204
boots
“There are rumours that a rebellion will break out in the capital during the coronation ceremony. What action should we take in response to this…?”
Pulpouts blinked at the unexpected report.
The thought caught up with him for a moment. He took a deep breath and slowly recalled the story he had just heard.
‘A rebellion during the coronation… It happens every time.’
Rebellions, big or small, had occurred at every coronation. Given that, it was certain that one would occur at this coronation as well.
Moreover, if you listen to the information, it is clear that the empire has weakened.
It would have been strange if no rebellion had occurred.
‘I see. This didn’t happen because Aaron went to the capital.’
No matter how many times I repeated it, the feeling of discomfort did not go away.
If a rebellion were to break out, Vivian in the capital would likely be involved.
‘No. How long has it been since we set off that we’ve already arrived in the capital?’
As he muttered, Pulpouts remembered that Aaron had been away for a few days and had returned from the capital.
There may be some way to get to the capital quickly.
In the case of royal knights, they rode wyverns, and some nobles used horses that were crossbred with orcs…
The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became.
“What are you going to do?”
Then Nova asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
In response to Nova’s question, Pulpouts closed his eyes tightly and took stock of the situation.
‘Someone has spread rumors of a rebellion. If it has reached this far east, it must be intentional.’
Pulpout continued his thoughts, habitually fiddling with his pipe.
‘Who spread it and with what intention?’
First of all, there was no way the rebels would have spread it. That would have raised the imperial family’s alarm.
If so, would the royal family have spread the rumor?
Pulpouts shook his head.
It didn’t fit with the royal family until now.
‘······Then does that mean there is a third party?’
Pulpouts put the pipe in his mouth and took a drag.
‘This is a truly radical waterway.’
There was no way to guess what would happen in the capital.
“···Your Majesty?”
At Nova’s call, Pulpouts opened his eyes.
Nova, who never rushed, was asking again. Looking at his worried face, it seemed that Aaron was very worried.
‘···Are you worried about him?’
Pulpouts shook his head slightly.
Who cares about whom?
If I needed help, I would have contacted you.
It was Aaron who had saved Cassidy and Vivian several times before.
Now I had to trust him.
Fullfoot turned his thoughts in another direction.
The entire continent was in an uproar at the news of the rebellion.
This was an opportunity.
“How far did the rumor spread?”
“We were the first to get in touch with it in the neighborhood. Other lords will be in touch with it soon.”
Pulpouts snapped his fingers to collect his thoughts.
‘······Opportunity.’
It seemed like I could use the letters I had been collecting faster than I thought.
Fortunately, it was a bit of a waste to spend money on those pigs anyway.
“Send a reply to the letter they sent.”
“What should I write?”
At Nova’s question, Fullputs opened his mouth while staring at the guild leader across from him.
“I, Baron Pulpouts, denounce the tyranny of the Empire, its excessive taxes, and its immoral behavior– that should suffice. Oh, and may I add, dear comrades-?”
Fullfoot nodded.
If I sent them a letter like this at a time like this, they would all come running in a panic.
“You’re putting too many numbers in a row.”
The guild leader said in a trembling voice.
Looking at the bastard’s face, I thought I knew his intentions.
The walls of Cassidy were thick, and their upper levels provided ample storage of material.
Plus-.
“You are not in Cassidy.”
Pulpouts turned his gaze at the guild leader’s tongue-clicking sound.
‘···For now, I have to trust him and do what I have to do.’
I felt quite relieved when I thought of his huge size, his fierce face, and his inherent ignorance.
If it’s Aaron, he can even beat the emperor…
Pulpouts shook his head hurriedly to shake off his thoughts.
“Then I guess I should prepare to welcome the guests.”
Everyone moved busily at Pulpouts’ gesture.
***
“···older brother.”
The weasel called me with a very serious face.
The corners of the eyes of the guy who had already gone up were higher than usual.
“why.”
“There’s that kid, you know? The guy called the next Matapju.”
“Uh. Bababa.”
“Huh? Babat? Well anyway, that kid has a strong feeling.”
The weasel said, scratching my head with the back of his dagger.
‘···What is this kid?’
Then I folded the paper I was holding at an angle.
“There’s something creepy about the way he looks at Kanna. I think we should get rid of him.”
The weasel spoke with full confidence.
I always knew that the weasel had a keen sense of smell, but this time it was even sharper.
‘···Since I came to the capital, I’ve only been following Kanna around.’
The weasel continued to stay around Kanna because there were all sorts of people in the capital. He even slept in front of Kanna and Park’s room.
As I paid more attention to Kanna, my intuition seemed to have become sharper.
‘What on earth do you want to be when you grow up?’
I clicked my tongue at the sight of the weasel.
“You may not believe me, but I’m really sharp when it comes to that kind of thing. That kid’s definitely got something going for him.”
The weasel kept swinging his dagger and explaining why he was a cub. The reason was that he was thick-skinned.
“I get it.”
“······Do you trust me?”
As I nodded, the weasel suddenly started to cry.
“Until now, everyone else just ignored me, saying I was too sensitive… But as expected, you are….”
The weasel started babbling something. I let him go in one ear and tapped the paper.
Killing a wizard varied greatly in difficulty depending on the situation.
If you met a wizard on the street, it would be easier to kill him than a knight. Wizards didn’t wear thick armor like knights, so they were easy prey.
Even if it was defended with magic, its durability was not very high. It could be torn apart even before the tenants could move in.
But if a wizard is in my nest, the difficulty increases exponentially.
The magician who surrounded my treasure trove with a magic circle like when I was a guinea pig was extremely angry.
Plus, he seemed to be a higher level than Kuabarou.
It might not have been impossible now, but there was a possibility of attracting attention. That was the last option.
The best thing was to meet in a quiet, secluded place with few people.
For him, becoming friendly was a priority.
I glanced away.
Bababa and the others were gathered together, and among them were two of the guys on the list. A total of three people were tied together.
The guys were watching the Kua Ba Rou while carrying their backpacks on their backs.
In contrast to the leisurely crowd, the Kua Ba Rou side was very noisy.
Kua Baorou continued to shout, and the other magicians were supporting him. The heat was no less than that of a decent blacksmith shop.
I frowned as I looked at Kuabarou holding the magic book in his hand. For some reason, it seemed like he was holding the magic book with great care.
“Look. That kid is still looking at Kanna. Are you- feeling it?”
The weasel snarled, twirling his dagger.
How can a piece of shit like that avoid the next Matapju?
‘I think he might do better.’
Certainly, the weasel’s ability to kill the presence of others was excellent. I don’t know why, but the weasel’s ability to kill the back of the head was expert.
“Okay, let’s do it.”
The weasel looked back at me with round eyes.
“The most important thing in a magic circle is stability and fixation. First, create a magic circle that focuses on that, and then induce mana onto it······.”
At that moment, Kuobarou shouted as if he was going to spit out blood.
The bastard’s face was extremely pale, but his eyes were alive.
Although he looked quite trustworthy, the hand holding the magic book felt uneasy.
At that moment, Bababa caught attention by coughing awkwardly.
“Well, I hope the magic circle transplant experiment is finished before the succession ceremony. The succession ceremony is an opportunity to report directly to the crown prince and raise the status of the White Magic Tower.”
Bababa, who had caught everyone’s attention, spoke in a solemn voice.
The guys next to me nodded. Some even awkwardly complimented me, saying, “That’s a great plan!”
On the other hand, the magicians on the Kuabarou side became confused. It was a natural reaction since the deadline had been shortened immediately.
However, no one contradicted what he said.
Except for one person.
“You’re talking nonsense. Carving a magic circle into your body requires extreme detail, understanding, and sensitivity. It’ll take at least a week, and you’re asking me to do that with a succession ceremony? You’re talking about a pierced mouth….”
The atmosphere quickly became tense due to Kuobarou’s sharp words.
The surrounding wizards took a quick step back, taking notice.
Bababa looked blank for a moment, not knowing he would receive such a sharp rejection. He coughed and changed his expression.
“Well, I guess you misunderstood because I spoke softly. This is not a request, it’s an order.”
Bababa, who had come to his senses, spoke in a firm voice.
“Haha. I guess I don’t know my place, because I’m afraid I’ll be called the guy who killed my parents.”
“Tsk, why don’t you go on a business trip during that year?”
The people around him chimed in one by one.
The atmosphere turned sharp towards Kuabarou, but-.
Kuobarou was a guy who didn’t lose his spirit even after getting beaten by me.
As I expected, Kua Bao Rou opened his mouth right away.
“I thought they were the ones who got terrible grades in magic circle classes during their academy days, so they got together and talked nonsense······.”
I quickly covered Kuo Bao Rou’s mouth. Kuo Bao Rou’s eyes crinkled. I looked at him and shook my head slightly.
“Who is it?”
Bababa looked at me and asked, as if he hadn’t expected me to step forward.
I thought for a moment about a philosophical question I’ve been getting a lot lately.
How should I introduce myself to him?
It would be easier to deal with him if you introduced him as a noble.
If the wizards were nobles, they would have died quickly.
However, it had to have no connection to the guy, and it definitely had to be someone who wasn’t here.
In addition, it had to be possible to guarantee identity.
There was only one conclusion.
“Nice to meet you. I am Baron Fullfoot.”
I extended my hand generously.
“···A noble?”
The wizards looked at me with disbelief, as if they couldn’t believe me.
Bababa looked at me with eyes full of suspicion and did not take my hand.
Faced with their distrust, I took out the letter of appointment I had kept and unfolded it.
Bababa turned his head to the side.
I clicked my tongue for a moment at the stupid sight, then realized I had heard it backwards.
I turned the letter over and showed it to him again.
“Are you really a noble?”
“···That kind of savage is a nobleman?!”
Only then did the medieval bastards burst into amazement.
“······father?!”
Park Dae-gari’s stupid mutterings were ignored.
***
“Haha, I really didn’t know. He didn’t have any escorts and he was so manly···.”
Bababa said with an awkward smile.
When I mentioned the name of Baron Fullfoot, the wizards became very friendly. I was even able to have a private meeting with the next Magic Tower Lord.
‘···It must be because of the money.’
I muttered, looking at the bastard’s awkward smile.
After all, magicians cost a lot of money. Since Magic Tower is a place where magicians gather, it must be especially sensitive to money.
In this era, nobility was a kind of label for the rich.
Of course, not all nobles were rich, but most of them owned land.
Because of that relationship, wizards liked nobles.
When I showed him the letter of appointment, his attitude softened somewhat, but there was still suspicion in his eyes.
“I’ve liked to take action since I was little. To the point where crushing orc heads is my hobby! Only cowards should have bodyguards!”
I pretended to straighten my posture and shouted loudly. To me, a modern person, pretending to be noble was like chewing gum on cold porridge.
“Breaking an orc’s head… haha! You’re manly. You’re different from those who hunt deer! You’re a real man!”
The guy let out an awkward compliment.
What should I show him?…
‘He has a lot of money, but he lives in a remote area and doesn’t know much about the world. Yes, he’s a fool.’
I had to look like a sweetheart that he couldn’t pass up.
If you do that, you will have the opportunity to have a lively conversation with them in a secret place where no one will know even if they die.
“this···.”
As the guy was about to open his mouth, I quickly raised my hand. Since ancient times, nobles were supposed to say only what they wanted to say.
“I mean, I recently started a business, and it’s going so well, isn’t it? It’s giving me a headache trying to save money!”
It was an unexpected boast, but it was a very aristocratic behavior.
“I see. You’re a top… You’ve started a really good business. It must have been hard to get started at the top, but I can see you have great resources.”
The eyes of the boy with jaundice became oily.
It was a guy who took the bait more easily than I thought.
“Haha! Of course! I’m telling you this only, but the secret is to smash the heads of all the other top guys who are presumptuously doing business in my territory!”
I laughed heartily again. The guy blinked for a moment.
“That······That’s right! Since ancient times, if you eliminate your competitor, you get to eat everything!”
The face of a strangely drowsy guy.
It was time to bring some atmosphere.
“···You just said we were competitors?”
I hardened my face and clenched my fists.
“···?”
Then a look of confusion appeared on the guy’s face.
It seemed like he had no idea where he had made a mistake.
The more I got angry, the more the doubt on his face disappeared.
However, he showed no sign of fear. He was actually higher in rank than the nobleman of the frontier, Pulphuts, and this was his territory, so it was natural.
“Why is that?”
The words of a shortened guy.
I laughed heartily at that.
“Haha! Baron Fullfoots has no rivals! How can Baron Fullfoots have a rival!”
As I swung my fist, the guy’s expression changed from moment to moment.
The conversation continued in a similar vein. I kept bragging, and the guy listened quietly and nodded.
By the time we finished our long conversation, he had the look in his eyes that I wanted.
It was a look that looked at a hot-blooded fool.
“Although I can’t change the timing, I will invest the maximum manpower of the White Tower in Youngae. What kind of relationship do we have?”
The man carrying the bundle of gold coins stared at me with sparkling eyes.
I spent quite a lot of gold, but it didn’t matter because I planned on getting it back.
‘Seeing as you can’t delay the timing, I guess you want to show off to the royal family.’
I looked at that guy and nodded.
“It was a good conversation! Bababa!”
“This is Babat.”
“Yeah! Bababa!”
I gave the bastard a hard pat on the shoulder and left the room.
It was a noble and antique gait.
‘Baron Fullfoot… It was my father’s fault that Youngae was stupid.’
Babat’s eyes sparkled as he watched her back.
***
“Father! Father! Go quickly!”
“······dad.”
I scratched my beard, looking at the pleasureless responsibilities.
Park Daegari and Kanna had been insisting on going on a trip to the capital, so they left the tower.
Although his close friend Bababa offered to provide him with an escort, the manly Baron Fullputs considered it an insult to be escorted.
Perhaps because they were bored with being on the roof, the two buckets of different heights jumped up and down excitedly.
“···father.”
“What are you?”
“Ahh! Why only me···”
The weasel grumbled, tears streaming down his face. I giggled and followed the bucket.
At first, I thought it was simple. Kanna and Park Daegari had been doing experiments all day, so they probably didn’t have much stamina.
I thought that if I walked around for a bit, I would get tired and want to go back.
“Father! Father! This is delicious! This is absolutely delicious!”
I shook my head, looking at the sparkling eyes of the park head through the buckets.
‘What kind of stamina···.’
I was more tired than I had been after fighting with a sword all day. It seemed easier to just have a clean fight with the demon.
The weasel, with a tired look on its face, was following Kanna around like a zombie.
Kanna and Park’s heads were still jumping around.
The two continued to chatter. The country bumpkins were really happy to have come to the capital, so they clicked their tongues and walked on again.
The two of them were surprisingly strong-willed, as they picked up something and ate it again and again.
After wandering around for a while, I went to a stand selling masks and bought something suitable.
When I handed it over to Park Daegari, Park Daegari asked if I had anything for Kanna.
“I like this. Khuu!”
Kanna, who had knocked on my bucket, raised both arms.
“I’ll just use this too… I’m really sorry!”
Park Daegari looked at Kanna, thought for a moment, then bowed his head deeply and apologized.
I waved my hand lightly.
“It’s okay. I can use it.”
“···That’s pink······But still! Thank you so much for your concern!”
Park Daegari let out a strangely uneasy exclamation. He bowed deeply again and ran towards Kanna, who was picking up something to eat.
The weasel approached stealthily.
The guy was wearing a mask with a goblin picture on it.
“Brother, it’s okay. It was always- Dad, Dad, and then······ Aaaah!! It hurts!!”
The weasel that had been hit on the head quickly ran away.
I chuckled at the stupid back view.
“What is this?”
“It’s a tool to measure strength, so if you rank high, you get a prize! Haha!”
This time we stopped at a place where some mean looking guy was doing business.
It was a simple tool, a hammer covered in handprints and a large iron bar, but I was quite familiar with it.
It was something I often did when I drank alcohol in the old mercenary unit. I guess men like to show off their strength. That’s why I did it a few times.
“Strength! Strength! Father!”
It was very burdensome for Park Dae-gari to keep calling me father, but I couldn’t say anything because it was my fault.
“Dad is the best when it comes to strength!”
Thanks to Kanna’s enthusiastic response, I was already holding a hammer.
It was a simple tool that would raise the iron behind it when the disc was struck.
“Brother, you’re quite big! If you play well, you can go up here too!”
The grim man pointed to the spot next to me, where there were three wooden plaques lined up with names written on them.
Among them, the name written at the very bottom caught my eye.
[I don’t know how to write, so you write it for me! Hahaha!]
Gozakai. I laughed out loud at that stupid name.
‘Gartahan, Hermann.’
The names written above were names I had heard of.
There couldn’t be a human stronger than Gorgai, so he had to be a demon or a knight. Or his parents were trolls.
“Watch carefully. It’s the best.”
He smiled bitterly at the clattering Kanna and fixed his hammer.
I adjusted the strength of my hand while checking the height engraved on the side.
thud!
The hammer rose upward with a clean sound.
Kanna’s round eyes were visible through the buckets.
“They’re the same height! This is a first for me. Hmm… Usually, only three people are paired together….”
When I gave a silver coin to the troubled, sullen man, his face brightened.
I laughed as I looked at the wooden planks of grass put side by side next to the gozai.
“Are you… a noble? Oh my- I didn’t recognize you-. This is the first time in my life that I’ve seen a noble with such great power!”
I waved my hand roughly at the guy who was trembling and spouting out weird compliments.
at that time.
“I guess Dad’s not feeling well! It’s okay! Kanna! I’ll get the prize!”
Park Dae-gari, who had become much more courageous, stepped forward.
Because her appearance was that of a typical noble girl, she was met with soft ridicule from all sides.
I looked around with a friendly smile on my face, and soon it became quiet.
Then Park Dae-gari awkwardly raised the hammer and-.
Kwaaang-!
The sledgehammer pierced through and flew upward.
I burst out laughing at the sight of Kanna running away with a big smile, the weasel slowly backing away, and the stupid looks on the faces of the onlookers.
“Wow! A keg of Oak Beer! You like beer, right?! It’s a gift!”
Park Dae-gari smiled brightly and held out a barrel the size of my body.
The cork on the cask was open. It seemed as if they had hastily made a product that was not there. It was similar back then.
“Hey-. I guess I’m unlucky-.”
The gruff man grumbled as he took out two wooden sticks and threw them to one side.
I looked at the worn wooden board for a moment, then shook my head and accepted the cask.
It was clear that it was something light in weight.
***
“······A prophet! A prophet!”
This time the two buckets stopped in front of a strange tent.
“Be brave! Be brave!”
“···!!”
“Ahem… aren’t prophets people who only appear in legends?”
It seemed difficult to stop him, seeing as his six eyes were sparkling.
‘···If it was Yong, there would have been a lot of people.’
I nodded with a small sigh.
“Only one at a time.”
The guy in front of the tent stopped the buckets from rushing in.
“You go first.”
Just in case, I sent the weasel in first. The weasel with a solemn expression disappeared into the tent.
After some time had passed, the weasel came out again with a very angry face.
“I can’t get it forever!”
I was struck once by the resentful voice.
Next was Park Daegari. Park Daegari went inside, rattling buckets.
The expression on Park Daegari’s face that appeared a moment later was mysterious. He seemed to be trying to smile, but his face was strangely powerless.
‘You asked about my mother.’
I habitually guessed at him.
Next, Kanna came in. I stood in front of the tent entrance, adjusting the handle of my sword.
The man guarding the front of the tent looked up at me with bewildered eyes.
‘I’m not the type of person to use my body.’
I looked inside and examined the guy.
After a while, Kanna came out. Judging from the way the corners of her lips were twitching, it seemed like she had heard a pretty good story.
When I asked him about it, he said it was a secret because he would be reviled if he told anyone else.
As I was about to pay, I heard a voice from inside.
“Come in instead of paying.”
It was a voice I had heard before.
‘Devil Candy Meeting, that’s him.’
He turned the sword around so that it was easy to draw and went inside.
***
‘Ah… finally.’
Hans tried to suppress his ecstasy as he watched Aaron coming in.
How tired I was of the routine.
Aaron’s sunken eyes moved quickly. Even his hand, which was naturally placed on the hilt of the sword as if touching his waistband-.
The moment even the slightest misstep occurred, I felt like my neck was going to fly away.
“We meet again.”
Hans touched his mask at the thick voice mixed with laughter.
“yes.”
As I nodded, Aaron sat down across from me.
Those unblinking yellow eyes that seem to be examining his own mind, his legs spread out to the side for easy drawing of the sword.
It seemed like he was looking for an excuse to kill.
‘Is this what it looks like?’
Hans raised the corners of his mouth at the murderous atmosphere that felt different from the time of Cassadic.
“Yes, a prophet.”
“Yes, only one question is allowed.”
“How rude.”
“It takes quite a bit of effort.”
Hans shook his head at the playful answer.
After a brief silence, Aaron slowly opened his thick lips.
What kind of questions will be asked?
Hans’ heart beat faster at the sight of Muji, whom he had not seen in a long time.
“Who are you?”
His question was different from what Hans expected.
There is a prophet in front of you who can answer anything, so why are you asking such a thing?
Hans covered his mouth for a moment and laughed.
“That won’t do.”
Does our reunion have to be this cool?
Then Aaron flapped his hand. Knock knock. The sound of the sword hilt being tapped seemed to squeeze Hans’ heart.
Unlike before, I didn’t feel alive at all, but I had a feeling that my heart would be ripped out at any moment.
This was an instinct, not a prophecy.
“···I have a lot of friends.”
Hans quickly added to that.
Knock knock.
Aaron whetted his appetite.
Hans’ eyebrows furrowed at the indifferent reaction.
Since there was no response, I got more impatient than I had planned.
Hans, who thought Aaron did not understand, added a detailed explanation.
“If you have any questions, I can tell you. Even the results of the hottest rebellion recently.”
After Hans swallowed three times, Aaron’s mouth opened.
However, this time again it was an unexpected question.
“What’s the weather like that day?”
I couldn’t understand why he was asking such a thing, but the question had already been asked.
“···It’s going to rain. And it’s going to rain very hard.”
Hans answered with a soft sigh.
“Then I guess I should wear boots.”
After saying something incomprehensible, Aaron stood up without any hesitation.
At the sight of Aaron leaving the tent, Hans felt dizzy for a moment and his vision flickered.
Beyond the distorted vision, the capital city was in disarray.
Aaron, lying face down in a pitiful state-.
He wasn’t wearing boots.
