Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: The Group Outing to Kurabel
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There was about a week left before Rainpole Academy opened.
When I suggested going on a trip during that time, everyone gladly accepted.
Not only my retainers but also my acquaintances agreed.
Sophia happily consented at the thought of touring the interior of Crossing. Gunther was coming along as her escort.
Ash didn't really want to go, but Lisitea dragged him along, figuring he'd just go hunting and wandering if left alone.
Erina hesitated, unsure how to fit in with the group, but Estelle brought her along. As for Maysen, Olaf didn't suggest it separately, but Dorothy persuaded her. It seemed they'd grown quite close while working together in the last war.
To this group, Bisceta Clen was added, along with big sis Julia and mother Claire, making a total of 21 people including baby Gawain setting out on the trip.
Just acquaintances, and we had 21 people. My heart swelled anew.
We decided to travel using five carriages. I told them to board four per carriage as they wished, then planned to observe how they paired up.
'As expected, it turned out like this.'
Just as anticipated, people with prior connections grouped together.
However, since there were some without close ties, awkward combinations formed as well.
The resulting groups were as follows.
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[Carriage 1─Lisitea, Illya, Eonia, Bisceta]
[Carriage 2─Gaspar, Anton, Lutger, Ash]
[Carriage 3─Estelle, Erina, Maysen, Sophia]
[Carriage 4─Ymir, Claire, Als, Julia]
[Carriage 5─Olaf, Gunther, Dorothy, Aegert]
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At a glance, Carriage 5 lacked familiarity among them, but since all four had good rapport, it surprisingly didn't seem awkward.
On the contrary, the most awkward ones were Carriages 2 and 3. Carriage 3 at least had sociable Erina and Sophia, and all women, so that was fine, but Carriage 2 looked hopeless.
Curious about the awkward atmosphere, I decided to switch to Carriage 2 after we reached the waystation.
"Oh, ooh! Als! You're coming aboard!"
Ash looked like he'd just been rescued. It seemed they hadn't exchanged a proper word the whole time.
At least after I joined, the ice broke.
"Ash, why are you riding here?"
When I asked, Ash whispered with a lowered voice.
"You think I wanted to ride here? Lisitea forced me into it!"
So she blocked him from approaching other women. Good job.
Ash let out a deep sigh, saying he hated stiff atmospheres.
Gaspar and Lutger seemed accustomed to such solitude and showed no reaction, but Anton was different.
"Anton, you're the most surprising. I thought you'd ride with Master Illya for sure."
"Haha, Lady Mirabel's glare was too intense. I figured it was better to ride with the women, so I swapped with Lady Lisitea."
"And the child?"
"Illya is looking after him."
When the topic died, the suffocating silence returned. With everyone so taciturn, conversation didn't flow.
I wanted to liven things up somehow, but Gaspar's utter lack of cooperation made it impossible.
'A topic Gaspar might be interested in...'
I decided to bring it up now.
"I have something I'd like advice from you four on. It's about the baby due soon. What should we name him?"
At that, Gaspar's ears twitched.
Lutger nodded, intrigued, and spoke.
"Usually, it's something similar to family or parental names. Since it's you and Miss Ymir's child, Als, how about Almir for a boy, or Schumir for a girl?"
Hopeless naming sense. Gaspar was on the verge of exploding.
"Argh! What kind of name is that!"
"What's wrong with it?"
Lutger was utterly shameless. I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Let me ask one thing. You didn't name Estelle, did you?"
"W-Well, of course my wife did, but. Is something wrong?"
The topic hit the mark. Gaspar started talking animatedly, and the carriage atmosphere loosened up.
We even got some name ideas.
For a boy: Gantz, Norris, Yulpin.
For a girl: Ernie, Ellie, Alyssa, and so on.
I returned to my carriage, planning to discuss those names with Ymir.
*
*
*
Upon arriving at Kurabel Square, our group unpacked at the prepared inn.
It was still daylight, so we had time for some activities.
I headed straight to the military's management facility.
To receive a report on the excavation progress.
After visiting here last time with Eo and Bisceta to check the elves' forest, I'd taken one measure afterward.
No matter how I thought about it, that elves' forest was suspicious.
The secret elf warehouse Bisceta mentioned, and the mysterious voice Eonia heard. I figured there was some secret there.
And if there was a secret, there was only one possibility: an underground space. The rest was just a forest of trees.
However, the soldiers who first searched the forest found no clues about any underground space. So I judged it was formed much deeper than imagined.
Thus, I'd ordered the military's specialists to investigate as deeply underground as possible.
Three months had passed since then. It was about time for results.
Good timing—the officer in charge reported with a joyful face.
"You arrived just in time. We've just found a clue to the underground space."
"It took quite a while."
"Yes, it was incredibly deep. No idea how they dug it, but it was made very far down."
Apparently, it was formed around ten levels underground. To construct at such depths, there had to be a large access hole, but since it wasn't found, the search dragged on.
Even my deployed experts were stumped at first. They only found traces of artificial construction after digging straight down blindly, then began searching based on that.
"Now we're locating the entrance based on the scale of the underground space. With luck, we might find it by tomorrow."
"Sounds good."
Was it a case of good things coming to those who wait? The timing was perfect.
And the next morning after staying overnight.
The military officer approached with a bright expression.
"Lord Wade. We think we've found the entrance. Would you like to see?"
I'd been preparing for the merit awards and a light party, so I left that to Olaf and headed to the site with Bisceta.
I tried to bring Eo along, but she recoiled in disgust and refused, so I had to leave her.
The elves' forest we arrived at was a total mess.
It had been a grand, beautiful expanse of nature before, but now it was devastated by construction traces.
Pits dug everywhere, obstructing trees all felled.
Bisceta commented on it.
"The elves would curse us if they saw this."
"Haha... Well, nature's vitality will restore it soon enough."
The search team was gathered before a certain tree. They were tapping and striking it, investigating something.
As I approached, a man who seemed in charge brightened up.
"Ah, you've come. Pleased to meet you, Lord Wade. I'm Officer Yoris of Special Forces Unit 93."
"Yes, nice to meet you. So? Is the entrance to that underground here?"
"Precisely beneath this tree, it seems. That's why previous search teams missed it."
"Beneath a tree? Is that possible?"
"Not normally. We suspect they transplanted the tree to cover the entrance. But transplanting such a massive tree—it's dubious if that's feasible. Must be some elven secret technique."
In any case, with the entrance confirmed, there was no mercy.
"Then we'll fell the tree now."
Thwack! Thwack! The thick trunk couldn't withstand the successive axe blows and toppled.
Boom! It crashed down like an earthquake. Splitting the stump revealed a hole about 2 meters in diameter.
The hole was blocked by a tangle of roots.
"This is the entrance...?"
"It's narrow for sure. Not enough width to transport construction materials... But we'll search it first."
The elves' secret warehouse had finally revealed itself.
Of course, I couldn't enter first.
I told him,
"We don't know what dangers lurk. Yoris, only volunteers for this search. And promise them twenty times the usual pay in my name, Wade."
"No need for such consideration... Thank you."
"No, it's only right. I'll leave it to you."
Volunteers appeared immediately. With my twentyfold pay bonus announced, they even fought to go first.
Imprinting their enthusiastic faces, I returned to where the party was being prepared.
*
*
*
This trip had a strong team-building vibe, so the goal was more fostering camaraderie among retainers than the merit awards.
To that end, we'd planned various events.
This merit awards was just one of them.
I announced up to 7th place and distributed prizes.
7th: Lutger and Gunther. 6th: Gaspar and Aegert.
"Next, 5th place for merits! Ash Dranbaldt, Lisitea Dearwind!"
"Oh, what? I'm getting one too!"
Ash had been eyeing the previous prizes eagerly.
But nothing was given to him. Lisitea, however, received a 10 million silane bonus.
Ash protested.
"What! Why don't I get one?!"
"Because you're not my retainer."
"Lia isn't either!"
"But she's working under me for now."
Lisitea nodded contentedly. Ash eyed her enviously. 10 million silane was like 100 million in modern terms. Quite a sum for a personal merit award, not national.
"Next, 4th place! Sophia Veron! Anton Quinter!"
I was no longer in a position to complain about year-end ceremony joint awards.
Now I understood why they did so many joint awards. Otherwise, it's hard to avoid hurting feelings one by one.
"You two excellently handled civilian rescues and fulfilled your combat roles. Thus, 4th place."
"An honor!"
Anton beamed, receiving prizes worth 30 million silane. Naturally, none for Sophia.
"Quite generous. I thought this merit award was just kid stuff when you announced it suddenly..."
Sophia smacked her lips.
I'd set high amounts partly to show off to non-retainers. To emphasize how well I treated my people.
"Next, 3rd place! Maysen Roipier, Dorothy Grimwood!"
"Whoa! Me!? Senior Maysen! Let's go!"
Dorothy dragged Maysen forward. She'd been so nervous at the national awards, but here she grinned broadly, more relaxed.
Maysen just gave an awkward smile.
I handed them prizes worth 50 million silane each.
Frankly, the expenditure wasn't trivial for me either, but with Juras as a solid funding source, it wasn't a big burden.
"Thanks, Als. But I won't accept it."
"Huh?"
"I don't crave money anyway. This war was to save civilians. If possible, use it for Ballast's civilian reconstruction. Can you?"
Typical Dorothy.
Maysen seemed to have an epiphany too and declined like Dorothy.
Applause erupted everywhere. Ash slyly urged Lisitea, "It's a good cause, so let's decline too," but she just pinched his side.
Anton tried to decline too, but Master Illya gripped his arm with a scary face and stopped him.
"Next, 2nd place... Eonia Mirabel and Olaf. You two."
Uncannily spot-on. Eonia secured 2nd again.
"Eonia Mirabel, you severed the enemy's intel network and achieved results in guerrilla warfare. Olaf, you built palisades and perfectly repelled invaders. Thus, 2nd place."
Prizes: 100 million silane each.
But with Dorothy's recent decline, they were in a spot.
Eonia, uninterested in money, coolly declined. Olaf grimaced, reluctant.
"Can't I decline just half?"
Jeers rang out from the others.
"Fine, 70%! I'll decline 70%!"
Thus, Olaf took 30 million silane. Seemingly satisfied, he returned grinning.
"...Huh?"
But not Eo.
She stood there, looking greatly disappointed yet harboring a sliver of hope.
"1st place for merits... is you, Lord Als, right?"
She knew there was no obvious top merit-holder.
I admitted honestly.
"Yeah. 1st place is me! So the merit awards end here!"
Truth was, I was a bit short on prize money.
By sequence, 1st should get about 200 million silane. I lacked funds for that, and more importantly, with so many people, 1st place takes on extra meaning among retainers—like creating hierarchy. So with no clear top achiever, I took 1st.
"Merit awards are over, so now enjoy the party."
The mood relaxed, and people began chatting and eating. The food was prepared by Bisceta—traditional Kurabel Holy Kingdom cuisine.
I was hungry too and about to eat when tug! Eo grabbed my sleeve.
"...Lord Als."
"What's up?"
Eo's face was gravely serious. Like standing at a life-changing crossroads.
"Since you took 1st in this merit awards, does that mean I'm 1st among the retainers...?"
It was like a plea, begging permission.
I sensed I couldn't answer lightly.
Strictly, 2nd is 2nd, and with Olaf there, it wasn't truly 1st—but instinct screamed not to say that.
After mulling long, I replied.
"Yeah. Effectively 1st."
Olaf would understand.
At my answer, Eo flinched in surprise, then spoke as if resolved.
"Then tonight... I have something to tell you. Would you hear me out?"
"Of course."
"Yes, I'll visit you at night."
Only then did I realize what she wanted to say.
'So that's it.'
Looks like I need to prepare my heart too.