349. Later story (3)
Without going into much detail, Remember knew the Republic as soon as he looked at it.
The republic preaches freedom and equality and says that sovereignty belongs to the people, but it harbors the contradiction that power is actually held by the leader. Claiming that he had no choice but to protect this country and to distribute everything to you equally, the leader was no different from the kings of other kingdoms… or rather, he held on to more power than them.
“…anyway.”
Although this is not something to worry about.
Whatever the head of that side is thinking and planning, it has nothing to do with this side. Instead of continuing his explanation of the republic, Remember mentioned another country.
“The Republic is not the only country worthy of note.”
Because there are still many other things to talk about.
“The empire collapsed, and the Kingdom of Ardal came into existence in its place. As you might have guessed from the name, it is a kingdom founded by ‘the’ Prime Minister Ardal. On the surface, it seemed to be a separate kingdom from the empire, but when I looked a little more carefully, it seemed to be a kingdom that connected the empire. “It seemed like they hid it because of the circumstances.”
***
Although it was not started by anyone in particular, at some point the rumor that Deon Hart was dead began to spread.
When Lindel Reiner heard this, he quietly thought of his younger brother. An upright knight who was called ‘Lord Lien’ for most of his adult life.
And at the same time, I also remembered Deon Hardt, who tried to kill me at some point in the past, but ended up saving me without being able to kill me.
“Deon Hardt is dead…”
He stopped laughing bitterly.
At that time, as if he saw me as Lien, he plunged his weapon into the ground next to my neck and chanted her name with a face that looked like he was about to cry.
I didn’t know about it at the time because I didn’t have time to think about it, but I guess it was so impressive.
‘…It’s good news.’
It’s right to be happy.
Eventually, you find yourself unable to like it. Lindel, realizing my complicated emotional state, smiled bitterly.
As the indescribable silence prolonged, Ardal, who had been writing something on a piece of paper, slowly raised his head and looked at him.
“You look like your mind is complicated. Are you okay?”
“…it’s okay.”
It can’t be okay.
In any case, doesn’t that mean that the person who killed his brother is dead? It was said that his feelings were complicated because his broken face at the time clearly showed that he cared for and loved his younger brother in some way, but that was okay and it was separate from Malgo.
…But Lindell didn’t want to continue on this topic, so he stopped talking.
“Rather than that, are you really going to inherit the empire? Wouldn’t it be cleaner and better to just start as the first king of the new kingdom?”
The Prime Minister… no, King Ardal said that he would make this kingdom a kingdom that would succeed the empire.
Honestly, it’s a choice I don’t understand. If the empire was a country that won the public’s support, the end of the empire was a rebellion. This means that public sentiment was at its worst, so why bother doing something that would cause a loss?
However, Ardal calmly answered as he turned the document filled with black letters to the next page.
“The only request made by the last emperor, who willingly asked for my body to be used, was to leave at least a record of Edoardo Desert in history.”
“There’s no need to continue the country for something like that…!”
“Compared to our own history, the history of other countries is treated with relatively less value.”
“….”
“In particular, many history books will be lost in the fire of war, so who would care about recording the history of other countries?”
Even as he continues speaking, his hands do not stop, filling in the blank paper. Ardal calmly expressed his opinion against the backdrop of Lindel’s silence.
“As the Kingdom of Ardal is a kingdom that continues the empire, we will ensure that the records of the first emperor, Edoardo Desert, are not forgotten or lost.”
Although it was not requested, I will also leave a record of Elpidius Desert, the second and last emperor of the empire.
This will be enough to become a Buddhist teacher as it clearly contains the process of how a person who could have been a saint fell into a tyrant and perished.
“Of course, I know that if I openly declare that I will continue the empire, I will face backlash. That’s why it wasn’t officially announced.”
“….”
“We will take steps to ensure that only key figures such as the royal family know.”
There was no further rebuttal as if he agreed. Ardal just flipped through a document full of records.
Flapping – the paper flipped over again.
….
[…As a result of the investigation, it was revealed that the first record about the empire Ardal was written by the first king Ardal himself.] [
The following is part of the original record.]
[Ardal It is a country that connects ‘empire’ with ‘empire’. Therefore, this record begins with ‘Empire’ rather than ‘Ardal’.]
[The first chapter. -Edoardo Desert-]
[At the very end, there was an emperor who faced disaster alone.]
***
“…And I think you were probably most curious about this.”
A gentle smile spreads across Remembert’s face as if he was remembering familiar people. A voice as soft as spring sunlight continued.
“The Lofty Knights live as a mercenary group. “They even carried out their activities under the name ‘Lofty Mercenaries.’”
***
As war broke out in the human world in earnest, the mercenary industry also became active.
From light missions such as running errands or dealing with escort monsters, which were mainly done before the mercenary industry came to light, to large missions such as participating in battles, which have now become the main tasks.
Someone entered the mercenary guild, which was always crowded with people, each taking on their own requests.
Squeak – The old door was carefully opened.
“excuse me.”
A soft voice with an experience far removed from that of a mercenary.
Older mercenaries usually have rough voices, so they are probably clients. There was no way a mercenary would say something like ‘excuse me’ in the first place. With the appearance of a new customer, those who were staying at the guild in search of expensive and convenient requests immediately turned to where the voice was heard.
As expected, a sickly old man who seemed to have nothing to do with the battle came into view. There was also a baby who looked to be about three or four years old clinging to the side of the leg.
‘…baby?’
When everyone’s eyes were colored with curiosity, the old man who was watching hesitated and opened his mouth.
“I came here because I wanted to ask a favor…”
“…Sorry, guest, but this is a mercenary guild. Instead of a ‘favor’, you have to put in a ‘request’ by risking money…” “
Ah… I will give you all my money if you will do me a favor.”
“…!”
All my wealth!
The old man’s complexion is poor because he is dying, but the baby next to him has good complexion and both are neatly dressed. His attitude is strangely luxurious, and it seems like he has lived without any shortcomings. If it were all of his assets, it would probably not be a small amount.
The mercenaries’ eyes changed. Some people even took their backs off their chairs and focused on the old man.
After a moment of confusion, an employee who realized that he was a valuable customer came out of the counter and approached me with a business smile.
“If you give money, that is a request. What would you like to request? If you find it difficult to reveal it in a public place, I will guide you to your room…”
“Oh no. You don’t have to go that far. “The only thing I want to ask you is…”
You shouldn’t take too long because your stamina is dropping by the minute.
The old man looked down and saw the baby standing next to the leg, holding the hem of his pants. Bitterness and despair were evident in his gaze as he looked into the innocent child’s eyes.
“I want you to raise this child… until he becomes an adult.”
“…yes?”
“Later, when the child becomes an adult, you can send him out. You can raise them as mercenaries from the beginning and use them as employees. “I would like to entrust the child to this ‘mercenary guild’ until he or she becomes an adult.”
If I were healthy, I wouldn’t have had to ask for a child, but I can’t help it. The old man, a former royal physician, sensed that his lifespan would soon come to an end.
‘I’m an old body that has lived long enough to live anyway, so I don’t regret dying, but…’
The child who will be left alone when I die.
‘Who will take care of this poor child?’
There is no one to take care of the child.
Entrusting it to an ordinary person would be like adding a burden to their already difficult life, and it would not be possible to protect the child from the fire of war that could strike at any moment.
Considering the world ahead, the best guardian would be someone who is strong enough to protect the child without dying easily.
The only thing the old man had was the money he earned from working in the imperial palace, so after much deliberation, he found a mercenary guild.
…But it doesn’t seem to work either.
A troubled expression crossed the employee’s face. He did not miss this and immediately resigned himself.
‘Well… raising a child is not something that can be thought of and accepted so easily.’
A child is something that always requires attention and requires a lot of work. Since we are not asking you to leave your child in our care for a month or two, but to raise him until he becomes an adult, it would be natural to refuse.
The mercenaries’ laughter filled the room.
“The old man is senile! “Even if you don’t have anywhere to leave your child, why don’t you come to the mercenary guild?”
“Hey old man! You said it was all your property. How much is it? Depending on the amount, I may be able to take care of it for you!”
“what? Are you serious? The child is a burden! “You won’t be able to receive requests freely?”
“What do you think? If it’s an amount that you don’t have to work for, it’s a benefit! Even if it’s not true, if you think it’s not bad, you can just go and throw it away…”
“Ha, Grandpa…”
The child, who was anxious due to the unusual atmosphere, suddenly burst into tears. While the old man was quickly trying to calm him down, mocking remarks poured in, such as saying that the child was noisy and that the child was a nuisance.
And when you think the level crosses the line.
“Silence magic.”
“…huh? Tsk!”
“Silence.”
The man who suddenly appeared hit the uvula of the one with the loudest voice.
While everyone was dazed by the absurd situation, other people who appeared to be the man’s colleagues began to punish those who had made offensive remarks.
“Sleep magic. slip!”
“Physical magic. penitence.”
It was a very…unique method.
That’s just hitting the back of the head and knocking it out. And why is grabbing the back of the head and slamming it on the table considered repentance? They even say it’s physical magic.
Whispers come and go quickly, filled with absurd emotions. This soon subsided as the guys who had finished cleaning up took a quick look around the room.
Silence has come.
“Cough! What kind of crazy bastard… gasp!”
“The country is crazy, you bastard.”
The guy who belatedly realized who hit my uvula looked down in surprise. His lifeless eyes and his viciously growling voice were completely removed as if they were lies.
Even though there was a huge uproar within the mercenary guild, no one came forward. It was natural.
That’s because they are crazy people.
‘Crazy Dog…’
‘This is the Crazy Dog Mercenary Group…’
The official name is ‘Lofty Mercenary Group’.
These are the guys who have become famous for turning everything around and biting off money or anything else. Even their skills are not that great, so those who attack them with all their teeth are turned into a mess, and even if you secretly request a murder, they show up unharmed the next day. Rather, it was said that a scary situation unfolded in which the people who submitted the requests disappeared, so no one submitted murder requests.
“hmm! “It’s a little quieter now!”
After looking around the contentedly quiet room, they approach the old man who was laughing at them just a moment ago.
Milan, the head of the mercenary group, said with a grin as he stood in front of an old man holding a child and looking at him with wary eyes, with only the sound of a child crying loudly.
“Young man, can’t we raise that child?”
“What is that….”
“I am confident that I will raise him safely. “I will never abandon you and raise you with love until you become an adult.”
“that’s right! “It’s a familiar face, so even if I wanted to, I would never be able to, right?”
What on earth can you believe when you looked like you were out of your mind just a moment ago?
I can’t forget the bizarre and violent appearance from just a moment ago. Perhaps these people are also greedy when they hear the phrase ‘all their wealth’? The old man patted the child on the back and gave him a cautious but sharp look.
“May I ask why?”
The answer came from Vice-Captain Cleter, who was standing half a step behind.
“I lost my precious son.”
“….”
“The empty space is so big… I want to raise a new child.”
Because we have to live.
“I need pleasure in life.”
