Episode 241 Jump and jump.
A young man walking down the corridors of the imperial palace lined with colorful works of art.
He was a handsome young man who looked very good in his robes decorated with golden dragons embroidered with gorgeous gold thread, but the people who encountered him were busy lowering their heads in shock.
Black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin were symbols of direct lineage to the imperial family, and the golden dragon emblem could not be used unless a person was of the imperial family.
So, even if you did not know the young man’s face, it was natural for you to bow your head to 90 degrees whenever you encountered him.
“Huh! I’m sorry.”
“Meeting a precious person!”
“Oh, it’s okay. Just look at your work.”
Despite the stiff reactions of the people, the young man smiled and accepted the greeting, and soon after he disappeared, the servants and nobles left behind nodded one by one, looking at his confident and relaxed appearance.
“Is this the second prince?”
“Yes. You are a strong succession candidate…”
“As expected, your appearance is unique.”
It was a small voice whispered to others, but the secret magic that the 2nd prince always displayed around him conveyed the words to the person concerned.
Grinning.
The magic that had become a habit of sometimes finding a target to purge and sometimes a target to reward gave him a light smile today as well.
However, his confident face and unstoppable gait began to change little by little when he reached a certain point.
A slightly nervous face.
And I walked more cautiously.
The second prince, standing in front of the door with a golden dragon, nodded silently to the knight guarding the place, and the knight announced his visit.
“His Highness Baros van Ares requests to see you.”
– Come on in.
The door opened with a deep voice, and 2nd Prince Baros van Ares took a deep breath and carefully walked into the room.
And then I caught my eye on one person.
A huge body that fills the throne, an angular face, and black eyes that sparkle with a strange glow.
The moment his eyes gazed at him, the second prince immediately prostrated himself on the spot.
“Meet Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“…Raise your head, Baros.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Okay. You have something to say?”
“This is a report on the eastern border country called Grandia, or now the Kingdom of McLane.”
“Ah, Logan, that kid’s country. But McLane Kingdom?”
“The dynasty has recently changed with the revolt of Logan McLain.”
“Huh…”
I sigh.
“…Yeah, I see. He’s the king. Recruiting him was a bad idea.”
Are you disappointed that things have turned out this way?
The second prince clicked his tongue inwardly at his father’s endless greed for talent.
Of course, he couldn’t dare express it outwardly, so he just calmly recited another fact he knew.
“It is said that as soon as he ascended to the throne, he raised taxes significantly. It is also said that he is using the money to train an army directly under the royal family.”
“…Hoo?”
“Looking at his shocking moves, he appears to be a typically ambitious young king. If left like this, it seems like he will become quite an obstacle to ‘that plan’ in the future.”
There was no need to report that they might self-destruct due to unreasonable policies.
A preparedness plan should always tell you the worst.
Since it was clear that he was not a talent that could be obtained, the only thing the emperor was interested in was ‘that plan’, which could be in the next few years.
Fortunately, the moment it was mentioned, a look crossed the emperor’s annoyed eyes.
“Um. So?”
“I would like to put the plan I told you about before into action. Please grant me permission.”
Their similar black eyes stared at each other for a moment.
And then the emperor nodded with a calm expression.
“…Well, it might be a good idea to try that.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
He bowed his head deeply again and his steps as he left the emperor’s office seemed a little lighter than when he entered.
* * *
“The atmosphere is scary these days.”
“It is said that they curse the king because it is difficult for their subordinates to live there.”
“The public’s sentiment has become so harsh that fights break out every now and then…”
There wasn’t even a single good thing to say in the midst of the continuous talk.
However, the faces of the speakers who soon made eye contact were filled with smiles.
“Hahaha, isn’t it easy to deal with thoughtless subordinates? We collect the taxes and the king gets the blame.”
“Isn’t it just like that for lower-ranking people? It’s the same for the king. Taxes and major winter construction for the military. There has to be a degree of practicality.”
“Well, wouldn’t that be good for ‘us’?”
“That’s right.”
The friendly voices echoing through the living room again.
‘okay. Of all of us, it would be best for me.’
Jacques Juan hid his true feelings and responded with a sweet smile to the two people smiling in front of him.
This is Ivan Claude, who sympathized with him, and Mike Thero, who was at odds with him.
Although their attitudes were different, Jacques chose to join hands with them, who were both counts and were nearby. It was to gather more voices from the nobles.
Of course, since he was the one who led it all, even if he was an ally, all other lower-ranking nobles would think of him as the leader.
The two people in front of me, who were smiling and thinking they were on the same level, would one day bow their heads to me.
“But I have some concerns.”
“Hmm? Tell me, Count Mike.”
“I mean, the construction of the dam. I heard that it has already been enjoyed many times in the McLane territory. If it is fully completed, won’t the income of the royal territory also increase significantly? Then, I am worried that the army will be able to manage it well in the future. It sucks.”
So you’re saying you’re not that stupid?
In response to Mike Teroda’s point, Jacques Juan took a graceful sip of tea, hid his sarcasm, and then slowly opened his mouth.
“Wise words. Surely it might happen ‘later’.”
Did you feel that the horse had bones?
“Are you saying there is another solution?”
Mike Teroda, with a slightly stiff expression, scratched his hooked nose.
“From my perspective, the construction of the dam, which is converting wasteland into farmland, is amazing. However, it is true that, except for the McLine area, I have not seen any areas that have achieved proper results yet.”
“That McLine is under construction right now…”
“Have you heard anything about the wages paid to those workers?”
“what?”
“They say they pay 30% more than the average worker’s wage because it’s winter and it’s difficult construction. They even provide food and sleeping quarters. They mobilize close to 10,000 workers.”
“…such a foolish thing.”
Eat.
“Yes. The King is acting foolishly. At that level of investment, even if the wasteland is reclaimed, it is impossible to immediately cover the construction costs with the annual yield from the area. The yield will not be large in the first year, so at least for a few years. “It’s going to get caught. I don’t know if I use some kind of magic.”
“Well, even if that’s the case, it doesn’t mean things will stabilize in a few years.”
“I plan to demand the disbandment of the army based on the power of the nobles and public opinion gathered before that. And ‘we’ can take in and use the elite soldiers of the army that the king worked hard to raise.”
“ah…!”
When Mike Teroda, who was keeping him in check, exclaimed sincerely, Jacques Juan raised his wine glass with a slight sense of victory.
“The King’s self-destruction is opening up a new era for us. We just have to follow that path, don’t we?”
Ivan and Mike responded with laughter to his words, which he delivered like a toast.
‘A new era, my era is coming.’
Jacques Juan laughed heartily, feeling the desire deep in his heart that had begun to stir at some point.
* * * The winter before the new year began were truly difficult days for the people of the Kingdom of McLane.
The people, who were unable to fill their storehouses compared to previous years due to the rise in taxes after the new king came to the throne, had to worry about getting through the winter, let alone having enough food to eat during the coming farming season.
But even in the midst of all that, there was a place that was rather lively.
It was a construction site for a dam that would provide water to the western wilderness, completely different from the bad rumors that had spread in the world.
“Dig further down there!”
“That’s right! That’s enough! Just a little more!”
“Leave the stones that are too big to the wizards!”
There was enthusiasm on the faces of nearly 10,000 workers digging channels and carrying stones and moving beneath the mountain range.
A liveliness that cannot be understood simply by looking at it from a distance.
The frozen and hardened ground became several times more difficult to dig than just a few months ago, and the harsh wind tormented people with the weather that gave them goosebumps even if they did not move their bodies even a little.
but.
“I’m relieved that we sent home plenty of food. My daughter even sent me a letter saying she’s eating well!”
“If I just work hard, my family can get through the winter comfortably. This is more comfortable than farming.”
“They say you’ll get extra pay if you complete it ahead of schedule. We need to finish it before next year’s busy farming season!”
“Okay. Let’s do our best!”
Workers who are not supervisors encourage each other and move.
A smile spread across Logan’s lips as he recognized the voice from afar before getting closer.
“I can’t see the mage or the Hamar workshop leader. I’ll send someone to meet them.”
“Don’t do anything unnecessary. The priority is to complete the construction as quickly as possible. You can go and visit in person.”
“…All right.”
If there were any inconveniences that arose while becoming king, these were them.
There are many cases where time is wasted by unnecessary ostentation.
Although some things were unavoidable due to formalities, Logan did not want to protect them even outside the palace.
“Detour to an area with as few people as possible so as not to disturb the workers.”
Why so much?
I saw dissatisfaction flash across the faces of the escorting knights, but now is the time to accelerate the completion of the construction even just a little.
Logan took a detour to a place with as few people as possible and approached the bottom of the mountain.
Of course, no matter how far back we went, there was no way the workers wouldn’t see the flaming flag hanging high.
However, although the flag of the High One was visible from afar, no workers dared to approach it, so in the end, the first to react to Logan’s arrival were the dwarves who were in the middle of constructing the dam’s water gate and the wizards of the Golem Tower.
“Your Majesty the Old King?!”
“Stop work!”
“Your Majesty’s coming!”
Heeeeeeee.
Logan, who was walking at a trot, stopped at the sight of the commotion.
Then, a wizard with a familiar face came out in front of them with a slightly tired look on his face.
“Your Majesty. How did you come without any message?”
“There’s no need to stop working, Greek. Just keep doing what you’re doing. What about Lord Clayton and Hamar?”
“We are conducting an internal inspection inside the mountain range.”
“Okay. Let’s go there.”
“I will guide you.”
“Uh huh. “Do you want me to work?”
Logan heads towards the cave carved out of the mountainside, leaving a confused Greek behind. The
unfamiliar yet familiar scene brought a faint smile to Logan’s frozen face.
‘When the dam at McLine was first built, I think it was really exciting.’
If Hamar, who was suffering at the time, had known, he would have planned to cause a fight, but Logan truly felt that way.
As the scheduled date approaches, he feels a huge burden.
Add to that the weight of the crown, which still feels awkward, and he seems to be smiling less and less. –
I am worried that if you go to a higher position, you will have a harder time than now.
The words of an old servant came to mind again and my heart rang.
‘This is the path I chose. There are only a few years left before the final hurdle. I must overcome it and overcome it. Let’s laugh to our heart’s content later.’
As I strengthened my resolve, I began to see familiar faces in front of me.
‘I still have a lot of work to do besides this.’
There was still a lot of work for the new king to do this winter.
