount of instructions little by little and keep a close eye on it. But you should still leave about 30% extra energy. It was hard because you¡¯re doing the best you can, and then some unexpected problems come up.¡± Before my reincarnation, it was ostensibly becoming less standard. Still, there remained a tendency for overworked employees to be held in high esteem. That was not in my nature by any means. I let my subordinates clean up the mess of sloppy planning. When such subordinates grow up, they repeat the same thing. It is not much different from an incompetent commander who makes his soldiers solve his mistakes. It is a gag world where ITSEs, who are supposed to make operations more efficient, are doing the most inefficient work. A doctor who is riddled with lifestyle-related diseases will not be persuasive when he recommends good health. The people who commission work do not know how IT will make their work more efficient. The specifications are also vague. This is especially true in Japan, a mono-ethnic society where unspoken understandings are widely accepted¡­ They are not very good at manuals, which is IT¡¯s strong point. Oh no, my thoughts have wandered off again. But I haven¡¯t stopped massaging. Mil sighed heavily. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s like they¡¯re already harassing me. If I make a bad face, they hesitate to report it to me, and when the situation gets worse, I find out. It¡¯s a snowball effect. Now I understand why Al never changes his expression no matter what report he gets¡­ In fact, the more uncomfortable the report is, the more you¡¯re trying to be nice to the person.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t handle something like that unless I can afford it. I leave the leeway as the power to make decisions. When you¡¯re working at your best, it¡¯s easy to make mistakes when you handle something unexpected like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what happened¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re in such a hurry to get things done as quickly as possible, after all. Mistakes are a chain of events that can expand. You have to make a calm decision to give up or extend the deadline. But there¡¯s also some meaning that Mil has gone through so much trouble.¡± Perhaps sleepy, Mil¡¯s response is becoming slower and slower. ¡°Is that so? Then that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good way to assess the limits of one¡¯s workload. That¡¯s very important.¡± No reply¡­I looked into her face and she was quietly sleeping. I guess I¡¯ll have to take a lot of care of this one. I couldn¡¯t help but scratch my head after I put Mil down properly. CH 245 Chapter 245 - Principles of Magic Items The festival is, as expected, a rambunctious affair. It¡¯s nice to relax, but I don¡¯t feel comfortable being in the center of the conversation. Mil dragged me around the place. After all the trouble I went through, it¡¯s fine if I could make her happy with something like this. In the midst of all this, I bumped into Kriemhild. She and Despina were together. I wonder if Arshinoe is attached to Manora. They greeted me, so I and Mil greeted them back. ¡°Ms. Kriemhild, you are just in time. I have something to ask you.¡± Kriemhild gets a teasing look on his face. ¡°My Lords, is it okay for you to speak to a woman when your wife is present?''¡± I ain¡¯t picking on you! ¡°The only woman I love is Mil, so there¡¯s no need to pick up on others.¡± Mil turned red and started to panic. ¡°A¡­ Al! I don¡¯t doubt you because I believe you. Besides, you don¡¯t have to go out of your way to say that in public!¡± Kriemhild and Despina looked at each other and started laughing. Despina also made a mischievous face. ¡°It would be nice if Gerald could say a line like this once in a while. It doesn¡¯t fit his image. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I talk to you at the tea store there? Would you like to join us, Ms. Despina, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± Kriemhild and Despina nodded. We sat down at a nearby tea stall and ordered appropriate drinks. ¡°I wanted to ask you if the demons are good at generating magic items and such.¡± Mil looked up above. ¡°I thought you were picking on her, but then you switched the topic to work. You¡¯re really as busy as ever¡­¡± I thought you believe me. I¡¯m not even picking on her. Kriemhild laughed at me. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re good at it. Is there something you want to make?¡± ¡°Yes, I thought if I knew the principle, I could point you in the right direction.¡± ¡°What kind of thing?¡± The drinks had just been brought in, so I took a sip first. ¡°It¡¯s a tool for talking to a specific person at a distance. Or even better, it could send audio or video from a distance.¡± Kriemhild pondered for a moment. ¡°Then, it would be better to explain the principle and let them think about the method. I imagine you would have the thing take on the role of a familiar.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. By all means, tell me the principle of a magic item.¡± I can¡¯t help but lean back. Mil looked at me and chuckled. ¡°His curiousness is starting¡­ It¡¯s fine if Al is having fun. I¡¯ll keep you accompanied.¡± Kriemhild chuckled. ¡°You really are a close couple. Then, magic items manifest magic through the medium of the user¡¯s magical power. First of all, are you aware of this?¡± ¡°That I know. Crystals are expensive because they allow the user¡¯s magic to pass through without attenuation.¡± ¡°Apart from that, you need a catalyst to contain the creator¡¯s image. If the crystal is not combined well with the catalyst, the catalyst will not allow the magic power to pass through it, making it unusable.¡± The appropriate catalyst depends on the magic to be given, right? ¡°I know that much. It¡¯s basically a one-way effect.¡± Kriemhild chuckled with satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s right. No single item has a two-way effect. The information we get from the familiar is actually a one-way effect.¡± Wow, that¡¯s new to me. ¡°I thought it was coming from the familiar.¡± ¡°No, the information that comes in through the ears and eyes is connected to the eyes and ears of the familiar. So the information you get will be that of the familiar.¡± That doesn¡¯t seem to be the same as Mil¡¯s search. That plant itself tells you what it wants to tell you, after all. I think Mil felt my gaze and realized what I was trying to say. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a little different from the connection with the elven plants. It¡¯s a little weird to say, but the plants are like a cat purring to tell them what to do.¡± I guess there is more than one kind of information exchange. ¡°That¡¯s how information can be exchanged with living things. The question is, how do you get an item that isn¡¯t alive to receive that information?¡± Despina, who had been silent, leaned forward. ¡°Um¡­may I tell you what I know?¡± I welcome the idea of a different point of view. In many cases, it can lead to a breakthrough. ¡°Yes, please tell us.¡± ¡°I have seen things that were out of the ordinary when I was an adventurer. The normal is an item into which the user pours magic power and causes magic to manifest.¡± My curiosity antennae popped. I lean forward unintentionally. ¡°And then what?¡± Despina was a little surprised, then chuckled. ¡°It sucks up the user¡¯s magic power and manifests its effects on its own. It is a physical enhancement item, but as long as it is worn, it will continue to absorb magic power, so it was treated as a cursed item.¡± That¡¯s it! The next thing I knew, I was holding Despina¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s it! That¡¯s it! I think that can do it!¡± Bash! I was hit on the head from behind. Mil was looking at me with a stern look. ¡°Al, don¡¯t take a married woman¡¯s hand without permission. You surprised Ms. Despina too. And right in front of me.¡± Oh, shoot¡­I scratched my head. Despina¡¯s eyes were dots. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was just so happy.¡± Despina couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter. ¡°No, I¡¯m glad I could be of help. Besides, I can boast that my lord was so excited that he took my hand.¡± Please don¡¯t. Absolutely nothing good will happen. Kriemhild smiled meaningfully. ¡°This will spread through town overnight. Not to thank you for showing me something interesting, but¡­ I know someone who is good at making magic items. I¡¯ll send her to Lord Alfred¡¯s place later.¡± This is bad¡­ That¡¯s right! The next day they added the name ¡°Married Woman Hunter¡±! CH 246 Chapter 246 - Necessities and Imperfections The next day, I was sleep-deprived. And today, not only Mil but also Kiara joined us, and I¡¯m being hardened on both sides. I was falsely accused. Kiara is cool about it, even under my protesting glare. ¡°It¡¯s not possible for brother to touch a married woman.¡± ¡°Um, what¡¯s with this treatment?¡± Kiara smiles smugly. ¡°It¡¯s just a pretext.¡± When she called it a pretext boldly, I lost the desire to retort any further. Mil chuckled when he saw my stunned face. ¡°So, who are you going to visit today? After what you heard yesterday, I¡¯m sure you want to move quickly.¡± Well, that¡¯s true. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the person Ms. Kriemhild introduced to me. And¡­what would you two like as thanks for substituting?¡± Mil and Kiara looked at each other and nodded. It seemed that they had discussed this beforehand, and they both opened their mouths together. ¡°Can I buy some clothes?¡± ¡°I would love some new clothes.¡± Clothes? ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to tell me that, you can buy whatever you want.¡± Kiara looked at me. ¡°Brother¡­ How much do you spend on your own personal expenses?¡± Personal¡­ hmmm, I don¡¯t remember. ¡°Maybe zero?¡± Kiara sighed grandly. ¡°How can we buy clothes on our own when someone like that is at the top.¡± Oh, that was careless. It¡¯s no use even if I say ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate¡±. I can¡¯t help but scratch my head. ¡°I am not financially independent from my family. I don¡¯t know how I can afford personal expenses there. But the two of us are like first ladies. Clothes are a necessary expense.¡± Even Mil sighed at me. ¡°Al¡­ what did I say to you before when I asked you if I could buy my own clothes?¡± Perhaps you said that because you wanted to buy one yourself? No, then don¡¯t say together. ¡°I have enough with what I have now. It¡¯s pointless for me, who¡¯s plain, to dress up. It would make sense for the two of us to be together.¡± Kiara looked at me with white eyes. ¡°How about a fancy meal once in a while? What did you say when I asked you that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy with my current meal, and if that¡¯s the case, let everyone else have something good to eat.¡± No, because a meal that costs 10 gold coins or so for just me and the people around me is not cosy, right? If we were entertaining a noble, it would be a necessary expense, but we don¡¯t have nobles here. If we have such a luxurious meal, the tableware becomes more luxurious, the house more luxurious, and so on¡­ the list goes on and on. So you¡¯re withholding because I don¡¯t spend money on myself at all. In other words, you wanted me to have some personal expenses¡­ I can¡¯t help but recite a phrase in my mind. The clear stream of the Shirakawa River is no longer inhabited by fish, but by the muddy rice field swamps, which I now miss. Not that I was aware of it¡­ but I was too busy working to waste time. So I was making things a little cramped for both of them. ¡°Let¡¯s buy clothes as a thank-you. Besides that, I will give you an allowance every month. You are free to shop with it.¡± Since they are not the type to pay bills on their own, it would be better to tell them that they can spend it freely. Saying ¡°salary¡± makes me sound like a stranger. This settles the matter¡­ though the two of them are giving me the stare. Mil pointed a finger at me. ¡°How much is Al¡¯s allowance? I¡¯d feel guilty if we were the only ones getting it!¡± No, I can spend as much as I want¡­ and in a backward country like this, I have no use for it! ¡°As a matter of fact, the line between my private and public purse is unclear. If I separate them clearly at this stage, it will be inconvenient later on.¡± I also take public money out of my assets. If it is called a private expense, it is a minus. It can¡¯t be helped since we are a primitive organization with no taxation system. The economy is like a baby. Even Kiara pointed a finger at me. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s all well and good to be innocent, but there should be a limit!¡± ¡°Would you still be cramped if I didn¡¯t have your own personal expenses?¡± The two leaned forward. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Even if you tell me that¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll think about it later. It¡¯s not my intention to make you both feel cramped. Please use it for my sake, and not to the extent that it becomes a waste of money.¡± They faced each other and sighed. ¡°I knew it was coming, but¡­ that¡¯s the only way we¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Yes, sister¡­ The last resort.¡± Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been simulating this in advance¡­ please don¡¯t do that. ¡°Well, please be gentle, both of you¡­¡± Mil looked at me and smiled. ¡°Al, I¡¯m going to buy some clothes, but you¡¯re going to have to help me choose.¡± Kiara smiled as well. ¡°I wish my brother would choose for me, too.¡± Geez¡­ that¡¯s torture¡­ give me a break! It¡¯s going to take a long time and I¡¯m just going to wait. I don¡¯t even have a phone or anything to pass the time, you know! They know it and plan to harass me. ¡°No, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± Mil moved her face closer to mine with a smile on her face. ¡°Okay?¡± No¡­ there¡¯s nothing I can do. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Kiara had a gasping look on her face. ¡°Brother, everyone knows that you are honest. Thanks to you, everyone tends to shy away from applying for necessary equipment and repairs to the government building. That¡¯s not good for us.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, please say so at the beginning¡­ I will issue a decree that you should apply for what you need without hesitation.¡± Kiara shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s pointless. We don¡¯t know the criteria for what is needed with a decree from someone like Brother. They won¡¯t replace it unless it is completely useless.¡± This is troublesome. I¡¯ve been trying to avoid personal waste since I¡¯m at the top¡­ but I guess I¡¯ve gone too far. The power of influence at the top is scary. If I don¡¯t do something, I¡¯ll stop the flow of money unnecessarily. Not spending could become a virtue. This is what happens when you are aware of the ¡°necessity and false demand¡± of the Jougan Era. I know the backbone is different from China¡¯s, but have I underestimated the differences? ¡°What shall I do with this¡­¡± Mil and Kiara looked at each other and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why spend as much as is humanly possible¡­¡± ¡®There are no zeros¡­¡± I mean, I¡¯d rather have time than money. Really. CH 247 Chapter 247 - Self-conceived Rules Let¡¯s put my expenses aside for now. Not to speak lightly¡­ because the demon tribesman, introduced to me by Ms. Kriemhild, had just arrived. She was a petite demoness. For the demons, the men are the ones who fight. The logistical support was shared by the women. She was in her twenties, with silver hair, green eyes, fair complexion, and a slightly slanted look in her eyes. She looked strong-willed, but there was no way to tell her personality. The woman bowed. ¡°I am Rebecca Zimmermann, recommended by Ms. Kriemhild. I have been told that you are interested in creating a new magic item. Please call me Rebecca.¡± I was surprised by her rather low voice. I didn¡¯t care about her voice because it had nothing to do with her technique. ¡°Thank you for coming. Ms. Rebecca, did you hear what kind of items I would like?¡± Rebecca nodded strongly. ¡°Yes, I have heard that you want to transmit information without familiars.¡± ¡°We need you to develop it. We are willing to pay for it. The first step is to make it happen. Reducing costs for practical use would be the next step.¡± Rebecca¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°If we can put it to practical use, it will be of tremendous value. That¡¯s why I want you to join the Science and Technology Department to develop it.¡± Rebecca nodded her head. ¡°The Science and Technology Department? I thought the development there had nothing to do with magic items.¡± It certainly seems that way normally. But it isn¡¯t. ¡°It was because there was no one who could make magic items. If you divide the development of new technology into separate departments¡­ there is a waste of accumulated knowledge. Each might be researching the same thing.¡± ¡°Waste? I don¡¯t think they should intersect in the first place.¡± ¡°Certainly the driving force is divided between magic and mechanism. But they will not be separate forever.¡± Rebecca folded her arms and thought about it. ¡°I had heard that¡­ Lord Alfred was going to say something outrageous¡­ Do you see potential in a thing whose future is uncertain?¡± I didn¡¯t say anything outrageous. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about whether or not I see potential. Who decided that magic items and technology don¡¯t mix? That is exactly the rule that people have come up with on their own. If you try it and it doesn¡¯t work, that¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t decide without trying¡­that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± Rebecca gave me a slightly stern look. I wonder if she has pride in her craftsmanship. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll be quick. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t deny my assumptions. But there is no guarantee that it will produce results. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of money if we put all our money into something like that?¡± It¡¯s usually the other way around. A subordinate wants to be adventurous, and the boss is supposed to stop him. I laughed and scratched my head. ¡°You can¡¯t rely on guarantees when you¡¯re opening up a new path. I will take responsibility. Ms. Rebecca, when you are making an item, have you ever thought that you would like to try a different method than the one you are used to?¡± ¡°I have done that. But that is within the framework of making magic items.¡± She¡¯s stubborn. But when that person can be persuaded, they take it seriously. It¡¯s worth the persuasion. ¡°You don¡¯t have to fuse them together out of the blue. Magic items do not have to be made by hand. You can start from that point. If there were separate development departments, they wouldn¡¯t cooperate unless there was a guarantee.¡± She seems to understand that part. Rebecca¡¯s expression softened. ¡°I will be honest with you. It¡¯s hard for me to say, ¡°I understand¡±¡­ But you persuaded me, not ordered me¡­ I understand that. Please allow me to respond to your consideration.¡± That¡¯s not a perfect score indeed for a one-shot deal. But it¡¯s better than being rejected out of hand. ¡°Yes, and so I propose specific guidelines. Voice and image can be transmitted to one side. Use the two types of production as a starting point.¡± ¡°Is it really necessary to go through all those steps? It takes time, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Trial and error are inefficient if you mix too many conditions at once. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s the pain of birth. But the accumulation will be useful in the future.¡± Rebecca looked at me seriously and started laughing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I laughed. I think you are older than I am, Lord Alfred, no matter what you say.¡± What do you mean? After Rebecca left, Mil and Kiara started laughing uncontrollably. I was about to protest when someone entered the room. It was Jules. ¡°Sir Jules, is there a problem?¡± ¡°No, I am here to report that the training of 50 Elite Guards has been completed.¡± That¡¯s a lot of people all at once. ¡°Thank you for the hard work. Is everything all right with the other thing I asked you to do?¡± ¡°Yes, the ship maneuvering technology has been fully endorsed. We can sail up the river even in adverse winds. I will introduce them to my lord in due course.¡± Although not marines, I wanted to be able to make an assault landing from a ship. ¡°Then, please continue your training in shiphandling. And then there¡¯s the Navy¡­ It¡¯s frustrating that we can¡¯t find anyone who falls into that category.¡± Jules smiled. ¡°An old friend of Sir Rossi¡¯s has volunteered and is being interviewed. When he was in his old domain, he was mainly in charge of ship operations. If there are no problems, I can introduce him to my lord.¡± That¡¯s a big help. After finishing his report, Jules left in high spirits. Then, finally, I thought I finally get a breath of fresh air¡­ the door opened, the assistant aides walked in. It was a festival day, but I¡¯m very busy. The aide reported that I had an appointment with Isabeau, the merchant. Let¡¯s get it all done at once anyway. I told her I would see her as soon as possible. Mil and Kiara looked at each other and laughed. I couldn¡¯t help but look at them. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Mil stopped laughing and became serious. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just that having Al there made it so much easier. That¡¯s why we both laughed.¡± Kiara, too, became serious. ¡°Yes, we were both freaking out just by the idea of visitors. Thanks to Brother barrier, we don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore.¡± After a study, it¡¯s a barrier now? What the hell do you think I am¡­ Seeing my stunned expression, they started laughing again. CH 248 I received a report that Isabeau was in the reception room, so we headed out to interview her. Accompanying me were Kiara and her immediate aides. ¡°I wonder what in the world this is about, brother?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± It is too obvious to reply that it is about business. I had no idea which business it was about. When I entered the reception room, I found Isabeau and his usual escort. We greeted each other lightly. ¡°Ms. Isabeau, how can I help you today?¡± ¡°Yes, I have heard that you have started construction of a second city and canal. The second city alone is attractive, but its value will jump if there is a canal as well. We would like to cooperate with you if possible.¡± Of course, she knows the value of a set of canals and a city. Has Isabeau¡¯s position strengthened enough to invest ahead of time? It is quite a burden for a small trading company to cooperate in civil engineering and construction. ¡°Your cooperation is appreciated. But what do you want in return? If it¡¯s a monopoly on business, I can¡¯t agree.¡± A monopoly inevitably makes merchants too powerful. The cozy relationship with the government alone is troublesome, but in the worst-case scenario, the initiative could be taken away. Even if Isabeau is aware of this, there is no guarantee that those around her or the next generation will be. Isabeau gave a small smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything reckless against Lord Alfred. It is rare to find a lord who understands economics. A merchant who incurs the displeasure of such a lord cannot survive. We would like you to lower the tax rate for our merchant association. Reduce the fees for the use of the canal. In addition, we would be happy to discuss with you the location of the stores to be built in the new city.¡± Isabeau is a trustworthy partner for now. I guess it¡¯s in our best interest to lend a hand a little so that we can retain that power. There may be some under Isabeau¡¯s control that will become greedy. It would be useful to see if she can control them or not. There is some risk involved, but¡­ let¡¯s give it a try. We can¡¯t start by saying ¡°no¡± to everything. ¡°I have no objection to the tax rate and location. As for the canal fees¡­ let¡¯s make them free for the first 50 years of operation. In exchange, however, please hire a certain number of citizens in the Chamber of Commerce. In addition, I would like you to make a secret deal with you.¡± Hiring citizens is just a reminder. Perhaps they will hire them voluntarily. Or they might request that a person from the Chamber of Commerce be made a citizen. Either way, Isabeau¡¯s intentions become apparent. This is a conversation without direct words. The lack of verbal makeup brings out the personalities of both parties. You wouldn¡¯t expect zero royalties for the use of the canal. It was too good to be true, which is why I warned her that this was a dangerous request. Isabeau¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡°It depends on how secret it is.¡± I laughed and waved my hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that cautious. You know there have been major battles before, right?¡± If you only look at the damage, it would sound exaggerated. If you measure it by the apparent damage, it looks like a skirmish. ¡°I only know what happened.¡± ¡°There was a treasure there that the other party had been hoarding. I don¡¯t have a taste for collecting, so I want you to exchange that for money. However, what you find here is absolutely confidential.¡± Isabeau thought for a moment, then turned to me. Then she gave a small chuckle. ¡°You don¡¯t want adventurers to come in and start a treasure hunt, do you?¡± ¡°Correct, If that happens, there will be a lot of trouble, and security will deteriorate. It would do a hundred harms and not a single good.¡± It is a fantasy world that treasure hunters aren¡¯t people that can be talked to. You can¡¯t live with good manners. Such people will only bring trouble. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t handle them all at once. It will take some time, but is that okay?¡± She¡¯s young, but she¡¯s very attentive. I wonder if she has an excellent assistant. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m sure it will take a lot of time and effort. How about one-twentieth of the sales as a commission?¡± Isabeau¡¯s eyes narrowed again. Too generous, you¡¯d think. She knows full well that I¡¯m not just a softy. ¡°You are very generous. No¡­ I think it¡¯s too generous.¡± ¡°There is a good reason. If there are merchants who are moderate and trustworthy, I want them to have power. That way it will benefit us down the road.¡± It costs a lot to be vigilant, you know. Many new merchants will enter the market later anyway. In such a situation, I want to keep some allies and merchants who can calculate. Isabeau began to chuckle. ¡°Thank you, sir. That¡¯s quite a line to use to seduce a merchant.¡± Kiara twitched at the word seduce. No, it doesn¡¯t mean seduce about men and women. If I wanted to, I could proceed to a mistress relationship, so I wouldn¡¯t be missing the point entirely. But I have no intention of doing so. ¡°There¡¯s a good amount of treasure out there. First, please proceed with the procedures, including an assessment of its value.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. we will cooperate with you.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± I and Isabeau shook hands and negotiations were concluded. It¡¯s easy to negotiate with people you can talk to. Negotiating with someone who understands the language but doesn¡¯t listen is a waste of time, though. The opposite is worth ten thousand times more. Leaving Kiara to take care of the rest, I returned to my office. Mil, her assistant aides, and the usual bodyguards were still there. ¡°When Kiara¡¯s done, we¡¯ll call it a day. It¡¯s a festival after all. You all should enjoy yourselves too.¡± The secretaries were uniformly happy. The secretaries had been restless all day. There must be something going on at the festival. If the ladies are looking forward to it, I¡¯ll take Mil and Kiara with me. After the meeting with Kiara and Isabeau, today¡¯s office was closed. The aides left in a hurry. I turned to Mil and Kiara. ¡°Are there any events happening today?¡± They looked at each other. Mil shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to put up a volunteer show, and I¡¯ve granted the request, but I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Kiara nodded. ¡°But they were really looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re at it, shall we go and take a look too?¡± Naturally, they were curious to see what it would be like. The two nodded happily. When we left the mansion, Manora and Arshinoe were there. They waved at us, so we turned around and greeted them as well. Unusually, Arshinoe was glancing at me. ¡°Arsinoe, is something wrong?¡± ¡°You know¡­ I wanted to thank you, my lord.¡± ¡°Did I do something?¡± Arshinoe nodded. ¡°Yesterday, my mom and dad asked me if I wanted a little brother or sister. When I said I want, she said my lord would bring me one. So I wanted to thank you.¡± Oh, hey¡­I¡¯m not a stork. Manora smiled at me. ¡°The lord is a married woman hunter, so Mr. Gerald said he¡¯ll do his best.¡± My eyes darkened. Hey, that¡¯s a false accusation! But¡­ I can¡¯t raise my voice against a child. Mil and Kiara were laughing hysterically. I crouched down and brought my gaze level with Arshinoe¡¯s. ¡°The baby, you see, is brought by Mom and Dad, not me. So you¡¯ll have to thank Mom and Dad.¡± Arshinoe tilted her head and thought about it, but nodded cheerfully. ¡°Yes!¡± After that, I left them both with a drawn-out smile on their face, and I was exhausted. ¡°How did it end up like this. One of these days, a rumor will spread that just looking at them will get them pregnant or something¡­¡± Mil put her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re just having fun at the festival.¡± Kiara nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a festival, so please tolerate it.¡± I sighed. ¡°I hope so. By the way, where will the performances take place?¡± Mil pointed toward the town square. ¡°They said it would be in the town square. The statue of the little girl.¡± When I got to the square, a stage was set up. No, you¡¯re trying too hard. But I guess they need a permanent theater too¡­ so I don¡¯t get turned into entertainment. Okay¡­ I¡¯ll make this a priority and deal with it. The overwhelming majority of spectators are women. A few moments later, a trumpet sounds high in the air. Ardelheid descends from the sky onto the stage. What a waste of flight ability. A cheer goes up from everyone. Delphine has also climbed onto the stage. Ardelheid looks around at everyone. She spotted me and winked. Then she took a deep breath and put a megaphone-like loudspeaker to her mouth. I think that was a tool that was made to deliver construction orders. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for waiting! The first annual Ravenna Carnival is starting! The host should be a tough guy if she¡¯s going to be held! With Ardelheid!¡± Delphine also puts her mouth to the loudspeaker she is holding. ¡°She loves Robert more than anything in the world. But not for his muscles! Delphine and I are here to present to you!¡± What the hell are two of our ministers doing! And that¡¯s not what a carnival is supposed to mean! High-pitched cheers from the women and, on rare occasions, from the men. On the platform, a group of machos in bikini shorts with naked upper bodies lined up. Ardelheid pumped her fist to the sky in high spirits. She is usually morbidly pale, but today she is flushed. ¡°Now then, ladies and gentlemen! Let the ¡®Who has the best body this year¡¯ judging begin!¡± Delphine also raised her fist to the sky. ¡°Dear participants! Show everyone the muscles you work out on a daily basis! Make them fall in love!¡± The cheers were incredible. ¡°Kyaaaaaah!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Incredible!¡± Brother!¡± (T/N: The brother word is said in English.) The song ¡°Sexy Dinamite¡± by my super brother started playing endlessly in my head. What the hellllllllllll. Who the hell is it! Who authorized this! It was Mil¡­ CH 249 It would be troublesome to get caught up in the muscle festival, so I forcefully took the two of them to the clothing store. Muscle festivals are fun to watch from the outside. In my position, I would definitely get involved. Before I gave permission, Mil and Kiara looked uncomfortable. Mil was unusually scratching her head and looking troubled. ¡°Um¡­do you want me to make it stop next year?¡± Kiara, too, had a drawn look on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy with work that I didn¡¯t even notice what was on display at the festival.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°No, it¡¯s not right to force people to stop it when everyone else is having fun. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re bothering anyone, and if it relieves the ladies¡¯ stress, it¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t allow anything that will cause death or injury, though. Never mind that, let¡¯s buy some clothes.¡± Mil and Kiara looked relieved and quickly changed their mood or proceeded into the store. Choosing clothes for the front gate, muscles for the back gate. I was going to recite the Tale of the Heike in my brain, but I ended up reciting it to the tune of Shanghai Powerslam. I had done everything before my reincarnation, but it turned out to be a bad thing¡­ The sound of the bell of the Gion Shouja (Hai! Hai! Hai!) There are echoes of the impermanence of all things (Hai! Hai!) In the midst of all this, the Carnival was over. The next day was the last day of the festival. I decided to stay in my office. But when you are the feudal lord, you get visitors. Onyxim, who was supposed to be holed up in his workshop, came to see me. Did you and Rebecca have a quarrel? ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Arensky?¡± ¡°Oh, I have one request.¡± A request that you come all the way out here to ask about¡­ is it large-scale? ¡°What is it, I¡¯d like to accommodate it in any way possible.¡± Onyxim grinned as he fiddled with his beard. ¡°You remember how you blasted me with that soap thing.¡± I grin back at him. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°So, can we realize with our own hands what the apostles have done up to now? That¡¯s what I thought. It¡¯s just right that our magical advisor is a professor of apostolic study. He kept talking to us with just a bottle of wine.¡± Magical¡­ Ahhhh, I remember that named him that. ¡°So, what did you set out to recreate?¡± Onyxim puffed out his chest. ¡°A man¡¯s romance, an explosive.¡± Explosives¡­ ¡°What are the chances of that happening?¡± Onyxim looked astounded. ¡°You won¡¯t know until you try it. You said before. Don¡¯t be afraid of failure.¡± You suddenly make a leap there. But I had no reason to deny it. ¡°So you want to build a facility outside of town with an emphasis on safety?¡± ¡°It¡¯s great that you understand. It is indeed too dangerous for children.¡± That¡¯s for sure. ¡°I understand. I authorize the construction of a hazardous materials laboratory. By the way, how¡¯s Ms. Rebecca?¡± Onyxim gave me an astonished look. ¡°How could I know in a day or so? At least she wasn¡¯t belligerent. I guess we¡¯ll figure it out.¡± Ah, I see, I jumped to conclusions. ¡°You are right. Then, proceed with the plan as is.¡± Explosives, is it for construction purposes, or will it end up in military use? If they walk away on their own, there is no need to force them to stop. If they go as far as human experimentation, I will indeed stop them, though¡­ We will just have to wait and see what happens. We can¡¯t put it to practical use so soon, after all. After Onyxim left, I decided to ask Kiara for a favor. ¡°Kiara, you¡¯re Ears will be busy. Please scrutinize the information on all the territories, including the new ones. Also, please dispatch a few Ears to the Governor, Mr. Oracio. He, too, will need information. Tell them they would receive instructions there. They are also his direct link to me.¡± Kiara nodded strongly and happily. ¡°I understand, and with the festival coming to an end, it¡¯s just in time. Also, I have received the knighthood ordination form from the head family. We will decide on the ceremony here, so please just give us your approval.¡± I guess she knows of my indifference to the ceremony. I¡¯m grateful for that. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you. Anyway, after the festival is over, we will start making changes to the governing structure. I¡¯ll explain it to you all about it in advance.¡± Mil and Kiara¡¯s faces turned serious. The aides seemed quite nervous as well. ¡°First of all, we are going to change the duties and personnel of the current council of representatives. The department that looks after the entire Ravenna region will be under my direct control. This will consist of the ministers of the various ministries and a few observers.¡± Mil pondered for a moment. ¡°Are you going to cut loose what we were doing when Al was away?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the general idea. The day-to-day running of the city is delegated to an appointed mayor. The city will be managed by a representative, as it has been in the past. Personnel from ministries and agencies will also be dispatched to the city. I will explain the details at tomorrow¡¯s representatives¡¯ meeting.¡± Kiara tilted her head and looked at me with mischievous eyes. ¡°When brother talks like that, it is only the foundation, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Yes, if I make it too clear, everyone will explode. We¡¯ll tweak it as we get used to it.¡± (T/N: I guess their mind will explode because they won¡¯t be able to take it all in.) Kiara nodded and gave Mil a mischievous look. ¡°That mayor, he¡¯ll be in trouble. I¡¯m sure Sister is the right person for the job, considering her experience.¡± The expression on Mil¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°Yes? Kiara is the right person for the job too, isn¡¯t she? I have other things to do as Al¡¯s wife.¡± I¡¯ll have to stop them before they start fighting again. ¡°No, it¡¯s not you two. We will decide on the first, and he will serve for four years for the time being. I think the term of office needs to be reworked¡­ The second and later generations will be elected from among the city representatives. After the festival, this is my gift to them.¡± Mil gave me a look. ¡°Al, are you actually rooting for the Carnival?¡± No, it has nothing to do with that at all. As long as I don¡¯t get involved, you can do whatever you want with that one¡­ CH 250 The next day at the representatives¡¯ meeting, Rabo Villani, who had been appointed mayor by me, fainted and there was a commotion. I had decided before that the work of the Ministry of Civil Affairs would be the most important part of my work with the mayor. I have no intention of withdrawing it, whether he has a stroke or not. He will be managing the city with the new representative. The person in charge will carry out the current operations of the city and my instructions. I managed to convince him that it was not a complete disconnect, but rather a mutual exchange of information that would continue. I have also notified them that I will be sending some of my assistant aides to work as secretaries to the mayor. Since the town has been basically built, solid conservatism is preferable to creative ability. The city representatives¡¯ meeting will be separate from the meeting held at my residence. The construction of a city hall is to begin, but at this time the building where the Ministry of Civil Affairs is located will operate as the city hall. It is crazy to go from a poor man to a mayor in a feudal system. However, it is also a symbol that if you have the ability, you can hold an important position. As I was thinking about this, Mil, who was sitting next to me, poked me on the arm. ¡°Al, everyone is here.¡± It is a meeting of representatives under the direct control of the new lord. It¡¯s like a cabinet. (T/N: Cabinet is the committee of senior ministers responsible for controlling government policy.) I look around at everyone. The ministers of each ministry, or vice-ministers if they are not present. As an observer, Prytanis participates. Prytanis is officially elected as a representative. He will attend both the city¡¯s representative meeting. In terms of numbers, I think we are pretty small. I looked around at everyone and cleared my throat. ¡°We will now begin the strategy meeting. We need to take charge of the entire territory. First, I have a proposal for Mrs. Delphine.¡± Delphine was suddenly nominated and began to panic. ¡°Ha, yes!¡± ¡°As the Ministry of Education, we currently teach basic things like reading and writing. Additionally, there is one more thing I would like you to emphasize.¡± She looked blatantly relieved. Perhaps she thought I was going to point out her muscle fest? ¡°Yes, yes. What do you want to emphasize?¡± ¡°Morality.¡± It¡¯s not really an edict of education. It¡¯s simply that corruption is the default in countries that have been artificially modernized, like South America and Africa. What we are trying to do now also includes such elements, although not as extreme as that. Corruption cannot be eradicated, but it can be mitigated. Delphine raised an eyebrow. I guess it didn¡¯t ring a bell. ¡°Moral¡­?¡± ¡°I know it sounds grandiose, but it is the wisdom for living in a society that has been taught in the home until now. Since we are a multi-ethnic society, it is impossible to teach it only at home. I want them to be taught in a consolidated way, something like a social code.¡± Delphine looked at me suspiciously. ¡°Is there anything else you want to be included?¡± I have no other intention in this regard. ¡°No, it is to alleviate future difficulties as much as possible.¡± ¡°The future of my lord is too far away for us to visualize. Please tell us more clearly.¡± I scratch my head. I have no intention of looking that far away into the future, though. ¡°Many of us know that education is important. What kind of education is important, that part is probably not well known.¡± We all look at each other. I¡¯m fully aware that I¡¯m talking crap. It gets a little awkward so I cleared my throat. ¡°Think about it. A person who can read and write and is smart, but deceives and takes advantage of others. A person who can neither read nor write and is not smart, but can help each other without taking advantage of others. Which would be a more desirable neighbor?¡± Delphine¡¯s face turns sullen as she remembers the old days. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the latter.¡± ¡°Originally, it is parents and society that teach people not to be the former. A society cannot exist if it is full of the former.¡± However, a corrupt nation puts the highest priority on modern education and even faith. There is a part of us that can¡¯t help but be impatient to catch up with the developed world. If we don¡¯t, we will be used up and taken advantage of by the developed nations. In return, basic human education will be neglected. It will be a world where the ¡°doer¡± wins. Corruption is not something to be offended by as a bad thing. They are angry because they can¡¯t enjoy themselves. Even corrupt politicians are good guys as long as they get money for themselves. If a society becomes a place where people can do such things publicly, there is nothing we can do. Even if it is a pretext, if it is socially accepted, it will be impossible to make such a public statement. If the penalties under the law are also in line with the pretext, they will be more persuasive. We also want to put a stop to the operation of the law that differs from the precepts. Delphine pondered. ¡°But my lord is committed not only to reading and writing, but also to acquiring all sorts of new knowledge. Isn¡¯t that contradictory?¡± ¡°The latter is not enough to develop society. Time does not stand still. But the environment is changing. Everything is a balance. We must develop knowledge based on social norms such as morality. I think this is appropriate.¡± ¡°I understand what you are saying. But, it is quite difficult.¡± I chuckled at the overly serious way of thinking. ¡°Let¡¯s borrow from the wisdom of our forefathers. You just have to keep it in the story.¡± ¡°A story?¡± ¡°You can put such lessons in picture books and plays. Heroic tales are also meant to celebrate acts of bravery and selflessness. You should compile folktales and lessons from each tribe and make them part of your curriculum.¡± Delphine plopped down on the desk. ¡°Oh, I think every story has some meaning to my lord ¡­¡± You¡¯re exaggerating. ¡°Anyway, it is not my intention to take advantage of you in any way. A stable social fabric is beneficial to all but those with malicious intent. Besides, the customs of Prytanis¡¯ people are different from ours. Adults can look at society and adapt to it. It will be difficult for children, and the result will be isolation, which will make their future difficult.¡± You can¡¯t be blamed for doing wrong. Such a society is surely doomed. People get angry because they don¡¯t get a share in corruption, and when that happens, it is almost impossible to rebuild. Unless it is forcefully transformed by a powerful outside force. Even if you try to change things internally, the people who take your side are assuming that you will benefit from the change. The moment someone you thought was on your side becomes a disadvantage, he becomes an enemy. Then, you will have to play politics of fear to keep them in line. And then, they become preoccupied with doubt and suspicion. If you live in such a society, there is almost no one who is not dusty when you hit him. And they accuse others before they are accused themselves. The rest is a negative spiral. A society cannot be run on ideals alone. The trouble is, those who have the know-how have lived in a world riddled with corruption. Make the wrong first move and things get out of hand. Delphine looked up above. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to next year¡¯s Carnival¡­¡± Don¡¯t escape reality. CH 251 That¡¯s enough about morals. Let¡¯s take care of the next thing. ¡°I have one favor to ask of Prytanis.¡± This also surprised Prytanis, who had not expected to be called. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°I want you to compile a history of your past. We will store it in the library. Please write it on the premise that we are not here. Discovery on your own is not fun, after all.¡± Prytanis looked reluctant. ¡°I don¡¯t mind that, but¡­what is your intention? Don¡¯t you want to hang on to the old days?¡± I¡¯ll do it even if I don¡¯t have to, but it¡¯s better if you do it in plain sight. But I¡¯ll give you a different answer. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to erase the history that Prytanis¡¯ people have built up. If we were to write about the past on our own, you would want to complain about it, wouldn¡¯t you? So, we should write about the past from our own perspectives.¡± It¡¯s a big part of my hobby, though. It is better than being in denial about our past. Besides, there might be something useful in their history. ¡°I understand. As soon as it is completed, I will ask for Lord Alfred¡¯s consent.¡± That¡¯s not good enough. I waved my hand. ¡°No need to submit it. When you¡¯ve finished it, you can put it in the library on your own.¡± If you show it to me, you¡¯ll get an endorsement, but it will be customary. Then you can start self-regulating on your own. Prytanis nodded his head, as he had no clear arguments to refute the claim. ¡°I understand. I will let you proceed with the writing.¡± ¡°Then, please do so. Next, I have a request for Sir Melchiorri.¡± Charles is away building a defense system for the new territory, so his second-in-command, Roberto, is present. "" ¡°Yes! I am at your service.¡± ¡°I ask you to make a non-aggression pact with the other tribes that are indifferent to us. And Put pressure on them with the military behind them. As a condition, send the next generation of leaders to us as hostages.¡± ¡°I understand. What should I do if they said they would join?¡± ¡°In that case, let them join us. We will have the houses scattered, but we will provide a seat for the representative. If they want to continue to live in the same village, please ask them to give you hostages under the same conditions. If they attack us, I will leave the matter to you.¡± Mil looked at me with a bit of concern. She probably felt that the sudden declaration was too forceful. ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal if we leave them alone.¡± ¡°No, it is not conspicuous, but our social system is fragile. Even an uprising or pretense of an uprising during a war with the demon tribe would be troublesome.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all well and good to prevent the possibility, but what about the hostages?¡± ¡°We will let him study with everyone in the capital and fully inculcate him with the benefits of civilization. We will return them when they are replaced, but we will also have replacements sent out. After two or three generations, we will be able to annex the country peacefully.¡± Mil gave an astonished look. ¡°Al would get along well with the elves. You have a similar way of perceiving time.¡± ¡°I hope so. This is the last item on today¡¯s agenda. I would like to give some guidelines to Mr. Orengo of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.¡± At the last nomination, Umberto jumped up. What is this, a punishment game? ¡°I think the population will grow, and we will expand our farmland and clear our forests. However, I don¡¯t want to destroy nature, which is the foundation of our lives. It would be absurd to cut away our footing so we can¡¯t stand up.¡± Umberto looked at me as if he were asking me. ¡°Where do you think we¡¯re headed?¡± I¡¯m not clear on that, but I don¡¯t want to see civilization destroyed by logging at full power, like the Mayan civilization. ¡°We rely on the Rabbit people for agriculture. The most I know of is to avoid planting beans in succession. Logging should be done minimally, and I wonder if afforestation is also necessary. Let¡¯s explore that area by hand. Once the balance is shaken, it will take a tremendous amount of time to recover.¡± I guess even the elves won¡¯t be able to find recovery from logging. Mil folded her arms and pondered. ¡°I can tell to some extent if the forest is healthy. I just don¡¯t know if I can make up for the loss of resilience.¡± ¡°You can tell?¡± ¡°Theoretically, it¡¯s impossible. You can only sense it by interacting with the forest. I can only sense the increase or decrease.¡± However, I don¡¯t think I should leave it all to Mil¡­ As I was pondering this, Mil poked me on the arm. ¡°Can I ask the village about it? As an elf, I don¡¯t want to see the forest reduced needlessly. If the idea is to sustainably preserve nature, they¡¯ll agree with me. We wouldn¡¯t want to see the forest disappear if we refuse, after all.¡± That would be helpful¡­ I¡¯m not sure if they would listen, though¡­ ¡°Then, can I ask you to do it for me?¡± Mil smiled smugly. ¡°Leave it to me.¡± I would be grateful if this comes through. I don¡¯t want to get my hopes up too high, though. CH 252 Chapter 252 - Suffering should be shared Even though reorganization has left everyone on the right side of the table, things come without reservation. Charles, who has been out on the front lines, has unusually returned. ¡°Oh, Sir Rossi. Is there something you want to talk about?¡± Charles nodded silently. Since he was in a light tone, it should not be such a troublesome issue. ¡°It¡¯s about the qualified person for the Navy that I¡¯ve talked about before.¡± ¡°Ah, I see you¡¯ve found who you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a man of habit, though. But I¡¯m sure my lord can handle him.¡± When Charles describes him as a man of habit, is he being honest in a roundabout way? Or is he the same kind? Either way, you¡¯re overestimating me too much. ¡°Can you introduce me?¡± ¡°I came here with that intention. All right! Come on in!¡± A middle-aged man with a dull face entered the room quietly. But his body was well-trained and tanned. He had dark hair, brown eyes, and a piercing gaze. What an interesting man. The man bowed with a leisurely motion. ¡°It is nice to meet you. My name is Tarkwinio Telesio. I have heard that you want to build a navy. And to see Charles¡¯ boss whom he adores so much is a sight to behold. I hope you will hire me as a spectator.¡± Charles glanced at Tarkwinio. ¡°You can¡¯t say that about someone else.¡± So they¡¯re similar. They seem to get along well too. ¡°If Sir Rossi approves, then I have no objection. I look forward to working with you from now on.¡± Tarkwinio looked a little disappointed. ¡°I see, this is going to be fun. I look forward to working with you.¡± He is somewhat condescending, but I don¡¯t mind. In fact, I was rather amused to find out that Charles and he are the same kind. Tarkwinio looked surprised. I waved my hand. ¡°Oh, excuse me, I just found it amusing when I found out I was in the same boat as Sir Rossi.¡± Charles chuckled. ¡°Tarkwinio, stop it. You¡¯ll find out soon enough without being so judgmental.¡± Tarkwinio shrugged his shoulders in a pretentious manner. ¡°Good grief, it¡¯s a conditioned reflex.¡± After the troubled middle-aged men had left, Kiara looked at me with an astounded expression. ¡°Brother is really very generous to those rude or brazen guys.¡± I¡¯m just not mad¡­ ¡°There is no need to make a big deal out of it. As long as they don¡¯t go overboard.¡± Kiara sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to have some dignity. But you are a lord. I think you need to understand your position a little better. ¡° At the mention of it, Mil shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If he had been an arrogant man, I wouldn¡¯t have liked Al. I think Al is fine the way he is.¡± Kiara puffed out her cheeks. ¡°It is only natural that you should be close to me and Sister! That is fine for our people. Your name keeps increasing because of your easy-going attitude toward your subordinates.¡± In a way, though, it is. It is a necessary expense when building a society from scratch with a new ideology. ¡°I just chose the most persuasive way to appeal for equality. If it¡¯s just my name, it¡¯s a small price to pay.¡± "" Kiara looked at me. ¡°What are you going to do if your laidback attitude becomes naivete? As a result, you¡¯ll end up blaming yourself.¡± Her retorts have been getting tough lately. She¡¯s not wrong, though. I¡¯ll just have to do something about it then. The world would be a much easier place if it were possible to persuade people through skillful imitation. It is difficult to persuade people unless they are in a pose that is easy to understand, which can be considered extreme. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it at that time. I¡¯ll take that risk.¡± Kiara looked up with a ¡®there¡¯s no helping him¡¯ look on her face. Recently, I wonder if she has become a little more distant from his older brother. She no longer has a reaction that affirms everything. Thinking about it, I wonder if she has grown up, and I look at her with kind eyes. I wonder if she is dissatisfied with my expression, and her cheeks puff up even more. I¡¯ll follow up next time. Because I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s worried about me. Just then, the door opened and a messenger entered the room. ¡°My lord, I have something to report. A messenger from the demon tribe is seeking to negotiate the establishment of a boundary line. He calls himself the Wise Man.¡± If the boundaries remain as they are, the Governor, Oracio, has been given the authority to approve them. Otherwise, another discussion will be necessary. ¡°What are their demands for the boundaries?¡± ¡°It is a request to cede part of the territory on the Dorius side. He says he has already signed a treaty with the Dorius side.¡± It wasn¡¯t a change of government in the same country, though. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It¡¯s a stretch, but you¡¯re going to blow it first. Or is it some kind of pretext? ¡°I understand the situation. Let¡¯s at least talk about it. Please give them permission to come here.¡± An absolutely unpleasant meeting. I think we should share this kind of hardship in a friendly manner. CH 253 Chapter 253 - Enumeration of Facts There are still a few days left before the unpleasant meeting. I had a few things I wanted to clean up. I¡¯m going to say no to my wife about it. ¡°Can I spend the day with Kiara tomorrow?¡± Mil nodded her head a little. ¡°Oh, you mean to talk about that with Kiara today.¡± ¡°Yes, because the conversation ended undecided. I thought it would be better to talk about it now.¡± Mil smiled with kind eyes. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll lend Al to Kiara for a day.¡± With Mil¡¯s permission, I took Kiara out of town the next day. Is she really being distant from her brother? She folded her arms around me and was in a very good mood. Without any particular purpose in mind, the two of us look around the town together. The conversation we have is just small talk. It seems that Kiara has her own attachment to the people of the town. At first, she was just imitating me and was rather distant from the townspeople. Recently, she has been in close contact with them, although she is in the position of a lord¡¯s sister and a lord¡¯s citizen. And because she looks like a beautiful girl, she is quite popular among the boys. At first, she was bewildered, but now she can at least smile and wave her hand to them. We take a break and go into a tea store. It is our favorite place. It wasn¡¯t our favorite tea shop from the beginning, but now we go there often because it has the kind of tea that Kiara likes. As we went there many times, they even prepared a private room where we could have a confidential talk. When I took a break in the private room, Kiara looked at me seriously. The guards were waiting in another room, so it was just the two of us. ¡°Brother, this is a continuation of what we talked about yesterday, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Correct, because yesterday ended undecided. I treated everyone without questioning their status, but I know that Kiara is concerned about that as of late. I wonder if there¡¯s a reason.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes were closed for a moment, but then she turned to the cup in her hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t reported it to brother yet, but there have been several reports that came from the Ears.¡± ¡°Failure to report is not a one-time event or a sign of something else. Is that what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve received reports of rare stories and graffiti that criticizes Brother.¡± I see. ¡°No matter what I do, I can¡¯t please everyone. Criticism will come no matter what I do. If the accusation is persuasive¡­ and if it needs to be improved, we will do it.¡± ¡°I know that. It¡¯s not a good sign when the accusations are nothing more than naivete and stress-busting innuendo.¡± So you were worried that I was letting it escalate. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t help it, as long as I tell them to think and act for themselves. A poor response can easily fall into the direction of containing opposition and criticism. Regulations with blurred boundaries are like taking away the ability to think. If done poorly, it becomes a word hunt. If you can speak ill of someone with no basis in fact and not be charged with a crime, then you are free to speak and think what you want.¡± Kiara puffed out her cheeks. ¡°If that¡¯s all it is, I don¡¯t have a problem with it either. The person who¡¯s making that snide remark is escalating because he¡¯s angry that he¡¯s not being taken seriously by those around him. If they¡¯re that desperate to say bad things about you, there will even be people who suspect that they might not be true.¡± I look down at my cup. A lie told a hundred times becomes the truth. It can be a danger factor, easily exploited by hostile forces. But it¡¯s hard to crack down on. At the time of the arrest, the malicious statements are false and harmful to the community. We have to prove it. Failure to do so will lead to a surveillance society, as is common in dictatorships. But some people may sympathize with the malicious statement. Kiara¡¯s own answer to this problem is that I don¡¯t have enough dignity. This is not an easy problem to solve. ¡°I see, but I don¡¯t want to control speech. But it¡¯s also not wise to ignore Kiara¡¯s concerns.¡± ¡°Do you have a secret plan, brother?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I guess we¡¯ll just have to counter speech with speech¡­¡± ¡°With speech?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know what policies they¡¯ve decided on, or what they plan to do, and post them in town in the form of an official gazette. If they at least knew what we were doing and what we were planning to do, it would change things somewhat.¡± Kiara nodded her head but chuckled quietly. ¡°In other words, you don¡¯t want groundless stories spreading.¡± ¡°If you try to regulate such things, you will end up in a quagmire. As long as we tell people on a regular basis to think for themselves, we have to avoid excessive intervention.¡± ¡°Is that all we should do for those who vindictively try to spread groundless stories?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t charge them with a crime just for telling a lie. Moral values are important as a deterrent. People who force their opinions on others will not be seen as decent. Until then, just keep an eye on them and leave them alone. If they go out of control and cause harm to others, they are guilty as charged.¡± If they are in contact with an enemy agent, it¡¯s a different story. Since we are not in Japan, the law allows us to crack down on spies. Kiara laughed at my moderate approach. ¡°Brother is trying to keep things civil without resorting to heavy-handed tactics, though. Some people would call that hypocritical. I¡¯m tempted to wonder if he would be more satisfied with having his head chopped off.¡± I chuckled at Kiara, too. ¡°It¡¯s up to the person to decide how they want to look at me. People only see the reality they want to see. The problem is, if it¡¯s getting a lot of support, then maybe I¡¯m not doing it right. Otherwise, if there is something to see in that opinion, then refer to it. If there isn¡¯t even that, then it¡¯s probably a good idea to leave it alone.¡± Kiara looked troubled. ¡°The slander that is circulating is the kind of slander that would easily get their head chopped off if it were another lord, you know.¡± Is that the level of talk going around? Not willing to make penalties like disrespect, I had to shrug my shoulders. ¡°Just for the record, what kind of stories are there about the slander and libel? ¡° "" Kiara¡¯s face became deeply indignant. ¡°That Brother doesn¡¯t like the sacrifices that are made, so he shows up at the war memorial, but in the end he chooses to fight. His aversion to sacrifice is just a pretense; he thinks of his citizens as nothing more than disposable tools. He is just a hypocrite and his actions are inconsistent. That kind of thing. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a terrible accusation?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He¡¯s the type of critic who wants to divide things extremely black and white. In most of these cases, they simply don¡¯t like it or have their own preferred conclusion first and try to lead you to it. He pretends to be calm, but it is easy to see that he is emotionally involved. ¡°The person doesn¡¯t seem to be convinced that I am not willing to resist or willing to sacrifice and continue to fight. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll make another accusation then. But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not entirely untrue.¡± Kiara¡¯s pouty face never changed. ¡°Where the hell is that?¡± ¡°He conveniently pieced together the facts and inserted speculation. It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t like sacrifice, and it¡¯s true that I¡¯m at a monument to the war dead. It¡¯s also true that I chose to fight.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s just conveniently piecing things together without considering the circumstances before and after. He is forcibly leading us to the conclusion he wants.¡± Maybe that gentleman has a talent for journalism. ¡°That¡¯s how you lead or incite the masses. Ostensibly, he is telling the truth.¡± A method of inducing people by listing only convenient facts. So it is in this world too. Even before my reincarnation, there were stories stating that only facts were enumerated. But the criteria for extracting those facts are never stated. It is inconvenient to pretend to be fair and neutral. There is no such thing as fair and neutral, though¡­ Kiara was staring at me with a glare, as if it doesn¡¯t affect me. ¡°It¡¯s a firestorm that¡¯s raining down on Brother, isn¡¯t it?¡± That¡¯s right. This is a necessary expense. ¡°As long as the rule of law is the basic premise, we cannot forcefully eliminate them. Maybe they know they can¡¯t be eliminated, so they can say whatever they want. If they¡¯re that devious, they might have a good opinion once in a while.¡± Kiara sighed in astonishment. ¡°Seriously, Brother is too kind of a person¡­¡± CH 254 I signaled to Kiara with my eyes to leave the teahouse when we were done talking, but she said she still had something to say. ¡°Is there still something you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about the new mayor.¡± What¡¯s up with Rabo? I have not yet been approached for advice. ¡°You seem to be troubled by the state of the mayor.¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t asked for advice yet himself, and I think it¡¯s too early for me to say anything about it.¡± Kiara sighed at me. ¡°You can see too high up, but your feet are not always where you want them to be. We and the chiefs are receiving education to be leaders. The mayor is different. It is true that he has been a minister for a long time, but the quality of his work is different. And how can he consult with you right after being appointed?¡± That was certainly careless of me. I know that being a commoner is not the same as before my reincarnation. No, I thought I knew. I intend to shift from a patriarchal and patrimonial bureaucratic social structure to a dependent bureaucracy. To change them abruptly would only cause unnecessary confusion. I was trying to get there in stages. The system that remained in place during the previous period may have been a source of confusion. ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you, these pointers are very helpful.¡± This is my true feeling. When I gave her a smile of genuine gratitude, Kiara smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to be able to help you, brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him. I¡¯ll have to thank Kiara for this as well.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes became those of a hunter who is after his prey. ¡°Then, you will sleep in my room today¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Brother, you meanie¡­¡± I knew it, she¡¯s not being distant. I took Kiara to the Ministry of Civil Affairs building. We go straight into the office of the mayor, Rabo Villani. I¡¯m afraid that if I asked him to take care of things, he¡¯d be too ashamed to do so. He is in a state of deep thought. I must have thrown him off the track too much. I feel bad. When Rabo noticed my appearance, he looked as if he had suddenly encountered a ghost in front of him in a horror movie. It was like wearing 3D glasses and seeing Sadako. It was a little hurtful. The only people in the office were Rabo and the secretary. I stopped Rabo with my hand as he tries to stand up in a hurry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to visit out of the blue. I¡¯ve forgotten a few things I need to teach you when I put you in charge of the mayor¡¯s office.¡± Fearing that he was about to be reprimanded, Rabo¡¯s eyes were glazed over. ¡°Forgotten?¡± ¡°Yes, the mayor¡¯s business itself is done, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes. With everyone¡¯s help, I¡¯ve somehow managed¡­¡± ¡°Other than that, can you identify any areas where you are having trouble?¡± Are you able to recognize what you don¡¯t understand? That¡¯s the first thing we need to check. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t really know how to interact with everyone. Even if I try to imitate my lord, but all I can do is not change my facial expression¡­¡± No, I¡¯m not that expressionless. ¡°It¡¯s how you act as a superior.¡± It¡¯s part of imperialism. I guess the poor people had no way of knowing. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Just then, tea was served to me and Kiara. It¡¯s all about tea today. I take a sip and sigh. When I tried to open my mouth, the secretary was already in a position to take notes. Kiara¡¯s education is amazing¡­ ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s only natural, I¡¯m going to tell you that from now on. So please don¡¯t laugh.¡± Rabo nodded earnestly. ¡°O-Of course.¡± ¡°One, generous but firm. Second, gentle, but can handle things. Third, serious but polite, not blunt. Is everything okay so far?¡± It was not my idea. It¡¯s the source of the Jougan Administration. Rabo seemed to understand what I was talking about and nodded his head. ¡°It would be nice if such a man were my master.¡± You¡¯ve got the essence right. Attitude is just an indicator of the kind of person who would be a good leader. ¡°The fourth one is a person who has the ability to manage things, but is also modest. Fifth, quiet but strong inside. Sixth, honest, straightforward, but mild-mannered. Are you okay here, too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can¡­ but it¡¯s easy to work for someone like that.¡± I nod and continue. ¡°There are three left. Seventh, rough but level-headed. Eighth, sturdy but also substantial inside. The last, bold but righteous. This is the mindset.¡± Rabo thought about it, but then started to get his head around it. ¡°It seems very impossible¡­¡± I knew you were serious. I started laughing. ¡°If you could do it all, you would be a superhuman. There is no one like that. But you can do some of them, right?¡± Rabo looks unsure. ¡°If it¡¯s just a few¡­¡± ¡°What follows is the real thing. The first nine are goals that are respected if you have them, virtues, so to speak. The main topic is the prohibitions classified as immorality, which are despised or disliked if possessed.¡± The first nine are not enough. Together with the next, they become somewhat clear goals. Rather, the prohibitions are easier to visualize. It¡¯s the nature of human beings that is troubling, though. ¡°Prohibitions?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the reverse on the first nine. First of all, you¡¯re fussy and you¡¯re not firm. You¡¯re sharp, but you can¡¯t handle things. You are unserious, pompous, and brusque.¡± Rabo chuckled as he imagined it. ¡°Oh¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want a master like that. I understand very well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep going. You have no ability to settle things, but you have an attitude of dignity. You are rough, but you are weak-minded. You don¡¯t speak frankly, but you are ruthless on the inside.¡± Rabo was strangely impressed, nodding his head and silently urging me to continue. I guess it¡¯s easier to imagine it this way. ¡°You meddle in everything, but you don¡¯t get the whole picture. You appear weak and empty inside. You¡¯re small-minded, but you¡¯re sneaking around doing bad things. That¡¯s all.¡± There seemed to be a little glimmer of hope in Rabo¡¯s eyes. ¡°It looks like we can avoid the prohibitions. I wouldn¡¯t want someone like this anywhere near me¡­¡± This would be an abhorrent personality in any world. Kiara laughed too. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine anyone being capable of the nine mindsets. But I hate to imagine someone who is fully equipped with the wrong one.¡± ¡°If you leave it alone and it works, you don¡¯t need to be prepared. If you act on instinct, people will gravitate toward the wrong side.¡± When immorality-meisters who have the prohibitions ingrained in them are at the top of an organization, that organization is rotting to death. Immorality-meisters multiply like cancer cells, and decent people either flee or rot away. Once that happens, there is no way to rebuild it no matter how hard you try. Rabo leaned forward and looked at me. ¡°My lord!¡± ¡°W-What is it¡­?¡± ¡°I could see that my lord was aware of this. May I put up this mindset and tell everyone about it?¡± That¡¯s quite a bite¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but¡­ I was just stating the obvious, you know.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know for sure until you told me. So I¡¯ll put it out there for everyone to see.¡± Oh, ohhhh¡­ It seems to have tugged at his heartstrings. He¡¯s starting to be as full of life as if he were a different person. ¡°I, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± It¡¯s a matter of course, but I was taken aback when he was so energetic. And it wasn¡¯t my idea. I just quoted it! It was the idea of a different person! I want to say that out loud! But it¡¯s hard because I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t answer when people ask me the source¡­ The previous apostle may recite the Art of War with a smug look on his face, but he won¡¯t even be interested in the Jougan Administration. If it¡¯s a grandchild, it can be understood by saying that the apostle used it. This is useless. These respectful stares from those around me hurt! Too much pain! CH 255 Finally, the day of the unpleasant negotiations. Upon receiving a report that the demon¡¯s messenger had arrived, I headed for the reception room with my friends who shared my discomfort. I asked Mil and Kiara to be removed. I had no intention of involving them in anything unpleasant. The ill-natured grandma Magali was looking at me with white eyes. ¡°I thought it was a rare call from you, but you just wanted some collateral damage.¡± Prytanis couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, though, because I¡¯m a spectator in a special seat.¡± I smiled at them both. ¡°Everything should be shared. Especially in the face of hardship.¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali sighed grandly. It¡¯s fun to talk to you, but it¡¯s boring to talk to that wise man. I¡¯d rather listen to the kid¡¯s sermon.¡± It would have been an accomplishment just to have seen this Ill-natured grandma Magali¡¯s heckling face. With this escape from reality, I arrived at the reception room. Waiting for me in the reception room was a man in his early 20s. He was a demon, dressed in luxurious clothes with jangling ornaments. Blonde hair, blue eyes, fair-skinned, slender, and beautiful. The demon tribe stood up and bowed. His behavior was graceful. ¡°It is my first time to meet you. I am Valentin Helgenir Balschmiede. I have been delegated full authority. You have heard of me as a wise man. You may call me whatever you like.¡± He called himself a wise man with emphasis on full authority. Is he from the Ikiri tribe? The presence of the Ikiri¡¯s is spreading in any world¡­ (T/N: I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m right, but what I found out about Ikiri is, to act cocky; to put on airs; to be full of oneself.) ¡°It is my pleasure to meet you. I am Alfred Della Scala, the feudal lord.¡± We both take our seats. Valentin stared at me as if he was assessing me. I could see the disappointment in his expression. I¡¯m not very good-looking, after all. Valentin¡¯s expression disappears and he opens his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what I came here for. I would like to hear your answer.¡± I¡¯m the messenger, huh. The bad boy flag is all over the place. ¡°I refuse.¡± Valentin smiled. ¡°No one will say yes when asked to give it to me, after all. But, I¡¯m sure Lord Alfred will not like to lose his soldiers. There is a grudge between us. Isn¡¯t it fine to give up some of the lands you don¡¯t control to let it go down the drain?¡± You don¡¯t seriously expect me to agree to this. I guess he¡¯s evaluating it. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a grudge. Is there something like that?¡± Valentin raised his eyebrows at my blurted out statement. ¡°In the first battle against Dorius, Mehtilde, the chief¡¯s cousin, was killed in battle. Have you forgotten that?¡± I still don¡¯t know if that¡¯s it or if you really believe that. I cleared my throat. ¡°The enemy commander who tried to kill us was killed in action. It can¡¯t be a grudge. There is no reason why she shouldn¡¯t be killed. There is no reason to go easy on them in a life and death situation.¡± ¡°One demon tribesman would stand out. Didn¡¯t you give at least instructions for her to be captured alive?¡± That¡¯s ridiculous. ¡°I have no intention of giving such unnecessary instructions to soldiers fighting against overwhelming odds. If we had an overwhelming advantage, that would be a different story.¡± Valentin looked at me a little contemptuously. ¡°It will be possible if you instruct them to. I know you already thought you could win. Besides, soldiers die. If we can avoid fighting afterwards, we¡¯ll break even with a few less men there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe we will always win. It is out of line to give consideration to those who come to kill you on the battlefield. Then, I was still angry that my luxurious clothes were soiled by being doused with water. I would have understood it better if you had said that was a grudge.¡± Valentin became grim-faced. He doesn¡¯t seem to have a sense of humor. ¡°That water attack? I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t get drenched.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear that. Then there is no need to take into account a nonexistent grudge. You understand that point, don¡¯t you?¡± I don¡¯t know what he is trying to do. ¡°You mean you are willing to fight with us?¡± I scratched my head. Did he think that since I didn¡¯t like sacrifice, he could threaten me or something? Wise man¡­ you mean? Is there some secret strategy that will definitely make you win? If so, I would love to see it. ¡°You demand concessions on your own with strange logic. If someone like that raises a weapon, I have no choice but to fight back.¡± ¡°Do you think you can win?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of winning or not winning. And that¡¯s not a request from a superpower with an overwhelming margin of victory.¡± Valentin looked at me confidently. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been lucky to keep winning until now, Lord Alfred. Luck doesn¡¯t last forever. Your ability will always be tested.¡± In other words, they want us to concede because we will lose next time. I would expect a more intelligent conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t deny that I¡¯m lucky. Maybe luck will be on our side next time.¡± ¡°Prytanis seeking asylum and the long rains are luck, too. You were only able to make the most of it because your opponents didn¡¯t expect it. It won¡¯t work for me, who can deflect all the military tactics brought by the apostles.¡± Art of War ain¡¯t it. I wasn¡¯t particularly moved. Maybe that¡¯s why they were all so afraid of him and praise him as a wise man? Is it a mention of a must-win method of apostle-brand warfare? It is a principle, and the Art of War is not a factor of victory. ¡°I see.¡± Valentin looked displeased at my blunt response. I don¡¯t want to affirm it, but I can¡¯t be bothered to deny it either. These people get pissed off when they are denied even the slightest bit. They react hysterically, as if their entire personality has been denied. It is troublesome to deal with these troubled people, whose criteria for judgment are polarized into two: total affirmation or total denial. Then, laughter broke out. It was the ill-natured grandma Magali. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. It was so funny that I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Valentin glared at the ill-natured grandma Magali. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali turned her mocking face to Valentin. ¡°You have a great theory on your desk. But the last time you commanded soldiers was the first time you played in the water, wasn¡¯t it? You¡¯re a war virgin with no experience in actual combat. It¡¯s funny to me that you¡¯re claiming superiority over the boy who¡¯s won every battle he¡¯s fought.¡± Huh? So you¡¯ve never been in a real war. I sighed. ¡°Madam Plunkett, you are being disrespectful to Mr. Messenger. It¡¯s quite impressive that he knows the Art of War by heart.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry. The Art of War is indeed a big deal. As I thought, I never get tired of watching you.¡± Why are you talking about me? Valentin was shaking with anger. ¡°Real combat experience is irrelevant in the face of real wit and intelligence. A great genius will win from the first battle. Besides, Lord Alfred didn¡¯t actually lead. He was just watching from the back. Lord Alfred lacks confidence, so he continues to be humble in an attitude that could be described as demeaning.¡± You¡¯re right about just watching. This wise man is just like the ones who want to mount up on anonymous message boards. My attitude is not demeaning or humble. I win by using my head. I know it¡¯s not a gift from God, but my own ability. But I¡¯m cheating by reincarnating. It¡¯s only natural that I have an advantage. In a sense, I am a cheat. I just don¡¯t feel like bragging about my success under those conditions. If I hadn¡¯t been reincarnated, I might have ended up being full of myself. And I would have failed miserably. Easily predictable. I¡¯m taking full advantage of my reincarnation to achieve my goals. But I will never promote myself because I want to avoid personal worship of me. If I get carried away, I will be deified and my words and deeds will become law. They will stop walking on their own. And it will be a stumbling block to the future. I just want to avoid that. This wise man is too disappointing. Was I mistaken to think he was a little more intelligent? ¡°I see.¡± Valentin¡¯s expression turns grim, as if he thought he was being mocked by my copy-and-paste reply. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you something, Lord Alfred. You are not doing your best to win. You are just leaving it to luck and waiting for things to get better. It¡¯s a move that only works on reluctant opponents.¡± Perhaps he has become excited, but he has lost all honorifics. But what he is saying is not so far off the mark. I¡¯m certainly not trying to force my way to victory. ¡°I see.¡± Oh, shoot. I just gave the same reply again. Even Prytanis started laughing. Valentin¡¯s face turned red and he stood up. The guards were on the alert, but I restrained them with my hand. Valentin spread his hands in a theatrical gesture. A peacock gesture, I think. ¡°Good. The goddess of victory does not flatter unless she is twisted. Let me show you that! It will be time to learn the shortcomings that come from that youth. Victory only comes to the brave! And Prytanis will learn the hard way that he was relying on the wrong people.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He is right in many places. So the naive frontiersmen are deceived. Unable to contain herself, the ill-natured grandma Magali burst out laughing. ¡°Boy, do you want me to die¡­¡± I would give him credit for one thing. He treated me like a youngster. CH 256 The meeting ended in a manner that was unclear whether it was pleasant or unpleasant. After Valentin was asked to leave, the three of us were left in the room. My gaze turns to Prytanis. ¡°Mr. Prytanis, did you lose the battle of wits with him?¡± Prytanis was visibly distraught. ¡°I-It¡¯s true! When I met him in the past, he wasn¡¯t that stupid! Believe me!¡± Naturally, I just stared at him. Prytanis sweats profusely. He was half crying. ¡°You¡¯d think he was someone else!¡± Then came the laughter of the ill-natured grandma Magali. ¡°What Prytanis says is true. The last time I saw him, he was spinning us around, but he wasn¡¯t that stupid.¡± I folded my arms and thought about it. ¡°You are sure it is the same person, aren¡¯t you?¡± Prytanis and the ill-natured grandma Magali looked at each other and nodded. ¡°There is no doubt about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± Then I can think of several patterns. ¡°When things were relatively better, was there someone behind the scenes with the brains?¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali started to laugh, her face twisting. ¡°I see, I see. You mean the doll thought he was a person and walked around all by himself.¡± Prytanis also folded his arms and tilted his head. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say for sure, but ¡­¡­ he doesn¡¯t like people¡¯s opinions of him. It¡¯s hard to manipulate him.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali winked at Prytanis. I don¡¯t want to see Grandma wink at me while I¡¯m eating. ¡°If it was the boy, he could control him. There might be someone who is just as good as the boy.¡± It¡¯d be troublesome if there¡¯s a mastermind or something ¡­¡­ I sigh. ¡°It will be too late for them to run amok. It¡¯s uncontrollable. Another thing, is he can¡¯t take it easy if he¡¯s not on his home turf. I suppose he¡¯s a bit of a braggart.¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali pondered for a moment. ¡°Hmmm, that stopper might be strong. Valentin is inwardly jealous of the boy¡¯s achievements. The boy¡¯s response was so blunt that the salt was almost sweet, so he must have lost his self-control because he¡¯s so heartbroken.¡± ¡°Either way, there¡¯s not much to judge. Nevertheless, so he¡¯s the wise man.¡± I glanced at Prytanis. Prytanis started to panic again. ¡°No, he originally have the most magical power among the demon tribe! That¡¯s why they started calling him a wise man. Then his appeal to knowledge got stronger, and here we are.¡± From Light Wise Man, so you got it wrong. The ill-natured grandma Magali looked at me with amused eyes. ¡°How will you deal with it, boy?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to think about. If they attack us ¡­¡­ we¡¯ll just have to fight them off. The question is, whether he¡¯s the main force of the demon tribe or not.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali put her hand on her chin and opened her mouth. ¡°Chief Niklaus must not be that stupid. I don¡¯t think he would entrust the main force to that.¡± I look at Prytanis. Prytanis notices my gaze and looks as if he¡¯s searching for a memory. ¡°You are Mr. Niklaus, huh. We don¡¯t know each other directly.¡± It doesn¡¯t sound like it¡¯s going to be easy. ¡°What we have to do is the same. But, it won¡¯t just end with fighting off the wise man.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali turned her smirk on me. ¡°Do you not have your eye on Valentin?¡± I shrugged my shoulders in a nonchalant manner. ¡°How will they attack us and how will we deal with them? And what are we going to do afterwards? That¡¯s all I¡¯ve been interested in from the beginning.¡± Prytanis had a complicated look on his face. ¡°If Valentin remains dumb, it makes me doubt my ability to judge people. But the truth is, I don¡¯t want him to be competent. How did this happen ¡­¡­¡± I laughed and patted Prytanis on the shoulder. ¡°I was also surprised at how stupid he was. I suppose it can¡¯t be helped if it¡¯s an unexpected fall from grace.¡± I guess the power of self-preservation is real. I wonder how many people have been made to take the blame. I don¡¯t want him on my side. He¡¯s an excellent talent I want as my enemy. Don¡¯t come this way. Prytanis nodded emphatically. ¡°When I think about it, I¡¯ve always been a man who doesn¡¯t make clear predictions. He used to blur his expressions. I should have noticed. I was deceived brilliantly ¡­¡­¡± Then he started scratching his head with both hands. I can¡¯t help but chuckle. The helper he acquired with full of confidence, but who did not work well, came back home saying ¡°God¡¯s Oracle¡±. It¡¯s like the president of a certain baseball team who was heckled by the fans. But that was better, because he had a real track record before he was acquired. ¡°Blurred statements make you look smart, don¡¯t they? Besides, Prytanis was probably in his teens at the time. It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s a lot better than being incompetent ¡­¡­ when you¡¯re actually competent. ¡° The ill-natured grandma Magali started to laugh. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s for sure. I guess you won¡¯t deal with Valentine in any special way.¡± I looked a little bad. ¡°He was emphatic about me not giving my best. But there are people who can¡¯t do what¡¯s best for themselves. So there is no need to treat him specially. It is not in our best interest to increase the damage by doing something unnecessary.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô I leave them and went back to the Office and asked for Charles. Response to the attack will need to be quick. Mil and Kiara wanted to know what the meeting was about, but I told them I would tell them after I finished talking to Charles. And Charles arrived soon after. ¡°The rumored wise man has returned.¡± ¡°Yes, there will be an attack soon. Sir Rossi will be stationed in the new territory and will be in charge of defensive operations.¡± Charles looked at me with expectant eyes. ¡°I understood. By the way, do you have a plan this time?¡± Everyone in the room is listening. I take a quick breath. ¡°Good luck.¡± Silence reigned in the room. Charles looked stunned. ¡°My lord, this is not a child¡¯s exercise. You can¡¯t just say ¡­¡­ Good luck.¡± No, there¡¯s not much to say. I cleared my throat. ¡°No, he wants to win in a flashy way, with an unworkable strategy. Shall we dance in a reckless position to match those who dance in a conspicuous place on their own?¡± Charles grinned. ¡°I take it you want me to go in the frontal.¡± ¡°Yes, taking unnecessary measures will only cause the wound to widen instead. When someone wants to use his head, it¡¯s best to use the frontal approach.¡± ¡°But you can make him yield with your head, can¡¯t you?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I guess ¡­¡­ If the chain of command is complete and the troops work like limbs. An operation that can¡¯t be executed is harmful. I don¡¯t feel the need to win personally against the wise man. I won¡¯t change my policy of reducing casualties by even one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, we have a lot of new recruits, after all. Then, please be at ease. Well, if we bring my lord to the front too much, your wife and sister will complain.¡± No, they understand it, so it¡¯ll be fine. But then Mil and Kiara blatantly averted their gaze. Hey, hey, hey ¡­¡­. I looked at Charles with a serious face. ¡°Now for a quick piece of advice. Though it may be advice Sir Rossi doesn¡¯t need.¡± Charles chuckled. ¡°You just told us to hang in there, so what are you holding back now?¡± That¡¯s true, too. I chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t make a plan to protect yourself in case it fails. I will take responsibility if something goes wrong. To repel the enemy with minimal casualties. This is the only thing you need to think about.¡± Charles smiled wryly. ¡°It¡¯s certainly not necessary. If I could do such a dexterous job, I wouldn¡¯t have been served cold food in the past. Besides, I don¡¯t want to be reprimanded by my lord. I¡¯ll only be reprimanded when I have behaved in such a very disgraceful manner.¡± I have no intention of holding him accountable for the loss alone. I nodded silently. CH 257 Charles exited and I finally got a chance to catch my breath. Kiara served me tea as usual. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, it really is a chain of problems.¡± All I could do was laugh. ¡°I caused it, you know.¡± Mil nodded her head. ¡°Al, did you create this condition for a reason?¡± I laughed and waved my hand. ¡°If we do this, it will set off a chain of upheavals in the region. I had predicted that. I don¡¯t know what kind of upheaval it would be, though.¡± ¡°Did Al set something up?¡± I turned a wry smile on my face to Mil. ¡°I had said so many times that I didn¡¯t want to do it.¡± ¡°Ah! The wild boar!?¡± ¡°Yes, I told you I couldn¡¯t read the long-term effects. Without that, we wouldn¡¯t have had so many problems in a row.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I sighed a little bitterly. ¡°Before we came, the region was stable on its own theory. You can imagine the toys in the building blocks. There are almost no tribes that are completely unrelated to the others, are there?¡± Mil tilted her head. ¡°The rabbit tribe didn¡¯t have anything to do with gold ¡­¡­ the others, did they?¡± Hey, you just made a funny mistake. Kiara had to hold back her laughter as well. Let¡¯s pretend we didn¡¯t hear that. ¡°Not getting involved at all will strengthen the relationship more than getting involved half-heartedly.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°To stay out of it, they try to keep track of all the neighboring tribes. I think they have a very good surveillance system. They don¡¯t have contact with other tribes, but they must have been monitoring others. Otherwise, if they were attacked, they would not be able to escape.¡± ¡°I see ¡­¡­ You¡¯re talking about the ¡°turning the tables around¡± thing. So the boar broke the toy?¡± Relieved to be back on topic, I take a sip of my tea. ¡°Our social system is quite different from that of the people who lived in the Ravenna region. Even the blocks are completely different in shape and size. Something they can understand¡­ that is, if the shape and size are similar to some extent, they will be to make it stable to some extent even if it is screwed together.¡± If I rush it, they will not understand it. I¡¯m talking to be understood. It is important to pause. I look around at everyone and make sure they don¡¯t have any questions. It¡¯s okay, I open my mouth again. ¡°Dorius¡¯ social system is also understandable, though unconvincing from the perspective of other tribes. That¡¯s where we hastily shoved the completely differently shaped building blocks. Without that thing, we could have proceeded more peacefully.¡± Mil gave me a faraway look. ¡°That would fall apart. I¡¯ve never looked at the region that way before.¡± Kiara laughed, too. ¡°So, how does brother see it going forward?¡± ¡°I wonder how much power the Wise man has within the demon tribe. As far as I¡¯m concerned, it would be so wonderful if he had all the power and he was the chief¡¯s puppet.¡± Mil looked aghast. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Al speak so harshly about anyone before. How can such a useless person be called a wise man?¡± ¡°He¡¯s originally from a lineage related to the chiefs. If you have the strongest magic power, you will be respected. In addition, he has memorized the Apostle¡¯s Art of War. The Art of War describes principles, so if you blur them out at first and then elaborate on them later, people will be afraid of you.¡± Mil sighed. ¡°Ha, it must be tough to the people around him. But the soldiers who don¡¯t know what¡¯s really going on and only know rumors may be afraid of the wise men. Maybe Al could have gone out in person to reassure the soldiers?¡± Oh, that¡¯s one way to look at it. ¡°Yes, that is certainly one way to look at it. But if I leave, I will be a hindrance to Sir Rossi.¡± Mil looked aghast. "" ¡°A hindrance? I can¡¯t imagine that happening.¡± ¡°Yes, my presence would make them wait for my operation. Even if Sir Rossi tries to make a frontal move, he¡¯ll move to accommodate my instructions. My mere presence would be a distraction.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why you won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Yes, and while we¡¯re on the subject, why don¡¯t the members of the Strategy Council go on a tour to inspect sometime?¡± Kiara tilted her head. ¡°An inspection?¡± ¡°I intend to make an inspection of the second city after the battle with the Wise Man is over. It is still under construction, but it would be good to get an idea of the current status of the new territory.¡± Kiara smiled. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Mil laughs like she¡¯s implying something. ¡°Don¡¯t call that a substitute for a honeymoon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because the honeymoon is something I look forward to.¡± While we were talking about this, Gerald made a request to an audience with us. I have no need to refuse, so I ask him to let me through here. I greet Gerald as he enters the room. ¡°My lord, I¡¯m here about the retired adventurer I told you about.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The person I told you about before, the training instructor, has arrived here. I was wondering if you could meet with him.¡± Gerald had requested a retired adventurer, especially one who had been through various ordeals. ¡°Of course. Is that person in the reception room?¡± Gerald nodded silently. I headed for the reception room with Mil, the aides, and Gerald. When we entered the reception room, we found a man sitting there, one step short of an old man. He had a scar on his face, and his limp or perhaps a splint was propped up on a chair. He probably had scars all over his body. I stopped the old man from standing up with my hand and sat down. ¡°I am Alfred Della Scala, the feudal lord. This is my wife, Milva.¡± When the man heard that the elf was my wife, he looked amused for a moment. Then he quietly opened his mouth. ¡°I am Odilon Marche. I have heard that there is a use for a dying person who is crippled even in daily life. I thought it would be better than just waiting to die in pity.¡± ¡°I have heard from Mr. Gerald. I thought it would be a shame to let Mr. Odilon¡¯s experience be buried.¡± Odilon laughed without making a sound. ¡°As you can see, they say you don¡¯t have to be able to teach amateurs.¡± ¡°What I want Mr. Odilon to be is an instructor¡¯s instructor.¡± Odilon quietly closed his eyes. ¡°I see¡­ what do you want me to teach him?¡± "" ¡°How to prepare yourself for danger, how to maintain your mental balance after a crisis. Ordeals that you have to experience to understand.¡± Odilon looked at me like he was assessing me. I just noticed that one eye seems to be prosthetic. ¡°That¡¯s fine, though. I don¡¯t know what level you expect me to be at. So I would like to ask you.¡± ¡°Please feel free to do so.¡± ¡°What do you think you should have done as a soldier before going into battle?¡± I¡¯ve never fought as a soldier. I¡¯ve known about it before my reincarnation, but¡­ I glance at Mil and return my gaze to Odilon. Mil looks like she has no idea what he¡¯s talking about. ¡°I¡¯ve never fought on the front lines, so I honestly don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve made avoiding crisis the highest priority, after all. Still, if it¡¯s before the inevitable battle¡­ I¡¯ll just put out what I have to put out and clear my head. I know I¡¯m not supposed to say this in front of my wife, though.¡± Odilon was stunned for a moment, but soon burst out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re right. In a life-threatening situation, your body will throw off the baggage in your lower abdomen on its own. It is as if all the strength of the body is allocated to the survivors.¡± Soldiers, policemen, and even firefighters, when they feel that their lives are truly in danger, their bodies will produce the excrement they have stocked up on, and their bodies will allocate their resources to survival only. Fighting while pissing their pants on the battlefield seems to be a true story. Even on 911, most of the survivors are said to be incontinent. There is a story about a Vietnam veteran who, upon hearing about a war movie, said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing a movie in which the lead actor fights while taking a shit¡±. It may be fiction, but it was muddy after the Battle of Thermopylae. It was said to have been created by the blood of warriors and their incontinence of fear. That¡¯s about all I know. It¡¯s a crude story indeed, but a life crisis is not a theatrical or a sports event. Mil is turning red as she realizes what Odilon and I have said. Gerald couldn¡¯t help but laugh. I scratched my head and chuckled. ¡°I only know that much. Even if I ask an instructor, I don¡¯t know if the instructor¡¯s teaching is correct. That is why I wanted someone who has been through hell.¡± Odilon was looking at me with interesting eyes. ¡°It¡¯s hard to turn down an offer from someone who talks about incontinence in a fight to teach how to deal with a crisis. I liked the fact that you didn¡¯t think of fighting as a dance. Is the soldier¡¯s instructors the only one I should teach?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, not just soldiers, but police and medical personnel. All those who are near death.¡± Odilon looked at Gerald with a good mood. ¡°Gerald, thanks for sharing your interesting offer. I was sick and tired of just living in pity for my battered body. I¡¯m sick of being looked at and pitied¡­ day after day after day. I thought ¡°Am I really so miserable?¡±. I ended up wondering when I was going to die because I was so sick of it.¡± Gerald returned a wry smile. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk about dying so casually in front of the lord. There was an old person who wanted to die before. However, she was told by my lord, ¡°If you¡¯re going to die, make yourself useful for the future first¡±, and after being overworked, she said, ¡°It would have been easier if I died¡±. She is still being overworked. Please be prepared for that.¡± Wait a minute! You¡¯re making me sound diabolical. I found myself being stared at Mil with a glare in her eyes. If you only talk nicely to someone who has been through an ordeal, you will be disappointed! CH 258 After returning to the Office, Mil and Kiara asked me a lot of questions. It¡¯s not my fault. I explained in detail and they agreed. Mil looked a little disappointed. ¡°I knew in theory that being a soldier is hard work, but is it really that hard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right if it¡¯s settled in the short term. If it is for a long period of time, it will be very difficult. If soldiers become mentally ill after the war is over, it will be a social problem.¡± The Middle Ages were mainly demonstrations, with little showy killing. Pagan and heretic opponents were not considered human to begin with, and the burden on soldiers was low. Still, priests accompany and provide mental care for the knights who fight. Since only thoroughly educated knights fight, the mental care factor is not that important. The knight¡¯s oath and duty are the armor that protects his heart. But it doesn¡¯t work that way in our society, which calculates citizens as soldiers. Kiara also looks uncomfortable. ¡°I was taught to fight as a knight, but it was the first time I was taught to fight as a soldier by brother. Are you going to use them as a fighting force when they are that delicate? I think mercenaries would be fine. Looting will occur when wages are not paid, but they will be docile when they are paid.¡± It¡¯s a tempting proposition, but it¡¯s a no-go. I shook my head. ¡°If we leave it to others, we will not seriously consider protecting our own lives. This leads to unreasonable demands on the field. Finally, they will consider deterrence a waste of money, or treat mercenaries as sacrificial pawns, and the probability of betrayal and ruin will increase.¡± Then, I cut off my words and look around at everyone. They don¡¯t have any questions. I open my mouth. ¡°We must protect our own society, or we will not be able to pass a decent future to our descendants. Above all, people who are indifferent to their own safety are the worst of the worst. They casually use other people¡¯s lives as a tool for their own principles, and they do not feel bad about it. Do those who are indifferent to their own pain care about the suffering of others? I wouldn¡¯t want to go through the trouble of trying to create someone like that.¡± Kiara waved her hand as if in a panic. ¡°I wasn¡¯t criticizing brother¡¯s policies.¡± It¡¯s not something to apologize for or correct. I smile at Kiara. ¡°There is a well-founded criticism, to which you respond with evidence. That is what is desirable. If you¡¯re going to get upset in a debate, I wouldn¡¯t tell you to think for yourself.¡± There, Mil leaned forward a bit. ¡°Well, let me ask you something. I understand that soldiers feel fear. But you can¡¯t be afraid all the time. Does being in a war zone for so long make you mentally ill?¡± I wonder how I would explain it. I hope it comes through¡­ so I¡¯ll talk about it first. ¡°A man can kill a man if he has orders. But not many people can carry out murder on their own. On the battlefield, there will be situations where you fight without orders. At a moment¡¯s notice, you may imagine that the other person has a family. When that happens, your heart will be tormented and you will be sick.¡± I wonder if it is difficult to understand here. It¡¯s a warrior psychology that is not widely spread, even before my reincarnation¡­ But they seem to be waiting for my words. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be understood¡­ but I¡¯ll keep on explaining. ¡°Stress is like a poison in the mind, and it doesn¡¯t dissipate quickly. When you put yourself in a state of poisoning for a long period of time, your mind becomes addicted.¡± ¡°What exactly happens?¡± ¡°It depends on the person, but they sometimes have unpleasant hallucinations. Even when they return to normal, they are plagued by hallucinations. Hallucinations of losing limbs, of killing fellow humans, and so on.¡± Mil sighed heavily. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be hurt so badly, even if it¡¯s to protect ourselves.¡± ¡°The other party has the right to choose the attack. We try to avoid that possibility as much as possible, and our main goal is to win without crossing weapons.¡± Ah, yes. There was something I wanted to do now. I signal Kiara with my eyes. Kiara understands it as a sign of instruction from me and straightens her back. ¡°Kiara, please ask the main family to accept about 100 families from the poor.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡­ but is now a good time? We can afford the food, though.¡± I chuckled. ¡°It would be troubling to receive a request for acceptance when we are in dire straits. The main family is probably still walking a tightrope because of the famine among the poor. If we accept them to some extent now, I expect they won¡¯t ask us again for a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, it¡¯s not a good idea to make a request in the middle of a fierce battle with the demons.¡± ¡°Yes, and please call for Mr. Ludvig and Mr. Arensky.¡± ¡°I understand. Something to make them think again. ¡° Well, it¡¯s true that they will. A few moments later, the two men arrived. Ludvig, the Minister of Development, is scared that I¡¯m going to say something outrageous again. Onyxim, the Minister of Architecture, Science and Technology, is expecting something. What a contrast. ¡°I have something I would like to discuss with you both.¡± Ludvig is alert and hunched over. ¡°Ah, yes¡­ please be gentle if you can¡­¡± Onyxim had a twinkle in his eye. ¡°I¡¯ve been a little stuck on my romance. Just what I needed for a change.¡± ¡°Currently, development is proceeding at a rapid pace, but I understand there have been delays in horse-drawn carriage transportation.¡± Ludvig looked reluctant. ¡°We have been advised to double the roads, but we haven¡¯t gotten around to it. If we widen the canal too much, there will be maintenance costs afterwards.¡± I really appreciate the fact that they consider the cost. ¡°I would like you to consider something else in addition to the normal roads. I would like to simply increase the amount of carriage traffic.¡± Onyxim crossed his arms. ¡°You¡¯re going to make the horses muscular like the Rabbit Tribe?¡± I won¡¯t! Get away from the muscle! ¡°I think it would be better if you could just not feel the weight.¡± Ludvig and Onyxim looked at each other. Then Onyxim gave me a white look. ¡°You want me to magically levitate it? It would be impossible.¡± I laughed and waved my hand. ¡°No, the weight of the wagon stays the same, but the weight changes from time to time, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I guess they don¡¯t know the concept of friction. So I had to explain it in terms of another concept. Ludvig folded his arms. ¡°That¡¯s true. Muddy roads are heavy. The roads in Ravenna are the most stable in the world, though.¡± Onyxim nodded. ¡°So you don¡¯t use those roads?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Of course you have a clue, don¡¯t you?¡± I¡¯d like you to do it without me¡­ but this is an urgent matter, so I¡¯ll give them a hint. ¡°Well, there is one. You¡¯ve previously set a common standard for the repeating crossbow, haven¡¯t you?¡± Onyxim had a faraway look in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why they made me decide on the specifications of the carriage. The rabbit tribe took advantage of the situation and went wild, trying to standardize everything.¡± The Rabbit tribe seems to love things like standard¡­ ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I want you to build a one-way street exclusively for horse-drawn carriages. The width of the road is commonized, so there should be no problem.¡± Ludvig¡¯s one eyebrow rises. Something has ignited his engineering spirit. ¡°What do you envision?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to lay down a kind of steel rut. We will fit wheels into it. If it is less snaggy than the road, the weight the horse will feel will be less. As long as the wheels fit and move smoothly, any shape is fine. As for the iron, I heard that there was a vein of ore in the new territory, and I thought we could make do with it there. May I ask you to give it a try?¡± The truth is, it¡¯s a railroad, but let¡¯s start with the rut to get an idea of what it looks like. The Rabbit people in the Science and Technology Department will be very enthusiastic and will make the most of the commonality. They are difficult to handle, but they are very active. Onyxim grinned. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll try some things. I¡¯ve got the kids urging me to try something new, after all.¡± I appreciate the combination of entertainment and science and technology. I look forward to the future. Development is underway all over the country. As towns and bases are built, there will be even more transportation. It¡¯s too late to wait for a flat tire. I want to get started while we can afford it. I will put all of the money from Dorius into the infrastructure. I can see why you¡¯d want to hit the jackpot and get comfortable¡­ CH 259 I, Charles Rossi, have been entrusted by my lord to deal with the wise man. I don¡¯t know if the wise man will start dancing on his own, but if my lord says so, it is very likely. I¡¯m building a military base in the center of the new territory and I¡¯m stationed there. Since I have incorporated former Dorius¡¯ beastmen as soldiers, the number of soldiers stationed in the new territory alone is close to 1,200. It became big when I noticed it. However, I have also stationed them in a castle along the border of the demon tribe. Currently, we have less than 900 soldiers on hand. When there is no emergency, Prytanis is assigned to assist the governor, Oracio. Since Oracio is suddenly the governor, Prytanis¡¯ knowledge of the land will be of great help. Even though he was treated coldly, he was at the center of power and has know-how in governing. It is about time we received a love call from the wise man. It doesn¡¯t always come when you expect it, so I¡¯ve been waiting for a week now. As I was stopping a sigh of relief, a messenger rushed in. ¡°Sir Rossi, the demons are on the move! We have the castle near the border under siege!¡± ¡°I understand. Call Prytanis. And tell him to prepare to go into battle.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The messenger left. You came to crush us from the castle, huh¡­ it¡¯s more normal than I thought. My lord is not a god, so he may miss once in a while. The guardian of the castle was Poncio, son of Oracio, wasn¡¯t it? We must hurry to help him. I told Prytanis to go to battle. Hearing about the siege of the castle, Prytanis looked surprised. "" ¡°Valentin always said that attacking a castle is a bad idea¡­¡± ¡°Well, it can a diversion. But the castle is still under maintenance and not enough food has been brought in. We need to hurry. It won¡¯t last for a month. It is possible that they were aiming for that point. Are there any ambush sites along the way, or any place where we can disrupt the march?¡± Prytanis thought about it, then looked up. ¡°There are no forests. There are points where we can block the march.¡± ¡°Tell me about it as we move.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a little put off by Valentin after all that disgraceful behavior.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than being caught off guard. So far, no one¡¯s been stupid.¡± We need to leave soldiers behind to defend the base. I will leave with about 800 men. We need to hurry, so our sphere of influence will be forced to march. After two days of marching, Prytanis came to us while we were encamped. ¡°Sir Rossi, we will arrive in the danger zone around tomorrow.¡± Not all of the new territory has been made under our power. In a sort of enclave, the old Dorius castle has been secured to hold off the invasion of the demon tribe. From here on, it is practically a neutral zone. ¡°The map shows a small mountain in the middle of the basin? Is there something about this mountain?¡± Prytanis nodded. ¡°They call it the Mountain of Death.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty disturbing name.¡± ¡°My ancestors once fought a demon tribe. They fought a fierce battle over the highlands, and both sides suffered half the casualties. If they held that area, we could not carelessly advance. It would also be bad if the supply lines were cut off by ignoring them and marching forward. If we attack towards the mountains, our losses would be numerous.¡± The two sides colliding is a key strategic point. There¡¯s a good chance it¡¯s being held up. If they anticipate that the castle¡¯s rations will be low, they can achieve enough by simply holding us back. And the new territory will be greatly shaken. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that stupid. ¡°So it¡¯s an advantageous point. Do you have any other information?¡± ¡°This area is a wasteland with no forests. There is a narrow path to get to the basin, and the terrain is complicated. Water is scarce, so securing water is the top priority.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s try tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s hope Lord Alfred is right.¡± I started to laugh a lot, too. Was my lord¡¯s habit contagious? ¡°It¡¯s probably not a good idea to be too dependent on my lord.¡± That was the end of our conversation that day. The next day, the scouts searched the narrow passages but found no enemy. When we passed through the narrow passage, we found ourselves in a basin. There was a mountain in the center of the basin. Indeed, the soil in the area was dry. After approaching the mountain to a certain extent, we stopped the march once. At this point, we asked the winged tribe to survey the surrounding area with distant view. Since there is no forest, we can get almost all the information just by looking at it from a distance. The results of the distant view were brought to me. As expected, a defensive encampment has been constructed on the mountain. The number of soldiers is said to be about 1,000. There is a watering hole off the mountain. It seems that the soldiers of the demon tribe are coming down to the watering hole to drink water. Did they camp on the mountain when there is no water available? Or are they making us think there isn¡¯t one? And it was reported that the soldiers were drinking the water themselves before they could draw it. There¡¯s only one thing to do anyway. Occupy the watering hole and build a camp. I¡¯m not sure what their intentions are. No, there is one possibility¡­ but I doubt it. There¡¯s a watering hole in the mountains, or a low percentage of it, given the dryness of the surrounding soil. ¡°Prytanis, does it rain this time of year?¡± Prytanis shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t rain this time of year. It does fall in the winter, but the rainfall is low. I don¡¯t know what Valentin¡¯s intentions are.¡± ¡°Did they think we¡¯ll crash into the mountains since were in too much of a hurry?¡± Prytanis thought for a moment, then looked at me strangely. ¡°Does Sir Rossi not fear punishment from Lord Alfred?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going to be punished by my lord, it will be for privatizing the soldiers for my own personal, shallow protection.¡± I have that confidence. My lord seems to accept everything, but he will avoid the type of people who put their personal desires first and seek to protect themselves. ¡°Lord Alfred is quite special, after all. I don¡¯t think Valentin would be able to read him either. No, he is the type that can¡¯t understand.¡± Somehow, Valentin¡¯s intentions became clear. ¡°So you are saying that the wise man dancing in the mountains thinks that all generals are out to protect themselves.¡± ¡°If we were to fight an endurance war here and fail, he¡¯ll think that we would be executed. If we attack, at least the general will have an excuse. To paraphrase Lord Alfred¡¯s argument, you are so concerned with protecting your own safety that you are sensitive to how you can be held accountable for your actions. ¡° Oh, my lord said that Prytanis is a genius. Come to think of it, if he can think that far at his age, he is indeed a genius. Since there is a monster nearby like my Lord, he doesn¡¯t have the luxury of becoming a braggart, which is probably a good thing. ¡°There is little chance that there is water in the mountains. Cut off their water and lay siege. We can¡¯t completely encircle the mountain, but we can target them as they descend.¡± Prytanis nodded silently. ¡°But how can Lord Alfredo see so much through a man after talking and meeting him once?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t reason with my lord. I gave up on him a long time ago.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of background you have¡­ or what kind of outrageous genius you are. It is very fulfilling to work for a master you agree with. Everything else is just a side issue. CH 260 The next day, there was no movement from the demon tribe. Prytanis came up next to me. ¡°Sir Rossi, I have been thinking, Valentin¡¯s magic is powerful. He can make it rain and create water with his magic, so that might be why they¡¯re holed up in the mountain.¡± Oh, that¡¯s one way to do it. ¡°I once asked my lord if magic could be used to ease the burden of logistics.¡± Prytanis gave a laugh, astonished. ¡°So he already thought of it. Lord Alfred¡¯s curiosity is so thorough.¡± ¡°He tried it out of curiosity a long time ago. He said he couldn¡¯t get food, so he tried water.¡± ¡°Can you quench your thirst with it?¡± A nasty smile came naturally. ¡°No. My lord says, ¡°Suppose you magically create water and drink it. The sensation of drinking water remains. You have to keep imagining it until it is actually absorbed into your body, or it will disappear.¡± So he says.¡± Prytanis opened his mouth. ¡°Ha¡­it¡¯s amazing, but¡­ I give up. That means, you can create water with magic, but you can¡¯t quench thirst¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it means that even if you create water or food, you have to imagine the form in which it will be absorbed into the body. But he said there is one exception.¡± ¡°Is there a loophole?¡± ¡°Yeah, he said that if the apostles¡¯ vast power could be embodied, they would be quite capable of holding their own without the need for imagery. Apparently, there was a time when the apostles produced food. Still, it¡¯s not a complete substitute for water or food. Dehydration would definitely set in.¡± Prytanis had a tense smile. Just like my first reaction. ¡°Then it¡¯s possible that Valentin knows.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing¡­ After draining the water for half a day, my lord checked for himself. You never know when the water will disappear¡­ unless it dries up.¡± Prytanis looked up. ¡°Who the hell is Lord Alfred¡­¡± ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s useless even if you think about it.¡± The next thing I knew, the clouds were gathering at the top of the mountain where the enemy camp was located. Prytanis nodded his head. ¡°What if we gather the clouds and make it rain?¡± The fact that he even knows the answer to this question shows how deep my lord¡¯s curiosity is. ¡°It takes apostle-level magic power to bring in the clouds. Other people¡¯s clouds are created by magic. So even if it rains, it cannot quench thirst. If it rains with magic and a landslide occurs, the landslide remains. When magic is lost, only the water disappears without a trace.¡± Prytanis burst out laughing. ¡°Sir Rossi is starting to look like a magician.¡± ¡°I was simply stating my lord¡¯s answer.¡± I feel a little sorry for the demon tribe that is so happy to see the rain on the mountaintop. Prytanis also chuckled when he saw the rain. ¡°I suppose Valentin¡¯s plan would have worked under normal circumstances. Normally, a general would think of saving his life. As for the water, I can only say that he was careless.¡± ¡°Until my lord told me, I thought I could just magically produce water. He¡¯s not stupid, but he¡¯s too careless. He¡¯s under the illusion that the goal is reached when he think of it. Such a wise man is taking brilliant steps on thin ice, though.¡± Prytanis folded his arms and pondered. ¡°Do you think Lord Alfred knows that he¡¯s dancing on the mountain?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever know the specifics. But if you believe yourself to be clever, you¡¯d come up with a complicated scheme and lose your objectivity. That¡¯s why he described it as dancing. Just as we cannot fly, the wise man cannot be objective. So¡­ that was the best the wise man could do.¡± The next day, I had the winged tribe check the enemy position from a distance, and they reported that the soldiers were slumped over. That sounds pretty serious. As I was thinking this, rain began to fall on the mountaintop again. Have they not noticed? It was hard not to laugh when it had come this far. It is likely that they will be forced to go down the mountain soon. I instructed them to raise the alert level. At this point, the enemy soldiers are almost unable to fight. In another day or two, they will be unable to move. After the third day, it was likely that there would even be deaths. Even if they force their way down the mountain, will they come back to take the water hole as dead soldiers? Since they cannot move their bodies, they cannot even become a dead soldier. It would still be impossible¡­ At night, several demons came down to the watering hole and surrendered. They are completely dehydrated. Their muscles were cramping, and some of them were even grumbling. Let¡¯s give them water and food and ask for more information tomorrow. Since I¡¯ve been serving my lord, I¡¯ve had much less chance to actually cross swords. The harder the commander works, the easier it is for the soldiers. The more the lord struggles, the easier it is for the people. The harder the boss works, the easier the subordinates work. Rationally speaking, the lord said it was a good thing. But if you take it seriously, it is hard to do and hard to be understood, so people don¡¯t want to do it. I laughed when he said that. I agreed, but the quality of this work is quite hard. When you think alone, you inevitably want to compromise along the way. The next day, I interrogated the demons whose symptoms had calmed down. As expected, the wise man, ¡°The commander, thinking of self-preservation, will have men run into the mountains. That way, if he fails, he can make an excuse that they were not strong enough. If he does nothing and fails, it is a blunder for which there is no excuse, and his reputation will fall to the ground. Even if it turns into a standoff, we can replenish our water supply with magic. If you do as you say, the goddess of victory will flatter you.¡± He said boldly. He said that the air in the camp was so bad that someone might kill the wise man. The prisoner spat this out. The Prisoners were made to look into the distance to further check the enemy camp. Apparently, the soldiers were acting suspiciously. He reported that they were very upset. Was the wise man killed? If that happens, the enemy soldiers may try to escape. We cannot let them escape. It would be troublesome if they escaped and joined up with the troops attacking the castle. While I was giving instructions to my men for tonight, Prytanis arrived. ¡°I guess Valentin is almost done for.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just¡­ It would be foolish to attack carelessly and cause more damage. Poncio will still hold out. When the Wise Man¡¯s army falls apart, the troops attacking the castle will pull back.¡± Sporadically that evening, the demons began to descend the mountain. Many of them, perhaps in a desperate attempt to escape, lost their footing and fell to their deaths on the way down the mountain. In the end, we killed about 200 people that day and took about 60 captive. We would ask the prisoners what happened the next day. Perhaps some would try to escape at night. We will follow my lord¡¯s example and make it look like we have the mountain surrounded by a bonfire with a lot of flair. They did not light a bonfire in one part of the mountain, but kept the soldiers lying low. If they are dehydrated and have lost all sense of proper judgment, they will easily fall for it. As expected, there were some demons trying to escape, but we took them all out. It was difficult to take prisoners in the dark. We will check the number of prisoners the next day. A few may have escaped, but a few is not a problem. The next day, I looked at the battlefield and found about 300 dead bodies. A few of them were still breathing, so we treated them as prisoners of war. I will leave the handling of the prisoners of war to my lord. The beastmen under Dorius, for whom this battle was the first battle for Ravenna¡¯s army, could not believe that a battle in which they were not forced to make sacrifices. They seemed to have asked their unit commander if it was all right to have so few sacrifices. It would be good to realize that society has changed because of this. I¡¯m sure my lord would look uncomfortable if I told him this story. Then, when I interrogated the captive, Prytanis and I looked at each other and went rigid because of the shocking details. Prytanis slapped himself in the face and asked the Prisoners again. ¡°Valentin fled with his close aides? Leaving all the other soldiers behind?¡± As expected, even I was speechless from the wise man¡¯s performance with all his might. CH 261 It is tragic for the parties involved, but from the outside, it is a comedy. It is so terrible that I almost burst into dry laughter. Thankfully, the wise man also left supplies behind, so we were able to replenish our equipment and rations. I¡¯ll consider it a gift from the wise man. First, we¡¯ll treat the demons who are collapsing from dehydration. The prisoners of war were disarmed and instructed to be housed so that they would not be gathered in one place. There are magic items to seal magic, but as expected, there is no such number to cover more than 100 captives. Nevertheless, the Prisoners are completely demoralized because the general has performed the miracle of escaping before the enemy. It seems that only the commanding class escaped and all the general soldiers were left behind. As you can imagine, I feel sorry for them. We had to send about 200 people to send the POWs back, but at this point, we have no choice. I will go with Prytanis and the remaining 600 men to help the castle. Probably, the enemies who are attacking the castle are retreating¡­ but I doubt that the siege group will know that the wise man has escaped. Prytanis had a difficult expression this whole time. ¡°I never thought he would do something like that¡­¡± ¡°That was unexpected. I¡¯ve never seen anyone flee before in my life.¡± ¡°Just imagining the look on Lord Alfred¡¯s face when he hears this story frightens me.¡± ¡°What on earth are you afraid of? It¡¯s not like you will not be reprimanded.¡± Prytanis shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been stirring up a lot of talk about a wise man vs. wise man battle, and this is what happened. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll think I¡¯m a huge fool. I feel like going back in time and covering my mouth¡­¡± It¡¯s called black history. ¡°I don¡¯t think my lord will do that. My lord thinks highly of you.¡± ¡°I wish that were the case. I wish I could at least tell by his facial expressions, but¡­ Lord Alfred basically never changes his face, which scares me.¡± "" I can¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°It¡¯s about learning and growing. You¡¯ve learned a good lesson. If it bothers you so much, I¡¯ll teach you how to deal with it better.¡± Prytanis¡¯ eyes light up. ¡°What is it?¡± I grin. ¡°Young man, embrace a woman.¡± Prytanis¡¯ stunned face went crazy. The castle where Poncio was defending came into view. The castle walls were in tatters, as if they had been hit by magic in a spectacular manner. The castle has not fallen. It is safe for the time being. At a glance, there are no enemies around. Just to be sure, we send out a scout to see if there are any ambush soldiers in the surrounding area. We are informed that there are no enemies, so we head for the castle. We send a scout into the castle first to make sure. As soon as the scouts reach the castle gate, it is opened. The scouts report that the castle soldiers are safe, so I lead the army into the castle. When we entered the castle, we were greeted by Poncio. ¡°Hey, I am glad to see you are safe.¡± He seems to be in good health, although he looks a little tired from the siege. ¡°The castle is in shambles, though. Thank you for coming.¡± I checked with Poncio about the situation, and he said that the demons had retreated about two days ago, after all. ¡°It looks like we don¡¯t have time to repair this castle¡­should we abandon it?¡± Poncio nodded. ¡°Yes, if they seriously attack us, we won¡¯t last.¡± I make the decision to pull out of here and lower the line of defense. Even if we try to maintain it, it would be impossible because of the enclave. Besides, it is not a key strategic location. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to move. There is a castle near the second city. That will be our line of defense. We¡¯ll come back here when we¡¯re ready.¡± The road infrastructure is underdeveloped and logistics are difficult to maintain. It was a waste to abandon them, so we stationed a unit there, but it was a mistake. ¡°Sir Rossi, may I tell my father that I am safe?¡± ¡°Yeah, tell him quickly.¡± Poncio gave the order and the messenger left. Prytanis thought for a moment. ¡°This castle is completely isolated from its surroundings. If we don¡¯t make it easy to coordinate with the surrounding area, it will be easily captured.¡± ¡°Yeah, it would be better to build the castle somewhere else. However, it was your first time to lead a defense against a siege, and you persevered. Perhaps Poncio has a talent.¡± Poncio scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°That¡¯s because the enemy didn¡¯t really attack us.¡± Prytanis laughed at Poncio. ¡°But if you are able to lead the castle soldiers, you are good enough. That is the most important thing.¡± Should I consider this matter closed? The whereabouts of the Wise Man are unknown. I have no intention of seriously looking for him. I don¡¯t think there is any need to force a search. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine to leave the wise man alone. If you think about it, even if he returned, he would be executed for fleeing before the enemy. There is no need to search desperately. Then, let¡¯s pull out tomorrow.¡± They all nodded. But¡­ from now on in our territory, the term ¡°wise man¡± will be a term to make fun of them. CH 262 I didn¡¯t know what kind of dancing the wise man would do, but I wasn¡¯t interested in it. Then, I received a piece of good news. Delphine was pregnant. The Minister of Education thought that Despina would be brought forward. However, she declined. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know when we will have a baby¡±. As a result, Kriemhild became the minister. She had been preparing for the handover for some time, and the transition went smoothly. She says she will help Kriemhild with her work as an advisor until her belly gets bigger. With the ministerial appointment, Kriemhild had a difficult look on her face. ¡°I am honored to be entrusted with the ministerial position ¡­¡­ I also feel like they¡¯re saying, ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not going to marry yet¡¯.¡± I couldn¡¯t do anything but laugh, because anything I say would end up bringing trouble. I also received a report from Charles that the wise man had fled before the enemy. It¡¯s going to be tough to deal with 200 prisoners of war. I am almost certain that the demon tribe will approach us, but until then we will have to wait. I just wonder how the grudge with the Kriemhild¡¯s family will come out. Should I make them stay in the second city until the demon tribe¡¯s situation settles down? Before that, we need to officially replace the Knight Commander. Preparations are underway for the ordination ceremony to officially appoint Robert as the second Knight Commander. Other than that, the police and the courts have started to get busy because of the rapid increase in population. The Police Department and the Legal Department have notified the Ministry of their upgrade. When things settle down a bit more, I would like to create a city police department and a district court and entrust them to the city. We have not yet caught up with the development of human resources. In fact, I would like to have more time to stabilize internal administration. In the midst of my busy schedule, information was brought to my attention that I had forgotten. It was information on the question of succession to the throne. I looked over the documents that Kiara had given me. ¡°Even this unstable regime is barely stable because of the fear of causing an uproar and being reset by the apostles.¡± Kiara seemed to agree and nodded with a wry smile. ¡°Three of the sons are heirs to the throne. The rotation of prime ministers is going to be a mess, too. The prime minister is a very old man. And the nobles have their own agendas.¡± ¡°Even if they forcefully seize the actual power of the royal family, there would be no profit to match the opposition from those around them, after all. They will not take forceful measures. In any case, let¡¯s just continue to gather information.¡± I suddenly feel a gaze. Mil was looking at me. ¡°Al. Tell me about that since I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡± Certainly, Mil has the right to know. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll just mention that ¡­¡­ It¡¯s very difficult to understand.¡± Mil¡¯s face became tense. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can understand it when you say it like that ¡­¡­ But I¡¯m the lord¡¯s wife. I¡¯ll do my best to understand.¡± ¡°First of all, there are two patterns of succession to the throne. One case is that the current king nominates the next successor. If he dies without being able to nominate someone, the next king is nominated by a joint meeting of the three families of the Prime Minister and the three great nobles.¡± Mill titled her head. ¡°How can a meeting ever come to an agreement?¡± ¡°The royal family itself is not that powerful, so it is decided rather easily. Even if you force someone to take the throne, there is not much reward for it. The criteria for selection are those who will not interfere with the autonomy of the feudal lords.¡± Mil chuckled in disgust. ¡°If it¡¯s such a decoration, why does Al care?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a decoration until now. It can¡¯t always be a decoration forever. When a king who has no political power but only motivation ascends to the throne, things get rough.¡± ¡°How can such a man be king?¡± ¡°This is where the trouble begins. First, there are three families of Prime Minister. Di Buono, Di Giacomo, and Di Pinto. The Prime Minister is a lifetime position. When they die, the eldest of the three takes office. The three families take turns being the prime minister, and there is basically no appointment of a parent and child as prime minister. ¡° Mil¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°I understand it so far.¡± ¡°Each of those three families has a branch. When they are about to be severed, they adopt a child from a branch family. And vice versa. Furthermore, the prime minister¡¯s families and the branch families are intermingled and related to each other. And Each Prime Minister¡¯s family or branch family ¡­¡­ has a Housekeeper of practical affairs. The Housekeepers are also related to each other.¡± ¡°I know it sounds complicated just hearing about it, but is this the source of it being difficult?¡± ¡°The Housekeeper has been delegated a great deal of authority by the head of the Prime Minister¡¯s family. It¡¯s limited to the Prime Minister¡¯s family¡¯s domain, but¡­ collection, exemption, and allocation of taxes, and the exercise of police powers. He can do these things at his own discretion. He also acts as an intermediary when a landowner or a knight of the family of the prime minister appeals to the head of the family. In addition, he is the representative of the vassals. If a vassal has a problem with another family¡¯s vassal, the prime minister of each family negotiates with each other.¡± Mil tilted her head. ¡°That makes me think they don¡¯t need a head of the family, though?¡± ¡°Yes. You got to the point. The head of the family is in charge of government affairs at the palace, so he is not in charge of his own territory. You don¡¯t have to be a prime minister to run the government, after all. Then there is the issue of family rank. A person of low family rank is a person of high family rank ¡­¡­ They are called nobles, but it is impolite to make direct contact with them. That¡¯s why they need an intermediary.¡± Mil looked fed up. ¡°What a hassle ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. Anyway, society has been stable since the first descent of the apostles. Since no major changes have occurred, the classes are also fixed. This social system has continued for about 1,000 years. The only way to increase one¡¯s power in such a society is to increase one¡¯s circle of friends through intermarriage. Thanks to this, including distant relatives, the upper classes in each country are almost all related to each other.¡± Mil doesn¡¯t seem to be feeling it at the moment. I guess it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Is it the same for us?¡± ¡°Our family doesn¡¯t tie in relatives at random. Since we are a great arostocratic family, and if we expand our reach too far, we will lose out. Only our family does that. That¡¯s also the reason why our family doesn¡¯t have Housekeeper. Well, such marriages are also made between the various royal families.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. The in-laws are so tangled up in their threads that I don¡¯t ¡­¡­ understand.¡± Kiara also chuckles. ¡°Yeah. No one has been able to figure out exactly what the connection is. Even though the royal family is not very powerful, it has the right to approve the inheritance. They can use that right to intervene in the inheritance of the nobility. The nobles can intervene in the inheritance of their Housekeeper ¡­¡­ that¡¯s why there is a hierarchical structure.¡± Mil started to hold her head. ¡°I¡¯m tempted to pretend I didn¡¯t hear that ¡­¡­¡± I shrug and look out. ¡°That answers my first question. For a house that lacks power and interest ¡­¡­ It¡¯s better to have a motivated king ascend to the throne, so that they have a chance to expand their interests. But with all the in-laws¡¯ relationship, branches of the family, and other threads tangled up, it¡¯s hard for anyone to know which is the best solution.¡± Mil plopped down at her desk. ¡°It¡¯s a human society, that¡¯s why it¡¯s complicated ¡­¡­ that¡¯s not it, is it?¡± I laughed and nodded. ¡°Shall we do the rest of the make-up work at night?¡± The rest of the story is apostolic, so I can¡¯t talk about it carelessly. I know that there is no one in the aides or escorts who would divulge information. But it¡¯s not good if we accidentally leak it without malice aforethought, or if our attitude is contagious and we are noticed. Looking at my face, Mil and Kiara nodded silently. CH 263 The evening will be a briefing on these tangled threads. Only three people are in the room. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say anything publicly from this point on, since it¡¯s going to be apostle-related. But I think it¡¯s fine to talk until the tangled threads of marriage.¡± Mil nodded at my question. ¡°It¡¯s troublesome to have relatives all over the place ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come back to that later, so let¡¯s put that aside. The phenomenon that is happening now is the solidification of society. They can¡¯t make large-scale reforms because they are afraid of the apostles¡¯ reset. The apostle¡¯s lover¡¯s family even lost money on a legitimate reform, so the apostle crashed the reform.¡± Kiara contorts the edges of her mouth and gives a small shrug. ¡°Apostles don¡¯t try to know politics. I¡¯ve heard that all the apostles have said, ¡°Politics is dirty and I don¡¯t want anything to do with it¡±. It¡¯s fine if they really did not touch it at all ¡­¡­ If something goes wrong with a lover or a harem¡¯s relative, they intervene and turn it upside down. They just turn it upside down, but they don¡¯t particularly direct the profits afterwards.¡± This is probably due to the thought process before their reincarnation. In many cases, the politicians and bureaucrats in the anime are either lining their own pockets or are incompetent. They are portrayed as if they don¡¯t need to be there. Do they realize that in reality, they would not be able to live the way they do now if they were not there? Even if they were, what happens when you put idiots in charge of politics. ¡­¡­ Mil looks uncomfortable at Kiara¡¯s story. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have known that if I didn¡¯t have the job I have now, but ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not about being dirty or not being involved. If we don¡¯t do it properly, it¡¯s going to make everyone¡¯s life a lot harder.¡± You can¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on around here unless you actually do it. ¡°If there is any inconvenience to this relative, they intervene. That¡¯s the key here.¡± Mil nodded her head. ¡°But an Apostle¡¯s harem is limited in number, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kiara chuckled and wagged her finger. ¡°Intervention isn¡¯t limited to direct relatives, you know. Some of the harem¡¯s relatives have relatives, too. Relatives rely on relatives, and the harem sends their requests to the apostles.¡± Mil sighed, feeling astonished. ¡°So that¡¯s how they spread their web of relatives.¡± I hold up my index finger. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. You know about the story about the apostle that turned the past problems upside down, don¡¯t you? But the human world does not remain with the same structure forever. Naturally, there will be fights and skirmishes. But, they don¡¯t want to reset the results of the skirmishes. What do you think they will do?¡± Mil looks as if she wants to say to give up. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They¡¯ll just have to butter up to the apostles, but there are limits.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll make sure the future apostles can¡¯t sue them. In other words, they¡¯ll eradicate their families and anyone associated with them.¡± Mil looked genuinely surprised. ¡°They¡¯d go that far?¡± ¡°It¡¯s happened in the past. That¡¯s how they were able to secure their interests. That way, they don¡¯t know when they will be exterminated. They need to protect themselves. In other words, they try to protect themselves by expanding their family relationships. Once the relationship is expanded, it becomes impossible to eradicate them.¡± Mil frowned, but her face soon became aware of something. ¡°I understand why they are immobilized, but the previous lord of this place was reformed, wasn¡¯t he? Wouldn¡¯t it be bad if his descendants appealed to the apostles?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a good point. However ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not enough to fix it anyway. There have been times when the status quo has been maintained despite clear negligence or mismanagement. But the people of that territory joined the harem. Then what happens?¡± Kiara gives Mil a wicked grin. ¡°The apostles have inflicted punishment on the lords and the royal family. The apostles probably did it with the best of intentions. Here we have a precedent that a clear misgovernment must be punished. The story doesn¡¯t end there. The descendants of the fallen family joined the harem. When they complained that the punishment to their ancestors was too harsh, the apostles intervened again.¡± Mil looked astounded. ¡°So ¡­¡­ what do you think they should do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s where the churches closely associated with the apostles come in. For major dispositions, such as reorganization, we ask the Church. The Church preserves such precedents from the past. They show them to the apostles and ask them not to overturn precedents. When the apostles are asked, they are very happy to oblige. The Church asks the apostles for their judgment during the descent of the apostles. The apostles don¡¯t like troublesome talk, so they leave it to the church.¡± ¡°Now even the church is coming in ¡­¡­ I never thought the world could be so crazy ¡­¡­¡± I nod my agreement to Mil¡¯s indignation. ¡°I¡¯m a feudal lord now, and my father taught me for the first time. It would be a source of confusion if anyone other than the lords were to know. But the intervention of the church is not so bad. So far, every time the apostles have changed, the situation has been turned upside down. It¡¯s just that with the church in control, things become more consistent.¡± ¡°When I see the look on Al¡¯s face, you¡¯ve got a face that says that¡¯s not all there is to it. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re able to see through it. This time, they want the Church to rule in their favor, so they¡¯ve decided that donations and marriages with relatives of the head of the Church will not be accepted ¡­¡­¡± A fed-up-looking Mil stopped me. ¡°Oh, enough! It¡¯s all about relatives ¡­¡­¡± Kiara started laughing at Mil¡¯s condition. ¡°That¡¯s why brother stands for the rule of law. In the current situation, everything is determined by the strength of relatives and backstage manipulation. It¡¯s just that ¡­¡­ the relatives¡¯ relationships are so intertwined that the effect is not clear. But it is dangerous to stop. The result is so chaotic that even brother has given up trying to figure it out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use thinking about the unreasonable ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll leave it to the likes of what may be born in the future.¡± You need a scholar who specializes in genealogical research to do it. It is absolutely impossible for a feudal lord and a lady of the house. CH 264 A few days after the tedious explanation of the country, an arrow flew from an unexpected place. It was a stunning surprise¡­ I confirmed again with Kiara, who had brought me the letter. ¡°Is it true that mother is coming for an inspection?¡± Kiara looked at me with serious eyes. ¡°Brother, please stop your futile resistance. It¡¯s been three years, and as a mother, I can¡¯t say no if she wants to see her son¡¯s work.¡± I guess so. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± Mil sighed with a troubled look on her face. ¡°Mother-in-law¡­ I wonder if she¡¯s okay¡­ She and Al¡­ they¡¯re not on a normal level in a lot of ways.¡± Kiara puffed out her cheeks. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t agree with you putting me and my brother on the same level.¡± Mil looked at Kiara with a serious look. ¡°You know¡­ from one¡¯s point of view, there is no difference between 10,000 and 100 million.¡± Kiara was unusually at a loss for words. ¡°Well said¡­ But Sister has as much as I do.¡± It¡¯s sad to see the barren numbers war. ¡°You should stop it there, you two. Anyway, it¡¯s fine because I have nothing to hide. It¡¯s a good opportunity to introduce Mil to her.¡± Let¡¯s leave this matter alone for a moment. Maman¡¯s check is not much of a problem. But a parental check is a daunting prospect, even if you have nothing to feel guilty about. Then, a few days later, a messenger entered the room. ¡°A messenger from the demon tribe has offered to negotiate the turnover of the prisoners.¡± ¡°I give you permission to pass. By the way, what does the messenger look like?¡± If it were a wise man, it would be funny, but it isn¡¯t him, it¡¯s not. ¡°It was an old man. He said he is the deputy of the chief and an elder. His name was Oliver Erlingue.¡± ¡°I understand. If necessary, you can send a carriage for him.¡± Elder¡­should I take him seriously or is he a sacrificed stone¡­ I won¡¯t know until I meet him. Kiara had a wicked smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. It would have been better if they had chosen the wise man as their emissary to solve his blunder.¡± ¡°If they didn¡¯t care what happened to the prisoners, they would. But in a normal organization, escape before the enemy is to be executed. He led the war, made a mistake in the operation, and fled without dealing with the failure himself. If they let him live for this, the chieftain¡¯s head would physically fly off.¡± Kiara looked a little disappointed. ¡°That¡¯s right. So Brother thinks that he has already been executed.¡± ¡°Yes, there is no escape. All the other tribes that signed the non-aggression pact have already submitted their hostages. They have no advantage to harboring them. If he is overconfident about his reputation, he will return. And then there¡¯s this.¡± Then I made a decapitation gesture. ¡°Then the chief must be better than the wise man.¡± "" ¡°I don¡¯t know how much better. I guess I¡¯ll ask Madam Plunkett. Please call her.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Kiara instructed her aide to go and call the ill-natured grandma Magali. Elders, huh? Normally, they would be intelligent, but the wise man is that, after all¡­ Mil looked at me and laughed. ¡°The title of the demon tribe is not something you can rely on.¡± I knew Mil agreed with me, apparently. ¡°One person might be the exception¡­and it would be premature to make any assumptions.¡± ¡°As for Al, which is better?¡± ¡°I honestly can¡¯t say. It¡¯s hard to speculate without information.¡± ¡°You¡¯re as careful as ever.¡± I had no choice but to laugh. ¡°When I underestimate things or make assumptions, it affects a lot of people. You can¡¯t be too careful, but I think it¡¯s good to be cautious at the beginning.¡± ¡°You should take a breather once in a while. If Al ends up in a slump, it¡¯ll be a long time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say back, I¡¯ll be as careful as I can.¡± From there, it was just idle chit-chat. Soon after, the aide arrived with the ill-natured grandma Magali. The ill-natured grandma Magali sat down and looked at me in a troubled expression. ¡°Do you want to hear about the elder of the demon tribe?¡± ¡°Yes, his name is Oliver Erlinge. Do you know him?¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali stopped me over with her hand. ¡°You called a weak old woman over here. Why don¡¯t you offer her a drink or something?¡± Drinking in the daytime, huh? ¡°Kiara, serve her some medicinal water.¡± Kiara nodded, trying not to laugh. ¡°I understand.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali glares at me. ¡°How can alcohol be a medicinal water?¡± ¡°Even if I said no to alcohol, you would say it is medicine because it is the best of a hundred medicines. Then a medicinal water won¡¯t make much difference.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali sighed. ¡°I think you¡¯re jumping the gun too much¡­¡± Ill-natured grandma Magali grumbled, but she sipped the medicinal hot water served to her by Kiara. ¡°So, about Oliver. In a word, he¡¯s a decent guy. He is the one who taught Valentin the Apostle¡¯s Art of War.¡± The wise man¡¯s master. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can count on him to be decent when his disciple is that kind.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali sniffed. ¡°A master-disciple relationship can only be successful if the master and the disciple are on the same page. You know that already, don¡¯t you? Don¡¯t play dumb with me.¡± If anything, the output side¡­ the disciples have a huge weight. If the output side is excellent, it will grow on its own without input. ¡°Well, the wise man is that kind, after all. No matter who taught him, he would have been a failure. He was smart, but his mentality was too weak to maintain objectivity.¡± He would be incomparably strong on paper tests. Not the type to be good in the practical test. If it¡¯s before my reincarnation, he would be a TV critic. What happens when you let a critic do the practical work¡­ ¡°Even masters are not all-powerful. Even choosing a disciple is a gamble. Even when you are a kid, if you are clever, you want to take a gamble.¡± ¡°If Madam Plunkett is so sure, he must be a decent man. Then, this time, I guess he was made to clean up his disciple¡¯s mess.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali laughed bitterly. ¡°Of course. So you should think of it that they are here with the intention of negotiating. So, you invited me here because you want me to negotiate with you?¡± I shake my head. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. I will inform Madam Plunkett of our terms.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali started laughing. ¡°Yes, yes, I knew that it will be fun if it¡¯s you, boy. If you don¡¯t abuse me so much, you would be the best feudal lord ever, though.¡± ¡°I can see that if I did, you¡¯d stick your neck out in your spare time anyway. Someone who has been a caretaker for so long can¡¯t suddenly go into hiding. I am doing this out of respect for those who have gone before me.¡± ¡°Seriously, I really wonder where you get your wisdom. All right, then, tell me your conditions.¡± The ill-natured grandma Magali exchanged a few words about the conditions and then left. Mil had a sullen look. ¡°Al, I¡¯d appreciate it if you and Ms. Magali won¡¯t have a conversation in your own private world.¡± I shuddered, feeling a chill at the words in our private world. "" ¡°Don¡¯t say something so horrifying¡­¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re outside of the conversation, you know? I see Al¡¯s bad habit has kicked in again¡­¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll explain everything.¡± At these words, everyone straightened their posture. No, you don¡¯t have to take that posture every time¡­. I looked around at everyone and opened my mouth. ¡°If the negotiator is a decent person and has connections to the company he or she is negotiating with, I will make contact with them about that first. We will find out what they are thinking and what their conditions are, and then we will make preliminary negotiations.¡± Kiara nodded with a look of understanding. ¡°So that¡¯s why you thought of asking Ms. Magali about the elder first?¡± ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t just go out of the blue and start negotiating unless you are sure or intend to break up the negotiations.¡± Mil nodded her head. ¡°Wait, when Mr. Abraham and the others joined us, they came out of the blue, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°That was because we had already presented our terms. If both sides are willing to agree, the top-level meeting is valid. Then we can talk about the details, but the other side¡¯s position will be taken into account, and the conditions will be better.¡± ¡°With Ms. Magali and Ardelheid, you knew the terms, so you were able to do it without any downside bargaining.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then what about Ms. Isabeau?¡± ¡°The negotiations were almost completed when she brought the letter of introduction from the main family. All we had to do was to work out the terms and conditions. Unless you are very wise¡­ or very stupid, you would not have made a lower negotiation through your connections, or acted to destroy the face of the person who introduced you to the company.¡± Mil chuckled and nodded her head in agreement. ¡°I guess connections are important when you don¡¯t know the terms¡­¡± ¡°Yes, we are able to negotiate with the elves because of our connection to Mil, you know. We¡¯re starting to negotiate down through Mil.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re building a bridge to the village head, but I guess there are also connections.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is. In the world of people, connections are strong after all.¡± CH 265 As usual, I¡¯m in the Office thinking. Maman¡¯s visit is messing up a lot of schedules. I¡¯ve allowed for some leeway¡­ but I don¡¯t know how many days I¡¯ll be tied up. Worst case scenario, I¡¯ll have to ask her to leave¡­ I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand if I¡¯m honest with her. If Maman is a moron, I¡¯m out of ideas. I know she¡¯s a decent person. I really wanted to go visit the second city as soon as possible. Or, better yet, I could take advantage of Maman¡¯s visit and ask for money. It¡¯s not for me personally, it¡¯s for Ravenna. If I get rich off of her, she won¡¯t even come to the inspection. Yes, I¡¯ll do that. As I was thinking this, Mil poked me in the cheek. ¡°What are you smiling at, Al? You¡¯re not planning anything strange, are you?¡± ¡°No, I was thinking of extorting money or goods for Ravenna in the name of congratulating the marriage of his lovely son when my mother comes over.¡± Mil had a difficult look. ¡°That¡¯s a very difficult trick to comment on¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t waste my money. It¡¯s okay to be selfish once in a while.¡± As we were discussing the measures for the inspection, a messenger entered the room. ¡°The messenger has arrived, but he would like to negotiate another day. In addition, he requests permission to visit his old friend, Madam Plunkett.¡± ¡°I grant you permission. I will make the arrangements for their accommodations.¡± After the messenger leaves, I look at Kiara. Kiara smiled and nodded. ¡°Then I will take care of the arrangements for the Elder¡¯s accommodations.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Eventually, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be needed. We don¡¯t need a Ministry of Harm. We still have a long way to go. The Elder is certainly reasonable. Let¡¯s see how he comes to terms with our terms¡­ and see how it goes. I doubt this thing will be settled in a day. While I was pondering, Abraham unusually entered the room. Was there a problem with the operation of the law? He had an unusually difficult looked on his face. ¡°Is there a problem? Mr. Allston.¡± ¡°There was a point in the law, my lord, that I had forgotten to decide. We have discussed it internally, but have been unable to reach a conclusion. I would very much like to hear your opinion on the matter.¡± It must be a big problem for him to come all the way to me for advice¡­ ¡°Let me hear it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the child that was born. Until now, the chief of the tribe recognizes a baby as a child of the tribe after determining whether it will grow up healthy. In other words¡­if the child had a limb defect, he would kill it without recognizing it. The tribe could not afford to support the child, after all. But there were parents who still wanted to raise their children.¡± Aaaaah¡­ here comes the heavy stuff¡­ It¡¯s certainly difficult to decide on this one. I guess everyone noticed after Delphine¡¯s birth¡­ I folded my arms and thought about it. I noticed that they were all looking at me. ¡°Raising a child with a disability is a hell of a lot of work. If they can¡¯t bear that burden, then I guess you should respect that decision. But if they are willing to take on that burden and still want to raise them, then you should probably respect that decision as well.¡± Abraham thinks for a moment and then nods. ¡°So we will make it so that they can decide what to do. What if they choose to raise it, and they can¡¯t bear the weight later?¡± That¡¯s a pretty good question. I knew I was right to leave this to you. ¡°The decision is made right after birth, and only the first time. I will never allow you to kill a child after recognizing him or her and then killing him or her when it becomes inconvenient. If they do recognize them, the government will have to provide financial support.¡± As for detailed care and mutual help, I would like to leave this to the local community. I would like to see a primitive society, a kind of advisor, in the community. Would it be good if we could get that person involved in the local government? If the government intervenes too much, it will surely cause inconvenience. The basic principle of government is to deal with people equally. However, in many cases, such equality does not help people who fall into difficulties¡­ As I was thinking this, Abraham cleared his throat. ¡°There is one more point. It is when a disability is discovered after the child has grown up. According to the custom of each tribe, they are exiled from the tribe.¡± I see¡­ that¡¯s exactly the kind of story that can¡¯t be judged by pre-reincarnation values. ¡°If the parents decide they can¡¯t raise them, let the government take care of them. It will be like an institution. We would raise them there and even help them to become independent. They didn¡¯t even commit a crime, so I won¡¯t allow it for them to be exiled or killed. It¡¯s out of the question to perceive disability as a crime.¡± So once there I look around. Everyone is pondering. It¡¯s too heavy of a subject, after all. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to be the one to make the decision. Of course, I will take responsibility for what is decided. I open my mouth again. ¡°As for the newborn baby mentioned earlier¡­ the boundary is ambiguous. Discuss it. A newborn baby becomes a citizen only after its parents recognize it, right? It could even be a case of shifting the recognition for this issue. If you want to make them citizens from the moment they are born, then killing them is not allowed. Please discuss with various people, including issues such as family registers in that case. All I can say is that I will not allow killing from the moment they become citizens.¡± ¡°You mean, without regard to the ministry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you to make that distinction. If necessary, we can create a new system for discussion.¡± We can have some sort of public hearing. I¡¯d like to see how you make a decision here. I¡¯ve already decided on the broad strokes of the argument. Abraham chuckled. ¡°I understand, you want me to think about it anyway.¡± ¡°Yes, I would only add one thing. I don¡¯t want to deprive people with disabilities of their right to live. But I do not want people with disabilities to have privileges. That¡¯s the kind of difference between races. Treat it as the difference between what you can do and what you can¡¯t do, what you are good at and what you are not good at.¡± When you make people with disabilities a privileged class, there will be undesirables who will take advantage of them and try to suck sweet honey from them. And hatred and contempt for the disabled will accumulate among the general public. When the instigators appear at such a time, massacres and persecution begin. I am not ready to plant a bomb in the future. CH 266 For 2-3 days, I repeated the exchange with the messenger of the ill-natured grandma Magali. I was enjoying myself quite a bit. It is fun to negotiate with people you can talk to. But I won¡¯t call it negotiating with someone who doesn¡¯t get it¡­ We reached a general agreement and decided on a date for formal negotiations. Kiara, who was watching the exchange from the side, looked at me with interest. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood, Brother.¡± ¡°In a way, it¡¯s like a game. It¡¯s inappropriate, though, because everyone¡¯s lives are on the line. However, I¡¯m comfortable with the fact that the danger to everyone is not increased by this exchange.¡± ¡°Are you sure about the terms of the exchange?¡± I smile at Kiara. ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly what their national strength is. So I can¡¯t judge ¡­¡­ which side has the greater positive effect of time. For my part, I would like to have more time. We need time to put flesh on a system that only has a framework. It¡¯s not worth talking about if we don¡¯t consolidate our feet.¡± Mil chuckled at my words. ¡°Al really has a good grasp of time. Even the village head was impressed. And he was grateful for before.¡± Grateful? Did I ever do something like that? ¡°Did I do anything to deserve your gratitude?¡± Mil looked surprised. ¡°What!? I would have thought you had it all figured out.¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± ¡°You asked for the help of the elves to sustain nature, didn¡¯t you? It seems that when we fought Dorius, they came to an agreement in the village that they could trust you if you would fight for the equality of the races. But it was too obvious to talk about joining up after the victory over Dorius and gaining an advantage. It is not fair for them to join because I am Al¡¯s wife and my position is guaranteed. I was holding my breath because I thought you might think that way.¡± Seriously? I didn¡¯t mind at all¡­ ¡°Did that bother you at all?¡± Mil gave me a serious look. ¡°Listen, elves are very particular about honor and righteousness, you know? That¡¯s why they reject the protection of some people and move to the frontier¡­ They were grateful to you for giving them such a fine reason to join you at a time like that. They want me to tell you to wait a little longer because they¡¯re doing some last-minute packing now¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, I really just wanted some help¡­ We don¡¯t probe the movements of non-hostile people that carefully.¡± Kiara burst out laughing. ¡°Brother is known to be a man of deep discretion, so when things go in the right direction, the people around interpreted it on their own.¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Mil, I would love it if you keep it a secret that I hadn¡¯t thought of that¡­¡± Mil sighed at me. ¡°All right, I told the village head that Al wasn¡¯t thinking that far too, so¡­ I¡¯m complicit.¡± ¡°It helps. Hmmm, I guess I¡¯m okay with the outcome.¡± So this is how reputations build up on their own¡­ Two days after such an embarrassing day, it was finally the day of the meeting. The person I faced in the reception room was an elderly demon tribe member who was over 60 years old. He was dark-skinned, with black hair and eyes. In my image, he has a unique atmosphere, like an Indian elder. His clothes are Western. Oliver bowed quietly. ¡°Thank you for allowing me to see you. I am Oliver Erlingue, appointed as the messenger.¡± ¡°Welcome. I am Alfred Della Scala, the feudal lord. And¡­¡± Mil, who is next to me bowed. ¡°I am Milva, his wife.¡± Oliver chuckled quietly. ¡°She¡¯s a lovely wife, isn¡¯t she? I envy you.¡± Mil smiled shyly. It¡¯s amazing how different he is from his disciple¡­ I cleared my throat. ¡°Yes, she couldn¡¯t be a more wonderful wife to me. Excuse me, but do you have a wife, Mr. Oliver?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s awaiting for my return in good spirits.¡± It would be a little awkward if she were dead¡­ So he dared to broach the subject because she is fine. If so, I guess he¡¯s pretty tough? ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s wrap up the negotiations so you can get back as soon as possible.¡± Oliver nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, may I begin with something personal?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°First of all, I would like to apologize for the rudeness of my student. It is my fault as his master. I can only apologize.¡± With that, Oliver bowed his head deeply. Mil was surprised. He¡¯s got the pace on us. This is quite a difficult opponent¡­ Was it me who was saved by the negotiations? ¡°Please lift your head. Even though you are master and disciple, you don¡¯t have to bear unlimited responsibility. I don¡¯t think it is something you should apologize for, Mr. Oliver.¡± Oliver raised his head. ¡°Thank you, sir. But I am partly responsible for what happened to that thing.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I praised Lod Alfred in front of Valentin. From my point of view, Valentin was too immature for me to praise him. That seemed to ignite Valentin¡¯s inferiority complex.¡± Oh, that¡¯s why he was so heated. ¡°If he loses himself in it, it¡¯s his own nature. So there is no need to feel responsible.¡± This soft line is tough. Moreover, Mil is completely sympathetic to Oliver. He has no say in my decision, but he¡¯s shrewd enough to make sure he¡¯s getting a good feeling on the side. Not only is he decent, but he should be the Wise man. That old hag¡­I¡¯m going to overwork her. ¡°I thank you again. He was clever when he was little, and I looked at him, but instead, only his self-esteem grew. I was strict with him with the intention of disciplining him, but he protected his own mind by looking down on others. Raising a child¡­ is a really difficult thing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gamble to take on a disciple. In the end, it depends on their own qualities. A master can only help.¡± Oliver laughed quietly. ¡°I see, as expected of the man that Magali laid her eyes on. You understand the hearts of people very well. I thought you were an expert at attacking the heart, but you are even better than that.¡± ¡°It just happened to work well. My men are very excellent, and they help me a lot.¡± Oliver nodded quietly. The old man¡¯s movements were quiet, perhaps due to his age. ¡°No matter how good your men are, if they don¡¯t have a master who can use them, they are an unkempt sword. A dull sword will be of no use. You¡¯re a fine lord after all. The wandering Suzana is spreading bad rumors about Lord Alfred, but they are nothing but nonsense. I didn¡¯t take it seriously because it was too exaggerated and didn¡¯t match your track record¡­ Valentin was too eager to believe it.¡± I didn¡¯t know that cat was still alive¡­ How stubborn. I guess he has something in mind when he didn¡¯t cut to the chase right away. CH 267 I don¡¯t think he plans to upset the main agreement. But I can¡¯t quite figure out what he¡¯s thinking. Either way, I guess we just have to keep talking. There is no point in being hasty. ¡°Even though Mr. Oliver could see things so calmly, you still couldn¡¯t stop Mr. Valentin, huh.¡± Oliver laughed without uttering a sound. ¡°I am ashamed to admit, that the more bluster, the more pleasant it is to the ear. Niklaus was not keen on it either, but he could no longer hold back his younger colleagues from pushing him forward. The entire tribe¡¯s dissatisfaction with Dorius was on the verge of exploding. After Mehtilde¡¯s incident, he was accused of being weak-kneed. In addition¡­ Valentin was in love with Mehtilde, so he was inciting everyone around him with a passion.¡± Oh, you¡¯ve been antagonizing me with your role models. But there is no room for sympathy when you involve others in your personal affairs. ¡°Indeed, when passions get out of control, you can¡¯t stop it. I hope this will bring him back to his senses, though.¡± Oliver looked at me with interest. ¡°I see that Lord Alfred is very calm. I must confess I am surprised.¡± I chuckled. ¡°It would be disqualifying for a top executive to lose his cool. Also, I¡¯m not calm, I¡¯m just timid. I¡¯m just afraid of failure as a result of my shortsightedness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see much point in categorizing people as timid. It¡¯s just a matter of results. If you succeed even if you are reckless, you are said to be brave. If you are timid, but lead them to success, you are called cautious.¡± ¡°You are right. But even my wife sometimes gets angry with me for looking too far backward.¡± Mil was surprised because the ball suddenly flew to her. ¡°I, I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m just saying that you not to take on too much on your own¡­¡± Oliver laughed again without uttering a sound. ¡°You¡¯re really lovey-dovey¡­It¡¯s enviable for us old people. Thanks to it, I understand Lord Alfred¡¯s personality a little better now.¡± I knew you wanted to know my personality. ¡°I thought you understood my character based on my past accomplishments.¡± ¡°The Lord will set the policy for the territory. Lord Alfred is especially incredibly careful in his governance. You can continue to be that careful¡­ many powerful people would get bored or burnt out.¡± There are many cases of first a great ruler and then a tyrant. He has been polite up to now, but here you are being so direct that it could be considered impolite. Is this the point you want to impress? ¡°You are right. So, how did you see me?¡± Oliver looked at me with interest. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re pushing yourself too hard. You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re trying too enthusiastic. I think you¡¯re doing what you do naturally and carefully, which is rare. Furthermore, you are trying to reduce your burden by delegating your authority.¡± That¡¯s a great compliment. ¡°I wonder if that is so. You¡¯re correct that I¡¯m trying to reduce my workload, after all.¡± ¡°I wanted to know how much of that will you have to sustain, Lord Alfred. When you lose the will to sustain, you tend to go for easy solutions. And the more effort you put into it, the quicker your will breaks.¡± He is strangely concerned about the future. The future after Oliver¡¯s death¡­is that the point? ¡°What are you curious about the future?¡± ¡°Lord Alfred, is your purpose to pacify the land? If we can coexist through discussion, is that considered good enough for you?¡± "" I can¡¯t read his intention at this point. Is it a deliberate roundabout way of trying to be more persuasive? ¡°Of course, if we can coexist through discussion, there is nothing better than that. If they are willing to do so¡­ that is.¡± Oliver looked at me and chuckled. ¡°I, for one, do not want to fight with you, Lord Alfred. There is no chance of winning. Even if our intentions are aligned through coexistence, it will be meaningless if we cannot sustain it.¡± Even if you try to avoid problems so nervously, you will not be able to control the future. We don¡¯t know how things will change in the future. You seem to have some serious concerns. ¡°That¡¯s true, but the harder you try to control it, the more sand will spill from your hands.¡± ¡°I understand that¡­ I do. Let me change the subject a little and explain.¡± Then Oliver sipped his tea. I waited patiently for his next words. ¡°Lord Alfred, do we demons live deep in this region? Why do you think we continue to stay so close to the monsters¡¯ source?¡± I had wondered about that. It is certainly effective to exterminate them before they multiply. But I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the demons were the only ones responsible for this. ¡°I can only assume that there is a reason.¡± ¡°We have a tradition. We made a pact with a certain being. As long as we continue to exterminate monsters and maintain peace in the vicinity of our home, he will protect it in the event of an attack on our stronghold.¡± Suddenly it¡¯s a story full of fantasy. I¡¯ve been doing so much politics that I¡¯ve forgotten all about it¡­ ¡°A certain being? Is it the Lord of the Mountain?¡± Oliver gave a small laugh. ¡°Something similar¡­ but a dragon.¡± Hey, hey, hey¡­here comes the outrageous story. However, I have no grounds to deny it. In a reincarnation story, dragons are treated as weak, an underdog. They are strong and powerful, and people around them are afraid of them, but the moment they appear, they are exterminated. They are treated as a kind of flag. It was as if we were watching the second coming of Barth, and when it opened, it was no good, it was as if we were watching a helper. Let¡¯s forget that groove. In here, unless it¡¯s an apostle, it should be hard to beat. ¡°I heard that the dragons have been hunted down by the apostles and are nowhere to be seen.¡± ¡°I have been told that. No one in this generation has seen them. But we have remained in that place to protect it.¡± ¡°If there were such a powerful being, I¡¯m sure the elves would sense its presence.¡± ¡°The mountains where the dragons are said to be are mountains with no vegetation. It is beyond the detection of the elves.¡± Something strange suddenly appeared on the board¡­ Should we assume that something is there even if it is not a dragon? ¡°With such a powerful entity in the background, were you treated unequally by Dorius?¡± ¡°It would only do so if we were attacked on our stronghold. Basically, it is said that they do not take part in people¡¯s conflicts.¡± So you don¡¯t want your presence to be known too much¡­ but monsters are in the way. ¡°Let¡¯s assume there are dragons. What does that have to do with future conflicts?¡± ¡°Some began to say, ¡®Let¡¯s just drag them into our stronghold and let the dragons annihilate the enemies¡¯. But such an act of betrayal of the pact is absolutely doomed.¡± Indeed. A painful rebuke is usually waiting to happen for such shallow wisdom. ¡°If we are provoked into attacking the stronghold of the demon tribe, both sides may be doomed. So you say.¡± Oliver nodded quietly. ¡°That¡¯s right. If Lord Alfred and I have a non-war intention, we can avoid that situation. I will do everything in my power to prevent any reckless actions. Therefore, I ask Lord Alfred¡­¡± ¡°You want us to show no openings so that they won¡¯t easily provoke us¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I think it is dangerous when an entity that is not usually visible shows itself.¡± I agree with that guess. Does it simply not want to stand out and be targeted by the apostles? When apostles see something that looks strong, like a dragon, they innocently want to defeat it, after all¡­ Dragons may sanction the demon tribe after they annihilate us. ¡°I understand. There is no reason to ignore the lore. I also understand that we both need time.¡± ¡°Yes, so I would like to ask for your consideration, Lord Alfred, in concluding an armistice agreement that includes the return of prisoners of war.¡± So it came to that. He said that in order to suppress the demon tribe, he would have to achieve results or he would have less say in the matter. He wants me to bring him something. He¡¯s quite a shrewd old man. ¡°Then¡­ I will lower the price to 10 gold coins per captive. But if we lower it too much, it will undermine the original intention.¡± Since they are an ordinary soldier, we can¡¯t ransom prisoners of war for much money. It¡¯s a remote area, so they have that much money. After preliminary negotiations, we decided to settle on 10 gold coins per person, for a total of 2,000. Kiara asked me if this was a good deal, but it was a very difficult amount of money for the other side¡¯s pocketbook. A person¡¯s life in the frontier is cheap¡­ Even if we wanted to receive the territory of the demon tribe, there is no advantage because it is a bottleneck. Magic items can be made on our own. Even if there is a super-rare item, we can¡¯t get it unless we take the chief¡¯s relatives as prisoners of war. The only prisoners of war are ordinary soldiers. In other words, there is only money. If they think we are weak-minded about the amount of money, the main warring factions will make a fuss. Oliver leaned forward. "" ¡°How about three gold coins?¡± That¡¯s too low. ¡°Nine gold coins.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll go with four¡­ and I¡¯ll give you some monster material as an extra.¡± What are you, an Arab merchant!? Mil looked at me and Oliver with a look of disgust as we suddenly started negotiating the price. CH 268 The bargaining battle was over. In the end, we settled on six gold coins per head. I felt very defeated. Then, Mil¡¯s eyes turned from astonished to stern. No, this old man¡­ he¡¯s definitely enjoying it. I believed him when he said he would give me important information instead. He wouldn¡¯t do anything foolish at this stage of the game. ¡°What is this information?¡± Oliver chuckled quietly. ¡°The real reason we are trying to expand our territory.¡± ¡°Do you have another purpose?¡± ¡°Yes. Until now, it has been forgotten. But Valentin, incited by Suzana, brought up the subject. As a result, there was a lot of talk that we should get the land.¡± He really kept doing nothing but unnecessary things¡­ I guess I¡¯m going to have to take care of this, huh? ¡°Is there something special about the land?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The second city that Lord Alfred built is near the place where the founder of our tribe died. It can be said that it is a sacred place for our tribe.¡± Give me a break, such an unreasonable story is a minefield. ¡°I didn¡¯t build the city knowingly, though.¡± ¡°At first I suspected that Lord Alfred had targeted it, but I soon realized that you had no intention of doing so. The story goes back to the time when our ancestors were wandering around in search of a safe haven. The founder had checked out the location and thought it was a good place. Then he got into a fight with a monster, and the founder lost his life.¡± ¡°You were wandering, so you abandoned the place in desperation to find a safe place to settle down.¡± Oliver nodded quietly. ¡°Yes. At one time they tried to build a city there and even fought with the ancestors of Dorius. They were defeated in a battle near the Mountain of Death and gave up. Since then, we have continued our relationship under conditions that could be described as unequal.¡± ¡°Ah, is that also why Mr. Valentin took up a position on Death Mountain?¡± Oliver nodded and then sighed. ¡°He must have thought it was a strange idea. If he had succeeded, his fame would have reached the top.¡± ¡°So there is the possibility of targeting sacred places. If it were a pilgrimage, I could permit it.¡± I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not comforting. If such talk were enough, the Crusaders would not be trying to take Jerusalem. Oliver sighed. ¡°As you already know, Lord Alfred, that won¡¯t make it any easier. We¡¯ll just have to somehow weather it over time.¡± That¡¯s hard to do too¡­ But it¡¯s information worth the discount. If it comes to a fight, we¡¯ll know what the enemy wants. ¡°We, too, want to provoke them as little as possible, but¡­ We haven¡¯t received any reports that there are grave markers of any kind.¡± ¡°The location is only told. You can¡¯t give consideration to people you don¡¯t know, right? And the problem is that the location is unclear.¡± Right, you can expand on that as much as you want. ¡°Can you hold them down with a bomb like that?¡± Oliver gave a small laugh. ¡°That¡¯s all right there. Lord Alfred gave me a discount, after all. I¡¯ll have enough power of speech.¡± ¡°Then be careful not to get stabbed in the back by a young man with a temper.¡± ¡°I appreciate your concern. By the way, may I have the opportunity to satisfy my personal curiosity?¡± Is there something he wants to know? ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lord Alfred. Lord Alfred¡¯s strategy is in accordance with the Apostle¡¯s Art of War. On the contrary, it even complements what is lacking in the Apostle¡¯s Art of War. Where did you learn it?¡± There¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll say that I knew about this because of my reincarnation. However, I do know what it is. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to fake it. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I don¡¯t know anything about the Apostle¡¯s Art of War.¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You figured it out yourself?¡± I laughed and waved my hand. ¡°I just did what I had to do to survive.¡± The Art of War, in summary, is nothing more than a statement of the obvious. That is why the Art of War exists, because it is difficult¡­ Oliver stiffened for a moment, but then burst out laughing. ¡°I see¡­ wisely said. It was a bad match-up for Valentin. There is no form that can beat the intangible, and yet we have destroyed ourselves by insisting on a form that looks good.¡± ¡°My main job is politics, not military affairs, so I don¡¯t care about the form. We can only achieve our goals with the least amount of sacrifice, whether by fait accompli or by chance.¡± Oliver nodded in a good mood. ¡°This is looking more and more like a no-win situation.¡± I shrugged. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ve been beaten to a pulp in the last round of negotiations.¡± ¡°I think it is because ransom is not an important issue for Lord Alfred. I think you¡¯re even willing to accept a free ransom as long as peace was assured.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overestimating for it. I am not that generous. In the meantime, may you satisfy my curiosity for one more thing?¡± Oliver nodded quietly. I lean forward a little. ¡°Where did you get enough gold to pay 2,000 at worst when you drifted to the frontier?¡± Oliver laughed out loud. ¡°There is a sea in our territory, and a merchant ship once drifted into it. We helped them so that we could rescue them and get them out of the port. We have been trading with them for about 40 years since then. Our land is close to the monsters¡¯ source, so we can collect valuable materials for them. After 40 years of trading, we have accumulated about 2,000 gold coins. I have been negotiating with that merchant ever since I was young.¡± So, that¡¯s why you can bargain like that¡­ it made a lot of sense¡­ CH 269 After a round of negotiations, the return of the POWs will be processed. The Governor will be in charge of the exchange of POWs for gold on site. I myself am also stuck in this situation. I entrusted the ransom money with the Governor and have him purchase the necessary supplies from Isabeau¡¯s trading company. This is a good opportunity for him to learn how to allocate a limited budget. We are not in a position to take taxes from the new territory. If we come up short, we will provide aid again from here. How much can be reduced by what I do? I¡¯ll let them develop a sense of finances. If he can estimate the shortfall, it will be helpful to us too. Even though we are processing such daily tasks, the coming day will arrive without any regard. It is Maman¡¯s inspection. We received a report that a ship had arrived in the port. All the preparations for receiving are done. I¡¯m going to take Mil and Kiara to meet them. It¡¯s been almost 3 years. Mil is a little nervous, but I hold her hand and reassure her. She seems to have calmed down a bit. It is still early spring and the sun is not too strong, but Maman comes down from the boat with a parasol. I wondered if it was the custom for a lady to wear a parasol. She hasn¡¯t seen me in almost three years, but she hasn¡¯t changed much in terms of appearance. Maman smiled at me and Kiara. ¡°Alfred and Kiara, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± I bow to Maman. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± Kiara followed suit. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± I cough a little and looked at Mil. ¡°I have already written to you, Mother, but I would like to introduce you again.¡± Mil bowed with a slightly nervous look on her face. ¡°My name is Milva.¡± Maman smiled and bowed to Milva. ¡°I am Alfred¡¯s mother, Alessandra. I heard that you took a local woman as your wife, but¡­ She is very beautiful. It must be difficult to be Alfred¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°N-No. It¡¯s been hectic, but I¡¯m very happy.¡± I guess it¡¯s not a good idea to just stand around here while talking. ¡°Well, let me show you around town.¡± They all nodded and headed into town. Maman, who is riding in the carriage, looks at Mil. ¡°Alfred, may I have a word with Ms. Milva alone later?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. But Mil is nervous, so please be gentle with her.¡± Maman chuckled quietly. ¡°There is no such thing as a mother-in-law picking on her daughter-in-law. As a mother, I want to know how she came to marry Alfred. I don¡¯t think she became your wife to gain power in our family.¡± Mil looked at me like she wanted help. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ve already explained everything.¡± Mil looked as if she wanted to say something, but nodded. If I covered for her too much, she will think that I feel insecure about me marrying her. I led Maman to the house. Maman would not be coming alone, but with her guards and servants, so there were about 50 people in her party. Even this is modest for a visit of a great aristocrat¡­ After lunch, I showed Maman around the town and she asked me many questions. She was very surprised at the small percentage of humans. ¡°You said discretion¡­ but you ruled unexpectedly. But from what you said, it is very reasonable. If anything, perhaps the frontier suited Alfred¡¯s talents better.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a place where people who don¡¯t fit into conventional society are fleeing to. We need a social system that is agreeable to those people, too.¡± ¡°The road with less swaying carriages is also wonderful. We should have this introduced in the main house. It¡¯s not going to happen anytime soon, though.¡± I chuckled. ¡°It will take a little longer. The succession to the throne is still going to be a bit of a mess. It would be better to wait until the effects of the reform of the governing structure have been resolved.¡± Maman smiled meaningfully and leaned closer to me. ¡°Lord Ferdinand has a message for you. He wants Alfred¡¯s opinion on the situation in the royal capital.¡± With that, she took a letter from her pocket and presented it to me. She¡¯s giving it to me secretly during her inspection. In other words, there is a possibility of all kinds of trouble. I silently took the letter and put it in my pocket. ¡°How should I reply?¡± ¡°You can attach it to your correspondence with the main family. Just be careful.¡± ¡°I understand. I will inform Mother of the arrangements later.¡± ¡°So, this town even has a public bathhouse. I guess once word of the social welfare system gets out, there will be a lot of folks who will want to come here.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°When the plague spreads, the damage is so severe that the cost of maintaining public bathhouses seems to be zero¡± Maman nodded her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that it was that bad, but I can see why Alfred is putting so much effort into it. So we can assume it¡¯s that important.¡± ¡°Worst case scenario, you expect 50-60% of the population to be blown away.¡± Maman looked up. ¡°There¡¯s no way you can maintain a territory like that.¡± ¡°The method of transmission varies from disease to disease. The Black Death, as described by the apostles, is transmitted when the pathogen grows in the body of a rat and the flea sucks the blood of the rat, which in turn sucks the blood of a human. The main sources of infection appear to be rats, lice, and human fleas. Other than that, it¡¯s pretty much preventable by human immunity, as long as they are clean and well nourished. So public hygiene is important.¡± Maman thought for a little. ¡°In other words, there are food shortages due to bad harvests in many places. You see this as a dangerous situation.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The Scala family¡¯s territory will be fine, but other families¡¯ territories may experience outbreaks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard some good things. Let¡¯s make them do something about it.¡± The tour was conducted while explaining measures that we thought would be good to implement at the main family. The dinner ended in a friendly atmosphere with small talk. Afterward, I saw Mil off to head off on her own as she was called by Maman. After I was alone in my room, I checked the letter from Papan. Hmmm¡­each house is in limbo waiting for the apostle¡¯s descent. But there are some forces that can¡¯t wait and are making their move. Is there a possibility that someone will see the reply? Should I have Maman hand it over to Papan first? In Japanese, it is difficult to use Caesar¡¯s cipher or the Vigenere cipher. The Uesugi cipher seems to be the only choice here. While I was busy making the cipher, the door to the room opened. It seemed that Mil had returned. ¡°Welcome back.¡± Mil looks like she wants to say something. She came right next to me and put her face close to mine. ¡°Al, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of a family relinquishing the right of succession to the main family, including its descendants!¡± CH 270 Oh, that. ¡°Yes, I was already thinking about it when I decided to marry Mil.¡± ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s not that simple, right?¡± However, if we have children, they will be half-elves and have a long life span. Then there will be all sorts of side issues, such as succession rights. So, I just cut them off and shut out any complaints. ¡°For me, the right of succession doesn¡¯t matter. When I decided to marry Mil, I just threw that away.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to be bothered by it, thinking that it was your fault. I didn¡¯t want to be told that my wife should be human.¡± I didn¡¯t want to be bothered like that when I taught¡­ I thought so, but did I hurt her in return? Mil, who had been staring into my eyes, eventually looked away and sighed. ¡°I know Al didn¡¯t say it for my sake. But I wanted you to tell me properly.¡± Oh, shit. I guess I¡¯m being too self-satisfied. I scratch my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to get mad at you here¡­and I forgive you this time. Next time, you¡¯d better tell me something important like that.¡± ¡°I understand. I was still thinking of Mil on this one, though.¡± ¡°I know that, that¡¯s why I said I forgive you. You thought I was going to say something about not having to get officially married anyway.¡± Is it indeed obvious? ¡°Well, yeah, I didn¡¯t want to do that.¡± She didn¡¯t seem that angry. I was a little relieved to hear that. ¡°My mother-in-law told me to take good care of Al. She said she understood why I had to give up my inheritance because I am an elf. When I heard the story of the return, my anxiety was blown away wondering what we¡¯re going to talk about.¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, I was going to give it back even if I hadn¡¯t met Mil.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be talked into the throne by someone else. Besides, Baldassarre is an excellent man, so it¡¯s not my place to interfere.¡± Mil sighed. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about the royals sticking their mouths in. That thing is really a pain in the ass. Oh¡­and mother-in-law said that the two brothers-in-law are coming to inspect as well.¡± Huh!? Why are they coming? You¡¯ll screw up my schedule. Seeing my surprised face, Mil burst out laughing. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect it? I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if they¡¯d come.¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t have every member of a feudal lord¡¯s family away from the main family estate¡­¡± Mil winked at me. ¡°You¡¯re so easy on the attention to people who aren¡¯t really hostile. I have mother-in-law¡¯s proper approval, so I can meet them in peace.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to go on an inspection already, though¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. They told me to declare the supplies I need for my wedding gift. I told her I wanted him to give Al what he needed, so she¡¯s going to give me a big hand.¡± I scratch my head. ¡°You could have gotten a dress or something. I was going to pester for supplies, after all.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have a chance to wear it. Besides, I don¡¯t want to have too many clothes.¡± Yeah, elves are not that greedy¡­ ¡°All right, I¡¯ll take it gratefully.¡± From such talk, we entered into an unintentional lovey-dovey mode. I¡¯ll just leave the cipher for tomorrow¡­ The next day, Mil accompanied Maman on her inspection tour. Did they get along well? Since Mil insisted, I¡¯ll just leave it to her. In the office, I worked hard on the rest of the cipher. I made eye contact with Kiara. ¡°What can I do for you, brother?¡± ¡°Yes, I want you to make a copy of this. Also, I would like you to make a cipher using this as a basis for the Ears.¡± (T/N: Ears, the intelligence unit.) ¡°I understand. I also have a report to make to your brother. You asked Mr. Odilon to give a lecture, didn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± ¡°There are some people who are questioning the content of the lectures. They say that the explanations may go too far.¡± Hmmm¡­now is the time for lectures. Let¡¯s go have a look. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡± "" I guess I just don¡¯t feel like he¡¯s going too far. I¡¯ll have to actually listen to the lecture. With my escort, I enter the room where Odilon is lecturing. As soon as I entered, the students who were looking down were surprised. Odilon gave me a puzzled look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord Alfred?¡± He seemed a little frustrated, as if he had not gotten the best response to his lecture. ¡°No. May I listen to your lecture too? I¡¯ve always been interested in the contents, and I¡¯ve just had some free time.¡± Odilon is excited about his experience. He is frustrated by the lack of response from his students. If I question the content, they get more emotional. No one benefits from that. Odilon did not take me at my word, but he must have sensed that I was concerned about him. He smiled and nodded at me. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, by all means. If you have any questions, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Odilon¡¯s lectures certainly have some radical elements. But I didn¡¯t think it went too far. When the lecture was over, I raised my hand. ¡°Mr. Odilon, I have a question.¡± ¡°Lord Alfred, please.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to be treated as dead and keep fighting even if you¡¯re cut down in a mock combat exercise. If you are cut in mock combat training, you will not be treated as dead, and you will continue to fight. What does this mean? If you get cut, you¡¯re almost certainly going to die or be incapacitated from combat.¡± I dare to ask what my students are wondering. "" Odilon nodded. ¡°Sure, you will nearly die or be incapacitated. But it is not certain. And the important thing is that if you train like that, the moment you are cut, your body stops moving. And the next blow will surely come. Adventurers survive because they don¡¯t think that getting cut is the end. And those who have trained to be cut to death will make the opponent think that when are cut, they will die, so they¡¯ll let their guard down.¡± I see, this is an idea unique to adventurers. ¡°So, if there is a chance that the body will move, then you can fight back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It is difficult to survive if you give up the moment you are cut. You can¡¯t let trainees leave the training ground as losers.¡± I clapped my hands. ¡°Excellent! You¡¯re more than I expected. I urge you to proceed with your education under this policy.¡± Everyone was taken aback by my applause. Odilon was the first to come to his senses. He smiled at me like a predator. ¡°Thank you, sir. I will definitely live up to your expectations.¡± I nod and look around at the students. ¡°His lessons will definitely help you. Please study them carefully. My goal is to see as many of the students as possible survive. If you don¡¯t agree with this, I suggest you do something different.¡± All the students nodded emphatically. They had no choice, I guess, since I fully agreed with the lesson. If they don¡¯t agree with me, they really have to quit. I turned my attention back to Odilon. ¡°It was a very meaningful class. Can I come and take the class sometime?¡± I rarely have time for that, but I also mean it. I enjoy being exposed to unfamiliar knowledge. And if the students know that I won¡¯t be attending, they¡¯re not going to be able to face it. CH 271 When in the world will Maman return? When my brothers come and chaos ensues, I will be the source of amusement again. Despite these thoughts, Mil and Maman seem to be getting along reasonably well. It is more like Mil is asking around about what a lady of the house should be like. I don¡¯t think they would have a bad impression of her if she asked so enthusiastically. There was something else that was a bit of a blind spot. I was told by Maman¡¯s cook, who is her attendant. He said that the wild boar cuisine in Ravenna is so varied and delicious that he would like to know the recipe. When they heard these words, all the old-timers looked at each other with a distant look in their eyes as they recalled the meaty scene. Of course, so did I¡­ I had no reason to refuse, so I agreed. In a way, is it a specialty dish? Ravenna¡¯s specialty, wild boar and muscle¡­ I tried hard to shake the disturbing image out of my head. Also, they¡¯re going at me about the soap with great force. I explained the situation to Maman, and we decided to keep it confidential at the Della Scala house. In the end, we decided to send the soap regularly. If I told him how it was made, it would surely leak out. They weren¡¯t going to pretend they didn¡¯t see it. I just told them not to give it as a gift to other families. Let¡¯s demand a reward for Onyxim and the kids for their hard work on the invention. They were to be sent high-purity vodka and candy. In the meantime, the ship with my brothers arrived. "" So they¡¯ve come¡­ I was hungry and went to meet them. The whole family was there to greet them. I wonder if the two of them have settled down at work and become more comfortable. I hope they are not too tired. Brother Amilcarre and brother Baldassarre came down from the ship in good spirits. I am glad to hear that the administrative reform seems to have gone well. Maman smiled at them. ¡°Amilcarre and Baldassarre, you came quite fast.¡± Brother Amilcarre nodded with a big smile. ¡°She¡¯s Alfred¡¯s wife, you know. I¡¯m curious to know what she¡¯s like.¡± Brother Baldassarre nodded with a wry smile. ¡°Yes, I was surprised that Alfred had as much sexual desire as anyone else.¡± That¡¯s a terrible assessment. Anyway, I cleared my throat and stand in front of them. ¡°Long time no see, brother Amilcarre, brother Baldassarre.¡± Kiara also smiles and stands next to me. ¡°Long time no see, brother Amilcarre, brother Baldassarre.¡± They both glanced at Mil at a level that wasn¡¯t rude, so I chuckled and called Mil next to me. ¡°Let me introduce you. She is my wife.¡± Mil smiled and bowed. ¡°My name is Milva. It is a pleasure to meet you, my brothers-in-law.¡± Brother Amilcarre looked at me and Mil in turn and nodded. ¡°I see, so Alfred liked elves. So that¡¯s why you weren¡¯t interested in human women. However, she is beautiful. Was Alfred simply unbelievably attracted to good-looking people? Either way, it¡¯s a new discovery.¡± "" Brother Baldassarre shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m more surprised by Chiara¡¯s recognition. I thought it was still more likely that the tax collector would hand out money to the common people than that Kiara would approve of Alfred¡¯s marriage.¡± Kiara is smiling, but her eyes are not smiling. ¡°Brother Baldassarre. Third from the top of the bookshelf in your room¡­¡± Suddenly, Brother Baldassarre began to panic. ¡°W-Wait! Kiara! What the hell are you saying!?¡± Kiara looks done. ¡°You hid it in a book and put it away carefully, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ah, erotic books. There are similar ones in this world too. The power of desire is strong. This kind of stash is universal. Since he is an adult, why doesn¡¯t he have a mistress? He¡¯s strangely serious. Brother Baldassarre is visibly dismayed. ¡°Did you enter someone¡¯s room without permission?¡± Kiara has not changed her expression. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Maman started laughing. ¡°Kiara¡­you can¡¯t expose them. We can¡¯t keep adding to our inventory.¡± Yes, they usually know this kind of thing. Brother Baldassarre collapsed to his knees. ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have come¡­¡± Brother Amilcarre saw this and burst out laughing. ¡°Baldassare, you have dug your grave. At least tell me that a hungry, ravenous beast has intercepted your prey.¡± Why do you have to plunge ourselves into a minefield? You¡¯re doing this without thinking about it, right¡­? You are very competent in politics and battle command, but by nature, you are Mr. Shame. Kiara smiled at Brother Amilcarre. ¡°Brother Amilcarre¡¯s is in the third drawer of his desk¡­¡± Brother Amilcarre stiffened. ¡°W-Wait! The drawers are supposed to be locked!¡± Kiara can at least easily do picking¡­ ¡°The key is on the third from the bottom of the bookshelf¡­¡± You¡¯ve been perusing the locks. "" But they both like 3. Maman started laughing again. ¡°Since Kiara¡¯s already blown it all up, so we¡¯ll have to look for it again.¡± Brother Amilcarre collapsed. ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have come¡­¡± Mil¡¯s eyes were dazed. ¡°Al¡¯s family¡­ is so unique¡­¡± I don¡¯t deny that. Brother Amilcarre recovered and pointed his finger at me. ¡°Alfred! You make it sound like it doesn¡¯t concern you, but what about you!¡± Even if you say that, I wasn¡¯t interested in it, though¡­ So I was misunderstood that I had no sex drive. "" Kiara started laughing. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything at Brother¡¯s room.¡± Maman laughed too. ¡°Yes, Alfred¡¯s room doesn¡¯t have any place to hide. Besides, he keeps his diary on his desk like a trap.¡± Kiara nodded. ¡°It was a clever trap. It was a clever trap, because it was rigged in such a way that you could see if someone moved it.¡± Yeah, I set it up out of curiosity to see if anyone would fall for it, but¡­ It came up empty. So the ladies have avoided it. I¡¯m sure people will hear us if we do that here. ¡°Anyway, let me show you to the mansion.¡± Mil poked me lightly with his elbow. ¡°Al¡­what should I look like at times like this?¡± ¡°I think you should just smile.¡± CH 272 It was an uncontrollable reunion, but I returned to the mansion to catch my breath. It seemed that brother Amilcarre and brother Baldassarre went out to inspect the town. Mil was their guide. When they started talking about the inspection, the brothers secretly whispered to me. ¡°If Kiara guides me, I won¡¯t be able to rest.¡± As you can imagine, they didn¡¯t say it in front of her¡­ but she definitely knows. Because Kiara was looking at the two of them with blank eyes, after all. I returned to the Office and pondered a bit. I am concerned about the fact that the whole family was there to inspect the town. I wonder if the inspection was just a pretext. By being away, they are hoping for some kind of change. Maybe something like that. There is certainly an aspect of curiosity and relaxation¡­ The question is whether Ravenna is likely to get involved in the upheaval in the main house. If there is, there will be an explanation tonight. There¡¯s no point in overthinking it. When I came to that conclusion, Kiara turned her mischievous face to me. ¡°Brother, are you indifferent to brother Amilcarre and brother Baldassarre¡¯s secrets?¡± ¡°I have no interest in exploring people¡¯s privacy. I don¡¯t want to be probed, so I have no intention of probing.¡± Kiara looked uncomfortable. I can understand why you¡¯d want to look, though. That¡¯s not to say it¡¯s boldly. "" ¡°I was concerned that you were acting suspiciously, sneaking around in a strange way.¡± I chuckled and waved my hand. If it¡¯s just a one-time thing between family members, there¡¯s no need to get all uptight about it. ¡°Just do it in moderation.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I just wanted to talk to you about something that¡¯s been bothering me a little bit.¡± ¡°Something bothering you?¡± Kiara came up next to me and whispered so that others could not hear. ¡°Brother Amilcarre¡¯s is a nude rabbit tribesman and Brother Baldassarre is a cat tribesman. They are in a brothel in Ravenna, so I hope they don¡¯t get sucked in by a dizzy¡­¡± I was blown away. They are both adults and should know better. Yes, I¡¯m sure they do. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine. Besides, there¡¯s no point in worrying too much about it.¡± Women worry about men like that? I don¡¯t understand this area. I guess it¡¯s hard for Kiara to evaluate the two of them. ¡°If so, that¡¯s fine¡­¡± ¡°Do you think they would go have fun, even though Mother is present?¡± Kiara nodded like she understood. ¡°Certainly, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Then the family gathered for dinner. Mil seems to be getting tired of the whole thing. Mil¡¯s a sensible person, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s taken care of a lot of things. I think she¡¯d better go to bed early today. While we were eating, I looked at Maman. ¡°Mother, is there a reason why the whole family left the main family?¡± Maman and my two brothers look at each other. Maman gives a small laugh. ¡°You¡¯re as perceptive as ever. Sometimes, you¡¯ll see a dog that gets into trouble when its master isn¡¯t around.¡± Brother Amilcarre smiles wickedly. ¡°That pet dog is being offered food by someone else, and wags his tail to that someone, though.¡± Brother Baldassarre chuckled. ¡°That someone doesn¡¯t intend to feed him, though. We¡¯ll be lucky if our pet dog makes a mess of the house when we¡¯re not home.¡± Is the official¡¯s frustration still smoldering? Are they aiming for a big cleanup? They wouldn¡¯t do that for that reason alone. There¡¯s still a bigger reason lurking elsewhere. It¡¯s a complicated mix of things. ¡°How many other houses are there?¡± Maman gave a small laugh. ¡°Let¡¯s see, the royal family is going through a lot right now. The scope of their influence is too wide to count.¡± I knew it. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°So they want to cripple our family and shut down our say in the succession to the throne. That¡¯s a very difficult thing to do, isn¡¯t it? If they focus so much on this family too much, they will be beaten from behind.¡± Brother Amilcarre nodded happily. ¡°It¡¯s amusing, isn¡¯t it? The man who is so absorbed in peeping is not looking after his own back. They don¡¯t realize it until you put your hand on their shoulder.¡± You cannot be a great aristocrat if you are good-natured or defenseless. You¡¯re good at conspiracies around here, aren¡¯t you? You set a trap, and from the point where it was caught, you trace it back to the source. He said he would not attack the mastermind directly, but only with the right amount of threats. Brother Baldassarre shook his head. ¡°Of course, you punish your pet dog for misbehaving. But the relations between them are too wide. I want to take this opportunity to clarify their living relations.¡± Even though they are further related, whether they are related or not is another story. Hence, it is possible that they are not related. If we can figure out even a part of the relationship between relatives that no one understands, that would be a powerful card. If that¡¯s the case, I wouldn¡¯t be directly involved. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s turned into something troublesome after all.¡± Kiara also chuckled. ¡°Society is usually so entrenched. When we feel we can move, we stick up for ourselves.¡± Anyway, I can¡¯t afford to get involved in that one. ¡°Well, then, please do your best on cleaning up the house. I¡¯ve got my hands full here.¡± Maman gave a mischievous laugh. ¡°Ravenna is more than just a frontier¡­ it seems like an amazing place.¡± Brother Amilcarre looked disgruntled. ¡°So Alfred¡¯s adventuring while we¡¯re doing a cheek-to-cheek dance with gloomy government officials. And he even has such a beautiful wife with him.¡± Even brother Baldassarre nodded. ¡°An official covered in grease on the outside and pitch black on the inside, and a beautiful elf-wife. It¡¯s so unfair. Even we need a break once in a while.¡± Adventure ain¡¯t a fun story! The grass on the other side just looks a little greener. I was about to complain about something, but Kiara was quietly smiling. ¡°Brother Amilcarre, brother Baldassarre. It¡¯s fine to relax, but don¡¯t put your hands on the rabbit tribesmen and cat tribesmen in Ravenna.¡± The two froze in place. Maman smiled graciously. ¡°Kiara, it¡¯s okay. The two of them are adults, so they won¡¯t make such a mess.¡± Kiara, too, smiled an angelic smile. ¡°Yes, I suppose it¡¯s impossible for an owner to be rough with its pet dog.¡± Mil was trying to participate in the conversation as much as possible, but this conversation has left her bewildered and frozen in place. You can¡¯t just barge in on this. I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s being serious or joking, because I can¡¯t see the flow. ¡°Oh, right¡­ Mil. You must be tired after showing them around today. Tomorrow, Kiara will show my brothers around, so get some rest.¡± Brother Amilcarre and Brother Baldassarre stiffened. ¡± ¡°What¡­ did you say¡­?¡± ¡° It has been a long time since I heard harmony. CH 273 The next day, it was time to get up to head to the Office. I stopped Mil from getting up with my hand. ¡°You get some rest today. You must be tired.¡± Mil looks quite sleepy. I thought she would nod, but she looked a little sulky. ¡°I can¡¯t just sleep alone.¡± You want to be with me, that¡¯s very nice to hear, but it¡¯s indeed not good. I shrugged my shoulders with a wry smile. ¡°Kiara is leading the tour, so it¡¯s not good to have no one in the Office. After the inspection, we can take a break together. So, just relax and take it easy today.¡± Mil looked like she wanted to say something, but she just pulled the covers over her head. ¡°I¡¯m off then.¡± Mil only took her hand out from under the covers and waved it. I guess she needs a Mind massage. It¡¯s just me and the assistant aides in the Office. I quietly look over the documents the aides gives me, ask a few questions, and then approve them. The aides are growing up quite well. It¡¯s about time to increase the number of aides. I guess I¡¯ll make the two of them increase the team¡­ The day¡¯s work ends rather peacefully, and dinner time arrives. The whole family is here. Today, they¡¯re guided by Kiara, but there seemed to be no problems. While making small talk, Maman looks at me. ¡°It¡¯s soap, but I wonder if you could make it smell like perfume.¡± Oh, that reminds me¡­ I had completely forgotten about that. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll direct the research.¡± This time, brother Amilcarre leaned forward. ¡°Alfred, the civil engineers here are amazing. I¡¯ve never seen magic used like that before. They are also very good at other things. I would like to send an apprentice engineer to work for you, but I wonder if that¡¯s all right?¡± I let them experiment and see if they could apply their magic to civil engineering, after all. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Brother Baldassarre chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s amazing you have done all this in three years. However, I¡¯ve received criticism from people outside. ¡°Even after three years, not much has been accomplished. If we just send the knights to conquer, it will be over quickly¡±. Those kinds of people have been saying that here and there. We¡¯ve come here to inspect the place in order to silence them.¡± Oh, that¡¯s one reason. Kiara and Mil looked indignant. I chuckled and stopped them from saying anything. As a matter of fact, it was an ideal development. ¡°If that¡¯s how they see it from the outside, that¡¯s very fine. If things are going well, there will be some unscrupulous people who will try to drag our family down. Just give the people outside a good excuse.¡± "" Maman gave me a curious look. ¡°That¡¯s right, Alfred should concentrate on consolidating the region. We¡¯ll deceive them well for you. But I¡¯ve heard some things I can¡¯t ignore. ¡°He¡¯s been collecting useless junk from all over the country and playing at developing his territory. It¡¯s an extravagant toy for a third son¡±. I shut him up about this one, as expected. The people Alfred invited are not active where they used to be. So they assumed that they are useless.¡± Junk? Don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m very offended. If you create the right environment, people will perform accordingly. It is the superior¡¯s job to create that environment. First, create the environment. Then you can judge if it¡¯s not good enough. The more incompetent people are, the less they can utilize people, and the more they label them. I know there is no point in explaining things to people who label people like that, because they don¡¯t understand it. However, I am very angry at this statement. Disrespecting someone will never make the person insulting competent. ¡°They are very competent, far from ¡°useless junk¡±. I assure you. If they say such a joke in front of me, I¡¯ll definitely not let them go.¡± The air around me hardens at my uncomfortable expression. Brother Amilcarre, who had been staring at my face, suddenly became aware of what was happening. ¡°Hey, Alfred. Is it popular to work out in your territory?¡± Yes? I was suddenly drained of all my venom. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s popular¡­¡± Kiara started laughing. ¡°I took them to the training grounds during their inspection. There was a group of people there, mainly the tiger tribesmen, who were training hard. They were shouting not to lose to the Rabbit tribesman, Rui.¡± What a fad¡­ why is that the entertainment that increased! Mil began to laugh as well. ¡°They seem to be getting excited for next year¡¯s Carnival. Ardelheid seems excited about having a contest for strength as well as physical beauty.¡± T-That woman¡­ she really might make it a specialty. However, I can¡¯t just stop everyone from looking having fun. The only way I can do is¡­ make them stick to one place and keep me out. ¡°Let¡¯s build a venue outside of town. Something that can double as a theater¡­¡± Brother Baldassarre chuckled. ¡°The Alfredo¡¯s town is interesting in many ways. We are almost at the end of our inspection tour, but there is a hot spring as a place to recuperate, isn¡¯t there? I would like to end my visit with a visit there, is that¡¯s all right?¡± Oh, it¡¯s almost over. ¡°No problem. Please take all the aides with you, Mil and Kiara, while you show them around. If the aides want to call their families, that¡¯s fine too. Let them have a little relaxation. I¡¯ll take care of the urgent business. Other than that, we¡¯ll deal with them when you get back.¡± Mil is a bit frustrated. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Al coming?¡± ¡°There may be an urgent report related to the demon tribe. I¡¯ll stay here alone.¡± Kiara nodded grudgingly. ¡°I have no choice if brother¡¯s request. It might be a good vacation for the aides.¡± They look a little mentally fatigued, after all. In such a state, they may make unnecessary mistakes, which is not good for us. It is not in anyone¡¯s interest. However, brother Amilcarre did a good job of changing the atmosphere¡­ CH 274 I sent them all off on their final tour of the town. Routine business is the mayor¡¯s domain, and I can handle it on my own for a few days. Since all the secretaries had left for the hot springs, no one came up except for those in urgent need. In other words, I was free. I should have gone with them. But I can¡¯t read the movements of the demon tribe. Moreover, the exchange of prisoners of war has not yet been carried out. The old man is not a problem, but there is a possibility that the demon tribe itself may go out of control. The instructions were to interrogate the POWs and take steps to corroborate the story of the Holy Land. However, there is no way to confirm the story about the dragons. The map is still under construction. We really don¡¯t have anything. The only good news is that as time goes on, our strength will increase. In other words, we have time on our side. The demon tribe probably understands that. So if there is any movement, I believe it will be relatively soon. As I was thinking this, I heard familiar footsteps and the door opened. ¡°Al, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± It¡¯s the Escorter Silvana. I feel like I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Ms. Silvana. Have you been in the hot spring?¡± The Escorter Silvana looked at me with blank eyes. ¡°Listen¡­ It¡¯s about the Escorting in map-making! Escort!¡± "" Ah, so that¡¯s why it¡¯s been so quiet lately. Goodbye, my peace. ¡°So you¡¯re back now that things have settled down.¡± The Escorter Silvana puffed her chest without a hunch. ¡°Of course, all that¡¯s left is the part where I don¡¯t need an escort.¡± If she came all the way here, it¡¯s not for a good thing. I am sure, but I try to resist in vain. ¡°Is that what you came all the way here to tell me?¡± The Escorter Silvana wagged a finger. ¡°I don¡¯t have that much time on my hands, you know. I found a byproduct when I was escorting.¡± I know it¡¯s useless¡­ but please don¡¯t let it be something troublesome. ¡°Have you found a miraculous fountain that grants wishes?¡± The Escorter Silvana leaned forward with all her might. ¡°No, I¡¯m not! If I found such a thing, I¡¯d wish for my breasts to grow!¡± I know it¡¯s self-deprecating, but it won¡¯t end well If I retort on it. ¡°I see¡­¡± I thought the Escorter Silvana was going to get even more involved, but then she suddenly cleared her throat. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I found it, a dungeon! A dungeon!¡± Was there such a thing? I guess it¡¯s not a big deal, since there are no monsters in it. ¡°What kind of dungeon?¡± ¡°It was a cave. I only saw as far as the entrance, but there¡¯s something there.¡± This isn¡¯t a wish. Just because it¡¯s a cave doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a dungeon. ¡°Is something there, even though monsters aren¡¯t coming out of there?¡± How monsters arise is a mystery. I would like to know if it is possible¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t always expect to find monsters in the dungeon. Anyway, I¡¯d like to check it out, so please give me permission.¡± I don¡¯t know of any arrangements to be made when a dungeon is discovered. ¡°I don¡¯t even have an agreement with the guild. I¡¯ll give you permission when it¡¯s decided. I don¡¯t know what the rules are when a dungeon is discovered until I find out.¡± The Escorter Silvana quickly held out a document. ¡°Here are the precedents. I got them from the local office.¡± Nice arrangements. But¡­ I can¡¯t just go with it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make it definite. It¡¯s just a starting point for negotiations. As long as the guild doesn¡¯t give unreasonable conditions, I will give you permission. So please wait for a little.¡± Please don¡¯t be stubborn. That¡¯s what I thought, but the Escorter Silvana nodded her head. ¡°I understand, but we have some preparations to do too, after all. Moreover, it¡¯s far away from the village, so it will take time to prepare.¡± I look over the papers. Adventurers are responsible for their own safety. Rescue is the guild¡¯s responsibility. Twenty percent of the materials purchased by the guild will be paid as taxes. That¡¯s what the contract says. All you talk about is money coming in and out. There are no agreements related to security, which is what I want to know the most. Various things are missing. ¡°I wonder if the guild will build facilities near the dungeon. There must be administration and follow-up with adventurers.¡± The Escorter Silvana started thinking and folded her arms. ¡°The guild won¡¯t move unless they know if there are monsters in the dungeon. Even if there are, we don¡¯t know what kind they are. So we need to investigate the dungeon first, and then negotiate with the lords.¡± The problem is that the branch manager who does that negotiating never shows up. ¡°I¡¯ll have a problem if that branch manager doesn¡¯t come to me.¡± The Escorter Silvana gave a drawn-out laugh. ¡°Actually, I told the branch manager I¡¯d found a dungeon and he fainted¡­ This is a low-risk, low-return place to work, after all. The branch manager is good with routine paperwork, but¡­ you know the rest.¡± I sighed. ¡°Depending on what¡¯s in the dungeon, I guess we¡¯ll have to replace the branch manager.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. Well¡­ he¡¯s not a bad guy.¡± I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s good or bad, I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s a bad guy as long as he performs his duties and doesn¡¯t break the law. Aren¡¯t you choosing the wrong profession? You¡¯d be better off being a regular government official. You didn¡¯t have that many connections. ¡°Please let the branch manager attend properly. You can¡¯t even officially sign a contract. Then I¡¯ll give you permission to investigate.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll bring him in, even if I have to rope him in.¡± You¡¯re really in high spirits. I guess you are attracted to unknown dungeons after all. ¡°Do you find unknown dungeons exciting?¡± The Escorter Silvana gave me an astonished look. ¡°Of course. What kind of adventurer wouldn¡¯t jump at the chance to visit an unknown dungeon?¡± ¡°By the way, please make sure that the information you get from the dungeon is passed on to us.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure you know this, but ¡­ if it¡¯s a dungeon, adventurers might come rushing in.¡± Please don¡¯t do that. I¡¯m sorry to the Escorter Silvana about this, but I hope it¡¯s just a normal cave¡­ Naturally, I have a bitter face. ¡°If there are too many rough spots, I¡¯ll consider shutting out the adventurers.¡± I guess I should check the case when the branch manager comes to see if a crime has been committed. The adventurer who ran away was expelled, so we can¡¯t say that they have nothing to do with the guild. ¡°Whoa, I guess Al might seriously do it¡­ I¡¯ll make sure to let him know that. But Al is basically calm, so there will be people who will take advantage of you and end up being hurt.¡± Very possible¡­but high pressure will cause unnecessary friction. ¡°If it causes problems and the guild can¡¯t handle it, I will do my duty as a lord. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°If it were a normal feudal lord, the guild would pay him to settle, but it¡¯s Al we¡¯re talking about after all. The guild is a difficult partner to deal with, although the people are grateful for it. I¡¯ll be careful, but I can¡¯t be responsible for them.¡± I guess it¡¯s obvious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if he does anything wrong, he will pay for it. Is that a trade-off between income and security?¡± Then I realized, dungeons are like casinos. The chips are your life. If it¡¯s a casino, it¡¯s a matter of police jurisdiction. ¡°Well, wait and see what the investigation turns up. There¡¯s no point in worrying about it at this point.¡± It doesn¡¯t work that way. Rumors spread instantly. If you respond after the dungeon is confirmed, it will take a lot of time. If that happens, adventurers who can no longer wait may rush in on their own. They might think that if they find rare materials, they can make a fortune, and the feudal lords will be satisfied with just the money they get. I don¡¯t want to be lumped in with the other feudal lords. Without maps, proper governance is impossible. Thanks to this, they even find trouble. Oh my God, why are there so many things? CH 275 Let¡¯s leave the dungeon thing aside for now. The discussion with the branch manager will probably come after the investigation. I have no end of worries, both internally and externally. The people around me are relieved, but our society is still fragile. We are half-artificially creating a society with new customs. If we let our guard down or make a mistake and loose our grip, we will revert to the old conventions. If that happens, we are finished. We are walking on thin ice. From a global perspective, we are an alien species. I don¡¯t want them to know that we¡¯re different yet. We have a different regime from the feudal society, and if it is not good enough, they will feel threatened and come to crush us. It¡¯s the same logic that made the French Revolution a threat to the rest of the world. The difference in the political system was not the only reason, but the people¡¯s outburst was also a factor in the threat they felt. Either way, it is certain that we would not be welcomed. For the main family, the development of the Ravenna region is the top priority. It is not seen as a problem because it is an isolated space. In the first place, they don¡¯t pay attention to it. But from other places, it seems that they believe that the Della Scala family intends to orient itself to a different form of government. The opposition to reform from vested interests is very strong. Of course, the vested interests are powerful. In the current situation, if we want to overcome outside interference, we will have to be forceful enough to disrupt the world. In other words, a determination to create an ideal world, no matter how many people die. I want to avoid that if at all possible. The immediate goal is to secure a place for the alien people. I do not want to impose our ideal society, as communism does. Nor do we want to talk about exporting the revolution like the French Revolution. As I was contemplating a pleasant vision of the future, Jules entered the room. Jules looked a little puzzled. Was there some trouble in the Elite Guards? ¡°Sir Jules, how can I help you?¡± ¡°My lord, as you instructed, we are emphasizing shiphandling training in the Elite Guards. I am not exaggerating in this regard, but there is a joke going around in the Elite Guards that goes something like this. ¡°I thought I finally became an Elite Guard, but I became a fisherman instead¡±. They¡¯re¡­ not really complaining, but I thought I¡¯d give you a report of it.¡± He¡¯s reporting it in a very soft way. The fact of the matter is that they are probably dissatisfied. And since I haven¡¯t made any mistakes so far, it hasn¡¯t reached the point of backlash. But if I screw up, it will spark a firestorm. It¡¯s really hard to do anything new. ¡°Is Sir Jules also dissatisfied with the training content?¡± Jules looked puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m not dissatisfied, but puzzled.¡± The training content I put out there. The top priority was to improve small boat steering techniques. The goal is to be able to move the ship with headwinds. From there, I envisioned something like the Marines, who could also do raids and landings. ¡°In the future, tactical maneuvering using water transport will also be essential. It takes time to master shiphandling techniques. So it will be too late to learn them when they are needed.¡± Jules seems to be unconvinced. Figures. They won¡¯t be able to understand the advantages of water transportation if they specialize in land transportation. The speed of movement alone is a huge achievement. "" ¡°I understand that, but¡­¡± I smile at Jules. ¡°If they get too frustrated¡­ I¡¯ll steer the ship. I¡¯ll even train them on my own.¡± Jules was taken aback. ¡°To let my lord steer the ship himself¡­ that¡¯s outrageous!¡± ¡°Think of it as that much more important to me. It¡¯s an important hand to play.¡± Jules stiffened. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll make sure the Elite Guards are aware of this.¡± ¡°Well. I can¡¯t wait to see who will steer the ship with my life in it.¡± Jules bowed and exited. It¡¯s a bit heavy-handed and sophomoric, but they do require the skill at navigating a ship. Besides, it will give them more freedom in choosing their profession after they retire from the military. So they have no understanding of tactical maneuvering on a ship. I¡¯ll give them a better understanding in due course. It would be different if there were some tangible results. I guess the image of the Elite Guards is that of a knight. It is a kind of tradition. We need to follow up with those who volunteered with the image of knights. I said that I don¡¯t pay that much attention to the movements of those who are not my enemies, but I should rethink the balance a little¡­ While I was thinking about this, I received a request for a meeting. It was from Rebecca. Was there a development on the communication device, or was it another complaint? Whatever the case, I¡¯ll meet her. Rebecca entered the room with a poker face, almost brusque as usual. ¡°Rebecca, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Yes, I have brought you a prototype, although it is not yet very practical.¡± With that, she pulled out two pairs of brooch-like objects from her pocket. Prototypes of communication devices. ¡°How far have you gotten?¡± ¡°Please place this one over your ear.¡± Then she held out something that looked like a communicator. I took it and put it to my ear. Rebecca looked at it and whispered something into the communicator she was holding. Then suddenly a voice came from the communicator. ¡°Oh, Rebecca, can I have a glass of vodka?¡± The voice is a little raspy, but it¡¯s Onyxim. I try to speak into the communicator. ¡°Is this Mr. Arensky?¡± Rebecca chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a one-way street. You cannot send a word without having a transmitter in your hand. That¡¯s why I said it was a prototype.¡± I see, that¡¯s true. I returned the communicator to Rebecca with satisfaction. ¡°Well done, then, please continue with your improvements.¡± Rebecca bowed and gave me a serious look. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you regarding that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°First, I would like to check the transmission distance, so please arrange for an escort. Also, I would like to change the material of this transmitter to check its effectiveness, so I would like to have a budget to purchase the materials.¡± Oh, I guess the research budget we allocated at the beginning has run out. ¡°I will arrange for an Elite Guard as an escort. Please apply for the budget in the amount of your immediate needs. Is it okay if we purchase the materials from Ms. Isabeau¡¯s trading company, as we have done in the past?¡± Rebecca looked a little happy. ¡°Thank you very much. It will be a while before we can put it to practical use, but¡­¡± I waved my hand at Rebecca, who looked apologetic. ¡°No, I understand it will take time. Is there anything else you need help with?¡± ¡°Well then, I would like to request something. May I have a few assistants?¡± You didn¡¯t have to go out of your way to get permission. ¡°Is it someone special since you need my permission?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not someone special, but It is difficult to solve even if I ask Ms. Kriemhild about it.¡± ¡°Is it not good even if you ask Ms. Kriemhild?¡± Rebecca chuckled with a sigh. ¡°In Ravenna, the competition for talent is fierce. People are prioritized for immediate political affairs over future research. It¡¯s not that the technical development department is neglected, but¡­¡± I cannot upset the personnel arrangements made by our subordinates. Then, I should ask the main family to send someone over. If we let them concentrate only on their research, they will not leak any information about the political situation. If possible, we should avoid hiring from outside. We also need a system to train people on a permanent basis. ¡°Then I will have people with the desired abilities dispatched from the main house. Please compile your request and apply here later.¡± Rebecca looked happy and nodded. She¡¯s usually so brusque¡­ but when she smiles, she¡¯s pretty cute. CH 276 The family¡¯s inspection tour ended without incident, and arrangements were made for the dispatch of aid supplies and personnel from the main family. After the trip to the hot springs, Mil seemed to be able to open up to the family. She was stiff at first, but by the end, her attitude had become more natural. That alone should be enough to say that the visit was a success. On a different note, the wedding ceremony was cancelled in accordance with the Scala family¡¯s formalities in the presence of the family. Maman told me that marrying an elf would attract the attention of the royal family and other nobles. I told them that this would be undesirable for me as well. Mil seemed to have heard about it at the hot springs and simply said to me, ¡°Anyway, just don¡¯t forget about the honeymoon¡±. I want to go, too¡­ but it¡¯s not going to happen anytime soon. Thus ended one event. For the next event, I instructed them to start preparing for Robert¡¯s knighthood ceremony. A few days after the inspection was over, everyone¡¯s feelings seemed to have returned to normal. I decided to give one instruction at the strategy meeting in the evening. ¡°Ms. Kriemhild, it seems that we are now competing for human resources. I know it won¡¯t be immediate, but I would like you to build a school for the purpose of training people who can take charge of political affairs.¡± Kriemhild, who is now the Minister of Education, nodded her tilted at the word school. ¡°A school? I heard that the apostles once had it established, but I don¡¯t know what it actually was. They teach children to read and write, but that¡¯s not the same thing, is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a different thing than children¡¯s literacy, but it¡¯s an extension of that. Children will be working from the age of 17. You have to teach a lot of things to newcomers who start working in the ministry, right? There are a lot of things you can teach them without being in that ministry, like how the government works and even the basics.¡± Kriemhild nodded with a wry smile. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not easy. There are different levels of content taught in different ministries, after all.¡± ¡°So I want you to teach basic education in schools. In addition, I would like to have schools consult with representatives and ministries to determine the children¡¯s career paths. Of course, the child¡¯s wishes would come first.¡± Kriemhild raised an eyebrow. ¡°With the representatives? It¡¯s true that our representatives have been helping people find jobs, but I don¡¯t feel like that¡¯s necessary once the school is built.¡± In the future, though, it will. But jumping there out of the blue would be too hasty. ¡°There are some people who are dissatisfied when you reduce the representative¡¯s influence, right? The representatives are consulted about their children¡¯s employment, after all. Vested interests should be respected if they contribute to the stability of society.¡± No matter how logically correct it is, people have feelings. If logic alone could work, reform would fail much less. Giving them the right to participate in politics as representatives guaranteed them a special status. They are entrusted to take care of the traditional tribesmen as they are, so that they can have influence even if they move to Ravenna. There would be fewer problems if the tribe chiefs were left to take care of their former people. It is just like the relationship between Patronus and Clientes in ancient Rome. Kriemhild nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, that is true. There are a lot of people who are overzealous in taking care of them.¡± ¡°Another reason is that it makes it more efficient to put schools in charge of career paths. Representatives will no longer have to make trips to the various ministries. The minister only needs to negotiate with the schools. If it¡¯s beneficial to both sides, they¡¯ll be convinced.¡± The ministers all looked at each other with distant eyes. Ah, perhaps the children were being heavily marketed by the representatives? The Public Health Minister Ardelheid exhaled in relief. ¡°That¡­ would be very helpful. It¡¯s pretty hard to say no when someone asks you to use her¡­ Mr. Umberto and others asked us to send people to them, too, and we were caught between them¡­¡± Ah, so the medical profession is popular. People are very sensitive about their health, perhaps because of their experience in fighting the plague. And I guess people pay attention to medical careers, which they didn¡¯t in their former lives. Umberto, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, only chuckled. Food is the most important thing¡­ Once things settle down, there will be more applicants. Then Ludvig, the Minister of Development, raised his hand. I silently encouraged him to speak. ¡°The schools are good, but what about the teachers?¡± ¡°The ministries will send their own educators. So, in addition to reading and writing, the schools will provide education that will help them find jobs.¡± Map models are integrated into the schools, too. Should we include the children playing in the workshop there? Kriemhild was pondering something, then turned to me. ¡°Lord Alfred, what about the selection of the principal¡­¡± ¡°I leave it to you. You don¡¯t need my approval.¡± Kriemhild chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right. The organization of the school¡­¡± ¡°I leave it to you. You should ask Ms. Delphine and she will give you good advice.¡± Kriemhild gave a drawn-out laugh. ¡°So this is the rumor that I heard about Lord Alfred leaving things to others¡­ I never dreamed that it would come to me too¡­¡± What kind of rumors is that. ¡°I¡¯m willing to leave as much as you need. It¡¯s not a ministry, but Mil and Kiara can serve as secretary-educators, and you can dispatch teachers.¡± Mil nodded silently. Kiara thought for a moment and then opened her mouth. ¡°Should I send an Ears¡¯ member as a teacher as well?¡± I shake my head. ¡°There¡¯s no don¡¯t need to dispatch personnel from a department that handles confidential information. It¡¯s a special kind of job, so I think we can continue to use the scouting format as before.¡± Then Touko, the Minister of Police, raised his hand. ¡°Reading and writing are good, but physical training is also necessary. Please teach them that in school too.¡± That¡¯s true, too. ¡°I agree. We should have that added to the educational content too.¡± Ardelheid, the Minister of Public Health, suddenly leaned forward. Her eyes are shining¡­ no¡­ glaring. ¡°Then, let¡¯s put Mr. Rui on the faculty and give everyone some muscle¡­¡± Stop that. ¡°Rejected. Mr. Rui is indispensable in the medical work of the new territory. And the Rabbit Tribe is not suited to educating children whose behavior is unpredictable.¡± Use both honest intentions and a ready-made attitude. It also makes it uncomfortable for kids like me who are not as athletic. Ardelheid looked blatantly disappointed. Hey¡­ ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± ¡°It is only by his own choice that he trains that hard. The school¡¯s role is only to prepare children for their options. So just teach them the basics. And if you teach them too much, they lose that all-important playtime.¡± Abraham, the Minister of Justice chuckled. ¡°I guess you¡¯re a rare feudal lord who tells children not to work.¡± If you stuff them with academics all the time, they won¡¯t learn to build important relationships. Besides, it will deprive them of options for the future. I want to minimize what is taught in school. If there is a need to learn something specialized, it will be handled in a separate department, not in a school. If we concentrate too much work in schools, the organization will expand and become an organization for an organization, not an organization for education. The short-term effect will be greatly enhanced. It¡¯s a bigger disadvantage in the long run. That¡¯s the fate of bureaucracy. CH 277 That¡¯s enough talk about school. Next, let¡¯s finish the knight commander¡¯s investiture ceremony. I¡¯ve appointed Robert to be in charge of defense when Charles and I are not around. The change of the Knight Commander has been completed privately, but there is a difference in authority between formal and provisional. Charles is on the front line to establish a line of defense in preparation for the invasion of the demon tribe. He can¡¯t be away until this is taken care of, since I¡¯ll be away on an inspection tour of the second city. You may think that¡­ there is no way we would be attacked. But the demon territory also has the sea. The navy is under construction and it doesn¡¯t even have its shape done. As long as an attack from the sea is possible, it is necessary to strengthen the position of those in charge at the very least. There is no proof, but that is no reason to ignore it. Then from a security perspective, it should be done. It¡¯s called a consideration that doesn¡¯t drag its feet. It¡¯s not like a knight¡¯s investiture ceremony. If that is the case, we have already done it several times when we increased the number of knights. It is similar to a minister¡¯s investiture ceremony. On the day of the investiture ceremony, I changed into a ceremonial dress, which I was not accustomed to. At my insistence, the ceremony itself is kept simple. In the future, it will definitely become more luxurious. The first halt is absolutely necessary. The ceremony will be held in the town square, and I have been informed that there will be a festival after the investiture ceremony. Even the common people who are not interested in the investiture ceremony will be attracted by the festival. Since there were no media in those days, we tried to spread the word in this way. Of course, I have instructed other forts and villages to hold festivals as well. "" In the ceremony, the knights are on the right and the ministers and other government officials are on the left. In the back are Mil, myself, and Kiara. When the fanfare sounded, Robert, dressed in formal ceremonial attire, came riding in. When he arrived at the front of the line, he dismounted and walked toward us. He is calm, quite different from at the wedding. I¡¯d be if he wasn¡¯t¡­ When Robert came in front of me, he stopped. I try to be as serious as possible. ¡°Sir Robert Melchiorri. Will you unite the Knights and swear to protect the people?¡± Robert took a breath and tapped the sheath of his sword. ¡°I swear to protect even if it costs me my life!¡± ¡°Good. I name you the second Knight Commander of the Order of Ravenna.¡± I hand him the sword I had made for the Knight Commander. Robert reverently accepts the sword with both hands. ¡°Ha! I humbly accept your order.¡± Robert turns and holds his sword up to the sky, and applause rings out. With this, the ceremony is over. I take the loudspeaker from the aide and hold it to my mouth. ¡°The ceremony is over. To congratulate the new Knight Commander, today is a festival. Please enjoy yourselves.¡± That¡¯s where the cheers come from. Festivals are an important pastime. I¡¯m relieved to get the proclamation over with. I¡¯m not good at this kind of formal ceremony. I was an officer of the student council when I was a student, so I¡¯m not afraid to get up in front of many people¡­ But I can¡¯t help but feel uncomfortable. Then, Mil smiled at me. ¡°Al, thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Thank you, but¡­ it¡¯s hard to relax.¡± Kiara saw me like that and laughed at me. ¡°Brother doesn¡¯t fit in formal wear, after all. Instead of wearing the formal wear¡­ it¡¯s more like you¡¯re being dressed in a formal wear.¡± ¡°I have nothing to say in return.¡± At the festival, we meet Robert and Delphine, who has changed into plain clothes. I¡¯m not sure if Delphine¡¯s belly has grown yet. I respond to their bow by raising my hand. ¡°How are you feeling, Commander?¡± Robert scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I feel about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mrs. Delphine, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to keep your husband very busy.¡± Delphine smiles at me. ¡°No¡­ Robert dreamed of being a Commander. So I¡¯m glad too. Anyway, I don¡¯t really feel that the receptionist at the guild is going to be the wife of the Knight Commander.¡± Even Mil started laughing. ¡°I¡¯ve gone from being a civilian to a feudal lord¡¯s wife, you know? You don¡¯t have to worry about your status. The fact that I am Al¡¯s bride is enough for me.¡± Delphine chuckled at Mil. ¡°You¡¯re right. As expected of Milva-san.¡± Mil was taken aback. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®as expected¡¯? You¡¯re not Al.¡± So it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s me. Delphine started laughing. ¡°There are elves who are good at magic and others who are adventurers and highly respected. There aren¡¯t any elves who are good at politics, except for Milva.¡± Now that you mention it, that¡¯s true. A new genre of political elves, huh? Kiara started laughing. ¡°Even I sometimes forget that she is either my sister or an elf. My sister is the best political elf in the world.¡± Mil started to panic. ¡°H-Hey! I just followed Al and this is what happened!¡± So it¡¯s my fault!? I can¡¯t deny it, but¡­ I¡¯d hate it if it was an apostle¡¯s boosting ability. I hope it¡¯s her own power. She worked that hard, after all. It is unacceptable that it does not belong to her. The result of your efforts is not really your power, it¡¯s just borrowed. No one would be convinced by such a statement. If such an ability is dangerous, you should just hide and live alone. Or just die. It¡¯s not that simple. Even if I live in hiding, God or whatever will just send the next apostle when he gets his power back. It won¡¯t buy me any time. I don¡¯t know if what I¡¯m doing is right. But I couldn¡¯t think of any other way. Besides, acting negatively about everything may seem smart¡­ but it¡¯s not. Those who do nothing but deny are like critics, they don¡¯t contribute to the basic society. They can only exist in a society with a well-developed media. And when the critics become greater than the doers, the society is headed for decline. The doers are afraid of criticism and make it a top priority not to make more mistakes. Critics can help to correct the course. They are useful as an adjunct, but if they become an authority, they are finished. And who the hell is going to critique the critic? Many critics do not envision themselves being criticized. And they don¡¯t like it. They only criticize one-sidedly and think only of satisfying their self-esteem. Or, they criticize as an outlet for their dissatisfaction. And they do not take responsibility for their criticisms. They shout at the top of their lungs to take responsibility for others. From my point of view, they only look ugly, not smart. The ideal that the critics espouse is a sample of plastic food. They look good, but they are inedible. I choose to be a doer. I will make something edible, even if it doesn¡¯t look good. So I just do what I have to do. CH 278 Roberto¡¯s appointment as Knight Commander was successfully completed. Just when I thought he could finally go on an inspection tour, I was stopped by another matter. Every few days, Mil goes out into the forest to contact the elves and pick up any word. Today she is a little different than usual. She was calm, but a little happy. I guess the elves are ready to go. Seeing my face, Mil nodded. ¡°When can they come?¡± ¡°They say it doesn¡¯t matter when. I¡¯ll be on my way to the rendezvous point now.¡± ¡°I understand. Please take the Elite Guards with you as escorts. Will about 30 men be enough?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡± There are always a few Elite Guards men waiting in the office at all times. I look at Ramiro, a member of the Elite Guards. ¡°Ramiro-dono, I will entrust the Elite Guards with the protection of Mil and the elves. Please inform Sir Jules to that effect. I will suspend the shiphandling training until Mil and the elves return.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ramiro gave instructions to his Elite Guards men, and they left the room. Mil is talking with Kiara about the handover. ¡°Kiara, for a week or so¡­ please take care of Al for me.¡± Kiara smiled a big smile. ¡°Yes, please leave it to me to fill in for Sister.¡± Mil nodded, stiffened for a moment, and then turned a skeptical gaze on Kiara. ¡°Just so you know, you don¡¯t have to stand in as a wife.¡± Kiara clicked her tongue in a faintly audible sound. Hey¡­ Kiara smiled, oblivious to the stares of those around her. ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Where¡¯s the ¡°of course¡± in that¡­ Either way, the inspection will have to wait until Mil comes back. All this can¡¯t be helped. The Governor reported to me that the return of the POWs was successfully completed. It¡¯s not the most recent, but this means that the demon tribe is now ready for action. As Mil hurriedly left the office, Kiara smiled at me. ¡°Brother, the inspection tour is postponed, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to leave before winter, though. I would like to avoid traveling in the winter if possible. There are a lot of women in the group, so it wouldn¡¯t be good for them to be cold.¡± Kiara tilted her head. ¡°It seems like you can¡¯t wait until early spring.¡± ¡°Yes, I want to do what I can as soon as possible. It is imperative that we establish a defense system, including an administrative one.¡± ¡°But you entrusted it to Governor Oracio and Mr. Rossi, don¡¯t you? Do you think something will happen that is beyond the control of the two of them?¡± She¡¯s indeed watching me very closely. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s possible¡­ sort of. And while the Governor has been given the authority to govern the new territory, the area near the capital is under the jurisdiction of the Mayor. I want to confirm that cooperation. We don¡¯t have a department specializing in logistics at this time, after all. I would also like to coordinate in that area too. There are some aspects of our contingency plan that need to be adjusted.¡± Kiara sighed. ¡°Contingencies are inevitable, aren¡¯t they? Sister seems to trust the elder of the demon tribe, though.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t trust Mr. Oliver or individuals. But it is not clear whether the entire demon tribe will choose not to fight. It would be negligent not to take action in the event of an emergency. I¡¯m not interested in superstition, believing that because we don¡¯t attack, they won¡¯t attack either.¡± Kiara looked a little flustered. ¡°O-Of course, I agree with brother¡¯s idea.¡± I remembered a nasty superstition I had before my reincarnation. Did my displeasure show in my attitude? I couldn¡¯t understand the nerve of people who thought they were safe as long as the burglar didn¡¯t do anything they didn¡¯t want to do, even though the burglar lived next door. It was the burglar¡¯s decision to break in, not theirs. ¡°No, I¡¯m not accusing Kiara of anything. And Mr. Oliver said so, too. He said that we should prepare a defensive posture so that the demon tribe would not be tempted to attack us.¡± ¡°Do you think the demons want to attack?¡± We don¡¯t have any information. ¡°We have no material on which to judge. However, even though it was instigated by the wise man, he attacked us once. I don¡¯t think he has learned his lesson from this.¡± Once an investment fails, can you cut your losses in a snap? Or will you try to get it back and keep on going? As an individual, you can cut your losses. But in a group, it becomes difficult. It is not that a group of people become stupid. In a group, you are pulled down by emotions. I always knew this, but deep down I underestimated it. I know this from my own experience of being swept away by the flood of good intentions in the fight against the plague. If possible, I don¡¯t want to feel the helplessness of that time anymore. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s true. Does brother have any countermeasures?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Mr. Oliver didn¡¯t give us any important information. Since the current situation is a truce, we can¡¯t probe for information from the other side. It is very difficult to deal with a basic response when dealing with the other side. Since we don¡¯t know who we¡¯re dealing with, we¡¯re going to hold firm for the time being.¡± ¡°How about sending in the Ears?¡± I shook my head. ¡°The success rate is too low. If we fail, war will be the result. The benefits we would gain would be out of proportion.¡± Kiara looked puzzled. ¡°What are you going to do then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not certain, but we are going to try a tease. It is less effective, but it is better than nothing. When was the next time Ms. Isabeau was here?¡± When Kiara turned to her aides, they shook their heads. ¡°It seems to be undecided.¡± ¡°Then tell Ms. Isabeau to come here.¡± Kiara seemed unable to gauge my intentions. Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, but then quickly returned to their original expression. ¡°I understand. Then, I will tell her that.¡± There is something I would like to plant as a related matter. I smile at Kiara. ¡°Is there anyone in your Ears that is interested in the outside world?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there are, but what are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°I will send them to Ms. Isabeau¡¯s Chamber of Commerce. The pretext was to learn business¡­ but we will also make connections with other merchants. I want them to see the world situation through the eyes of a merchant.¡± ¡°Would Ms. Isabeau agree to this?¡± ¡°Of course, trade with Ravenna will remain a priority for Ms. Isabeau. Knowing the reality of distribution and the value of the goods will make future negotiations smoother. We have no intention of jumping over Ms. Isabeau to negotiate with other merchants. For Ms. Isabeau, it would give her a way to contact me directly. It¡¯s a win-win situation for both parties.¡± Intelligence activities by hiding among the merchants. That¡¯s the basics. Besides, I am to be consulted by Papan regarding the succession to the throne. We will need information from other angles. The flow of money and goods is eloquent, after all. CH 279 If I¡¯m stranded this long, I¡¯ll have to come up with a system that won¡¯t be affected by my absence from the capital. I myself am not an original, genius-like thinker. I have a black history of being a child before my reincarnation, when I was a bit of a jerk, thinking I had talent¡­ As I got older, I became acutely aware of the limitations of my abilities, so I can¡¯t even dream about it. Then, I will have to rely on the wisdom of my predecessors. The Roman Emperor Tiberius is a model for a master of information management and communication. It was possible only by sharing responsibility and establishing a system of information transmission. It is impossible to get there out of the blue. We have only just begun to establish a system of shared responsibility, and it is too early to hope for segmentation. The information transfer mechanism has not yet been established. We should make a start on this one. Should we keep the forests and use the elves¡¯ method of transmission? We need to hear more about that too. We also need to create relay points for information transmission in each area. We can assign a fort there. While I was thinking about this, I heard a voice. ¡°Brother, we have a request for a meeting from the new Knight Commander.¡± If he went out of his way to request for a meeting, it must be for something urgent. ¡°I understand. Please let him through.¡± If it¡¯s about how to run the Order, he should know it well. Marital troubles? No, he wouldn¡¯t talk about that in the Office. Robert entered the room with his second-in-command. In other words, it¡¯s public business. "" I have no choice but to listen to the matter. ¡°Is there something you want to talk to me about?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord, the mayor has taught me how to be a good boss. That is not enough for a military organization like the Order, which lacks the necessary competence. I do not have the ability to choose people on a hunch, as Sir Rossi does. I was wondering if my lord could teach me some desirable qualities to lead such an army.¡± I¡¯m not a military man, though¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t be a connoisseur of knights¡­¡± ¡°I am not asking you to point me in that direction, but to point me in the direction of what I should be. My lord has selected Sir Rossi. In other words, you have standards. I thought you had a standard, like the one you showed the mayor.¡± That¡¯s what I¡¯ve come to¡­ I definitely have some. I¡¯ve refrained from interjecting because I¡¯m out of the military, but¡­ ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t know how right I am.¡± Robert leaned forward. ¡°We will ask you and discuss it among ourselves for guidance.¡± I sighed and contemplated. ¡°I understood. Basically, I think five qualities are necessary. They are wisdom, integrity, benevolence, courage, and dignity.¡± These words were written by Sun Tzu. But I don¡¯t know what¡¯s really going on inside the military. So I could not say it lightly. Because it is dangerous to interfere in personnel affairs on a whim. I had some experience in politics, so I could say something with a certain degree of confidence. And I thought it was premature to mention the martial virtues of war theory. We can rule it out for now. Beside him, Robert¡¯s second-in-command is impatiently writing down my words. You¡¯d better examine it properly¡­ Robert nodded his head. ¡°They are all desirable qualities if you only listen to what they say. Could you tell us a little more about them?¡± ¡°You know what I mean. It is certainly a desirable quality, but you can never have too much of only some of it. It invites the five dangers.¡± ¡°So, if you have too much, you are seen as dangerous.¡± I chuckled and nodded. ¡°If you only have too much knowledge, you will not be able to make decisions and will only cross bridges that are absolutely safe. You will be so afraid of failure that you will only fight battles that you will win. There is rarely such a battle. Or they will look down on those around them, become self-righteous, and play with empty theories on the table. The end result is that your men will come up with unworkable plans.¡± Robert nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you have too much of that.¡± ¡°A person who places too much importance only on credibility cannot bear to be insulted or doubted. They try to escape from it and act recklessly. And they demand perfection from their subordinates. People are not that simple, you know. From the enemy¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s easy to take advantage of them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. As an enemy, I appreciate it.¡± I wait for the writing to finish as his second-in-command is impatiently writing. It¡¯s hard to keep track of the proceedings, isn¡¯t it? Maybe I¡¯ll have him work on shorthand¡­ Now that the writing seems to be done, let¡¯s talk about the rest. ¡°If you have only too much benevolence, you can¡¯t stand the slightest bit of harm. The result is mental illness. There is no such thing as a battle with zero damage. Or you can choose to retreat, meaninglessly, without a fight.¡± Robert chuckled meaningfully. He knows I have that side of me. ¡°That¡¯s true. It is said even among knights that if you are only gentle, you should become a monk.¡± I don¡¯t think I can be a monk either. It¡¯s rather bad. ¡°If you only have too much courage¡­you know what I mean. If you only have barbarity, you will die a defeated man. To think only of rushing and fighting is more foolish than a beast.¡± Robert only chuckled. ¡°In a regular knighthood, courage is especially valued.¡± Knights are not really encouraged to think. If you want selfless service, questioning is forbidden. ¡°If there is only too much dignity, they fear to undermine it in the slightest. If that happens, they will mend it by anger or too heavy a punishment. Of course, it will turn the soldiers off. This, too, is easy to take advantage of.¡± Robert nodded approvingly. ¡°I see¡­ these are necessary qualities¡­ but that they should not be too biased.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If it seems useful, please refer to it. If it doesn¡¯t fit the actual situation, you can throw it away.¡± Robert waved his hand in a panic. ¡°No, no¡­ of course, I¡¯ll put it up as a reminder. It¡¯s what my lord often calls ¡®obvious¡¯. I understand why you discovered Sir Rossi. I also understand why you say you are not a gifted front-line commander.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s good. In any case, it is dangerous to put the fate of a large number of people in the hands of a person with unbalanced mental qualities, notwithstanding his abilities.¡± Everything is about balance. And that is the most difficult thing. CH 280 Preliminary preparations are underway for the elf confluence. The Escorter Silvana departed to investigate the dungeon. The message will also be sent to Isabeau. Basically, we will be in a state of waiting. I was naive to think that I could take a break. If you think about it, it¡¯s the ultimate in multitasking, so all sorts of problems will arise. The Ears came to the office and submitted a report to Kiara. When Kiara saw this, her complexion changed. A big problem, huh? Let¡¯s just be prepared. Kiara rushed over to me. ¡°Brother, please read this¡­¡± I looked over the report that was given to me. I frowned. An accident had occurred during the construction of the canal. Scaffolding collapsed during the construction of an outer wall, injuring six people. One dead. We still don¡¯t know what kind of condition it¡¯s in. I look at Kiara. ¡°Kiara, please call Mr. Ludvig, Mr. Arensky, and Mr. Allston as soon as possible.¡± I just looked at the report, not even bothering to answer Kiara¡¯s question. I couldn¡¯t make out anything by looking at it. All I could do was suppress my moods and anger. If I got too furious, the reports would not come in. The higher your position, the more your freedom is restricted. It¡¯s really well said¡­ After a while, the four of them arrived. Ludvig, the Minister of Development, fearfully turns to me. ¡°Lord Alfred, I am deeply sorry for the accident¡­¡± Ludvig apologizes, but I restrain him with my hand. ¡°No need to apologize. First of all, please stop the construction work. When the cause of the problem is determined and countermeasures are finalized, we will resume work. Of course, we will pay them while they wait. As it pertains to the accident¡­ I have called you all here to ask you a favor.¡± Onyxim, the Minister of Architecture, Science and Technology, looked grim. ¡°What kind of a favor is it?¡± ¡°I want you to investigate the cause of the accident. Please send your best people from each department to set up an investigation committee. We will aim to make it a permanent department, but it will be temporary at first.¡± Abraham, the Minister of Justice, nodded his head. ¡°Why was the Ministry of Justice summoned?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain all of that in summary. The first thing I want you to look into is whether this is an incident or an accident. If it is an incident, we will hand over everything to the Ministry of Police, Mr. Priyula. From here on, we will discuss if it was an accident.¡± I suppress a sigh and look around at everyone. They are all waiting for me to say something. ¡°I want you to thoroughly investigate why the accident occurred. The important thing here is to find out if there was a problem with the system, not the person who caused the accident. And if there is a problem with the system, the Ministry of Justice should determine if the person who decided the system is guilty.¡± Abraham nodded his head again. ¡°Guilt against the people who decided on the system?¡± ¡°For example, if a company knew of the need for safety control, but willfully neglected to take measures to keep the budget down, it would not be innocent. Or, he would be guilty if he cut out the budget and underfunded the necessary measures.¡± ¡°I see, I see. If it is an unpredictable accident, etc., it¡¯s not a crime.¡± If it were a humanitarian system, the person responsible would be made to commit ritual suicide. Japan was no different. There was a story about the Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash, where the Japanese were so intent on finding the culprits that NTSB investigators were baffled. ¡°Yes. It is important that the accusation of guilt is not unreasonable. I want each ministry to bring its wisdom to bear on the cause.¡± Touko, the Minister of Police, nodded emphatically. ¡°All right, please leave it to me.¡± ¡°And I have an important request. This is the starting point of the accident investigation. Please do not use your conscience in this investigation.¡± Ludvig looked at me with a scowl. ¡°Is it about the proper use of conscience?¡± ¡°Yes, if it were an unrelated person, the investigation of the cause would not be so elaborate. If it was one of our own, we sometimes underestimate them.¡± Abraham leaned forward. ¡°With all due respect, that is not the case. I believe you have made me the minister in anticipation of that.¡± Of course, I am well aware of that. ¡°Then what about me?¡± Abraham is at a loss for words. Touko leaned forward. ¡°Why would my lord be involved in the cause of the accident?¡± ¡°It was I who gave the construction order. I also rushed it. I rushed the construction and did not allocate enough budget or manpower. If the accident happened because of that, it would be my fault. So the scope of the investigation includes me.¡± Touko growled. ¡°Are we going to be that thorough?¡± ¡°It would be pointless otherwise. And I don¡¯t want others to refrain from denouncing me and only invoke their conscience. In an investigation such as this, which requires objectivity, a double standard is like professing oneself to be unreliable. Such ritualistic investigations are a waste of money and time.¡± I don¡¯t want the media to do what they did in my previous world. That was a terrible double standard. And yet they claim to be fair and neutral. It¡¯s like a crooked official who keeps taking bribes telling others to stay clean and sober. It is not funny for a humor. It is too lousy to be useful as a disguise or inducement. It is only effective for those who want to be fooled. At best, it is limited to self-satisfaction. I can¡¯t let them do that under my direction. They have all fallen silent. There¡¯s one more thing I must warn them about. ¡°I ask you again. I don¡¯t want you to search for the culprit, but to investigate the cause of the accident and prevent the next accident from happening. Please don¡¯t take the easy way out, such as saying that the one who caused the accident is to blame. That would be like throwing away a luxury item you bought at the time without stopping wasting money.¡± Ludvig looked a little relieved. ¡°I understand. Each of us will send a member, but which ministry would you like to lead?¡± Should I decide? ¡°I don¡¯t particularly want to decide, but¡­ It should be the person from the ministry that is least involved in the case.¡± They all nodded and left. I sighed. But there was one more thing to do. ¡°Kiara, we need to pay for the funeral of the deceased and also pay the bereaved family a visitation fund. It¡¯s not a matter of money, but¡­ We can¡¯t afford not to pay them. Also, please make sure that we pay for the medical treatment of the injured.¡± ¡°I understand. Is there anything else should I arrange?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to fill the vacancies so that we can resume construction. Please discuss this with Mr. Ludvig.¡± Kiara nodded and then stared at me. I wondered if she wanted to ask me something. ¡°Kiara, is there something you want to ask me?¡± ¡°Are you going to hold the minister responsible for the accident?¡± In a normal feudal society, that would be the case. But I have no intention of doing so. ¡°If there is blatant negligence, yes, but he is doing it in good faith. Based on the results of the accident investigation, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do an even better job.¡± Failure equals firing. It is impossible to say ¡­¡­ not to fear failure in such a society. So, if a failure or a problem occurs, just improve upon it. Find the culprit, which was often the case in my previous life, and be done with it. I have no intention of doing that. People make mistakes, and if you don¡¯t improve the system, they will repeat the same mistakes. If you overwork someone and they make a mistake, it¡¯s ridiculous to blame them. So when an accident or problem occurs, investigate and correct the problem in the system. That¡¯s all I can do. Before my reincarnation, there was a manager who put the blame on the person who caused a major accident. The corporate culture with such a person at the top was exposing and punishing employees who made mistakes. Sure, the apparent profits went up, but it was nothing more than a tower on the sand. It¡¯s Russian roulette, only it hasn¡¯t been loaded until now. And then, after the rampant cover-up of mistakes, etc., a major accident occurs. Even after the accident, they systematically try to cover it up, saying it was not our fault. In such an organization, only the number of managers who punish their subordinates and feel that they have done their job will increase. Mentalism does not reduce mistakes. It is like playing Russian roulette and saying that the person in question is not paying enough attention to the fact that a bullet has been fired. It is just that the person happened to be there in the organization where the accident occurred. It¡¯s ridiculous, really. I would hate to reincarnate and create such a society. CH 281 Did I let my guard down somewhere? There is no end to the questions we can ask ourselves. Anyway, let¡¯s wait and see how the accident investigation goes. On a related matter, Ludvig, the Minister of Development, came to me. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Ludvig looked puzzled. ¡°Yes, some of the workers who were safe are troubled.¡± Anxiety about danger, huh? Some kind of flashback, I guess. ¡°What kind of trouble?¡± ¡°The worker who died was well-liked by everyone. The first thing the workers thought, however, was that they were relieved it wasn¡¯t them. So they became depressed because they felt sorry for themselves.¡± That kind of thing, huh¡­ We need an expert in that area. Maybe they can do something about it. ¡°Then, please consult with Mr. Odilon. I am sure he has a good solution.¡± Ludvig tilted his head. ¡°The veteran adventurer? What do construction accidents have to do with adventurers?¡± ¡°There is no doubt that construction work also involves risking one¡¯s life. And because it is a joint effort, there will be a strong sense of camaraderie. The pain of losing a colleague is the same whether you are an adventurer or a construction worker. It will give you a chance to get back on your feet.¡± Ludvig nodded. ¡°I understand¡­ I will discuss it with them. And¡­¡± Is there something more? As I was thinking this, Ludvig bowed deeply. ¡°I appreciate the opportunity to make up for it without firing me.¡± I chuckled and waved my hand. ¡°If it¡¯s not cheating or negligence, there¡¯s no reason to fire you. Besides, I¡¯m sure you will do a better job because of this failure. Removing you from your post while Ignoring your past accomplishments for a single accident. We can¡¯t afford that kind of luxury. It¡¯s nothing personal, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Ludvig bowed and exited. If it is not clear negligence, there is no reason to fire him. There is a way to make him take responsibility and fire him, but¡­. If he made a mistake, he knows exactly how to improve. And I don¡¯t like the idea of ending up with a failed attempt myself. As I was thinking this, Kiara started giggling. ¡°Kiara, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that your perceptions of each other are off and it was so funny.¡± Are we? I am not aware of that. ¡°What do you mean by ¡°off¡±?¡± ¡°If a worker dies on a construction project, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s another nobleman. If they are behind schedule or over budget, they will be fired. But brother hates sacrifice. That¡¯s why Mr. Ludvig thought he had offended brother and was prepared to be fired.¡± Ah¡­ so that¡¯s why we¡¯re off. ¡°Hmmm¡­ that was a blind spot. Indeed, I don¡¯t like sacrifice, but punishing someone for an accident isn¡¯t the end of the world.¡± That¡¯s not much different than pretending you didn¡¯t see it. Unless you don¡¯t have the qualities and won¡¯t improve if entrusted to do so in the future. If the blame goes to Ludvig, I¡¯ll be the shield. The authority of a big shot should be put to good use in times like these. Kiara stopped laughing and turned a straight face. ¡°Normally, their first priority is not to go against their employer¡¯s wishes. You crossed paths because you didn¡¯t know what that standard was. You value human life, but that¡¯s not the only criterion. I think this case will make brother¡¯s intentions known.¡± So it was it my assumption that I was getting through. In any case, since my memory returned, my awareness of this world has been weakened. The amount of information I have in 16 years versus 4X years is different, after all. Did I unknowingly think and look at people with the common sense I had before in my previous life? I scratched my head. ¡°Thank you, Kiara. I realized this before we crossed paths in a dangerous place in the future.¡± After all, a person who speaks directly to you is irreplaceable above all else. Kiara smiled. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m glad I could be of help to you.¡± Two days later, we head to the building where Odilon is lecturing. Looks like he is going to give a lecture on how to deal with an accident after receiving a consultation from Ludvig. I think he have a solution for that consultation. I personally wanted to know what it was about. Odilon just grinned when he saw me. I take a seat at the back of the room so as not to disturb the others. The content of the lecture was really interesting. It seems that when someone suddenly dies or is injured, the first thought that comes to mind is, ¡°Thank God it wasn¡¯t me¡±. Or that it is not unusual to be glad that a close relative did not. Then self-blame kicks in, and we tend to wish we had done more. When in fact, it¡¯s completely irrelevant. ¡°If only I had been more careful then.¡± ¡°Maybe I could have noticed the accident.¡± or ¡°I should have told them when I saw the unfortunate signs.¡± Anyway, they blame myself. If left in that state, many people will be overwhelmed. So, all parties involved get together and reflect on the accident. Then everyone says it was their fault, and eventually they question it. By the end of the reflection, everyone¡¯s sense of remorse is lightened. I was really impressed when he said that grief can be divided. I realized that there was such a way. I wondered how they could cut it off and get back on their feet because they were adventurers. There would be a case for cutting them off as being responsible for their own actions. But not about the accident during the construction, so I guess he offered another way to take care of them. After listening to the lecture, I go next to Odilon. My curiosity was aroused. ¡°Mr. Odilon, adventurers often have to deal with the deaths of their companions. I thought they would just say it was their own fault or that they were unlucky and move on.¡± I myself thought I¡¯d teach them how to look forward. It wasn¡¯t what I expected, but it made sense. Odilon looked out with a slightly distant look in his eyes. ¡°I used to be the same way. There were a lot of people who felt responsible for it like that. It was useless to tell them to look forward. They all made bad decisions and died. I had to cut out the things that got in the way of my survival and just look ahead.¡± Yes, it would not be such a sweet world. ¡°Just surviving is amazing in itself.¡± Odilon sighed. ¡°I survived, but¡­ all that was left was a battered body. And now it¡¯s my turn to be cut down. I don¡¯t hold a grudge, I¡¯ve done that before. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s now my turn. It gave me a mountain of time to think. I wondered if it would have been better to throw it away so easily.¡± I can¡¯t say it¡¯s easy to say good or bad. I don¡¯t share that experience. ¡°So you¡¯ve given it some thought. But I suppose it¡¯s because you left it behind that you¡¯ve lived this long.¡± Odilon chuckled and nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t think just living was this boring. I kept throwing things away and the only thing I have left is my crippled body.¡± From a world where life is next to life to a world where there is nothing. Adventurers are a kind of outlaw, floating above society. When you spill out from there, there¡¯s nothing more. I had nothing to say in reply. Odilon looked at me with interest as I remained silent. ¡°Anyway, for adventurers, life and death are at stake at any given moment. So the idea of throwing it away is not wrong. But construction is something else, I thought. I tried to think of a way to keep what I was throwing away from the land as much as possible.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m really impressed. I can¡¯t even begin to grasp the concept.¡± Odilon grinned at me. ¡°Lord Alfred is really working me hard just like he said. I don¡¯t have time to lament my physical disability. I don¡¯t even have time to think about just being alive.¡± I chuckled at Odilon, who seemed amused despite his words. ¡°Your wisdom and experience are invaluable, after all. It would be a shame not to squeeze as much out of you as possible before you die.¡± Odilon started laughing happily. ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m not even drinking as much as I used to.¡± ¡°So, do you want to take a break once in a while? I can arrange the hot spring for you.¡± Odilon shrugged. ¡°Nah, if I¡¯m at a hot spring, I¡¯ll be too busy worrying about what to teach. I¡¯ll just stick to the public baths.¡± I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders as well. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. I¡¯ll do my best to accommodate you.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll think of something to look forward to.¡± CH 282 We received a report that Mil and the elves had arrived safely. In a great hurry, I went to meet them. I always feel uncomfortable without someone next to me. When I was on the battlefield, it was not so bad because I was the one who moved. But when I am the one who stays at home, I feel uncomfortable. I wonder if it was like this when I went out. A carriage stopped at the entrance to the town. When I went to pick them up, Mil was waiting for me. I was relieved to see that she seemed to be in good health. I smiled at her. ¡°Welcome home, Mil.¡± Mil rushed to me and hugged me. I hugged her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m home, Al.¡± The people around me started making fun of us. But I became used to it and didn¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll leave the rest for later ¡­¡­ Mil pulled herself away from me and pointed to the carriage. A young-looking but calm-looking elf young man stepped out of the carriage. Mil whispers to me. ¡°He¡¯s the village chief, Verneli Somervuori.¡± I bow to Verneri. ¡°Welcome to Ravenna. I am Milva¡¯s husband and the feudal lord, Alfred Della Scala. Thank you for accepting my request.¡± Verneli smiled, a little surprised that I had said I¡¯m her husband first. He smiled gently and bowed gracefully. I think ¡­¡­ he got the message of how much of a priority Mil is to me. ¡°I am Verneli Somervuori. I am here to help you with your idea of coexisting with nature, even if it¡¯s in a small way.¡± After that, I asked Mil to guide them to the residence we had prepared for the elves, and we returned to the mansion. The residence for the elves has been built in the area where we are planting trees on Mil¡¯s advice. The trees have just been planted and are small, but ¡­¡­ Since we originally intended to invite the elves, we are conscious of building a town that preserves nature. After a while, Mil returned. The elves must have been left to the Ministry of Immigration. Kiara smiled at Mil. ¡°Welcome back, sister.¡± Mil smiles at Kiara and then at the aides behind her. ¡°Kiara, I¡¯m home. I¡¯m home, everyone.¡± As for the immigrants, there would be nothing to worry about. ¡°Mil, you must be tired from your long journey. You can start work tomorrow.¡± Mil smiled and pulled up a chair right next to me and sat down. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just rest here.¡± Kiara glanced at Mil with a glare. ¡°Sister. Please go back to your room.¡± Mil deliberately leans on me. ¡°What are you talking about? This is the best place. Don¡¯t worry about me, Kiara, you go on with your work.¡± I haven¡¯t seen a scene like this in a long time. Let¡¯s get a move on before things get rough. ¡°Kiara, I¡¯m going back to my room with Mil. Please take care of the rest. I¡¯ll make it up to you later, I promise.¡± Kiara sighed. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Don¡¯t forget to make it up to me.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Feeling Kiara¡¯s gaze on me, Mil and I returned to our room. Mil flopped down on the bed. ¡°I haven¡¯t smelled Al in a long time. It feels like I¡¯m really back.¡± With a wry smile on my face, I sit down next to Mil. ¡°I guess you¡¯re tired after all.¡± ¡°Well ¡­¡­ I guess I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure your talk with the elves went well.¡± Mil raised herself up from the bed and chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I just got asked a lot of questions about Al. I tried to answer them as objectively as possible ¡­¡­ The village head told me, ¡°He¡¯s quite amazing to make Rayala¡¯s daughter that crazy about him¡±.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡± Mil gave me a serious look. ¡°I think you¡¯d better come to terms with your own worth. Anyway, what happened while I was gone?¡± There¡¯s no getting around that story. Lightly, I sighed. ¡°There was an accident during the construction of the canal. There were casualties. At the moment, they are investigating the cause.¡± Mil, who had been staring at me, smiled gently. ¡°I see ¡­¡­ I¡¯m glad Al isn¡¯t depressed. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m saying that you¡¯re okay with the accident. I¡¯m just worried ¡­¡­ if you¡¯re feeling responsible and depressed.¡± ¡°I know. Mil is in charge of my conscience, after all.¡± Mil chuckled at my words. ¡°You make it sound as if Al doesn¡¯t have a conscience. Al is far too lenient and conscientious.¡± Actually, I don¡¯t think so. ¡°I can afford to act conscientiously. If I have to make a last-minute decision, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes. I¡¯m not even nice. I¡¯m taking steps to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± Mil looked as if she don¡¯t believe it at all. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± I won¡¯t do that unless they cross a certain line. Before my reincarnation, I became as cold as a changed person to anyone I thought I couldn¡¯t get through to or was up to no good. I don¡¯t think that ability, grades, or origin are the criteria for failure. I have never even used them as criteria. They are the ones who pretend not to see the injustices of their own people, exaggerate the failures of their enemies, and impose their own arguments on others. They blame others, but become insanely aggressive when they are blamed. Those who lie about their own interests, but are clearly doing it for the benefit of others. I was beyond indifferent to such people and did not hide my disgust for them. Personally, I even think that thieves and crooks are much more decent than those people. I did not change my attitude, even though I was told it was unprofessional. I have been told that I am ¡®consistent in being inconsistent¡¯ in my dealings with people. But there is no end to what I can say back here. I cleared my throat. ¡°Anyway, even if there¡¯s an accident investigation, I¡¯ll be there in a month to inspect the site. I¡¯m sure the elves will be somewhat settled after that.¡± Mil gave a small nod to my words. ¡°That¡¯s okay. They were happy to see the residence, after all. And they will cooperate with us regarding the nature. When I explained it, everyone in the village agreed with me.¡± What I asked them to do was to create the standards necessary for coexistence with nature. If we only make partial judgments, we will ignore them at some point. Depending on the environment, the area that can be developed will change. Present a standard that everyone can check. Based on that, discussions will be held. Elves with longer life spans are asked to serve as advisors. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. If they can help me, I would like to make the most of what they are good at. Also, there is one more thing I want to make sure of.¡± ¡°What kind of things?¡± ¡°You can exchange words through nature, can¡¯t you? I was wondering if that would be a good way to communicate.¡± The quickest way is to ask Mil first, rather than ask the elves directly. She knows what I want to do, after all. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ I think that the words that flow through differently are colored according to the emotion at that moment. The depth of the words also depends on the strength of the person¡¯s connection to nature. So you can only approximate tell who is the one who is casting the words. You can¡¯t tell with twins. That¡¯s the only way I can tell. And if you pick it up, the word is gone. I can do it, but it¡¯s hard to communicate often enough to work.¡± It doesn¡¯t work that well, huh. Let¡¯s find another way. This is just in case of an emergency. ¡°All right. We¡¯ll find another way. And do the elves have a message for us?¡± Mil¡¯s face changed like she suddenly remembered something. ¡°That¡¯s right! I brought a few barrels of fine wine. A token of our closeness, they said. So serve them to everyone.¡± I naturally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad Silvana isn¡¯t here ¡­¡­ The teacher is over there too, as an advisor to the Governor, so there won¡¯t be any ruckus.¡± Mil started laughing nostalgically. ¡°It¡¯s been over two years now. It feels nostalgic and ¡­¡­ I feel like I don¡¯t want to remember it too¡­ it¡¯s complicated.¡± I totally agree. CH 283 After all, it seemed to have become a bit thorny. I didn¡¯t notice it myself, but¡­ Whenever Mil¡¯s annoyed with me, she obviously spends more time attached to me. I wonder if it is a sign that I don¡¯t notice it either. When I asked her about it, she laughed and didn¡¯t answer. That made my head a little cold. I can¡¯t seem to get my head around it. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything bad, though. Then I got a report that Isabeau had just arrived here. I asked them to call her up as soon as possible. This time, I needed to dispatch an Ears¡¯ member, so I asked Kiara to accompany me. Isabeau was waiting for me in the reception room, and we exchanged a brief greeting. ¡°Thank you for coming.¡± Isabeau turns her sales smile to me. ¡°No, if it¡¯s a call from an important business partner, I¡¯ll be happy to come over.¡± I¡¯m not going to waste your time with idle chatter. ¡°I have a few favors to ask of you.¡± ¡°Anything we can do to help.¡± ¡°First of all, you know that there is a demon tribe in the back regions of Ravenna, don¡¯t you?¡± Isabeau¡¯s eyes narrow slightly. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to spy on them by making a deal with a demon tribe¡­ or something like that. The demon tribe has a relationship with a merchant. I want you to get information about what they are trading with them.¡± Isabeau closed her eyes a little. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s difficult. If you were a merchant, you would not give out information about your customers so easily. Just as we would not divulge information about Ravenna to any other customer.¡± We know that. In a way¡­ that¡¯s the expected reaction. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s an unreasonable request. Let¡¯s drop the subject.¡± Isabeau seemed a little surprised that I pulled out of the conversation so easily. ¡°Perhaps you were testing me?¡± I shook my head. I don¡¯t want to undermine their credibility by doing that. Some people would be furious. In the play ¡°Bancho Sarayashiki¡±, Okiku was not cut down because she broke a plate. It was because she broke a plate to test his affection. The discomfort of being tested and the anger of having his precious dish broken were amplified, and Aoyama Harima became furious. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t test people carelessly,¡± he said. ¡°No, you have the loyalty of a merchant. I just wondered if it was possible if that merchant was a business rival or a hostile force that was doing something illegal and interfering with our business.¡± Isabeau pondered for a moment. I watched her, fretting inwardly, and eventually nodded her head in understanding. ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ we don¡¯t have that kind of relationship. I apologize for not meeting your expectations¡­¡± It doesn¡¯t seem to have offended her. I crossed a dangerous bridge because I¡¯m a feudal lord¡­ If I were a commoner, I would never do that. ¡°No, actually, there is one more thing. This is the main issue.¡± Isabeau looked alarmed. ¡°What is it that you want to talk about?¡± ¡°I need to keep an eye on world affairs. I wonder if you can hire a few of our family members to work for you. We would like to see the world through the eyes of a merchant.¡± Isabeau¡¯s expression disappeared. ¡°If you need information, I can gather it myself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can ask you to do everything for me every time. I also have no intention of starting a business. And, Ms. Isabeau, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea for you to have a direct line of communication with me.¡± Isabeau thought about it, but then looked at me and nodded. ¡°I understand. I really can¡¯t match Lord Alfred. So you will help us with our business?¡± ¡°Yes, they can read, write, etc., so please use them. Kiara, please consult with Ms. Isabeau about who to send.¡± Kiara smiles. ¡°I understand.¡± I leave the rest to Kiara and return to the Office. Mil smiles at me who returned. ¡°Did it go well?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve cleared the minimum.¡± ¡°Did you get any information about the demon tribe?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it directly. Even other merchants refused to give me information about their clients. But I was able to extract the key to think.¡± Mil tilted her head. ¡°Really? You couldn¡¯t ask her, could you?¡± ¡°But I can sort of understand. They¡¯re not hiding their trade with the demon tribe. They are not doing anything illegal. They are not hostile to the Floquet Chamber of Commerce, which began doing business in the same Ravenna region. And that trading company has not contacted us.¡± Mil nodded. ¡°Yes, I can see that much.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re doing that big of a deal. If they were, other business associations would have entered the market. If the demon tribe refuses to trade with anyone other than that trading company, other trading companies will take notice of us. If the trading company with which we are doing business is also an important partner of the demon tribe, they will at least try to restrain the Floquet Chamber of Commerce. Or they would try to contact us to get information.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what one would usually think. But aren¡¯t they secretly trading expensive items?¡± ¡°In that case, they will look into us. Since our territories are adjacent to each other, it is natural that they would at least investigate us. We are an important business partner, after all.¡± Mil looked astonished. ¡°That means, they don¡¯t have that much money or strong armaments. You think we are about the same in terms of personal strength as when we fought before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re associating with them because they owe them. That¡¯s how it is, I guess. Because of that level of information, I think Ms. Isabeau also prioritized the merchant¡¯s credibility. If the information was more serious, she would be a little more worried. She was surprised by my question, you know.¡± Mil couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°It must be hard for Ms. Isabeau too. If Al gets to you, even if you don¡¯t tell him, he¡¯ll pull your information out of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a technique that worked only because it caught her by surprise. I can¡¯t read it off if she was expecting it. Anyway, it means that we don¡¯t have to desperately try to find out information about the demon tribe. But that¡¯s not the same thing as being vigilant.¡± If they had some new weapon, I would have to search for it at will. I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have to do that anymore. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll go back the week after next as planned.¡± ¡°Yes, unless there is a major incident, we will go through with it.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m done interviewing Al for the accident investigation.¡± I guess she really was nervous about interviewing me. She can¡¯t help it, though. ¡°Strangely enough, after this accident, people started voluntarily making suggestions.¡± Mil started laughing. ¡°Oh, that. Now I know exactly how far I have to go to make Al uncomfortable. Until now, I had thought it would be a bad idea to make sacrifices, too.¡± I didn¡¯t mean it that way, but¡­ I guess I showed too much dislike for sacrifice. ¡°I see¡­ it doesn¡¯t work. It¡¯s not every day that a society welcomes voluntary proposals. I guess we inevitably go to a standstill.¡± ¡°And, as scary as Al is, you do succeed at new things. I was holding back, thinking that everyone else¡¯s proposal would have to be just as good.¡± I couldn¡¯t even say a word. It¡¯s really hard to be on top of people¡­ CH 284 The dungeon survey is uncertain when the results will be available, and we can¡¯t wait endlessly. The accident investigation will still take time as it is the first time to interview and scrutinize information. The minister officially announced the inspection to his secretary and aides. However, the establishment of the capital and instruction communication was also submitted as an assignment. It¡¯s like a rehearsal. I or the minister will make sure that operations can be carried out smoothly even if we are not in the capital. Let¡¯s get the problems identified first. It¡¯s trial and error, so you can¡¯t really feel what¡¯s going on until you actually do it. By accumulating this experience, simulation will be possible in the future. As for secretaries, the only thing they need to do before the visit is to coordinate the schedule with the destination. The work is the same as usual, as it is just arranging accommodations. In comparison, the secretary¡¯s job has become easier. But only for the time being. In the midst of all this, I am explaining to Mil and Kiara the plan for the inspection tour with a map in front of me. If it were a private visit, at worst, I could do as I pleased and make no plans. But not so for an official visit. It takes a lot of time and effort to prepare for the visit. And my inspection is not a ritual. It¡¯s about identifying problems and making improvements. Each minister is going to be made aware of the new territory. It will be impossible to have a proper discussion about the requests from the new territories if we do not have an understanding of the current situation. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to force the process. During the cold season, we will mainly gather information in the second city. We will not visit the various regions until the cold weather has passed.¡± Mil tilted her head a little. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we just do the inspection when it gets warmer?¡± ¡°Then you won¡¯t know how cold it is over there. When I went to the battlefield before, the temperature was different there. It¡¯s warmer here to begin with, after all.¡± Kiara laughed at such an exchange. ¡°I don¡¯t like the cold. I¡¯ll do my best to stay warm.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember Kiara was not good at being cold. You can wear pants, you know.¡± Kiara puffed out her cheeks. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. For a sister of the feudal lord to be wearing pants because of the cold¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but laugh. No, an inspection is not a ceremony. ¡°Please wear pants for outdoor inspections. It is difficult to move in some places, after all.¡± ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll have to get pants for everyone.¡± ¡°Yes, it must be tough being a tailor¡­¡± Mil started laughing at the thought of a drama. ¡°We¡¯d better make arrangements in a big hurry. We can manage if they aren¡¯t such fancy pants.¡± Kiara nodded to the aide behind her. ¡°Brother, I have to leave for some business.¡± And then she left with her aide. I turned my questioning gaze to Mil who remained. She gave me a small smile. ¡°Everyone was getting ready to dress up. I didn¡¯t want to, but I¡¯ve already prepared. There is no way that Al would just go and see the inspection that he so insists on.¡± I thought Kiara would understand¡­ I twisted my head around. ¡°I think Kiara had pants, though.¡± Mil started laughing. ¡°Kiara¡¯s 16, too. She¡¯s growing up, so her clothes won¡¯t fit her shortly. Dresses are fine since there¡¯s room for it, though.¡± Oh, shoot¡­ Huh? Mine isn¡¯t getting tighter. Have I stopped growing? I was inwardly flustered, but then I noticed that Mil was giving me the serious look. ¡°Al, I knew you didn¡¯t notice¡­ I asked one of my servants to prepare it for you.¡± What!? Seriously? ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it.¡± Mil gave a large sigh. ¡°Really, Al is really an aristocrat, but you¡¯re so careless about what you wear.¡± Even though I deserve it, it¡¯s too unfair. Although, I am thankful for it¡­ ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do for a plain man to try so hard to dress up. It¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t make them uncomfortable. Besides, it costs a lot of money for an aristocrat to be particular about his clothes. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s better to make clothes more accessible to the general public. It would also help spread the monetary economy.¡± Such luxuries can be enjoyed when society is stable and on a growth trajectory. Besides, clothes for aristocrats are not cost-effective no matter how you think about it. If you think so, you are a disqualified aristocrat. However, there is no diplomacy with other nobles in a remote area. So it is fine to put it off. ¡°I understand that, though. But how is it that you don¡¯t notice that your clothes are changing to match your size¡­? Al really sees very far away, but he can¡¯t see anything up close. Whether it¡¯s food or clothes, you¡¯re really unconcerned. The village head was surprised, you know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already a clich¨¦ to be surprised. I¡¯m used to it. Besides, it¡¯s probably better for everyone¡¯s frustration. But I want Mil and Kiara to dress up as much as possible without going too far.¡± I don¡¯t think frugality is everything, but it does put a damper on extravagance. The foundation of industry should be practical. Culture should follow in a balanced manner. ¡°Anyway, how is the scented soap business coming along?¡± So you¡¯re interested in that. ¡°They¡¯ve been trying various things, but seem to be having difficulty. They can¡¯t seem to find the right fragrance.¡± Then Mil leaned forward. ¡°That¡¯s where the elves can help. They know a lot about resins with the right fragrance.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, they may have a strong affinity for it. May I ask for their help at the Science and Technology Department later?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone I became friends with in the village. For an elf, she¡¯s very curious, so she¡¯s happy to help. Especially when it comes to beauty and health.¡± So the desire for beauty and health is the same for all races. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask her later.¡± You seem awfully enthusiastic. ¡°I wonder if soap without fragrance is not enough.¡± ¡°Not really, though. When I get a strange smell, I clean it off with soap and then apply perfume. It would be convenient if I only needed soap.¡± If this can be put to practical use, it will be even more difficult to keep them out. ¡°Then we need to get the elves to teach us how to grow olives more efficiently.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to Ms. Adelaida. I¡¯ve already selected the people who will help us.¡± Is that so¡­ If there is something good about coming here, even if it¡¯s only among the women, that¡¯s fine¡­ I¡¯ll leave all the soap development to the ladies¡­ CH 285 The tour started without incident. The aristocrat¡¯s carriage prepared for Maman¡¯s inspection was available, but I refused to use it. Not only would it be conspicuous and a target for attackers, but it would use extra horses. Horses are precious¡­ We didn¡¯t have the know-how to manage a group of horses, breed them, castrate them, etc. The people of Dorius had cavalry operations, so they know how to manage horses. So we have promoted them to the livestock department and have them establish how to manage horses. It was kept secret from the beastmen under their command and was a secret technique for humans only. With this in mind, we are being rocked by a large carriage. I instructed them to make one improvement based on the lessons learned from the previous expedition. However, I only prepared cushions for each person. My buttocks had been sore before¡­. That¡¯s fine, but I¡¯m surrounded by me, Mil, Kiara, and the aides. It¡¯s a bit stuffy with all women¡­ As I was thinking this, Mil poked me on the arm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Kiara and I know what Al is thinking, but some of the aides can¡¯t understand it yet, you know.¡± Figures. I didn¡¯t give direct instructions or explanations to the aides. ¡°I guess should we do a Question Time? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re bored while we¡¯re on the road.¡± I guess they were hoping for that. Mil looked at her aides, and they nodded. One of the demons raised her hand. Blonde hair, light green eyes, white skin, with a rather large build. I think it was Dietlinde Krei. ¡°Ms. Dietlinde. Go ahead.¡± Dietlinde opened her mouth, a little nervously. ¡°From the looks of it, Lord Alfred is expanding his power as if he has no enemies. But you seem to be very cautious. Is there a reason for this?¡± If you simply look at it, I suppose it would be. It¡¯s a bit like ancient Rome winning a series of battles against the barbarians. Winning, and deservedly so. To some people, it may seem like I am winning unilaterally. If we limit ourselves to the Ravenna region, we are right in one respect. Still, it is only on one side. To some extent, it is inevitable that others will assume that. I don¡¯t want our leaders to assume that. It would be too shameful if they mistakenly think they are the invincible Japanese army and plunge us into a World War II-like situation after my death. Winning it is not enough for my ultimate goal. ¡°You are right to ask that question. If all you want is to win, you deserve to win. That¡¯s why we have a well-developed society and armed forces against a tribal society. If we don¡¯t do anything stupid, we won¡¯t lose.¡± I haven¡¯t answered her question yet. I cleared my throat and continue to answer. ¡°But winning is not enough. That is only the minimum requirement. Let¡¯s say Dietlinde was hungry. To get rid of it, she has to eat something. Would you eat anything you see?¡± Dietlinde quickly shook her head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t eat anything rotten or poisoned. We eat to live, after all.¡± ¡°Exactly, although that¡¯s not an accurate analogy. It is not correct to win in a way that is toxic to society after you have won.¡± ¡°What kind of poison do you mean by that?¡± I kind of chuckled. I guess I used a bad metaphor¡­ I guess I¡¯m still inexperienced. ¡°What I mean is, after winning, the state of public safety will deteriorate or be viewed as hostile by outside forces. Security is the state of health of the human body. External forces are just what they are.¡± The secretaries looked at each other. Even societies are made by people. So it is similar to the human body. Dietlinde pondered. ¡°Are you so careful about the security after the victory?¡± ¡°Yes, security is important. If security is not good, military power must be directed internally to maintain it. This will cost a lot of money. To do so, taxes must be raised. Higher taxes will further deteriorate public security. It is a vicious cycle that leads to ruin.¡± They repeatedly live in poor health and then buy all kinds of expensive pharmaceuticals to maintain their health. And then the money runs out. Then they can¡¯t afford to follow the law. They will gamble, commit a crime, whatever it is. They will do whatever it takes to stay alive, after all. As a result, they will shorten their life span. I smile at the aides who are pondering. ¡°Taxes are like exercise. It¡¯s the power to do something. But if you try to move your body more than your body deserves, you will eventually damage your health. Exercise is necessary, but not too much. Not exercising at all is also detrimental to your health. To live, you have to eat, but you also have to move your body.¡± Dietlinde looked a little convinced. ¡°So you have to choose your means carefully while considering the public safety that will follow. Is it that difficult?¡± Just because you lose doesn¡¯t mean the loser will just take it. In the first place, it is nearly impossible to defeat a person¡¯s heart. The best you can do is to try to come to terms with it. There is no end to the examples of failed postwar handling that lead to the next war. ¡°I¡¯ll stretch the metaphor a bit¡­ If Ms. Dietlinde had a fight with a friend and lost the fight, it was all her fault. Would you consider changing all of your behavior?¡± Dietlinde shook her head. ¡°Sometimes I have no choice¡­ and sometimes I feel a little bit bad, but not that much¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the mentality of the losing side. So, the winning side also needs to be careful not to let frustration build up unnecessarily. The loser also becomes a part of the body, after all. In a human relationship, it is possible to sever ties, but not with society.¡± The story of the fight finally seemed to make sense to her. Dietlinde nodded like she understood. ¡°That makes a lot of sense. So that¡¯s why Lord Alfred is so good at solving people¡¯s problems. But usually, I think you have to be¡­ um, older to do that¡­¡± I don¡¯t have a choice¡­ if I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t achieve my goal. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t hide this ability. Kiara suddenly started laughing. ¡°Because brother is brother¡­ that¡¯s why you¡¯re brother, huh.¡± (T/N: What?) You don¡¯t make sense¡­ I thought so, but they all nodded in agreement. I don¡¯t get it. CH 286 Naturally, it seems that one question is not enough. Just as the next question was about to be asked, the carriage stopped. It was time to set up camp. So this is where we are going to camp tonight. We would need to find a place to stay at the halfway point of the road. We opened the map, checked our current location, and marked it. This area needs to be improved. But I still haven¡¯t gotten around to it yet. It¡¯ll have to wait until after I¡¯ve taken care of the top-priority tasks. The camp is a normal camp. But it is a medieval camp, not a pre-reincarnation camp. (T/N: I think that what he meant was that it is not modern.) It takes a lot of time to get ready, like going to fetch water. When I tried to help, they stopped me. Mil was looking at me with a stern look in her eyes. ¡°Al¡­ you¡¯re not good at this kind of work, so you¡¯d better just stay put. You helped us before and dragged us down, didn¡¯t you?¡± I am not good at this kind of work. I couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch and helped¡­ but I dragged their feet wonderfully. My men couldn¡¯t ask me to quit, and as a result, they consulted Mil and I would just sit back and watch. It¡¯s sad¡­ I have no survival skills¡­ So I had nothing to do but watch everyone work. Meals on the move were mostly preserved meat, which is very extravagant from other regions. Meat itself is a luxury. When I mentioned this, Mil and Kiara looked at me with a distant look. Well, no matter how extravagant it is, with that much meat¡­ Thanks to this, the evolution of meat dishes has been amazing. No question time at night. It was pointed out to me that it would make it difficult to sleep. So we spent the evening chatting. But the trouble was, I realized after all this time that there was nothing to talk about except political affairs. All I do is this. I tried to find something to talk about, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything good to talk about. No¡­ there was one. ¡°Do you get tired of eating on the move?¡± Kiara tilted her head at my question. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty much like this.¡± Mil nodded. ¡°She¡¯s right. If you insist on variations, the luggage will be heavy.¡± You¡¯re right, weight is important. ¡°I think more variation in seasonings would do the trick.¡± Mil tilted her head. ¡°Seasonings¡­ pepper and such are very expensive, right? I wonder if we could do something with local ingredients.¡± ¡°Yes, I would like something that is readily available to the public. It won¡¯t be ready right away, but¡­ I¡¯ll have them do some research.¡± Mil couldn¡¯t help but start laughing. ¡°I don¡¯t think Al needs to say anything about that. Why don¡¯t you just give them some free time to do their research?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see. That¡¯s a good idea. It seems I¡¯m getting too involved in everything.¡± I was so embarrassed that I scratched my head. Even Kiara started laughing at me. ¡°It¡¯s okay to relax your shoulders a little more, you know.¡± If left unchecked, I would end up getting involved. I guess I should restrain myself a little. ¡°Yes, I have a lot of things to think about anyway.¡± Mil makes an astonished face. ¡°You¡¯re really not listening¡­¡± ¡°Oh no¡­ there is always something to think about, such as the relationship with the demon tribe and what comes next.¡± Mill turned into a slightly thinking face. ¡°It would be best if there was no conflict, though. As long as I¡¯m with Al, I could understand that that wouldn¡¯t be enough even if I didn¡¯t want to. It¡¯s just a matter of when they¡¯re going to attack.¡± (T/N: What she meant to say is that no conflict wouldn¡¯t be enough.) Kiara sighed as well. ¡°If reason and profit and loss was the top-priority¡­ we could talk about it, though.¡± That¡¯s why we were able to drift to the frontier and secure our survival zone, though. ¡°If reason and profit and loss came first, we wouldn¡¯t have drifted all the way here. Principles that were valid at one point in time can have a negative impact at another point in time.¡± Kiara tilted her head, as if my answer was questionable. ¡°Was their claim of principles valid in the beginning?¡± ¡°Yes, when we are united in spirit, we can ignore sacrifices, etc., and still push forward to our goals. That¡¯s fine at first. Once you have a sphere of survival, it can slow you down when you try to stabilize. This battle is an example of that. In the first place, they do not have to fight with us. Sir Oliver understands that we do not intend to forcefully pacify the region.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still impossible, isn¡¯t it? It must be difficult Mr. Oliver too.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on over there, after all. Even if we accept their demands, we are bound to bump into them at some point, as long as we can see the escalation of their situation.¡± As we were talking about this, I sensed a presence behind me. I turned around and saw Ardelheid who is smiling. ¡°Lord Alfred, let¡¯s talk about muscles, not such a serious subject.¡± Move away from the muscles already¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t talk about muscles.¡± Ardelheid, who didn¡¯t care about my unfriendly face, sits behind me with a smile on her face. It¡¯s because I was guarded by Mil and Kiara on both sides. ¡°If Lord Alfred worked out, you would be perfect and irresistible!¡± It¡¯s one thing if it makes Mil happy, but what¡¯s the point of being popular with others? ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to be popular now¡­¡± Mil becomes pouty. ¡°Listen¡­ If Al were to get all muscular, it¡¯d feel nothing but out of place.¡± Kiara nodded. ¡°Brother is good only because he is plain.¡± Are you complimenting me or belittling me¡­ CH 287 Finally, after repeated question time, we arrived at the second city. The name of the city first came to me as Pompeii, but I changed it to Antium because it sounded ominous. The city walls were completed, but the interior was not yet complete. Charles¡¯ decision seems to have been to fortify the defenses first. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the governor, Oracio, the teacher, and Prytanis. I greeted those who greeted me. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Sir Oracio, teacher, Prytanis.¡± Oracio has a little white in his hair. He seems to be having a hard time. ¡°It has been a long time, my lord. You seem to have grown somewhat taller.¡± I am not aware of it, but it seems so¡­ The teacher looks at me and smiles. He looks a little worn out. ¡°Alfred is also having a growth spurt, after all.¡± Oh, so you¡¯re stopping calling me kiddo. ¡°Looks like I finally ranked up from a kiddo. Anyway, aren¡¯t you a little bit thin?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to call you a kiddo when you¡¯re already 18 years old, after all. Well, I¡¯ve been busy with various jobs.¡± ¡°Teacher is no longer young, so please do not overdo it. If you want, you can go back to the capital to recuperate, you know.¡± Teacher snickered at my suggestion. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. If I go back to the capital, Oracio will become a white wolf.¡± ¡°But if the workload is heavy, divide it reasonably well. If necessary, we will send someone to help you.¡± ¡°A child shouldn¡¯t worry too much. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± That¡¯s the usual line for a person neglecting his health. It¡¯s like an alcoholic saying he¡¯s fine and drinking. I turn to Ardelheid. ¡°Ms. Ardelheid, please take a look at Teacher.¡± Ardelheid smiled and nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± As soon as she finished replying, Teacher was taken by the medical staff. Ardelheid, no matter how much of a muscle fetishist she is, she probably won¡¯t make Teacher all muscled up. Let¡¯s leave this story at that. Looking at Prytanis again, he seems to have grown taller. ¡°Prytanis seems to have grown taller, too.¡± Prytanis scratches his head in embarrassment. ¡°Even if I grow taller, it¡¯s a problem if the inside doesn¡¯t catch up with the outside. I¡¯m studying every day, you know.¡± He¡¯s really diligent. If he¡¯s not here, is Charles on the road? ¡°Is Sir Rossi on an inspection?¡± Oracio nodded. ¡°With the construction of the fortifications near the city and the castle defended by the Poncio, he has hardly returned.¡± Fortresses are also places to manufacture weapons and stockpile provisions. Imitating Napoleon¡¯s point, he instructed that they be built near the cities, not near the borders. ¡°I see. Come to think of it, I heard that Sir Poncio was quite resourceful in the defensive battles.¡± Oracio smiled shyly. He must be pleased to hear that his child is praised. ¡°He¡¯s still inexperienced. But he will be pleased to know that my lord has praised him.¡± It¡¯s great to see new talent coming up. We need something to reward them for their achievements. In my previous life, it would be medals, but we don¡¯t have them here. Before my reincarnation, I disregarded medals because I grew up in a culture that made fun of them, but I think they need something that can show how much they have contributed to society. I¡¯m in a position where I shouldn¡¯t disregard authority, etc., and it makes me think about it deeply. Here¡¯s something to think about. ¡°I will think of something else to reward Sir Poncio. Tomorrow we will ask him about the challenges of the new territory and what is needed.¡± Oracio nodded happily. ¡°Then I will show you to your quarters. We don¡¯t have luxurious accommodations, though.¡± ¡°That can be done after we build the necessary infrastructure.¡± We were led straight to a large mansion. ¡°Is this the official residence of the governor?¡± Oracio shook his head. ¡°I had heard for some time that the ministers would be coming, so I built a house exclusively for them to accommodate all the important figures.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to build it in one place, though.¡± My carefree dialogue made Prytanis, who was accompanying me, laugh. ¡°It is more troublesome to build a lot of buildings. It¡¯s also hard to think about the layout of the buildings.¡± Ah¡­ I see. At the mansion, Mil and I were put in the same room. It seemed more luxurious than the capital. Mil also noticed and laughed. ¡°Al, do you want to build a new mansion in the capital soon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any trouble with the current size. If we need it, we can make it bigger.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll need to rearrange the plants as well. Oh¡­ we need to put them here too.¡± I laughed a little, remembering the name tag. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Mil puffed up and lightly tapped my arm. ¡°Geez! Forget about that one!¡± ¡°No, you can be proud of that one. I¡¯m glad to say that I noticed that. If you think about it, elves come in handy in forested areas. They can detect enemy attacks, after all.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right. No one ever used them for that purpose, though.¡± ¡°Thanks to the apostles, we no longer have large-scale wars. Right now, I guess the people have become more civilized at the common level.¡± Mil looks surprised. ¡°That¡¯s unusual. For Al to speak of the apostles in a positive light.¡± I look out the window. I¡¯m not looking at anything in particular¡­ ¡°I¡¯m just saying that there are parts of it that are useful. Up to a certain point, I think it was doing the world a favor. Otherwise, it would have easily turned into a world where people would kill each other. Now it just doesn¡¯t fit the times, and I guess the downside just got bigger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to think about it too.¡± ¡°Disciplining children helps when they are children. But it is useless to discipline them in the same way when they grow up. It¡¯s the same thing.¡± Mil came next to me and we looked out together. ¡°By that logic, Al¡¯s way of doing things¡­ will also become useless at some point.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so. If it¡¯s something you can see, it¡¯s easy to understand the difference and change it. But if you can¡¯t see it, it¡¯s hard to change it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, It¡¯s very difficult to grasp¡­ and change what you can¡¯t see. I think there are a lot of things they can¡¯t agree about because they can¡¯t see them.¡± ¡°Many people only see the reality they want to see, after all.¡± Mil chuckled, leaning lightly against me. ¡°Is that real?¡± I smiled at her, too. ¡°Reality is something that is perceived differently by different people. I think that the apostle¡¯s society is harmful to me. It is the reality of the Church that the apostles are righteous and the world-bearers who protect people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true for what you can¡¯t see. But isn¡¯t there more than one visible thing?¡± ¡°That is, if there is no inconvenience. Suppose there is a reality of an apple. The reason it is a common reality is because there is no inconvenience in affirming it.¡± Mil looks a little thoughtful. ¡°What¡¯s the inconvenience in having a few apples?¡± ¡°Well¡­ suppose there was a rule that if you had one apple, you had to share it with your siblings. What would you do if you absolutely wanted to keep it all to yourself?¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to shut up and eat it.¡± ¡°As long as no one sees you. What if they see you holding it?¡± Mil pondered for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°I give up. I guess it¡¯s not the right thing to do, is it?¡± ¡°Then they can deny the reality that it¡¯s an apple¡­ saying that it¡¯s not ripe and that they can¡¯t share it because it would upset their stomachs if they ate it.¡± Mil started laughing at my answer. ¡°That¡¯s not real or anything, it¡¯s just a big lie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s an apple that I can see¡­ that¡¯s how they know it¡¯s all a big lie. But for those who want to keep it to themselves, it becomes an important reality. What if this is something you can¡¯t see?¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ that would be hard for others to tell. But he can tell that it¡¯s a lie, can¡¯t he? It doesn¡¯t seem very real.¡± I chuckled sarcastically. ¡°If you jump to what you want to think, you may not even realize it¡¯s a lie. Then it¡¯s real for them. The most obvious of all the invisible things is love.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, indeed. Because we tend to think our hopes are real.¡± As expected of a woman. When I use an analogy over here, she immediately understands. When I was thinking that, Mil was looking at me with a serious look. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We are looking at one reality, after all.¡± At these words, Mil nodded happily. CH 288 The next day, we began hearing about problems in the new territory. Oracio was nervous that I was going to make him feel bad about everything, but he seemed to have gotten the short end of the stick because I only asked for what he wanted. It is a taboo to come to inspect a site and violently overturn what was being done there. I was only there to help. If the situation was out of hand and the site was at a standstill, that would be a different story¡­ I told him to spend the next few days observing and listening to the situation. The resources available from the capital are limited. After getting a general grasp of the situation, he would make adjustments at the site. When I was younger, before my reincarnation, I used to think that inspections were nothing more than a distraction. In fact, they were like ceremonies, which only reduced work time. From an internal political point of view, it makes sense. Another effect, which I realized as I got older, was not foolproof. Rather than perfect instructions from upper management who we have not met face to face, instructions given after a direct inspection, despite some shortcomings, are more quickly implemented and morale is higher. There is a reason for this, of course. It was said that Japan was excellent at the bottom of the organization, and it was said that the more senior one became, the dumber he or she became. The basic constitution is the same as that of the old Japanese military. The talents required of practitioners and managers were different, but the society was unaware of this. By the time I died, it seemed to be gradually fading away, but the roots of tradition are still deep. When you are of the same ethnicity, you are dragged down by tradition at times like this. A good soldier is not necessarily a good commander. A good athlete does not necessarily make a good coach or manager. What happens when years pass without awareness of the difference? Uneducated employees rise through the ranks and it becomes a culture. What survives in a world where there is no education in management or administration¡­ or theory? Only mentality survives. So what the executives say is either not concrete or they try to repeat their own successes. From the bottom, the tendency is to say, ¡°If you want to talk, wait until you see what¡¯s happening on the field¡±. It¡¯s a pattern of people saying, ¡®The top doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in the field¡±. In reaction to this, there are cases where people espouse management and business academics. At first glance, this may sound right, but Japan is a reversible society. Values that are only a facade without changing the substance are flipped 180 degrees. From the longing for Oriental learning to the longing for Western civilization. From long live the Japanese empire to long live democracy. At the time of their death, they were in the process of switching from hail to the West to hail to Japan. It was also a reaction to the fact that he had been unnecessarily saying that Japan was no good since the end of World War II. The essence remains the same, but the ostensible assertion is changed 180 degrees. This is a special skill only a flexible society can have¡­ Simply because it is flipped, ignoring the actual situation and giving priority to theory, which does not work. They are trying to force the field to fit their logic. They ignore how work is done, how instructions are communicated, and how the organization runs. This is why consultants and others who enter the field confuse the field. It is necessary to create a culture that balances the theory with the actual situation on the ground. So, at the moment, all we can do is just visit the site and listen to what is said. After these are completed, dinner is served, and the topic of conversation naturally turns to the battle against the demon tribe. Oracio took a breath after biting into the meat on the bone and turned his gaze to me. ¡°My lord¡­ a battle with the demons is inevitable, is it not?¡± I went through Mil and Kiara¡¯s serious look and bit into the meat on the bone. Since he was the governor, he had to behave politely and must have been under a lot of stress. That¡¯s why I made it clear that the old style would be fine while I was there. I will never forget the look in Oracio¡¯s happy, dull eyes at that moment. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sir Oliver¡¯s choice is right.¡± ¡°Why do you trust this Sir Oliver guy so much? My lord must be very strict in his judgment regarding enemies and neutral parties.¡± Of course, there are reasons. I looked at Mil and Kiara and they both nodded, as if they actually wanted to know. They kept their serious look¡­ I was left to explain, holding the meat on the bone in one hand. ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s sincere. And I felt he was a proud man. A man of integrity and pride don¡¯t tell little lies.¡± Big lies are told if necessary. If it¡¯s in the best interest of the bigger picture. If you can¡¯t see that, you are not qualified to engage in diplomacy. Besides, big lies are available to us. And we don¡¯t tell petty, makeshift lies. That¡¯s how I felt after talking to Oliver. Mil tilted her head, her eyes still serious. You¡¯re really dexterous¡­ ¡°With that word, you can tell a big lie, right? What kind of lie is that?¡± ¡°For example. ¡°In this battle, the entire demon tribe was not hostile. It was an outburst of some extremists. The demon tribe has no intention of confronting Ravenna¡±, it¡¯s a lie like that. It can be a great way to land negotiations.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ you also call a pretext a big lie. And I can tell he¡¯s proud from the way he talk, but can you tell if he¡¯s sincere?¡± ¡°He is a representative of the demon tribe and has clearly expressed his attitude of protecting the interests of the demon tribe. He is very sincere in his diplomacy.¡± If a diplomat says it is for world peace or something like that, it is frowned upon. It makes it unclear where the conversation will land. It may be valid in some cases, but not when an armistice agreement for the exchange of prisoners of war is concluded. Oracio nodded at my response. ¡°Indeed it is. I can¡¯t trust anyone who puts the other side¡¯s interests ahead of his own at a negotiation.¡± When you line your own pockets at the expense of your community, it is easy to focus on the interests of the other side. ¡°So we landed our mutual interests where they were best served through negotiation. We were in an iffy position, and we didn¡¯t put our immediate interests first. When they break the truce agreement, they will break it based on the interests of the demon tribe. If someone who is in an iffy position takes the initiative, they will break it for an iffy reason. If someone who is not aware of his/her position takes the initiative, he/she will break it for an unaware reason. You can¡¯t have a truce with someone who doesn¡¯t have a clear reason for breaking it.¡± Kiara¡¯s serious look tired her out and she went back to her original face¡­ but later, a sermon was written on her face. Give me a break¡­ ¡°When they break the truce, is that when they decide that it is in the best interest of the demon tribe?¡± ¡°That¡¯s about it. If we are not well defended, they will think it is in the best interest of the demon tribe to attack us. If we are well defended, it is in their best interest not to attack. Or, while they¡¯re able to control the demon tribe, they¡¯ll put up a fight and finish it themselves. That way, they won¡¯t be able to outburst lightly.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t avoid it¡­ then you must find a way to end it in a way that is less traumatic.¡± ¡°There is one more factor to consider when breaking an armistice. We have time on our side.¡± ¡°Certainly, the more time that passes, the more powerful we become.¡± Actually, there¡¯s one more thing. I looked around at everyone, and then I cleared my throat. ¡°There is also the question of who can lead the demons to fight against us. At the moment, there is no one but Sir Oliver. Perhaps a genius military strategist will suddenly appear. But¡­I don¡¯t think we can expect on that. Sir Oliver is old, so there is a possibility that he will want to make sense of things while he is still alive.¡± Horacio sighed widely. ¡°The maintenance of a new territory and a war, huh? I¡¯m tempted to think it¡¯s some kind of punishment game¡­¡± ¡°After this battle is over, you can concentrate on domestic affairs. Maybe.¡± All eyes are on me. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know everything about this region, so I just said maybe.¡± My carefree words made Mil hold her head. ¡°When Al says maybe, terrible things usually happen¡­¡± So it¡¯s my fault! CH 289 I am bringing the entire Elite Guards with me for the inspection. The Order has already taken over the investigation and escort of Rebecca. The second city is built along a large river. The river is about 800 meters wide and flows slowly. I have already instructed them to build the city in anticipation of the rising water caused by the long rains that occur once every 50 years. Since we have a big river, I instructed the Elite Guards to conduct shiphandling training. Eventually, I notified them that I would be along for the ride, and all at once, the Elite Guards men began to get nervous. There are enough of them due to the fact that we are using the ship to transport them to the castle that Poncio is defending. I look forward to seeing the results in the future. The overall picture that emerged from the inspection was a clear difference in education level from that of the capital. Every personnel in the capital can at the very least read. So, manual work assignments are possible. Antium is overwhelmed by beastsmen who cannot read. As a result, the work is communicated orally, which takes a considerable amount of time. As a natural consequence, the work is concentrated on those who can do it. Naturally, personnel are dispatched, but this is only a symptomatic treatment. It is meaningless unless the fundamental problem is also solved in parallel. During my visit, I decided to consult with Kriemhild about countermeasures. ¡°Ms. Kriemhild, what do you think about education at Antium?¡± Kriemhild seemed surprised that I suddenly broached the subject. ¡°Ah, yes. In the capital, families are concentrated, so teaching is easy, but¡­ Antium is not in one place. It¡¯s impossible to send them all. And there is a limit to the number of teachers. The absence of Ms. Silvana, who is light on her feet, is also a pain. We had been relying on her to move around and make adjustments when we entrusted her with a task.¡± This is surprising, so she only becomes a plague is against me! If I speak out, I might get in trouble, so I¡¯ll keep quiet. ¡°Perhaps we need to gather the children in Antium and give them an education. I¡¯ll talk to the governor and I will ask him to formulate countermeasures at a later date.¡± Kriemhild began to get her head around it. ¡°It¡¯s a hurdle for a rookie minister¡­¡± If I interfere, I¡¯ll stunt Kriemhild¡¯s growth. So, I¡¯ll just keep an eye on her. ¡°It is a matter of consulting with various people and thinking things through. I will take responsibility, so please do your best to think about it.¡± I returned Kriemhilt¡¯s bitter look with a fresh smile. Mil gave me a serious look and Kiara a wry smile, but I pretended not to see it. During this peaceful inspection, I received a report from the capital. It was a report about the accident investigation. I skimmed through it, but I needed time to make a final decision. After the day¡¯s inspection was over, I went to my room to look over the report. My honest impression was that they did a great job, despite the lack of precedent. Accident investigations tend to be boarded up in a sense. The subject of the investigation is wary of you. The bereaved families resent us for being lax. It needs to be made clear once again that we are not an organization that deals out retribution or punishment. It is an organization that corrects problems and makes the best use of them the next time. The direct cause of the accident was well documented. The scaffolding was inadequately assembled. Inadequate inspection arrangements and lack of checking due to familiarity. In addition, during several days of bad weather, the construction work was carried out with caution, and they were in a hurry to make up for the delay. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. As I thought, multiple factors combined to cause an accident. I noticed that Mil was standing right next to me, peering at the report. I handed her the report. Mil was reading the report earnestly. I wait patiently for her to finish reading. When Mil finished reading the report, she let out a light breath. ¡°I think it¡¯s very well written. It¡¯s also well organized. I hope there will be no more accidents.¡± Even though Mil tried to praise the completeness of the report, she didn¡¯t seem to know what kind of face to put on since it was an accident report. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I don¡¯t want the same accident to happen again. Let¡¯s have them take measures based on this report. Upon approval, we¡¯ll resume construction and announce the contents of this report and the countermeasures in the official gazette.¡± There is no principle of disclosure in this world. So Mil looks surprised. "" ¡°Why are you announcing it? I understand reporting to the injured and their families.¡± ¡°The accident has already been rumored. It is also a well-known fact that we are suspending construction until the accident is investigated and remedial measures can be taken. Even if we reopen the project without telling the public, people will spread rumors and make fun of it. If we announce the fact after the accident, people will say it is a lie to hide an inconvenient fact. Such false rumors are more likely to attract people¡¯s interest.¡± I make a gesture of giving up. Mil looks at me with a slightly troubled expression. ¡°That¡¯s because Al basically doesn¡¯t restrict what people can say or do. Was it disrespect in other territories? We dismissed that one, too. So everyone is free to say what they want and do what they want.¡± ¡°Even if you say freedom, it will be a problem if the hoax becomes established. Even if we present the facts, they won¡¯t trust us. The effort to overturn it would be tremendous.¡± Mil shook her head, lightly, as she imagined the scene. ¡°Then, no ordinary lord would release any information about the accident. Also, the lords punish people who spread stories that are inconvenient for them. It would be much easier to keep quiet and let them do what they say. In the past, I wouldn¡¯t have understood why that would even be a crime. I started to understand now that I¡¯m with Al, though.¡± There is a good reason why we don¡¯t publish it, as Mil says. Some people follow convention without thinking about it, but at the beginning, it is well thought out. ¡°I told everyone to think for themselves. And to do that, you have to give them the right information. Yelling about idealism and for that to go well rarely happens. If you expect something from the other party, you have to fulfill your own obligations.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, when relationships break down, it is usually when this balance is not achieved.¡± ¡°Great answer. That¡¯s why I have an obligation to provide an environment that matches the expectations I have for everyone.¡± CH 290 I instructed Ludvig, the Minister of Development, to approve the accident investigation report and present the countermeasures. It seemed that they had already prepared it and submitted it immediately. After a close reading and a few questions, I approve the report and allow construction to resume. The publication of the report, including the proposed countermeasures, was left to Kiara. This issue is already good. With the visit to Antium, I have a good grasp of the current problems. I will discuss future support measures with the Governor. This issue was quickly concluded. It was really smooth and helpful. As for the inspection and countermeasures, I think we have cleared the minimum issues. In addition, I asked everyone at the strategy meeting with the Governor if there are any other issues or thoughts on Ravenna as a whole. I submitted this agenda item with vague content in the hope that it would give everyone something to think about. My sudden proposal made everyone¡¯s eyes glaze over. It was obvious that everyone was troubled by the sudden vague question. Why are we all gathering for a meeting? I don¡¯t want them to think only about their own responsibilities. I dare to be silent and wait for someone to speak up. Perhaps unable to bear the silence any longer, Governor Oracio raised his hand. As usual, I silently encourage him to speak. ¡°I ask a simple question: will you accept the immigrants as citizens for all time?¡± Since he also serves as Minister of Immigration, it¡¯s a natural question. ¡°What I¡¯m thinking about at the moment is until the Ravenna region stabilizes ¡­¡­ Right now, we are in the process of building a society, and there will be no great advantage, to citizenship. Once it stabilizes, citizenship here will be a great benefit. At that point, if we accept everything and make them citizens, it won¡¯t be as interesting to the original folks as if they were getting a free ride.¡± Oracio seemed a little relieved by my response. Maybe the staff had some questions. This free ride is tricky and a source of social conflict. ¡°I see. In that case, how do you deal with the immigration request?¡± ¡°The immigration itself is acceptable. We treat them as quasi-citizens and after they reside for a certain period of time, we will decide whether to admit them as citizens ¡­¡­ However, specially skilled workers may be admitted as citizens immediately.¡± ¡°What is a specially skilled worker?¡± ¡°The ones I¡¯m thinking of at the moment are doctors and teachers. These are the people we need wherever we go.¡± It wasn¡¯t my idea, I just took Julius Caesar¡¯s idea. Ardelheid and Kriemhild looked at each other and were relieved. If it saves us the trouble of training, there¡¯s nothing better than that. (T/N: Julius Caesar, inventor of Caesar Cipher.) I don¡¯t plan on stopping there. It¡¯s a good opportunity, so let me just give them the blueprint for the next plan. ¡°I¡¯ll take what you just said about citizenship as the original plan. In addition, quasi-citizens who serve in the military will be granted citizenship upon completion of their military service. Otherwise, those who are nominated by the representatives may be granted citizenship, depending on the outcome of the discussion in the meeting.¡± If society is forced to be equal, it will instead be distorted. It is not logical from the standpoint of human psychology. Ensuring fluidity contributes to social stability. When the conversation starts moving, people are more likely to speak up. This is no different in any world. Joseph Paoli, Minister of Fisheries, raised his hand. ¡°What about the treatment of slaves? We do not have them in Ravenna, but they exist elsewhere. It is possible that quasi-citizens could bring them here.¡± Indeed. I guess the reason I¡¯m not reflexively repulsed by slavery is because I have a strong pre-transference history geek traits. That said, I can¡¯t accept Russian serfs or African slaves at all. ¡°As for slaves who immigrated to Ravenna, let¡¯s define them as follows. Those who have served a certain amount of labor shall be released and put on a par with quasi-citizens. It is forbidden to take a slave who has settled in the Ravenna region out of the territory without permission. I haven¡¯t clearly decided on how the mechanism of releasing works, but ¡­¡­¡± Then I broke off the words and looked around at all of them, and they all looked at me as if to say, ¡°Get on with it and tell us the original proposal¡±. There is no precedent in the world for this. We are going to cross a dangerous bridge to some extent. It would be unreasonable to think about it voluntarily. ¡°First of all, the master has the duty to take care of the health of his slaves. If he fails to do so, the master will be punished. As for the procedure for releasing slaves, let us first create a specialized institution. When the master earns earnings, he deposits the amount calculated from the slave¡¯s labor as a tax to the specialized institution. When the amount reaches the initially determined amount, that institution will pay the master the reserve and the person will be freed from slavery.¡± They all ponder. Well, it is a complete copy of the Slavery Emancipation System. One thing I¡¯ve arranged is health care for the slaves. It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve woken up to human rights. Slaves were the cause of the downfall of Roman peasants. The rich used the slaves as disposable animals to manage their large plantations. The peasants then fell because they could not compete on price. The fallen peasants flowed into the cities and became indigent citizens. "" As a result, the cost of welfare policies would be enormous. In a chain reaction, public security would also deteriorate. I¡¯d like to avoid that. If we just give subsidies to peasants, we will be stuck. If they can get paid for doing something agricultural, they will surely become corrupt and become a profit-making interest. Then other citizens will complain. And since it is a legitimate complaint, it is difficult to handle. You get paid for your labor. If you deviate from this principle, you are corrupt. This has nothing to do with agriculture, but it is clear from the labor unions of the Japanese National Railways. That is partly because communism and the workers¡¯ sense of rights merged with the devil, and an outsider was born. It had become a completely political organization, although there was of course the straying of GHQ and the ineptitude of the LDP government. "" You don¡¯t have to earn money to be unemployed. When that happens, they are passionate about realizing their ideology. Funds for activities can be obtained without having to work. It is a paradise for activists. And as a railroad transportation organization, it is devastated. They brag about not working. They hold the lives of the people hostage to ideology. That would have created an atmosphere where no sane person could claim workers¡¯ rights. It has become a banner for managers who want to ignore workers¡¯ rights. The workers¡¯ movement itself would be swept down the river from the Japanese character in a kind of unholy way. The Japanese have a propensity to cover up or wash away unclean things. In other words, they choose not to look at it, and they do not like to talk about it. As a result, workers¡¯ rights are disregarded. During the period of high economic growth when the company was like a family, it just barely managed not to collapse. However, if lifetime employment is destroyed, there will be no check against the abuse of disregard. Personally, I thought it was one of the factors that created black companies. This is not Japan. But the apostles were originally Japanese, and their ideas are deeply ingrained in this world. To some extent, we should be aware of their standards. Any philosophy is discredited by those who abuse it. Sensible people will be at a disadvantage. It is the first step toward social unrest. Therefore, we should make sure that people can make a living as a result of proper labor. We will lose the price competition with the rest of the world, but it is important to establish an internal self-sufficiency system. And soldiers are stronger as farmers than as city folk. That¡¯s what they said in England. I guess the people who belong to the land are still more desperate. In my previous life, the trade protection policy was said to be bad, but there are also aspects such as tax revenue and security measures. It cannot be said to be evil in general. As I was pondering this while waiting for everyone¡¯s reaction, Kiara raised her hand. ¡°Brother, the custom for releasing slaves is to pay an emancipation tax to the feudal lord. If we do it this way, won¡¯t Ravenna stand out as being unique?¡± Indeed. A fixed society naturally desires to fix status. It can tolerate others¡¯ status going down, but it hates it going up. It¡¯s sophistry, but I¡¯m thinking of a loophole. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed a good point. We¡¯ll use the system commonly practiced there.¡± When I praised her, Kiara looked happy, but immediately turned her head. ¡°Use?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the transfer of slave owners.¡± ¡°To whom will you be moving them?¡± I chuckled, thinking how vicious I was. ¡°The statue of the girl is the symbol of Ravenna. It is the goddess of Ravenna. The ownership of the slaves will be transferred to the goddess of Ravenna. There is no rule that says you can¡¯t transfer it to someone other than a person ¡­¡­ Externally, they remain slaves.¡± This is another Roman means of emancipation. I just took the means of emancipation through the god Apollo. God can¡¯t use slaves as servants, so they are effectively free. It¡¯s a terrible cheat. I couldn¡¯t hold back and started laughing. Everyone looked at me with an astonished look. Mil sighed, perhaps representing everyone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s a really terrible sophistry ¡­¡­ I¡¯m glad Al is on our side.¡± We¡¯ll use whatever we can get our hands on. CH 291 The construction on the canal resumed. But it was winter, and I checked with Development Minister Ludvig about alerting the workers to prevent the spread of disease and adjusting the work process for this purpose. As I expected, he was very careful and thorough. The problem is when they get used to it. While watching over that area, if I see any looseness, I can just point it out. The communication with the capital is also progressing, with various modifications. Just before the strategy meeting on a rather calm day, an Ears¡¯ member brought news to Kiara. Kiara¡¯s complexion stiffens. She wanted to report to me, but since it was right before the meeting, I asked her to report on the meeting. At the moment, there is nothing to be discussed in private except the apostles and the succession to the throne. Kiara reluctantly agreed. Then, it must be a piece of bad information for me. Either way, it would be good for the ministry members to know. After the meeting was over, I instructed Kiara to make a report. Kiara reluctantly took out the report. It¡¯s unusual for her to be that reluctant. The members of the ministry seemed to think it was strange. As if she had given up, Kiara took a deep breath and opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a report from the Ears. It¡¯s about the accident and the measures taken to prevent it.¡± It looked like it was going to be very hard on her, but I wasn¡¯t going to read for her. You will fulfill your role in reporting. Otherwise, Kiara will feel self-loathing later on. It seems that she felt my gaze and understood my intention. Kiara gave a small nod. Her hand holding the paper was shaking a little. ¡°There is a small group of people who are blaming brother for the matter that was made public. The contents are as follows¡­ ¡°The incompetent minister who caused the accident is being allowed to continue in office without taking responsibility. In the end, they don¡¯t care how many people die. It is clear that they think the people are just a number and can be replaced as many times as they want. Even if they build a memorial, it is taxpayers¡¯ money. They are just using our money as a performance. They try to appear humble, but their words and actions are so contradictory that they are nothing but hypocrites.¡± They are making a lot of commotion along with some of their sympathizers.¡± When Kiara finished, she nodded, feeling very tired. I¡¯ve given her a hard role, huh? But when you¡¯re entrusted with information, you can¡¯t just tell people what they feel comfortable hearing. I¡¯m more concerned about the fact that Ludvig was accused. When I looked at Ludvig, he looked pale. ¡°Mr. Ludvig. I have not changed my mind that you are the best person for the job. So you can just do your job with your head held high. If the accusation is out of line, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Ludvig laughed weakly at my words. I need to protect him from losing his will here. Besides, I can¡¯t sit by and watch the accusations against my men. I have no intention of arresting them or otherwise suppressing them with public power, but I will counter speech with speech. ¡°Kiara, issue a proclamation in my name. I have enumerated Mr. Ludvig¡¯s accomplishments up to now, and I am sure that he is qualified for the position of minister and cannot be replaced by anyone else. Please also add that in the future, I will question the basis for any baseless accusations that are made.¡± Ludvig seemed surprised after hearing what I said. Kiara seemed a little better. She nodded vigorously. I looked around at everyone. ¡°In the course of our work, these kinds of things will come up. If the accusation is correct, we can just improve on it. If the accusation is out of line and is an accusation for the sake of accusation, don¡¯t let it bother you. If necessary, I will issue another edict. If it is too persistent, I will question them directly in public.¡± Huh? Everyone¡¯s reaction is strange. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± They have that kind of look on their face. As I was puzzled, Mil, who was standing next to me, poked me. ¡°Al, that¡¯s fine, though. But can we leave the slander against Al alone? That¡¯s what everyone is upset about.¡± Oh, that huh. I couldn¡¯t help but scratch my head. ¡°Well, I thought it was just a stress release or an outburst of need for approval, so I didn¡¯t get angry.¡± Kriemhild, the Minister of Education, sneered. ¡°Lord Alfred is right that he was just ranting, but you¡¯re not angry?¡± ¡°Kiara, this noisy fellow is the same one who was making a fuss before, right?¡± Kiara nodded silently. ¡°The man apparently likes the word hypocrite. He must be building his story on the assumption that it is what he says it is. To declare someone a hypocrite in a story where the logic is not clear is, in a word, ¡°I don¡¯t like you¡± That¡¯s all it is. He doesn¡¯t want to admit it, so he forces himself to scramble up words to dress it up. It¡¯s as ridiculous as wearing underwear over your clothes. So I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth thinking about.¡± Governor Oracio¡¯s face turns sullen at my commentary, as if I were someone else. ¡°Then why leave it out even more so? When a feudal lord¡¯s authority falls, there¡¯s a chance that even the meekest of his people will push their luck.¡± You¡¯re right, that¡¯s a good point. ¡°I know that, though. Are more and more people getting sympathetic to that story?¡± Kiara shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just some of them, but it¡¯s not increasing more than that. But there are those who are annoyed by their fuss. And¡­I¡¯ve had them find it out, and they all have one thing in common.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Brother once cut off an immigrant who took a child hostage, right?¡± ¡°Yes, there was. I think it was the sermon after that¡­¡± Kiara¡¯s gaze grew stern. ¡°I will preach to you again. Anyway, those who are making a fuss are the relatives and friends of the sinner. They are completely resentful to brother.¡± Oh¡­ that was careless. ¡°I see¡­ So they didn¡¯t like it. When they first came to Ravenna, they have shown their determination to revolt, after all. And now this happened after the punishment was added.¡± Minister of Police Touko leaned forward. ¡°If they hate my lord that much, why didn¡¯t they just leave? Don¡¯t they realize that the only reason they can slander so freely is because my lord allows it?¡± There is no way they would notice. If they did, they would be smarter than this. That¡¯s the extent of it, and that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t have any trouble leaving it alone. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Well, I suppose they don¡¯t want to leave their life here. At least they won¡¯t starve to death. It¡¯s a much better life than it was before they came here, after all. Life in Ravenna is not bad. But they don¡¯t like the feudal lord.¡± Touko shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re too selfish. I¡¯d properly take good care of them if it were me.¡± If you did, they¡¯d be half dead. However, I can¡¯t just leave it here¡­ But whatever I do, I will need a legal basis. ¡°What would do you think as the Minister of Justice?¡± Abraham, Minister of Justice, folds his arms and ponders. ¡°It¡¯s not a clear violation of the law. But if the public is being inconvenienced, the police should probably warn them. Normally, we should not act unless we receive a complaint from the public. It is not a good idea to encourage them to do so from our side.¡± Excellent. You¡¯re exactly what I expected from you. Then¡­ Onyxim, the Minister of Architecture, Science, and Technology, who is not a frequent participant in these kinds of conversations, leaned forward. ¡°Then you should issue a proclamation telling people not to make a public outcry and cause trouble with their slander. Or, better yet, let¡¯s have a permit system for public speeches.¡± They all looked at each other. They were probably surprised by the precise proposal from someone they had not expected. Mil was also surprised, her mouth forming the letter ¡°O¡± for the first time in a long time. ¡°Stubborn Vodka, you¡¯re quite good¡­¡± So you¡¯ve made it an official nickname. Onyxim hummed and sniffed. ¡°Plant Friends think too hard. Those who make a fuss without regard for the trouble they cause need to be disciplined. The law is supposed to make life easier for everyone.¡± So that¡¯s Mil¡¯s nickname. I almost laughed a little, but then Mil glanced at me, and I got a serious look on my face. It¡¯s a brilliant argument, despite the name. It accurately captures the essence of the law. Onyxim glares at me in admiration. ¡°I think my lord could have a little more self-respect. People around here get annoyed when you don¡¯t care about being hassled.¡± Public Health Minister Ardelheid tilted her head. ¡°Really? Grandma Magali said that Lord Alfred¡¯s ego is so outrageously large that he doesn¡¯t seem to have the self-esteem that most people have.¡± Oh dear¡­ that old woman says some unnecessary things. Oracio tilted his head. ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just a random remark if it¡¯s from that old woman. What about you, my lord?¡± ¡°I am not so starved for self-esteem that I have to look down on others and compare myself with them at every turn.¡± Touko started laughing after hearing this. ¡°Certainly, it¡¯s too big to see. If that¡¯s all it is, you don¡¯t have to worry about the little guy¡¯s nonsense.¡± CH 292 It is cold, but not so cold to make it snow. Maybe 6-7 degrees. I also made plans for me to ride along for shiphandling training. Just to be safe, I will be the only one on board. I was thinking that in case of a worst-case accident, I would be the only one to be rescued. Mil and Kiara reluctantly agreed to this logic. I also decided to spend the vacation day with Kiara as a follow-up to the painful report she had given me. I am not the only man in this world, though. For some reason, even Mil is on Kiara¡¯s side in this matter. In other words, there must have been some kind of serious agreement. My mind is more occupied with dealing with the demons. So today, Kiara and I are walking around the town aimlessly. It¡¯s not an inspection tour, so we are just walking around looking at random places. Thanks to the Floquet Chamber of Commerce ¡­¡­ things are circulating to some extent. But public facilities are still lacking. At the very least, public bathhouses are available. There are few places to play, but looking at Kiara, she seems to be in a good mood just by being with me. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s in a good mood. On the way, we take a break and have lunch. ¡°Kiara, you were talking with Mil about tea, do you think you can grow good tea leaves?¡± ¡°Thanks to the elves¡¯ visit, I think we are on track. It would be nice if we could make it Ravenna¡¯s specialty.¡± I would like to have some kind of regular specialty. ¡°The quality of vodka is good, and I think we can make good wine. It¡¯s all drinks.¡± Kiara has a slightly nasty look. ¡°There¡¯s a wild boar dish.¡± Even though I deliberately didn¡¯t mention it ¡­¡­ ¡°Y-You¡¯re right ¡­¡­ As for specialties, we can increase them gradually.¡± Kiara saw my reluctance and gave a small smile. ¡°When each race makes the most of their characteristics, they can do so much more.. I¡¯m honestly surprised.¡± ¡°The world has been so indifferent to such things until now.¡± In the end ¡­¡­ it is all about political affairs. I used to make fun of workaholics before I reincarnated, but I¡¯ve become a workaholic. I guess it¡¯s karma. When I finished my meal and went outside, an unexpected disaster was right in front of me. Why is the Escorter Silvana here? When the Escorter Silvana saw me, she rushed to me with great vigor. ¡°I finally found you! Give me permission! Permission!¡± I guess the dungeon¡¯s a hit. ¡°You have to have the branch manager come. It has to be an official contract.¡± The Escorter Silvana puffed her chest out. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve already brought in the branch manager. I threatened to have him fired from the guild if he didn¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°Ms. Silvana, were you really that important?¡± ¡°How is that possible? If Al gets mad and complains to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild that he can¡¯t negotiate, that¡¯s what happens.¡± I thought I would make better use of it than a complaint. The idea was to stretch it out in a sloppy manner. "" All of that got busted, though. I didn¡¯t have time to get too involved, so I left it alone. I knew that would not work out the way I wanted it to. ¡°Then tomorrow, I¡¯d like him to report to the temporary building.¡± The Escorter Silvana has a displeased look on her face. ¡°Today is fin- ¡­¡­¡± The Escorter Silvana was suddenly speechless. Before she knew it, Kiara was standing right behind the Escorter Silvana. ¡°Ms. Silvana. Brother is on vacation for a long time. Is your business so urgent that you must interrupt it?¡± Unusually, the face of the Escorter Silvana is stiff. It seems that her adventurer¡¯s instincts have sensed the danger. ¡°I-I, I get it ¡­¡­ We¡¯ll do it tomorrow ¡­¡­ can¡¯t you pull back that killing intent?¡± The Escorter Silvana was breaking out in a cold sweat. Kiara smiled coldly for a moment, but then immediately smiled at me. As it was, she took my hand and started walking away. It must be serious because the adventurer went stiff. Am I perhaps born into a family of assassins? She might have sensed my question, Kiara turned her angelic smile on me. ¡°Brother. An assassin is disqualified if he shows his killing intent. That makes you just a murderer. A conspicuous assassin is useless. Killing intent is only useful when threatening or negotiating.¡± So you grew up in that kind of house in your previous life. I scratch my head with my free hand. ¡°It certainly makes sense. But ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that Ms. Silvana to stiffen up. And I didn¡¯t even notice that you went behind her back without being noticed.¡± At my impressed look, Kiara held up a finger and looked like a teacher. She seemed to be happy to teach me something. ¡°It¡¯s an effective way to scare people. And some people feel the killing intent differently than others. Adventurers are very sensitive to the vitals and where they can be stopped.¡± I better not piss her off badly. ¡°All I know is that Kiara was scary.¡± Kiara¡¯s cheeks puffed out at my words. ¡°That¡¯s rude. I would never do such a thing to my brother. Besides, it¡¯s pointless to use killing intent on you.¡± ¡°Pointless?¡± We¡¯re walking while having a conversation, but the content is very dangerous. Kiara sighs a little. ¡°Yes, killing intent only works on people who never want to die. Do you think it makes sense to send it to an old man on the verge of death? I think brother has little attachment to life. It¡¯s like if someone told you you¡¯re going to die tomorrow ¡­¡­ you would just smile.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not suicidal, you know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. You seem to be objective about your own life and death. You seem to be very concerned about the lives and deaths of others. I think it¡¯s usually the other way around.¡± Hmmm ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that objective. The reason I was reincarnated in the first place was because I suddenly died. I don¡¯t care if I cry or not, all I know is that when I die, I die. It¡¯s only because I¡¯m dead ¡­¡­ that I¡¯m thinking about it. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m planning to die, though. ¡°You think too much.¡± At my words, Kiara, unusually, only gave me a vague look. CH 293 Chapter 293 - Political Humans are not Humans It was the day after I finished my break. I am negotiating an arrangement regarding the dungeon with Cesar Salignac. This time there are legal and policing issues, so the Minister of Justice, Abraham, and the Minister of Police, Touko, are present. The discussion on taxes and other issues was easily resolved. The problem is what to do when an adventurer commits a crime. Cesar may have a weak manner, but he represents the guild¡¯s position. He won¡¯t say yes to everything. ¡°We have no objection to following the laws of Ravenna when it comes to crimes committed by adventurers, if they are arrested. As for the treatment of adventurers who have escaped, I cannot give you a simple answer.¡± In particular, the treatment of fugitives is a point of contention. ¡°If they are exonerated if they flee outside Ravenna, it is impossible to accept adventurers.¡± For the most part, adventurers are supposed to be handled by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild once they escape from the territory. The guild pays the feudal lord an apology and that¡¯s it. I rejected that theory. The deterioration of public safety caused by the escape of criminals. When I calculated the losses that would result, the blood was drained from Cesar¡¯s face. ¡°But 500 gold coins per murder is an impossible price to pay for an apology¡­¡± In other territories, the apology would not be a single silver coin if the person killed was a poor man. In return, they end up working for the guild for free. I guess they thought my offer was too insane. No matter what ideals they advocate, a feudal lord who cannot guarantee food and security is worthless. I don¡¯t want them to take it as lightly as they do with other territories. I was partly blowing it as a warning. In the worst-case scenario, when a thuggish adventurer escapes, I will have him arrested or executed, even if I have to hire an ace adventurer to do it. ¡°Really? Considering the increased military spending and reduced economic activity that has accompanied the worsening security situation, I don¡¯t see it as much of a blowout.¡± Cesar wiped his cold sweat with a handkerchief. ¡°For a single person¡¯s crime to affect the entire territory¡­¡± ¡°I will do so. I am proud to say that the security situation in Ravenna is quite good. As a result, we expect to reduce military spending and grow our economy. It is too late to prevent crimes after the security situation has worsened. And as the feudal lord, I will do everything in my power to protect one citizen. I don¡¯t want people to think that my words are just words¡­¡± Cesar looked to the Escorter Silvana, who was present, for help. The Escorter Silvana shrugged her shoulders at the sight of him. ¡°Al, you¡¯ll give us permission, won¡¯t you? As long as he assures that the fugitives are not a problem.¡± ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t want the adventurers to think that it is OK if they escape. Or that after they escape, they can just give us a pittance and pretend it never happened. I will never allow anyone to get away with a crime in my territory.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just allow people to come and go in and out of certain towns? We should build a town for adventurers near the dungeon. This would make policing much easier. It would also make it harder for them to escape. It¡¯ll be hard on the remaining adventurers would after all.¡± I look at Touko. Touko meets my gaze and ponders. ¡°Surely that would make security easier. The question is, who is going to build the town?¡± That¡¯s right. It¡¯s one thing to build a town for adventurers. But for us to build one for them seems out of place. We are not asking them to come, after all. The Escorter Silvana folds her arms and ponders. ¡°The dungeon is a hit, but¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a super hit. If it¡¯s a super hit, the guild will build a town with autonomy without being told to, as a preemptive investment.¡± Cesar nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes¡­ Therefore, the guild will not be able to raise enough money to build a town¡­¡± Let me ask him a nasty question. ¡°You mean you want us to build a town and manage it all?¡± Cesar clammed up. The Escorter Silvana glares at me with a stern look. ¡°Al, you¡¯re being mean. How about paying for the town¡¯s building costs in installments at a higher tax rate?¡± Can the guild accept that? It¡¯s a safe point, though. ¡°What about the guild?¡± Cesar is sweating, as if he is about to dry out. ¡°Then I think I can manage to get the HQ¡¯s approval. Just to make sure, if there is an adventurer who has committed a crime and escaped, am I correct in assuming that the guild will be exempted from responsibility?¡± Why would they be exempt? I¡¯m not going to accept that the guild is irrelevant because you made it easier to crack down on them. ¡°No, we will do our best to apprehend them, but if they escape with the help of their friends or others, the guild will be responsible for their heads or extradition. The guild itself can just submit a request for capture. We will raise the tax rate until the matter is resolved. Once it¡¯s resolved, we¡¯ll return the extra.¡± I give Abraham a look. Abraham gave a small nod in response. ¡°I think that¡¯s about right. It would be easier if the guilds created a town, gave us autonomy, and prohibited anyone from entering the town except for us.¡± That would be easy and nice. If citizens don¡¯t get too involved, it will deter the deterioration of public safety. ¡°For now, Ms. Silvana¡¯s idea is fine. By the way, can adventurers wait until the town is ready? It will take time because it¡¯s not the top priority, after all.¡± The Escorter Silvana grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll need the help of the adventurers we¡¯re hiring now. If you¡¯re short on labor, could you hire additional workers through the guild?¡± ¡°Will that be enough labor?¡± ¡°We can do the bare minimum in no time. The rest can be built later.¡± I guess we had to pay for it after all. That¡¯s the limit around here. Adventurers are basically allowed to operate without restrictions. I looked at Touko and Abraham. They both nodded their heads. ¡°I understand, let¡¯s go with that. Is that all right with you, Mr. Salignac?¡± Cesar was blatantly relieved that the goal seemed to be in sight. ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s fine.¡± After that, we officially signed the contract. The Escorter Silvana smiled at me. ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up and get ready.¡± As soon as she said that, she started to run. How energetic! I returned to my office and found Ardelheid, the Minister of Public Health, waiting for me. She looked very serious. ¡°Ms. Ardelheid, is something wrong?¡± For a minute or so, Ardelheid repeated the motion of saying something and then mumbling. It made me imagine the seriousness of the situation. Finally, she looked at me straight in the eye, but she was shaking a little. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about Professor Fabio.¡± I had the medical team take a look at him before. His symptoms seem pretty bad. But it really took you a long time to report it. There seems to be a lot going on¡­ ¡°Is it worse than you thought?¡± Ardelheid was staring blankly. ¡°He told me not to tell you¡­ But I can¡¯t not report it to Lord Alfred. Today¡­he finally agreed. He has been vomiting blood for some time, and it is already too late.¡± The room froze for a moment. I was at a loss for words, too. What happened to Teacher was not Ardelheid¡¯s fault. But an unintentional remark would have hurt Arderheid needlessly. If anyone was responsible, it would be me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the Teacher tell me before?¡± ¡°He said he wants to talk about it later, in person. But¡­ just one point. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Lord Alfred. It was my own choice¡±. That¡¯s what I was told to tell you.¡± ¡°Does he have no intention of recuperating?¡± Ardelheid shook her head, without effort. ¡°Professor Fabio told me, ¡°If it¡¯s not long, let me do what I want¡±. I think it¡¯s better to let him do what he wants.¡± So there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. He¡¯s been living a life of drinking after all¡­ Would it be fine if he had stopped drinking years ago? No, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ever stop. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go to him.¡± Ardelheid shook her head slowly. ¡°Professor Fabio is moving normally at the moment. And from his own side, he said, ¡°I want you to treat me normally until I die¡±.¡± Then let¡¯s give priority to Teacher¡¯s wishes. ¡°Then, call Teacher, please.¡± Adelheid nodded and exited. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He didn¡¯t want me to blame myself. I wonder what I should do in a situation like this. Even before my reincarnation, I was so indifferent to the death of a close relative that I thought I was abnormal. I mourned the death, but that was all. I never cried when someone died. I could not cry. And I am still indifferent. I find myself feeling envious of Mil and Kiara, who are upset and sad. Because I naturally thought about what would happen after the teacher¡¯s death. The form of Antium¡¯s governance will inevitably need to be reworked. My mind is occupied with future measures, etc. Usually, grief occupies the mind of a normal person, and from there, they gradually start walking toward what they need to do. That is healthy. I, who thought about what I should do first, was right as the feudal lord, but as a person, I must be disqualified. Political people are not human. Even if they are called human beings, they are different creatures. All I could do was mock myself. CH 294 Chapter 294 - It''s Not Six Ignoring the reactions of those around me, I waited for Teacher. I told Mil and Kiara to finish our work for the day. In an agitated state, I¡¯ll make a bad decision. I decided that even if I stop my current work, it won¡¯t cause any trouble to those around me. I nodded silently, saying that I would only put away what I was working on. And then the Teacher arrived. He looked healthy, albeit gaunt. ¡°Oh, thanks for waiting.¡± Lightly, Teacher raised his hand. But I naturally sensed that his time of death was near. I could smell the incense. Now is not the time to talk about it. ¡°Well, I have many questions I would like to ask you.¡± Teacher cleared his throat lightly. ¡°Can we talk in another room for a minute? Just the two of us.¡± The Teacher¡¯s eyes were serious. ¡°I understand, let¡¯s talk in another room.¡± So the two of us move into a simple reception room. There was no conversation. I tried to pay attention, but the teacher¡¯s gait was normal. We both took our seats and looked at each other. Immediately, the teacher opened his mouth. ¡°My time. As you know, I don¡¯t have long. And you are not responsible. It¡¯s because I kept drinking. Is that clear?¡± I nod silently. Teacher looked outside. Then, without letting anyone hear him, he mumbled something. ¡°Before I became an advisor in Ravenna, I thought my life was boring. No matter what I did, there was nothing left. I was acutely aware of this when I studied apostolate. No matter what an ordinary person does, there is nothing left but dust. The world works better when apostle sneezes.¡± Teacher quietly turned his gaze to me. I remain silent. If we don¡¯t have time, let¡¯s avoid unnecessary questions and answers. Seeing me like this, Teacher gave a small laugh. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what ordinary people do. The apostles decide everything, and the church supplements them. However, the world became different when I came here. What we did leads to the next. It made me feel like my life was worth living. By then, it was too late for this body, though.¡± Then Teacher slumped languidly in his chair. He closed his eyes for a few moments and opened his mouth again. ¡°I know what Alfred is thinking. We¡¯ve already known each other for a long time, after all. You¡¯re my successor, right? I have Prytanis as my assistant advisor, and I let him do the work. He¡¯ll be fine. So make him the official advisor. I¡¯ll be his assistant.¡± ¡°I understand. That was my original plan.¡± Is it pointless to ask about his body? I wonder if I should ask? When I couldn¡¯t give an answer, the teacher laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t try to force yourself to mend it. Money is meaningless to a dead man. The same poor attempts at sympathy and concern are meaningless to me. Say what you think.¡± It can¡¯t be helped if he put it this way. I scratch my head involuntarily in contemplation. ¡°Are you still drinking?¡± ¡°Oh, I have no idea what it tastes like, though. It¡¯s become a habit of mine over the years. I have to drink or I get restless.¡± It¡¯s no use telling him not to drink now. ¡°Is there anything else you want to tell me?¡± Teacher looked at my puzzled face with amusement. ¡°Well¡­ if the lore is correct, I heard that the apostles could cure any disease.¡± It would not be impossible. It can force any inefficient means with enormous magical power. Did the Teacher noticed? Who I am. ¡°Anything is possible. It¡¯s truly a miracle.¡± Teacher laughs meaningfully. ¡°But I don¡¯t see any apostles. So my body suddenly becomes healthy. There is no chance of that.¡± ¡°Well, no apostle would sell such a miracle so cheaply.¡± Teacher chuckled and shook his head. ¡°No¡­ high-selling, but there¡¯s no apostle. Because he hasn¡¯t descended. Right?¡± In other words, don¡¯t do anything unnecessary¡­ huh. Is it possible to be that far-sighted? But¡­ when I look back at what I¡¯ve done¡­ ¡°You¡¯re right, he hasn¡¯t.¡± Teacher smiled a satisfied smile in response to my reply. ¡°Also. The only people the apostles will help are the relatives of their lovers or women. Old men like me are not in the target group from the beginning.¡± Is that so? I feel like they are helping men too, just because they stand out and remain as a story. Of course, that would be if they were so inclined. ¡°Should you really show that much desire.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ten to one ratio. Is Alfredo so naive as to think that I¡¯m not showing enough?¡± ¡°I take it back.¡± ¡°I know right. That¡¯s good. Once again, I have something to say to Alfred.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let me down. Even after I die. Promise me this. You got me into this fun business. I¡¯m not going to let you refuse.¡± So you want me to go through with what I¡¯ve done so far. There is no reason to refuse that word. ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Teacher nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. And¡­ let¡¯s talk about why I want to talk in a separate room.¡± Teacher said something, a spell. What kind of magic? At my questioning look, he grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a voice blocker. It¡¯s a different kind from Milva¡¯s, but I guarantee it works.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s something that must not be told to anyone else.¡± Teacher laughed meaningfully. ¡°That¡¯s right. When I studied apostolate, I had access to the top-secret papal archives. I compiled them and published them, but of course, there are some facts that are being withheld.¡± That¡¯s a natural progression. They will gather whatever information they can, even if it¡¯s inconvenient. That is exactly what will help in guiding the thoughts of the new apostles. ¡°Did you write it down somewhere?¡± Teacher snickered at my question. Then he pointed to his own head. ¡°If I were stupid enough to leave evidence like that, I¡¯d be long gone.¡± So there was a risk of something leaking out¡­ I guess you were surprisingly cautious. ¡°So you¡¯ve memorized everything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now, here¡¯s the thing. It is said that there were six apostles. In fact, there were seven.¡± CH 295 Seven? This was unexpected. Teacher looked satisfied with my surprised expression. ¡°If it is the apostles who are recognized by the church, then six is correct. If you look at it in terms of ability, then there are seven. There was someone before the first apostle.¡± It¡¯s the chuuni¡¯s favorite Zeroth number, huh. ¡°Back then, churches wouldn¡¯t do things like make people disappear. Can someone with that kind of power be erased?¡± ¡°Of course the First Apostle made them disappear.¡± You¡¯re right, but¡­ why? ¡°What did this extra do? A massacre or something?¡± Teacher waved his finger. ¡°You¡¯re naive, Alfred. Before I go any further, let me start by explaining the ways of the world at the time.¡± This makes my blood for my love of history rise. I lean forward, unintentionally. Seeing me, the teacher chuckled. ¡°The world was in ruins back then. There were no laws. People chose to belong to communities as a way to protect themselves. It means that, if someone in the community was harmed, the whole community would retaliate. This was how a minimum social order was maintained. The community was held together by the nobility, and above them was the king.¡± ¡°It¡¯s primitive. Then¡­ the people who don¡¯t belong to the community must have lost their lives.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And in those days, face was important in society. And the people at that time have a very, very low temper. If it was Silvana, she would be killed in seconds. It¡¯s a world where they kill people just for laughing at them. It was even the case that a group of people killed each other just because they were laughed at for standing up to urinate.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s too much about killing?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re laughed at, it is the same as if the community is laughed at. If they¡¯re underestimated, the community will be destroyed. It sounds silly now, but back then it was very serious.¡± It¡¯s the end of the century, isn¡¯t it? ¡°What does such a world have to do with it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s when that extra came out. With his mighty power, he brought stability to the region. And then there was one more thing they did.¡± That would be the key. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Teacher points at me. His words are energetic, but his faintly trembling finger makes me realize that he is ill. Even his energetic words have no tension. There is no point in pointing it out. I wait patiently for Teacher to speak. ¡°Think for yourselves and build a good society¡±, in other words, it¡¯s the same as what you¡¯re doing.¡± That¡¯s a troubling word¡­ But I have no intention of stopping. And I¡¯m doing it discreetly, in the middle of nowhere. ¡°Is that enough to get you killed?¡± Teacher gave a meaningful laugh. ¡°There is a story about when that extra took a few years to stabilize its surroundings. There had been a church since then. But while it was a major force¡­ it was not nearly the only religion, as it is now. Trouble happened between the priests of the church and the extra.¡± ¡°What kind of trouble?¡± ¡°The church was endowed with land¡­ but, in an expanded interpretation, it was larger than the donated land, but the extra land was taken by the extra and returned to the original owner.¡± That doesn¡¯t make him look like a bad guy. He may be bad for the church. ¡°The church seems to hate him.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­ he¡¯s strong. No one can compete with him. And when word of the priest spread, other churches¡¯ land was also cut off from various other churches. It was an existential crisis for the church. If they were taken advantage of by the customs of the time, it would be the end of the organization. So the whole church prayed to God.¡± Did the apostle come out of the ground just by praying? I don¡¯t know the source of God¡¯s power, but¡­ ¡°I wonder if praying would work miracles?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but I heard there was some kind of secret art to it.¡± ¡°What do you mean by secret art?¡± ¡°The Church has not always had the same teachings. There were predecessor teachings. There was a way to pray to God in that old teaching.¡± I have a bad feeling about this. An obsolete doctrine of an old religion¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ a sacrifice?¡± Teacher narrowed his eyes. ¡°Indeed, you are right. However, it must be a believer to be dedicated.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but make a scowling face. ¡°What kind of sacrifice?¡± ¡°On the sacred mountain, they cut off the heads of the children of the believer and then burn them on the altar.¡± Oh come on¡­ Human sacrifice was certainly a thing in older religions, buts¡­ I naturally looked disgusted. ¡°It¡¯s so nasty¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, so it was done every week until they got a revelation from God.¡± ¡°What revelation?¡± ¡°The book only says revelation. But I think I was about the twentieth person. When the child was about to be dedicated, the revelation came out of the blue. Or rather, that child suddenly awakened to power. That is the First Apostle.¡± Wait¡­ I thought he was supposed to put them down when they were born and let them grow up? Is there a different pattern, perhaps? As I was pondering this, the teacher started laughing. ¡°Well, listen to the rest of the story. According to the legend, there was a word from God at that time. ¡°Hereafter¡­ Sacrifice is forbidden. Instead, an apostle shall be sent to the earth¡±. That is why the first apostle grew up and fought and defeated the extra. The area that the extra was influencing was a very small part of the world. Such history was sealed by the church. This is the relationship between the apostles and the church. From then on, the church became like the only religion.¡± Are assassins sent by the church or by God when it is not convenient? What a troubling story¡­ ¡°Indeed, this is a story that cannot be told.¡± ¡°Right? Because there will be people who are blinded by greed, who make children and then kill them. Anyway, it is a fact that the extra has stabilized the region. The first apostle imitated that method and succeeded in stabilizing the society in the name of God, in cooperation with the church. And now you understand why the descendants of the First Apostles considered their blood noble, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure¡­ But did the first¡¯s parents ever let the secret out?¡± Teacher shrugged his shoulders. ¡°As a matter of fact, the first has a huge grudge against them. They¡¯re his parent, so he can¡¯t touch them. They thought they could do whatever they wanted, and when they did, they were killed by a member of the harem. Ostensibly, they died of illness from neglect.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t see how just having power makes one an apostolic lineage. It is possible that the extra took a different route and gained their power through a different route.¡± Then, the Teacher laughed. ¡°There¡¯s a good reason for it. The extra is from a different sect of the church. Nowadays they are called heretics. They taught him that when a member of the community is harmed, the community retaliates.¡± ¡°Yeah, if they looked down on them, they¡¯re finished.¡± ¡°The heretics are in the minority. They were the inheritors of the sacrificial ceremony. The heretics had trouble, and they got into a war with the rest of the community. It started when a child laughed at a man from another community who urinated standing up. The heretics were getting killed off. They offered a sacrifice to save their lives, and I guess they hit the jackpot.¡± What is that, an Apostle gacha¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± ¡°I agree. That means they believe in the same God. That¡¯s why I called it an extra. If God responded to the sacrifice, it would be because the extra was inconvenient. After that, the heretics may have attempted another sacrifice, but I am sure they did not succeed. Because they have disappeared from history. That¡¯s why I taught it to you.¡± ¡°Even if you taught me about it¡­ there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± The teacher laughs happily. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out. If you don¡¯t know, you can¡¯t take measures, right? If you knew, you would have made some moves to avoid provoking the church. I¡¯m sure my replacement will come from the church. But if you have it in your head, you won¡¯t make mistakes.¡± That¡¯s true. And I guess it¡¯s a parting gift to me. I bow deeply. ¡°Thank you very much, Teacher.¡± Sensei waved his hand as if embarrassed. ¡°Even if it¡¯s from time to time, I should do something teacher-like, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the statue gets built, too.¡± The teacher grinned. ¡°It¡¯s something after I¡¯m gone, do what you want. You¡¯re going to build it for some other purpose anyway, right?¡± I finally managed to smile. ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll still have to work for me.¡± We both laughed out loud at each other. Maybe¡­ this is the last time. But the teacher would want us to part ways laughing. After the teacher finished laughing, he turned his serious face to me. ¡°I consider myself very lucky to be able to say goodbye and leave the rest to you. Most people don¡¯t have that luxury. That¡¯s why my life is pretty good. So long, kiddo. Take care of yourself.¡± With that, Teacher left alone. I stared at the door for a while. Something was rising in my chest. Contrary to my expectations, I still couldn¡¯t cry. CH 296 After the conversation with the teacher, I returned to my office. I then notified everyone that Prytanis would be his successor as the advisor. Mil and Kiara wanted to know what we had talked about, but I just told them I would tell them later. Three days later, I received a report that the teacher had passed away. When he did not show up for work by noon, they went to check on him and found him dead. There was a bottle of alcohol lying on the floor in his room. I almost laughed a little at the report. Perhaps it was the teacher¡¯s sense of humor. Mil and Kiara hugged each other and cried. I still envy them for being able to express their grief in such an honest way. I told them to take three days off for the funeral. They were surprised, but in their state of grief, they would not be able to make a calm decision. If anyone could grieve with that and with all their heart, I wanted to let them do so. But I received two protesting glances. ¡°Due to my nature¡­ I can¡¯t grieve even at a time like this. But I can at least make time for those who are grieving. So please use that time to grieve for Teacher. I will take care of the aides during that time.¡± They looked at me for a moment at my nonchalant line, then nodded silently. The aides were not very involved with the teacher, so they were only aware that someone from the same office had died. So let¡¯s have the aides do their best as usual. I made the aides prepare the funeral arrangements. It will not be a state funeral, but an official Ravenna funeral. Even at a time like this, work is still chasing us. My workload will increase, but I can handle it for a few days. In the little time I have between jobs, I plan for the inspection after the winter, and draw up logistical plans for the defense system. I don¡¯t let work distract me. Right now, I wanted to focus on making time for everyone. After a day¡¯s work, I returned to my room. I need to write the eulogy for the funeral. It looks like Mil was back in her room. During the day, she is helping with the funeral. That would make the doctor happy. After a brief conversation with Mil, I went to my desk to think about my eulogy for Teacher. Since it is a public funeral, I write down his past accomplishments. I was absentmindedly writing, when I was tapped on the shoulder. Mil looked extremely worried. ¡°Al, are you all right? I tried talking to you earlier, but you didn¡¯t respond.¡± Oh, because I was writing mindlessly. I scratched my head. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t realize.¡± Mil looked over the eulogy and gave a small laugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Mr. Fabio¡¯s accomplishments were that many. I didn¡¯t know.¡± I suddenly turned and looked at the eulogy. I realized that I had written several pages of eulogies. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°He¡¯s an advisor, so he¡¯s been involved in a lot of things. I wrote down as much as I could think of, and that¡¯s what I came up with. I¡¯ll put it all together later.¡± As I was about to start my eulogy again, Mil hugged me from behind. ¡°The funeral is the day after tomorrow. You should get some rest today.¡± ¡°Does it look that dangerous?¡± Mil tightened his arms around me a little more. ¡°A little, but I think it¡¯s more about comforting me.¡± She¡¯s joking, but she¡¯s probably worried about me. ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough for today. Is everything okay, since I left all the funeral arrangements to you?¡± ¡°Mr. Oracio is very eager, so I¡¯ll be fine. I and Kiara are just helping him out.¡± ¡°I see, then I guess everything¡¯s fine.¡± Today, I decided to follow Mil¡¯s words and rest. I got into bed and fell asleep after talking with Mil for a bit. Apparently, I was more tired than I thought. The next day, I continued to deal with political affairs, just as I had been doing. My workload is fairly low because the aides have been well trained. I didn¡¯t get a good look at them, but I guess Mil and Kiara are doing a good job of training them¡­ The work is going well¡­ but the aides are nervous because they are temporarily under my direct control. "" I have to be careful so they don¡¯t get overworked. From time to time, Prytanis comes to me and I give him advice on political matters. It¡¯s not dizzying, but it¡¯s hectic. Even if I eat lunch with Mil and Kiara, I can¡¯t taste the food. Maybe this is my way of grieving. I unconsciously laughed, but the two of them becomes worried about me. After work, I finished the rest of the eulogy. It¡¯s pretty thick, but¡­ it¡¯s okay. Before my reincarnation, long eulogies were boring. It¡¯s partly because I don¡¯t really feel it, but there¡¯s something broken about me that makes me feel that way about eulogies. When it was time for me to deliver the eulogy, I couldn¡¯t think of any episodes to cut. Still, I cut out too many details and finally completed it. Mil looked puzzled when she saw how thick it was, but then she looked at me and smiled. ¡°If it¡¯s Al¡¯s eulogy, Mr. Fabio will be delighted. So I think it¡¯s best to do what Al thinks is best.¡± ¡°I hope so. I hope I¡¯ve given a good eulogy.¡± ¡°Al, a eulogy is a way for the living to share their memories of the deceased with others. It¡¯s all about communicating how you feel about the person. It doesn¡¯t have to be difficult.¡± Did I make it sound logical again? Apparently, I¡¯m not very good at natural interactions. ¡°You¡¯re right, thank you. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Let¡¯s rework the eulogy and get some rest. After reworking, I go to bed. I must have been tired after all, because I fell asleep immediately. Then came the day of the funeral. It was a little cold today, but the weather was fine. The funeral was held in the town square. With the Teacher on the casket stand, each person delivers a speech of condolence. I am the first to stand next to his corpse. I hold the manuscript in my hand in front of the people gathered in the square. I am at a loss for words as I try to read out the thick eulogy first. Suddenly, I turn my attention to Teacher¡¯s corpse. Of course, the body does not speak to me. But I felt like I was being told, ¡°Kiddo, get on with it already¡±. The people around me started to make a little commotion at my silence. I inhale quietly. ¡°I have given a lot of thought and drafted my eulogy for today¡¯s funeral for Teacher. But now I realize that the words I should address to him should not just be a list of his accomplishments¡­¡± I put the manuscript away in my pocket. Then I bow to his body. ¡°Teacher, thank you very much for all you have done for me.¡± I thought these were the last words I would ever say to him. I then placed the draft of my eulogy next to his body. Read it in the afterlife if you have time. After that, each of them delivered their own eulogy. After my words, everyone seemed puzzled. I wonder if I did something wrong¡­ After everyone finished their eulogies, the casket stand was placed on the firewood. Then everyone said ¡°Goodbye¡± in unison and lit the fire. I watched in silence as the body was burned. Mil and Kiara were crying in public. I could hear the men sobbing. I looked and saw that they were members of the expedition team. They¡¯d gotten to know each other personally since that expedition. Then, Charles arrived late. He was busy preparing for the defense, but he must have forced himself to make time for the expedition. In front of the fire, Charles raised a bottle of liquor from his pocket. ¡°To Professor Fabio¡¯s fulfilling life.¡± Then he sipped from the liquor bottle. Charles then held out the bottle to me. I gave a small smile, raised the bottle and sipped from it. I didn¡¯t want to dilute the memory by repeating unnecessary words. The sake, which was not diluted with such sentimentality, was very bitter, just like the memories. The men saw this and thoughtfully raised their sake bottles and sipped from them. A fitting send-off for Teacher. After the funeral, Charles returned. I¡¯ve announced that the whole of Ravenna will be in mourning for about three days. Until then, I hope everyone will mourn the teacher and send him off. Even in mourning, everyone¡¯s work will continue. My work will never cease. I will do what I can do in silence. After the mourning period, Mil and Kiara returned to work. I handed it over to them and sit down in my chair. Suddenly, my body feels heavy. "" I wondered if I had loosened up, but I felt a deep and very heavy fatigue. Mil, seeing this, came up next to me. ¡°Al, thank you for the past few days. You can take a rest today. You must be very tired.¡± ¡°I guess so¡­ I¡¯ll take your word for it and take the rest of the day off. If there is anything urgent you need, don¡¯t hesitate to report to me.¡± As it was, I went back to my room and in the blink of an eye, I fell asleep. CH 297 The next day, I found myself sleeping until noon. It seems that Mil was very considerate and let me sleep. When I entered the office, everyone greeted me with smiles. ¡°Thank you very much, I slept well.¡± Kiara offered me a cup of tea. ¡°Here you go, brother.¡± ¡°Thank you. Kiara, I see that there are no pressing issues.¡± ¡°Yes, thanks to brother¡¯s handling of the mourning, we have enough leeway today.¡± That¡¯s good to know. I have to take care of some matters that were postponed because of the funeral. Today, unusually, the Elite Guard Chief Jules was waiting for me. ¡°Sir Jules, I¡¯ll look at the results of your shiphandling training tomorrow. We will inspect the castle that Sir Poncio is defending. Please have about 5 people stay behind to protect Mil and Kiara. Please coordinate around that.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± I had no work to do at all, as if people around me were paying attention to me. Then I found myself falling asleep. It was not looking good, so I decided to go check on Prytanis, the new advisor. Prytanis¡¯s office had taken over the teacher¡¯s room. When he saw me, he seemed surprised. ¡°Is something wrong, Lord Alfred?¡± ¡°I came to check on Prytanis. You¡¯re working alone as an advisor, so I thought you might need some assistant, and I¡¯m here to help you choose someone.¡± Prytanis laughed when he heard my answer. ¡°I guess Lord Alfred has seen through me. It¡¯s a little too wide a field for one person to cover¡­¡± ¡°If you have someone in mind, let me know. I will do my best to accommodate your wishes.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be polite then. Is it possible to get help from Magali-dono?¡± I knew it¡­ That¡¯s a bit of a stretch. ¡°I can¡¯t move Madam Plunkett because she is an advisor to the mayor. If the capital were to come under attack, she¡¯s a necessary personnel.¡± ¡°Are you considering the possibility of an attack on the capital?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say that I assume that it¡¯s never going to happen, and I¡¯m going to turn Madam Plunkett over to you. I am sure that Sir Oliver will go after the capital.¡± At my assessment, Prytanis folded his arms and pondered. ¡°I wonder if our movements are that known to them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why he¡¯s using a familiar, and I¡¯m sure they have some understanding of what we¡¯re up to.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, why don¡¯t we send a familiar to probe their movements?¡± ¡°The other party is the demon tribe, you know. They are very good at recognizing familiars. If it is discovered, it will cause a spark among the demon tribe.¡± Prytanis looked unconvinced. ¡°If they are going to attack us either way, isn¡¯t it better if we let them attack us while they¡¯re unprepared? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re good at that kind of inducement, Lord Alfred.¡± ¡°Our preparations are too incomplete. I don¡¯t think we will lose, but it will be a mud fight. The ensuing enmity between the two sides will be tremendous.¡± At my point, Prytanis started wondering. ¡°Lord Alfred¡¯s strategy has been elaborate and clear. This time it seems to me that you are being very vague. That¡¯s exactly the kind of attitude that could be considered weak.¡± ¡°Well, it looks that way, doesn¡¯t it? Because that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡± Prytanis¡¯ gaze sharpened. ¡°In other words, do you have a purpose that you want to keep secret from everyone?¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯m watching the reactions and taking steps¡­ Everyone underestimates the demon tribe, after all.¡± At my point of view, Prytanis looked bitter. ¡°Indeed¡­ I can¡¯t deny that point. But if they are really weak, there is no problem. My ancestors also won. I can¡¯t help but wonder¡­ if there has ever been a time when the demon tribe has won in an external battle.¡± ¡°Yes, and some among the demons may think so, too. Among the demon tribe, there are those who want to fight out of ideology and belief. Those who want to avoid fighting because of profit and loss. It will be a struggle between these two sides. And there¡¯s one thing I know. If they have never won a fight, there is a possibility that they will have some kind of secret plan. The other side also has the brains to think. We must not forget that.¡± Prytanis looked at me with serious eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re sticking your hand in there. Hmmm, I still can¡¯t read what Lord Alfred sees in the future.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his words. You are so young. It¡¯s only in fiction that you can read the future completely. ¡°You are overestimating me too much¡­ I am a human being too. What I can¡¯t read is bigger than what I can read. I just try to be careful not to be in a situation where I can¡¯t respond even if I can read it. What we¡¯re doing is a late rock-paper-scissor game. If I can only get a rock even after I¡¯m late, what¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s a mistake to think you can predict the future completely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The future is a clay sculpture. If you try to grasp it forcibly, it will collapse the more force you put into it. It is better to handle it softly until it hardens. If you leave it unattended after it hardens, it will soon weather and crumble. You should not miss the moment it hardens, and only then should you put some effort into it and get to it quickly.¡± (T/N: I see¡­) Prytanis laughed at my words, which were not at all enthusiastic. ¡°Just like nature. My grandfather said that there is no form better than the intangible. I wonder if he meant this.¡± ¡°And besides¡­ if I¡¯m all worked up, I¡¯m sure people will get anxious or enthusiastic.¡± Perhaps my blurted out line hit the nail, and Prytanis coughed as hard as he could. ¡°I am sure that¡¯s true. As for the demons, I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see while we fortify our defenses. Back to the topic at hand, what criteria should I think about who will assist me?¡± ¡°Only you know that. It depends on the person. Teacher will be compatible with the type of person who is serious, detailed, and meticulous like Prytanis. So I think Prytanis should look for someone with a different point of view than you.¡± Perhaps Prytanis was being cautious and avoided the subject of Teacher. That is a needless concern. I want you to take over in your own way, based on what Teacher did. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll think about it some more on my own.¡± When I returned to my office after my discussion with Prutanis, I found Ardelheid, the Minister of Public Health, waiting for me. I was relieved to see that she was not depressed. ¡°Ms. Ardelheid, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Lord Alfred, as the Minister of Public Health, I have a proposal.¡± I¡¯m open to suggestions. I almost had a smile on my face, but¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re she¡¯s about muscles¡­ right? "" Seeing my difficult facial expression, Ardelheid almost blew up. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about the Carnival. And that¡¯s not about what I¡¯m going to propose to Lord Alfred. I¡¯m going to do that on my own. Never mind that, I¡¯m talking about the health care of all our citizens.¡± After the Teacher¡¯s case, I guess Ardelheid thought about it in her own way. ¡°What did you think of?¡± ¡°I would like to conduct regular health checkups. However, the Ministry of Public Health¡¯s budget was not enough to cover this, so I came to Lord Alfred for advice.¡± Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t take many courses before my reincarnation, but it¡¯s certainly necessary. I¡¯d completely forgotten about it. ¡°Permission granted. Please submit your plans and the necessary budget.¡± ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll get it to you right away!¡± As fast as she could say it, Ardelheid flew out the window. Sure, it¡¯s faster that way, but¡­ Why would you fly with a skirt on? CH 298 I receive the proposal from Ardelheid, who has properly entered through the door. Since we have some staff, we will divide the area and do a simple medical checkup. If they are found to be sick, they will be examined in detail. Inspections are conducted collectively by the town or village that serves as the center of the region. This is about all that can be done now. The cost is not that huge. It would be a realistic measure. It is essential to implement it together with the family register management. And the method of information transmission has not yet been decided. ¡°Ms. Ardelheid, how do you plan to summarize the information that has been caught in the quick medical checkups?¡± Ardelheid folded her arms. ¡°I knew you notice that¡­ The Ministry of Public Health doesn¡¯t have its own means of information transmission. So¡­ I was wondering if you could give me some good ideas, Lord Alfred.¡± We have not yet experienced a case that crosses the ministry, after all¡­ Let¡¯s just say that it¡¯s good that we have a suggestion for a regular checkup. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have the capacity yet to do only individual information transfer. Shall we take advantage of¡­ one of the existing systems?¡± Ardelheid nodded her head. ¡°Take advantage?¡± ¡°Sir Rossi regularly conducts patrols to maintain security. Let¡¯s ask those people not only to patrol but also to deliver the necessary documents from the villages and forts to the designated places. This is only a transitional measure, though. Once the governance is stable, we can build a means of coordinating information. There¡­¡± I look at Kiara, who is paying attention to us. When our eyes meet, Kiara smiles happily. ¡°Is it my turn now, Brother?¡± ¡°Kiara, apart from Ears¡¯ communication method, let¡¯s create a mechanism to communicate official information on a regular basis. Right now, each ministry uses its own liaison officer. Now that the scope of governance has expanded, let¡¯s create a permanent information transmission system. In the future, we will create a new Ministry of Communications and Information. The selection of the minister has not yet been decided, though. Even for Kiara, it¡¯s impossible to be Minister and secretary at the same time, after all.¡± Kiara laughed at my words. ¡°Yes, it would be impossible for me to not be in the same space with brother any longer.¡± I guess that¡¯s the reason after all¡­ You really don¡¯t waver¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s get a tentative structure in place. ¡°Ms. Ardelheid, Kiara. Please create an interim system of communication, including Sir Rossi and people that does regular patrols. My approval is not required. As soon as it is decided, please put it into operation.¡± Now we are done talking about information transmission. Now all that remains is to accumulate the know-how and make it an official ministry. I¡¯ll think about the selection of the right people later. If possible, I would like to see a recommendation¡­ The social system in this area will be a symptomatic treatment after the need arises. Postal service, in general, is a private business that costs money. It would be good to do a public postal service like in ancient Rome. Over here, that business has not yet entered the market. No one will lose their jobs, so there¡¯s no need to hold back. The day after we finished such arrangements. I would see the results of their shiphandling training. It¡¯s midwinter and we are traveling by boat on a big river. It¡¯s cold, so I¡¯ll be wearing heavy clothes. I was stopped by Mil when I carelessly tried to leave in my normal clothes. I was not prepared for the cold of the water. I greeted the entire Elite Guardsmen at the town¡¯s dock and boarded the boat. There were five boats, each with seven passengers. The boat I boarded was the first one to go. The Elite Guardsman acting as the boatman was a dwarf. He called himself Ivan Yanayev. I asked him why he was a boatman, and he replied that dwarves can see things in the dark. He could distinguish rocks in the water. That is why he was the best choice for a boatman in the middle of the night. I was told that if we were doing military travel, we would travel at night. I couldn¡¯t help but smile with happiness at this explanation. Besides seeing light, the eyes of dwarves can also distinguish objects in the dark. Among dwarves, they are called red eyes. They say that in places where light does not reach, their eyes turn red to identify objects. When I heard about it, I thought it was theoretically similar to infrared light. He said that one of his specialties is distinguishing the properties of minerals with his red eye. I was also told that it is an area of individual difference and a natural talent. Surely infrared would reduce the chance of running aground¡­ I was deeply moved by the fact that everyone had done so many things while I had not seen them in detail. It is roughly 60 kilometers to the castle where Poncio is defending. It took us a few hours to get there as we proceeded downstream by boat. It is a medium-sized castle, but about 300 people are stationed in it. There are about 120 combatants and the rest are non-combatants. If they try to attack Antium, we can aim to cut off the enemy¡¯s supply lines. This castle is solid and will not fall so easily even if 1,000 men attack in force. If they try to attack this castle, we can attack their rear from Antium. Sixty kilometers may seem like a long way, but it will not take long if we travel by boat. I was asked to choose a name for the castle, so I named it Mantova at random. I am afraid that one day I will run out of stock. (T/N: Stock of names.) I pointed out that the high walls of the castle would make it weak against magic. We don¡¯t have time to build the old high walls, and the efficiency is not that good. In response, the shape of the fortress became a star-shaped fortress. However, it is still rough in its original form. Like the Vauban style, it is not refined at all. When I arrived at that Mantova, I was greeted by Poncio. ¡°My lord, we have been waiting for you!¡± ¡°It has been a long time, Sir Poncio. It seems you did a good job in the last defense.¡± Poncio smiled shyly. He led me straight into the castle. Next to me, Poncio explains about the castle enthusiastically. ¡°We have prepared baths to protect you from the plague in the castle. The living quarters are spacious enough to prevent the spread of disease due to the high concentration of people. The food will last for about six months.¡± I won¡¯t go into the details. I think they should refine their skills through actual practice. While we were talking about this and that, Poncio asked me to give an instruction to the soldiers. ¡°Ordinary soldiers don¡¯t have many chances to meet Lord Alfred. If you could tell them what you expect from them, it will boost their morale.¡± You certainly have a point. It would be foolish to refuse. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll give them an instruction tomorrow before we return.¡± Whether we can return depends on the wind, though. If there is no wind, we cannot proceed upstream. If there is headwind, we can proceed with the wind. Will the wind blow tomorrow? At dinner, Poncio and I talk about many things. I wanted to ask him about the time of defense. How to keep morale up, how to be prepared. Poncio smiled shyly at my question. ¡°To be honest¡­ I get a lot of pleasure out of getting attacked and fighting them off. It¡¯s like, ¡°Take that,¡± and it¡¯s unintentionally uplifting. My dad likes to attack, but I¡¯m more comfortable defending than attacking.¡± Was it the defense that awakened his hidden proclivities? Specializing in receiving¡­ was Poncio a Masochist? Is it better not to let them attack? Are his men Masochists too? When I think about it, I feel like I¡¯m stuck in the depths¡­ CH 299 I spent the night in Mantova. The next day, I gave instructions in front of the soldiers¡­ To be honest, there was no clear answer as to what kind of instruction was best. I can¡¯t do anything that will demoralize them. Lying on the surface is no good because it makes me look foolish. I don¡¯t care if I have to risk my own life because of a silly lie. I cannot make others risk their lives for such a thing. Maybe this is why I am called a hypocrite. If someone hates me, they will hate me to the bone. So, I decided to give my own personal admonition. I would not do anything that would not suit me. In front of the soldiers who had lined up, I cleared my throat. ¡°Soldiers defending Ravenna. This castle is to be used in conjunction with Antium, the second city, to deter the enemy. If they attack this castle, Antium will get in the enemy¡¯s rear. If the enemy ignores this castle, we can cut off their supply lines and force them to retreat.¡± It may seem pointless to talk strategy to soldiers. But¡­ it¡¯s much better than being kept in the dark. I take a breath and open my mouth. ¡°The castle is so strong that it can hold out for half a year against an attack of 1,000 enemies. It is also well supplied with food using water transportation, and can actually withstand an attack for more than half a year. There is no enemy in Ravenna that can conduct a siege longer than that. As for armament and training, you, the soldiers, know best. Your commander-in-chief, Sir Poncio, is a very capable commander who has successfully defended against the enemy¡¯s attacks in the past battles.¡± I did not say anything false. I looked around at the soldiers, but none of them had a blank expression on their faces. So far, so good. If I went on too long, it would get dull. It¡¯s time to wrap it up. ¡°I have created an environment for you soldiers to be able to fight. It is my responsibility to do so, just as it is the responsibility of the soldiers who risk their lives to protect everyone else. If only you do your best and I neglect my duty, it will be impossible to fight. The reverse is also true. It is only when both of us fulfill our duties that we can accomplish the task of protecting our fellow citizens. So I would like to say to you, soldiers. Let us work together to protect everyone. That is all.¡± I stepped back and Poncio stepped forward. ¡°Long Live Ravenna!¡± The soldiers salute in unison. The salute was much debated, but it was thrown to me. The salute was completely different among races and regions, and it was sometimes troublesome to choose one over the other. I decided to go with the ancient Roman salute, just like the history geek I am. Here, there was no argument that it was similar to the Nazi style. Palms facing down, arms and fingers fully extended, facing forward. The hands are slightly raised, palms visible. At first, the people around me wanted to say ¡°Long Live Lord Alfred,¡± but I hurried to stop them. Personal worship is not what I¡¯m after. The soldiers also chanted to Poncio. ¡± ¡± ¡± ¡°Long Live Ravenna!¡± ¡± ¡± ¡° I was restless, but if I behaved strangely here, the unrest would spread to the soldiers. Thus, after the instruction, we were on our way home. Poncio sees me off. ¡°My lord. Thank you for that just now.¡± Frankly, I¡¯m not sure if that was the right thing to do. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything that would boost morale or stir things up one way or the other. On the other hand, it was not right to say something like ¡°life is heavier than the earth¡±. At any rate¡­ if they didn¡¯t complain, I¡¯d say it was a good thing. ¡°It would be nice if it encouraged the soldiers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I assure you.¡± He laughed, and then Poncio¡¯s face changed like he was expecting something. ¡°I wonder when will the demons attack. I¡¯m getting tired of waiting.¡± ¡°I would be more thankful if they didn¡¯t attack. It¡¯s best if they just give up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not that I want to force you to fight.¡± I laughed and waved my hand at Poncio, who feels sorry. ¡°I know. But¡­ it looks like they¡¯re going to attack, but they¡¯re not. You like that kind of teasing play too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°N-N-No, sir! I am not looking at the demon territory and wondering if they will attack! I have never, ever thought that the moment of being attacked would be irresistible!¡± Poncio¡¯s face turned red and he denied it. At this point, one certainty was born in my mind. I had a friend who¡¯s an M in my previous life. An Expert M was amazing. He was delighted when he was blamed. Even if the other person pulls out and leaves him alone, he is pleased with the situation. No matter what he did, he was pleased. I witnessed a perpetual machine of abuse. I had no choice but to laugh at that expertness with no blind spot. When I pointed out his Masochistic behavior, he cringed and denied it¡­. I felt that same smell in Poncio. In the first place, why did he have to go to such lengths to explain¡­ I smiled at Poncio. ¡°I see.¡± CH 300 Upon returning to Antium, I decided to give the Elite Guards a few days off. I was only on the ship, but the Elite Guards were quite nervous. While I was discussing with Kiara about the organization of the information transmission, I heard footsteps. These footsteps, it¡¯s that, huh¡­ It was the Escorter Silvana. The door was opened vigorously and the calamity entered. She was fluttering a bundle of paper. ¡°Al, here is the dungeon report you¡¯ve been waiting for.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will take a look at it later¡­¡± Don¡¯t tell me, she doesn¡¯t know? Before I could ask, the Escorter Silvana waved her hand. ¡°I know. I came back from the dungeon, and when I came here, the situation was quite strange. I asked them about it, and they told me. He¡¯s a virgin. That virgin persisted in being a virgin, huh.¡± ¡°The grave will be in the capital. For now, we just keep the ashes.¡± The Escorter Silvana nodded, looked alternately at Mil and me, and then shrugged. ¡°I thought for sure that he would be the first, given his age. In terms of danger, I thought I was first. Oh, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve seen my friends die in front of my eyes a few times. And¡­¡± I observed the Escorter Silvana, and she was no different than usual. Perhaps, like me, she lacks the same grieving emotions as other people. ¡°And?¡± The Escorter Silvana shrugged her shoulders in embarrassment. ¡°I arrived here three days ago. So I¡¯ve already sorted out my feelings. If you come here and find me depressed, Mil will cry again.¡± I see, I guess I¡¯m the only one who is broken. Let¡¯s move on from such self-pity. ¡°We¡¯re putting up a statue of Teacher, so please be there for the unveiling.¡± The Escorter Silvana winks at me, as usual, without sex appeal. "" ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s pretty beautified¡­ The three of us should laugh at his statue. And while we¡¯re at it, let¡¯s have a drink in front of it and reminisce.¡± Mil, who was listening to the conversation, started laughing. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Fabio said he wasn¡¯t very good at solemn things. Let¡¯s do it.¡± If she has already sorted her feelings that much, I have nothing to say to her. ¡°I guess so. That¡¯s an unusually good suggestion from Ms. Silvana. Let¡¯s do it.¡± The Escorter Silvana nodded and held out the report. I take it and look it over. Even with all this sentimentality, I quickly switch back to reality. It¡¯s a causal thing. Then, there was a report that caught my attention. ¡°A new kind of monster?¡± The Escorter Silvana folded her arms and tilted her head. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t say that¡¯s for sure. I just have a feeling that it¡¯s a subspecies. So I need to ask Al about something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The Adventurers¡¯ Guild does a lot of research on monsters. It¡¯s a means of business, after all. So I know a scholar who specializes in researching them, but can I call him? Oh, it¡¯s okay! He¡¯s an old man.¡± No, gender is not important, though. ¡°If you¡¯re going through the trouble of asking, he must be of a certain high rank.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, there is a grandmaster at the head of the guild. Under him are the masters of each country, then the area masters, and then the branch heads. The scholar reports directly to the Grand Master. In the guild hierarchy, he is about the sixth or seventh highest-ranking person.¡± Does this Escorter Silvana actually have connections with a bigwig? ¡°Is Ms. Silvana a candidate for an executive?¡± The Escorter Silvana panicked and waved her hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s a relative of Ms. Pina¡¯s. When I reported to the guild that I had found a new dungeon, the scholar told me, via Ms. Pina, that if I found a new species, I should report it to her. If it was a new species, he said he would come and investigate.¡± Hey¡­ that¡¯s new news to me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that first?¡± The Escorter Silvana looked away at my sharp gaze. ¡°Well, I can see from Al¡¯s reaction that¡­ you don¡¯t want to let in too many bigwigs and such¡­ I knew you would never give me permission if I told you. Besides, that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean there¡¯s a new species¡­¡± Geez¡­ I don¡¯t like this kind of information blocking, though¡­ Despina would have thought that the Escorter Silvana would be the one to tell me. Perhaps, she told her to report it to me properly. So it¡¯s the Escorter Silvana who is to blame. Naturally, my gaze becomes severe. ¡°I can¡¯t just say, ¡°Oh, is that so¡­¡± when I¡¯m asked to give my consent after the fact, without any recourse.¡± the Escorter Silvana had a troubled look on her face. I think she realized she had hit my discomfort switch. ¡°Ah¡­ Sorry!¡± She put her hands together and bowed her head. Wisely, she must have known that after this, if she made a bunch of excuses, it would make me even angrier. However¡­ what should I do? I folded my arms and pondered. Before I knew it, Mil had come to stand beside the Escorter Silvana. the Escorter Silvana looked as if she expected Mil to intercede for her¡­ but her face immediately turned grim. Because Mil was angry. ¡°Vana, you can¡¯t do that. If you take advantage of Al like that, even the adventurers will underestimate him.¡± The Escorter Silvana visibly becomes smaller. Mil was in preaching mode, hands on hips. ¡°I¡¯ll tolerate you for indulging in personal matters¡­ But I won¡¯t tolerate it when it¡¯s work-related! Do you know how hard Al has been working?¡± Instead of me, Mil is mad at me. Strangely enough, my anger had subsided considerably. I smile at her as she continues her sermon. ¡°Thank you, Mil. But what has been done can¡¯t be helped.¡± The Escorter Silvana looked at me with eyes like she had been saved. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry! I¡¯ll reflect on it!¡± Mil folded her arms and looked alternately at me and the Escorter Silvana. ¡°Are you sure, Al?¡± I shrugged my shoulders with a laugh. ¡°Of course, she¡¯s penalized for deliberately withholding information. We will cut Ms. Silvana¡¯s salary in half for the next three months.¡± The Escorter Silvana looks despairing. ¡°H-Hang on a second¡­ isn¡¯t that too harsh¡­¡± "" As if to cut her off, Mil shoves a finger at the Escorter Silvana. ¡°What are you talking about? If it was a bad feudal lord, you would be beheaded or exiled!¡¡Even with all this, Al¡¯s been pretty lenient!¡± The Escorter Silvana nodded weakly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I stop smiling and become serious. ¡°Of course, I will make the punishment public. Next time, the penalty will be heavier. Anyway, let¡¯s accept the scholar. However, he must first appear before me. We have a lot of decisions to make.¡± The Escorter Silvana nodded her head and ran away. Mil was looking at her with a stern stare. Then she sighed largely. ¡°I just hope this will make her reflect a little, though¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure Ms. Despina and Mr. Gerald will be furious with her after this. She¡¯s going to be on a sermon tour for a while. I¡¯m sure it will sink in to her.¡± Mil thought for a moment, then started laughing as she imagined the future. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll let her off the hook with that then.¡± CH 301 Chapter 301 - A message only those who understand can understand The conversation about the dungeon is over for now. All that remains is to wait for the end of winter. In the meantime, the Ears¡¯ liaison handed Kiara a report. Kiara read it over and looked puzzled. Kiara handed me the report still with a puzzled look on her face. I wonder what kind of problem it is. It was a report from an agent I had dispatched to Isabeau. A merchant who has been in contact with the demon tribe is procuring weapons and food, he said. I commented carefreely. ¡°The demons seem to be moving surprisingly quickly.¡± Kiara gave a small sigh. ¡°I wonder if even Mr. Oliver couldn¡¯t keep them under control.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know which one it is yet. Please pass this information on to Sir Rossi later.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Mil shook her head, puzzled. ¡°With Mr. Fabio gone¡­and all the chaos, I wonder if they thought now would be a good time.¡± ¡°Some people might think so.¡± Mil looked a little worried. ¡°Is our preparations ready?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s perfect, but at least¡­I¡¯d say it¡¯s the bare minimum. We will do what we can to help, since Sir Oliver has taken the trouble to send us a message.¡± At my words, Mil¡¯s face turns surprised. ¡°Did he send a message?¡± ¡°This information is a kind of message. Conveying words is not the only way to send a message. If he wanted to, Sir Oliver could keep the information secret. It is a kind of message that is not hidden.¡± ¡°What kind of message? Tell us so we can understand.¡± I take a sip of my tea before answering. ¡°More likely to launch an attack. The time is after the winter. They want to get this settled as soon as possible. That¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°I understand if it¡¯s about the attack, but how do you know it¡¯s going to happen after the winter?¡± ¡°If you say you are starting procurement now, there will be a time lag. Besides, it is winter and it is hard to gather food. We can¡¯t move until after the winter is over.¡± Kiara tilted her head at my assurance. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a possibility that he leaked this information, make us think that it¡¯s after winter, and then launch a surprise attack?¡± ¡°The cold weather is still to come. Military operations in such conditions are not good for the health of the soldiers. They have already suffered a lot in the previous battle. They can¡¯t afford to further reduce the number of soldiers.¡± Kiara nodded approvingly at this explanation. But this wasn¡¯t all, and she immediately looked as if she was trying to figure out my intentions. ¡°Where can you read into this early settlement?¡± ¡°Buying in rations and weapons means they don¡¯t have enough on their own. Under such conditions, it would obviously not be good for the battle to drag on.¡± Kiara still seems unconvinced by my explanation. She is still thinking about it with her head tilted. ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be that they are buying into the idea that they don¡¯t want to prolong the process? Are they trying to make us think there is no long-term battle, and then try to make us fight while we are ill-prepared. Or, on the other hand, they may try to make us choose a long-term strategy.¡± Good point. It¡¯s so nice to hear a thoughtful question, not because I said it. It makes my mouth drop open. ¡°That¡¯s a very good question. First of all, the point about dragging people into a fight when we are unprepared, I am not the competitive type. If my opponent is unprepared, I will make it a long-term battle and wait for him to destroy himself. Sir Oliver sees through that tendency of mine.¡± There, I take a breath. I feel like I¡¯ve been drinking a lot of tea lately¡­ Oh well. I smile gently at Kiara. ¡°I guess it¡¯s about¡­ whether there is any advantage for them in me choose the long term period. There is a possibility that they will take over some of the territories and take it as a war result.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that bad?¡± I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°If you¡¯re in a place where you don¡¯t have firm control, you can give it to me. Their territory is surrounded by mountains. It makes sense at first glance to secure a way out of the bottleneck. But that would be a burden to them as a result.¡± Mil, who had been silently listening to the conversation, titled her head. ¡°A burden? I think it¡¯s to a benefit to have more land, though.¡± ¡°If you can get food and resources from that land¡­yes. You get neither there. It¡¯s just a military strategic location, but normally it¡¯s only a burden. That¡¯s why we abandoned the castle on the front line.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that give us a foothold and more options for attack?¡± ¡°Actually, not so much. Considering logistics, we have no choice but to march along the river. Even if we attack along the land, it would be difficult to maintain logistics. Even if we tried to procure supplies locally, the inhabitants have already evacuated and moved to the interior.¡± Mil folded her arms and thought about it. ¡°If we hold back the entrance, the enemy won¡¯t be able to attack us easily, so I think we¡¯d better hold them back¡­¡± Suppressing bottlenecks is the usual method of warfare. It¡¯s amazing that you know it so well. I wonder if she¡¯s actually studying it¡­ ¡°That would end up with constant skirmishing. We will bleed endlessly in minute amounts, and coexistence will be a pipe dream.¡± Mil looks surprised at my words. She has never heard of the word coexistence from me before, after all. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we can¡¯t coexist with the demons? There¡¯s the thing about the Holy Land and Mr. Kriemhild and the others.¡± I laugh meaningfully. It¡¯s not that I see into the future, but I do know some things about the future. ¡°As it stands, yes.¡± ¡°That means something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a situation that Lord Oliver fears. He doesn¡¯t have much time. So there is no way he will choose for a prolonged battle.¡± Mil and Kiara look into each other¡¯s eyes and tilted their heads. Eventually, Mil gives me a protesting look. ¡°Stop putting on airs, tell me.¡± ¡°Sir Oliver is elderly and would normally have died before me. Then you would think that the demon tribe would lose their brakes and run wild with passion, and the result would be tragic. There are also those who would be behind the scenes to stir things up. He has been struggling to find a way to defuse the situation and keep things on a realistic track. Unless Sir Oliver can find a promising young man to succeed him, he will try his best to end the battle quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he won¡¯t pick long term battles. But¡­ I just can¡¯t help but get caught up in it. The word that it¡¯s okay to give up some territory¡­the word that if we hold back the bottlenecks, the skirmishes will continue. I think Al is trying to settle everything in one battle. It¡¯s a big battle that will sweep all past disputes under the rug.¡± That¡¯s a story we¡¯ll get to, of course. That¡¯s how I was hinting at it, after all. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been trying to lure the demon tribe with that intention.¡± My cold answer made the temperature in the room seem to drop. CH 302 As usual, do I need to explain my true intentions? ¡°If a conflict is inevitable, how much damage can be minimized and what can be done about it? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s my first priority?¡± Mil raised an eyebrow. ¡°Of course I do¡­ You don¡¯t want to fight Mr. Oliver, don¡¯t you? Weren¡¯t we in agreement on that?¡± ¡°Sir Oliver says that from the standpoint of the demon tribe, he is thinking of getting the maximum benefit from it. Even if it comes to a battle, he wants to settle the conflict by settling it as a skirmish. If we were to clash seriously, there would be no chance of winning against them.¡± I looked outside without a care in the world. It doesn¡¯t snow, so I don¡¯t have a strong image of winter. Kiara¡¯s coughing sounded out such sentiments. ¡°I thought you agreed to it, but¡­ are you going to renege on it?¡± ¡°In the first place, what we agreed upon was the return of prisoners of war and an armistice. After that, nothing else was agreed upon. If the demon tribe does not start a battle, that¡¯s great, so I just gave Sir Oliver a souvenir. Of course, Sir Oliver understands that. I¡¯m sure he also knows what I¡¯m after.¡± Kiara looked puzzled. ¡°Does he that brother is going to fight the demon tribe and settle the score?¡± ¡°Of course. In my position, with all the different factors, you wouldn¡¯t expect me to just leave someone who doesn¡¯t want to coexist.¡± ¡°But, as you and Mr. Oliver have shown, you are solemnly putting up defenses without putting pressure on the demon tribe, aren¡¯t you?¡± I laughed and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s only because it¡¯s in line with my intentions, too. Personally, I think Sir Oliver is a trustworthy and likable person. But I am the lord of Ravenna. My priorities are different from those of an individual.¡± Now Mil leaned forward. ¡°What does Al want?¡± ¡°If Sir Oliver can suppress the demons from attacking, that¡¯s fine. We have no intention of attacking from our side. And I also think that fighting Sir Oliver will cause more damage. If Sir Oliver is still alive, I will avoid fighting. If he dies and the other side attacks, I will solve the problem by hitting them.¡± Mil looked at me with a determined look on her face after hanging her head for a while. ¡°What would you do if Sir Oliver attacked?¡± I didn¡¯t look away from her gaze and smiled a small smile. ¡°I can expect that they¡¯ll die in battle.¡± The whole room becomes noisy. "" Knowing how I handled things in the past, which could be called naive, I wondered if I would seem like a different person. And they all know that my expectations are not just to sit back and wait. ¡°Does Mr. Oliver know about that?¡± ¡°Of course he does. He also knows what I¡¯m trying to do. That¡¯s why he¡¯s making an effort not to fight. Even if we did, he would try to pull out before we get bogged down.¡± We both know that, and that¡¯s why we made this agreement. Ideally, I wanted someone like him as an advisor, but the world is not as it seems. I decided to go this way. And I¡¯m getting a lot of people involved. There was no room for my sentimentality from the start. I would destroy them with a single blow and bring them under my control or exile them. Otherwise, we will have to fight them for a long time. I¡¯m curious about the dragon story, but there¡¯s no way to know for sure. We can¡¯t deny it, but that doesn¡¯t mean we should sit back and watch the bloodshed continue into the future. As I was thinking about this, Kiara let out a small breath. ¡°When the fight starts, will you try to keep them from escaping?¡± ¡°If there is an opening for it¡­ yes. If they succeed in withdrawing, and once they gain a foothold, the demons will then come on strong. Knowing this, Sir Oliver does not want the territory, but it will be difficult for him to do so because of the pushback. How hard will he try and keep the demon tribe at bay? Or will he lead the clan by forceful means¡­ In any case, as long as we avoid fighting, we will stay out of it. That¡¯s about all I promised him.¡± ¡°Brother, up until now you have been very cautious in battles, not knowing how things would turn out, after all. What makes you think you can win when it comes to the demons?¡± Thank goodness we are not tainted by the myth of the undefeated. Of course, I don¡¯t believe we can win 100 percent of the time. But the odds are in our favor. ¡°First of all, we have an overwhelming advantage in logistics. The other side will have to put in a lot of effort to maintain logistics. As for armaments, we have the upper hand. In the last battle, I asked Sir Rossi to look at the enemy¡¯s armament, and he said it is average. As for the number of troops, we are also superior. These are the grounds for my decision.¡± I¡¯m probably the first person to be so, so confident. Everyone looked at each other. Mil looked worried. ¡°Al¡­ are you forcing yourself? It feels a lot different than it has in the past.¡± I shrugged my shoulders in response to her concern. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing myself. I just have a lot of things to think about.¡± For now, time should be on our side. But what the Teacher told me about God and the apostles. I can¡¯t get it out of my mind. If we continue as we have been doing, there is a possibility that we will not make it in time. We are not yet ready for that moment¡­ I can¡¯t tell this story to anyone. I just have to hold it and keep running. And I don¡¯t want to disappoint Teacher. CH 303 Nothing much has changed since that day. It seems that they thought that my state of mind had changed because of the teacher¡¯s death. I guess you could call it a change in my state of mind. I don¡¯t think things have been particularly tense between me and Mil. She seems to be more concerned about my condition than before. Then, a scholar from the guild came to see me. He was in his 40s, had brown hair and brown eyes, and seemed a little nervous. He was fair-skinned and thin, just like a scholar. His eyes were sharp and intelligent. ¡°My name is Patrick Kunou. Thank you for allowing me to conduct this investigation.¡± ¡°I am Alfredo Della Scala, the feudal lord. I understand you are here to investigate a new species.¡± ¡°Yes, I heard that it is a new species. I had to check it out.¡± I had questions than judgments about new species and the like. ¡°By the way, I would like to ask you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How are monsters born?¡± Patrick looked at me seriously, but then started laughing with amusement. ¡°You¡¯re an amusing person. It¡¯s the first time. I¡¯ve never been asked such a fundamental question. With all due respect, I¡¯ll tell you all I know about ¡­¡­¡± Oh ¡­¡­ did it. My face naturally relaxed. ¡°Please tell me.¡± Patrick coughs and his face turns serious. ¡°There are two main species of monsters. Those that have been mutated by excessive magic flowing into an existing creature. This is classified as a mutant species, but it is the most numerous. The other is one that occurs naturally in places where special magical power is stagnant. This is classified as a natural species, and seems to be found only in certain areas and dungeons. There are only a few in number and variety, but some of them have been confirmed to be powerful. Because of their strength, they seem to be bound to their territories, and their behavior in places outside of these territories has not been recorded.¡± ¡°I kind of understand mutation. But I don¡¯t get what spontaneous generation is. Magic is manifested by the collision of natural magic and internal magic. I don¡¯t understand how a living being can be created by natural magic alone.¡± Patrick nodded in amusement. ¡°Very impressive indeed. I¡¯ve never seen an aristocrat who could connect that much with a theory. I¡¯m going to have to get serious about explaining this.¡± Patrick¡¯s smile turned into a straight face. ¡°The key to spontaneous generation is the direction of the magic. Even natural magic fluctuates in a direction depending on the region and environment. The places where monsters naturally occur are the places where that direction fluctuates and collides. And the magical power that overflows from that collision, combined with various factors, gives birth to monsters.¡± ¡°So there are all kinds of factors. But if you want to generate matter, you need a lot of magical power.¡± Patrick nodded vigorously, as if he had just received a message of agreement. ¡°The collision of natural magic is a tremendous force. It¡¯s not as powerful as the Apostles, but we¡¯re not even close enough to it. If the collision takes place in a cemetery, undead will be created, and when new corpses are formed there, the number and types of corpses will increase again. If left unchecked, more and more powerful monsters will be created. Some types evolve, too. Natural species have the property of disturbing the direction of the magic, and they give birth to even more new natural species.¡± ¡°I see. By the way, in the case of the undead, does magic flow into the corpse? Ghosts, for example, react to the residue of souls from before they were born.¡± Patrick bursts out laughing, as if he were really enjoying himself. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯d love to spend an evening talking about it. I¡¯d like to talk about it when I¡¯m done with this investigation. This case is probably a natural species. Since this region is undeveloped, I¡¯m naturally guessing that it¡¯s unique ¡­¡­¡± I nodded my head as vigorously as I could, imagining a pleasant future for me, too. ¡°I would love to talk with you about it. It¡¯s an interesting story. I have so many questions.¡± Patrick¡¯s smile changed to a straight face. He has a serious face when it comes to discussions and explanations. ¡°I have a feeling the nature of the magic in the Ravenna region is different from the rest.¡± ¡°Different?¡± ¡°Yes. Not at the level of being able to present it ¡­¡­ And unconsciously, people are drawn to the magic they prefer. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ¡­¡­ irrelevant that this region has become a refuge for all sorts of people.¡± Again, magic here ¡­¡­ Come to think of it, this world is based on magic. When it is said that it is also related to the movement of people, I get it. ¡°You are absolutely right. I, too, have been curious about the peculiarities of this region.¡± ¡°Hoh, so you were curious. Living creatures, large and small, feel the power of nature¡¯s magic. It is said that migratory birds fly with the help of natural magic. It is said that the unconscious good and bad one feels about a place is its compatibility with this natural magical force. It is believed that the reason why many people feel nostalgic for their birthplace is because they are familiar with the natural magic of their hometown. Some people will be subconsciously drawn here.¡± It¡¯s a very tricky subject. Do migratory birds rely on natural magic? I guess this world is all about magic. ¡°Is there not much research being done on the magical power that affects the world to that extent?¡± It¡¯s a true impression. Patrick shrugged, nodding at my words. ¡°There¡¯s no direct benefit to studying it.¡± I looked up above involuntarily. ¡°That¡¯s because your research is shallow. If you do a thorough study, the benefits will be tremendous.¡± ¡°Does Lord Alfred not support research?¡± ¡°If anyone wants to, I will support them.¡± Patrick¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Hoho¡­¡­ then, when I leave the guild, maybe I¡¯ll have Lord Alfred support me in my research.¡± You don¡¯t sound as if you¡¯re joking. ¡°Magic is like the source of the world. If we can utilize it effectively, the world will become a much better place. Of course, there will be some harmful effects that come with it. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Harmful effects, huh. That¡¯s a very interesting view.¡± ¡°I believe that overuse of anything can be harmful. I can¡¯t say exactly how, but ¡­¡­ If you keep cutting down trees in the forest, the forest will die, right? It¡¯s a similar story.¡± Patrick folded his arms and pondered. ¡°I see. So you think there is a basic principle to everything ¡­¡­ Very interesting indeed. You are too good to be a feudal lord. If you were a civilian, I would have scouted you out as a researcher for the guild.¡± We laughed at each other, but is there is a basic principle to everything, huh? Does God operate on such principles, too? The only thing I know about God is that thing, after all. Do people¡¯s wishes also become magical power? If so, it would be nice if a few more people could be saved. After a heated discussion with Patrick, I sat in my office and pondered the world once again. CH 304 A few days after the pleasant meeting, a report came. An emergency, huh¡­ ¡°My lord! I have a report! The demon tribe has attacked. The construction workers were attacked and many were killed. Sir Rossi is on his way to help!¡± The whole room became noisy. Was I in a hurry somewhere, or was I being a bit arrogant. I was tripped up brilliantly. I tried to hide my inner shock and feigned calmness. ¡°I understood. I will wait for further information.¡± After the messenger leaves in a hurry, I look at Kiara. Kiara nodded at that. ¡°An urgent strategy meeting. I will convene it as soon as possible.¡± I nod silently. And in my head, I kept repeating the question to myself. The cabinet, except Charles, Oracio and Prytanis gathered. They were all looking at me uneasily. I opened my mouth in an indifferent tone. ¡°I think you have heard the general report. We were ambushed by the demon tribe. All plans for inspection will be canceled and we are moving to the emergency system.¡± Everyone nodded. As it was, I opened my heavy mouth. ¡°This time¡¯s surprise attack is my fault. I will take responsibility for this later¡­ but for now, let¡¯s focus on getting through this attack in a united front.¡± Oracio shook his head at my statement. ¡°None of us intends to hold my lord accountable. And all of us are willing to help. What should we do?¡± ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, but responsibility for the consequences needs to be clarified. The first thing we need to do is shift to the emergency system of governance that we have been planning for some time. Then we will wait for Sir Rossi¡¯s report.¡± After some minor adjustments, the meeting was adjourned. Even if I had given the reason for the earlier decision at the meeting, it would have amounted to nothing more than self-pity. For now, it was important to keep a calm mind and not let the commotion spread to everyone. I returned to my room and sat down on my bed, feeling exhausted. I guess Mil and Kiara are worried about me. It was just the three of us in the room, as usual. I shake my head. ¡°Looks like I was being arrogant. I kept saying that the other guy is a thinker too, and here we are. As expected, I hate myself.¡± Rather than mend, he revealed his uncool but honest feelings. I thought I should do that to the two people who had supported me up to now. Mil and Kiara sat on either side of me, as usual. Mil peered at me with a worried look on his face. ¡°I knew Al had been acting a little strange lately. But things have been going on¡­ I won¡¯t say that Al is not to blame for what happened. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want me to say that. So let¡¯s make up for it together.¡± Kiara shook my hand. ¡°Yes¡­ for the first time, I saw your brother fail. But there have been many people who have been saved up until now, haven¡¯t there? It would be strange to think that everything you have done would be negated because of this. After making a mistake, it is important to reflect on it and what you will do in the future¡­that¡¯s what my brother taught me. So, what you¡¯re going to do now is what¡¯s important. I will do whatever I can to help.¡± I sighed deeply. ¡°Thank you, both of you. You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t have time for self-pity¡­ They¡¯ve taken the lead, but we haven¡¯t lost yet.¡± Having said that, I still haven¡¯t reorganized my feelings. After all, I had not grown much since my reincarnation. But¡­ even if I myself have not progressed, the environment around me is different. Kiara¡¯s grip on my hand tightened. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Oliver got me there. If we rush in here, we¡¯ll be right where they want us. First, let¡¯s confirm the situation.¡± ¡°He¡¯s amazing to take one point from brother. Is he really a wise man in the true sense of the word?¡± I couldn¡¯t suppress a helpless laugh. ¡°Logically, I was not wrong. It was irrational to deviate from it. It was irrational, that¡¯s why he chose to do it. I overlooked something as simple as that.¡± Mil gave me a small smile. ¡°So, what do you think Mr. Oliver¡¯s next move will be?¡± Thankfully, she¡¯s thinking about how I can get back on my feet. I smile at the mill. ¡°He¡¯ll shake me down, make me dysfunctional. He¡¯ll try to shake me up so I can¡¯t think of a plan, until we come to a truce. Maybe¡­¡± Once you fail, you become a coward. You wonder if it¡¯s right¡­ if you¡¯ve overlooked something or made an assumption, and you¡¯re stuck in a swamp of doubt. If I were alone, I would have been stuck. Now I have someone to pull me out of the swamp. If I don¡¯t repay that hand for it, there is no point in living. I changed my expression and silently thought over the situation. Then I came to a conclusion. I looked over at the two of them and opened my mouth. ¡°A surprise attack on the capital.¡± Mil and Kiara¡¯s faces went from surprised to serious right away. Kiara smiles at me. ¡°You¡¯ve been thinking about this possibility for some time. Do you have a plan in place to deal with it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have one. I have left the means in place to protect the capital. I will leave it in the hands of Robert and Magali.¡± Kiara smiled meaningfully. ¡°Certainly, that sounds fine. And we¡¯ve left the Knight¡¯s Order behind.¡± Mil also began to laugh. ¡°Yes, and there¡¯s no way they can attack the capital with everything they¡¯ve got.¡± I¡¯m feeling much better now. My heart was a little lighter, too. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s impossible. So we¡¯ll concentrate on fighting Oliver out front.¡± ¡°I wonder if Mr. Oliver was planning to outwit Al from the beginning.¡± I laughed and shook my head. ¡°No, I think he saw me and made his call. He was cleverly taking advantage of his disciple¡¯s defeat and pretending to be dead in order to catch him off guard. I was completely taken in.¡± ¡°I wonder if Mr. Oliver sees a way to win?¡± It should not be that clear. I shook my head quietly. ¡°At least he thinks there¡¯s a chance if they can make me dysfunctional and unsure of myself. It¡¯s a surprise attack to overturn a disadvantage. From here on out, it¡¯s a guessing game with me. We¡¯ll be fighting each other with no scenario.¡± ¡°Up until now, Al has been able to make a plan and lead them there, but he can¡¯t do that this time.¡± I smiled at Mil and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°This time we had to improvise and make the right move. Don¡¯t worry, I have a good chance of winning.¡± Kiara peeks at me. ¡°What kind of odds?¡± ¡°I told you before, didn¡¯t I? The age difference.¡± Mil and Kiara looked at each other and gave a tight smile. I guess they couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of a bad move I would make. But I don¡¯t have any great tricks up my sleeve. I¡¯m dealing with a wise man. If I try anything elaborate, he will easily dodge it. I will be caught off guard if I only feign normalcy. In the true sense of the word, it is necessary to be calm in the face of the opponent. CH 305 The next day, another messenger rushed into the office. ¡°I have a report! Sir Rossi has completed the rescue of the wounded and is on his way. The current known casualty is 63 dead and 122 wounded. Enemy forces are positioned midway between Mantova and Antium and are building defensive positions. That is all for the report!¡± ¡°Thank you for the hard work. Please tell Sir Rossi to come here as soon as he arrives.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± After watching the messenger leave, I ponder. The reason why he had set up the battle in a way that left a lasting impression was a mystery to me. Is Oliver losing his standing? Or had he lost control of their outburst? Then again, was this also a plan to win? There¡¯s not much information¡­ The army escorting the injured returned to the town. The town is in an uproar, but the injured are being treated without any major problems, since the Minister of Public Health, Ardelheid, had given instructions on how to deal with them in advance. Of course, the macho was there, too¡­ But now, I don¡¯t have time to worry about that. A little later, Charles arrived in the conference room. He bowed lightly and sat down. He sipped the tea served to him without any sign of panic. It¡¯s nice to know that he is calm. Here, if the person in charge of military affairs is flustered, everyone will be restless. Everyone is a bit flustered, but I sip my tea along with Charles. Charles looked at me with a sideways glance and gave me a small smile. After taking a breath, Charles looked around at everyone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting. First of all, let me give you an update on the current situation. The report of casualties has not changed. The enemy is positioned in a triangle between Mantova and Antium. It seems that they will build a defensive position there and send a detachment to Mantova to attack the castle. The total number of the enemy is estimated to be about 1,500. If you think about it normally, that would be almost the entire army of the demon tribe.¡± There were that many of them? I had estimated that even if they could move them, it would only be about 1,000¡­ I guess they stopped before we had any information. I¡¯ll reflect on that later. I have a question for Charles. ¡°Sir Rossi, was the enemy in control?¡± Who is at the top, that¡¯s what I want to know first. If we make the wrong initial response, the frontline will expand unnecessarily. There, it is unlikely that we will be able to disguise ourselves. Charles folded his arms in thought. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a leap of faith. If they had been more clever, we would have suffered more damage. The damage was sparse from place to place, so it seems that they did not attack only one place to make an example of us.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but fold my arms. ¡°I see¡­ How does Sir Rossi see the future unfolding?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. As expected, Antium and Mantova can¡¯t be dropped by momentum alone. It seems that they will make a formation and wait to see how we will react.¡± I guess it¡¯s the same from a professional¡¯s point of view. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± They all looked at each other. Normally, I would be the one to come up with a plan of action. Charles took one look at me and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to fight someone who has a lot of momentum right now. They seem to be in a frenzy, intoxicated by the fruits of what they call victory, even if it is a surprise attack.¡± As I thought¡­ I can throw the whole thing away¡­but the situation caught me by surprise. I¡¯m in a city that can be called the front line, and I¡¯m not sure if I should just leave it to them to spread anxiety¡­ It is good to make the enemy think that I am losing confidence. But it is not good if my allies think so. "" ¡°For me, I think it¡¯s best to stand firm on the defensive and watch for opportunities.¡± Charles nodded, looking satisfied. ¡°Thank goodness that my lord is calm. I, for one, am not inclined to get into a fistfight with a drunk, after all.¡± I nodded and looked around at everyone. ¡°Normally, you would have all returned to the capital after your inspection before the battle started. However, after the attack, it was no longer possible to return everyone to the capital. If people think that ¡°only the leaders evacuated to the capital, where they would be safe,¡± we would be in serious trouble. So we will not move from here until this battle is over. Any complaints or accusations will be heard when it is over.¡± I look around at all of them. They are all nodding their heads. As if representing them all, Kiara is puffed up her chest proudly. ¡°Rather than that, he would rather refuse if they ask him to run away. I¡¯m sure my brother would never evacuate.¡± Mil and Kiara would not run away even if I asked them to¡­ Right now, there is still room for all of them. What will happen when the battle is prolonged and there is no more mental space? It is easier to convince them if they are prepared. What if they are involved¡­ Now is not the time to think about that. I need to pull all of that together and deal with it as my responsibility. As it was, the meeting ended with a review of the current situation. At one point, Charles informed the meeting that he was unable to attend. It would be foolish to drag my feet at the meeting when I would need to make an immediate decision. The next few days are standoffish, of course. In the midst of all this, there was a report from the capital. It was a report from Robert. On first reading, there was an attack on the capital, as expected. It was a small-scale attack from the sea. The Tarkwinio led the attack and repulsed it. It was not even a navy yet, but a hastily built navy was created by commandeering small boats from the surrounding area. Since the opponent¡¯s ships were medium-sized at best, they surrounded it with their small boats and then raid them. The enemy numbered about 100 men. We captured the enemy ship and took 60 prisoners. The rest were killed in action. I looked through the report I was most concerned about. The number of dead on our side was 9. Twenty-three injured. We decided to announce this in the official gazette. Basically, we do not hide information. In times of anxiety, it is the lack of information that further amplifies the anxiety. There are those who get even more bent out of shape and make a fuss, but that doesn¡¯t mean it is foolish not to release information. When I put the information out, there were cheers in the square. I hope everyone calms down. In the midst of all this, Charles called me over to the ramparts. The ramparts are about 10 meters high. Charles was waiting for me at the top. I was out of breath going up the stairs. Charles was watching me with a grin on his face. ¡°I thought it might be a good idea to get some exercise once in a while. As soon as you¡¯re ready.¡± "" ¡°Did you call me all the way down here to give me exercise?¡± Charles chuckled and pointed in the direction of the enemy. In the distance, I can see the enemy camp. With the naked eye, I can only see something. Then Charles held out something like a pair of glasses to me. ¡°What are these?¡± ¡°We asked Miss Rebecca to create this for us individually. It can be used to simulate the far-sightedness of the winged tribe. Of course, it is not as good as the real thing.¡± When did you create this¡­ Silently, I accept the glasses and look at the area he points to. Suddenly my vision narrows and I have a momentary headache. When I strained my eyes a little more, I could see something, though vaguely. As I focused my attention even more, I could see it more clearly. A demon tribe in splendid clothes and¡­ a cat tribesmen¡­? A voice leaked out. ¡°No way¡­¡± I hear Charles¡¯ astonished voice. ¡°I can¡¯t see her face, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s Suzana. She seems to have taken them in well.¡± Only then did I truly regret leaving that thing alone. CH 306 I silently returned the glasses, or something like that, to Charles. Charles took them silently, but observed me curiously. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± ¡°Nothing special. There is no change at all in our policy of waiting for the right moment.¡± Charles smiled at me and bowed. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I¡¯m sure he was planning to stop me if I got angry and my mind turned to attack. It¡¯s impossible to let personal feelings affect the lives of so many people. If it were just one person, I would make a decision based on profit and loss and personal feelings alone. We have lost one admonisher, but we still have one person left. Deep down, I was very grateful. I could understand why Taizong Li Shimin mourned the loss of Wei Zheng. When I mentioned Suzana¡¯s presence at the strategy meeting, everyone was in an uproar. Then I looked around at everyone. ¡°We now understood one of the reasons for the surprise attack. However, this is only about the cause, not about how to deal with the situation from now on. I just want to say that it will not affect our policy of waiting for the right moment.¡± At my declaration, Governor Oracio silently raised his hand. I nodded in silence. ¡°Then why are you making the announcement here?¡± ¡°One is to share information. The other is to prevent people from becoming so angry with her that they appeal for an unnecessary attack.¡± ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°First of all, what does the other party knows? I believe we have been winning with my strategy so far. If they want to eliminate that advantage, they will either anger me or make me lose confidence. Then I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll think that if they piss everyone off on top of that, they can take advantage of it¡­¡± Everyone fell silent. I continued my explanation. ¡°What can they do to make me angry or lose confidence¡­ It¡¯s simple: do what I¡¯ve always avoided doing. In other words, to make a victim, in vain. And how to make them all angry? To make it clear to them that this is someone else¡¯s conspiracy, that this is the object of their anger.¡± Everyone is silent. Then Abraham folds his arms and murmurs. ¡°That¡¯s it with Suzana. But I don¡¯t think they know that now, do they?¡± ¡°Soon, she will reveal himself. That¡¯s why I made it public here.¡± Mil, who had been thinking about it, looked as if something had occurred to her. ¡°If I had known from the beginning, I wouldn¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m very angry right now, but¡­¡± I chuckle to Mil. I mean ¡°too close¡±. ¡°My men and citizens would be angry if they were informed of this. And then the push to attack will begin. Then we will be forced to attack. If that happens, we are at their mercy.¡± Mil looked up above and sighed at my words. ¡°I was surprised she thought that far ahead¡­¡± Immediately after that, she smiled at me. ¡°But I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re back to your normal routine.¡± They all looked at me with grins on their faces, too. I guess I should stop them from making a habit of using me as an amusement device. Anyway, I cleared my throat and change the subject. ¡°I had one more concern that I wanted to bring to everyone¡¯s attention. The citizens are going to be under a lot of stress from now on. And that brings up one problem.¡± I cut off my words. Oracio, who is entrusted with the governance of Antium, leans forward. ¡°What¡¯s that, it¡¯s not a waste of time, is it?¡± I chuckled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll think that we should all work together to get through this. Then there will be a tendency to desperately seek out and beat up anyone who doesn¡¯t cooperate, even if only a little. If it goes too far, society as a whole will spiral out of control. They will begin to exclude anyone who is even slightly different from them. The end result is an intolerant society. An intolerant society that doesn¡¯t discriminate against races is a bad joke.¡± Everyone was taken aback by a story that had nothing to do with war. Even Kiara looked puzzled. ¡°B-Brother. Even I, with the highest degree, don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°In conclusion, it¡¯s after we won. You must think it is strange to talk about such things before we win. But I can¡¯t give in to this talk because it is a matter of fundamental importance to our society.¡± ¡°So please explain it step by step.¡± Kiara said, but she was too quick or took out her notes. Hey, hey¡­ I cleared my throat once. ¡°First of all, you know how we hit people who don¡¯t cooperate?¡± They all look at each other. I would think that a former tribal chief would have some experience in this area¡­ Touko tilted his head. ¡°It¡¯s true¡­ sometimes there are people who do things without permission. We will warn them and that will be the end of it. If they still don¡¯t obey, we¡¯ll settle it by persuasion and fistfight.¡± ¡°As expected of the chief who solves the problem. Wouldn¡¯t someone who isn¡¯t in that position try to settle things?¡± This time, Abraham folded his arms. ¡°Sure, there was that. It saved us a lot of trouble. The person who solved the problem was not benefiting in any way, so I was very grateful.¡± ¡°Then didn¡¯t that person continue to talk and escalate in content from then on?¡± Abraham stopped moving. Bingo. ¡°How did you know? You speak as if you¡¯ve seen it all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about a trait that is primarily in the social organism. The instinct to do social justice is quite powerful. Solving a problem gives you a tremendous amount of pleasure. It¡¯s like a drug. Once a person gets to know this pleasure, nothing is ever enough. And then they start desperately looking for deviant behavior in search of pleasure.¡± Abraham shook his head, hard. ¡°So it escalates¡­ And because you¡¯re ¡®doing the right thing,¡¯ you can¡¯t stop it.¡± ¡°The one being in the world who desires blood the most is ¡®justice¡¯. I¡¯ve never heard of righteous self-control. Evil has the self-control to avoid destruction.¡± That¡¯s why I hate the word justice. And even before my reincarnation, there was plenty of it. During wartime, similar to this case, they would denounce them as unpatriotic. Before my reincarnation, political correctness and the **** police were the same kinds of thing. I thought the internet flames were pretty close to that. Wide shows were also selling this drug to get ratings. When exposed to stress, these things come to the surface as an outlet to relieve it. Sucking up is one of the fundamental pleasures of human beings. Touko began to growl. ¡°Even within the police force, we sometimes joke that nothing is ever enough¡­ Could it be dangerous?¡± I shook my head. ¡°The police have discipline and penalties. They are also expected to exercise restraint as protectors of the public, so the occasional joke is not something that should be tolerated. That¡¯s exactly the kind of joke that people will be desperate to find. In the end, it¡¯s all about tolerance for others.¡± Anyway, back to the story. ¡°By the way, that escalator must have been quite disliked.¡± Abraham nodded. ¡°Yes, and eventually they began to object to joining up. Maybe they were afraid of the change in social norms. As a result, he led my attack and after it failed, he fled. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s dead or alive.¡± ¡°The person was probably shunned by society to begin with. Such people are always under stress. They cling to justice as an escape. And if the stress were on all of them in an emergency situation, like a war¡­¡± Abraham looked above. ¡°When a lot of people hang on¡­. and those who know the pleasure of it will look for more¡­ is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Yes, not all of them. But there will certainly be an increase in addiction to justice. Especially now that we, the establishment, have given our endorsement. That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.¡± Mil looks as if she has just had an epiphany. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s possible that Al doesn¡¯t simply denounce people as bad or no good¡­ To avoid this.¡± I smiled at Mil. ¡°Correct. It may seem frustrating or¡­ simpering, though. If I assert or readily deny something, you will not accept it. But as far as discrimination against beastmen is concerned, it is deep-rooted, so I dared to affirm it. I was going to suppress that too if it went too far.¡± They all look at me with astonished eyes. Only Kiara is taking notes intently and mumbling something. ¡°I knew it¡­ my brother¡­ because he¡¯s brother¡­ that he¡¯s so wonderful¡­¡± Stop that mystery theory¡­ CH 307 As the standoff continues, we have decided to focus on counterintelligence as well. In other words, the elimination of familiars. This was left to the demons. This is not my responsibility, but when I asked Kriemhild to do it, she gladly accepted. The standoff continued for a month. Winter had passed its peak, and the weather was getting warmer. Then, a request for help arrived from Mantova. There, I had a top-secret meeting with Charles. Charles remains reluctant throughout. ¡°A rescue request¡­ now that is difficult. If we go to the rescue, the main body of the enemy will swoop down on the rescue team.¡± ¡°If we go in full force to help them, they will probably attack the thinly spread Antium.¡± ¡°Then shall we refuse?¡± I nodded. ¡°Tell them there is no room for rescue in my name. Besides, the enemy¡¯s attack on Mantova will be a diversion.¡± ¡°Certainly, if we were to drop that thing, we would have to push very hard with all our might. Even so, the enemy casualties would be considerable. But I am sure that the enemy is aware that we will not come to their rescue, and that we will make them lose faith in my lord.¡± That¡¯s exactly right. I shrugged my shoulders at the point. ¡°I¡¯m sure. Certainly, trust is necessary to stabilize society¡­ We can¡¯t help it if we lose it. Let me take care of the ill will toward me.¡± Charles stared at me intently, but eventually shrugged his shoulders in resignation. ¡°I am not sure what I can do except sit back and watch as my lord is dragged through the mud. It cannot be helped.¡± ¡°We have supplies for Mantova, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a long way to go, but it¡¯s the result of my lord¡¯s enthusiasm for water transportation.¡± I chuckled. I didn¡¯t think it would come in handy here. ¡°I wonder how the enemy is resupplying.¡± ¡°We are gathering information through familiar and other means. So far, everything seems to be fine. Supplies are being sent regularly. Perhaps they are building a depot.¡± A collection base is a weak point, though¡­ The enemy will be keeping a tight rein on them. ¡°Find out where the base is and what it looks like. We can¡¯t move right now, though.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± As for the rescue, it needs to be explained on the strategy meeting. ¡°Mantova has asked for help¡­but we have declined.¡± I¡¯m sure Oracio will be concerned about his son. He could have pressed me, but he is holding back. ¡°If it is my lord¡¯s decision, I will follow it. Poncio will understand that.¡± I bowed my head to Oracio in gratitude. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your complaints after it¡¯s done. For now, I thank you for following my policy.¡± Oracio shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯ve done so far. I have nothing to complain about. Besides, I know that it is my lord who is suffering the most in this situation.¡± I¡¯m not very good at this kind of trust. I can¡¯t help but scratch my head. ¡°The enemy doesn¡¯t seem to be as short of food as I thought. It may take some time.¡± Touko looked at me when I said that. ¡°How long do you estimate it will take?¡± ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. We are waiting for the enemy to run out of rations. If we go easy, we will capture their retreat when they run out of rations and pursue them. It is not a strange strategy or anything. When the enemy retreats, difficulties await.¡± Ardelheid nodded her head. ¡°Your opponent didn¡¯t get sick, even though it¡¯s winter. Is it a tribal trait?¡± Kriemhild looks bitter at her words. ¡°No matter how resistant you are to disease, in the middle of winter, if you stay outside, you will catch a cold. Their accommodations are only tents, right? I¡¯m sure many people will be skilled in the art of healing from their experience fighting monsters. And¡­¡± Kriemhild clammed up. Is this a very sensitive topic? When she noticed my gaze, Kriemhild nodded with a determined look on her face. ¡°How were the demon tribe originally born¡­ That¡¯s where the story starts. It is said that the demon tribe was originally derived from people. They were born in an area where monsters were prone to occur, so they were thought to be relatives of monsters and were hostile to humans.¡± I guess it¡¯s all in the name¡­ ¡°I suppose not. It seems more like a human being.¡± At my words, Kriemhild gave a sarcastic laugh. ¡°To be correct, it¡¯s something between a monster and a human. As time went by, it became closer and closer to humans. It is true that they have a high affinity with monsters. So my initial suspicions of humans were not unfounded.¡± You¡¯re talking about the root of the problem. But what does it have to do with this story? ¡°What do monsters have to do with this case?¡± "" ¡°Because of their affinity, many of the materials used from monsters can be used as food. And monsters do not get sick. By taking more of them, they become more resistant to disease.¡± Is this one of the reasons why the demon tribe is at the source of the monsters? But there must be a reason it¡¯s not more widespread. At my glance, Kriemhild gave a small laugh. ¡°There are disadvantages, of course. They become more like monsters¡­ in other words, they lose their human characteristics. Their sense of reason will also decline, and their ability to procreate will also drop.¡± So it¡¯s like a forbidden drug¡­ ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be bad to feed them that?¡± ¡°But if the tribe is in danger of extinction, that would be a different story. It can be said that the crisis stirred up such a sense of crisis. Besides, the symptoms will subside with time. Symptoms like the addiction you mentioned the other day will occur, though.¡± I folded my arms and thought about it. ¡°That was new to me. So you are saying that an epidemic of the disease is not likely to occur. Oh¡­by the way, I don¡¯t blame Ms. Kriemhild for telling this information for the first time. There are things you don¡¯t want to tell anyone. And I forbid you from talking about this subject.¡± Certainly, there is certainly some talk of blaming you for not telling the information. But this¡­ is because I didn¡¯t ask first myself. Kriemhild looked at them all and then bowed her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it¡­ but it wasn¡¯t easy for me to tell you that I was related to a monster.¡± Oracio stopped it with his hand before I could open my mouth. ¡°No, we don¡¯t blame you. I¡¯m sure my lord would say you did a good job.¡± I just chuckled. Instead, I would be forced to rethink my strategy for the future. ¡°If not by any means, the food supply of the demon tribe is plentiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kriemhild chuckles. ¡°Yes, monsters naturally arise¡­ We cannot expect for them to run out of food for their troops.¡± I scratched my head. ¡°If eating too much reduces their ability to reason, it might make it harder for them to command and control as an army¡­¡± They are brilliantly predictable. "" My pride in not frantically searching for information is punishing me here. That¡¯s how I felt. CH 308 After the strategy meeting, we return to our room. It¡¯s just the two of us in the room. I sit down in a chair. Mil sits down next to me and leans against me. This is a usual scene, but Mil seems to be in a bad mood a little. ¡°Ms. Kriemhild, I know, but¡­ I wonder if she couldn¡¯t have told Al a little earlier. It¡¯s important information, isn¡¯t it?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. I don¡¯t feel like getting angry when someone else gets angry on my behalf. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I guess it was a story she would have taken to her grave if she could have.¡± ¡°Still, you¡¯re fighting the demon tribe, so you¡¯d have to be crazy not to know about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But it¡¯s no use saying it now¡­¡± Mil seems to be still angry. ¡°I know it¡¯s inevitable. But¡­¡± I put my finger over her mouth. ¡°In times like this, all I can think about is how to keep everyone together.¡± She gently grabs my finger and pulls it away from her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not like everyone¡¯s scattered, right?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about now. I¡¯m talking about the future. What I¡¯m going to do now is to cover the mud my men will get in for their blunder.¡± Mil looked down a little and thought about something. ¡°Do you want her to owe you?¡± ¡°No. If I blame her for being bad, if I fail to tell her in the first place, she¡¯ll never be able to talk to me again. I don¡¯t want that¡­ At least, if we muddle through together, there won¡¯t be any doubts or fears in the future. Besides¡­¡± Mil stared at me. It seems that her anger has not subsided yet. ¡°The main reason is that I didn¡¯t listen to her properly in the first place. I should have listened to her when we were fighting the demons.¡± ¡°But if you say that, she has to ask you everything in detail, right? It¡¯s impossible to do that. Al is always too strict with himself.¡± I wonder if that is the cause of Mil¡¯s anger. ¡°I¡¯m not really aware of that. This time I don¡¯t feel like blaming her because of my fault.¡± Mil suddenly pinched my thigh hard. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t blame others for anything, and that¡¯s one of the good things about Al. But it¡¯s also not good that you go overboard. That¡¯s what Al always says.¡± I always say that balance is the key. But I don¡¯t have any words to reply when you say that. ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s really hard to find the right balance.¡± Mil stared at me and then sighed in resignation. ¡°You really can¡¯t fix this one flaw, really. I hope you¡¯re not too nice and spoil everyone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a nice person. The reason I look that way has to do with a major flaw I¡¯m aware of.¡± Mil looked at me with a slightly stern expression on her face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My nature is a terrible thing. I am selfish, arrogant, and ruthless. Such flaws are not conducive to what I¡¯m trying to do. So I try to control it. It¡¯s a difficult balancing act, because there is so much that is broken in me as a person¡­ When I correct my flaws, if I do too much, it¡¯s just enough for people to see me as a good person. That¡¯s how I see it.¡± I didn¡¯t want to talk about this stuff, but this is how worried they are about me and how seriously they are mad at me. So I felt like telling her how I really feel. Mil stared at me and gave a small sigh. ¡°That¡¯s how you belittle yourself¡­ But I guess you can¡¯t stop thinking like that. You¡¯ve told me how you really feel, so I¡¯ll let you off the hook this time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful for that. When Mil gets angry on my behalf like this, I realize that I¡¯m going too far. That¡¯s why I¡¯m very grateful for that.¡± She glared at me with a stern look. ¡°I know that. You always try to cover it up by saying that¡­¡± After that, her eyes went from serious to normal, and she let out a small sigh. ¡°No one is hiding anything anymore¡­¡± There is the biggest reason why I can¡¯t strongly blame Kriemhild. She is hiding the fact that I am an apostle. I couldn¡¯t blame her because of that. ¡°Maybe. And if there¡¯s a need, everyone will talk to me.¡± ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°By now, the enemy is probably making plans. But time will tell. The further into the future I go, the less accurate my predictions will be and the more I will have to rework them. Besides, the longer it takes, the less tense the soldiers will be. That¡¯s what I¡¯m aiming for. That¡¯s where I¡¯ll be able to take advantage of them.¡± Mil looked at me and smiled. ¡°I guess the normal Al is back. I feel safer watching Al as usual.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯ll point out to me in the future if you think I¡¯m acting strange. I didn¡¯t notice the self-conceit myself.¡± Mil looked a little offended. ¡°I guess so, I always thought Al would be fine¡­ This time I realized that you¡¯re not perfect either. So next time, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± Mil nodded, then her face changed like she realized something. ¡°Come to think of it, I wonder what¡¯s going on with Mr. Oliver.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but I think he¡¯s imprisoned. I think he¡¯s only giving advice on what to do when the fight becomes inevitable.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°The demon tribe would probably find Sir Oliver¡¯s knowledge and wisdom valuable. I think they¡¯ll make some use of it. And he must be well-liked. If they kill him, there will be a lot of unrest. They wouldn¡¯t be able to attack with an entire army.¡± Mir looked a little relieved. ¡°Well¡­ He seems like a nice guy, and I wouldn¡¯t want someone like that to die.¡± That¡¯s an excellent first impression. ¡±However, if we defeat the current demon tribe, there is a possibility that he will be killed. If the demon tribe wins, he won¡¯t be killed.¡± ¡°If they lose? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a simple story, and the quickest way for those in power to tighten up when they lose or fail is to execute the opposing party.¡± Mil looked sad. ¡°It¡¯s a terrible story¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a terrible story, but it¡¯s a common one. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m not going to let the people who are coming now off the hook so easily.¡± My voice changes, and Mil¡¯s face turns surprised. ¡°You¡¯re not going to let them go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a concrete plan yet. My blunder cost them. I¡¯m partly to blame, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to let the attackers get away scot-free.¡± CH 309 A two-month standoff ensued. Some people fell ill from the stress, but they were able to recover from their illnesses with early treatment. The cold weather is gone and spring is in full swing. If not in the middle of a war, it would be a perfect day for a picnic. Every once in a while, some of the demon tribe moved as a diversion, but when they saw that we were not moving, they pulled back. They seem to be making an effort to drag us out of Antium somehow. The morale of the enemy has not yet dropped. We found a food depot, but it is heavily guarded. They¡¯ve also pretended to attack Mantova, but has not been seriously attacked. In the midst of all this, a report arrives from the Ears. Kiara reads it and froze. The more they all looked at Kiara, the more the killing intent gushes out. Immediately, the killing intent disappeared, but the expression on her face was like a Noh mask. She is pretty angry. With trembling hands, she held out the report to me. I read it over and couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°I see that a disgruntled former member is now talking crap about me in the capital city. At this timing, huh ¡­¡­¡± Kiara¡¯s face went from noh mask to a resentful expression. ¡°Brother, this is no laughing matter! When the war is stressing everyone out, I can¡¯t allow him to stab us in the back like this!¡± ¡°It is likely that an emissary of the demon tribe has infiltrated the capital and made contact with the malcontents.¡± Mil also came over and looked over the report. Her face was bright red and she was shaking. Ah¡­¡­ Mil was also pretty angry. ¡°W-What the hell is this! When Mr. Fabio passed away, he had no more use for him, so he made his eulogy randomly ¡­¡­ They don¡¯t care about the people who died in this demon tribe¡¯s attack, so they won¡¯t attack without telling us ¡­¡­ To Al, everyone is just a pawn. Don¡¯t be fooled ¡­¡­ H-How can he say such a terrible thing!?¡± It was too hilarious that I couldn¡¯t even get angry. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I feel about that, but ¡­¡­ This must be an incitement and an attempt at internal disruption. They seem to want me to attack them at all costs.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes were serious. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can let this go.¡± Mil nodded at Kiara. ¡°Since it¡¯s come this far, I¡¯ve run out of patience. They¡¯re getting too carried away just because Al is being so generous ¡­¡­¡± I felt the need to put the brakes on their heated exchange. ¡°Kiara, let Ears find out if anyone has been in contact with that malcontent. The malcontent alone wouldn¡¯t go this far.¡± ¡°I understand. I will not allow it this time.¡± I waved my hand lightly. ¡°You have to bring them to justice. Abraham has enacted penalties for those who collude with the outside forces to conduct internal disturbances, after all. You can¡¯t charge them with actions before the law is enforced, but ¡­¡­ it¡¯s already after the enforcement. We need to make sure we have the proper evidence.¡± In the midst of all this, I heard the sound of footsteps slamming. It was the Escorter Silvana. The door opened with a bang. ¡°Al~! I¡¯ve caught a strange guy!¡± A sudden and unexpected happened ¡­¡­ ¡°What do you mean ¡­¡­ strange guy?¡± The Escorter Silvana puffed up her chest. ¡°He¡¯s a human, but he¡¯s been hired by the demon tribe.¡± At these words, everyone stared at the Escorter Silvana. Mil approached the Escorter Silvana. ¡°Silvana! Tell me about that in detail!¡± The Escorter Silvana, who was unusually pressed by Mil, looked surprised. ¡°Wai-, Mil, calm down! I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± I look at the startled Kiara. ¡°Kiara, please serve Ms. Silvana some tea.¡± ¡°Ah, yes ¡­¡­ I understand.¡± Then the Escorter Silvana gives me a brazen smile. ¡°Kiara, please put it some liquor too.¡± ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô As requested, Kiara brought a cup of tea with liquor. The Escorter Silvana sipped the tea in a good mood. ¡°I love it. I¡¯ll tell you about it before I¡¯m killed. Kiara-chan¡¯s killing intent is not a joke, after all.¡± The Escorter Silvana cleared his throat. ¡°When I¡¯ve just finished investigating the dungeon. I was taking a break at a bar when I was approached by a suspicious man.¡± That¡¯s too vague, I had to ask a little more than that. ¡°A suspicious guy?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. He looked like a merchant, but you don¡¯t see that kind of guy around here. I¡¯m an adventurer, and my hunch is that he¡¯s not an honest merchant. If anything, he is the type of merchant who deals with bandits.¡± ¡°I wonder if the guild-led development of the town will attract such people.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t come unless they know they can make a profit. Anyway, he talked to me.¡± ¡°Is he after Ms. Silvana?¡± The Escorter Silvana nodded. ¡°Yeah, then he asked me. He asked me if I would be interested in giving Alfred a good beating.¡± The group tensed up at these words. Silvana was getting more and more proud of herself. ¡°I thought he was suspicious, so I decided to just listen to what he had to say. He said, ¡°The adventurers had risen up and demanded better treatment. Alfred is in a difficult situation right now, so he will compromise. If we start a riot, we¡¯ll be sure of it,¡±. He said things like that.¡± The expressions had disappeared from Mil and Kiara. The Escorter Silvana noticed this and waved her hand hurriedly. ¡°Of course, I owe Al a lot and we are friends. I don¡¯t think I could betray him or ¡­¡­ take advantage of his weakness. So I knew this guy was suspicious. I put him down fast, tied him up, and brought him here. He woke up on the road and when I asked him about it ¡­¡­ he told me that he was hired by the demon tribe. I¡¯ve turned him over to the police in Antium.¡± I guess luck comes from the most unexpected places. Kiara¡¯s smile was full of joy. ¡°Wonderful. How would you like another glass of wine?¡± The Escorter Silvana nodded with a big smile. ¡°I¡¯d love to, please!¡± Mil was also very happy. ¡°Thank you, Vana! That helps a lot!¡± ¡°No, no, no, no ¡­¡­ we¡¯re friends, so it¡¯s natural.¡± It¡¯s a big jackpot, but I don¡¯t want her to get too carried away. ¡°Ms. Silvana, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°That suspicious fellow contacted you because he was convinced that you were dissatisfied with me, right?¡± The Escorter Silvana stiffened for a moment. Her eyes looked away. ¡°Well, that¡¯s ¡­¡­ Look. Because the story of your pay cut has been made public ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because you¡¯ve been talking about me so loudly and badly in the bar. I think that convinced the merchant.¡± The Escorter Silvana looked out with all her might. She was in a cold sweat. ¡°N-No ¡­¡­ T-That¡¯s not true.¡± Mil moved to the side where she had averted her gaze and glared at the Escorter Silvana. ¡°Vana ¡­¡­, be honest with me.¡± The Escorter Silvana tried to say something, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out. She was just moving her mouth and cracking it open. "" I couldn¡¯t hold back my laughter. ¡°Mil, that¡¯s all right now. It is natural for anyone to be dissatisfied with their punishment. But she still did us a favor, so I think that¡¯s enough.¡± The Escorter Silvana gave a stiff smile. ¡°Right! Right!¡± I finished laughing and kept a straight face. ¡°I will give you a reward depending on what happens after the interrogation. At least enough to make up for the pay cut.¡± I¡¯ll make it a positive zero. If it is positive, she might dream of a reversal of fortune. CH 310 The agents were interrogated and all those involved were rounded up. Hopefully this will calm things down somewhat. Originally, the disgruntled elements were looked at with cold stares, so there was not much fuss over the arrests. On the contrary ¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but laugh when I received a report that the atmosphere was like, ¡°Finally¡±. The demon tribe will not be able to get their hands on us anytime soon. It had been two months since the two sides had been at a standoff. During that time, the enemy has been deliberately showing us openings. They have made it look like soldiers are lying down and feasting at night. Timing-wise, it¡¯s too early. It is still too early for morale to slacken. Then Charles came to me. ¡°My men are getting eager to take advantage of the opportunity. Will you give us permission to go into battle?¡± The people around me were surprised, but I could tell by the look on Charles¡¯ face. I shook my head. ¡°I will not. That is a camouflage. They¡¯re just trying to lure us in.¡± Charles grinned and bowed. ¡°I understand. If it¡¯s my lord commands it, I have no choice.¡± I nodded silently. Mil looked at me in surprise. ¡°Al, that¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± I laughed and shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s just trying to create an alibi ¡­¡­ so that his men won¡¯t have to go off on a mission by asking for my permission.¡± Mil looked above. ¡°Oh, I guess it¡¯s not easy having so many subordinates.¡± While they were talking about this, a messenger came running in. ¡°I have a report. We have received a request for help from Poncio of Mantova.¡± And there, too? It¡¯s hard to keep up morale. I¡¯m just going to help them. ¡°I have a plan. The castle will not fall, so they don¡¯t need reinforcements. They must hold Mantova.¡± Hearing my words, the messenger left. Seeing such a scene, Kiara laughed. ¡°Being a field commander is a tough job, huh?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not easy to listen for the right moment. It¡¯s even harder when you¡¯re trying to keep morale up.¡± As it was, we received information about the enemy¡¯s supply convoys. A camp had been established about 30 kilometers behind the enemy lines and was being used as a supply depot. The garrison consists of about 200 soldiers. A guerrilla attack on a scale that would not be detected by the enemy would be easily repulsed. The supplies are transported there by ship. The ship then turns back. From there, they transport supplies by horse-drawn wagons. If they transported the supplies by ship to a nearby area, they might be attacked by the guerrillas. The number of ships may not be that large. They are commandeering and using ships that they use on a daily basis. In other words, their daily life is interrupted. The demon tribe probably did not envision a long war campaign. When they deviated from the assumption, they would have an opportunity to take advantage of it. Joy spread through the office as one piece of good news came from the capital. As we carefully continued our investigation of the enemy side, good news came to me from our side as well. At that time, I thought I was smiling on the small side, but it seemed to be so bad that those around me were taken aback. Little by little, I could sense that the wind was changing. The enemy had increased the number of supply depots to 20. It is likely that they have more uses for their ships elsewhere. It seems that they are transporting troops at once and using them for other purposes in between. Also, liquor and other items were brought in for the amusement of the soldiers. We are almost there. Mantova is also under regular attack, but not seriously. With little wear and tear, the other side can still hold out. The problem is that our morale is about to be loosened. Fortunately, the arrest of the informant has tightened things up. Charles has informed me that everything is fine for now. Charles and I have a confidential meeting to discuss the end of the game. ¡°Sir Rossi, is morale on the enemy side about to drop off?¡± Charles folded his arms and pondered. ¡°Yes, it will start getting hot from now on. if that is the case, morale will probably drop. But if it drops too low, they will start to tighten up. The timing is difficult. If we miss the right moment, the soldiers on our side will think we are not going to fight.¡± ¡°So we can¡¯t just wait and see, huh.¡± Charles nodded silently. I decided to check my own assessment. ¡°Soon the enemy will provoke us with their abuse. That¡¯s the point of passage, isn¡¯t it?¡± Charles chuckled at my assessment. ¡°With nothing left to do, we must make the soldiers work by shouting at them, or else they will be too lazy.¡± ¡°And¡­ the commander of the demon tribe is a young man, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes, probably the son of the chief. I see scenes of commanders yelling and screaming at each other. It seems that the command is not perfect.¡± ¡°At first glance, it is superior, so it cannot be raised. They have lost their momentum and are just standing still. If they are young, they can be carried away by the Suzana¡¯s agitation. They dream more of ideals than reality. They don¡¯t have enough experience to face reality and cut their losses.¡± Charles shrugged his shoulders at my one-sided comment. ¡°Just so you know ¡­¡­ all of those guys are probably older than my lord.¡± I whistled and looked out. I did it again. We were getting close to the right moment to hit them back, and I was just elated. ¡°W-Well, let¡¯s leave it at that. Also, I have some good news.¡± ¡°Hoh ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sir Melchiorri¡¯s child has been born. It is a boy.¡± Charles chuckled at my happy attitude. ¡°It is indeed good news. It¡¯s the only good thing to hear in this unpleasant war.¡± Saying this, Charles took out a bottle of liquor and two glasses from a shelf in his room. He pours a glass of liquor into each and holds out one to me. I smile, take it, and hold it up. ¡°Now, for Sir Melchiorri¡¯s son.¡± Charles smiles. ¡°Let us drink to that.¡± We clinked our glasses and poured a toast. ¡°I¡¯m glad Ms. Delphine is all right too.¡± ¡°Yes, childbirth is also a risk, after all. Roberto¡¯s dismay was a sight to behold too.¡± I smiled in agreement. ¡°Yeah, I think he was moving about in confusion.¡± We looked at each other and laughed. After leaving Charles, I had a separate meeting with Elite Guard¡¯s Chief Jules. We had the Elite Guard¡¯s mobilization in mind for this battle. ¡°Sir Jules, is the Elite Guards¡¯ morale all right?¡± ¡°Yes, they are all very anxious for their first real battle.¡± ¡°Then I will ask them to be patient for a little while longer.¡± Jules nodded seriously. ¡°I understand. But are you sure about this?¡± ¡°This is a done deal. I have Sir Rossi¡¯s approval.¡± Jules looked a little worried, but bowed silently. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô Two weeks passed. The temperature was one step away from sunny and hot. Finally, the enemy soldiers began to shout abuse at us. Observations of the enemy camp revealed the sight of sloppy soldiers arguing with lower-ranking commanders. The number of nightly drinking parties is also increasing. If this were camouflage, I would be out. But nothing is 100% in war. We are forced to make an uncertain decision. Charles and I looked at each other. It¡¯s about time. CH 311 After two weeks of cursing, the command of the enemy camp is disorganized. The cursing is sparse and the soldiers are all over the place. The soldiers over here are annoyed but distracted by jokes. And today the temperature has suddenly risen. It¡¯s hot, that¡¯s all I can say. The enemy camp is littered with fodder and equipment. Soldiers are lying down and dozing off. I had a final meeting with Charles. After dinner, I return to the office. I tell Mil and Kiara, ¡°I¡¯m going on a little inspection. I¡¯ll probably be back by ¡­¡­ tomorrow¡±. That¡¯s what I told them. Mil and Kiara looked at each other and nodded silently. I called all 40 members of the Elite Guards. Everyone is nervous, starting with Jules. We sail out of Antium after midnight. We have already completed a thorough examination of the information beforehand, using familiars and other means. Thanks to the familiars, we did not have to conduct a power reconnaissance. We are heading for the rear camp where the enemy is accumulating supplies. Although there is a headwind, the ship can reach a speed of less than 10 km/h. Since we are using dwarf night vision, we don¡¯t have to worry about running aground. And since it was a surprise attack, no one made a sound. The sound of the water drowns out the sound we made. The enemy is demoralized and unable to maintain discipline. And the waterways at night were unmarked. During the day, though, they were on light alert. Normally, traveling up the river at night is dangerous and requires a great deal of skill. It wasn¡¯t for this reason, but the training came in handy here. Only the Elite Guards could make that surprise attack. And the Elite Guards refused to leave me. In other words, if I went, they would follow. Jules looked reluctant at the idea of my going to the front, but at Charles¡¯ urging, he shook his head grudgingly. He gave me only one word of advice. ¡°You must take your wife¡¯s and your sister¡¯s reprimands, my lord.¡± I¡¯m not going to let anyone else take the risk of this decision. I nodded silently to this. We remained silent for what must have been three hours as we continued up the river. Chicken-hearted as I am, it was a hard time for me. We could see the camp building a bonfire. The arrangements had been made in advance. We landed quietly and checked the area. There was a guard who was dozing off, so the Elite Guards immediately finished him. Then we set fire to the camp. Twenty places, one end to the other. I know there are about 200 guards. But 200 people in 20 locations. That¡¯s 10 people per camp. It makes no sense to spread them out like this. And the camps and supply depots are made of wood. That is why they burn easily. There was a guard who came out in a hurry on the way to the camp, but he was not expecting an enemy attack and was able to be defeated immediately. Morale was down, and apparently, they had been drinking. The guards were staggering and were no match for us. After burning down 20 camps, the trees around them ignited, and the fire was becoming a massive conflagration. This camp was on the enemy¡¯s retreat route. In other words, from the enemy¡¯s point of view, the retreat route is on fire. I breathed a sigh of relief as we set fire to the last camp. At that moment, I felt someone yell at me. ¡°Kiddo! Don¡¯t just stand there!¡± I pulled my head back in a panic, and an arrow went through it. That was close ¡­¡­ It must have been an auditory hallucination, but I¡¯m thankful to the Teacher anyway. I looked in the direction from which the arrow flew, and saw Suzana, with whom I had a history, in the shadows with her bow at the ready. And there were about 10 demon tribe members under her command. It seemed that they had rushed to the scene when they saw the fire. Or perhaps they saw the danger and were trying to escape. Suzana clicked her tongue in annoyance. ¡°Damn, a brat with a good instinct ¡­¡­¡± The Elite Guards rushed to guard me and got into a slash-and-burn fight with the demon tribe under my command. I couldn¡¯t let Suzana escape here. If I take my eyes off her, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll run away again. Jules immediately slashed at Suzana. "" Ramiro and Mickey, using their agility to keep Suzana from escaping, moved around her. The other one, Ale, is slashing with his men and encouraging the Elite Guards. It sounds pathetic, but I took a step back and watch the battle. We win by number and will not be defeated. One by one, the demons fell. Some of the Elite Guards were also wounded and fell, but for now, survival was the first priority. Even for Suzana, there was no way to escape when she was surrounded by the three of them. When she was cut down, she fell down with a glare in her eyes as if she was cursing me. I wonder if she was trying to spit at me for the last time. It was like that. After confirming that there were no enemies around, I hurried to check for casualties. I wanted to save those who could be saved. Even if they died, we would never leave them behind. I believe this is a natural consideration when I entrusted my life to the Elite Guards. Reports soon came in. Two people had died and three were injured. My mood sank, but there was no time for sentimentality. I instructed Ivan to send the injured and the bodies back. He told me that he needed two men for maneuvering, which I immediately agreed to. We have achieved our objective, and it doesn¡¯t matter if we lose some of our strength. When Charles sees the fire rising, he is supposed to attack, so we headed for the rendezvous. From here, we will hold up our torches. This is to let them know that the enemy is coming from the rear. This is a gamble to cut off the enemy¡¯s retreat and destroy them. If there is no enemy in the retreat route, even if there is fire, they will open a way to escape from there. That way, the survival rate is higher. It would be dangerous if our total number were known, but it would be difficult to ascertain the exact number. And if they know I am here, they will attack with their entire army. I¡¯m walking a tightrope that doesn¡¯t suit me. But to achieve great results, we must be prepared to take great risks. We hurried to the rendezvous point. After two hours of travel, we were able to meet up with Charles¡¯ cavalry. He must have rushed to meet up with me by sending the cavalry ahead. Charles was the first to come out, and when he saw me, he grinned. ¡°I am glad to see you are safe. The enemy has abandoned their defensive position and is planning to call back the troops who are attacking Mantova to join them. We will hit them there.¡± ¡°I understand. We can¡¯t just run back here, after all. I¡¯ll stay with you until the end. Of course, I won¡¯t interfere unnecessarily.¡± Charles just laughed at my words and shrugged his shoulders. We joined Charles¡¯ army and marched on. The enemy is also moving with torch burning, so we know exactly where they are. I guess that¡¯s because marching in the dark with the soldiers shaken up will cause them to run away and scatter. ¡°It¡¯s a small mountain in that area, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jules, who was following next to me, nodded. ¡°Yes, because that¡¯s the shortest way to join up with the attack force in Mantova.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no escape there.¡± ¡°Is it settled then?¡± ¡°The retreat route has gone up in flames, and the enemy is already all but destroyed. All we have to do now is to exterminate them.¡± Jules looked both disappointed and impressed. ¡°As I thought, my lord would be good with a fire gauge.¡± That¡¯s a nasty assessment ¡­¡­ And Poncio was also involved in the chase. it seems that he saw the situation and decided it was the right time to attack. The morale of the soldiers was loose, and the surprise attack set the retreat ablaze. They no longer made sense as a group. If morale had not loosened, the surprise attack would not have succeeded in the first place. I was just waiting for the timing when the security of the camp where they were accumulating supplies would loosen. If the situation were so chaotic, the soldiers would not be able to properly protect the commanders. The leadership layer could now be almost completely wiped out. I thought about letting the Elite Guards get some real combat experience while standing out of the way. The fighting was fierce, but the enemy was not well organized and could not function as a group. A number of demons were trying to escape and slashing at their allies. Perhaps they had eaten too many monsters and their judgment was impaired. Has this confusion brought their instincts more strongly to the fore? From here, it is just a process of checking the results. However, it is an exchange of life. The smell of blood makes you understand that it is real. There are no flashy effects like in games. I watched this hell without emotion. I mourn the victims, but watching this exchange of life doesn¡¯t evoke any emotion in me. I must be broken somehow. But now I am fortunate in my brokenness. If I get shaken, the Elite Guards will suffer unnecessary casualties. I neither laugh nor cry, but simply watch the battle unfold. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô By the time it was bright, everything was settled. More than a thousand demons had been vanquished. There were many people dressed in luxurious clothes, so they must have been in the commander¡¯s class. As expected, some of them escaped. I¡¯ll get a report on the damage later ¡­¡­ While I was thinking about the future, Charles came over to me. ¡°The battle here is over, my lord. What next?¡± ¡°We will rescue the wounded and rest for a day. After that, we will attack again. Let the cavalry go ahead of us, and let them pursue lightly. Do not pursue too far.¡± ¡°You will not return to Antium?¡± ¡°Only the wounded will return. It would be a waste of time to go back and forth.¡± CH 312 The next day, the casualties were reported. There were 74 dead and 159 injured. As I expected, our losses were also huge. Nevertheless, we have no intention of holding back. However, even while on the run, if we are attacked by ambush soldiers, we will have wasted our lives. The rest¡­ let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t try to abandon them. There was no such organized resistance. About 100 people were in pursuit because there were signs that they were fleeing. I decided to leave the handling of casualties to Antium. In my absence, Mil would automatically be in charge of the strategy meeting. But I think it would be a good idea to give her a formal notice. I will have Mil and Kiara inform them that I will be gone for a while. While passing through the abandoned fort on the way, we would further approach the demon territory. The fort was originally built by us¡­ During the chase, Charles came to me. ¡°My lord, I think you should make arrangements for the transportation of troops. Our logistics are stretched pretty thin. I don¡¯t think the enemy can afford a counterattack.¡± I stopped Charles with my hand. ¡°No need to discuss this. Just tell me your decision.¡± Charles bowed and the march came to a halt. This time, our logistics will be stretched. That firm decision is really dependable. I honestly cannot predict what the demon tribe will do in the future. However, if there is any remaining strength, they will come to the rescue of the defeated soldiers who are being pursued. The cavalry is ahead of us, and we are able to confirm the situation. The defeated remnants were also dropping out little by little. The enemy was now thinking only of escaping straight back. They probably can¡¯t afford it. I want to finish them off while their brains are still paralyzed. Although they are riding horses from the pursuit, they are still struggling with unfamiliar riding. While we were encamped, thinking about the future, Charles came up next to me. ¡°My lord, may I have a word?¡± I wonder why he went to the trouble of asking permission from me. ¡°Yes, come in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to tell you to stop the chase. It¡¯s just that it smells a little strange.¡± ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± Charles shrugged at my question. ¡°I don¡¯t have a clear theory. I just have a bad feeling about it.¡± Charles spoke unusually softly. ¡°I guess it¡¯s the kind of intuition that only those who have been in battle for many years can understand.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound ostentatious. I just can¡¯t believe that nothing is going to happen.¡± ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s be cautious from here, shall we?¡± Charles gave me a surprised look. ¡°That was quite simple.¡± ¡°The reason why I agreed to this is not only because I entrusted Sir Rossi to lead the mission. We don¡¯t know the true nature of the demon tribe and there is the dragon story. I don¡¯t know how true this is, but I just want to say that I have no objection to being cautious.¡± Charles looked at me and grinned. ¡°We will be very careful tomorrow. It would be foolish to go after less than a hundred people and cause damage, after all.¡± I nodded silently at his words. We were cautious about pursuing them the next day. There must be a logistics problem. As long as I was in charge, I had no particular say in the matter. The last few days had flown by. Because of our careful march, the distance between us and the defeated soldiers has not grown any shorter, nor has it separated us. If they were leading us, it would be a very good distance¡­ Now, there¡¯s no point in worrying about it. At last, the demon¡¯s territory came into view. In other words, a narrow passage. Unexpectedly, I felt nervous. As the army advanced into the narrow passage, the fog suddenly became thicker. This is really suspicious. If nothing happened, it would be a gag. As I was thinking this, Charles came up to me. ¡°My lord, it¡¯s going to be tough marching in this visibility.¡± ¡°I agree. Shall we pull out?¡± When I readily agreed to withdraw, Charles looked a little disappointed, but immediately bowed and returned to the front. I moved backward to pull up, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t reach the exit. It¡¯s like a lost path in a haunted place. I wonder if this will happen by any chance. There¡¯s nothing we can do now that we¡¯ve come this far. Now it¡¯s just a matter of getting out. There was no decision not to enter the narrow passage. Immediately, I sensed something was wrong and made no wrong decision to pull out. People around me were agitated, but I remained calm. No matter whether I panicked or regretted, nothing would change. Then a report came running and told us to pause the march. Yes, the fog was getting thicker, and I couldn¡¯t even see one meter in front of me. Obviously, this is unusual. Then I sense an unusual presence in the sky. First, the horses started to go berserk. I, who is not a good rider, am knocked to the ground in a spectacular manner. Then all the other creatures suddenly stiffened. I guess it¡¯s a powerful kind of binding magic. Observing my surroundings, I see that time has not stopped. The movement of the animals was stopped. As proof, the grass at my feet is moving. And I hear voices. Is this expression not correct? It feels like it is vibrating and resonating from inside my body. It is similar to the sound of bone vibration before my reincarnation. And the intonation has no ups and downs, more like a voice reproduction software than a human voice. It is almost like a bar reading. ¡°Are you the leader of the group?¡± Would he understand if I spoke normally? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I have come to ask a favor of you, my Lord. I will not harm you, so why don¡¯t we talk in the garden?¡± If I refuse now, we will be annihilated¡­ If the other party is willing to discuss it, I¡¯ll have no choice but to take them up on it¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t mind as long as you return me back afterwards.¡± Something like laughter echoed inside me, and suddenly my body floated up. As I continued to float up, I exited the fog. And then¡­ there it was¡­ a dragon. Naturally, it was huge. It must have been about 30 meters long. It was a white dragon. I wondered if it could manipulate the fog at will. While I was thinking such a leisurely thought, the dragon started to move with me floating. We were heading for a nearby plateau cut out of granite. The plateau is quite high. The plateau is indeed like a garden. It has the appearance of an isolated island on land. The plateau was about one kilometer in circumference, with a slight sink in the middle. Furthermore, it looked like a tropical rainforest, which was not suitable for the surrounding climate. I was lowered into the center of the plateau. And the dragon quietly landed in front of me. I had no idea he really existed. I was so carefree that I could laugh at myself. CH 313 Interacting with dragons, huh? It¡¯s a valuable experience in a way. Before that, there was something that really bothered me. It has nothing to do with the main topic¡­ but I can¡¯t help but ask. ¡°May I ask you one question?¡± I don¡¯t know the expression on the dragon¡¯s face. I can¡¯t understand it in the first place. ¡°I have invited you here. Therefore, I will not refuse a guest¡¯s request.¡± ¡°Then, I won¡¯t refuse your kindness¡­ How do you communicate? I don¡¯t believe you are speaking.¡± The dragon was silent for a bit, then seemed to laugh. There was no inflection in his voice, which was incredibly strange. ¡°You¡¯re quite a pleasant guest. Our words are not atmospheric tremors. Our mouths do not speak words. Therefore, we use different means to communicate with the little ones.¡± ¡°Indeed, the dragon¡¯s mouth is primarily for other purposes.¡± ¡°Yes. But we also have our own ways of communicating. We are the children of magic. We transmit our will by putting it into magic power. And each will has its own meaning. Each of our words has a meaning, just as each of your words has a meaning.¡± Even animals can transmit their wills. It can be done by various means, such as by shouting. But do you connect the will with the words? ¡°Do you choose the word that fits the will?¡± ¡°If the will and the word mean the same thing, their waves are equal. When I send the wave to your mind, your body will recognize it as a word.¡± I understood it somehow. The meaning matches, but there is no emotion in it, so there is no intonation. Perhaps the names are old, and the names that have changed over time have different meanings. It is indeed delightful to satisfy one¡¯s intellectual curiosity. I nodded in a good mood. ¡°Thank you very much. Shall we get down to the main topic?¡± ¡°Since you are not surprised to see me, are you aware of my pact with the sons of demon?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ the truth was unknown. I have no way to confirm it. And since the demons attacked us, we cannot afford not to counterattack.¡± ¡°I know that the reason for this war lies with you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you. Can¡¯t you just back out of this? ¡° I knew he would do that. But I could not say that I understood. ¡°So, you want us to only defend ourselves if the demons attack again?¡± The dragon leaned forward. The vibrations are so strong.. ¡°I don¡¯t think they will be able to attack for a while. You¡¯re not happy about that, are you? You want to avoid any future problems?¡± I¡¯m glad he¡¯s not threatening me, but he¡¯s discussing it with me. Then there is a way to do it. Then, let¡¯s break the other party¡¯s premise, shall we? ¡°You are protecting the demon tribe because you have a pact with them, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°The intention of the pact you made is to protect the demon tribe and guarantee their survival, so they should exterminate the monsters, right? The demon tribe was not threatened with survival. In order to expand their own power, they started a war. You are not the ones to clean up the mess of their defeat, are you?¡± The dragon was silent for a while. He was not intimidated, but seemed to be thinking. ¡°So you question the intention of the pact. It is certainly out of the intention. But being out of the intention is not a reason to break the pact. That¡¯s because it¡¯s not part of our pact.¡± ¡°That is not the only reason why you do not break the pact. If you break the pact, there will be no one to exterminate the monsters. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Then are you saying you would do the work of the son of demon instead of them?¡± There seems to be room for negotiation. I guess we can work something out. ¡°With your power, it would be easy to exterminate the monsters. But there must be a reason why you don¡¯t do so. If that¡¯s the case, we can take over for you.¡± The dragon growled softly. Still, the wind was blowing. If the dragon had his way, I¡¯d be gone in a flash. It¡¯s ridiculous for a dragon to be an underdog. The power of the apostle to kill such a dragon in an instant is still strange. ¡°I am the child of magic. Even if I use my power to kill a monster, the monster will immediately come back to life. And when they are hit by my magical power, the monsters will naturally rise over. We¡¯ll be going in circles. And I don¡¯t know about anyone else, but for me, the presence of monsters is unpleasant.¡± I guess some types of monsters are uncomfortable for a dragon¡­ ¡°If anyone other than you kill them, it slows down the outbreak of monsters, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then how about making a pact with us? There would be no rule to break it when the intention is corrupted, but there would be no rule not to break it either. And is not the intention of the pact the basis of the pact?¡± ¡°You will destroy the son of demon? You can destroy those who corrupt the intention of the pact. But it is against my pride to destroy what I am protecting.¡± I see, you are very disciplined. If you don¡¯t reject my proposal, we can work out a solution. ¡°I will not take the lives of those who protect the intention. If they assimilate with us, we will accept them as one of us. If they refuse, we will allow them to live elsewhere. How would you like that?¡± The dragon stared at me. It was quite intimidating. ¡°What is the reason for going so far as to attack the son of demon?¡± ¡°If they want to coexist, we will not attack them. However, their principles are directly related to attacking us. We cannot leave such a danger to our descendants. It would be an unnecessary sacrifice. We will take care of our generation¡¯s problems. Our descendants will take care of their own problems.¡± ¡°So you will not leave problems for your children. Does not taking the place of the son of demon leave a danger for the descendants?¡± Indeed, that question is natural. If you think about it in total, it may be less costly to continue to let the demon tribe take care of the problem. ¡°We cannot foresee the future. And if the demons attack, even those that have no intention of fighting may be involved. The extermination of monsters is fought by those willing to fight. It is not a number of sacrifices. And as long as the demon tribe has always been able to exterminate monsters, I believe that we can handle it too. And we can get something useful for our lives from the monsters. But war brings nothing of the sort.¡± It is not a perfect theory, just my judgment. But if I had to choose, I would choose this one. ¡°I see. Then what is the pact you want with me?¡± ¡°I want you to protect us in the event of an attack by a force in the Ravenna region that only a being such as you can defeat. Please leave the fighting between people alone. I have no intention of leaving a pact that relies on you and uses you for convenience.¡± The dragon was silent for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and stared at me. I guess he¡¯s glaring. If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯m going to get scared. In times like this, my broken personality comes in handy. ¡°Even from the power of the apostles?¡± Ah¡­ I guess it would be intolerable to be used as a shield for something even a dragon can¡¯t compete with. ¡°If you decide that it¡¯s beyond your control, you don¡¯t have to do anything. If that¡¯s the case, no one can stop it, after all.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too convenient for me then?¡± I had a good reason for making this suggestion. I shook my head. ¡°The long-lived species, like the elves, do not like to live with their souls tainted. Therefore, I believe that you yourself will not be able to tolerate this kind of convenient use. So I am not worried.¡± The dragon stiffened for a moment, but then began to shake itself. ¡°This is fun. How enjoyable. You know well what it is to be long-lived. I cannot bear to have my spirit polluted by such words. You have put a sword in my soul. Very well, let us make a pact between you and your descendants. The terms of the pact shall be a combination of the pact I made with the sons of demon and what we have just discussed, right?¡± As the dragon finished, a new pact appeared before my eyes. The words floated in the air. After reading all of them and me nodding, something that looked like a dragon object appeared in front of me. I picked up the object, which was about 30 centimeters in size. Then the words in the air disappeared. ¡°Is this the sign of the pact?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The sign of the son of demon has now been shattered. Show this sign to the son of demon.¡± ¡°I understand. The demons who have been obeying the pact will be treated as promised.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you then. Signer of the new pact. What is your name?¡± ¡°Alfredo Della Scala. Can I ask for your name, then?¡± ¡°I cannot put my name into your words. Therefore, I will replace it with the meaning of your words. I am the Queen of the Third Sky.¡± It was a woman. ¡°Thank you, Queen of the Third Sky. I have one last personal question to ask you.¡± ¡°You may ask.¡± ¡°How do you dragons fly?¡± CH 314 ¡°Do you want to know everything about the world, Alfredo?¡± ¡°No, but I would like to know as much as possible.¡± ¡°Very well. In return for your greed, let me tell you. This land has the power to attract all things. Do you understand that?¡± It¡¯s the force of attraction, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t know if the principle is the same as in my previous life, but the effect would be almost the same. Otherwise, the living things would have a completely different shape. ¡°Yes, because if you take your hand off the apple, it will fall to the ground.¡± The Queen of the Third Sky seemed to give a small laugh. ¡°And it is not only the land that has the power to attract. There is an invisible covering that covers the heavens, far in the sky. We call it the Great Canopy. This canopy has the power to attract certain things. But only those born from it can receive its power.¡± ¡°Are dragons born from the heavens?¡± ¡°Yes. When a mass of magical power coming from further away than the canopy of the heavens burns up inside the canopy of the heavens, we call that the burning of the heavens. It is said that during the burning of the heavenly flame, the first ancestor was born.¡± A mass of magical power? Is magic a matter? "" ¡°Does magic power by itself become matter?¡± ¡°No. It looks like a lump of rock at first glance, but when the heavenly fire occurs, an enormous amount of magical power overflows. At that time, even night will be as bright as day.¡± Does she mean meteorites? It was told in my previous life that meteorites have mysterious powers, but it¡¯s really true here. What a mysterious thing¡­ ¡°Are they still born that way?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s the only way. When we die, our souls return to the Great Canopy of Heaven. They are rarely visible at that time. You said that the small ones are ascending dragons. When the souls that have returned to the great canopy and the wavelengths that emanate from the heavenly fire are in opposition to each other, a family is born. The other is that ¡­¡­ when a mating pair attracts magical power, and magical power comes down from the great canopy of heaven, a child is conceived.¡± So dragons don¡¯t mate, but they procreate in other ways. ¡°So there are many conditions¡­ Are only those born from the canopy of the heavens can attract the heavens?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The inducement from the heavens is stronger than the spell of the earth, and it flies in the sky. By adjusting the force of the inducement from the heavens, we maintain our height. And when we are flying in the sky, we can move forward only by the force of our will.¡± ¡°This is a completely different principle from that of the winged tribe. I believe the winged tribe flies by influencing the ground.¡± The Queen of the Third Sky seemed to laugh a little. I notice that the inflection has become more like a normal conversation. I wonder if her body learns to fluctuate her emotions as we continue our conversation. ¡°Alfredo. It¡¯s too bad. The winged tribe is the residue of the birth of our ancestors on the surface of the earth. And they are always drawn to the heavens. But the spell of the earth is strong. Therefore, they fly by weakening the spell of the earth. But when the power to weaken the spell weakens, they fall to the earth.¡± Oh¡­ so I¡¯m wrong. But I am very grateful that she¡¯s telling me so. ¡°Thank you, Queen of the Third Sky. Thanks to you, I might be able to sleep well.¡± ¡°There are those who fall to the earth when our souls are defiled. They cannot fly as high as we can. But we, too, cannot fly now that the Great Canopy is in place. We can only reach it when we become souls. The Great Canopy of Heaven is a realm that is inaccessible to the living.¡± And there are even freebies¡­ I feel like revering the Queen of the Third Sky. ¡°Thank you. I am very happy to hear about the Great Canopy of the Heavens. Is this a story I¡¯m not allowed to tell anyone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you talk about it. I have not had such a good time in a long time. Now that I have told you this story, I have one favor to ask of you and your little friends. When the curtain falls from the Great Canopy of Heaven in this land, it will be a sign that a family has been born somewhere, though it is not often. Even if it¡¯s a small thing, please bless us. With the blessing of the little ones, the family will grow up healthy and happy.¡± I wonder if she¡¯s talking about the Aurora. If auroras occur in a place that is not in the Arctic Circle, is it a sign that a dragon has been born? ¡°Then let the aurora be a good omen, and let it be a festival in Ravenna. We can call it a blessing for the miracle of nature.¡± ¡°No problem. I thank you very much for not mentioning our name. Then I shall return you now.¡± The Queen of the Third Sky said, and my body slowly floated up and was lowered back to its original place. Then a voice rang out. ¡°Farewell, then. Little one and all.¡± With that voice, the fog lifted and my vision cleared. People and horses, which had been standing still for a moment, began to move. Soon after, Charles returned on his horse. He seemed to be accustomed to the situation and quickly calmed the horses. ¡°My lord, it seems you¡¯re alright. I thought I saw something amazing¡­¡± I chuckled. ¡°There is nothing to impede our march now. We¡¯ll march on once things calm down.¡± Charles looked puzzled, but then his face returned to a straight face. ¡°Have you had a talk with the dragon?¡± I shrugged and showed him the object. ¡°Well, something like that.¡± Charles shook his head. ¡°From [Dragon Slayer] to [Dragon Negotiator], huh. I¡¯m afraid, my lord, that boredom is the least of my worries¡­¡± Don¡¯t add another strange name¡­ And it took us a while to get the confusion under control. We even tracked down the heartless horse that had run away, and the march would begin tomorrow. Finally, the demon territory. CH 315 The next day, we began marching into the demon tribe territory. Probably, the demon tribe would be in chaos after losing the dragon¡¯s blessing. But that does not mean we should let our guard down. It is precisely at times like this that there are those who will attack and try to repel the attackers. As expected, there were sporadic attacks, but they were not organized. There were a few wounded, but not enough to stop the march. It is difficult to send the wounded back at this point. The wounded will be moved on horse-drawn wagons. It seems that the demons are unable to unify their consciousness. The postwar process is going to be very difficult. Three days later, we passed through a narrow passage. A basin surrounded by mountains spread out. However ¡­¡­ there is a somewhat unique atmosphere. There are many forests and scattered villages. The nearest village was deserted. Supplies have been left behind, but looting here is prohibited. This was because of the danger that moderates and standoffishness would drive their gray opponents into the enemy¡¯s arms. The most frightening thing was that the extended supply lines would be targeted by guerrillas and others. If the entire demon tribe is united in resistance, it will be impossible to capture the guerrillas. If that were to happen, I was prepared to procure supplies locally. I had already discussed this with Charles. While marching, I felt a sense of discomfort. Is this the kind of land that is filled with magic power? The air I felt on my skin was different. I can¡¯t be more specific, but I guess I could call it an inspirational spot. We found a map in the village and borrowed it. We also checked the location of the town and the port. I kept the map. If the owner comes forward later, I will pay him or her. After that, we found a good place to camp, so we spent the night there. We quickly set up camp. I felt uncomfortable just watching them, so I tried to help them, but everyone looked at me with cold eyes. It was sad. This is the first time for me to camp in enemy territory, so I feel very nervous. Subconsciously, I was clutching the object that the Queen of the Third Sky had given me. ¡ô¡ó¡ô¡ó¡ô The next day, we departed from the camp. During the trip, we saw an interesting sight. A lake of natural asphalt. I would be happy if I could have this analyzed and put asphalt to practical use. If the common practice in my previous life could be applied, there would be oil¡­ That would be in the future. Science has yet to reach the internal combustion engine. I am not going to present the internal combustion engine. Because I don¡¯t know the detailed structure ¡­¡­ Critical technological innovations should be arrived at by themselves. There were no demon attacks in the territory. When we reached a relatively large town, a few people who looked like representatives were waiting for us in front of the town. They offered to surrender and begged us not to loot or assault them. Since that was the original policy, I agreed to that in a straightforward manner. Since there was a possibility of a surprise attack, I instructed them to build a camp outside the town. In addition, I forbade everyone to enter the town. This was because about 1,000 men who had been living a life of celibacy would absolutely hustle and cause problems if they entered the town. If that happened, the entire town would turn against them at once. If they don¡¯t enter the town, the residents will be relieved. In addition, they fear that if they turn against us, the environment will become much worse than it is now. If they are instigated to attack us, they will reject it with a high probability. While we were building our camp, the town offered to provide us with food. We suggested that we buy it rather than receive it, but they said they would not accept the money because there is not much money available in the demon territory. In the end, we decided to make up the difference at a later date and handed the military voucher to the representative. He promised to repay the money with money or supplies needed after the war is over. I guess this is about as far as we can get. The soldiers are given one day to rest. Since they are not allowed to enter the town, they are allowed to drink to reduce stress at least. Here, we decide to get some information about the territory. When I asked the representatives about the current situation, they told me that they had been instructed by the chief not to resist us. The representatives are relieved that I am not being overbearing. There is no animosity, and they will not antagonize us for profit or loss. But ¡­¡­ we are the occupying forces. We are feared while being watched. We must not let our guard down. While I was resting, a messenger from the demon tribe came to me. He claimed to be a messenger from Oliver. I don¡¯t know if this is a lie or not. He was a middle-aged man and called himself Anastasius Haushofer. I interviewed the messenger from the camp. ¡°Does Sir Oliver have a message for me?¡± Anastasius seemed nervous. ¡°Yes, Oliver is thankful that the soldiers of Ravenna are not looting and assaulting. Therefore, he asks that you come to Kusanten, as he wishes to end the state of war as soon as possible.¡± ¡°is Kusanten like the capital?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s waiting for you there. He said he would like to conduct negotiations there, as it is difficult for him to move right now.¡± Is he in such a frail state? Can he be a negotiating partner in the first place? I¡¯m curious about a lot of things. ¡°Is Sir Oliver the head of your group at this point? This negotiation is the kind that cannot be concluded without the approval of the top management. And can your policies be enforced throughout the tribe?¡± Anastasius is sweating coldly at my question. ¡°Oliver has been delegated all authority by the Chief. The current chief is eight years old, so Oliver is leading us. The leadership of the clan is a bit of a mess at the moment, but I¡¯m sure it will be ¡­¡­¡± Was the chief killed? So he was replaced? I guess they can¡¯t even move around with a young chief ¡­¡­ There are so many things I don¡¯t understand. ¡°What happened to the previous chief? I thought he was in his prime.¡± ¡°He died of illness just before the recent battle. His son succeeded him, but was killed in the battle. Now, the only remaining relative of the former chief is taking over the reins.¡± Illness, you say, was he poisoned or something? The radicals, instigated by Suzana, staged a coup d¡¯etat. Did they carry off the son of the chief and launch a surprise attack on us? Or ¡­¡­ are they trying to put all the blame on them? It¡¯s a bit complicated. ¡°Is the current chief not the son of the previous chief?¡± ¡°No, he is the son of the former chief¡¯s mistress.¡± If he were the son of the former chief, I would have had a hard time dealing with him, but ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be the enemy of his parents, after all. Worst case scenario, I had to make a decision to kill an 8-year-old. If not, we¡¯ll see how it goes. Anyway, I¡¯ll have to meet him. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll head that way. Can I assume that there is no resistance from the demon tribe as a whole?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°If there is an attack, we will consider it as a deception against us.¡± Anastasius visibly paled. ¡°Of course, we have instructed them not to attack.¡± In other words, they are not in complete control. So there¡¯s a chance that they would attack us. I decided to make a clear statement in a tone of voice that would not allow for any refutation. ¡°If there is an attack, we will take action at our discretion.¡± Anastasius nodded emphatically. ¡°I understand, but I would like you to understand that this is not the case for the entire demon tribe.¡± ¡°That would be a matter of frequency. I hope you will at least do your best to take control of the tribe. Otherwise, we will not be able to recognize you as a negotiating partner.¡± I am not sure how to rely on them. As long as the other party is unreliable, we will have to come on strong to a certain extent. If there is an opening, they will use us to strengthen their position. In other words, they want us to defeat the dissidents. I will not risk the lives of my men for my personal sentimentality or vanity. If, at this point in time, they think I am the one who needs to show warmth or make concessions ¡­¡­ I will not recognize the need to negotiate. The only side that needs to make an effort is the losing side. I have no intention of having a foolish post-war process like the Treaty of Versailles. But we, and only we, can¡¯t accept bloodshed. CH 316 A reunion with Oliver, huh. I don¡¯t have such nostalgic thoughts. Honestly, I can¡¯t read where they stand, so I can¡¯t make a plan. At this stage, what are they after? It¡¯ll be a challenge after that comes out. We have the sign of the pact, but how effective is it? One of my concerns is what happens when all the demons who are holding the monsters back take hostile action against us. There must be a considerable number of forces within. However, the fact that we have snatched away their pact with the dragon has paralyzed their nerves. This has made it impossible for them to act in a unified manner. This is one of the reasons I strictly forbid looting. Fear is one of the reasons why I strictly forbid looting. Still, it¡¯s not a sure thing. All I¡¯ve been doing lately is take chances. I thought I had the information in advance and was going in with a firm plan, but I got complacent one time and now I¡¯m stuck in this mess. Thinking about it gives me a headache. I head for Kusanten, trying to hide my resentment toward myself. In such a situation, I¡¯m expressionless. But¡­people around me think that I¡¯m planning something deep. It makes me want to laugh, but it works as a bluff, so I leave it at that. Anastasius is accompanying me on the march. I tried to get all kinds of information, but he is really unreliable. They are vague and inaccurate. Is he really trying to negotiate with us? I was angry, but I quickly tried to stay calm. Losing my cool could lead to a terrible blunder. When I observed the situation calmly, I realized something. That this is what they¡¯re aiming for. As for us, even if we exclude Anastasius from the negotiation, there is no one to talk to next. We have no choice but to talk to this guy, even if we are dissatisfied. At first glance, he is moving about confusingly in a pathetic manner. In reality, he only gives us the bare minimum of words. If you hit him, he just vibrates with a bouncing sound. Even if you cut him away, he¡¯ll immediately cling to you. There is no real response. He certainly doesn¡¯t get any credit from me. But this guy is not the one I¡¯m really negotiating with. So, in the extreme¡­he himself does not need to gain trust. And since he is on the same road with me, we have no choice but to listen to his proposal. We can¡¯t build up any adverse material for this negotiation. And the more solid the main negotiating partner is, the bigger this gap is. And they know I¡¯m willing to wrap up the negotiations. They choose me because of my personality. If the other party is not willing to organize, I would not use this move. Considering all this, the demon tribe would in fact be almost unified. Certainly, some of them would be rebellious¡­ After all, Oliver is formidable¡­ Thinking this, I stopped trying to extract information from Anastasius. Then, as I had expected, the other party began to give me information in small pieces. He really is very shrewd. He must have been watching my reaction and immediately changed his plan. It may be his camouflage to appear pathetic. It takes a middle-aged person to be able to act like this¡­ If you are young, you must be a genius at acting, or you would have a lot of power somewhere. In other words¡­ it becomes deliberate. It is a very natural way of feigning incompetence. You do your part, even if it¡¯s through mud. Because there is a high probability that he will get a cold shoulder after the negotiations are concluded. Thinking of this, I don¡¯t feel aversion to him. If this were not a calculation, I would be very surprised. It seems that it¡¯s true that the former chief of the tribe fell ill. This is when the tribe felt unrest. In the meantime, the former chief, instigated by Suzana, caused an uprising. Oliver was under house arrest because of his great influence. The groundwork was all set for an uprising as well. The fact that we were undefeated added to the fear. Dorius¡¯ society, which had been so powerful, was swallowed up at once. The Kriemhild family, with whom they had a history, was in an important position. It is dangerous no matter how they look at it. It was obvious that the remaining members of the family would be targeted. As proof of this, they are provoking the family by building a town in the family¡¯s holy place. I took advantage of the Wise Man who made the first move. If I put all these stories together, they¡¯ll never be able to restrain themselves¡­ If I spread rumors that Oliver is also privy to me, the demon tribe with fear will be easily swept away. Suzana may not have been a gifted diplomat, but it seems she was a gifted agitator. Or a scriptwriter. She took them on a ride well. I don¡¯t believe it, but it makes sense. If I talk to Oliver, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll understand naturally. After about three days, we arrive at a fairly large town. The town itself is ordinary. When we arrived near the town, I instructed them to build a camp. They were all surprised but quickly carried out the instructions. Stepping into the town is dangerous. And there is one more message. We are not willing to negotiate on the other party¡¯s home turf. It¡¯s the basis of negotiation. Plus, one more thing. There is some discontent among the soldiers that I¡¯m going out there myself. Some say it¡¯s a hassle¡­but others say, ¡°Why are you going out there if you¡¯re the winner?¡± We go out there for a reason, but you can¡¯t play politics by looking only at the enemy. The military phase is almost over and we are more than halfway into the political phase. We have gone so far, now it¡¯s time for you to come this time. If we assimilate, there will be no ups and downs. But now it is different. Otherwise, the soldiers who risked their lives to fight would not be satisfied. It is just that the side that won will not oppress the losers with pride. It was notified that the press conference would be held the day after the camp was completed. The soldiers were surprised at one point, but this notice had relieved some of their frustration. In other words, they thought we were on the same page. If I¡¯m unprincipled and tolerant, it makes me look menial and weak. I would not put my life on the line for such a guy¡¯s instructions. The next day, Oliver came to my camp curtain. We greet each other and sit down. He looks thinner, as if he had been under house arrest. Oliver looked at me and smiled quietly. ¡°Lord Alfred, I don¡¯t think I need to preface this. We surrender entirely. I just hope you will not exercise your victor¡¯s rights.¡± Surprisingly¡­I thought you would be a little more pretentious. ¡°No conditions can be attached?¡± Oliver shook his head. ¡°The seal of our pact with the dragon has been shattered. We have lost our long-held sense of existence and pride. We¡¯re in a situation where I could not even make a plan for what to do next. And now¡­ I predict that our pact has been taken over by Lord Alfred, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Now then, is he pretending to be dead? Or is he really telling the truth? CH 317 Until now, the negotiations have been for the maximum benefit of the demon tribe. This time, the kind changes. It is too early to show the mark. It¡¯s too dumb, even from a dramatic point of view. The mark is supposed to be shown at the end of the game. If it works¡­ The stage and negotiations are, after all, nothing more than a performance between people. The stage is meant to be enjoyed. If the performance is not good, the audience will boo. However, there is basically no audience who denies the stage itself. In this negotiation, the stage performance is the end of the war. Neither side denies that part. However, if the performance is not good, the stage itself will be rejected. If the stage does not end successfully, blood will be spilled. The stage is too heavy for entertainment. Suddenly I thought so because I felt that Oliver¡¯s mood was different. Normally, the tribe¡¯s survival is at stake, and it should be more serious and tragic than last time. This time was different. I can¡¯t express it well, but¡­ I felt like he¡¯s an actor risking his life in the performance. ¡°Yes, you are right. So the reason for the dragon to shelter you all is gone.¡± First, I bluffed with a jab. Oliver looked at me and laughed quietly. ¡°I doubt that. I don¡¯t think she has given up on all demons.¡± He¡¯s probably bluffing, though he¡¯s got it right at the heart of it. The demons that used to be with dragons are no more. ¡°You once told me, Mr. Oliver. That any kind of misuse of the pact would be met with retribution.¡± (T/N: Changed Sir to Mr.) ¡°That is true. That would be the breaking of the seal. At that time, the dragon would have entrusted it with our treatment.¡± This is also a guess, but ¡­¡­ I have no basis to assume it. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°If you had spoken to him directly, Lord Alfred would have told her about our treatment.¡± So you¡¯re building a story based on me. I can see Oliver¡¯s logic to a certain extent. ¡°I may not have met the dragon in person.¡± Oliver laughed a small laugh, as if convinced. ¡°Unless you were sure, you would have marched more carefully, Lord Alfred. The speed of the march in the canyon and the speed of the march once inside the territory are different. Given the cautious Lord Alfred, it¡¯s a speed that can only be achieved with certainty.¡± I see, so it¡¯s easy to understand if you look at me. He¡¯s sure he won¡¯t risk many lives with just a bluff. So far, it hasn¡¯t been a comedy of errors. ¡°I see. Then where did you get your certainty about the treatment?¡± Oliver gave a small shrug. I guess I¡¯ve rambled on a bit. ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t think Lord Alfred will tolerate the sacrifice he will have to make in wiping us all out, even if it means saving us from future disasters.¡± It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? I guess It¡¯s too redundant. We separate those who accept and those who eliminate in order to divide the demon tribe. It¡¯s more efficient that way. ¡°Those who led this surprise attack will naturally be held accountable. The rest will be accepted under certain conditions. If you refuse to do so, I will allow you to leave this land.¡± Oliver closed his eyes. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something he predicted, but I wonder how he would respond. ¡°Those who led the charge are almost all dead. The rest will be exiled, is that acceptable to you?¡± That¡¯s not good enough. I shook my head. ¡°If you have them in custody, you can execute them yourselves. Our law does not provide for that penalty.¡± You may execute them vaguely, but¡­ Frankly, that law has not yet been enacted. As long as I forbid ex post facto laws, I¡¯ll let those beyond the reach of my laws handle it. Oliver narrowed his eyes. I guess because my demands seemed to deviate from the norm. ¡°I thought Ravenna was all about leniency until now. Do you ask for punishment after the battle is over? It seems to me that the truce is still in force and not an act of treachery.¡± There is also a reason why I ventured to do this. And there are several people present at this negotiation. I also need to let my allies know my attitude. ¡°At first glance, yes. But they attacked a non-combatant. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too much to ask for a fitting retribution.¡± Oliver let out a small, gasping breath. ¡°It seems to me that Ravenna¡¯s appeal is its tolerance¡­ and its unparalleled adherence to the law in this world. Are you going to abandon those strengths? If you, Lord Alfred, bend that law and force us to submit merely as slaves, we will die with pride.¡± So you¡¯re coming that way. He attacked the ideals that I had been promoting. Oliver¡¯s aim and the odds were becoming somewhat clear. This is a battle for the rank of the soul. The rank of the soul means the same thing as pride. To put it ironically¡­a battle of mounts for pride. It¡¯s not a realistic diplomat atmosphere like last time. They don¡¯t seem to be willing to play for practical gain or loss from the get-go. I guess that¡¯s the reason why I felt like he was an actor. So he is going to perform in the last stage of his life. Because it¡¯s the last performance, you intend to perform with no regrets, huh. Worst case scenario, Oliver is willing to accept my terms in their entirety. He says they will all die, but he will round them out with his own life. If I push too hard, he won¡¯t be able to refuse. He may even be willing to die as a result. But in that case, I lose. Because these words, ¡°bend the law and force us to submit,¡± will be a thorn in my mind. Since they couldn¡¯t win in the first place, they had to use their strength to push their way in. He knows very well that I hate such methods. Even if they kill me, they will think they got their shot. And he knows I will realize it. You derive this from the fact that I value long-term results over short-term results. The winners and losers in the material world have already been decided. So I set the game on a different stage. Rather than begrudgingly defend the position of the demon tribe to the victor, he¡¯s willing to throw it all away. I¡¯m sure that he will choose that without hesitation if he¡¯s asked to make a concession that even his life cannot contain. In that case, he is asking me to bear that decision. But¡­ there is another factor. I am not going to put my sentiments and pride first and ignore the will of my men. There is no choice but to allow the ringleaders to get away with it. I let out a small breath. ¡°Even if it is not against our laws, isn¡¯t it against the rules of your tribe? At the very least, you can¡¯t just fail to stage a coup and get away scot-free.¡± This was not a realistic fight. It¡¯s like I and Oliver are fighting a slash-and-burn battle using theory and pride as weapons. Even the loser doesn¡¯t give up his pride. Oliver¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡°You are telling us that you are going to leave this to us?¡± ¡°If your treatment is to our credit¡­ Think about it if you were in the winner¡¯s position. How can you trust people who are so lenient in their treatment of their own people?¡± Oliver closed his eyes. ¡°I understand. But even if I take the lead, there are shades of guilt. I ask you to understand that.¡± Is that the limit¡­? It¡¯s hard to deal with someone who is willing to go so far as to say that the worst that could happen is that the demon tribe would be annihilated. It is often said that a ¡°must live¡± is a ¡°prisoner of war¡±. ¡°I¡¯ll recognize that. Then there is one more thing: the grudge with Ms. Kriemhild¡¯s family. Whether or not you can throw that away¡­ Ravenna¡¯s law does not recognize such things.¡± Oliver gave a small laugh. Your reaction is quite light. Is this not as heavy a subject as we think? ¡°We are a very special family with a pact with the dragon. That was our identity. Our grudge was justified by that.¡± In other words, the grudge of an unknown ancestor was a bonus? Or is it because there is something greater than that on which we can depend¡­? ¡°In other words, it doesn¡¯t matter even if you throw it away¡­¡± ¡°The newfound allies are the ones who deny the grudge. At this point, the grudge has lost its power as well.¡± Is the pact with the dragon bigger than I thought? It¡¯s a little odd to abuse something that big. ¡°If the pact is so valuable, why would you want to abuse it?¡± ¡°There were factions that valued the pact and factions that didn¡¯t¡­ That¡¯s all there is to it. And with this battle, the factions that did not were extinguished. As for grudges, I will say that there is no problem.¡± That¡¯s a bit shaky¡­ ¡°Let me ask you something then. What do you want from Ravenna?¡± I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s a blank slate. Even if Oliver himself was prepared for the worst. He would have to consider the case if things went well. CH 318 Oliver answered my question immediately. ¡°If you would welcome them as a citizen of Ravenna.¡± This is a very complicated answer. In other words, put them on the same level as other citizens. If they are welcomed as a citizen, they will be protected by the laws of Ravenna, is that what you are saying? I guess he knows all the laws that we have decided. If we proceed as we are, we¡¯ll just be playing into their hands¡­ We can¡¯t play with the cards in our hand. I smile at Oliver. ¡°I see¡­ I would like to answer your question, but our discussion has become too long. I¡¯d like to answer your questions, but it¡¯s a long story, and I have to sort it out, so we¡¯ll continue later.¡± Oliver stared at me for a while, and then bowed. ¡°I understand. Then, I hope you will call on me when you are ready.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± It was not time to eat, so the meeting was adjourned. I dared to do so, though. Charles, who was present at the camp curtain, has a bitter expression. ¡°It is a very convenient negotiation¡­. What do you think, my lord?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°At first glance, it makes a lot of sense. At first glance, that is¡­¡± ¡°In other words, you¡¯re not willing to accept it?¡± ¡°We have to look at the postwar process as well. Not only with the enemy in mind, but also with our allies¡­ I don¡¯t think we can say that the ringleader is dead and therefore they are exempted¡­ We have not even confirmed that he¡¯s really dead in the first place. I can somewhat predict how Mr. Oliver will dispose of him.¡± Charles looks at me interestingly. ¡°Hoh ¡­¡­ I wonder what they are going to do about it¡±. ¡°It¡¯s quite vague. They are coming up with legal arguments and words that resonate with me. While trying to make me look good, they are trying to put the past behind them and start everything anew. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s their aim. If I had just let it slide¡­ it would have been swept under the rug.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re going to start over. Would a fresh start change the situation?¡± I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. If you don¡¯t have a card in your hand¡­just make one. ¡°If we don¡¯t do anything, it won¡¯t change things.¡± ¡°Are you going to try something again?¡± ¡°Again, you say¡­ that¡¯s not a nice thing to say. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m always tripping people up. Anyway, let¡¯s make a map of this area. I can¡¯t think straight if I can¡¯t see the whole picture.¡± Charles tilted his head a little, but then nodded. ¡°So where would you like to start?¡± ¡°I think we should ask the locals about that. Starting from the place where you can get out of the demon territory.¡± ¡°Do you think they would honestly follow¡­¡± ¡°I think they will ostensibly comply. Please tell them it is for the purpose of building a postwar defense system. If they hold back during the process, it¡¯s like telling us there¡¯s something there. And if they refuse, just tell them you will look into it using our methods. If you do, they will definitely cooperate with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this is our territory yet.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have the means to eliminate our actions at this time. In order to prevent this, the losing side will rush to conclude a treaty. The winning side also wants to end the war as soon as possible because of the heavy expense of sending out troops. So at the appropriate time, the treaty is signed.¡± Charles looked surprised. He seemed to think that I, who cared so much about logistics, was in a hurry to end the war. ¡°So you are not in a hurry to conclude the treaty itself?¡± ¡°If it meets my objective, I will conclude it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Where is your goal? This case is quite unique, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°There have been many deaths to our side too. If the case is left unresolved, the people who lost their relatives will not be able to take it. We don¡¯t want them to think that they are disposable tools. However, if we continue with one-sided retaliation, we will only cause more casualties. The repercussions would be so great that we would be in trouble in the future.¡± Charles sighed at my nonchalant comment. ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s very troublesome¡­ So, what are you after with this map?¡± I give Charles a mischievous smile. ¡°The ringleader and his crew are hiding, aren¡¯t they? There are about a hundred of the defeated soldiers alone who have escaped. I have no intention of accusing the lower-ranking soldiers of any crimes, though. But the commanders are different. If we leave them alone, they will be exiled.¡± ¡°Is that what happens when you leave it to Mr. Oliver?¡± ¡°Yes, he will make them lead those who refuse to assimilate and let them go somewhere under the guise of exile. Let¡¯s see¡­ I think they will ask the merchant they have a relationship with to do it.¡± Charles heard those words and looked up. ¡°If that happens, it will be too late.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. I left Suzana alone, and created a firestorm. I have no intention of releasing a hundred Suzanas into the world.¡± ¡°Are you sure they haven¡¯t already escaped?¡± That¡¯s impossible. I shook my head. ¡°Oliver was under house arrest, wasn¡¯t he? It was not long after he was released. And since he had just completed a major transaction in preparation for war, he would not be coming soon. Naturally¡­ the merchants will be looking for the right moment.¡± ¡°Do you think the house arrest is true?¡± ¡°I think so. If he had taken the initiative, he would have been able to get around better. The action after the surprise attack is too lousy. Mr. Oliver is the type of person who takes pride in his intelligence. He can¡¯t do messy play, can he?¡± Charles grinned at my words. ¡°I see. By the way, when do you plan to resume negotiations?¡± ¡°When the rats, driven by doubt and suspicion, have jumped into their cages.¡± CH 319 The nets are set and all we have to do is wait. Charles is out to command the area. Then Charles¡¯ second-in-command comes to me. Quirino Schakaruga. He is a tall, stout human male. His image resembles that one from the Silence series. He is a member of the initial immigrant group, and since he organized the army, he has been making a name for himself and is considered to be a rising star. One of the characteristics of the Ravenna army is that the vice general is in charge of logistics. Like Napoleon, logistics work is not a punishment; here it is an elite course. As soon as he entered the camp curtain, he saluted me. ¡°My lord, Sir Rossi has asked me to consult with you directly regarding logistics.¡± Charles is busy right now. ¡°What is it, Mr. Schakaruga?¡± He is from a commoner¡¯s background, so I don¡¯t add ¡°Sir¡± in his name. ¡°As for logistics, we are running out of room for manpower. Transportation alone will eventually run out.¡± ¡°We need a lot of manpower, after all. We will have to ask the demon tribe to provide it for us.¡± Quirino looked a little puzzled. ¡°I have refrained from doing so due to security concerns, but with your permission, I will do so.¡± ¡°I understand, then you may do so. I¡¯m sure it will not take that long to negotiate the end of the war. It will be enough if you submit it temporarily.¡± Quirino saluted and left. Even though the horses are not that many, the amount of food they eat¡­ If the horses fall over at this point, some of the demon tribe will think of something bad. I hope the rats will catch on soon¡­ As I was thinking this, a messenger came rushing in. ¡°M-My lord¡­I have something to report.¡± ¡°What is it? In such a hurry.¡± I waited for the messenger to catch his breath. ¡°I apologize, my lord. The chief of the demon tribe has requested to see you.¡± The chief? An eight-year-old by himself? What¡¯s wrong with Oliver? ¡°Is the Chief a child?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ He is a boy under 10 years old.¡± This is also unexpected¡­ Suddenly, I thought of Dorius¡¯ third son. The campsite was indeed near the town¡­ The gatekeeper didn¡¯t see him? Maybe Oliver can get through to him. ¡°Then¡­ let him through, please.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The messenger seemed to think I would deny it, but he immediately bowed and left. Even if it was a fake, he would still need to be protected. If a child came to me and something happened to him, it would destabilize people¡¯s minds. We¡¯re not a lost child center, though¡­ A boy from the demon tribe passed through. He has a tanned face, red hair, and red eyes. He looked smart. ¡°Hello, I am the commander, Alfred Della Scala.¡± The boy bowed awkwardly. It¡¯s a funny thing to say, but this is a place of fishy diplomacy, you know. ¡°I am Marius Voirsch. I am the chief of the demon tribe!¡± As I recall, Oliver also said that was the name of the chief. ¡°Then, Lord Voirsch, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Grandpa Ori was talking about who would take responsibility for the last war.¡± Grandpa Ori, you mean Oliver? I am not sure if he is real or not, but at least he is acting well. ¡°What about it?¡± Marius looked at me straight in the eyes, trembling faintly. ¡°I am the chief. I¡¯ve only been one a short time, but¡­ I heard from Grandpa that the chief is in charge when something happens.¡± Hey, hey, don¡¯t bring in any unnecessary trouble¡­ ¡°That¡¯s true. Basically, though.¡± ¡°Please spare everyone with my life!¡± Oh, no. He said it¡­ Does he understand that he¡¯s going to die? Or did he go out of control after thinking too hard? I shook my head with a sigh. ¡°Lord Voirsch can¡¯t be responsible for this.¡± Marius looked surprised. ¡°Why is that? I am the chief.¡± If Mil were here, it would¡¯ve been a big problem. She would definitely sympathize with him, but she would also be saddened by her inability to let her personal feelings take precedence. I would be just fine on my own in such a fishy place. I unintentionally put on a gentle, admonishing face. ¡°You can¡¯t take responsibility unless you are the one who made the decision to start this war. You were just a child when the war started.¡± Marius looked like he was thinking hard, trying to say something back. Hadn¡¯t he thought about the cause and effect? If he had been the son of the former chief, I would have considered executing him. I wouldn¡¯t want him to swear inwardly that he would take revenge later. If not, there was little need to do so. But what were the adults around him doing? That¡¯s what makes me angrier. But first, I have a few questions for this courageous chief. ¡°How did Lord Voirsch get here? There must have been a gatekeeper.¡± Marius¡¯s face turned from regretful to proud. ¡°There¡¯s a secret passageway out there!¡± A hidden passageway that kids can get through, huh? I¡¯ll ask what I can. If it is real¡­ that is. ¡°By the way, did the previous chief or anyone who went into battle escape?¡± Marius tilted his head. ¡°I never saw them in town.¡± He doesn¡¯t seem to be lying. I guess they wouldn¡¯t do anything obvious, like hiding in town. So I decided to make small talk. About Marius, about the town, about their daily life. In other words, the fundamental information I wanted. Information that Oliver is keeping secret. While I was listening to Marius¡¯ various stories, a report came in. ¡°Excuse me for interrupting your meeting! Mr. Oliver is checking on the whereabouts of the Chief.¡± Marius looked as if his prank had been discovered. ¡°He¡¯s right here. Let him pass.¡± Marius looks down. I will compensate you for the information you have given me. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll ask him to avoid getting angry with you.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± Marius¡¯ face lit up. If this is acting or camouflage, he must be a pro or someone who believes it from the bottom of his heart. It¡¯s hard to believe that Oliver would plant an unrelated child as a sacrifice. Soon, Oliver came in, looked at Marius, and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he bowed to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Alfred. I lost sight of him for a moment and¡­¡± I held up a hand to stop Oliver. ¡°No, it was a nice change of pace to talk to him. I hope you won¡¯t be angry that he snuck out.¡± Oliver looked at me and Marius in turn and sighed. ¡°I understand. If you insist, Lord Alfred.¡± After that, Marius left with Oliver. I unexpectedly obtained important information. And my belief that the rat was in the territory strengthened. It¡¯s about time to settle this. CH 320 Charles brings urgent news. The rats I¡¯m hoping for are hiding out in a compound near the harbor. Thirty-eight of them, all high-ranking demons. They tried to escape and resisted, so they were all killed. It would have taken too much time and effort to escort them back to the capital alive. In a sense, it was just right. The rest were probably ordinary soldiers. Then there was no need to hold them accountable. Let¡¯s have Mr. Oliver identify the bodies. By now, this negotiation should be over. Charles and his men are returning with the bodies on a cart. I greet Charles. ¡°Thanks for your help.¡± Charles smiles at me. ¡°No, sir, we turned back as you ordered, but shouldn¡¯t we be looking for other escapees?¡± ¡°The lower-ranking soldiers would have been fed on monsters. The commanding officer class doesn¡¯t eat them. So, if they¡¯re going to hide, it would be inconvenient to have even lower-ranking soldiers with them, whose rationality is diminished.¡± Charles looked disappointed. ¡°Even if they are disposable, it¡¯s still impressive. I wonder what they wanted to do there¡­¡± I shrugged and smiled at Charles. ¡°I guess he wanted to dream.¡± I called out for Oliver, and he came immediately, as if he had been expecting me. He took one look at the corpse, but only shook his head lightly. ¡°Lord Alfred, could you please explain this to me?¡± ¡°We were checking out an area to establish a defense system. We found them hiding in a secluded house, and after they tried to escape, they even resisted. That¡¯s what happened.¡± Oliver stared at me¡­then nodded quietly. ¡°They¡¯re certainly the people that led the war¡­¡± I guess I should confirm one more thing. ¡°I am sure that Mr. Oliver did not know they were in hiding, but¡­ Are the former chief and his cronies among them?¡± Of course he knew. But I had no proof, and I had no intention of pursuing the matter. I can only imagine why they managed to back out and make things go away. Oliver looked around at the bodies and pointed to one. ¡°He is the former chief. Everyone around him are his cronies.¡± There was no emotion in his voice. He only felt a sense of exhaustion. No wonder. ¡°I see.¡± Oliver turned his gaze back to me. ¡°The only ones left are the common soldiers, except for the cronies. Would you be willing to let us take care of them?¡± I smiled and shook my head. ¡°The person in charge has taken responsibility. I do not intend to hold the common soldiers responsible. The leaders of the world will not care how many soldiers become scapegoats. But if they knew that those who made the decisions would be pursued, I think they would straighten their collars.¡± After that, we began negotiating the final decision on the treaty. From this point on, things went a ton of way. The obstacles destroyed themselves. We don¡¯t suddenly recognize them as citizens. The demon tribe will be treated as quasi-citizens. When the time is right, we will inform them that they will be promoted to citizens. Since they are quasi-citizens, no representatives will be elected. The chief will stay at the homes of an influential person in the capital to study. The children of influential people were asked to do the same. They are a kind of hostage. But they are treated generously and educated. When the chief came of age, I promised to make them the governor of this territory if they were suitable. Of course, the children of influential people would also be returned here to assist the governor. The assimilation of the demon tribe would be completed in the next generation. This decision was not reversed by Oliver. He only asked me to guarantee the safety of the chief and the others. Of course, I guaranteed it in my name. The land would be governed by a governor. Oliver asked to assist the Governor as an advisor. This, too, was approved. I have also offered to accept any who wishes to study in the capital. We will divide the demons into two groups: those who will remain in this territory and those who will not. We have no intention of consolidating them in one place. They will be dispersed and settled in a moderate manner. Finally, we must consider the fulfillment of the pact. As for the treatment of the people, we have kept our word. The other is the monster extermination So I had the main ones gathered in the town. I enter the town accompanied by the Elite Guards. The influential people who had gathered in the square all looked listless and anxious. I looked around at them and opened my mouth. ¡°You have been killing monsters in accordance with your pact with the dragon for some time now. That pact became invalid when your spirit was corrupted. And now I have taken over.¡± I pulled the seal of the pact from my pocket and held it out in front of everyone. As I did so, the seal suddenly emitted a dazzling light. Hey, hey, hey, I didn¡¯t hear about this! Is this a service for the Queen of the Third Sky? It¡¯s a perfect stage set-up, but¡­ The light caused the demons to grovel. In my brain, The BGM, ¡°Eyyy, bow down, bow down! Don¡¯t you see this crest?¡±, started flowing through my head. Is it just me, or did I look like an idiot? The serious atmosphere was shattered from my inner mind. After shining for a while, the light disappeared. I quickly put the seal in my pocket. ¡°If you want to continue to fulfill the pact, I¡¯ll allow you to exterminate monsters. I will also allow their families to remain here.¡± I simply didn¡¯t want to move the entire demon tribe because it would create a gap in the monster extermination process. I dare to say this in a condescending manner. At my words, the demons looked up. I wonder what it is, but they look a little more lively. ¡°Those who wish to fulfill the terms of the agreement, please ask Mr. Oliver. Mr. Oliver will also inform you of the other conditions of surrender.¡± With that, we leave the town. As we were preparing to leave the camp, Charles came over to us. ¡°My lord, are you sure? It seems that the conditions are quite lenient.¡± I laughed at his words. ¡°It sure is. But I have given the highest priority to avoiding any future hard feelings.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t the other forces look down on us?¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t. My retaliation was aimed at the leadership. No matter how much the people fear us, it will be meaningless if the leadership is fooled.¡± Charles looked astonished. ¡°I agree with you. In any case, we can now begin to build a governance system with a firm footing.¡± I smiled at Charles. I¡¯m a little tired, so my smile is tinged with exhaustion. ¡°Yes, finally.¡± ¡°Why did you not question Mr. Oliver¡¯s false declaration to us?¡± So you couldn¡¯t agree with that. I have a strong personal judgment, but¡­ I could almost understand the actual situation from the boy chief¡¯s story. He is just a decoration and has no real authority. But he knows the adults he comes in contact with. ¡°Even if they are released from house arrest, the control of the demon tribe is loose at best. The information is not clear. The least bloodshed in such a situation is peace under a new regime with a new chieftain. They probably promised to let him go when they saw an opening and removed him from power without giving him up.¡± ¡°So he lied¡­¡± ¡°Yes, even though he was a runaway soldier, he was still the chief. He wouldn¡¯t have the strength to capture him by force and turn him over to me. The moderate demon tribe is petrified after the pact was broken. That¡¯s why¡­ that¡¯s all he can do. And the ringleaders accepted the proposal because they had no other choice. If there was no chance of winning, they would be more inclined to take the chance of survival. But if he betrayed them and turned them in, they should have been skeptical.¡± If they were mindlessly forced to clean up the mess, I would not be inclined to hold them accountable. He would have been unwilling. That¡¯s punishment enough for him. It may be naive, but for me personally, I think it¡¯s good enough. Charles laughed at my words. ¡°So the rats were flushed out easily.¡± ¡°I simply gave the doubters an incentive to assume.¡± Charles started laughing at my pompous line. ¡°Kindness? That was some terrible act of kindness.¡± ¡°No, no, no, the trick is to be kind. You have to put yourself in the other person¡¯s shoes and find out what they want in order to succeed.¡± Charles looked at astonished at my teacherly line. ¡°If you say that to me, I won¡¯t be able to believe in people¡¯s kindness. I hope you¡¯re not putting this into the children¡¯s heads. It would be a nightmare if there were more children like my lord.¡± That¡¯s a terrible prejudice¡­ CH 321 The escort of hostages will come later. Since this area is now our own territory, the problem with the manpower will be cleared. The army will be pulled out in stages, but half of them will be left behind. We could not suddenly leave the area empty, after all. The second-in-command, Quirino Schakaruga, will be in charge of the military in the area. He was very proud of Charles¡¯ order, saying that he was the best man for the job. The overall control of the military is left to Charles. The administrative control is my responsibility. Finally, I was in the carriage on my way back to Antium. I was able to roll into the carriage because the number of soldiers was reduced to half and there was enough room to transport more supplies. We have already sent the fast horses about the signing of the treaty and the lifting of the wartime regime. With map in hand, I was selecting relay points and continued to think about the future structure of the system. The demon tribe does not seem to be thinking of rebelling at the moment. But that does not mean we can rest easy. The territory has expanded at once, and the governing structure has gone beyond fragile and is still on thin ice. There are still some areas that are not fully affected by the government. Right now, they are pushing through with manpower, but¡­ This does not mean that people will die immediately. But if it goes wrong, it will be very hard to fix. Monster extermination will also have to be coordinated with the guilds. In addition to dungeons, there is always the task of exterminating monsters. The influx of adventurers is inevitable, huh¡­ There is a mountain of problems, both simple and critical, such as public safety and food distribution. The distribution of food never stops because the roads are laid out in Roman style, like a web. Then, in turn, we need a guide to get us to our destination. Maps are classified information, so they can¡¯t be easily released. Ah, seriously, I have so much to do. Once things settle down, I¡¯ll go on a honeymoon with Mil for a month or so, touring the territory. That¡¯s good. And finally, we see Antium. It seems like a lot of people are welcoming us outside the town. It was not necessary to have such a large number of people, though. This is the hard part of being a lord since we can¡¯t do that. All the leaders were there, including Mill, Kiara, and the others. As usual, they greeted us upon our return, but Mil and Kiara¡¯s greeting was unusually simple. As I was wondering why, Kriemhild, who had been pushed by Ardelheid, came out in front of me with a nervous look on her face. ¡°Ms. Kriemhild, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Kriemhild bowed deeply to me. ¡°Thank you for putting an end to our enmity.¡± For that? I thought, and then she stepped forward and whispered. ¡°And I¡¯m really sorry for withholding information from you.¡± Oh, you mean that. I smiled and waved my hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. It¡¯s already happened. And it wasn¡¯t too late. I hope you¡¯ll take this lesson to heart the next time.¡± Kriemhild bowed her head. ¡°I am sorry again and again. And thank you very much.¡± That¡¯s enough, I said¡­ I cleared my throat once. ¡°That¡¯s enough. If you¡¯re that serious about your feelings, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± Kriemhild nodded her head at my words. ¡°Anything I can do to help.¡± I waved my hand lightly. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal. When someone else makes a mistake,use your own reflection to help that person make the next move. That¡¯s all you need to do.¡± I laughed in a light tone. Kriemhild was a little surprised, but then her eyes watered a little and she bowed. ¡°Yes, I will do that.¡± Kriemhild looked up and for some reason smiled bitterly. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, I was warned by Ardelheid. She told me to be careful with Lord Alfred at a time like this.¡± Hey, hey, hey. What do you mean ¡°be careful¡±? ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything strange, though ¡­¡­¡± Kriemhild smiled wickedly, but her cheeks were red. ¡°That¡¯s the danger. If you¡¯re not careful, she said, you¡¯ll be drawn in by a tremendous amount of charm.¡± T-That woman ¡­¡­ what a terrible accusation. Is she making up stories and spreading rumors again? ¡°What do you mean by charm?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Only those who have tasted this will ever understand. I wish Lord Alfred had been single. That kind of thinking.¡± I was about to burst out. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not tempting you.¡± Then, Ardelheid came over and tapped Kriemhild on the shoulder. ¡°Right? What a surprise, huh? It¡¯s a crime, in a way, to only be interested in one woman. No ¡­¡­ it¡¯s a walking disaster, you know? The enemy of women, you know? If he¡¯s robust, then it¡¯ll be too dangerous not to seal him.¡± Kriemhild started to laugh at her words. ¡°I agree. It¡¯s certainly a vicious one.¡± Something terrible is about to happen. Sensing something disturbing, Mil and Kiara came over to me and stood firmly next to me. I look over at the two of them, but they give me some kind of reproachful look. It¡¯s not my fault. I was just a boss giving his subordinate some normal advice. Kriemhild burst out laughing. ¡°When I think about it, Miss Kiara has been bathed in this charm since she was a little girl.¡± Kiara puffed out her chest. ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s soaked into me so much that it won¡¯t come off.¡± Am I a scent bag? Ardelheid laughed irresponsibly. ¡°Well, then, it¡¯s no wonder your brocon got so twisted up.¡± What, It¡¯s my fault!? I look at Mil for relief, but she just glares at me with a serious look. ¡°About that ¡­¡­ There¡¯s no helping it now, though.¡± Mil sighed, her face suddenly remembering something. ¡°Oh, yes! We¡¯re going to have a festival. We had a third anniversary at one point, but it didn¡¯t turn out to be very exciting at all. We¡¯re going to have a festival to commemorate the levelling of the land!¡± Is that so. For some reason, Ardelheid was clasping her hands in happiness at the mention of the festival. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll have the second Carnival too! We¡¯ve been postponing it because we¡¯re at war! In fact, I even want to ban war when the Carnival is on!¡± That¡¯s the Olympics! As if in response to Ardelheid¡¯s words, a group of muscular men came forward. The leader of the group is Rui. The number of friends, both male and female, is increasing. I want to turn away, but I reflexively count the number. Twelve ¡­¡­? ¡°Are they all from the medical team, by any chance?¡± Rui sparkled, his teeth shining. ¡°Yes! We are the proud elite medical team!¡± With those words, the 12 people in the back began posing as they pleased. Then, all at once, they raised their voices. ¡°Long live the muscles and Lord Alfred! Welcome back!¡± Why am I on that! Everyone else was saying welcome home, but I could only muster up a twitchy smile. CH 322 Chapter 322 - Criteria for getting excited I was given a report saying that the inspection in Antium had been completed while I was at war. I had indeed left the inspection plan behind. Since there was a lack of bran, I was told that they had included it in the inspection. Since there were no problems with the content of the inspection, I approved it and returned to the capital. In the meantime, I was told that Gerald and Despina also had a baby boy. A little brother for Arshinoe¡­ I was a little emotional. I started this society with my ego, but there are people living in it. It is said that I have no personal expenses, but in a bad way, the creation of this society is my hobby. It is both fun and gratifying when it produces results. I feel it strongly because it is not a numerical value in a game like happiness. And the festival was¡­ bursting with energy. I thought to myself, Isn¡¯t the criterion of ¡®excitement¡¯ whether the leaders are having fun or not? And at the Carnival, barbell lifting by weight was added as a new event. Even commentary was provided. The props had also evolved from a chummy loudspeaker to a microphone-like device. Rebecca also seems to be a fan of the Carnival, so she made it her top priority¡­ She even used her magic to make letters float in the air and announce the progress of the event. I couldn¡¯t stop the light dizziness. In the end, they were even planning to make a bet on next year¡¯s event. Such a carnival was a stupidly exciting event. I don¡¯t know how far it will evolve. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. The canal is going well, and I got a report that it will be completed by the end of this year. The construction of the Teacher¡¯s bronze statue has also begun. I told Cesar, the branch manager of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, that we would discuss the extermination of the monsters in the former demon territory after the governor took office. Patrick was still too busy investigating the demons to meet with him. As for my research, I was able to commercialize scented soap, so I sent it back to my parents¡¯ house. I guess it would be difficult to beg for money from my parents¡¯ house soon. They seem to be having difficulties with the communication I requested from Rebecca, and Onyxim, who is also at the institute, is telling me not to come over. He seems to be in a very bad mood. Onyxim¡¯s research on explosions had also evolved to the point of looking like a firework. As for the other prototype of the railroad that I had asked for, it was pointed out that the horses would get caught in the ruts of the iron tracks. As a result, as I had predicted, they had arrived at the point where they could put wheels on the tracks. The demon territory was instructed to build a city that will serve as the core. The governor entrusted the selection of the people to a strategic council, which was officially named the Cabinet. After much wrangling, the governor recommended Theobald Lichtenstein, who had been Kriemhild¡¯s guardian, to me. It was thought that the grudge might not have a bad influence, but there was no one to entrust the job to in terms of human resources. It would be fine if I followed up Theobald carefully. The training of human resources in this area is a problem for me. After giving all the instructions, Mil and I decided to go on our honeymoon for the first time in over three years. In other words, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, I turned 19. I¡¯d forgotten all about it. I appointed Kiara to be in charge in my absence. The system for transmitting information is coming along nicely, and I¡¯ve told her I¡¯ll consult with her on the honeymoon. If we are going to be discreet, we might as well wait. But if we wait, we will miss the opportunity endlessly. So, although it was a bit of a close-out departure, we informed them that we would be touring the territory for about a month on our honeymoon. Mil was a little worried, but soon changed her mind and decided to enjoy the honeymoon. And the first thing I decided to do was to go to the hot springs. It was the first time for me to go there after the wedding. I was too busy to do that. Unfortunately, it was not just the two of us on our honeymoon. Half of the Elite Guards will come with us. The lack of freedom of a great man¡­ In the carriage, I couldn¡¯t help complaining to Mil. ¡°Surrounded by so many guards, it looks like an inspection tour, not a honeymoon¡­ I¡¯d rather be alone with Mill, though¡­¡± Mil was sitting next to me and started laughing when he saw my frustrated face. ¡°But, that can¡¯t be helped, They¡¯re worried about you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t set up the system to be that unsafe¡­¡± My sighing complaint made Mil¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°I understand, you know, since I¡¯m always left at home to look after the place. I get anxious thinking about things.¡± Are you actually holding on to the fact that I didn¡¯t take you to the war? That¡¯s something I¡¯ll never do. I wondered if such thoughts showed on my face. Mil sighed at me. ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about the fact that¡­ you didn¡¯t take me to war. But I can¡¯t help feeling anxious.¡± There was no room for rebuttal. The journey continues while talking about such feelings and altruism. In the hot spring town, while Mil and I were having a harmless flirtation, we received some information. The information transmission system is working properly. I receive the report with a look of admiration and satisfaction on my face. "" In an instant, my loose emotions fly away. Mil¡¯s expression hardens at the change in my expression. I silently hand him the report. Mil¡¯s face turns surprised when she sees it. ¡°Al, is this true?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s confirmed, there¡¯s no point in worrying about whether it¡¯s true or false.¡± Mil looks away from me for a moment and looks out. ¡°So the apostle has descended.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d rather they didn¡¯t come this way.¡± Mil¡¯s face turned worried. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I don¡¯t know when they will come down, but¡­ I have a bad feeling when I hear it again. I wonder if we¡¯ll all be relying on each other again¡­¡± I could only chuckle at her concern. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. In Ravenna, I¡¯ve been telling them to think and act on their own, but they¡¯re still relying on me. I don¡¯t know how far they¡¯ve gotten. But I hope they will at least speak up and say that what they think is wrong is wrong.¡± Mil leaned toward me weakly. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m starting to feel like I belong here now. I love it here.¡± I smile at her and put my arm around her shoulder. ¡°Just those words alone¡­ make all this worthwhile. ¡° Truthful and honest feelings. And God must have sent him down here with the intention of getting rid of me. In other words, it¡¯s confirmed that he¡¯s coming here¡­ It could be that he just dropped him off, but I am almost certain that he will come. CH 323 Chapter 323 - Sane or Insane It¡¯s not something I can do anything about at this point. So there is no use in worrying about it. With that conclusion, we decide to enjoy our honeymoon. In the hot spring town, even if the two of us are walking alone, our escort will follow us. I don¡¯t have a choice, though. As the two of us were walking, a child came running up to me alone. The escort tries to intercept the child, but I hold the escort back. The kid is a little dog tribesman girl, maybe no older than 10. She stands in front of me, fidgeting a bit. Mil and I look at each other and laugh. Mil bends down and calls out to the girl. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, young lady? Do you want something from us?¡± The girl hesitates for a moment and then looks at us. ¡°My father is in the hospital with an injury.¡± I crouched down and made eye contact with her, as did Mil. ¡°Was your father in the war?¡± The girl gave a small nod. Mill smiled softly at the girl. ¡°Perhaps you would like Al to pay him a visit?¡± The girl smiled and nodded at her words. Mil looked at me and nodded. I nodded back that I understood too. ¡°Well, could you show me around? We¡¯ll go pay him a visit.¡± The girl jumped up and down with a smile. ¡°Feudal Lord¡­ thank you! This way!¡± With that, she ran off in high spirits. I guess I can take a little pride in the fact that it is safe for a child to walk alone. I laughed with Mil and followed the girl. We were taken to a treatment center for wounded soldiers. At my direction, the wounded soldiers were made to have their families accompany them. The visit may be done in a ceremonial way. A kind of performance. Before my reincarnation, I watched it with a sober eye. Now, such luxury is not allowed. Still, I can¡¯t go to every place and visit every time. If a person in authority were to visit, there would be security issues and other problems that would place a considerable burden on the site. And since they are not going alone, there is also the issue of cost. It is common sense to calculate various conditions and pay a visit at the most effective time. In other words, it is rare for those in power to visit a person with pure feelings. That is why, when they do visit, they do so seriously. Whether it is hypocrisy or calculation, any act that causes discomfort to the other person is foolish and wasteful. I hate acts that I would rather not do. A soldier would feel honored if his commander-in-chief paid him a visit. It gives them prestige and changes the way people look at them. It¡¯s almost like putting up a picture of a celebrity visiting a restaurant. I wonder if they think that if a kid asks for it, it¡¯ll work? I myself¡­ don¡¯t remember doing anything that would make me seem particularly fond of children. It was a result of my concern for the safety of the people of the territory in terms of governance. I am calculating in my performance, expecting results. I can¡¯t help but feel that I am being misunderstood. If necessary, I could order an 8-year-old child to be killed. How could such a man love children? The girl took me to a large room where there were quite a few families and soldiers. The family and the soldiers were shocked to see me and Mil. In a panic, the soldiers tried to stand up, but I stopped them with my hand. ¡°Please make yourself comfortable. I just barged in on my own.¡± The girl ran to her parents proudly. The father seemed to have injured his leg. The girl turned around and waved at me. I guess I¡¯ll have to visit them all for this. "" When I got to the girl, her dog tribesmen parents were terrified. Despite my best intentions, I was put in a position where they were made to feel intimidated. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± The soldier was tense. His wife lightly pinched the soldier and bowed to me. ¡°I am sorry you had to come all the way here. When I told her that my lord was here, this girl suddenly said that she¡¯ll ask you to pay a visit¡­¡± The wife was about to bow her head, so I restrained her. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m sorry for making you nervous. Isn¡¯t she a very good girl who loves her father.¡± The child turned her chest up in pride at my words. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. From there, we made ordinary small talk. If I talked too long, he might have a heart attack and ascend to heaven. I shook hands with the soldier and ended my visit. After all this time, it would be bad enough if we didn¡¯t visit everyone. Mil and I decided to visit them all. When we left the treatment center, all the attendants saw us off. In the end, the day ended with a visit. On the way home, Mil smiled at me. ¡°Al is a popular guy. I can¡¯t believe they got so happy you visited them.¡± I chuckled at her teasing tone. ¡°It¡¯s better than being scorned.¡± If a lord is despised, he is finished. It is better to be feared than loved, but there is the matter of the ruling system. It would be better to be loved now. Mil¡¯s eyes grew grim at my reply. ¡°There you go again. You should just be honestly happy.¡± I can¡¯t seem to do it right. Some people find pleasure and meaning in being an idol or being popular. I had no desire for that kind of thing. I don¡¯t understand people who are happy to sign autographs. However, what Mil said was right from the standpoint of a lord. I couldn¡¯t help but scratch my head. We both decided that we would look around the territory, so we decided to go see Aaron for the first time in a long time. The place that used to be a former village of the wolf tribesmen. Now it is becoming a town integrated with a fort. "" I tried to get Oracio to decide the name of the town, but he wouldn¡¯t budge, saying it should be me. Now we are going to a town named Lupus Oppidum. Mil looked nostalgic in the carriage. ¡°I wonder how Mr. Aaron¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s fine. Especially since I haven¡¯t heard anything from him.¡± ¡°How nostalgic. I used to live in town in the early days, after all.¡± She laughed, remembering the difficulty she had in getting the tiger tribesmen to talk. ¡°Yes, things were quite tough those days when the town was just starting to be built up.¡± As the two of us reminisced about the old days, we arrived at Lupus Oppidum. It was almost sunset, so we decided to visit Aaron tomorrow. We were taken to our rooms and spent the night there. Another report arrived at my doorstep. This tracking performance. It¡¯s nice that it¡¯s working, but I hate this system when I want to stretch my wings. I read through the report in silence. Mil is looking at me with concern because of what happened last time. I smile at her and hold out the report to her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not about that. It¡¯s kind of complicated in a way, though¡­¡± Mil looked over the report and furrowed her brow. ¡°She¡¯s replacing Mr. Fabio. I guess Al¡¯s parents were the first to be approached.¡± ¡°It would be impolite to just barge in on them out of the blue, after all. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll ask first. They can¡¯t say no, so it¡¯s just a courtesy.¡± My casual reply was met with a deep sigh from Mil. ¡°Anyway, is this personnel selected insane?¡± ¡°We have no way of knowing if she¡¯s sane or insane.¡± The name of his successor. The niece of former Pope Alexandre Legrand. Her name is Ophelie Legrand. The pope was replaced at the time of the apostolic confirmation. His brother, Cardinal Cl¨¦ment Legrand, became the new Pope. In other words, the new Pope is currying favors on the Apostle. There must have been a fierce internal power struggle. ¡°How old is she?¡± ¡°Eighteen, I think. I don¡¯t know all the details.¡± Mil sighed largely. ¡°Ahhh ¡­¡­ I wonder why they sent a girl who is a bit past her suitable age. They¡¯re not aiming for Al, are they?¡± There are many cases where they pull girls slightly past the appropriate age, aiming for the apostolic descent. I smiled and waved my hand. ¡°No, no, no, no. Why would they go after the lord of a remote region? Even if I¡¯m the third son of a great aristocratic family, I¡¯m still a branch of the family and has no right to inherit the main family.¡± After some communication with the family, it was agreed that the Ravenna region was special, so they would leave it to me as a branch family. Mil sighed again. ¡°Then why do they have to come all the way here? They wouldn¡¯t come here unless they had something to aim for, will they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I can¡¯t just say no, so I can just ask her.¡± Mil shook her head. ¡°I understand a little how Al feels now¡­ So this is how the seeds of headaches come over on their own¡­¡± Hey, hey, you don¡¯t trust me, huh. ¡°No, trust me.¡± ¡°Of course I trust you. It¡¯s just that, if she uses her flirtatious eyes of my Al, is a little¡­ smothering.¡± ¡°If you worry about it that much, you won¡¯t have the stomach for it.¡± Mil¡¯s mouth agape. ¡°I know. But¡­I can¡¯t help it. I know it in my head, but¡­ Sometimes I hate myself for being so possessive.¡± I shut up, grabbed Mil¡¯s hand gently, and smiled. There was no need to continue with the words that followed. CH 324 Chapter 324 - Opportunity and Ability The next day, Mil and I ask Aaron. Aaron is thinner than before and his skin is no longer shiny. He is over 70 years old now, after all¡­ In this day and age, that¡¯s quite a long life. I wonder if we will be saying goodbye to him soon. Aaron looked at us and smiled. ¡°My lord and lady, it has been a long time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I am glad to see you are well.¡± Aaron smiled benignly. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, too. First of all, congratulations on the victory of Ravenna.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. We¡¯re not in a situation where we can feel safe yet, though.¡± Aaron looked at me and nodded quietly. ¡°I believe you¡¯re nineteen years old now. I am surprised that you are so cautious at that age. Old people discourage young people from becoming popular. I guess you¡¯ve been deprived of that kind of fun. In three years, you not only leveled the country but also created a new society. Thank God I have a good story to tell my late wife.¡± I honestly don¡¯t know how to respond to this. Should I laugh it off as a joke or take it seriously? Aaron saw that I was having a hard time and started laughing. ¡°In times like this, you just have to make appropriate responses.¡± ¡°I tend to overthink things.¡± ¡°But still ¡­ we were all uneducated people, and now we are all involved in some kind of complicated politics. It is a strange thing. Was Ravenna hiding so many brilliant people?¡± Actually, that¡¯s not the case. I give Aaron a small smile. ¡°A lot of people could do it if they had the opportunity. They just haven¡¯t had the opportunity until now.¡± I don¡¯t believe there are that many differences in people¡¯s abilities. There are singular geniuses, it¡¯s true. Of course¡­there are those who are not good at what they do. But the difference in total ability is basically due to the environment. Were you born in an environment where you could learn, gain experience, and grow? Some people struggle to rise above a bad environment and succeed, while others do not. If you crave success but are not in an environment where you can work hard, you will not succeed. As a politician, I only want to provide a basic starting point. I do not want to create an environment where people cannot even make an effort. The rest is up to the people to decide for themselves. If we try to decide the path, we will absolutely fail. I don¡¯t want my life to be decided by strangers. Mil looked astonished at my words. ¡°Al always says so, but he¡¯s unbelievable¡­ Don¡¯t you think so too, Mr. Aaron?¡± ¡°My Lady is right.¡± Aaron turned to Mil¡¯s side without hesitation. The situation was getting worse, so I decided to change the mood by making a coughing sound. ¡°Anyone can run. Almost anyone can run at a certain speed. Beyond a certain point, though, it takes talent and a certain amount of effort. For some people, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Aaron looked amused at my words. ¡°Certainly, that¡¯s true. Is what everyone is doing what everyone¡¯s doing what you call to some extent?¡± ¡°Yes, even seemingly large tasks can be made simple and easy by dividing them up. I did that first to give everyone confidence that they could do it. And now they¡¯re taking on something bigger and more complex than the first job they did.¡± ¡°I see, but¡­ I don¡¯t think people think anyone can do it.¡± I gave a wry smile at Aaron¡¯s words. ¡°You can¡¯t just bring in lords from other lands and have them do the work they¡¯re doing now. There are things that have been built up, after all. How about from the same start? Maybe we could do it¡­don¡¯t you think? Isn¡¯t it the same with hunting? You start with the easy ones first. It¡¯s the same thing.¡± Aaron gave a small nod at my words. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. You are very good at getting people on board, my lord. So they have confidence in themselves, which makes them work harder.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m lifting them up. I present them with what they can do and let them accomplish it. As a result, they gain confidence. Then they will be able to walk the rest of the way on their own. It is important to have confidence at the beginning. That¡¯s the only thing I paid attention to. ¡°If I were to show everyone from three years ago what they see now, they wouldn¡¯t all believe it. It must have been the first time for the Lady used anyone.¡± Mil looked at me sideways and shrugged. ¡°Yes, in the past, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to imagine it at all¡­or think I could do it. When I realized I could do it, I was able to do it. Since I met Al, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve come to a whole new world.¡± Aaron nodded happily at those words. ¡°Me too. And I¡¯m sure you feel the same way, that this different world is much better than the old one.¡± Mil smiled faintly at Aaron¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, I have no doubt.¡± It¡¯s nice to be told it¡¯s better than before, but it¡¯s hard to feel comfortable when it¡¯s said to your face. After such pleasantries, I left Aaron¡¯s place. This would probably be the last time I would have a pleasant chat with him. Lately, it seems as if people close to me are passing away. Each time this happens, I am confronted with the fact that I am somewhat broken. It¡¯s not pleasant, but I can¡¯t help it. Even if I get angry, there are no way tears will come out. No amount of digging will bring water to a dry well. While I was feeling sentimental like this, Mil crossed her arms around mine. ¡°Al, you¡¯re thinking of something strange again, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not thinking anything strange, though.¡± Mill seemed to have realized that I thought that my last pleasant chat with Aaron was over. ¡°Well, I think Mr. Aaron is happy. Isn¡¯t that fine?¡± I nodded silently. On our next stop¡­ we turned around and toured the construction of the canal. It was like an inspection. CH 325 Chapter 325 - Honeymoon in a Tent The end is in sight, the canal construction tour. There isn¡¯t too much mood for a honeymoon. But I realized that in the newly leveled world, there are not many places of interest. As I was worrying about it, Mil told me to go wherever I wanted to go¡­and so it came to this. In the carriage, I was wondering if this was really the right thing to do, when Mil poked me in the cheek. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about something again¡­ what is it this time?¡± Oh, no, my habit of thinking things over¡­ If I try to make an excuse, I¡¯ll be in a difficult situation, so let¡¯s be honest about it ¡­¡­. ¡°I was wondering what it would be like to go on a honeymoon without the mood of an inspection tour¡­¡± Mil looked surprised for a moment and then started laughing. ¡°I told you it¡¯s fine where you want to go. I¡¯m having fun too. I have a lot of memories here too, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I¡¯ve been putting it off for a long time, after all. I¡¯ve been thinking about it a lot when it comes time to do it.¡± Mil looked at my thoughtful face and continued to laugh. ¡°You only worry about it normally when it¡¯s about something like that, huh.¡± We arrived at the construction site while talking about such trivial matters. Ivan Rosin, the construction manager, greeted me. The Kaiser mustache seems to be alive and well. ¡°Welcome, my lord and lady, to this grim place.¡± I smile at Ivan. ¡°No, it¡¯s not a grim place¡­ it¡¯s a very interesting place.¡± Mil smiles and chuckles at Ivan. ¡°Yes, I was looking forward to it too.¡± After these greetings, Ivan leads us on a tour of the project. He also explained a special technique. A unique method that caught my eye during Maman¡¯s inspection. It was a civil engineering project using magic, but magic is mainly based on image. So, I asked Teacher to develop a method through trial and error. I create an explosion at the tip of an iron rod. I wondered what would happen if I made it happen in the ground. Of course, the distance has to be taken, so it is not easy¡­ We would also need rods several meters in length. They did quite a bit of trial and error and came up with the current length and training method. If one can imagine the tip exploding, it would be possible to detonate it underground, which is normally impossible. This would greatly increase the rate of excavation of the ground. This is because the ground is softened by the explosion. Although fatigue is high because of the special image, the hole is dug while the person in charge of the explosion takes a break. This part was left to the civil engineering team under Teacher. Since all they had to do was move the softened soil out of the way, the speed of the construction work was much faster. When Mil first heard about this, she laughed. Then her face suddenly change like she realized something. ¡°Perhaps, now that the leveling is over, you wanted to check on Mr. Fabio¡¯s accomplishments?¡± I shrugged my shoulders a little at the question. ¡°Well, you know, once the construction is over, you don¡¯t really feel it.¡± ¡°I see¡­that¡¯s nice. I like the idea of a honeymoon like this.¡± Mil smiled at me as she said this. I¡¯m glad that she liked it. For the night, we decided to pitch our tent near the construction site. I was offered the vacate quarters where the construction workers were sleeping¡­but I declined. That would only interfere with the construction. That would require several days of preparation. Because the workers would be forced to stay in the field for several days. And since there was no town nearby, they had to camp out. The report follows up on such places. That¡¯s really excellent. I read the report in my tent. The initial shock was strong, but I¡¯ve calmed down now. So, it¡¯s information about the apostles. Kiara must have thought it was important and sent it to me. I hand the report to Mil. Mil receives it, stares at the report, and then gives a small sigh. ¡°The apostle is Nikias Yu Laris. He¡¯s a 17-year-old boy. Amazing, he already has three wives.¡± (T/N: I thought that the apostle is the Ophelie Legrand, the replacement for Mr. Fabio Visconti) I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°They¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time, after all. I guess they went on the offensive to entertain them all at once.¡± At his age, they must have forcibly surrendered his soul to a full-grown person. In that case, what would happen to the soul of the person who was brought down? Would it be pushed out and disappear, or would it be crushed and fuse? I don¡¯t know. God doesn¡¯t care at all, though. I don¡¯t think the apostle will think about it either. Already, three wives, huh? I guess the first one on the list is the new Pope¡¯s daughter. I don¡¯t actually care about those wives. They are only as unique as the harem members. They are probably realistic Dutch wives who just shake their heads at the actions of the apostle. No one would be happy to be assigned to such a thing. ¡°At the moment, it looks like they¡¯re on their way to exterminate a monster from another country, not ours.¡± ¡°I guess so. I don¡¯t know how dangerous this monster is, but¡­ there is no end to this story. Let¡¯s talk about the honeymoon we are enjoying right now. Tomorrow is Antium.¡± It¡¯s a tent, so there¡¯s a chance of voices leaking out, so it¡¯s a stranger¡¯s conversation. We can do voice blocking, but it¡¯s like telling them we¡¯re doing something special. It¡¯s just embarrassing if they imagine something weird. Mil gave me the report back with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d been in Antium for over six months just a little while ago. There¡¯s something strange about that.¡± ¡°But this is your first visit to Mantova, right? From there, we¡¯ll go to the demon territory and return to Ravenna by boat from the port. It must be your first time on a boat.¡± ¡°Well, I have never been on a boat before. Is that going to come up on the way?¡± No, no, no, it¡¯s not that eager to get out. Maybe she was talking about the dragons. They don¡¯t show up unless they have to¡­ Probably. CH 326 Chapter 326 - The Social System''s Lifespan Leaving the construction site, we arrived in Antium. There is not much to see in the town itself. However, we decided to stay there for three days as a vacation for our escort. The town is just beginning to settle down. The story of the apostles has been passed on to the people of the town. There is no use in hiding it, and it is also meant to inform the Escorted Silvana of the information. If I told her directly, she would feel like I was kicking her out. I wanted her to hear it herself and make a decision. Perhaps because the benefit of the apostles is not so great in the frontier, she doesn¡¯t seem to talk about it much. The next day, although I didn¡¯t have to go with her, I went around the town with Mil. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t come with me, though.¡± Mil raised her eyebrows a little. ¡°So it¡¯s bad if I come with you?¡± ¡°No, if you want to do something on your own, it¡¯s okay for you to prioritize it.¡± Mil¡¯s cheeks puffed out a little. I think I have flicked the switch of discomfort a little bit. ¡°I¡¯m doing what I want to do. Alright?¡± I didn¡¯t mean to push her away, but I guess I put her in a bit of a bad mood. Scratching her head has become a half habit. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to be with you, okay? I¡¯ve been here for quite a while, so I was just wondering if you might have some personal business to attend to.¡± Mil chuckled at my appearance. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time for that at all. I was just imitating Al and thinking about everyone¡¯s vacations. I was able to manage with Kiara, but Al was doing it all by himself. We both said we couldn¡¯t believe it.¡± I¡¯m not aware of it much, though¡­ That¡¯s not a good thing to do when you let your people accumulate fatigue. ¡°Ummm, I don¡¯t mean to be so particular about what I do, though.¡± ¡°People who do extraordinary things always say that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to do that amount of work anymore. Don¡¯t worry. It will gradually decrease. The quality of work will change from now on because the season has started to change. Until now, it was the time of the founding of the company¡­ so it was very difficult in terms of quantity. From here on out, we¡¯ll be on the defensive, so it¡¯s going to be tiresome.¡± Mil tilted her head a bit. ¡°How is it different?¡± ¡°Until now, if you work hard, even if it¡¯s hard, you get results as much as you do it. Of course, there is a goal, although the amount required for success is outrageous. From this point on, we will keep going so that mistakes don¡¯t accumulate. And all the time. It¡¯s tiresome, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mil looks at me with a faraway look. ¡°Just hearing that makes me my stomach hurt¡­¡± ¡°So no man-made society can maintain perpetual life.¡± The apostles are forcing the world to be solidified. It is not a man-made society. The words include that nuance. However, since we are in public, it is a word that I have to keep secret. Mil tilted her head in doubt at my words. ¡°The society of elves has been going on for a long time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the mall number of elves and the basic simplicity of the society. There is almost no profit to be gained by seizing power. In fact, they are probably in the red because of all the hard work they do. And if there is a chance, they will want to give the leadership position to someone else.¡± Mil started to laugh at that. ¡°You¡¯re right, even Mr. Verneli seemed happy to yield it to Al, even if he didn¡¯t show it.¡± ¡°A society that does not benefit its leaders is limited in size. It is hard to develop, but it is stable. Development is nothing but the pursuit of profit. The pursuit of profit naturally leads to friction and instability.¡± A society in which the interests of the leaders are thin, the interests of the society as a whole are also thin. Even Han Fei said that Yao Shun¡¯s concession was because the ruler¡¯s profits were thin. He is the ancestor of that thoroughly profit-oriented Chinese. They would not have given up if there was a big profit to be made. I can more honestly agree with Han Fei¡¯s philosophy than that of Confucius. Mil tilted her head in those words. ¡°Is Ravenna also an underdeveloped society?¡± I laughed and waved my hand. ¡°There are enormous benefits to be gained by the lords if they wanted to. In my opinion, I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a matter of preference. No one wants to be in Al¡¯s shoes.¡± Well, I don¡¯t see the benefit. I would like to make it like ancient Rome, where service to the common good is honored¡­ This will take time. In fact, I¡¯d like the lords to be decorous, and I¡¯d like them to be in charge of the cabinet. It is extremely dangerous to run politics by the hereditary system. I think it would be better if the lords were symbolic and in charge of ceremonies and rituals such as investiture ceremonies. It is like the British royal family or the Japanese emperor system. Traditional things like rituals and ceremonies should be handed down in the house. Especially for rituals and ceremonies, the effect will increase if the form remains the same and is repeated. A ritual that changes every time would have no weight. ¡°W-Well¡­ it will be different when it becomes more stable. Everyone has vanity, after all. Let¡¯s leave this as an assignment for later.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I wish we had more time, though.¡± You are worried about the apostles, after all. It can¡¯t be helped, but it is what it is. While talking like this, we arrived at the plaza. The statue of the goddess of Ravenna is also set up here. Mil was looking at the statue with a wry smile. ¡°This statue of the goddess is a mixture of me and Kiara, so it¡¯s like a different person¡­ But if it were just me, I would be too embarrassed to walk around town.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. It would be a certain race that would be happy to have their own statue standing. ¡°We are a society of different races, so we need another symbol to unite us.¡± Mil pulled a coin out of her own pocket. She looked at it admiringly. ¡°So the coins they started casting have such a meaning, huh.¡± The coins are stamped with the image of a goddess. There is also a commemoration of the leveling of the city. The statues are only seen by those who live in the town. But the coins are in the hands of many people. It¡¯s a good idea, but it¡¯s not my idea. I borrowed the propaganda of Julius Caesar and Augustus. "" ¡°And if Mil had been the model, I wouldn¡¯t have used this technique.¡± Mil looked at me with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°Why not?¡± I smiled mischievously at her. ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want you to be a showpiece for other men.¡± Immediately, she showed a very happy smile and folded her arms. ¡°Well, that makes a lot of sense.¡± Later that evening, we had dinner with the Governor, Oracio. That¡¯s when the subject about Aaron came up. Oracio was quietly listening to my words. ¡°I see¡­ So the elder¡¯s time is about to come. My lord, I have a favor to ask of you then¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you can leave your office to take charge of the funeral. I am sure Mr. Aaron would like that.¡± Oracio bowed to me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I waved to him. ¡°No, he has been a resident since the beginning and has helped us out in the shadows. It is only right that we should reward him for his achievements. I wish I could be there for the funeral, but¡­¡± Oracio now waved his hand at me. ¡°No, I know your lord is very busy, running around looking at the whole thing. So don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Before my reincarnation, I have seen stories of deputies of influential people attending funerals. I thought that if he was so important, he should attend in person. But in this position, that is not the case. As a result, I have no choice but to send a proxy. If it were possible, I would have preferred to go in person, but¡­ So what happens when there are duplicates? How would those who do not attend feel about it? The weight of relationships at weddings and funerals¡­ If you set clear standards, you are said to be cold. If you give priority to duty, you will be called a favoritist and your fairness will be questioned. That verse comes to mind. ¡°If you work with knowledge, you will be cornered; if you let your emotions guide you, you will be swept away.¡± (T/N: I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯m wrong on this one. I tried though.) To be honest¡­ I don¡¯t like to think about this. It seems as if they are expecting people to die. When someone in an official position passes away¡­ The story includes those who have retired. We need to think about how to memorialize them. If you react reflexively at that moment and make a bad move, you will have a hard time recovering. ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to attend, at least as a proxy. Please allow the proxy to attend. I don¡¯t want to just get a report.¡± Oracio chuckled. ¡°Yes, I understand the struggle of being in a position like this myself. I really don¡¯t know how you like doing this.¡± Mill heartlessly nodded at that line with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t try to understand that part. It¡¯s Al¡­ and you have to accept it.¡±