Chapter 127 (2/2)
“But to get the most out of the effects, more work needs to be done… I suppose I’ll do it when the rest get back from the Sauron Duchy,” Vandalieu decided
“Yeah, yeah, that’s a good idea,” said Orbia
In the co days, the previously stone-colored royal castle of Talosheim was painted artistically, and the unrearde style
『The levels of the Mental Encroachment and Golem Transmutation skills have increased!』
Baron Cuoco Ragdeas likely doing his best to put on a sullen expression
In fact, Iris could see his effort in the wrinkle between his brows… though the effort had no effect, as his cheeks were red with excite his saliva that was overfloith anticipation
“Iris Bearheart-dono I would like you to understand my position as well I have been placed in a very… very, difficult position,” Cuoco said in a voice that was suppressing so
He had a slightly rectangular contour and his hairline was receding slightly, but his features could be described as well-ordered enough He was looking at Iris with his eyes filled with blazing desire
“Of course,” Iris said, nodding “I and everyone in the Sauron Liberation front understand your efforts and sincerity, Cuoco-dono It can only be described as fortunate that we have gained the cooperation of such an understanding nobleman of the Amid Empire as yourself”
Baron Cuoco Ragdeas not a nobledom, nor was he a subordinate of the late Duke Sauron He was one of the noblemen who had been dispatched by the Amid E it
The Ragdew house of barons was a rising farandfather had been an adventurer and had been allowed by a family of barons whose bloodline had ended to hter fro the family of barons
In the Aly authoritarian views, such families were disdained and insulted as ‘a bloodline of a lowly adventurer,’ with the exception of special cases like the Thunderclap Schneider
And thanks to a certain bad habit that had continued since Cuoco’s grandfather’s era, his entire family had been sent to the Sauron Duchy, the frontline of the battle against the Orbau a military family, where policies for occupation were still unstable
That was Cuoco’s background, but he wasn’t cooperating with the resistance, the Sauron Liberation Front, because he harbored a particular spirit of rebellion against the Empire
The continuous bad habit of his family That was the reason
“I still have not received a fordodew family of barons will carry on I swear it on my life,” Iris said
“Oh no, of course, I aroup, Iris-dono After all, I consider the fact that you have toldthat you should normally keep hidden, to be a sy “Bonds of trust are cultivated through repeated exchanges with good faith Is that not right?”
“… Of course, I am aware of this,” said Iris She covered her eyes and extended a hand towards her belt – or rather, towards the s from it, and placed it on the table
Normally, such a bottle would contain a Potion of some sort, but the contents of the bottle were no Potion
“Oh, this, this is it!” Unable to hold hier, Cuoco reached out for the s beast, pulled out the cork stopper and poured the contents onto his palm
He let out a noise of wonderm-like viscosity, dripped from the bottle
“Oh, this color, this fragrance, I cannot have enough of this!”
And then he licked the fluid with his tongue! Normally, the head of a noble family would have someone test it for poison, but Cuoco possessed the Poison Resistance skill at a high level, so he had no hesitation
And Cuoco was displaying his intoxication at the sweetness that rance that filled his nose He even took no notice of the saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth
“Wonderful… I have sampled Ent Syrup refined from Ent sap on numerous occasions, but this is truly extraordinary The rich sweetness, the srance This is truly the nectar of the heavens!”
“… It seehtly exasperated tone as she stared at the head of the Ragdew faluttony that ruined the family in the Empire
Cuoco’s grandfather’san adventurer had been the truly sis!” Even after he became an honorary baron, his appetite and passion for delicious food hadn’t grown any weaker in his son or grandson, and now in, Cuoco’s generation, the family had repeatedly fallen into debt
Nordew fa deep into debt would mean the end of the house However, Cuoco did have exceptional randfather, and he possessed a capable private armed force as well as close relationshi+ps with adventurers
Cuoco lance to be a stubborn bureaucratic nobleman, but because he was actually friendly, wasn’t concerned with the relative social positions of others, had no interest whatsoever in power struggles and was only interested in delicious food, he was an individual as completely free of conspiracy
Thus, the work that his private ar delicious eons, and buying ingredients fro food ingredients as well
An employer that would be difficult to offer your whole life to, but was friendly orking for him for a short period of time That was Cuoco
Thus, in exchange for erasing his debt, his whole family and his private armed force had been moved to the Sauron Duchy
It was certainly fortunate that a baron ould discard his own nation for the sake of delicious food had been successfully teoods provided by Vandalieu
Every time we have this conversation, we acquire quite a lot of infor, however
“My subordinates are in possession of bottles containing this syrup,” Iris said “This is a syratitude to you, Baron”
“Ah, Iris-dono, the food that you provide is wonderful as usual But where in the world do you acquire such products?” Cuoco asked “This syrup is even finer in quality than what can be obtained by Treants, the superior race of Ents Has the Sauron Liberation Front tamed a new mutation of Ent-type monster?”
He was no mere food maniac It seemed that he questioned how the Sauron Liberation Front could supply this Ent Syrup… the purified sap (blood) of Eisen, the Skogsrå
“My apologies, Baron, but I do not believe our bonds are yet deep enough to share that secret,” Iris said
This Baron seeainst the Erate to Taloshei that I can decide on my own
Cuoco gave a bitter smile at Iris’s reply and took out a piece of paper froram written on it “I suppose it was ill-e her secrets This is the route of the arht here”
And so, infor the Amid Empire’s army was sold for the price of some syrup
“That baron nas in common with Luciliano, doesn’t he? He sis,” said Vandalieu, the sponsor of the Sauron Liberation Front, as he carefully stirred a bubbling, si curry
“Your personal disciple, Your Majesty? I do not know hi, but… is he really so strange… is he really so incredible?” Iris asked, looking a little perplexed, as she chopped soetables to be used in a salad
Having finished her dealings with the traitor, she had regrouped with Vandalieu and his coht support supplies to her base, and they were exchanging inforhly discussed future plans, and then Vandalieu had suggested that they have a somewhat late lunch
Lunch was ile bowl of curry would preserve the morale of Haj and his Armor Tamer squad
“Rather than incredible… he is already within the realms of eccentricity,” Vandalieu said
“Then heith the baron,” Iris remarked
“That’s true; he does see as well Now then, I suppose it’s time to serve the food”
Right before the eyes of Iris and the others, Vandalieu’s spirit form slipped out of his body and split up to produce ht of the countless Vandalieus heaping the curry and rice onto wooden plates and setting the tables was quite spectacular… though it wasn’t a sight that one would want to see late at night
“If Brownies really existed, I’m sure they would be spirits like the boss,” said Miles, as helping serve the salad
That was how skilled Vandalieu was
Brownie spirits, that helped with househile fas that were considered to be creatures of superstition and fairy tales, but they were unlikely to resemble Vandalieu
TLN: This is a reference to Brownies, household spirits in English and Scottish folklore
“I wouldn’t work for a glass ofthat he wouldn’t want to work under such conditions
But Iris took it in the opposite lass of milk in payment Your Majesty,” she said
“It’s true, you lack desires,” said Debis, nodding
“Yeah, why aren’t you conquering the Sauron Duchy?” said Haj
“Eh? Is that how you take it? Also, Iris and the rest of you are not my subordinates, so you don’t have to call me ‘Your Majesty’ Please call me Vandalieu-san,” said Vandalieu
He would be hurt if they suddenly started calling him by his name with no honorific, so he wanted them to add -san But all of the resistance , “We can’t do that!”
“… Then calling me by my name is fine”
“Why would you say that?! Are you aware of just how incredible the things you’re doing are?!”
“Providing funds, supplies anddelicious curry”
The curry had been al Preservation, so Vandalieu had siht Iris and her companions were the only ones in the Sauron Duchy who could eat this
“Thank you very much for that But please, I want you to reconsider the value of the funds, supplies and th that you have provided, Your Majesty!” said Iris
“I mean, it’s not that I don’t understand,” Vandalieu said
Vandalieu was over-supplying the Sauron Liberation Front He didn’t have A in the Sauron Duchy, but he provided funds in the forold, silver and jewels He had trained Haj and the other foriven the Armors and even dispatched Miles, a Rank 9 Abyssal Vampire
He was even providing high-quality arular iron and Obsidian, as well as food like curry and other daily necessities It was thanks to this that Cuoco had been successfully enticed
Just how much would the total value of these items be worth if converted atto a resistance organization If the Amid Empire’s army were to learn of this, they would be certain that the Sauron Liberation Front was Vandalieu’s private army
It was Vandalieu’s idea ofprovided so e
If Iris were one of the late Duke Sauron’s orphans or a relative of the duke’s faht return to the Orbaudom’s possession in the future, this could be considered However, unfortunately, although the Bearheart family ell-known for its hts It was of the lowest rank of noble heritage in the Orbaudom
No matter how much action the Sauron Liberation Front took, no matter how much Iris was praised, she would never become the new Duke Sauron
Because the real sons and daughters of the Sauron fahts to succeed it had already fled to other duchies
“Your Majesty, if you are holding any expectations of my future, it is unfortunate, but I cannot answer those expectations,” Iris said “Even if I were to raise the decapitated head of the Aeneral, even if a nobleman is adopted into my family, the Bearheart house would become a family of barons at most”
“No, Ojou, if you achieve so like that and that noble, I think your family will become a family of earls at least, you know?” said Debis
It seemed that Iris’s self-value was so low that even Debis had felt the need to slip in a word
“But I think it’s strange, too Why isn’t His Majesty gaining control over the Sauron Duchy with military force? We’ve found out that the Thunderclap Schneider that you orried about isn’t an eneht?” said Haj
Merrebeveil, the Goddess of the Scylla, had informed Vandalieu that the Thunderclap Schneider, the S-class adventurer of the Amid Empire, was actually an ally of Vida’s races
Vandalieu knew this but hadn’t changed his decisions
“First of all, even if the Thunderclap Schneider is an ally of Vida’s races, that doesn’t mean he’s my ally Next is the fact that I find it difficult that I would be supported by the people And for geostrategic reasons, it will be difficult for me to occupy the Sauron Duchy and maintain rule over it,” explained Vandalieu, who had returned to his physical body He was expressing that it would be dangerous to assume that the Thunderclap Schneider was not an ene to him directly
Vandalieu had learned from Merrebeveil that Schneider was actually a believer of Vida, and had savedin the Amid Empire However, if he were to decide that Vandalieu’s actions would have negative consequences for the members of Vida’s races that he had saved, it was possible that he would still become an enemy
Vandalieu couldn’t be sure that Schneider would be an ally
Next, as for the question of whether Vandalieu would be supported by the people, it didn’t even need to be discussed As soe numbers of Undead, creatures that were considered to be taboo, Vandalieu was ht of as a villain that needed to be exterminated than a hero
And Vandalieu intended to introduce the rich eating habits of Talosheiht incoht with influential people with vested interests
Last was the geostrategic reasons… If Talosheim, a third nation, were to occupy the Sauron Duchy that was sandwiched between the Orbaureat nation adjacent both to the east and to the west
Even going back and forth from Talosheie Even if Vandalieu teleported fro his Labyrinth Construction skill and the flying Knochen and Saine that they would be able to transport enough personnel and goods
“It won’t go so well, huh Then how about turning an entire portion of the Boundary Mountain Range into Goleested as a joke
Vandalieu blinked and looked towards the Boundary Mountain Range
Can he actually do it?! everyone thought as they looked at Vandalieu, holding their breaths
But Vandalieu quietly replied, “No, that’s impossible For now”
“R-right?”
As Haj and Debis exhaled, Iris and Miles shuddered, forgetting the hunger-sti scent of curry
“For now, he says… so he’ll become able to do it one day?” Iris muttered
“It’s soested ,” Miles whispered