Royal Road of the Extra Scribe

47

Returning to Rainfall, I was burdened with the refugee issue in Gekmu.

Due to the treaty problems, Calipher’s side couldn’t provide proper care, so I had to stand with Crossing and directly assist in settling the refugees.

Around that time, news of a ceasefire agreement between Albad and Calipher reached me.

In this agreement, Albad and Madon collectively paid compensation amounting to 2 billion silans, making Calipher smile.

Calipher’s capture of over 10,000 more prisoners was the main factor. Since all of them were regular soldiers and not conscripts, their value as prisoners was quite high.

Furthermore, due to Albad’s demand for an additional year of ceasefire, the size of the compensation grew even larger.

‘They must have feared Crossing.’

If Crossing and Calipher were to advance together at this point, Albad would be in dire straits.

To prevent that scenario in advance, Calipher entered into a one-year ceasefire agreement with Albad. By doing so, at least Calipher could avoid facing them.

And a few days after the treaty was signed. News spread about a royal party hosted by the royal family for the celebration of the ceasefire in this war.

“Alss, I have received something like this.”

A letter that came through Anton. It was an invitation to the party from the Helian Duke.

“Do you plan to attend?”

“No, I’m not crazy enough to go.”

There’s nothing to gain by going. If only there was food to eat, but even that was impossible because of the helmet.

I told the Helian Duke to expedite administrative work related to Lainpole in exchange for all the credit for the war efforts.

Ignoring the royal family’s party for a few days like that, I heard a shocking rumor.

-Wade appeared at the victory party!

-Wade appeared with Gilbert Salleon!

That was the rumor.

‘Oh?’

That was the only reaction I could show.

‘Could it be another impersonation.’

Since it had already happened once, it wouldn’t be surprising if it happened again.

Whatever it was, it was a big deal. The party host was thrilled by this sensational event.

It seemed as if Wade, who led the war to victory, was the Salleon Duke himself.

‘Things are taking a strange turn.’

I wanted to know more details about the party, and a few days later, the Helian Duke came to me in person. He had the appointment letter for the Lordship of Lainpole in hand.

The face of the Helian Duke, whom I met after a long time, looked worn out.

“You seem to be going through a lot due to the aftermath.”

“It’s not the aftermath, it’s those stupid Salleon guys….”

“It seems like things are getting quite interesting. How is it progressing?”

“Before we talk about that…. please accept this first.”

It was the appointment letter for the Lordship of Lainpole. Max, who was with us, stiffened upon seeing the appointment letter with the royal seal and then knelt on one knee with rigid movements.

With this, our family would officially enter the ranks of the middle nobility. Currently, Lainpole’s population is a total of 220,000, including refugees.

Among them, Caliper’s population, excluding Crossing, was not notably high at 80,000, but due to the nature of being a transit point between Crossing and Caliper, the profits from trade were quite substantial.

By offering the taxes collected from there to the kingdom for years, elevation of status was not a distant dream.

“It’s an honor! I will devote myself to the development of Caliper!”

Max, accepting the appointment letter, shouted for the room to leave. The Helian Duke blinked his eyes as if dazed.

“Originally, it would have been appropriate to have the official appointment ceremony in Alpensard, but the royal palace is busy. I hope you understand this.”

“It’s unnecessary! Just your visit alone, Duke, is more than I could ask for.”

“No need to be overly formal. Since you are Wade’s brother.”

“Oh, yes.”

The only ones who knew about Wade were my father, my uncle, and Max. I decided not to mention it to anyone else to avoid unnecessary worries.

Max, who received the appointment letter, sent me a look of ‘What should we do now?’

“Shouldn’t we discuss this with Father and the future?”

“Yes, we should. I will leave first then. Please feel at ease, Duke.”

As Max left the room with excited steps.

The Duke of Helian now gets to the point.

“Then let’s backtrack the story. You must have heard about the victory party, right?”

“In general. I didn’t hear the specifics. What exactly happened?”

“They made a clumsy move. Strangely enough, it fell into place perfectly.”

The Salleon faction was on the verge of collapse due to the recent war. There were even talks within the faction about autonomously forming a new faction.

“Gilbert, feeling the crisis, made a plan. He brought a fake Wade and claimed Wade’s appearance on the battlefield as his own achievement.”

“With what confidence?”

“He intentionally brought a fake. If there was a real Wade at the party, it would naturally stir up trouble.”

“…No way.”

“Yes, he planned to incite a conflict and goad the king when the dispute arose. He even suggested they both remove their helmets to reveal their identities. He was determined to confirm Wade’s true identity that way.”

It was a stratagem. One couldn’t refuse the king’s invitation to the party.

“What merit did they have? They would be exposed for bringing a fake.”

“It seems Gilbert speculated that Wade might be associated with Crossing. If Wade, once unmasked, was identified as a Crossing figure, it would create a conspiracy suggesting our Helian faction’s collusion with Crossing.”

“Quite cunning.”

“He’s a naturally cunning person.”

However, even Gilbert Salleon’s scheme was futile. It was because I didn’t attend the party.

“Thus, this turmoil unfolded.”

“It was probably a miscalculation on Gilbert’s part as well. He had no choice but to pass off the fake he brought as real. On our end, all we could do was raise doubts since you weren’t present. So, the fake brought by the Salleon Duke’s side was treated as real and credited with the achievements of this war.”

“Hah! It fell into place strangely well, didn’t it?”

“I never imagined the story would unfold in such a way.”

“But if the fake is exposed later, wouldn’t it still be dangerous?”

“In that case, he would likely deflect by accusing the fake of deception, portraying himself as a victim.”

“Hmm, the situation has become complicated.”

“Yes, to bring them to justice, Alse Ilain is necessary. The situation now calls for you to reveal your identity. But that…”

“Yes, I have no intention of doing such a thing.”

It was fortunate that I didn’t attend the party. If I had gone, I would have had to comply with the king’s orders and reveal my identity without question.

“Tsk! It seems we’ve been caught in a bind.”

“Did you come all the way here today to ask me to reveal your identity?”

“Is that possible?”

“No.”

The Duke of Helian lets out a deep sigh.

“I thought you’d say that. You came here for a different reason. It’s about the gold mine in Rainfall.”

“The gold mine… Are you referring to the one on the outskirts of Rainfall?”

“Yes, it’s also the cause of the border dispute with Crossing.”

Due to the border dispute, the development of that gold mine had been stalled.

“Now that you have obtained all the rights to Rainfall, you might consider pushing for its development.”

“…Alright. Let’s do this then. I will allow Crossing to lead the development of the gold mine entirely.”

“You’re just going to accept that?”

“Hear me out till the end. I propose that 40% of the profits from the gold mine developed by Crossing be distributed to Caliper’s side. Considering about 15% of the profits go towards mining and labor costs, it’s almost a 50-50 deal.”

“That’s… surprising. I thought your family would directly oversee the development.”

“However, that’s too much of a burden. Max isn’t experienced enough to manage the gold mine wisely. Probably… he’ll be swayed by many, succumbing to power and greed. I don’t want to see my family change like that. As a duke, you should understand what I’m talking about.”

“You know quite well, Samuil. So, if that’s the case, it makes sense. Alright then. Speak with Prime Minister Pamillion about that. Share your thoughts as well.”

“I’ll do that.”

“That settles the matter. You may leave now. I have a feeling I’ll be kept busy because of those Saléon faction folks.”

Duke Helian left with a tired expression.

‘A gold mine…’

Even though I thought development would be easier with Rainfall’s leadership, actions were taken faster than expected.

‘Is he trying to gather as much war funds as possible?’

That was the feeling I had, like preparing for an upcoming war.

* * *

From the moment I received the lordship of Rainfall from Duke Helian, progress was made in settling the refugees.

Max and Miller, along with my father, joined forces to help with the settlement of the residents, and the refugees from Rosbel also pitched in.

The Viscount of Millsden and the Marquis of Serpia, who governed Rosbel, settled on the lands beneath the city.

By the time the settlement of the refugees was completed, the people I had requested from King Parain arrived in Rainfall.

They were 100,000 slaves from the Kurabel Empire.

At the forefront stood Viscount Cresta, who smiled and said, “Long time no see, Wade. We’ve heard of your victories. Our returning officers gathered and spoke. A strategist of unparalleled skill has emerged.”

“It’s all thanks to Eoga’s help.”

“Well, it’s best to be cautious even with empty words. Eoga thrives on being praised.”

“hahahaha… First of all, welcome. As I mentioned earlier, we plan to continue accepting people from the Kurabel Empire here in Rainfall. Until you can return to your homeland free from slavery, please make a living here. We will provide as much convenience as possible.”

“We express our gratitude for your kindness. Especially regarding the gold mine excavation, it’s hard to put into words how thankful we are.”

The task of mining the gold mine was entrusted entirely to the Kurabel slaves.

That was what I had asked of King Parain. Since the wages for mining were quite high, it would be a significant help to them.

I thought it was a rather difficult request, but King Parain went even further and proposed the following to me.

─Then, how about relocating all the citizens of Kurabel to Rainfall? They will surely be of help to you in the future.

I decided to initially take in 100,000 in advance and then gradually accept more as the situation allowed, relocating all of them to Rainfall.

With all the people from Kurabel combined, it would be around 700,000. If they all joined Rainfall, the region would become a vast area with a population of nearly 900,000, comparable to a major capital.

At this rate, the city’s population would soon reach close to 200,000.

King Parain showed no signs of apprehension about me governing such a city. On the contrary, he seemed to strongly desire it.

‘King Parain genuinely supports me.’

I knew the hidden truth lay in my concealed lineage, but King Parain seemed unwilling to discuss why he fixated on that lineage.

‘Anton swore allegiance to me because of that lineage.’

There were undoubtedly more hidden stories yet to be uncovered. Until I knew them, it was hard to fully trust Crossing.

As the people from Kurabel established a foothold in Rainfall, my workload skyrocketed. Overwhelmed, all I wanted to do was push through the tasks.

‘I should start recruiting scholars soon.’

All the followers I had obtained so far were military officers.

Although Lutger had administrative skills, he was not suitable to take a prominent role, making it difficult to entrust him with administrative tasks.

Anton had basic office skills, but he made many mistakes in the details.

Eonia was out of the question.

Among the seven gods, those who could take charge of my affairs were…

The Saintess, War Dragon, Kuho Ban, and Myung Gong. These four were the pinnacle of capable individuals for my affairs.

“Wow. They’ve gathered only those capable of handling my affairs.”

And among these seven gods, someone who seemed unlikely to have any interest in my affairs came to find me.

Gwangyeon Gaspar. He had visited Rainfall as I had requested.

As the sun was setting, I decided to gather all my companions to welcome him.

Facing our group, Gaspar grinned, raising the corners of his mouth.

“Kehahahaha!”

….

A tense atmosphere.

“Oh.”

Unintentionally, I let out an exclamation. It felt like a scene from a movie.

Ilya, standing with crossed arms, Anton fully armed, and even Rutger, gazing at Gaspar as if appraising him. The three exuded a force akin to the three great generals of a nation.

Eoma, who usually appeared carefree, fixed his gaze on Gaspar with a sense of gravity, creating a significant aura.

“Amazing. It’s obvious at a glance. This fur bristles with a sense of danger. Are there only monsters around here?”

Having said that, he suddenly burst into laughter.

“Kehahahahaha! Isn’t this fun! You dared to try to tame me, Wade. I can understand that. Since you’ve kept such beings under your command, you probably thought dealing with me would be easy.”

“I didn’t really think it would be that easy.”

“Well, fine! It’s all good as long as we can enjoy it. But it’s good to be prepared. You never know when I might tear your throats out. Better pray it doesn’t come to that.”

A demeanor far from loyalty. He was blatantly laying the groundwork for betrayal.

Eo openly expressed his aversion.

“Sir Wade. Are you planning to keep such a person under your command? I object.”

“Huh? Oh ho. Is this little miss the last Valkyrie of Kubel or something like that? Hah, I thought you were some high-ranking officer from that weird country, but turns out you’re just a naive girl. How about it? I could make a woman out of you. If you’re interested, come find me in my bed.”

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“Nonsense! My body and heart belong to Lord Future Eternity!”

“Kehahahahaha! Calling you a naive girl with that attitude.”

“You!”

Eo was about to draw his sword immediately. My head was starting to ache.

“It doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to cooperate with our companions. It seems like recruiting Gaspar might not be a good choice.”

How on earth did Alz, in the game, manage to get this guy to follow him?

“Or maybe he wasn’t made to follow. If Gaspar had infiltrated with a different purpose, it would make more sense.”

A traitor among the seven gods. It would actually make more sense if Gaspar was that traitor.

“Sniff, sniff! Is this smell from the Albard gentlemen? Those guys are so annoying, all secretive. Let’s make sure we don’t have to work together.”

“Rutger Rosenburg. I also don’t want to work with you.”

“Rosenburg of Beryl! You were under Wade! Are you also a guest officer?”

“No, I served him faithfully.”

“Kaien’s chick being loyal to someone else? That’s interesting!”

Gaspar was nitpicking each one. Soon, he also turned his gaze towards Yumir.

“There was a water spirit too? Oh, a lovely lady. How about you too…”

Approaching Yumir. As my patience was wearing thin, I tried to stop him, but that’s when it happened.

Sniff. Sniff, sniff! Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff!

Trembling, Gaspar stopped in his tracks and began sniffing wildly like a madman.

His expression gradually shifted to one of horror. Sweat poured from his body like rain, making his fur damp.

“Uh, oh…?”

He looked at Yumir with a shocked expression straight out of a comic book.

Then, he awkwardly turned his body and directed his gaze towards me.

“W-Wade. Let’s have a quick chat alone,” he said.

When Eo warned him that it wasn’t appropriate to be alone, he pointed to Ilya, the teacher.

In the presence of the teacher, Gaspar spoke with a gloomy, frog-like face.

“Hey, what’s the name of that girl, the mermaid?”

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

Could it be that he fell for her at first sight and wants Yumir?

“If that’s the case, I’ll bury this guy in the backyard right away.”

But that wasn’t the case.

“That… probably… no, without a doubt…”

Gaspar stammered, seeming even uncertain himself. He struggled to speak.

“She’s my daughter.”