Chapter 134. Nothing is free in this world (2)
“You mean the late Engineer Corps?”
“yes. Have you seen what kind of friends they are?”
“of course….”
I saw.
Was it the last time you installed a water supply system?
It was impressive to see that it was composed of soldiers with thick bones only in civil engineering and construction.
“By the way, why did the soldiers of my territory….”
“Shouldn’t everyone overcoming disasters join us?”
“….”
Lloyd’s calm voice.
As soon as I heard that, I was speechless.
It was because I realized the hidden meaning of that word at once.
“That word….”
“Yes, you guessed it. That guess is correct. Why was the county of Prontera designated as a special municipality? Isn’t it His Majesty’s plan to make it the center of reconstruction to overcome this monster domino crisis?”
“….”
“By the way, if you don’t want to add a hand to that reconstruction work, well, I’m looking forward to the first quarter report coming soon. I will inform His Highness of the King in very detail of the Viscount’s opposition to reconstruction.”
“There! My question is not that….”
“What if not?”
“that is….”
“Are you going to join the army?”
“….”
Viscount Lacona gasped.
In fact, this is not support.
It’s just a one-sided requisition.
But that side has a very clear justification.
‘The reconstruction work is ordered by His Highness the King. The Corps of Engineers is a key force leading the reconstruction work. What if you refused to send troops to the Corps of Engineers? What if I expressed disapproval?’
Hatred will stick firmly to the king and the royal family.
No, in extreme cases, you may be driven to treason.
‘If he’s that guy, he’s the one who can make it that way. It’s possible.’
Viscount Lacona looked at Lloyd and shook his shoulders.
Lloyd Frontera.
A guy who raises dozens of demons on his tongue.
It’s obvious that that guy would package himself as the trash of the world with his unique vicious tongue and inform the king.
Then, he will face an unfortunate situation where he cannot be removed or removed and disappears in the dew of the executioner.
Viscount Lacona could only nod.
“All right. If so, what do you think of the size of the troops to be recruited into the Corps of Engineers? ….”
“Should we leave that up to the Viscount’s conscience and sincerity?”
“….”
please save me
I’d rather just cut it off and tell them to send a few people.
Viscount Lacona wanted to cry.
Lloyd laughed brightly.
Originally, even when asking about food menus, answering ‘anything’ is the most difficult.
It is the same now.
Leave it to your conscience and sincerity.
to determine the appropriate size.
Those vague words must have made the Viscount feel a distant burden.
He put a bigger and more beautiful wedge into the burden of such a viscount.
“You decide the size of the support for the Corps of Engineers. You can submit the report by noon tomorrow.”
“Report…By noon tomorrow?”
“yes.”
“You should write that you are sending a few people there….”
“You know what? conscientiously. Sincerely. By writing down the right number our friendship will never change. Please don’t make me sad. Do you understand?”
“….”
“Now then, let’s move on to the next item.”
Palak.
Lloyd flipped through the papers briskly.
His plan came to light.
Food and clothing assistance to refugees.
Support for materials such as wood necessary for various constructions.
Recruitment plans for all technicians residing in the vassal territory, etc.
It was literally a parade of one-sided orders that was nothing more than a ‘support and extraction plan’ in name, but in reality an ‘exploitation plan’.
However, there was no way to rebel against Viscount Lacona.
There was no way to find justification and capacity to resist.
Just bowing and nodding in a sense of helplessness was the only reaction allowed to him.
“…All right.”
also.
It wasn’t that I lived badly in the past.
It wasn’t that the neighboring lord was ignoring and treating him harshly because he was a little poor.
A belated bitter regret seeped into Viscount Lacona’s marrow.
But that regret was literally too late.
‘of course. It’s my iron rule to cut off the head of a guy who’s been shot once.’
People don’t change.
In particular, who did malicious harm to us?
The moment this side shows weakness, it’s obvious that it will repeat the same thing again at any time.
That was Lloyd’s idea.
It was no experience.
Around the time when I lived in a gosiwon in Korea.
It was thanks to the bitter lessons learned there.
‘The guy who studied for civil servants in the next room tastes good even now when I think about it.’
It was around the time I had just started living in the gosiwon.
There was a man hitting the goal in the next room.
Are you preparing for the 9th grade civil service exam?
But at night, the music played loudly.
It wasn’t just about turning the volume up.
It was played with woofer speakers the size of a suitcase.
A booming, low-pitched sound roared through the walls and floor into the room in a three-dimensional surround. No, the vibration was transmitted to the bed.
It was not a vibration that would be blocked by earplugs sold at stationery stores.
I couldn’t stand it, so I talked to the secretary of the gosiwon.
Still, to no avail.
I thought it was quiet for just one day, but from the next day, I heard the sound of the woofer speaker again.
I couldn’t stand it any longer.
Finally, there was a knock on the door next door.
Face-to-face and formally questioned.
Did you?
Embarrassingly, the fist flew.
‘He was a real madman, that person.’
It was a fist that flew so quickly that I got hit by a single blow.
eyes flashed.
I got black bruises around my eyes.
Thanks to the secretary who ran at the right time, it didn’t turn into a fight. But it was unfair and absurd.
He said he would sue for assault.
Did you?
‘The human’s complexion changed completely and he started begging me.’
Did you realize your mistake too late?
I begged for this to the point of being really pitiful.
If you get a fine, you will have to leave the room because it will be difficult to pay for the entrance exam.
Pretending to be saving one person’s life, please look at it just once.
Did she get down on her knees and cling to her while showing tears?
‘That’s why I became weak too.’
Aren’t you too lazy?
Such a feeling of skepticism suddenly struck.
I ended up forgiving.
And after a month, I regretted it greatly.
After noticing that person for about a month, he started playing the woofer again!
‘Oh, even thinking about it now makes me angry.’
Locked in memories of the past, he felt his face heat up.
The lesson full of fury at that time was informing me.
Viscount Lacona.
That person is the same type of person as the guy in the room next to the gosiwon at the time.
What if you forgive and embrace easily?
Then what if you show weakness?
Let’s hit the back of the head and bite the weak point as if we waited.
Strong Weak Weak.
The type that naturally lowers its tail in front of a strong opponent.
The moment you know your opponent is weak, your nature becomes infinitely vicious.
Because that kind of person.
‘So no forgiveness.’
When an opportunity like this comes, I will exploit and eat it as carefully as possible.
The fact that this side is above will be clearly engraved in your bones and soul.
He tilted his head and looked at Viscount Lacona.
“Are you disappointed with the measures I mentioned today?”
“Oh no.”
“Isn’t it?”
“…yes.”
“Fortunately, the. The Viscount is so generous.”
“Thank you. Then stop….”
“Are you leaving already?”
“Ah yes.”
“Hmm sorry.”
“….”
“Since you are here, Sir Cournot, who is behind you, you can have a sparring with our Xaviel after a long time. We develop our skills together in the sparring that comes and goes. Friendship blooms in the scattering drops of sweat. Isn’t it like everyone interacting and building friendships like this?”
flinch!
Lord Cournot’s shoulders trembled greatly as he silently performed his duties.
The corners of Lloyd’s mouth curled sinisterly.
“Ah, did you bring me without a diaper? Then sparring would be difficult.”
“….”
“It’s a joke. ha ha ha! You know what I was talking about for a laugh? Is it between us?”
“Ah ha ha ha…Because it’s between us.”
If you do nonsense, you die.
Literally no broth.
Viscount Lacona felt it keenly.
Lloyd Frontera smiled round and round at himself.
It was thanks to the realization that there was no smile in his eyes.
‘….’
gulp.
Cold eyes that are not cool.
Viscount Lacona had to laugh reluctantly with a face that looked like he was going to cry.
As such, he was able to gracefully (?) withdraw after currying Lloyd’s favor for a long time.
“Whoa.”
After letting Viscount Lacona go, Lloyd smiled with satisfaction.
‘It’s fine. I killed my prayers in moderation. I’ve got enough to gain.’
Water tax tripled.
Troops to be drafted into the Corps of Engineers.
materials such as fabric and wood.
All of them were resources that would be useful in managing the refugee camp and developing the territory.
‘So I have to move now.’
Now is the time to put your next plan into action.
He took a box that he had left on one side of his office.
I took it and went to the refugee camp with Xaviel.
“Ah? Mr. Lloyd?”
I saw soldiers preparing lunch rations for a while.
I stopped what I was doing at the appearance of this side and sent a greeting.
Lloyd waved his hand at them.
“Oh yes it is me. Don’t mind me and keep doing what you’re doing.”
“….”
Of course, there was no way the soldiers wouldn’t care about him.
In any workplace, when a senior manager visits the site, the working people get busy and busy.
The ladle, which had been slowly stirring, became visibly busy.
Workers who were carrying soup and bread became busy.
The action of setting the tray and spoon also became faster.
Thanks to that, Lloyd smiled bitterly.
‘I’m a little sorry for this.’
The soldiers of the distribution team became busy because of their appearance.
He was the one who fully sympathized with their inner thoughts.
situation like this.
It was because he had been through a lot.
‘Especially in the military. On holidays, when division commanders and politicians visit to comfort the soldiers, the atmosphere in the unit is over.’
Originally, it was a holiday to rest.
It was time to enjoy the national holiday.
But what if high-ranking people such as division commanders, corps commanders, and politicians visit the unit?
I had to bend my back while shouting, “Oh, go away!” and polishing all the facilities of the unit.
are you taking a break?
Are you enjoying your holidays?
I couldn’t even dream
‘So let’s not bother me either. Let’s finish the business as quickly as possible and leave.’
Soldiers who were a bit busy.
I put my sorry for them aside.
I looked around to finish my business.
It was full of refugees waiting in line to receive rations.
approached them
walked nearby
That alone started a buzz among the refugees.
“That one over there? Are you not him?”
“who?”
“Who is who? Mr Lloyd. The son of the lord of this place.”
“ah! him?”
Someone’s eyes pointed at him. Confirmed.
The murmur gradually spread.
“Really. It’s Lloyd. You are the real Lloyd.”
“I heard that he persuaded the lord here to accept us?”
“I heard that too. He also made this refugee camp.”
“He has this warm floor….”
slowly but surely.
The line for rations was crushed.
A crushed crowd gathered around Lloyd.
The murmur turned into cheers and thanksgiving.
“It’s real, Lloyd-sama!”
“thank you! Thanks to you, my son is alive!”
“Me too! Thanks to Lloyd, my family is staying warm! thank you! Thank you!”
A commotion spread throughout the refugee camp.
Even the crowds of people waiting in line at other distribution centers came.
Thousands of people soon gathered to see Lloyd.
‘It’s amazing.’
Xaviel, who was walking side by side with Lloyd, felt a sense of lightness without even realizing it.
This is the first time I swear to see such a sight.
It was a crowd of over a thousand.
So many people flocked to see just one person.
Saying thank you, saying thank you for the grace, saying that I will definitely repay you someday.
Some came running barefoot.
Someone else had tears in their eyes.
And someone warmly held Lloyd’s hand with a hand full of wrinkles.
Whenever that happened, Lloyd accepted all the support of the refugees as they were with a benevolent smile and eyes.
It was truly heart warming.
It was an incredibly moving sight.
So it was.
‘Maybe Lloyd-sama has an ulterior motive.’
Xaviel’s eyes narrowed.
I remembered the light of doubt in my eyes.
It was natural.
The Lloyd he knows is absolutely not a human being who is just benevolent like that.
‘Don’t be shy. it’s salty More than a water strider.’
It was true.
He hated even the slightest loss.
What if you lose even a coin or a button?
For a few days, I used to grumble and grumble.
He wanted to see if there was such a salty person in the world.
‘But they gladly accepted thousands of refugees. Because of a royal order? Because of the long-term view that it will be absorbed into the territory’s population later? Of course it could be. However, judging from Lloyd’s personality…There must be something more.’
No matter how much the royal order.
Even if there are medium- to long-term benefits.
However, he was not the kind of person who would immediately bear the huge loss and effort without paying for it.
What if you were asked to pick just one person in the world who is the furthest away from being a philanthropist?
He would point out Lloyd with confidence.
‘But you’re just emptying your mind while being grateful and moved by the refugees? Is that a shameless moth? You’re welcome.’
You know best the person who has always watched that person’s pettiness and sloppyness.
So that human.
There must be something you’re aiming for.
Thinking so, Xaviel’s fluke eyes lit up.
and after a while
His prediction became a reality.
The box I brought from the office earlier.
It was when the bundle of papers Lloyd took out came into view.
“Yeah, thank you so much for coming together like this. So everyone pay attention. Could you look at the contract here?”
arm and arm.
Lloyd waves the contract at the refugees.
Before he knew it, a refreshing smile bloomed on his lips, as if he were about to slap Nolbu’s old man back and forth.
