◈ 298. [Side Story]
“It’s cold weather… I haven’t heard that nickname in a long time.”
Serenade laughed bitterly.
“Once upon a time it was. As the relationship between him and me froze, I also froze cold.”
Just thinking about that time gives a chill to my shoulders.
Serenade’s fingers dug into her own forearm.
“But now, Your Highness… because you treat me kindly I no longer have to pretend to be a cold person.”
Frost melts when spring comes.
As Ash turned warm, the cold sea dissipated. That’s all.
“… I have been listening for a long time too. Mad dog… … .”
A brief remorse flashed in Lucas’s hardened eyes.
“There were times like that.”
The time when the owner would bite anything like a mad dog.
and… Even when he put his fangs on the nape of his owner’s neck.
“… If my lord treats me as a mad dog, I become a mad dog, and if he treats me as a knight, I become a knight.”
After all, he is just a sword.
It wields differently depending on how the owner who holds it wields it. That’s all.
“at last.”
Serenade caught her breath.
“He changed so we could change too.”
“… .”
Lucas silently affirmed.
Yes. Serenade and Lucas’ changes are ridiculous compared to Ash’s.
The 3rd Prince, who always pushed himself to the edge of a cliff because he was impatient to destroy himself… … It has changed so much.
He has changed into a warm person like the spring sun.
Lucas asked implicitly.
“Aren’t you afraid that He has changed?”
Lucas listened to Ash’s words before he changed.
– Hey escort. Starting tomorrow, I will suddenly act like a different person.
– But even if that happens, no matter what I look like or what I do, I am me. It’s definitely the Ash you’ve been carrying all your life.
– Do not doubt and continue to assist me as before. request.
The day after he said these words, Ash’s temper changed like any other.
Despite being told beforehand, Lucas’ spine still twitched from time to time.
I was wondering if this thoughtful and caring monarch in front of me was really the same person to whom he swore allegiance.
“What is there to be afraid of?”
But Serenade said with confidence.
“His essence has not changed.”
childhood.
Because the image of that shining boy is definitely still there.
“Even if your behavior changes, your speech habits change, and even your thoughts change – I can tell. His Highness Ash, whom I loved, is still there.”
“How are you so sure?”
When Lucas asked curiously, Serenade smiled uncharacteristically. Just like when you were a playful girl in your childhood.
“It’s a feeling. Feeling as a lover.”
Immediately after, Serenade muttered softly and twisted the ends of her hair.
“No, we broke up now, but… .”
Lucas, who had been watching her blankly, burst out laughing.
“I was relieved somehow… . Because the serenade lady came and we can share these concerns.”
“yes?”
“I will also trust the intuition of the serenade lady.”
Lucas smiled softly. Serenade opened her eyes and looked at it.
I’ve never been a man who smiled like that.
“… A lot has changed, Sir Lucas.”
“Because I became an adult. All together.”
Serenade and Lucas looked at each other for a moment.
They almost became friends through their childhood, but in the end, they remain close to each other.
and… The childhood Ash that was always together between the two of them.
“I just want him to be happy, Sir Lucas.”
As the serenade murmured softly, Lucas nodded.
“Me too. Serenade girl.”
“Let’s help him in his place.”
“of course.”
Lucas hunched over and stepped out of the way. Serenade, who bowed lightly, entered the manor house first.
And when the two of them entered Ash’s bedroom on the third floor-
“Cool… … .”
Ash was soundly asleep.
Leaning against the back of the bed, he scattered a wad of scribbled papers on the bed. by leaving the lights on.
Lucas and Serenade, who laughed bitterly, arranged Ash’s bed.
Lucas arranged Ash’s writing utensils and notebooks, and Serenade put Ash on the bed and pulled up the covers.
Reading the boy’s traces in the sleeping young man’s lowered eyelashes.
“Have a nice dream, Your Highness.”
Serenade whispered softly and withdrew. Lucas turned off the bedside light.
After
quietly peeking at Ash’s face, who was sleeping peacefully in the bed in the darkened bedroom, Serenade and Lucas silenced their footsteps and went out.
***
… A few days passed.
My condition never recovered. It seemed that he had even caught a cold from overwork.
The fever did not go down easily, and I groaned with a cold towel on my forehead. What kind of crap is this?
“Because it is autumn. The days are getting colder, so it’s good to be especially careful during this change of season.”
Damian said as he visits me morning and evening and administers divine power to me.
It seemed that even with recovery magic, it was not possible to cure a cold or a deterioration in physical condition.
Restoration magic is said to have a tangible effect only on more tangible wounds or injuries… … .
Still, it is said that if you receive this much divine power, it will be helpful for nourishment and tonic. grunt
Anyway, since the situation was like this, I repeatedly received simple reports and gave only large directions while lying on the bed.
I was a little worried at first, but the crossroads worked pretty well even when I wasn’t there.
Of course, it wasn’t as efficient as when I was running with my own feet, but it’s moving pretty well at this level.
‘Actually, this might be the way an ordinary lord or commander works.’
Delivering instructions and receiving reports only in writing and by message without visiting the site… .
“… Mmm.”
Anyway, this isn’t my style.
“I want to jump out of bed and see the scene!”
“Yeah yeah. Get well soon.”
Evangeline, who came to review my autonomous exploration plan, reprimanded me. I grumbled and looked at the autonomous exploration plan Evangeline had devised.
The plan was to tour the District 6 dungeon once it had already been cleared. Do not go to unexplored areas because nightmare corps commanders may appear… … .
‘I also need to level 50.’
My current level is 49. Like the other main party members, I want to quickly hit 50 and learn ultimate skills. This is how your body is.
“We’ll take care of each other, so seniors, take it easy and think about getting better!”
Then it ran really well.
In the absence of me, I borrowed the help of the Holy Grail Exploration Team waiting at the base camp, or organized a jackal or a lily (!). It was to review the District 6 dungeons one by one.
Other sub-parties are leveled in the early zone.
Watching the party members level up and get stronger every day without me was a bit complicated. ok
Not just exploring dungeons. It worked well for me as well.
In particular, I appointed Serenade as my internal affairs adviser, and to be honest, she managed it much better than I did.
As well as forward base repair and tourism city planning.
“Here is the magic stone sales report, Your Highness. Please check slowly.”
Transparent magic stone sales revenue sharing greatly increased the city’s finances.
Of the magic stones left after safely presenting the magic stones to the imperial family, the shares of the existing Crossroad merchants were not touched.
Only the remaining Magic Stones were distributed and sold all over the continent.
“The quality of the magic stone is very good. We started distribution with priority to the allied royal family. Follow-up orders are already pouring in.”
While listening to Serenade’s report, I murmured honestly.
“I honestly thought the Wintersilver Merchant would eat up all of the other smaller merchants in the South.”
All of the existing magic stone sales routes are kept alive, and the number of magic stones is divided equally with the existing merchants.
The upper part of Winter Silver is processed only as much as it is not processed in the south.
If you had the wealth of the upper ranks of Winter Silver and put your friendship with me, it would be possible to throw everything away and eat it all by yourself.
“Whoops. You said it before. The goal of our upper house is win-win.”
Serenade grinned as she handed me a report that she had stocked up a lot of gold coins in the budget warehouse in Crossroads City.
“It’s easy to make a profit by pressing on a scale, but that’s a very short-sighted marketing strategy. We are just choosing the path that benefits us in the longer term.”
“It’s really, really cool… .”
Maybe I should learn some business philosophy later. I think this will help.
So here it is. Everyone took care of themselves and became children on their own, and the city ran safely.
“3 parties of 15 reserve party heroes. Wires can be put in.”
Continued self-exploration allowed several more sub-parties to be put into action.
“omg… Did I grow something?!”
Lily passed level 35 and completed her 2nd job advancement. Unlocked skill 2 [Fire Wall].
Hey, by the way, didn’t you quit the field job? My level goes up because I keep following my boyfriend on sorties!
“… I don’t even follow exploration, so why are you growing?”
Marherita murmured tremblingly.
Marherita is not even sortie, but her level is rising little by little. From my point of view, I feel embarrassed.
that… Originally, healers continue to eat experience even if they heal. Even if you don’t work in the field, you continue to work at the temple, so your level goes up.
Anyway, each of the heroes grew steadily like this, and
“I report that the training of 2 companies of new recruits has been completed!”
General soldiers were also expanded, and
“The 1st wall repair of the forward base has been completed, Your Highness!”
More than 50% of the repairs to the outpost had been completed, and it was now functioning as a simple fortress.
At this time, even stocking up on food and firewood for winter is proceeding smoothly –
[STAGE 12]
– Forward to the start: 3 days
The next defense battle is right in front of you.
***
The monster of this season is the Scorpion Corps.
In other words, they are scorpions.
It crawls on its belly low on the ground, and its shell is hard.
Very resistant to long-range weapons such as arrows. The venomous tail is quite menacing in stinging power. The claws on both arms also have high cutting power.
They are strong, tough warriors. If you stick with the regular method, the power is formidable.
“They are strong friends, but their weaknesses are obvious.”
advance base.
Sitting on Evangeline’s wheelchair (I borrowed Lily’s spare wheelchair) and standing on top of the freshly repaired castle wall. Wrapped in a thick blanket, I said.
“A boat that touches the bottom has no shell. If you can somehow hit just that belly part, you can do it easily.”
“Then there are two ways. Either flip it over or do something… … .”
Evangeline grinned. I also smiled at each other.
“… Or just attack the ship from the bottom.”
In other words.
If you lay the mines all over the place, you can get rid of them very easily.
So now, the field south of the outpost is full of mines.
Not only that, but all of the installed artifacts were of the kind that could be laid on the ground.
‘There are many other weaknesses besides this.’
Scorpion troops have low magic resistance and high poison resistance, but are very vulnerable to other abnormal conditions.
If this means is equipped, it can be easily defeated again.
But mines are enough. You can have fun playing with fire.
“They are coming!”
A skirmisher who was watching the south from the top of the forward base battery shouted. Then Lucas, who was standing at the edge of the wall, raised his hand and shouted.
“All troops prepare for battle!”
chuck! chuck! chuck!
Heroes and soldiers grabbed their weapons and aimed their equipment in perfect order.
This defense battle was entrusted to Lucas from the beginning. I intend to just watch from behind. For now, since I am a patient… .
Doo doo doo!
It didn’t take long to see the dust the monsters were raising on the far south.
A group of scorpions flashing on their black carapaces swarmed, moving their clumsy legs in a dizzying manner.
It was a bit gruesome, and it was also a frightening sight because there were so many of them.
‘My kids prepared hard without me.’
It must be said that it is the feeling of seeing the back of the younger brother running to the supermarket, clutching the crumpled bills, saying that he can run errands without his older brother.
Well, with that kind of heart, how well my kids are going to fight defense without me at all.
“huh?”
I saw something strange.
Doo doo doo doo-!
To the side of the scorpion corps coming from the south
!
… Five knights on horseback suddenly appeared.
Standing at the forefront was a girl with long black hair and a sparkling silver crown.
“Uhahahaha-!”
Exhaling madness incongruous with her thin voice- the suddenly prominent Dragon Lady shouted.
“Crossroad, I’m back!”
Then, he crashed into the side of the Scorpion Corps.
