Episode 261. Collock.
“Jim. If you have a cold, why don’t you get some rest?”
My neighbor Jack, who had come with me from home to the training ground, frowned at Jim, who kept snoring.
However, the person concerned shook his head with a stern expression.
“What are you talking about? If you move a little, you’ll get better from this cold. Why take a break when you can make money in the winter?”
“This guy. The farming was good, so take care of your health.”
“Don’t be so foolish. There is no guarantee that there will be a good harvest next year!”
Jim shook his head resolutely, and Jack, who couldn’t hide his uneasy expression for fear of catching a cold, said something else.
“Jim. I heard there’s a healer’s guild in the castle. Try going there after training.”
“Healer’s Guild?”
“Yes. They say it cures illnesses with some kind of herb. Even if you’re injured, it heals.”
“Herbal medicine? Isn’t that a cult over there?”
“No. I heard that Guenon from the next village got medicine there and was completely cured of his terrible cold. If you just pay a little money….”
“Money? Then I won’t go. What kind of cold is that!”
“I heard it’s 1 silver?”
“…what?”
Jim’s expression shook at those words.
About a hundred years ago, when the continent’s monetary policy changed, gold coins containing only a small amount of gold were distributed throughout the continent, unlike before. After that, the value of silver coins plummeted.
Even a commoner can afford to skip just one meal for about 1 silver.
It was a story that would shake even Jim, a miser.
“Is that true?”
“Has this person been deceived? Oh, it’s true! Go!”
He wasn’t an idiot either, so he was worried about spreading the cold to his family.
In fact, I came to receive training because I was afraid of that.
‘It’s a healer’s guild, so I’ll have to check it out.’
Jim decided to do so and fixed his gaze on the front again.
In front of him were soldiers demonstrating with crossbows (although the shape was a little different) that were sometimes seen on hunters.
Vigilante training began this winter.
At first, most people were reluctant to hear an unfamiliar name reminiscent of forced labor, but everyone couldn’t help but welcome the idea that they would be paid a small amount of money in proportion to the training time.
As a result, all the young people in their 20s to 40s who did not farm gathered together, and among them there were a significant number of women.
“Ah! It’s military training, so why are you following me?”
“You said they would give you money, you idiot! Are you going to earn that money!? Or shut up!”
“…That’s so bad.”
“And the royal family is also raising female soldiers. How can you say that you are against it?”
“Ah, I understand. Ah, it’s a woman. Anyway, with all your might… I definitely got married wrong…”
“What are you doing!?”
“…I heard your marriage went well. As expected, I am reassured. Cancer.”
Moreover, in addition to the vigilante training that took place once every two or three days, I was able to apply as a laborer for sewer construction. Although the majority of the people did not know what the purpose was, they had no choice but to actively take action since their lives were unstable until last year.
“How can you give money without forcing someone to work? After all, Your Majesty!”
“Long live, long live!”
“Ha ha ha ha ha.”
The smiles never left the faces of the residents living in the royal territory, especially the residents of McLane and Esperanza.
Even if the territory was not blessed with a good harvest, thanks to the tax reduction policy, farmers were able to stock up their warehouses with grain, so they worked hard even in the winter and looked satisfied.
And all of that was passed on to the royal family.
“Healers get paid that little?”
Logan asked Damian’s report with a puzzled expression.
No matter how much I thought about it, I didn’t think I could even pay for the herbs with just 1 silver.
“Guild leader Gilbert said that he would provide low-cost services until he was recognized by the people. Of course, he assured me that even if the treatment fee was raised later, it would not be a significant burden to the common people.”
“…Yes. If they are doing it voluntarily, there is no need to stop them. It seems like the magic essence work and vigilante training are going well.”
“Yes. Overall, the entire kingdom is showing a stable trend. Except for minor accidents, there are no major incidents.”
“But don’t neglect to look at trends and public opinion. I need to know as soon as a problem arises.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Ah. And is there any movement on the Empire’s part?”
“Yes. We are collecting information in conjunction with the top of Philip’s McLine, but we haven’t seen much change.”
“Hmm. Really?”
Is this a good thing?
Logan thought deeply.
Even if you think about it yourself, the changes in the kingdom are very radical. If the invasion of the empire was seen as a fait accompli, it seemed appropriate that there would be some kind of reaction by now.
“Hmm. You couldn’t plant an informant in the imperial family, right?”
“…Yes. The identity censorship is too strict. It seems like it would take at least ten years of effort to plant an informant in the imperial family. If you order, we will implement it from now on.”
“No, I don’t have time for that. The effort I would put into it should be spent elsewhere.”
“We are continuously approaching the high-ranking nobles of the empire. We will establish connections with those who can know information about the imperial family, even indirectly.”
“…good.”
It’s a pity, but I thought that would be the best for now.
Logan sighed softly, still feeling uneasy, but Damian hesitated for a moment and then suddenly brought up another topic.
“Your Majesty. Your Excellency Archduke Patrick McLane has asked me to do something special.”
“what?”
Damian and his intelligence organization were under Logan’s direct control. To prepare for war with the empire and to quickly obtain information, he appointed no one in command other than himself.
But my father, who knew it well, crossed that line?
Logan’s brows narrowed slightly, but Damian’s next words made him immediately understand the situation.
“I was asked if I could find out the whereabouts of Prince Ronian. He asked me to keep it a secret from His Majesty, but I felt it was right to tell him…” “
Ronian…”
Now that everything is going well, there is only one thing on my mind. What was at stake was the whereabouts of his younger brother. It has already been more than a year since we heard from them that they had entered the depths of the southern mountain range.
‘No matter how much he wanted to, it would have been better to leave him in the territory and train him.’
I regretted it even more knowing the situation of Victor and Eilen, who were reaching the top of the highest level through training with their teacher, and Bourdel, who was on the verge of surpassing the level.
But there wasn’t much he could do now.
“The southern mountains are not behind the neighborhood, so we can’t let just anyone in. To reduce the number of casualties, we need to at least know the traces…”
After hearing Ronian’s story again, I felt worried again.
He had forgotten it all this time with the excuse that he was busy with work, so his belief in his younger brother was not an excuse for him either.
But Damian said something unexpected.
“I’m not sure, but a report came in today that a red-haired young man disappeared after buying food in a village at the end of the southern mountain range. The villagers said he was unusual and remembered him because his eyes were the same red.”
“what?!”
“I’m sorry. Since you are Your Majesty’s younger brother, I took precautions.”
“No, you did well. Hmm, you’re alive. That’s right. I believed it.”
As I said, I was sighing with relief, but then a strange thought occurred to me.
“But if he really is, he might come back after hearing about the change in the kingdom? Aren’t you just mistaken?”
The situation is that one’s biological family has become royal family.
If I had heard even one rumor, I should have come back.
“They say they just bought food and turned back right away without even having time to talk. So we have to track them down from that village, but as you know, the southern mountain range is a bit dangerous…” “
…I have the right person.”
“yes?”
“There is a strong man who used to be a hunter in the Demon Forest in the northern part of the Demonic Land, which is comparable to the southern mountain range.”
Logan recalled the future superhuman his father brought him years ago.
A top-level force user archer that is rare even on the continent.
And Bourdel, a former demon hunter and truly unrivaled talent who may soon master the level of an Auror.
“I’ll leave it to Lord Bourdel. Have him investigate the whereabouts of Ronian from that village and find Ronian and bring him back. The deadline is one year. Tell him that if he can’t find him, he can just come back.”
“Do I deliver it directly?”
“Shouldn’t we also deliver information about that village?”
“All right.”
“good.”
Logan’s voice became lighter as he felt that one of the worries in his heart had been somewhat resolved.
At that time, the knight’s voice was heard from outside the office.
– your majesty. Archduke Patrick McLane and Earl Roberts Floyd requested an audience.
hmm?
It is said that even tigers will come if you tell them to, and a smile appeared on Logan’s face at the news of the unannounced visit.
“Ask them to come in.”
Sigh.
With the sound of the door opening, the sight of my father and father-in-law came into view.
“Then we will take action.”
“Okay. Good luck.”
As Damian bowed his head towards Logan and his father and left, the expression on his father’s face as he approached him looked strange.
A slightly flushed yet somewhat determined face.
As expected, Logan hit the player first.
“We found traces believed to be Ronian.”
As expected, my father’s expression brightened with just those words.
“Yes!? Hahaha. I spent an hour. I’m glad. I’m glad.”
However, I had a hard time getting used to my father’s speaking style.
“…Why are you suddenly being respectful? It’s awkward.”
“No matter how much I am a parent, would I be allowed to speak carelessly to the monarch of a country? I have decided to be properly polite from now on.”
Logan, whose eyes were narrowed because it was something he had heard many times before, asked quietly.
“Has Master noticed?”
My father, who had a shocked look on his face for a moment, immediately waved his hand.
“No, no. It’s just a matter of maintaining basic courtesy.”
ha.
It was even more awkward for Logan to be treated with respect even by his parents, but he couldn’t stop him.
“Do whatever you want.”
Logan shook his head with a bitter smile, and his father, who had a more relaxed expression, smiled and continued speaking.
“I feel even better after hearing the good news. The country is slowly stabilizing, and I should use this time to do better things. Isn’t that right, in-law?”
Something better?
In-laws?
…Didn’t you come here because of Ronian’s business?
With an uneasy premonition, Logan’s eyes turned to his father’s back.
“Yes, Your Excellency, Your Excellency.”
The sight of the Prime Minister chiming in with a wide smile on his face added to the anxiety.
“Your Majesty is already twenty-six, so it would be better to hurry up and get married before it is too late.”
That anxiety became direct language and pierced Logan’s heart.
“… Holy marriage?”
The realization that it was not only Ronian who had forgotten shook Logan’s heart.
But whether he was embarrassed or not, his father continued with a smile.
“That’s right. The king’s wedding is an important state matter. It is not right to keep putting it off without any reason.”
Ah…
that’s true, but.
“Since His Majesty has not said anything, there are rumors going around these days that my daughter may have suffered a misfortune. As a father, I can’t help but be worried.”
“That’s absolutely not the case!!”
I jumped up and screamed out of frustration, and subtle smiles spread across the faces of my father and father-in-law who saw that.
Logan’s expression looked awkward at the thought of a mistake. The elders of the two families continued to say, as if they had been waiting for it to harden.
“Your Majesty seems to have a firm mind, so we can proceed right away.”
“When would be a good date, Your Majesty?”
Logan had been taking the approach of calling everything out for now, but this happened. He couldn’t react that way.
‘Marriage…’ This was
his first time experiencing it in his entire past life and this life.
Regardless of whether he liked it or not, he had never specifically imagined that something like that would happen to him.
If anyone knew his feelings, he would be engaged. You may think that a man is making a cowardly excuse, but that was Logan’s complete sincerity.
In the first place, the engagement with Eilen was made to recruit her at a strategic level. And it was not a wrong decision.
Beyond simply having the talent to become a superhuman, she became a female soldier of the Kingdom of McLane. She became the symbolic leader of . She was already an indispensable talent in terms of tactical and strategic value.
However, for Logan personally, she had greater meaning.
‘…I can’t do it without her.’
During those long years of hardships over the past few years, whenever I was tired and tired, she was by my side so I could not be shaken. I was able to
control my heart that was about to break.
I could no longer imagine a future without her.
But it was marriage. .
‘I always lived my life thinking that I was on the edge of a sword. Can I get married like this?’
Anxiety was still lingering in a corner of my mind.
No, no.
This was just…
“…I’m just scared.” He sighed
.
How pathetic.
“Yes?”
When Logan realized his true feelings and laughed, he said, A question appeared on the faces of the adults in the family in front of him.
Looking at their puzzled expressions, Logan declared to himself,
“Yes. “I understand. But I will tell Eileen directly.”
At those words, smiles finally appeared on the faces of Padric and Roberts.
