There is a clear pond in an unnamed forest on Reccordak’s grounds.
Perhaps because it holds mana, it does not freeze even in this biting season—a mysterious place. One might even call it a very small-scale “magical space.”
Plop—
I am fishing there. Thanks to the “◆ Enchants fish” option on the fishing rod I granted 「Midas’s Hand」 to, it is not particularly boring.
Crrrunch—!
Like this, the moment I cast the rod, something soon bites the bait.
I lifted the fishing rod as though reeling it in.
Swaaaaaash…… A fish came up with it, scattering the water.
Just as I checked its size and species and was about to put it in the bucket.
“I would like to ask you something.”
A voice came from somewhere. Familiar, and yet an unexpected tone.
I turned toward it.
“Why is it that you wish so desperately to become chairman, Professor?”
Julie.
She looked at me with an upright posture. There was not even the slightest emotion in her transparent eyes.
“Why do you desire power so much?”
I returned my gaze to the pond. I spoke as I cast the fishing rod.
“Isn’t protecting Reccordak what you wanted?”
“Yes. However, allowing those who wish to leave to leave is—”
“If everyone leaves. Do you intend to die here?”
“……I am a knight who knows when to retreat. If the opponent is millions of monsters, then Reccordak, with not even ten thousand, will amount to no more than buying time. I would have gladly bought time for them.”
Crrrunch—!
Another bite came. Julie glanced that way as well.
“……I heard you have been conducting your own investigation into the accident involving Rockfell and Beron.”
I changed the subject. Julie’s body flinched.
“They say you commissioned a famous adventurer. For a penniless knight, no less.”
“…….”
“Give up. There is nothing you can gain.”
Julie’s gaze abruptly turned sharp.
However, I do not want her to learn what lay inside Rockfell. Even the betrayal of someone she trusted—she would blame all of it on herself.
Julie asked.
“Then, allow me to ask. Did those two truly die in an accident?”
“……Was that not what was written in the report you read?”
At that, Julie’s head sank. A shadow fell over those eyes, lowered miserably.
“You truly are…….”
I calmly lifted the fishing rod. Splash—! The scattering spray wet Julie’s shoulder.
As I shook the fish into the bucket, I spoke.
“Yes. As you said, there are many things I want. That greed may one day stab me in the back.”
Julie raised her eyes. Winter’s eyes, frozen cold. Pleased with their shape, I ended up laughing.
“But I do not care.”
“…….”
“If I were going to regret the end that will one day come back to me, I would never have lived like this in the first place.”
Grind— Julie clenched her teeth.
“This time, I will ask. Do you regret your life now?”
It was a question that pierced Julie’s identity.
She has no life of her own. A child born by killing her mother. Thinking of herself that way, she ultimately threw away everything for her own sake.
“Yes. I regret it. Every single moment that had anything to do with you.”
She said. I nodded faintly.
“How pitiful you are. Trying to fill a life without yourself with the identity of a knight.”
“……Are you insulting me?”
“I am. Because you are a human whose priorities have been overturned, who has made being a knight—nothing more than an occupation—into the purpose of your life.”
At that moment, mana rose from Julie’s body. It was an aura that chilled the entire area.
—Here…… huh?
A sudden, childish voice. Julie’s anger subsided for a moment, and we turned that way at the same time.
“…….”
“…….”
There were two children between the bushes.
As if they had come to fish, they carried large fishing rods on their backs.
Ria and Leo.
“……Hello.”
Bow— Ria bent at the waist. Leo followed the gesture.
I thought they would leave. Naturally, the atmosphere was serious.
However.
“Sit here, Leo. You can catch fish well here.”
Instead, they unfolded simple chairs and settled down. Julie and I blankly watched them.
“Yeah! Will the fish taste good?”
“Of course! Let’s catch them and eat them. I’ll grill them for you.”
Plop— plop—
Fishhooks sank into the pond.
I looked at Julie. Julie glanced at me as well, and our eyes met.
“……I will be going now. I have duties as well.”
“Go.”
Julie left like that, and I resumed fishing.
……Swaaash—!
I caught one fish. The two children stole glances at me.
……Swaaash—!
I caught another. The two children pouted.
……Swaaash—!
A third.
Those two whispered to each other.
……Ria. Why aren’t we catching any?
……I think that professor is catching them all.
Swaaaaaash—!
A fourth.
Just as their resentful gazes began to pierce me, I rose from my seat.
* * *
The knights of the Imperial Palace were sunk in deep worry.
Should they ignore Deculein’s warning and leave Reccordak, or should they pretend to be mad and join forces?
Of course, if the defense succeeded, they would obtain not only the honor of knights, but also enormous financial and social benefits……
The problem, as expected, was that the possibility of that was extremely slim.
They would be fortunate if they deserted midway and at least preserved their lives.
“……Hey.”
Carrying all of those worries in his breast, the knight Delric, who was patrolling the wall with his adjutants, witnessed an unusual scene. A guard was fiddling with some kind of machine.
“Yes, Sir Knight.”
“What is that?”
A bizarre sight, like a large crossbow with a handle attached. At Delric’s question, the guard answered.
“It is an automatic crossbow.”
“……An automatic crossbow?”
“Yes.”
The guard placed his hand on the automatic crossbow.
“It is an invention of the Professor’s. Its power is tremendous.”
“……A crossbow is a crossbow. What power? Try shooting it.”
“Yes.”
Then the guard took his stance. First, he gripped the handle of the automatic crossbow, and—
Dudududududu———!
In an instant, dozens of bolts were launched. Delric and the knights flinched in surprise.
“Two hundred shots are consumed in ten seconds. Of course, its accuracy suffers, but it is very good when facing many enemies.”
“……Looks that way. You say it’s the Professor’s invention?”
“Yes. It seems he intends to install a few dozen more.”
“…….”
It seemed he was preparing thoroughly with new technology in his own way.
It was then.
Whoooooosh──!
A person came up from below the wall. Wind rushed in, and red twin-tails fluttered.
Delric paid his respects almost instinctively.
“Isn’t it Captain Ganesha?”
“Hm? Ah~ hello, Delric?”
“Yes.”
“I heard you tried to escape and failed~? That the Professor caught you~”
Ganesha chattered with a laugh. Delric cursed inwardly and smiled.
“Haha, yes. It was not that I was caught while trying to run away, but that I was persuaded by the Professor’s character…… Where might you be headed?”
“I’m going to help too~”
At those words, Delric and his adjutants’ eyes widened.
“H-help? Did the Professor perhaps commission you for a mission?”
“Huhut. A dangerous mission like this starts at a minimum of fifty million elne. I’m simply helping for free. We do have an old connection as well.”
“How do you mean?”
“Mm~ Sir Delric, do you know why magical beasts swarm in winter?”
“Is it not because of the moon and hunger?”
Ganesha smiled brightly.
“Yes, that’s right~ Correct. In winter, the Blue Moon and Red Moon appear alternately, and the magical beasts are so hungry they cannot maintain their sanity, yes? That’s why they go south as though possessed…… Thanks to that, even I alone can lure and hinder them~”
Ganesha began stretching. Her clasped arms moved up and down, her legs left and right.
“Then…… alone, you will take on the hordes of magical beasts?”
“Mm-hm, that’s right~ I’m going to herd them~ I should be able to delay their advance by about a week.”
Delric and his adjutants’ mouths fell open. That enormous horde, for an entire week, alone.
“So make sure you prepare diligently until then. Don’t even think about running.”
Ganesha gave a faint laugh and added one more thing.
“I know the Professor well. Rather than running away, dying here will be less painful~”
It was quite a chilling statement. One that killed even the tiniest thought left in the knights’ heads……
“Why aren’t you answering~? You’re not planning to run, are you?”
“Yes, yes? Ah, no. No, we are not. Running away? As one who has become a knight, such a thing is absolutely, hahahaha…… Right, you lot?”
“Of course!”
Hahaha— hahaha— hahahaha—
Delric looked at his adjutants and forced a laugh.
* * *
The next day, I began a full-scale inspection of various parts of Reccordak.
“We have about two weeks’ worth of food left. If we eat sparingly, three weeks. If we starve the prisoners, eight weeks.”
“The supplies.”
“Ah…… That is.”
Reccordak’s food warehouse. The administrative supply officer scratched the back of his neck with a slightly ambiguous expression.
“Speak.”
“……The merchant companies are reluctant to supply us. Right now, perhaps because predictions that the monster wave will be beyond the usual level have spread to some extent…… it seems they are hoarding. Ah, my apologies. I should use another word instead of hoarding—”
“It is fine.”
I nodded. Then I set down the fish I caught today. Thirteen in total.
The supply officer’s face brightened.
“Ah, thank you. We will salt them and store them well. The fish you catch are truly helpful, Professor. Already forty—”
“Enough. Recite the names of the merchant companies.”
“Yes?”
“Recite them. I will make the supplies arrive in three days.”
“Ah, yes! They are Lotrin and Beola, the most famous merchant companies in the North.”
I wrote those merchant companies’ names in my death ledger.
As soon as I came outside, Epherene and Louina approached. After Allen left, these two had taken his place.
“Epherene. Send this by messenger.”
“Yes.”
Epherene casually looked at the sentence written in my death ledger, then her eyes went round.
“……I have heard that Lotrin and Beola’s supply shipments to Reccordak are delayed.”
“Do not recite it.”
“Ah. Yes.”
Epherene whispered softly.
—I can forgive a delay of this degree, but if it is delayed any further, I will have no choice but to file a lawsuit for breach of contract. Of course, I believe you have your circumstances, but I do not care. Because the contract with Yukline must be fulfilled. Even if you must reduce what is given to other houses, I believe you will keep the supplies secured.
If that is difficult, recall Yukline’s family maxim.
Perhaps there is one Jeokgwe or so in your merchant company. Even if there is not, is there truly not?
Even if there truly is not, is there really not?
I will not receive a reply. Send only the supplies.
“…….”
Epherene gulped.
“Um, Boss?”
At that moment, Louina tapped my shoulder. I glared at her fiercely.
“It seems something has happened over there?”
“…….”
Louina pointed to the opposite side of the wall, in other words, the entrance of Reccordak. Just as she said, it was somehow bustling.
“Do not touch me from now on.”
“……You’re just as sensitive a boss as before.”
Clicking my tongue, I approached that way.
“Hey, what is going on?”
“Ah, yes. Professor.”
Then a guard answered with a flustered face.
“The mountain residents have gathered.”
“……The residents, here?”
“Yes. They say that even if the wall blocks them, if there are too many magical beasts, there is a high risk some will spill outside, so they would rather be of help together inside…….”
I looked at Reccordak’s gate. It was certainly noisy beyond it.
“Open it for now.”
“Yes, yes.”
The guard hurriedly ran over and opened the gate.
Creeeak—
—Oh! It’s opening!
—It’s opening, it’s opening!
—Thank ya, guards!
—Much obliged! We brought plenty of food with us! I got my own body too, so I’m sure I’ll be of help!
Before it had even fully opened, booming voices disordered my ears.
Clear sunlight and wind from the other side rushed in.
“…….”
I stood straight and looked down beyond it.
Louina said.
“……There are a lot of them, Boss?”
There were many people. Far in the distance, the crowd filled the downward slope. Their simple faces and clear eyes were looking this way.
“So there are.”
I had not known that so many lived relying on the mountains and Reccordak.
I felt I could vaguely understand why Julie had tried so hard to protect them.
“Thank—”
“Ahem! Do not enter yet! No decision has been made!”
The guards stopped the residents who were trying to come in. They obediently listened.
“Oh, that’s the Professor!”
“Ain’t he the Professor who came to Reccordak!”
“Good to meet ya!”
Their earthy way of speaking grated on me. I disliked the smell they gave off.
I shook my head in dissatisfaction.
Their expressions darkened in an instant.
“Ah, we’ll do our best! We—”
“Shut your mouth.”
At that one sentence, the area fell silent. Someone slapped the cheek of the man who had just spoken.
“……What will you do?”
Louina asked.
The guards, and all those many people, were all looking at me.
I did hesitate. Naturally, it did not suit this personality either. Their appearances, as though I would have to live with flies, were filthy.
“…….”
Without a word, I looked behind me. Epherene had returned at some point.
“Epherene.”
“Yes, yes……?”
Epherene nodded with a slightly tense face. I looked forward again. I took in the crowd, tense in the same way.
Staring at them, I spoke to Epherene behind me.
“……You and Drent should be able to make at least temporary shelters.”
“Ah, of course!”
Epherene answered loudly. I nodded as well. Then, without another word, I turned around.
The residents said nothing, but Louina and Epherene stepped forward and gestured.
“Everyone, what are you doing? Come in.”
“Hurry!”
“……Ah!”
“Yes! Thank ya, thank ya kindly!”
There were truly many people pouring in. The sounds of footsteps and carts shook the ground.
It was not only people. They entrusted all the livestock they had raised—chickens, cows, foals, and the like—to the guards.
“……What is going on?”
The knights arrived belatedly. Not only the Imperial Palace knights, but Julie was also among the crowd.
I called to the warden standing beside them.
“Warden.”
“Yes, yes?”
“Starting today, block the paths leading outside Reccordak.”
“Ah…… yes?”
I said.
“We will stop them here. Without fail.”