Three Fronts (1)
Last time, the treasure chest gifted me with money and circles.
Will it be the same this time?
I approached the chest with anticipation in my expression.
And placed my hand on it with a tap.
300 billion Leutes acquired. Please input the deposit account.
This time I got 300 billion Leutes after the 50 billion last time.
50 billion was already an enormous sum, and as the son of a viscount I could have earned it through sheer effort.
But 300 billion was an amount no one could easily come by no matter how hard they tried.
Only reaching the second circle yet already 300 billion.
If the pace continued, reaching the third circle could bring in thousands of billions.
Then no matter where I went, I could live a comfortable life without relying on my father’s help.
Of course, I had no intention of running away now, but this kind of fortune without any support base was a tremendous power for me.
I didn’t know exactly how much cash I would end up with, but having such ready money right now brought a sense of security to my heart.
In the first treasure box on the second floor, money appeared, followed immediately by the first circle.
This time, however, a new reward was included between them.
Spatial Pocket granted.
Synchronized body implant in progress.
Do not terminate the game.
The reward was none other than a spatial pocket.
Even in our territory, only my father possessed the spatial pocket artifact passed down through the family, making it an extremely precious treasure even among nobles.
There was no choice—spatial pockets could only be created at the seventh circle, and crafting the artifact required the power of an eighth-circle magician.
The highest magician in the Lheinhatz Kingdom was at the seventh circle, and only eight such magicians existed in the entire world.
Naturally, the value of a spatial pocket artifact was unimaginable, and even with money it was nearly impossible to obtain.
An exclamation of admiration escaped my lips.
Spatial Pocket implantation complete.
The spatial pocket can only be used in reality.
The spatial pocket area is 20 meters by 20 meters by 20 meters, with no weight limit for storage.
Moreover, spatial pockets gained value based on capacity. A 20-meter cube was ten times larger than the one my father possessed.
I now had my own treasure vault where I could hide whatever I needed. Thinking creatively, it could be used for far more than just storage.
Second circle achieved.
After the pleasant spatial pocket implantation was completed, the second circle was generated as scheduled.
* * *
Hah... Your stamina has improved dramatically in just a few days.
While not connected to the game, I continued swordsmanship training alongside rest.
Vance, my guide, looked at my rapidly recovering agility and physical condition with regret. If I had started swordsmanship training from my teens, he said, I would have been an expert.
‘If I had given up my talent for acting just to survive, I might have stood out even more in swordsmanship and become even more dangerous.’
Vance probably knew the truth, but his overreactions were also meant to prevent knights from underestimating me.
Of course, as training time increased, his reactions went beyond mere overacting.
Since the one being taught followed along well, Vance taught me with an excited face.
Haha, good.
The great thing about Lucas Duke’s Rayford was not only improving magical abilities.
It also meant that game stats translated directly to reality, allowing a mage to possess body strength comparable to a knight through effort.
If I fully absorbed Rayford, I might become a monster even above Lucas Duke, perfectly compensating for a mage’s weaknesses.
Thanks to that, sword training was quite enjoyable even with slightly insufficient sleep.
* * *
Lawrence Viscount Territory Lord’s Residence.
Rayford Lawrence, lord of the Lawrence family, stood by the window of his study gazing at the magnificent landscape of the territory visible from above.
A disk-shaped Sky Fortress monitoring for aerial monster and enemy incursions hovered above the territory, and the gleaming high-rise buildings stood in perfect rows.
He could have eaten his fill without even trying.
But the viscount’s expression was stiff, and the reason was the unexpected news that had arrived.
What are you thinking so hard about?
A woman in a revealing red dress approached him, arms crossed in a seductive manner.
Her name was Anna Lawrence.
The lady of the Lawrence family and mother of Cedric, the designated heir to the territory.
The viscount looked at her intently and let out a long sigh, handing her a document.
Due to the increasing possibility of war with the Croisen Empire, each territory’s military forces are to be mobilized and organized into territorial armies.
Viscount Lawrence is to join the Western Command with 5 Vanguards, 50 knights, 1,000 soldiers.
The viscount read the paper handed to him by his husband without a second thought.
Anna’s expression stiffened before long.
What is the scale of the war?
Uncertain. It is not clear if war will break out or not. But the problem is that the Croisen bastards are concentrating troops near the border.
D-Do you really intend to send Cedric to the battlefield?
Of course, it was rare for the lord himself to lead troops into battle.
When such a situation arose, lords usually sent their heirs as commanders.
Given Anna’s arrogant and willful personality, the expression was unlikely to be common.
But the viscount had no time to worry about his wife’s complexion.
Um...
Even if war broke out, nobles had a very low chance of dying if they were careful.
But the problem was Cedric’s personality.
The image of him recklessly chasing glory and diving into the abyss without distinguishing right from wrong was still fresh in his mind.
Of course, Cedric was no longer a child, so he would restrain himself to some extent, but the battlefield was a place where it was very difficult to keep one’s reason intact.
Unreasonable orders, ambushes, provocations—there were too many triggers that could set off his temper.
Cedric might be brave, but he would never make a good commander.
A good commander on the battlefield was someone who kept subordinates alive.
Send Adrian. After all, he only plays games in the mansion every day. He should show responsibility as a member of the Lawrence family at least sometimes, shouldn’t he?
Honestly, the viscount thought it would be better in many ways to send Adrian rather than Cedric.
At least Adrian had a clear sense of reason.
He also knew that Adrian stayed in his room playing games because of Anna and Cedric, so he did not judge him as incompetent.
Knowing that Adrian had been careful with his life since childhood, it was something to be commended.
Have you been neglecting him until now and only calling him when needed?
Did we neglect him? He was the one who wanted it. Besides, we didn’t stop him from leaving home either. He is living luxuriously enjoying noble rights.
Anna was the one who took Adrian’s future away, but the viscount had turned a blind eye to all the facts.
That was why he could not easily get angry with Anna’s suggestion.
Do you really think that?
What are you trying to say?
Stung by the sharp reaction, the viscount silently stared at her.
Anna could not keep looking at him and finally turned her head away.
This is enough. Let’s give Adrian freedom now.
Who knows, they might think it’s house arrest.
That is not entirely wrong.
The viscount spoke seriously at the sight of Anna biting her lip.
The heir to the territory is Cedric. And I will make sure there will be no issues that make you and your father-in-law uncomfortable. I hope you go along with my decision this time.
...
Anna was at a loss for words.
The viscount concluded with an understanding expression.
I will send Adrian to the battlefield as you said. Instead, when that kid returns, we will fully independentize him. I hope nothing will threaten Adrian and Silvia in the future. Including monitoring and follow-up investigations.
That was the maximum consideration the current viscount could offer.
* * *
Unexpected summons from my father.
And suddenly ordered to join the military, I pointed at Cedric blushing heavily beside me and said.
I think this is more suitable for my brother than me.
Correct! Why is this bean sprout-like kid representing the family on the battlefield!
He could not think of himself as a bear and expressed normal people as bean sprouts.
But I waited quietly for my father’s next words without changing my expression.
Cedric is a precious family heir. That is why he cannot be sent to a dangerous battlefield.
Thanks to that, Cedric’s simple expression relaxed a little, but my mother, who had been listening quietly from behind, asked in shock.
Does that mean Adrian is not a precious child?
My father’s face showed a momentary confusion before answering calmly.
Naturally, there is a weight difference between the family heir and others.
He could have said something kind, but not doing so seemed apologetic.
He was ready to accept any complaint.
I comforted my pale mother and answered.
Understood. Then I will participate as the head of the family’s responsibility.
Thank you.
My mother looked very shocked, and my father who encouraged participation also looked uncomfortable, but honestly I did not think the situation was entirely bad.
After all, the game could be connected even with a portable terminal as long as you had the headset, and even on the battlefield, participating as a lord’s representative would not involve much interference.
Of course, playing the game on the battlefield would attract attention, but when nobles who had lived like kings in the territory were pulled out, all sorts of things happened.
There are bound to be more than a few worse than me.
‘Bullying and moral corruption are basic options, and there could even be people who cheat.’
But what was the big deal about playing the game a little.
It was rather a healthy hobby.
‘And most importantly, the moment I leave the territory, a hole will open in Anna’s surveillance.’
Anna probably thought it was satisfying that I would go to the battlefield instead of Cedric.
Even after my decision made me disappear from her sight.
Well, I understood.
She looked down on me, so there was nothing strange about being careless now.