Maid Peach
“Monsters are appearing along the road? Why? Why on earth?”
The news Lilian had brought was shocking.
“I don’t know that much. What’s certain is that it isn’t a rumor. I saw troops set out along the road leading to the western plains.”
“Damn it. I thought we might at least get an easy road trip, but I guess I can’t let that happen.”
Ho-yeong scratched the back of his head irritably. It was another unfamiliar gesture, so Lilian watched him in silence.
“What do you intend to do? We should decide now whether to keep straight along the road or take a detour.”
“Hmm….”
A crucial branching point has been created!
The remainder of your journey will be determined by the Player’s choice. There are two options.
(1) Go straight along the road: You will encounter various monsters along the way. This entails multiple risks, but it also offers opportunities to obtain new resources, including items and talented individuals.
(2) Take a detour: The probability of encountering monsters drops sharply, but the journey becomes longer. This consumes additional supplies and leaves less time to prepare for the first raid that will strike the Tamer territory.
Ho-yeong’s brain kicked into overdrive.
Adventure or safety…
It wasn’t a question with an easy answer.
“Lilian, what do you think?”
“Pardon? You are asking for my opinion?”
“Yes. Tell me.”
Lilian was surprised. The old Joren had rarely ever asked for her opinion.
The captain had thought carefully and given his decision, and she, as his deputy, had carried out the order. A clear division of roles. Obedience born of absolute trust. She had liked that.
“...I will follow the lord’s decision. I believe it is best that you make the judgment yourself.”
Lilian had never been good at voicing her own opinion.
In truth, she was a little pleased. To think he would listen to her thoughts on such an important matter. He was a wise man, so he must surely have sound judgment.
She had no idea at all.
Damn it. I was hoping she might give me some useful tip, but all I get is that? My head hurts. She’s a really capable deputy, but as an adviser she’s a bit… borderline.
That the lord she admired was thinking something entirely different.
“Still… I would advise that you not tell the others about the monster sightings.”
Lilian offered the caution carefully, seeing the lord sink into worry.
“Why not?”
“It would surely lower morale and cause confusion. Especially those men….”
She glanced back at the laborers and went on.
“Right. The porters might well react that way. They’re strong as oxen, but they’re neither soldiers nor warriors.”
The laborers had violently refused the moment they heard the name Aupocalypse. In the end, they had only been hired on the condition that the trip would go as far as Rainpa, the city at the western end of the highway.
“But, Lilian. I have to tell them the truth. Whether we go by the road or take a detour, I need to be honest either way.”
“...W-why?”
Feeling as though her opinion had been rejected, Lilian snapped before she could stop herself.
“...I apologize.”
“No. There’s surely merit in what you said. If I’m being honest, I’d rather keep it to myself too.”
At his gentle reply, Lilian lowered her head slightly. Even she was startled by how heated she had become. She usually didn’t show emotion like this, so why now?
“But I can’t do that.”
“May I ask why again?”
“Because that is the duty of a leader.”
Ho-yeong said it calmly, but with firm conviction.
“If we keep going without telling them that monsters have appeared, they’ll only be more panicked when we run into one. If they know in advance, it’ll be easier for them to prepare for battle. Only when we’re not careless can we truly be at ease.”
Lilian listened in silence, hearing words she missed. The phrasing and content were a little different, but her gallant superior often used to say the same thing. Complacency leads to carelessness.
“And thank you for the good advice. You said I should make the decision myself, didn’t you? That’s what I’ll do.”
After thinking it over, he raised his fist.
“Everyone, halt the march!”
Following the lord’s signal, the senior soldier shouted the order.
As the procession came to a stop, Ho-yeong turned his horse and began to speak.
“According to the information I’ve received, monsters are appearing on the road to the western plains.”
As Lilian had expected, the people began to murmur.
“What kind of bolt from the blue is that in the twilight of our lives?”
“Sergeant, what’s there to worry about? We’re already on the road to a territory full of monsters. Think of it as a warm-up.”
The soldiers were not especially shaken.
“Ha, monsters? Good. I was worried it’d be boring.”
Priestess Rubia planted her staff on the ground and looked positively delighted.
“What kind of nonsense is that? If it were going to be like this, I should’ve stayed in prison.”
Baunal’s face fell.
“I-I never agreed to that. Doesn’t that mean it’s dangerous?”
“That’s contract violation!”
The porters, too, shouted with long faces.
“Quiet!”
Lilian stepped forward and brought the uproar under control.
“Anyone who speaks before the Byeonbangbaek has finished will be treated as insubordinate.”
When the crowd saw the iron resolve in her reddish-brown eyes, they quickly fell silent.
Thanks to that, it became easier for Ho-yeong to continue, and he looked at Lilian with satisfaction.
“I’ve decided to take the road. If we detour, it will take longer, and there’s no guarantee we won’t encounter monsters anyway.”
It wasn’t a lie. The status window had said the encounter rate would drop sharply, but as long as the chance wasn’t zero, he couldn’t relax.
“As for the laborers, please be at ease. As your employer, I will ensure your safety. That’s what a contract is, isn’t it? You are responsible for carrying the cargo to its destination, and we are responsible for protecting you. Besides, even if monsters don’t show up, wild beasts or bandits might.”
The laborers wavered at Ho-yeong’s words. As he’d said, it wasn’t really a violation of the contract.
“Even if you choose to break the contract, that’s fine. We’ll simply have to work harder. But what about you? If monsters continue appearing on the road ahead, what then? Come to think of it, traveling with us is far safer than being hired by some other caravan. You’ve got sturdy soldiers protecting you.”
These soldiers will protect you for free.
The laborers all seemed to accept that.
Ho-yeong was glad about the level-up, but he didn’t show it.
So it went from worry to grievance instead. Fair enough. The pay is the same, but the danger has increased.
As if voicing his feelings for him, one of the laborers raised a hand. He was the foreman.
“I understand what the count is saying. You’re right, too. But in that case, shouldn’t our wages go up a bit? Uh… in other words, danger pay.”
The foreman, apparently from Gallia, spoke in a warm, rustic dialect.
A branching point has been created!
(1) If you give the laborers danger pay, their dissatisfaction will drop to zero and their edification level will rise. However, the soldiers may become resentful.
(2) If you do not give the laborers danger pay, their dissatisfaction will increase. This may cause disruptions such as slacking off, which could lengthen the journey.
Ho-yeong wanted to shout at the status window. Why was there another branching point inside a branching point?
And if he chose option (1), the soldiers would get resentful?
What, so they’d be angry because only the laborers are getting taken care of while they don’t get danger pay?
Come to think of it, it was their cargo to haul in the first place. He’d hired laborers because the soldiers would have struggled otherwise, even though the money wasn’t coming from his own pocket, and he could understand why they might feel annoyed.
If I pay the laborers, the budget’s tight and the soldiers complain... If I don’t pay them, they start slacking off. So we’re going hard mode before we’ve even reached the territory? Ugh.
Wait a second. Come to think of it…
Neither choice appealed to him, and then his eyes fell on Peach, who was looking up at him with her hands clasped.
Right. That’s how it was when I talked that pink-and-pouty maid down too. The choices they gave me were both total trash. And back then, I’d given her a third option.
By giving Peach a third path instead of firing her or letting her quit, he had unlocked an achievement. A clever idea flashed through his mind.
“How about this? If monsters appear and we defeat them, I’ll share part of the spoils with you as compensation.”
The laborers’ eyes widened. When monsters died, they often left behind useful items. Hell, even if they only killed a slime, they could sell its shell.
“But in return, you’ll have to cooperate with us that much more. I’m not asking you to take up clubs and fight directly, but helping us set up barricades or build traps would be appreciated.”
The laborers exchanged looks, their eyes glinting with interest.
“This way, it’s good whether monsters show up or not, ain’t it? If they don’t, we’re safe. If they do, we make money.”
“No, maybe it’s even better if monsters show up. If something valuable drops, that’s a windfall.”
At last, the foreman stepped forward.
“That sounds fine by me. You’re a big-hearted man, Count. We’ll do it that way. We’ll work hard, so please look after us kindly.”
The foreman accepted with refreshing ease.
Ho-yeong accepted it with satisfaction.
“Of course! The rewards for monster kills will go to the soldiers first!”
The soldiers, who had been indifferent, brightened at once.
“Up until now, we were soldiers belonging to the kingdom. That meant I couldn’t distribute rewards as I pleased, but things are different now. I am the Byeonbangbaek appointed by Her Majesty the Queen. And you are my vassals.”
You’re vassals, and I’m the lord.
“So I can reward you however I want! Whoever slays a monster will not only protect the people of Kain and the residents of Tamer territory, but earn wealth as well!”
The soldiers’ spirits soared.
Guardian, you have found a solution beyond the given choices. Truly excellent! The laborers’ and soldiers’ edification levels have increased significantly.
“Long live the Byeonbangbaek!”
“Long live the lord!”
A great cheer rang out across the plains.
That is, until Rubia pointed out that shouting “long live” at anyone other than the king was high treason.
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