CH 49

Chapter 49

And thus, Lash isn’t known as Saint Mildin anymore, she is just an illusionist and is living in Rune Heights now.

I had seen her ability in genjutsu a few days ago. I also didn’t need to worry about her betraying me. After all, for now she doesn’t have any other option except to live under the demon king’s army.

I need to get the appointment permission from demon king-sama later.  She will follow Aria in joining the demon army as a human, but will only receive the same treatment as an ordinary soldier.

Let’s keep it this way to capture more humans.

“Hoho, do you think so?”

“Yes, I am also against that.”

I could hear the conversation between Master and Lash from the room next to the office.

Apparently, it was a conversation between fellow magicians. Master is a shy type of person, but she seems to be able to talk with another magician.

I wondered what kind of conversation could be had between a necromancer and an illusionist. Let’s wait and see for a bit.

“Its just an example, but which one would you chose between ‘Eating a full course menu along with a coworker’ or ‘eating a sandwich in the corner of the library alone’?”

What kind of question is that?

Of course the answer will be a full course menu. There will be a lot to eat after all.

“Of course it will be ‘eating a sandwich in the corner of the library alone.’”

“That’s right!”

“It feels relaxing to silently eat a  sandwich alone in the dim room, doesn’t it?”

I don’t get what she means.

I opened the door in the next room and vaguely looked at the both of them with pity.

Master, who made a smile and laughed, noticed me and turned her head.

“Oh, Vaito. As an apprentice magician, you need to hide that bright personality of yours, okay?”

“What personality are you talking about?”

I don’t need the kind of personality that makes me disappear when eating.

Lash, who also smiled and laughed, grasped the hands of master.

“Vaito-san! Gomovira-sama is really sociable! I really like talking with her!”

That’s right, I think…? if I think carefully, both of them are the type that are not good at communication…

Master, who nodded in approval, made an announcement.

“I think I want to make Lash my disciple. I know some powerful genjutsu that has been lost in human society. How about it, Lash?”

“Yes, Gomovira-sama!”

“Now now,  it’s okay to call me Movi-chan.”

“Yes, Movi-chan sensei!”

“Umu umu, that’s good.”

My head hurt.

Let’s go back to work.

I’m happy to get a younger sister disciple, but I also felt troubled from the information i received from Lash.

“Do you know of Shaldir in the East of Rune Height?”

“Of course I know. It’s not nearby, but it’s on the East side.”

Shaldir is a trading city like Rune Height.

Mineral resources are mined at the Northern Bolts mine and processed into products in the industrial city Tuban.

And then they bring it to Rune Height and it transport it to each city in the South.

Shaldir is further East from here, and if you go a bit further, it will be outside Miraldia territory. It’s quite different, but you can think of it as something like the Silk Road.

But that Shaldir has a bad relationship with the city in the North. It seems there’s a lot of things that happened during the time of the unity war, and they kept holding grudges against each other.

“There’s a rumor about Shaldir that they have a plan to become independent from Miraldia. This rumor is flowing throughout the North, you know.”

“Oi oi, Shaldir will perish if they decide to become independent now.”

“However, the one who will be truly troubled would be the senate because all the Southern parts will slowly become demon king army supporters. There’s also the fake hero project, which makes the situation look weird.”

Shaldir can’t survive if they don’t maintain the status quo. No matter how much discord gets stirred up in the North.

Even if they want to join hands with the demon king’s army, they need a good resolution to even try to do that.

There will be no unity if they can’t build trust.

However, I also remembered some pertinent information.

A portion of the citizens of Rune Height aim to go to Shaldir.

Well, they will come back in the end, but there are rumors that say it seems the viceroy of Shaldir is making a weird movement.

Miraldia has requested to place a reserve army at the garrison of Shaldir, but the viceroy has refused the request.

There is Brunehainen in the Northwest of Rune Height, and Tuban at the Northeast. Both are under the rule of the demon army.  The west is outside of Miraldia territory.

So to capture Rune Height, the only way to attack would be from the South and the East. They will most likely attack from the East. They need to take a detour if they do it from the South.

Even so, the story about the viceroy who refused to receive the reserve army is quite interesting.

Of course, this time I will use the Werewolf Trader Corps to find out about it.

And the result of the investigation is troubling me.

Shaldir has refused the request from the North for a long time.

Even now, they refused with a reason that, “it’s impossible to prepare adequate supplies and preparations for the reserve army that is coming from the North.” This reason is too weak. Of course it’s just used as a formality.

Their real motive is, “we hate you so leave.”

However, the dislike of the Northern cities are common for the Southern cities, including Rune Height.

That’s because the Northern army was fighting the Southern army at the time of the Miraldia unification war.

The problem is not about the liberal soldier, it’s about the rumor from the Senate.

If it is strong enough that it can shake and control a regular person psyche, then it’s not a mere rumor anymore. It’s a weapon for intelligence warfare.

Is there something that I can use here?

After that, Aria came to the office room. I wanted to have a consultation with her for a bit.

“Ah… that kind of trouble, I properly understand. There’s a tradition of giving a second rank noble to Aindolf, that’s one of the reasons.”

Aria said that while take a glance at master and Lash.

“Even though my father and I offered a huge amount of the profit we got from trading to the Miraldia national treasury, we still stay as is.”

“Because of that, you abandoned Miraldia.”

“Second rank noble is just a caretaker and doesn’t have an authority for urban development. If the citizens want to ask for sorting and expansion, they need to get permission from the senate. And it will not be accepted unless they pay a large amount in donation.”

“That’s a terrible story.”

Right now, Rune Height is in the middle of redevelopment and such permission is unnecessary.

“Shaldir is also getting the same treatment. The viceroy’s predecessor received abuse from the Senate because they interfered with father and I,

they are doing good enough to hold onto such resentment.”

However, if the bad rumor is flowing even until the North, perhaps there will be room for negotiation.

“Can you negotiate with the viceroy of Shaldir?”

“I don’t know. I understand the ability of Alam-dono who is the current viceroy, but I don’t know the situation around Shaldir, so I can’t give a solid answer…”

That Alam guy, even though he hates the North, it seems he is not foolish enough to simply make a deal with the demon king’s army.

Yup, he needs to be that kind of person.

“That’s interesting. Let’s go try to meet him for a bit.”

“Vaito-dono will go?”

Aria is surprised, but I have already decided.

“If he is an acquaintance of Aria-dono, then it’s okay if it’s just a chat. If it’s not good… Well, we will manage somehow.”

This is the bad habit of a werewolf, not thinking much about what would happen if he fails.

The risk of being killed is low, too.

“Now that it has been decided, I need to choose an attendant immediately.  Please cover for me while I am absent, Aria-dono.”

“Be sure to tell Your Majesty the Demon King, okay?”

“Now, don’t say such stiff words and just overlook it, please. This is also for the safety of Rune Height. So just drink the tea and go back to public service.”

I forcefully pushed Aria’s back and drove her out. Now I need to think of who I will take with me.