140
Where is Mr. Jo
‘There really is no seal? What lord would have a seal···.’
Nova muttered to herself, suppressing the urge to curse.
It had been said before that the seal had disappeared during the time of the eldest son of the Fener family. Nova naturally assumed that it was a lie to evade the moment.
Although seals were important, at the time there was nothing important enough to use a seal, so it was considered an appropriate response.
But it’s not a lie, he really lost his seal.
‘Pulputs isn’t that stupid to lose his seal···.’
A snake that was about to sleep because it was full. Nova thought that Pulpouts was just like that.
A snake that is smart but not very greedy, so it just curls up and flicks its tongue, and doesn’t move unless you step on it.
But how did that full foot lose its seal?
‘If it hadn’t been stolen, there’s no way I would have lost it…’
I asked him about it, but all I got was, ‘I don’t remember.’
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
Nova gave a curt reply to the knock.
Razbeth came in carrying a rather thick wad of paper, unlike usual.
“Is there any news?”
Nova asked, glancing at the door through which Razbet had entered.
“Oh, I didn’t come here because of the news about Aaron, I came here because I have a separate proposal to make.”
Nova narrowed her eyes at the slightly thick voice.
‘Does the White Leaf Information Guild have any suggestions? We’ve already made a contract for information on Aaron.’
Nova observed Razbeth while flicking her quill pen.
White Leaf Guild. Nova used him as soon as he entered Cassidy.
It wasn’t bad information, but it was expensive. Just registering information about Aaron would cost a lot of money.
Of course, it wasn’t purchased with Nova’s money, as it was part of the management of important Cassadic figures.
“The details are written on paper.”
Razbet preferred to show things on paper rather than explain them in words. Nova also preferred him, so they exchanged things that way every time.
Nova rubbed her tired eyes and read the paper carefully.
“······Are you suggesting an intelligence agency?”
“yes.”
Nova looked at Razbeth for a moment. As expected from an informant, his expression didn’t change at all.
‘It’s an intelligence agency…’
It was okay up to the top, but there was no need for an intelligence agency.
I know the importance of information, but it would have been more efficient to purchase the information I need separately like now.
‘And in a place with only two people?’
As if reading Nova’s thoughts, Razbeth turned the paper over to the next page.
There was a comparison of the costs involved.
The content was that information could be obtained much more cheaply by providing separate space and deploying troops.
There was a long story written about how that was possible.
At the very back there was some information that Nova couldn’t buy, but there were quite a few that were helpful.
Seeing him changed Nova’s mind. There was quite a bit of information that she needed, even though it was information that she hadn’t thought of.
‘···What is this?’
Nova looked up at the circular mark that looked like water had dripped onto a piece of paper.
Eventually, the story was that he would leave the White Leaf Guild and create an intelligence agency under Cassidy.
Why would you make such a suggestion?
‘The building that was purchased as a branch was also where commoners lived. It was a one-story house, not even a two-story house.···Isn’t there any support from the White Leaf Guild?’
Nova doesn’t know much about the Information Guild, but the building she visited before was too shabby to be an Information Guild.
It wasn’t for nothing that nobles poured money into building their castles so high. The building was the first impression people had of him.
In that sense, the building rescued by the White Leaf Guild was closer to a place of exile than a new branch.
‘Are you going to try again since it’s already been abandoned?’
The information written below is probably intended to inform you that information is still available today.
“Hmm···.”
Nova leaned back, groaning.
At that, Razbeth still had a blank expression, but he took a step forward.
“Starting with the Cardinal who will soon be visiting, the succession issue for Count Behart, the war over the territory of Castle Byzant, and even heresy. The East is in turmoil. I believe I don’t have to tell you that information is important, especially in times like these.”
Razbet’s voice strangely raised.
Nova could tell that Razbet was desperate, even though he didn’t show it.
“Can you get some reliable information about that?”
“yes.”
It was a short answer, an enticing suggestion, but he was not the one making the decision anyway.
Nova was just helping Pulpouts sort out what to put on his head and making it easier for him to get going.
Nova read the paper carefully again from the beginning. Considering all the conditions, it was quite suitable.
In the outskirts of Cassidy, there was no one to buy information from except Nova and Pulpouts.
Knowing him, it must have been so desperate that Razbeth suggested it first.
Since the two were not balanced, the conditions could have been reduced a bit more, but Nova did not insist on doing so.
I deserved this much.
Trimming him would only break their will.
‘If the top returns normally, there will be some spare funds, so we can invest more then… It will have a good effect on the top.’
Nova nodded. It was clear that the top and the intelligence agency would work well together.
Judging by his expression, it seemed like Razbet still didn’t know about the story about the top.
“Yes, I will report this to the lord, but the lord has lost the seal, so it will take some time to find it. I think he will sign the contract right away once he finds the seal.”
Nova nodded and closed the paper.
“···Did you really lose the seal?”
Razbeth’s face crumpled in an instant. Perhaps that’s the kind of face he would make when he saw the rope he was holding on to rot away while jumping off a cliff.
Nova felt embarrassed for no reason and coughed in vain to get his attention.
at that time.
Knock knock- knock.
At the familiar knocking sound, Nova straightened her back without realizing it.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Aaron came in, yawning deeply.
“Hmm? Google was there too.”
“what?”
Nova asked, narrowing her eyes.
Aaron usually came in the morning, but it was now past mid-day.
Nova nodded slightly. Razbeth took a step back.
“orange.”
Nova guessed Aaron’s purpose.
“Because of the top? I wanted to help with that too, but the lord doesn’t have the seal. If you find it···”
Before Nova could finish speaking, Aaron strode over to her.
A distance that suddenly decreased.
Nova froze at Aaron’s sudden actions.
Before he knew it, his left hand was being held by Aaron.
It was so natural that I didn’t even notice when I was caught.
The skin was so rough that I couldn’t believe it was human skin, but it was strangely warm and made me lose my senses for a moment.
Nova was usually very thoughtful. There were days when she couldn’t stop thinking from the moment she opened her eyes until she went to bed.
But now, I felt like I had been hit in the head with a hammer and I couldn’t think of anything.
I tried to say something, but when I opened my mouth, my breathing was too loud, so I closed it.
Nova felt that time was very short.
Aaron said something as the warm, tingly feeling faded away and he left the room.
It was only after Aaron left that Nova realized she had been holding her breath.
After exhaling, I came to my senses.
It seemed as if I could still feel the rough warmth in my hand.
No, I actually felt something.
‘···!’
Nova noted the weight it felt in his hands.
My neck was stiff and I couldn’t look down, so I focused on the sensation I felt through my fingers.
I took a deep breath for a moment and my mind, which had been on an endless rise, calmed down.
Nova thought back carefully on the situation just now.
Aaron put something in her hand, muttered something, and left.
Is there anything I can put in my hand?
I moved my fingers slightly and felt something in my middle finger.
Nova poked him with her finger and thought seriously.
There was only one thing that could fit on a finger, unless it was a weapon used by assassins.
‘······ring?’
Aaron was a man and she was a woman.
Socially, what would be the point of a man putting a ring on a woman’s head?
It occurred to me that in the imperial capital, it was common for a man to propose to a woman by putting a ring on her finger.
This was a very rational and intelligent thought in terms of social conventions.
‘······Isn’t it too fast?’
Nova repeated the situation several times with her eyes closed.
Every time that happened, the corners of my mouth would go up and my breath would come out to the sides.
‘······Was it that much?’
Big. Nova’s chin went up for no reason.
Of course, they were both getting older, but this was just too soon.
Of course, it can be seen as a much deeper relationship compared to a marriage that is arranged under a deal between parents···.
‘Still, this······.’
However, since Aaron was such an important figure to Cassadic, refusing him could have resulted in a huge loss for Cassadic.
As the secretary of Cassidy, it must have been truly embarrassing for Nova, who held the weight of that position.
‘No matter what······.’
Nova took a deep breath and opened her eyes.
Then he looked down and confirmed that it was on his finger.
What’s there is······.
It was a ring.
Yeah, the ring fits.
However, the problem was that it was a ring I had seen a lot of.
Nova blinked, wondering if something was wrong with her eyes. As if that wasn’t enough, she rubbed her eyes as well.
However, because I had eaten garlic a little while ago, my eyes suddenly became spicy.
Even when looking at it with tearful eyes, it was still…
The seal of the Pulphuts family was placed on Nova’s finger.
“That crazy guy.”
The harsh curses came out of Nova’s mouth quite naturally.
Nova’s face turned very red, perhaps because of the spicy taste of the garlic, and he hurriedly looked around.
Fortunately, there was no one there.
***
‘The Flying Baron would love that.’
As the castles began to lock their gates, it was clear that the upper-tiered Cassadic would become increasingly awkward as time went on.
Of course, the Cassadics were also self-sufficient, but it was only the bare minimum of food.
Moreover, as the situation in the East was in turmoil, there was a high possibility that the situation would worsen further.
At such an exquisite time, a prepared top appeared and offered to give him a share if he just stamped the seal, so it was no wonder that the Flying Baron was flying again.
Maybe I could break my previous flying height record.
‘I guess it’s a bit odd to call it the top…’
To begin with, this place was nothing special, even if you called it a top. The concept of a bank only existed in big cities, so most tops were similar to a guild of carriage drivers.
‘There was nothing but the top of the Gyarrot around here.’
There were no notable merchants except for the Garrot Merchant, owned by the family of Count Bonita.
Among the carriage drivers, there were some who talked about being the top, but it felt more like a club of carriage drivers than a top.
‘But the appearance of the upper class who received the noble seal.’
Here, the noble emblem had a special meaning. Since the nobles worked so hard to differentiate themselves from the commoners, the noble emblem was a proof of trust and a luxury logo.
Moreover, if it was the emblem of a noble family that owned a fief, it was like insurance against problems arising.
Of course, a commoner wouldn’t be able to raise an objection, but this is a place where it’s taken for granted that you’d get hit in the back of the head if you turned around, so even that much was appreciated.
Moreover, even though he was a baron, having a noble emblem gave him some flexibility even in these times of confinement.
In that sense, this top proposal was exquisite.
‘The more I think about it, the better the view seems.’
There were also cheap foreign workers ready, some of whom were too strong to be considered upper-class.
The reputation of the upper class of Gyarrot, which controlled this area, was not very good.
It is said that the upper class originally did a lot of dirty things, but I heard that among them, the upper class of Gyarot was particularly bad because they carried the Viscount Bonita of the Charlotte family.
No wonder the only one wandering around here is the Gyarrot top.
The cartmen said that the Gyarrots were very scary guys, but we had honest foreign workers.
I shook my head as I watched my slaves swing their swords at each other, saying they were bored.
Even if the knights came, there was no way there would be any force around to interfere with those guys. And there was no way they would mobilize the knights for the upper-level fight.
Moreover, since they were people who had been fighting over territory without being able to stop their bloodshed, it was clear that they would actually like it if there was trouble.
‘···Ignorant bastards.’
I shook my head and muttered.
“Arong! What happened?!”
Hannah, who was handing out ice-cold beer to foreign workers who would become upper-level workers in the future, asked while wiping the sweat from her forehead.
“I found the seal. Permission will be granted soon.”
“Wow! That’s fortunate. But it seems that the Lord is more careless than he appears. You lost your family seal…”
I scratched my cheek at Hannah’s small muttering.
Rather than being sloppy, it’s closer to ruining the children’s farming···.
“Eurya ryaryaryaryarya!”
“Kuh! Kuh!”
‘Can you do that as you wish?’
I turned my head to see the jumping Park Head and the Kanna climbing on top of him.
‘Have you given up now?’
In the past, Park Dae-gari would only come out over the wall at night as if he was watching the situation, but at some point, he started coming and going as if it was his own house.
Yesterday, on my way out, I also saw Park Dae-gari greeting the outer city guard.
‘It was definitely after the Park Daegari riot incident.’
The Flying Baron may have belatedly released the leash at the warning sign of Park Dae-gari’s health.
If not, then I won’t be able to get married anyway. It’s a do or die situation.
Although Kuobarou was in the middle of research, he had no choice but to be grouped with Kanna unless there was another way.
In that situation, there was no way to find a place to get married.
“Tsk tsk!”
Park Daegari placed the stone that Kanna had carved in front of the gate with a shout. His brute strength did not match his skinny appearance.
The sewer work could not begin yet because the sewer expert had not arrived yet.
Then, Park Daegari and Kanna immediately began work on repairing the castle wall.
Since the plan was to build an additional layer in front of the wall without destroying it, there was no need to stop it.
It was more constructive than having the sky sprinkle lightning that resembled me or suddenly have a heavy snowfall.
‘The castle is becoming more and more splendid.’
Kanna’s work speed using Park Daegari’s mana was beyond imagination, and the level was already rising.
The other side had been renovated by Kanna before, so once it was completed, the castle would look quite splendid.
“What a wonderful woman! What is your secret?”
Brock Lesnar, whose body was covered in blood due to the sparring, asked Park Dae-gari.
“Ah, that… eating a lot of meat! And… carrying a lot of stones! And….”
Park Daegari answered with all his heart, but the content was truly like Park Daegari.
“Meat and stones… Thank you. Strong woman.”
Perhaps because he had seen Park’s incredible strength, Brock Lesnar seemed convinced.
‘The walls are newly built, and the upper section will soon open… It’s cruising.’
I looked around and nodded.
Cassidy’s transformation was quite fun to watch, as it felt like the upgrade button had been pressed.
With a few swings of the fist, the stocks were growing rapidly.
***
The top progressed quickly, as if it had been prepared.
The buildings surrounding the existing bar were demolished to create a large area for the upper level.
He was a collaboration between Nova and Hannah. It seemed like he paid a good price, as the existing guys were laughing and watching their house collapse.
There, Brock Lesnar brought the wagon and Nova gave him the wagon, and the upper part was roughly formed.
The series of events was so smooth and quick that the top was completed the day after the lord’s permission was granted.
Of course, even though it was the upper level, it was nothing more than moving supplies between castles, but it was a place where wild beasts and monsters would pop out when bored, so that alone was quite salty.
“Wool and oil… uh, that. The ones sold at Karzan will be more expensive. And the lord…”
Nova, who came out for the first time in a long time, told Hannah about this and that.
‘Google is going under the Flying Baron…’
I looked at Google, which was attached to Nova like an assistant, while scratching the ball.
Google was asking for a favor from that weird guy who used to follow me around. It seemed like they were going to send him on this trip with them.
“When you go to the Karzan branch, our situation will be kept secret. Things have been resolved well, and you have contacted Lord Pulpouts, so ask for additional information for him. If possible······.”
“Yes, yes. Of course. I’m Gillian, who eats two pieces of bread in the morning.”
“···What did I just say?”
“Now that things have been resolved, give me the information that will allow me to continue my connection with Lord Fullputs, you rascals.”
“······Should we leave out the rest of the words?”
“Huh? I can’t see my wisdom teeth!”
“Here it is. Wisdom tooth. This bastard···.”
The relationship between the two seemed quite good.
‘From the top to the intelligence agency? Flying Baron, I haven’t seen you like that, but you’re very ambitious.’
In addition, the sewer and wall repairs were in progress, so it was developing at a speed incomparable to other castles.
Although he was lacking in the most important articles, he was a relative giant.
Compared to the Fener family, there were many knights, and since they had recently started training again, their skills were not bad.
There were clear signs that the Cassadic stake previously received as compensation was about to hit its upper limit.
All the guys walking around looked like arrows pointing upwards.
“Does the first target have to be Karzan? Karzan is a city and an imperial official, so the Pulpouts family’s emblem is unlikely to work. First, let’s make our name known in other places…”
Nova’s cold voice broke my thoughts. Nova had been feeling depressed ever since I returned the seal last time.
“Oh, trust the Honorable Mention. Orange.”
I shook my head solemnly as I looked at Nova. Nova frowned, but backed off without saying anything.
Karzan was suitable as the first to ascend because he had the greatest blood ties among blood ties, regional ties, and school ties. When he dealt with the Lone Wolf leader, he splashed blood all over Dante’s face, forming a very strong blood ties.
‘The problem is the upward movement···.’
Brock Lesnar was a foreign worker, so his speech was a bit rough, but he wasn’t stupid.
He had commanded troops in the kingdom and later led mercenary forces in the empire, so he was more than capable of running a merchant fleet.
It seemed like it would be okay to leave the upper run to them until a better star was brought in.
‘Was he the sixth star?’
I scratched my temple and thought about the list of slaves I would recruit later.
The sixth star, who was best friends with Choco but had a completely different personality, seemed like a smart person who would be suitable for operating the top.
“You know you have to be careful about your actions in the Empire, right?”
I stopped thinking about the guys lined up in front of me.
“I know, Master. [The Imperial bastards are pure cowards. They run away as soon as they make eye contact with me.]”
Brock Lesnar answered fluently in the language of the Kingdom of Byzant.
It had been a long time since I heard it, so it took me a while to understand.
‘There’s no way I wouldn’t run away after seeing you…’
Brock Lesnar was objectively a very handsome man.
But the problem was his body below his face. Brock Lesnar had a head as small as a great beauty, but his body was as small as a tavern.
If he had a fierce appearance and a huge muscular body like that, it would have ended up being a threat.
But the small, beautiful face attached to the huge, muscular body created a grotesque chimera-like appearance.
That imbalance, like a composite, evoked an instinctive fear in the viewer.
‘The top of the gyro can be folded···.’
I’ll probably handle it well, but since it’s my first time on the road, I need to be a little more careful. There’s a saying that goes, “The first step is the last step.”
“[Draw your sword only when absolutely necessary.]”
I took out the language from my memory and put it into my mouth.
“[When needed?]”
“[When there is a dispute first, or when aiming for the top item.]”
“Okay, master.”
Brock Lesnar’s large trapezius muscles moved as he nodded, which was quite reliable.
“[Until the sand cools.]”
Brock Lesnar raises his fist as he takes out the desert salute.
It was a greeting derived from the hot sand that cooled down when the desert warriors died from their blood. It roughly meant that they would work hard enough to vomit blood.
I looked at him for a moment, then smiled bitterly and held out my fist.
“[Until the sand cools.]”
Brock Lesnar, who received him, turned around.
“[We’re going on a mission!!]”
They cheered and thumped my chest muscles like monkeys. I thought they misunderstood something, but they were so passionate that I thought it was okay.
“Arong, what language was that just now?”
Hannah asked quietly from the side.
I looked into those eyes for a moment, and then I smiled bitterly at the sand-bitten expression I saw reflected in those eyes.
“It’s just the language used by ignorant people.”
Hannah’s face crumpled subtly, but she quickly smiled again.
“But what does the shout at the end mean? Something feels unsettling······.”
Nova asked, looking at the cheering guys with his eyes wide open.
“[Let’s go on a campaign! Let’s go on a campaign!! Let’s cool the ground with the blood of the imperial bastards!]”
Looking at Nova’s worried face, I thought it would be better not to know, so I didn’t answer.
‘It’s just a simple delivery, so there shouldn’t be any problems.’
I took a sip of the beer in my hand.
***
It’s been a few days since the top went on its first expedition… no, its first ascent.
I was watching the checkpoint with Berman.
Drumroll.
Next to me, a stray dog was snoring softly as it slept. Traces of a completely eaten cake were left around it.
I laid a cloth around the gate in a place where it was not visible from the outside but got plenty of sunlight, and the lungs quickly lay down.
I wondered how he could be an inquisitor, but when a visitor appeared, he got up naturally as if he had never slept and went through the inspection together, so there was no major problem.
There was a clear trace of cake on the corner of her mouth, but it was very minor.
After the inspection was over, Lunggyeop lay down curled up on the bed. He slept so fast that I could hear him snoring as soon as he laid down.
‘······There is no such thing as a waste of money.’
He clicked his tongue as he looked at the lungs that had been cut with a large sword like a pillow.
As with all people who are in remote areas that could be called places of exile, Pyeop was a true bone Pyeop among them.
“Captain, something is coming.”
At Berman’s words, I stood up and dusted myself off. I hid the water bottle I was drinking from in my arms. It was almost empty, so I thought I would have to refill it after this inspection.
The old man was standing next to me with his usual blank expression, as if he had never slept before.
However, the red marks and cake traces left on the ball proved the power of the lung.
The man whose eyes met mine nodded, but the strange gaze that seemed to be looking at a comrade was very irritating.
I nodded, pointing to the corner of my mouth. Then Lunggeup swept his finger around my mouth and put it in his mouth.
At that time, I saw people coming closer.
Horses clad in white armor, and inquisitors riding on them. And there were people wearing armor I had never seen before.
They surrounded the huge white carriage as if protecting it.
Behind the white carriage were people who appeared to be priests.
It was a large force rarely seen in such remote areas.
‘White carriage?’
The white carriage was the symbol of the church.
Those guarding in front were clearly the Inquisitors.
Among the Inquisitors was a type of armor I had never seen before, and it seemed like the Inquisitors were following his orders.
If you are a higher-ranking heretic inquisitor…
‘The Knights Templar?’
Even the famous Knights Templar were mixed in. It was a huge force, as if the Pope had come, but I heard a separate story.
‘I guess it’s a cardinal. I thought it would be later.’
It was much earlier than I had told you above. I quickly shook off my cape, placed my right hand on my forehead, and gestured to Berman.
Berman quickly ran back, opened the gate wide, and rushed inside, panting.
If he was a cardinal, he was the last man standing in the hierarchy’s cartel.
‘There’s going to be chaos.’
As the procession drew closer, the sense of oppression grew stronger.
Even at a rough estimate, it was close to thirty.
At this point, it could be seen as a declaration of war against heresy.
but···.
‘···What is this smell?’
The delicious smell and the urge to eat that grew stronger as the procession drew closer.
I rolled my tongue around in my mouth and watched the approaching procession.
The sweetness came from the carriage at the very center, where it seemed to contain the most precious person.
What that meant was clear.
‘······The Cardinal or his associates are the devil’s candy.’
My mind became complicated after coming to a conclusion.
The procession was drawing nearer. Although the opponents were not nobles, they were of a higher status than them.
I bowed my head and waited for the other person to pass by.
But contrary to expectations, the procession stopped in front.
Did he recognize me? He raised his head and slightly turned his right hand, which was on his forehead.
A man wearing armor with silver and white detailing, presumably a Knight Templar, was looking down at me.
There was a wastebasket there. When I glanced over, I saw that the wastebasket had the face of a runaway teenager who had been caught in a PC room.
“Joanna.”
The helmet was pressed down so I couldn’t see who it was, but the cold voice that seemed to be handing down a sentence was clearly a woman’s.
“You still haven’t come to your senses.”
The woman who spoke in a cold voice lifted the front of the helmet.
The helmet rose smoothly like the door of a luxury foreign car, revealing a face that looked remarkably like a lung.
Judging from the way she was treated, it was clear that the woman was above the level of the old man, but on the contrary, the woman looked younger than the old man. She felt like a miniature of the old man.
Even though the height was reduced to the point where it was shorter than Hannah’s, it was still shorter than hers.
“···Sister.”
The face of the old man who faced him became even more wrinkled than when he had eaten the fish bread.
‘You’re really my sister?’
Regardless of my true feelings, I habitually looked at the guys in front of me.
There were quite a few of them, so my head started to hurt a little, but it was something they did on the battlefield.
When preparing for an unexpected situation, examine their weapons, their length, and the marks they show when riding a horse.
“I am Johelia of the Knights Templar. Who are you?”
His eyes were cold and looked exactly like a sack, but they were completely different. His eyes had the authoritative look that only high-ranking nobles had.
‘Looking at the surname Jo, I guess they are sisters.’
I looked at him and nodded slightly.
Suddenly, I wondered where the Mr. Cho was, but I held back because the cold gaze of the mini-luggage seemed to not understand humor.
Knock. My right hand wiggled between my forehead and shoulder, slightly turned to where it would grip the sword hilt.
