[WN] Emperor's Seventh Son : 12 - 4 Part 2

12-4 Part 2

Prince Ashley and Adventurer Kachua

- Please Do It Outside -

Translator : PolterGlast

「Ah... Shinza...」

「So you were here. Sorry, I'm a man lacking in consideration... I didn't mean to hurt you, forgive me.」

When I went down to the tavern, there was a girl despondently sipping orange juice, so I sat down in the seat across from her. Even so, I intended to apologize with my own level of sincerity.

「I'm fine, seeing your face calmed me down a little, Shinza...」

「I see. Then let's eat; when you're feeling down, you eat.」

I picked up the menu and opened the main dish page. As expected, meat is best when you're depressed, right? Grilled spring chicken, or roasted black pork...

「Isn't that just stress-eating...」

「But being hungry will only make you gloomier.」

「Uuun... You don't look like an important person at all, Shinza...」

「I'm not actually important. I've completely dumped the territory onto a man named Puis, and I haven't done a single job befitting a lord. I have no intention to, either.」

I didn't intend to get a laugh, but Kachua lightly burst into giggles. Thank goodness. Right now, as long as she smiles, anything is fine.

「When we get back, I want to go visit. Your territory, Shinza.」

「I don't mind, but there's nothing particularly worth seeing. Rather, walking around and eating at Naglfar Port further ahead is fun. Shall we go together later?」

「The sea...?」

「That's right, the sea. There's a lot of food with strong quirks, but I'm sure you'll like it. The seafood paella is especially delicious.」

Then, for some reason, Kachua smiled wryly at me.

「Ahaha... You really only ever talk about food, don't you, Shinza.」

「I won't deny it. Besides, walking around eating makes me feel truly alive.」

Right then, a waitress happened to pass by. So I picked something randomly from the menu and placed an order to the waitress. After that, I ended up having a lively chat about our favorite dishes with Kachua, who had regained her energy.

Especially as a potato lover, I absolutely couldn't leave out talking about the potato dishes eaten as a staple food in this region. After continuing to chat for a short while, the food we ordered was finally lined up on the table. First, we halved the grilled spring chicken, and for a while, we devoured the filling meat.

「Ah, by the way. It looks like you threw away your shovel, but what are you going to do for a weapon from now on?」

「Right. I'll be swinging the Scoop around for a while. I can't use a blunt shovel at this point.」

「Hmm...」

「Also, I'll say this just in case. Eventually, I intend to abandon my succession rights, my territory, everything.」

「Heeh... Heh...?!」

「So please, treat me the same as always. I don't really understand the reason, but I'm sorry for making you sad. I am Shinza. I don't desire a life as Ashley.」

This is the true feeling I want to convey right now. If me being a Prince is inconvenient for Kachua, I just need to tell her that I intend to throw it away from the start. Alright, this resolves it. ...I feel like I'm being looked at with extremely suspicious eyes, but it's resolved, right?

「Eeeeh... No, abandon, that's, eeh...」

『I will not let you do that; I will have you become Emperor.』

The usual sleep-talking has arrived. Zirant, no matter how many dark clouds loom over the Empire, the seventh succession right is too far from the throne. It's impossible.

「Umu, this pie-crust stew is quite delicious, is it not.」

「Eh... eh, eh, Zirant-sama?!」

「Zirant, don't tell me you appeared just to eat?」

Isn't that a waste of magic power? Though there's no doubt that a night with three people will be livelier and more fun than with two.

「It's not enough for three people. Oi, waitress over there. I'll order everything from here to here.」

「Eh?! E-Everything?!」

「Just how much do you plan to eat...」

This is my first time seeing someone order so dynamically with someone else's money. If Zirant is going to keep showing up at the dining table from now on, I'll need to earn more...

「You are the only one I do not want to hear complain about gluttony from.」

「Ah, that might be true... Um, well... Please take care of me tonight, Zirant-sama...」

「Zirant is fine. Wagahai looks upon you with favor, you see, kukuku...」

「N-No way... Or rather, wait... Could it be, everything up until now...」

「I was watching. Ever since that day this guy appeared in Corin Village, all of it.」

「N-No way... Does that mean, possibly, everything up to today was completely exposed...~~?!」

Kachua is also in her growing phase now. Since we had gone through the trouble of earning a fortune, we enjoyed ourselves that night, prioritizing quantity over quality, eating heartily until stomach acid reached our throats.

◇ ◆ ◇

『U, urp... ge, gehu...』

Stop it, Zirant... Don't endlessly make sounds like you're going to throw up inside someone's head...

『Ngu... Sorry. It seems I ate too much... ubu?!』

Please, if you're going to throw up, do it outside. Don't throw up inside me...!

『U, umu... I too, have no intention... ngupu... of exposing such a shameful... state... Haa haa... ngu?!』

It's no good, I can't sleep... There's no way I can sleep... I'm begging you, Zirant, if you're going to throw up, do it outside... Don't scatter things that shouldn't come out of a maiden's mouth inside my mind...

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆

【Book of the Evil Dragon】

---

- Adventure - 【Complete a job worth over 10,000 Crowns at the Adventurer's Guild】

• Reward: EXP 600 / [Imperial Bond LV +1]

---

---

- Exploration - 【Walk 500 km around the Empire】 337 / 500 km completed

• Reward: Movement Speed LV 1 (All movement speeds +50%)
• 『Not just running speed. All movement speeds. This includes carriages and ships too.』

---

---

- Development - 【Freely Develop Erin】

• Development Points: 1250 → 1500 / 50000
• Reward: EXP 1000 / Strongest Artificial Weapon
• 『It seems Erin has accepted immigrants who fled from the manors. Though it seems it was almost entirely at Princess Atomina's discretion.』

---

---

- Business - 【Grow the Hezu Company】

• Reward: DEX +100

---

---

- Purge - 【Bury 7 Villains】 3 Remaining

• Reward: EXP 1100 / Shovel LV +1

---

---

- Purge - 【Steal 1,000,000 Crowns of Dirty Money】 262,000 / 1,000,000

• Reward: Spatial Detection LV +1

---

---

- Investment - 【Spend a total of 10,000 Crowns】 6,360 → 6,416 / 10,000

• Reward: EXP 1000 / Premonition of an Encounter
• 『I almost threw up inside you... I had to use magic power again, but I somehow managed to avoid a disaster...』

---

---

- Table of Contents –

【Name】 Ashley

【Lv】 39 → 41

【Exp】 7350 → 7890

【STR】 100 → 103

【VIT】 275 → 281

【DEX】 150 → 155

【AGI】 230 → 235

【Skill】 Shovel LV 5 Scoop LV 1 Imperial Bond LV 1 Direction Sense LV 1 Digging 30x (Active)

『The boundary of death made you grow rapidly. But if you repeat things like this, Wagahai's heart won't be able to take it! Good grief, you fool, how much do you have to worry people until you are satisfied!』

-----

Thank you for my Patrons !!

[Platinum]

-

[Gold]

B random

Nepheos

ShitaiNoKootoRyuu

[Silver]

Corey Hicks

Creris

Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon

Jake Seagraves

Matthew Fraser

Tbaum56

Xavier O'Donoghue

[Bronze]

Anton Lim

Austin Lorenzo

Baelee

Bloodyemperor

Ctdela

Curious Panda

David Bankole

Enrique Miranda

nick nasca

openope

Radhitia Furqan

SD Fox

Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon

-----

<<Prev << ToC >> Next>>

Read More

[WN] A Hero From a Remote Village : Chapter 232

Chapter 232

How to Spend a Day Off

Translator : PolterGlast

I asked Aoi and Ginia to accompany Tricia and Maud on their day off, but they turned me down, saying it was difficult because they had an errand. It seems the two of them are going to show their faces in Ginia's hometown, a plan they had decided on a long time ago. Given the reason, I couldn't press the issue either, so in the end, it was decided that I would accompany Tricia and Maud on their day off. To be honest, since I don't exactly fully enjoy my own days off either, I have nothing but anxiety.

While holding my head in my hands, I thoroughly polished and formulated a plan, and greeted the actual day off. I stopped the two who were trying to do some light work even though I told them it was a day off, and forcibly dragged them outside. By the way, Lia and Anne also threw a tantrum saying they wanted to tag along, but when I conveyed that I wanted to let Tricia and Maud rest, they properly understood. For today's chores, I'll have to rely on the six of them—Lia, Anne, Gree, Tracy, Mal, Peter, and Hayden—to do their best. Harboring anxiety in various aspects, I left the house together with Tricia and Maud.

「I feel somewhat restless. I've never just played around without doing anything before.」

「Me too. My desire to work is strong.」

「Not today. I need you to learn how to spend a day off. Besides, I've thought up various places to go, so if you don't enjoy yourselves, my efforts will be wasted.」

「Graham-san, thank you truly for everything.」

「Just having you think that way makes both Tricia and me happy. Of course, the little ones waiting at home right now too.」

「It's not something you need to thank me for. Anyway... what do you want to eat first? The candidates are a hamburger shop or a cafe.」

The hamburger shop is a place Aoi told me about, and the cafe is a place Ginia recommended. I've never been to either, but if it's a recommendation from those two, it should be a sure thing.

「I might want to try eating a hamburger. Since I've never eaten one before.」

「I am fine with either... but I have never eaten a hamburger either.」

「Then let's go to the hamburger shop first. Though it might be a little heavy for breakfast.」

At Maud's request, breakfast ended up being hamburgers. According to Aoi, it seems to be a shop run by a former adventurer, and the "Max Burger" is supposedly incredibly delicious. Since I had only eaten a hamburger once myself, I was slightly flustered, but we arrived at the hamburger shop she told me about. Just as recommended, even though it's morning, there is a line, albeit of just a few people.

「It's a line, isn't it. What is on the menu, I wonder?」

「It looks like the menu is written on the signboard. Do you have a recommendation, Graham-sama?」

「It's my first time coming here too, so I don't have any particular recommendations. Aoi did say the Max Burger was delicious, though.」

「It certainly looks delicious, but the volume looks amazing.」

「Maybe I'll go with the Max Burger? I'm hungry, too.」

「I'll get the Max Burger as well.」

「Mmm... then I will have the Max Burger too.」

Tricia seemed to hesitate a little, but all three of us decided on the Max Burger. While we were deciding on our orders, our turn arrived. As planned, we ordered three Max Burger sets and waited at a table seat inside. Looking around the store, almost all the customers had ordered the Max Burger. We worried about the volume issue, but I think the Max Burger was indeed the correct choice.

「Thank you for waiting. Here are three Max Burger sets. Please take your time and enjoy.」

What was brought to us were hamburgers with thick patties and fresh vegetables sandwiched inside. As set items, they also came with french fries and soda, and though I knew it beforehand, it was quite a hearty volume.

「The portion is large, but just from the smell alone, it seems incredibly delicious.」

「Yeah. My stomach is rumbling.」

「Let's eat quickly before they get cold. Thanks for the food.」

After the pre-meal greeting, I bit into the Max Burger. The first thing that jumped out was the aggressive umami of the meat. The buns leaned towards fluffy, and the freshness of the vegetables was outstanding. And more than anything, the sauce perfectly brought the overall balance together.

「Delicious! I didn't know hamburgers were this tasty.」

「No, I've eaten another one just once before, but it wasn't this delicious. Probably, the hamburgers here are just especially tasty.」

「Is that so. I was worried if I could finish it because the portion was so large, but it's so delicious it looks like I'll devour it easily.」

Just as Tricia said, all three of us finished eating in less than ten minutes. The soda we drank in between was also exceptionally good, and the french fries were freshly fried and delicious. Just as expected from Aoi's recommendation, it was an outstandingly delicious hamburger. It was a day off with an uncertain future, but thanks to the Max Burger, I've gained the confidence that things will go well. While thoroughly teaching the two of them how to enjoy a day off, I'll also enjoy myself to the fullest.

-----

Thank you for my Patrons !!

[Platinum]

-

[Gold]

B random

Nepheos

ShitaiNoKootoRyuu

[Silver]

Corey Hicks

Creris

Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon

Jake Seagraves

Matthew Fraser

Tbaum56

Xavier O'Donoghue

[Bronze]

Anton Lim

Austin Lorenzo

Baelee

Bloodyemperor

Ctdela

Curious Panda

David Bankole

Enrique Miranda

nick nasca

openope

Radhitia Furqan

SD Fox

Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon

-----

<<Prev << ToC >> Next>>

Read More

[WN] Jitsuwa 3-Domedatta : Chapter 320

Chapter 320

(Kyle Calendar Year 514: Age 21)

Reborn Land

Translator : PolterGlast

After the three-day harvest festival held in Kusanagi, we departed early in the morning and headed to Termira to participate in the harvest festival to be held there the next day.

The party consisted of 200 elite cavalry of the Demon Territory Knights, including the 'distinguished individuals', and Commander Weiss leading them. Yuka and Chrisia accompanied Her Highness as close attendants, along with Claire and Yoltia who were accustomed to the Demon Territory, Shannon for early warning, and several other Mages.

「Sieghart, are my eyes acting strange? If I recall correctly, this entire area... was supposed to be a barren land spreading out, at best only suitable for pasture, right?」

「Indeed... I would definitely like to know the secret of not only reclaiming it in a short period but also finishing it into land where crops grow. I can infer that the irrigation canals running crisscross through this region are probably the power of Earth Mages, but...」

Yeah, I get it. I get it, but... I can't just carelessly talk about this. Oyster shell lime is also finite, and increasing demand any further would be...

「...!!!」

No! Wait. That's not it! The representatives of the three countries are right here. Moreover, the Fearalt Principality also has a sufficiently wide coastline.

「I just thought of something slightly interesting. Would you care to ride on my proposal?」

Saying so, putting on a merchant's face, I brought my horse close to His Majesty Krieger and His Highness Grat.

「I thought of a business idea that these three countries can team up to do. As Your Highness Grat also knows, this was once a barren land. But as a result of succeeding in soil improvement, it is now like this. Won't you ride on it?」

Saying so, I looked around ostentatiously. Right now, the turnips we started cultivating in the second phase, autumn-planted vegetables, and such had sprouted all at once, spreading across the earth beside the highway.

「Oh? I would definitely like to hear the story.」

「My friend, I have no objections either.」

「First, His Majesty Krieger, the Principality should have a vast coastline. And there is a custom of eating seafood, right. So probably, oysters are also eaten...」

「Ah, certainly. I hear that in every seaside town, those shells are piled up like mountains as garbage.」

Got it! I thought so.

「Then please collect the oyster shells, perform the necessary processing, and sell them to us. If that garbage is gathered, it becomes gold coins.」

「My word!」

「This entire area is also strongly affected by the ash fall from volcanoes on the Empire side. Therefore, it is difficult for crops to grow. And since there is no water in the first place, it was considered unsuitable for cultivation. But we have the means to change that. So that many crops can easily grow...」

Naturally, they still couldn't see where the story was going. I continued.

「The Fearalt Principality will collect the oyster shells and do the preliminary processing. If you crush them in that process, transportation won't be a hassle either. You sell that to us. There are preceding examples for the selling price, so we will share that.」

「I see, and how does my friend gain profit from that?」

「We attach a royalty to that sale. It will take the form where you provide it to us at a price minus that royalty, and when selling to the Empire, the royalty is added on top. After all, the raw material cost is basically free, and if you utilize rivers for the preliminary processing, it takes almost no effort.」

「Oh? That is interesting. Is that all?」

「No, Your Highness, there is one more element. First, massive amounts of horse manure are used for soil improvement. This does not become fertilizer, but it can be used for soil improvement. And since there are massive numbers of horses in the Empire, there must be so much horse manure you don't know what to do with it.」

「Hahaha, so both utilize waste! Sieghart, I find this exceedingly delightful.」

「I will speak about the details anew when we arrive in Aegis, but won't you ride on it?」

「Seeing this result, there is no reason not to ride on it. How about it?」

「I think it is exactly as Your Highness says.」

「I will also ride on it. From the coastline to Fearalt, it is possible to go upstream the great river on sailing ships. If that's the case, it can be transported all at once.」

From an unexpected turn of events, I was able to find a clue to solving the future oyster shell problem. Moreover, with the added bonus of new royalty income. With this, we should be able to sink massive amounts of oyster shells into the sewers of Kusanagi as well, preventing pollution of the rivers downstream as much as possible.

Besides...

This is my amateur thought, but I believe one of the reasons for conflicts in this world is famine. Due to natural disasters, man-made disasters, war damage, and such, some land inevitably falls into famine every year, constantly creating a disparity between rich lands and those that are not.

If so, what if there is a means to enrich current territories without obtaining new ones through battle? At the very least, if large countries focus on internal affairs and stabilize, small countries will likely follow suit.

Even so, conflicts might probably not end. But... at least just around us is fine, if we can live prosperously with each other and stabilize...

It's an ideal that vaguely floated in my mind since becoming a Archduke and being entrusted with a nation. I felt I had obtained the clue to that from an unexpected place.

※

After that, we passed through the barrier gate set up at the old border. This place has also changed greatly compared to half a year ago.

Already, a double defensive wall had been set up on the Empire side and the Kingdom side, blocking the gap in the great mountain range on both ends, and a military garrison serving as a defense base was placed between them. Bulkheads were also set up on both sides of the 50-m-wide passageway running north-south and connecting the gates on both sides. As if only the passageway were isolated...

「Oh... with this, even if an army tries to pass through this passageway, they cannot spread out, and unless they capture the gate ahead, they cannot move, but will just continue to be showered with a rain of arrows from both sides. Annihilation is inevitable, huh...」

Saying so, His Majesty Krieger laughed. Yes, I had imitated the barrier gate of the Fearalt Principality on the western border that I saw in the past.

「Are markets lined up beside the passageway? Interesting.」

Yes, spaces where markets can deploy were set up on both sides of the passageway, and the soldiers stationed here, as well as those passing through the barrier gate, can shop at this market. Even those who cannot set up a shop in Termira find the market here an easy place to enter.

Especially now, with the reclamation of the Izumo area, large numbers of laborers pass through daily, and those involved in the construction of this barrier gate itself also use it, so the market is very bustling.

「If I recall correctly, there were issues with the water supply around here... how did you solve it?」

Hahaha, as expected, you know the characteristics of this place well too. Just as you pointed out, we struggled.

As a result of Sasha and the others' efforts, drinking water is drawn from spring water in the rocky mountains a little ways off to the left and right, and sewage and domestic water are drawn from the irrigation canals on the Empire side, utilizing water-lifting waterwheels many times, or using dedicated aqueducts.

Moreover, beyond this, utilizing the gentle downhill slope continuing from the old border, the sewage and irrigation canals are extended all the way to Termira and the Southern Gate Fortress.

And south of the Southern Gate Fortress, after letting the sewage rest in a giant reservoir, it passes through the oyster shell purification waterway and is returned to the river.

※

And the party reached the former Southern Gate Fortress, now a relay city whose name was changed to Termira.

「What! This should certainly be the fortress where we were stationed previously. Now there is no longer any trace of it at all.」

「Yes, this was once the southernmost defense base of the Kyle Kingdom, but it is now a useless long object. Therefore, it is being reborn as a trade relay city connecting the north and south of the great mountain range. Well, right now the aspect of it being a temporary stay location for immigrants is still large, though...」

Termira is planned to sequentially change its form as the center governing the southern half of the Westlights Dukedom. The Teigoon area will continue to bear the role of the production base for agriculture and industry, but I'm thinking of Termina serving as a hub connecting the south and north, and taking on the role of an administrative base.

「Hahahaha, in this short period of time... I can only laugh. It even exceeds my imagination.」

Even Sieghart was speechless at these changes. Fufufu, but there's still more, you know. Well, I talked about it in the first meeting with the merchants, so I think he already knows.

※

The next day, we rode our horses all at once from Termira to Aegis on the newly constructed elevated road. However, it seems knowing about it and actually seeing it were vastly different.

First, proceeding northwest of Termira, there is a bamboo forest separating the Southern Gate plains and the Demon Territory. There is a small fortress covered by bulkheads there, and from that fortress heading northwest, a road stretched in a straight line far into the distance.

The road extended at a height of about 15 m above the surrounding Demon Territory with a width of 15 m, possessing characteristics of both a defensive wall and an elevated bridge, making it somewhat halfway to be called either.

This road I call an elevated road is constructed in the center portion of the 300-m-wide path the First Prince previously carved out as an invasion route aiming for Mt. Teigoon.

「Sieghart, c-can you even do this...」

「No... this is bad, Your Highness.」

Although not as much as the Third Prince and His Majesty Krieger, Sieghart was also surprised.

「No... you are a truly terrifying person. I think anew that I'm truly glad not to have made you an enemy.」

「Indeed, if one uses this road, they can move the shortest distance through the Demon Territory, huh... with this, one can deploy troops all at once up to the old border. Sieghart, is it possible for us too?」

「This is probably the result of deploying an absurd number of Earth Mages en masse. As a result, one cannot help but say that the land and cities of the Demon Territory Dukedom have been greatly reborn in this short period. To reproduce this in the Empire, it will take an outrageous number of years.」

「That is exactly why the revival of the Demon Territory is an urgent task, is that what it means?」

「Yes, for us as well...」

Hmm? What is it? Why does the revival of the Demon Territory get tangled up there?

The time I would know the true meaning of the words I casually heard then was still a long way off.

-----

Thank you for my Patrons !!

[Platinum]

-

[Gold]

B random

Nepheos

ShitaiNoKootoRyuu

[Silver]

Corey Hicks

Creris

Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon

Jake Seagraves

Matthew Fraser

Tbaum56

Xavier O'Donoghue

[Bronze]

Anton Lim

Austin Lorenzo

Baelee

Bloodyemperor

Ctdela

Curious Panda

David Bankole

Enrique Miranda

nick nasca

openope

Radhitia Furqan

SD Fox

Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon

-----

<<Prev << ToC >> Next>>

Read More