novelzi Chapter 147 : Chapter 147
Chapter 147 : Chapter 147
Chapter 147. Duo (2)I did not publicly announce my departure.
One way or another, I am the Empire's war hero and the founder of this city.
The fact that Wolfskrig, which was merely a frontier, could develop this far is largely due to my reputation.
News that I am leaving for a distant place would cause considerable anxiety among the people of the domain.
First, the number of visiting merchants would decrease, which would lead to a decrease in immigrants, a drop in capital flow, a slowdown in the growth of the workforce, and a decline in industrial development.
I have no intention of ruining the domain I have prepared for years just by going on a trip for a few months.
Therefore, I made some preparations.
"You all know that I haven't shown myself much for the past few months. I'm sure you were curious about the reason, and I thank you for following without complaint."
The evening before departure.
I gathered people and held a banquet.
The invitations were limited to high-ranking officials with whom I directly interacted.
"The Wolfskrig Viscounty has reached a stable trajectory. This is all thanks to everyone's efforts in their respective positions. Personally, I believe the standard for a stable city is whether it runs well even in the lord's absence. That was the reason I reduced my inspections for the past few months."
In front of them, I spoke about the first preparation.
An adaptation period for my absence.
In fact, this was something I had prepared in advance.
The past couple of months.
From the point when more than a month had passed since the Emperor last showed himself, I reduced my inspections and revealed myself to the public as little as possible.
So that, in the event of a situation like the present, the domain could continue to function at a minimum even when my shadow was lifted.
Of course, in a class-based society, my vacancy cannot be completely filled.
Especially for the high-ranking officials who have direct interaction with me, they will feel the absence greatly.
This banquet is a kind of briefing held to reduce that.
I explained, holding a wine glass.
The gist was that the domain had stabilized sufficiently.hing, but from what I've experienced so far, he's not a man of many words.
A suitable companion for me, who doesn't particularly enjoy unnecessary chatter.
My head is already ringing because of the flour-addicted statues. Imagine if someone like old man Brol or old man Poodle was my companion.
How much they would have chattered, breaking this quiet dawn air…
"Viscount, when's the wedding?"
"?"
"Don't Imperials have to have a grand ceremony to become husband and wife? We just need to share a tent."
"…?"
"Am I wrong? Is it enough to just live together here too? Well, culture has changed a lot, they say. Then I'll change the question. The elf? Or the priest?"
Shut the hell up.
***
"Your Majesty."
"Report."
"The 2nd tunnel defensive line has been attacked. The damage to the mage force is severe."
"Aren't there two mages from the Red Magic Tower in the 5th tunnel? Send them to the 2nd tunnel."
"However, Your Majesty, the 5th tunnel is also in a difficult situation."
"Shrink the defensive line. If the 5th tunnel retreats, there's a narrower bottleneck, right? Tell them to hold there."
The knight's report.
The Emperor's command.
"Your Majesty, then the 5th tunnel defensive line will be too close to here. Your Majesty could be in danger. Please do not do so and preserve your royal self."
“……”
"Bishop Castro said he heard the voice of an angel saying that the remaining members of the Secret Knight Order are coming to rescue Your Majesty. I also have strength, and so do the other knights. Some sacrifices will be inevitable, but we can still escape."
The knight's dissuasion.
The Emperor's silence.
"Frozen Knight, Yula Katran."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Do you think I am defending this place because I have no way out, because I have been captured by those rats?"
“……”
"It's the opposite. I am not captured, I am holding on. Using myself as bait. If I cannot hold out here, or if I flee to the surface, where will they go? They will immediately attack the Imperial Capital. Won't they?"
"...That is correct."
"The Imperial Capital is not ready for war. No, it would be more accurate to say that the Empire is not ready. For now, Gabir is gathering troops. I have to buy him time."
"Understood."
The Emperor's persuasion.
The knight's acceptance.
"There is no need to be gloomy. Here, look at this. It's a spoil of war I took from them. A sacred relic of the theocracy. What color is this orb here?"
"Black… no, it is a faint gray."
"The one Marquis Ricardo had warns of impending misfortune. This one, on the contrary, shows hope as a probability."
“……”
"I'm not one to trust the things of the theocracy, but this was black until last night. It only brightened a little this morning."
"By that you mean…"
"Yes."
The Emperor smiled.
The knight thought.
Perhaps because of his characteristic bright blonde hair and blue eyes, that smile seemed to shine even in the darkness.
Those clear blue eyes were looking up.
As if looking at the sky that would be visible from the distant surface, from somewhere in the sunless subterranean city.
"It means that our hope has departed from somewhere."