Episode 24.3

"I don't get it. Skalabel, a lone apothecary coming necessitated exaggerated escorts and even repairing roads. I don't get that either but how'd that come to neighboring town lords making a fuss. They're unrelated."

"Lecan. You are correct, highway maintenance is not a huge event in itself. I was taken aback when they said the budget was eight white gold coins, but once I've taken a good look on the plans, eight white gold coins are about right."

"Hou. Guess that's how it works."

"We're running short on time however. You simply cannot truly repair highways in just one month."

"Yeah, figured."

"Lecan. The king made the decision for this matter purely as a kind gesture to respond Guide Skalabel's wish. However, the Prime Minister Office is making use of this opportunity to the fullest."

"Use?"

"Indeed. They're making a declaration, 'we at the royal capital knows what you're up to in the Northeastern Part, don't think you can do as you wish forever'."

"Hou. I got it, a bit."

"The two officials they left here are truly competent. The first thing they uttered was, 'Let us gather up workers from neighboring towns'."

"Sounds obvious."

"It is not. Ordinarily, you'd want to come up with plans, calculate all necessary positions and numbers, arrange for materials, and then look for manpower. And yet they wanted to gather people before we even had a concrete plan."

"What about it."

"There's no way I could go against them. Thus I did as I was told. Those two kindly gave me accompanying notes. Under their names as representatives of Prime Minister Office Domestic Affairs Department. Naturally, all town lords and village chiefs sent out their workers and craftsmen right away."

"Fumu."

"What do you think happened afterwards?"

"No clue."

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"Kogurus town lord demanded neighboring towns and villages to send their workers to help maintain roads around Kogurus."

"Haha. I see now."

"Kogurus town lord intended to hinder the maintenance work on Vantaroy-Vouka roads once they found out about it. Then he would probably wait for me to come crying at him and put forward some sort of conditions I would have to accept. However, those officials had already anticipated what he was thinking and planning to do."

"Hahaha. Interesting."

"There's not a lot of skilled workers around. The construction work would have been halted had they gone to Kogurus first. Despite the fact that we don't have much time on hand."

"I see."

"Prime Minister Office must have anticipated that it would come to this and that we wouldn't have much time."

"I see, they beat them to the punch."

"That's right. They did what needed to be done before the information spread. That must be the plan."

"The construction went smoothly as planned then."

"No, not exactly. In fact, Kogurus poses as a small pebble on the road for this particular issue. Vantaroy is a much bigger problem."

"Fumu?"

"Vantaroy is a big town. Their culture is blossoming, and the quality of all kinds of articles they produce is a step or two above even Kogurus. In other word, it's twice, thrice, no, even higher than that compared to Vouka."

"Right. It's a big nice town."

"Vantaroy definitely don't think well of Vouka taking the leadership in this project to repair the highways connecting to them."

"Umu."

"And yet, we have to hire many workers from Vantaroy for this project. Especially for repairing big bridges, only Vantaroy's craftsmen can manage that. We need their cooperation to supply furniture for the guest house as well."

"Yea."

"The officials too were worried about this. They could send a directive under Prime Minister Office Domestic Affairs Department, but that came with a risk of them backlashing instead."

"They could pretend to cooperate outwardly, and send out second-rate craftsmen or delay their departure."

"Haha. That's exactly it. However, I had confidence in this matter for once. I told the officials to leave it to me and sent forth Agito. How do you think it turned out?"

"How would I... Hold it. Agito said something earlier. He was saved by Eda's achievement."

"Hahahaha. That's it. That's exactly it. The bandit leader Eda took down was undoubtedly a gold rank adventurer from Vantaroy. Liton came straight back here after showing the head in the presence of Vantaroy Adventurer Association's chairman and Vantaroy's lord representative. Without asking for any sort of compensation. That did it."

"Lecan-dono. I was treated with unbelievable hospitality when I got there. The town lord himself welcomed me, and they didn't ask twice about dispatching workers here. They would even bear the cost of transportation. Asking if there was anything else they could do for us."

"Hahahahaha. I wanted to show you the look on those officials when I reported to them. Hahahaha."

"The way they look at father has changed as well."

"Good for you. You must be busy right now, did you call me here just to tell me all this?"

"Ah, no. That's not it. What I've said so far is required to get to the real issue at hand."

"What's this issue."

"Someone is aiming for Shira-sama's life."