With a Big House Comes Great Suffering
With a Big House Comes Great Suffering
Hildea and Rebecca tidied up the cleanly washed grilling pan and dishes.
"Carlton Marquis-nim, shall we keep it a secret from Piel then?"
"Piel needs to know too. That's the right and duty of a Family Head."
Hildea glanced at the sleeping Piel.
"But Commander-in-Chief, have you made any... progress with Piel?"
"...No."
"What? You've been sticking so closely together this whole time and still no progress?"
"...."
Rebecca chuckled softly before straightening her face and speaking.
"Now's not the right time to tell him. You know why, don't you?"
"I don't."
"Neither of us is officially anything to Piel yet."
Not officially anything to him...
The words struck Hildea deeply in her heart.
"We received a proposal asking for one child as an adopted son? When we're not officially anything to him, how do we bring this up? How flabbergasted would Piel be?"
"...That's true."
"At the very least, we should get engaged, or make sure he's firmly staked his claim, something like that. It's a subject you can only bring up once that kind of relationship is established."
Just then, Piel stirred.
The two women quickly stopped their conversation and softly sat on either side of Piel.
"Piel Colonel, are you awake?"
"We did all the dishes."
"Mmm... I kind of want to sleep a bit more..."
"Then sleep more."
"I'll give you a mana massage. Sleep a little longer."
Even half-asleep, Piel took off his training top and laid on his stomach with practiced ease.
Feeling the gentle touch, he fell back into slumber.
Rebecca mouthed silently to Hildea.
'Let's work harder, you and me.'
***
At first, I rode the palanquin alone, but I don't use it anymore.
Because it's too cramped to ride together with the two women.
Even the small palanquin carried by 8 soldiers is about the size of a minibus in terms of area.
"Going forward, I'm thinking about having HIMARS carry the small palanquin."
At that, Hildea and Rebecca were horrified.
"Piel Colonel, did the soldiers perhaps do something wrong?"
"No, Piel. Please don't take away jobs from those poor soldiers."
I had the soldiers' best interests in mind, but after listening to the two women, I decided to just leave it as is.
Having 8 soldiers around to run errands is convenient for me too.
-Colonel-nim, this is Airborne Unit Commander Luna. I'll begin the regular report.
In this era with no other means of long-distance communication,
ionospheric shortwave communication allowed us to organically operate the Northern region, the Anvelrum dispatch unit, and the former Marquis Hapscorten territory.
Because we could receive situation reports in real-time and convey decisions immediately.
-Colonel-nim, I'll switch you over to Elenoa now.
"Okay, Luna."
After the regular report, Luna yielded the line to Elenoa.
-Piel, it's noona.
"Yes, noona. You're doing well, I presume?"
-Are you really in the North right now?
"Yes, I'm on vacation at Carlton Marquis's castle."
-A magical device that can communicate over such a vast distance... The North truly is a mysterious place.
Elenoa's voice was uncharacteristically bright.
She seemed utterly delighted, telling me how she spent the past few weeks since we parted.
-You'll really stay here for at least three months a year?
"Of course. I'll come down soon."
-How often can I use this magical device?
"Whenever you wish, noona, just ask Luna. You heard that, Luna?"
-Yes, I heard.
-Can I contact you every day?
"Every day is a bit difficult since I'm busy... How about once or twice a week? Of course, you can contact me anytime for urgent matters."
-Okay...
I finished the radio call and got up.
Hildea had taken out an apple and a Calova CX bar on the table and was diligently peeling and eating them.
I also filled her snack basket (the subspace necklace) with some apples separately. Same for Rebecca.
'Did her chest get a little bigger?'
I'll have to measure it sometime later.
'Sigh, I desperately want to give Hildea a tank smoothbore gun.'
It's my romantic dream, no, my vision.
She's currently using a howitzer for direct fire, but using the original direct fire cannon would be the most ideal.
'The firing pressure is over three times higher than the 105mm howitzer, but Hildea should be able to handle that much, right?'
The problem is that requesting a tank through supply is still impossible.
The bigger problem is that it's also impossible to just detach and receive a tank cannon alone.
That's because the tank itself is conceptually a launch platform for the 120mm smoothbore gun.
It can't just have its barrel detached and used separately like a howitzer.
'Still, once I reach 3-Star rank, wouldn't it be possible to request the separate development of a smoothbore gun module? That's how the military usually is, isn't it.'
A 10-million-dollar tank is a wonder just to look at...
Of course, that's because I'm not even glancing at the Air Force/Navy/Space Force categories.
Those are dens of vice crawling with trillion-dollar equipment.
"Rebecca-nim and I will step out for a moment."
"Piel Colonel, I'll come too..."
"It's an internal matter of the marquisate."
"Ah, then go ahead."
Even though Rebecca is a subordinate unit commander, Hildea still respects the domain of the nobility.
Rebecca greeted me dressed in gorgeous and comfortable noble attire instead of her military uniform.
It wasn't a dress, but comfortable, long trousers for easy movement.
"You asked me to guide you to the beer storage, right?"
"Yes, as long as it's out of direct sunlight, it doesn't matter."
"There's a perfect place."
Rebecca guided me to a massive cave.
It was more of a huge underground cavity than a cave.
"A long time ago, they used it for long-term grain storage. They say they filled it completely with grain to prepare for famine years, but honestly, even my mother doesn't believe it at all."
Rebecca scoffed.
"As if there could ever have been an era when grain was so surplus, right?"
"Don't you store the beer I gave you before here?"
"We already distributed that to every household. There's no reason to stockpile it."
"Please store the beer I'm filling here as emergency rations. However, it should be consumed within 18 months."
"Got it."
【Requesting supply of 1,000 Nellis White & Black (Lager).】
【Requesting 1,000 Nellis White & Black (Lager)...】
【Rebate budget 1,000 is granted.】
【Rebate budget 1,000 is...】
【Remaining Budget: 1,000,000】
I grew the budget from 460,000 to exactly 1,000,000 precisely.
If they were 20-liter kegs instead of 200-liter ones, I could have multiplied it tenfold.
Rebecca gazed with wonder at the mountain of piled-up kegs.
"Wow, all of this is beer...?"
"A gift. Please use it as a stockpile in case of a water shortage."
Rebecca, deeply moved, gently hugged me, and the big, soft sensation felt good.
While holding me, Rebecca whispered.
"Piel, thank you so much."
"With the stockpiled grain I placed in your subspace magical device and this reserve beer, even if a crisis suddenly strikes the territory, you'll be able to buy time before having to plunder the rear."
"I understand. But Piel, you said before that you could supply beer almost limitlessly, right?"
"Yes. But of course, don't suddenly ask for 10 million kegs."
It's actually possible, but I have to make it sound plausible.
"Then how about doing some beer trading with the southern territories? It seems like it could make quite a bit of money."
"But it will be problematic if the kegs leak out."
The metals that make up the kegs are over-technology by this era's standards.
The Noble Council would take an interest.
Of course, it wouldn't be a problem since the kegs vanish once the beer is drunk or the container is damaged.
I just don't want the existence of this kind of metal known to the outside world.
"We can just transfer the beer into preserved oak barrels and sell it. It won't spoil for up to 6 months."
My interest was piqued.
'Then how much budget and gold coins would get duplicated?'
"Let's just give it a try."
"Then, could you take out the beer for sale back at the castle instead of here?"
"Understood."
"I'll give all the profits to Piel, minus only the costs incurred for the sale."
I deliberately didn't refuse.
Honestly, it's a small price to pay compared to what I've done for her so far, and above all...
'We long passed the point of distinguishing between your money and my money.'
Speaking of which, it's almost payday.
My heart feels at ease.
'Wait, payday is imminent?'
Didn't last month's budget come in right after Hildea's first period ended?
I snapped to my senses.
***
"Hildea! Hildea! Wake up!"
"Hildea! Hurry and wake up!"
Hildea, who had been peeling and eating a honey apple and a Calova CX bar before happily dozing off into a nap, opened her eyes at the desperately calling voice.
Bleary-eyed, Hildea could see her childhood selves staring at her with bright, sparkling eyes.
Around waist-high in height.
"She's awake!"
"Hildea, hurry hurry!"
"Follow me! Follow me! I've got something to show you!"
"Hurry! Hurry up!"
The mini Hildeas excitedly grabbed Hildea, pulling her along, pestering and pushing her.
Going along with them in a daze, Hildea could see a cozy little house radiating a warm feeling.
Crookedly written placards were hung all over the place.
[Opening Event! Visit now and get 1+1!]
[Our store is operating normally!]
[☆Handsome customers warmly welcomed☆]
[Mana Knights not allowed]
[Mages not allowed]
[Soldiers (Colonel and above) preferred]
[Height 186.3 accepted]
[Sorry, bulky builds!]
[Pale skin even under the blazing sun welcomed!]
[Platinum blonde hair welcomed!]
Hildea stared blankly with confused eyes.
'What is all this...?'
The mini Hildeas who had brought her chattered excitedly.
"Isn't it pretty?"
"We worked hard and built it again!"
"You won't let it break this time, right?"
"The inside is even better! Let's go in quickly!"
Hildea was dragged inside, going along with a bewildered sound.
In the fairy-tale-like interior, the mini Hildeas bustled around busily, sweeping, wiping, organizing, and decorating the interior.
The mini Hildeas working inside opened their eyes wide and came rushing over in a crowd.
"Hildea! Hildea! Did you bring the customer?"
"You dummy! The customer is probably on his way slowly right now!"
"Ah, really?"
"Go outside quickly and see how far the customer has come!"
"I'll go look!"
One little Hildea trotted outside, then returned shortly after, her face turning pale with shock.
"Disasterrrrrrr! I don't see the customer!"
"What?"
In that moment, all the sparkling eyes turned toward Hildea in unison.
Hildea's heart sank.
'Why, why are they looking at me like that... No, more than that, what on earth is this lucid dream...?'
The mini Hildeas' faces were draining of color, turning pale.
"Hildea? Hildea? How did this happen?"
"Why didn't you bring the customer? We decorated the house this prettily!"
"We worked hard to build it! Look how hard we worked!"
"Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"
Protesting mini Hildea, screaming mini Hildea, mini Hildea collapsing and bursting into tears, mini Hildea grabbing her shoulders and raging furiously...
In the chaotic shaking, Hildea felt the ceiling trembling.
"Disasterrrrrrr!"
"It's collapsing! It's collapsing!"
"Uwaaaaah! Uwaaaaah!"
Cracks began spreading across the entire shaking ceiling.
One mini Hildea burst into tears and threw herself into Hildea's arms.
"Waaaaah! Hildea, you're bad! Bad! You didn't even bring the customer!"
Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!
The mini Hildea crying in her arms started beating her abdomen wildly with tiny, adorable fists.
At the cute gestures like a child's tantrum, Hildea unconsciously hugged her warmly.
But her complexion began to gradually worsen.
'Wha, what kind of fist hurts this much...'
The recoil of a howitzer couldn't even compare.
Each time the tiny, adorable fist struck her stomach, it felt like her whole body was resonating.
The pain grew more severe.
Centered on her lower abdomen, it turned into an extreme agony as if her entire body's internal organs were being torn apart.
Surrounding Hildea as she collapsed near fainting, the mini Hildeas struck her whole body with their tiny fists.
"Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"
"Bad! Bad! Hildea, you're bad!"
"We built it this pretty! Uwaaah!"
"Why didn't you bring the customer! Why didn't you! Why didn't you! Why didn't you!"
In the breath-taking pain, Hildea heard the resolute voice of one mini Hildea who wasn't participating in the beating.
"Just watch. Next time, I'll build an even bigger and prettier house."
In the extreme agony that defied words, Hildea thought.
'A bigger house? If that one collapses too...'
Just how much more would it hurt.
Though it was a dream, Hildea fainted.