Chapter: 337
After the second day of enjoying our date at the beach, we managed a smooth school trip without any fuss or incidents. Honestly, it would have been weirder to have disturbances during a school trip anyway. The first day was just far too strange.
If there was one notable incident, it would be that the Young Lord decided to join our group. It seems that his experience in the protected area left quite an impression on him, as he subtly indicated to his uncle that he wanted to go out and play more.
Seeing his daughter, who usually just read books in her room, eager to go out made the uncle naturally pleased—
“Good morning, Lady.”
“Good morning, Young Lord. I’m counting on you today too.”
And so it came to this: each morning, I now made a schedule to pick up the Young Lord from the Duke’s residence.
I have no real complaints. If he had been like Little Wise Duke in personality, I might have preferred death, but the Young Lord is a miracle delivered by Enen, who pitied the Salon family. There’s no way I could complain about playing with such a sweet and adorable kid. In fact, everyone seemed quite happy about it.
“Up early, huh? You’re so diligent, setting a good example for your attendants.”
With a gentle smile, Marcilio patted the Young Lord’s head. Thanks to past experiences, he knew what words would resonate with the Young Lord, so everyone enjoyed praising him when he was being cute.
“It’s part of my duties as Young Lord to look after the territory!”
“Hoho, indeed. Well done!”
Looking at the Young Lord puffing his chest with pride, Marcilio gazed at him warmly. It was obvious to anyone that he viewed him as a child, but the Young Lord seemed to take it in stride.
From Marcilio’s perspective, even the Iron-blooded Duke and the Vice Captain are still toddlers, so receiving praise, even as a mere Young Lord, seems like a huge blessing. He’s not just stubborn; he has a surprisingly good sense of reality. He’ll make an excellent politician someday.
“So, where are we headed today?”
Seeing the Young Lord’s sparkling eyes, I couldn’t help but chuckle. The day before was spent on baking bread in the grain fields, while yesterday we watched the mermaids’ underwater show. It seemed he was excited for another adventure today.
“For starters, we’ll ride some horses. Let’s wander around until we find a place that catches our fancy.”
At that, the Young Lord’s expression dimmed for a moment. He must have ridden horses with his uncle or the Wise Duke a few times, so it shouldn’t be anything new.
“We’re actually planning to ride centaurs.”
With that, he lit up again. I had a feeling that it would be his first time on a centaur.
‘Delus would be perfect for him.’
Delus, the centaur guide we rode on the second day. He even introduced himself, saying to let him know if we were riding again. There’s no reason for him to be problematic, and he seemed keen on the idea of coming along again.
Plus, I was genuinely curious about how the cheerful and talkative centaur would interact with this curious Young Lord. What a perfect duo it would make!
“Ooh, a customer! Nice to see you again! Welcome back!”
“Wow…”
The Young Lord gasped at the sight of Delus waving at him.
I was relieved to see he was excited about it.
My choice hadn’t been wrong after all.
“Keep going straight, and you’ll find Lake Frombell! It connects to the river flowing inside the interspecies protection area, so the curious mermaids often swim up to the lake! Of course, I’m sure the astute Young Lord knows that already!”
“Yes, I knew that!”
“Indeed, you’re remarkably perceptive!”
As Delus ran at a pace that wouldn’t frighten the Young Lord and kindly explained the surroundings, he even threw in a compliment at the end to boost the Young Lord’s spirits.
Perfection! The hospitality specialist was right here. If Delus had been born a human, he would have made an excellent Golden Duke sidekick.
“Ah, sometimes young mermaids get caught by fishermen at the lake!”
“W-What happens then?”
“It’s nothing major! They just tell the fishermen to be careful in the future and return the mermaids! Then the mermaids feel grateful and bring back a fish as a present! They even gift a rare catch that can’t be easily caught with fishing lines, so the fishermen are always happy!”
Hearing about the peaceful coexistence between humans and other species warmed my heart. If it had been Apels, he would have probably caught the mermaids’ parents and used the young ones as leverage.
“Does he talk a lot?”
Watching the chatty Young Lord and Delus, Delus’s sister, who had been carrying me earlier, casually chimed in.
“That’s true, but it’s nice to hear all these fun stories.”
“Thanks for saying that! My sister loves to talk, so when she has someone to ride with, she can’t stop chatting!”
For a moment, I pictured all those chatty taxi drivers I used to see in the world before. It felt like their goal was not money but rather meeting people. Seems Delus falls into that category too.
“In fact, among our ancestors, there was one who joined the Kefellofen forces and fought against Apels. Maybe that’s why my sister talks even more when she has a human guest.”
“Oh, so you’re descendants of a hero?”
“Haha, is that how it works?”
The sister let out a small laugh and continued chatting about various topics.
It seemed that she was also quite talkative. But honestly, you can’t blame just the sister; the ancestor’s blood can’t be flowing only through her. That makes sense.
“By the way, do you know about the Hellgate? It’s a pit formed by the breath of the Dragon Lord when he attacked the Apels forces, and there’s still heat coming from it, so it’s considered a restricted area.”
What’s that? I want to see it.
*
Lately, I feel really good!
“Hehe…”
Thinking about how much fun Liri is having playing outside with Joka just makes me smile. How fortunate Liri is to be enjoying herself outdoors! This mom was too strict!
Of course, even the well-behaved and sensible Liri should get to enjoy herself! At that age, they need to run and play! That’s how they grow up healthy!
“You’re really amazing, Joka!”
Thanks to Joka, Liri is having a blast, and I’m so grateful that our destination turned out to be Cheness!
So, I take a shot of whiskey in celebration!
“Huh?”
Just as I’m about to do that, suddenly the communication device flickers.
What’s this? Could it be Joka or her uncle? Either way, this aunt will welcome them with open arms!
– Long time no see, Wise Duke.
“Huh?”
No way!
As soon as I check the communication device, a face that’s definitely not Joka pops up. A man with silver hair and a usual smug grin.
“The Golden Duke?”
Oh, I was hoping for Joka…
– Awww, you look too disappointed! How rude!
“Oh come on, Golden Duke! Whenever you contact me, it’s always about trouble!”
– If someone heard that, they’d think I’m a bringer of plagues.
Seeing the Golden Duke chuckle lightly, my hopes slightly lifted. So, maybe this time it’s nothing too serious?
– Well, that’s somewhat accurate.
“Ugh.”
Really irritating.
– Anyway, I contacted you because it’s important. It’s urgent, so I hope you can lend an ear even if you’re busy.
“Busy with what? Is Jerano again slacking off? Or is his business going poorly?”
I tilted my head as I waited for the Golden Duke to respond. What could be so urgent to warrant that level of concern?
– All Special Services forces in the North have received orders to withdraw. I just heard this through my wife, so most other dukes probably don’t know yet.
…
I exhaled sharply, releasing the alcohol swirling in my body.
“Every last one?”
– Every last one.
At those words, I put the bottle down on the table. If it had just been a financial issue, I could’ve laughed it off.
– It’s a fresh order, so most may still be in the North, but the order clearly states that they must prioritize returning rather than completing their tasks.
That was specific, but not at all comforting. Receiving simultaneous orders to withdraw rather than complete their missions usually signals serious trouble.
Such orders come when one of two scenarios occurs: either the Special Services have deemed their efforts useless, or they’re moving with such a scale that they risk total annihilation.
“Impressive. Is it five years now?”
– I suppose so. Has it really only been that short?
It felt just like five years ago when the Fallen Star rose.
– Still, nothing is certain. There might be overreactions due to late decisions, so we could be safely overreacting.
That’s possible. When the Fallen Star emerged, the Special Services operating in the North failed to retreat in time and suffered heavy losses. After finally recovering, they wouldn’t want to repeat such a mistake. So naturally, they’d panic at even the slightest sign of trouble.
However, this is all just speculation.
“Are you serious?”
– That’s what I hope for.
The Golden Duke responded as if he was already resigned. Yeah, if it really was the Special Services, they’re tough nuts that would push ahead even with a sword stuck in them, so for them to withdraw strictly due to fear indicates something serious is afoot.
– You’ll hear from the Imperial Family soon. I just wanted to give you a heads-up to avoid any rash decisions because things might get messy for both of us once trouble arises.
“Man, at least last year was a bountiful harvest.”
– Good to know, right? Last time was a famine, wasn’t it?
Hearing that reminds me of the tough times back then. The emergence of the Fallen Star and the nomadic uprising, which dragged on for two years.
Damn, the war broke out right during a famine, and we struggled. We were already short on food, and then securing food for the army was driving everyone crazy!
– Anyway, I’ll take my leave. The blacksmiths in Wulken will be busy shortly; it’s my duty to ensure they have enough materials for the Iron-blooded Duke.
Nodding silently, I watched the shimmering light of the communication device fade.
Then, I picked up the bottle of whiskey that had been resting on the desk once more.
Forget about celebrations and blessings; this is just a shot of frustration whiskey.
*
The Young Lord, cozy in the water with mermaids at Lake Frombell, fell asleep, evidently worn out. Swimming can be pretty exhausting compared to other activities.
It’d be a bit tricky if he stayed asleep until we reached the Duke’s residence—
“Joka! Did you have fun out there?”
At that moment, the Wise Duke was waving his arms at the front gate.
“Hehe, I’m really glad Liri had fun!”
“Yes, he must be quite tired.”
Turning to look at the Young Lord clinging to my back, the Wise Duke carefully took him into his arms. The look of affection in his eyes as he gazed at the Young Lord showed that, despite their differences, it really was like a father looking at his child.
“Thanks! Joka is having fun too, you know!”
“We had fun as well.”
I flashed a small smile, and the Wise Duke returned it with a chuckle. It’s not flattery; the Young Lord indeed acted as the mood maker, making everything more enjoyable.
“By the way, Joka! You should take care of your ears for a bit!”
“Oh, right.”
Just as we were about to head back to our temporary residence with the Young Lord tucked in, the Wise Duke gestured for me to lean close.
“There will be a severe cold front approaching the North shortly. I thought you should know.”
At his serious whispers, my body stiffened in an instant.
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