Episode 310 Signs of War (4)
Aira speaks with a smile on her face.
“Thank you for making good things.”
“It’s not something that deserves to be so grateful.”
Contrary to Ray’s words, if it had been released in the Dwarf Village, it would have caused a fight.
Derp, who was so stingy with praise before, ‘looks like a hammer.’ It’s a hammer that I praised.
“Are you going back now?”
“I have to go home soon.”
I haven’t seen my family’s face in over a year.
Ira nodded.
“I hope to see you again soon.”
“I’ll come over often.”
“Whoop whoop. I hope the wait isn’t long.”
Ray smiled and picked up his luggage.
* * *
After leaving the Forest of Grandel and walking some more, I see a familiar house I haven’t seen in a long time.
When the presence is revealed, Burinake Lacia jumps out.
Also on this floor.
“Brother.”
She brushes off her skirt and walks with a calm and weak appearance.
After a year, it has grown quite a lot.
Seeing her younger sister growing up strong with the help of Mana, she has nothing to wish for as an older brother.
“Did you grow taller?”
“It’s rude to say that to a lady.”
To be called a lady, the attitude of a girl is still prevalent.
Lacia came closer and grabbed the hem of her robe.
“Excuse me…”
She raised her face here and there, frowning.
“…It smells like an elf. Meeting an elf before coming home… In the end, did you choose that elf over the house?”
I only stopped by because it was close, but I was treated like a middle-aged breadwinner who chose a company over a family.
“Where else did you learn that word?”
“…I saw it in a book.”
If there were good words written in the book, it would have been there, but there is no way that the biography of the father who chose the job was written.
As far as he knew, there wouldn’t be a single such book at home, at least.
Looking at him suspiciously, Lacia changed the subject.
“Rather than that, where have you been? …I bet you didn’t spend a year with the elves sweetly, right?”
It wasn’t like it wasn’t there at all, so Ray, who was stabbed inwardly, made an excuse.
“I came to learn blacksmithing.”
“A blacksmith? If you need something, you can leave such troublesome work to the blacksmith, right?”
“You always said that there is no nobleman in learning. More than anything, I prefer to make things for myself.”
Lacia also obediently affirmed those words.
“Well, that’s how it is.”
The brother and sister had a conversation after a long time and arrived home amicably.
Sein came out to the door and greeted him.
“ray.”
“I’m back. Haha…”
She sighed as she smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of her head.
“I thought I was going to leave again. I’m glad you came back safely.”
Ale, who was standing next to him, smiled.
“He’s a guy who will come back safely no matter where he goes, so no matter how many times I tell him not to worry, he won’t listen. So, what have you been doing for so long that there has been no news?”
At those words, Ray set down the bag he was carrying on his back.
On the other hand, he takes out the protruding handle of the hammer and smiles.
“I came from the Dwarf Village to touch iron and get slapped.”
At that, Ale tilted her head.
“If you touched iron, you touched it. What do you mean by being slapped on the cheek?”
“It’s complicated to explain… but there is such a thing.”
“Because he seems like a fresh guy. Come on in.”
His tone is always crude, but his eyes are dripping with affection.
The house I visited after a year was full of harmony.
* * *
People are sitting around a long table.
There was only one person sitting at the highest table, and his dark hair and scattered hair gave a strong impression.
His dark voice echoed through the hall.
“How did the merchants go?”
To his words, the small man sitting next to him opened his closed eyes and replied.
“As you ordered, we all withdrew. Since the profits that have been raked in have gone to other kingdoms, most kingdoms will be in a hurry to take care of their own rice bowls.”
The man praised him for his hard work.
“Good work. The kingdoms that rushed to see the fallen prey will slowly rot. Now that the time has come, do what you have commanded before. You will have to be careful not to be seen when you move.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“This left.”
At the man’s call, the woman sitting on the right bowed her head.
“Please tell me.”
“Help Ojwa to finish the business of the company. I didn’t even know that the foolish kings were strangling me, so I asked for food, so it would be nice to go up the next step.”
“I take orders. They too will consider their own death an honor.”
The man got up from his seat.
When he lightly shakes his hand, a mighty boulder blows through the hall.
A spirit that seemed to be suppressed radiated from the man.
“Do not relax. It’s just one step forward. All for the sake of the world in ruin and the goddesses who stood by.”
As the bloody light poured from both eyes, everyone present shouted.
“Death to the goddesses through the death of creatures!”
“Death to the goddesses through the death of creatures!”
* * *
Seren Kingdom is a small kingdom.
Slightly larger than the Principality, the kingdom is surrounded by the sea on all sides and is also rich in resources, so it is heavily financed by trade.
There is not even a competitor targeting them in the vicinity.
As such, their enemies were inside, not outside.
Because the power of the nobles is stronger than that of the king, even if there are corrupt nobles, they have no choice but to turn a blind eye to them.
So, corrupt nobles hit the plate.
Even the closest king, even if only the nobles saw it, was eating the act of stealing taxes.
There was no problem in governing the kingdom because of the funds obtained through trade, but King Seren was afraid of the future.
Right now, accepting bribes is convenient for nobles, so there is no particular problem.
I am full and warm, so I have no intention of fighting.
However, no one knows how long the current situation will continue.
If trade with other countries is cut off tomorrow and the financial line disappears, the nobles will band together and try to cut their throats and usurp the king’s seat.
Because that side has a lot to gain from them.
However, pride does not allow him to kneel down to save his life.
Because he is the king who reigns over all nobles.
King Seren, who had been weighing the threat of life every day and the dignity of a king, finally made up his mind.
“I guess I should put blue in Celia Kingdom.”
If you get caught, it will be difficult, but it’s only a matter of time before you get caught anyway.
Since there is no way to help from within, why not seek help from the outside?
The King of Devon is greedy and will follow the practical gains, so putting it out of the question, the only thing left is King Celia, who is at least familiar with him.
He doesn’t like foreign countries intervening in his internal affairs, but he had no other choice.
He started to write a letter with a calm face.
Giving and receiving back money among nobles is a very common daily occurrence.
It is to the extent that when someone gives money, it is polite to accept it without refusing it.
Since I had been taking bribes, big or small, since I was little, I had no hesitation in saying that I would take one or two more now.
In addition, in this golden age, the amount of bribes is quite substantial.
There has never been a better time to fill the barn.
So, the corrupt aristocrats were eager to eat more back money than other aristocrats.
Because of the competition, it became to the extent that if it was a simple task, I would accept it without even thinking about it.
All of the nobles who held titles in the Seren Kingdom tried taking bribes.
As a result, trade goods that do not make money sometimes come into the country at two or three times higher prices.
It doesn’t matter as long as it’s not their money going out anyway.
Baron Herrick of Serene Kingdom thought so too.
“Because it is the king who dies. As long as we’re full in the meantime, that’s it.”
If you take a few stamps, gold nugget comes in quickly.
Besides, there is no damage.
There was no reason not to accept the bribe.
When Baron Herrick went out to the lobby of the mansion, there was someone wearing a robe as usual.
“I was waiting.”
“ha ha ha. This precious person has come again. What is it this time?”
Usually, it is customary to talk about it in a roundabout way at times like this, but since I ate so much money, I started talking about the main topic.
Rob’s man said the business.
“I have something I want to sell this time. I hope that the baron will give you strength.”
“You take off your feet and run around for this merciless world, and there’s nothing I can’t do for you. What do you want to sell?”
“This is it.”
He took a fist-sized stone from his sleeve.
Baron Herrick recognized it at a glance.
“Is it a magic stone?”
“You also have great eyesight. you’re right. It is also quite high quality. If it’s a tolerable magic, you should be able to cast two.”
If the amount of mana is enough to fit two magics, it is a good product among high-quality products.
Even Baron Herrick was a little surprised when he brought something much more proper than he thought.
‘What’s the intention of selling this while giving me money?’
Magic crystals refined by skilled wizards can become currency by themselves.
Especially if it was a magic stone with such a high amount of mana.
It would be easy to sell without having to trade, so why would you want to trade through this side?
‘What is good is good. It’s good if I get results from this job.’
There was no doubt as he had been dealing with him for several years.
Baron Herrick said with a smile on his face.
“If it’s a magic stone like this, I’d rather ask for it. ha ha ha.”
“How can you think of selling it elsewhere when you always know about the high merits of the kingdom? As soon as I received the goods, I thought of the baron.”
I know it’s a mouthful, but I can’t help but feel better.
He took out a large wooden box.
The baron gulped at the huge bribe, which was twice as large as usual.
“Is this…?”
“Please open it.”
When I open the wooden box pretending not to win against the invitation, I can see a magic crystal that boasts a more transparent light than the previous one.
Transparency means less impurities.
“I hope you like it.”
Baron Herrick opened his mouth wide.
At best, I thought it would come with a few pieces of gold, but it hit the jackpot.
He nodded gleefully.
“I love it! Don’t worry about trade! We will do our best to do our best! ha ha ha!”
At the baron’s reaction, the man in the robe raised an eyebrow.
