Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Chapter 6: Be Bold in Selecting Talent
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Sugar bars or whatever, five uses of Turn Undead was my limit.
Even that was only possible because the magic crystal had boosted my limit so much. In fact, forcing my concentration to the brink with the sugar bar had nearly caused me to black out, almost plummeting to the ground swarming with death spirits!
Thanks to that, the massive mobile fortress known as the Necropolis had been reduced to a grotesque pillar with only its two legs left, fixed in place there.
“You look tired, Your Highness. Was your bed uncomfortable last night?”
Elstone Count, sitting across from me, asked with a cautious expression. I shook my head as I recalled the fierce battle with the Necropolis that had lasted until nearly 2 a.m.
“My stamina’s terrible, so I’m always like this in the mornings. It happens every day.”
“Oh dear. Please take care of your health. Now, you’re truly the only one our territory’s people can rely on.”
While I’d been coming and going here and there, the count had sent a request to the imperial government—not for reinforcements, but for a full regular army garrison.
But the response was a refusal.
Instead, they granted Prince Claude the discretion to freely enter and exit the territory, enclosing a recommendation that if the death spirits invaded again, he consult with the prince to fend off the enemy.
Of course, since I’d snuck out last night and shattered the heart of their army, this land wouldn’t suffer anymore.
But the count, unaware of that, suddenly placed a box on the banquet table and bowed his head.
“Hm? What’s this?”
“You’ll be leaving soon after the meal... I prepared this as a token of appreciation for your difficult journey home. Next time the death spirits come, please, for my sake, come as quickly as possible...”
“Ah, a bribe?”
I asked with a grin. The count flinched and shook his head vigorously.
“No, absolutely not. You reside in the imperial capital, Emperor’s Road, so isn’t it a great burden every time something happens and you have to travel all the way to this remote place?”
“You’re right. It is a burden.”
“So this is merely our territory’s people’s expression of gratitude for the trouble we cause Your Highness. It’s not much, so please accept it without burden.”
His way with words was pretty slick. Judging by the box’s size, if it were filled with gold coins... about 500, maybe?
No doubt he’d scraped together every last bit. The finances were already strained from the death spirit attacks.
“It’s fine, take it back. If you have money to spend on this, take care of one more of your people...”
...Huh?
Peeking inside the box, it wasn’t gold coins, but silver ones.
Was this for real?
500 silver coins were only worth 50 gold. A bribe of just 50 gold?
His expression seemed genuine... Sighing as I grasped the territory’s desperate financial state anew.
“No, on the contrary, I’ll give you money. Meredes?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Meredes, waiting behind me, responded immediately. I waved my wrist and ordered.
“You brought travel funds from the mansion, right? Bring all of it right now.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Meredes headed straight back to the lodging. The pale-faced Elstone Count bowed repeatedly, at a loss.
“S-Sorry, Your Highness! We have so little...”
“I’m not mocking you for the small amount. Just listen to me for real!”
“Yes, sir!”
The count straightened up in surprise. I stared straight into his eyes and said.
“This land is the empire’s first line of defense against the death spirits. Obviously, it’s a key strategic point. Right?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Naturally, the imperial government should treat it accordingly. Of course, they used to provide plenty of support and station a separate army. But that stopped a few years ago, didn’t it?”
“About five years ago...”
Precisely after Jes took power, support for Elstone Earldom had been cut off. Recalling the various routes ahead, I cut straight to the point.
“It’ll continue like that for about another year. There are various issues on this side too, so bear with it a bit longer.”
“Your Highness...”
“But you can forget about worrying over death spirits from now on. They took a big hit, so they’ll be quiet for a while, and if there’s even a hint of trouble, I’ll fly right over and handle it.”
“Ooh...”
“So just make sure to keep what I said yesterday. Not in the inner castle, but prepare a room in the outer castle where I can come and go anytime. The higher the floor, the better. It must have a window. Got it?”
“Yes. Understood.”
“And more importantly, take good care of the territory’s people who suffered from the death spirits. Support them as much as possible to make their lives viable. Especially the children and young people. They might seem insignificant now, but in ten years, they’ll be vital pillars. Understand?”
“Understood. No, I’ll keep it in mind! The young are the future of our territory—no, the entire empire. As Your Highness says, I’ll empty all my personal savings to support our people’s livelihoods.”
The count declared with a moved expression. But that wasn’t said to感動 you. It’s all groundwork for the war with the otherworld in ten years.
Anyway, since the message got through, it didn’t matter. I pushed the box back toward the count with effort and continued.
“If you understand, don’t waste money on useless things like this. And until the imperial government sorts things out, I’ll send separate subsidies—not a lot, but add that too.”
“How can I ever repay this grace... Thank you so much, Your Highness.”
The count squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them, sniffling.
But at that moment, emotional information suddenly floated up around the count’s eyes, which we’d locked gazes on.
Race: Human
Current Strength: D
Potential Strength: D+
Current Magic: F
Potential Magic: C
Appraisal Eye?
I hadn’t meant to check, but Appraisal Eye had read his stats on its own. It’ll take time to fully control this perfectly.
But D+ strength is about the same level as the skeleton soldiers from last night. So the count’s stronger than he looks?
“By the way, were you a knight, Count?”
“Well... I’m embarrassed to even call myself one.”
The count gave a wry smile and shook his head.
“I could barely wear low-grade magic armor and move in it. I haven’t even tried that in recent years.”
“So low-grade magic armor is D-rank...”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
“Hm? Nothing. By the way, Count, are you interested in magic at all?”
It was surprising that a middle-aged man over 50 had untapped magic talent. The count hesitated with a startled face before confessing.
“Actually... when I was young, a mage visited our territory.”
“And?”
“I heard all sorts of stories from him. I even tried proper magic training, but my father, the lord at the time, scolded me harshly, and I gave up.”
“Why? Does the Elstone family have a precept against learning magic?”
“More because I was the eldest son, and to succeed the family, I had to become a knight.”
Most high noble families have similar succession conditions. The count let out a short sigh with a wistful look, as if recalling old memories.
“As Your Highness says, I was interested in magic. But my talents were lacking, and even focusing solely on knight training yielded little results.”
“So you went all-in on knighthood. Maybe you’d have done better as a mage.”
Potential-wise, definitely. The count smiled, grateful for the praise, and just then, Meredes returned from the lodging like lightning, holding out a thick leather pouch.
“Your Highness, I’ve brought the travel funds you mentioned.”
“Good work. Here, then...”
I dropped the leather pouch next to the box on the table.
“50 gold coins. Not a lot, but I’ll send at least this much every month from now on.”
With a standard 10:1 silver-to-gold exchange rate, this alone matched the value in that box. The count finally shed the tears he’d held back, pressing his forehead to the table.
“Not only repelling the death spirits, but subsidies too... I don’t know how to repay Your Highness’s grace.”
“Govern the territory well. That’s enough.”
“Your Highness...”
“Then I’ll be off. No need to see me out.”
“Your Highness!”
I stood without hesitation. Leaving the flustered count in the reception room, I stepped into the corridor with Meredes.
“Your Highness, do you plan to continue sending subsidies to Elstone Earldom?”
“Yeah. But it’ll come out of the inheritance reward I got before, so no worries.”
I could tell what this girl was thinking without looking. Meredes blinked her wide eyes a few times before asking again.
“Even excluding that money, is it possible to send 50 gold coins here every month?”
“Not right now. But I have a plan.”
For a vast place like Elstone Earldom, 50 gold was less than a drop in a cracked bucket.
So as soon as I return to the mansion, I need to start securing funds. Since I’ve decided to save this place, I should send at least 500 gold a month.
But with so many money-making routes, which to start first?
Strip the empire’s biggest casino, ‘Golden Room’?
Or loot the bribes piled up by my now-dead distant uncle, Fennell Count?
Or open a proper elixir trading company and start a real business?
“...Best to start with the Lunenbreath family specialty. Meredes?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Once back at the mansion, sort out the elixirs piled up with Lania and...”
But then, appraisal info popped up unbidden around Meredes’s face.
Race: Human
Current Strength: C
Potential Strength: A+
Current Elixir Art: A
Potential Elixir Art: A+
Current Spirit Magic: F
Potential Spirit Magic: A+
What the hell!
Appraisal Eye had gone rogue again, but whatever.
This girl was a monster with three A+ talents!
Of course, I’d somewhat known about her knight talent—high ‘strength’—that I hadn’t noticed before.
But top-tier spirit magic talent too?
Why?
Had she built rapport with spirits while freely roaming the wilds gathering elixir ingredients?
“Why do you look like that, Your Highness? If I’ve made another mistake, please forgive me.”
Startled by my gaze, Meredes knelt right there and begged forgiveness. I quickly shook my head and said the first thing that came to mind.
“Nothing like that. I just keep getting surprised every time I look at you.”
“I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
“Even my late parents often said my appearance was strange since I was little.”
What? Why bring up looks all of a sudden?
“I’m sorry if my plain looks burden Your Highness.”
“What nonsense. Why would your looks be plain?”
I flatly denied it.
Of course, she wasn’t a stunning beauty. But her distinct features, tall stature, and balanced figure were striking, and above all, her boundless energy and dynamic movements were charming.
If she weren’t appealing, I wouldn’t have developed a relationship with her back then. I took Meredes’s hand, helped her up myself, and smiled.
“You can be confident in your looks. Your parents probably just said that because you were big for a girl—nothing more.”
“Doesn’t my size bother you?”
“What’s bothersome?”
It took a full five seconds to scan Meredes’s body from top to bottom.
“Tall, long legs. Refreshing to look at, right? To me, you’re cool. So don’t hunch—puff your chest out and walk tall.”
“...Thank you. No, I’m deeply honored, Your Highness.”
“Hello, Your Highness.”
“Hello, Your Highness.”
Compared to the castle maids greeting us as we passed, Meredes’s presence was overwhelming. And as my gaze happened to turn that way, damn Appraisal Eye read another maid’s stats.
Race: Human
Current Strength: E-
Potential Strength: E
Compared to Meredes, this was fighter jet versus tricycle level.
It kept appraising people on the way out of the castle, same results. Boarding the carriage, I murmured low to Meredes sitting across.
“The darkest place is under the lamp, huh.”
“What do you mean?”
Meredes, facing me in the carriage, asked. I closed my slightly feverish left eye and massaged it with my palm.
“Nothing. Don’t mind it.”
“Yes, understood.”
Meredes nodded quietly, studying my face. Then she pulled a new elixir from the basket beside her.
“If you have a fever, take this. It’s a fever-relief elixir.”
“Fever-relief elixir? You brought that too?”
“The head maid prepared it. She warned that continuously taking growth elixirs might cause severe fever, so be careful.”
“Lania’s so thorough. I’ll take it well.”
I took the elixir and poured it down my throat. Just looking at my face and knowing I had a fever—she really was top-grade elixir master.
Anyway, for the future, I need to nurture this girl’s other talents too...
How?
Spirit magic aside, hire a famous knight to the mansion for knight lessons?
Or joint training with the talents I’ll pull from the imperial academy soon? Her strength potential means she won’t lose to those guys at all.