Episode 14. Declaration of war (4)
“Seri, don’t think about anything today and get some rest.”
“…… All right.”
There is no longer a chance to show the princess tax collector to the nobles. At least this year.
The year the emperor died was 997.
Excluding the year he dies, the remaining period is three years. In other words, it means that the tax collector has a total of three chances.
Of course, besides the noble meeting, there are many social and event-oriented noble meetings, but I had no intention of sending Princess Seri there.
You can build enough personal connections with just a meeting of aristocrats, and given the setting of this era, the power of women you meet in social circles is not very strong.
Unless it was a special case like Daryl’s son-in-law, men were overwhelmingly in power. So, the future emperor, tax collector, had to face men, not women.
And above all, even if Se-ri doesn’t have to go to such a place, her others will come to see her on their own.
I wonder if the aristocrats can stay still when their private parts are about to be revealed to the whole world.
Absolutely not.
Previously, if I used the information I had for her ‘position’, now this information will be used as ‘intimidation’.
If war had been declared, there would be no reason to hesitate on our side.
And I was going to make Urca break her ponytail as the first step in the declaration of war.
When they found out that Captain Baek Gwang-jo was no match for Urca, the emperor and Chris would be quite shocked.
Since you gave me such an opportunity, I should make the most of it.
“By the way, I heard that Urca and Soro will have a formal duel. They say they quarreled over the issue of freeing slaves. What happened?”
“…… Every time I appeal to free the slaves, Mr. Thoreau interrupts. It can never be done.”
“I see.”
“But I said that it is unlikely that other races will become a threat to the Empire just because they are freed from slavery. Rather, I said that maintaining this situation is to continue to touch the evil of other races.”
I understand correctly.
Seeing this far, it seemed that Se-ri was predicting that the resistance would happen.
Anyway, she’s a really smart woman.
“But…… Thoreau told her not to dream of her, saying that was not the will of the emperor. Urka-sama, who had been listening to it quietly, asked what right you had to do that……. That’s how the argument turned into a formal duel.”
“I see.”
“I’m sorry. I should have dried it.”
“No. Not even I can stop that.”
Urca once risked her own life to free the slaves.
For a long time, because of the Duke of Tori who protected him, he hesitated, agonized over, but his will to free the slaves grew stronger day by day.
If she hadn’t broken that will earlier, she would have been much more sensitive to her condition.
On the contrary, she could be said to have been rehabilitated to the extent that she said that she would fight in a formal duel.
“Are there any conditions you put forward while having a formal duel?”
Duke Tory didn’t say anything, but he asked just in case.
No matter what the reason, it was a fight between two S-classes, so it was necessary to point it out.
“There were no particular conditions. There was talk of making Urca-sama a slave, but……. The nobles objected, saying that there could be a problem if we enslaved S-class people active in the border area.”
“I see.”
Fortunately, it seemed that there were not only aristocrats.
“However, I said that those who lose in formal duels will not be allowed to participate in any noble gatherings in the future.”
Simply put, it meant that Urca, a ‘beast man’, would be excluded from a place where only ‘noble humans’ would gather.
“Did Duke Tory say anything?”
“Because Chris brother said that, unfortunately… ….”
I guess so. When the strongest guy takes the lead and sets the mood, what can the people below do?
“Yes. Whatever it is, the official duel is over, so I’ll have to meet Urca.”
“Ah, over there… !”
As soon as I got up, the publican hurriedly grabbed my clothes. I look at her with a puzzled look at her.
“What is it?”
“Well, what can I do in the future?”
I gently grabbed her hand that was holding onto her clothes. She slipped away and bent her knees to the level of Se-Ri’s eyes.
“Keep learning from Duke Tori, as you have been for the past few months. Keep following along and learn how the world works. And think about the direction you need to go and persevere. That is what you must do.”
From noble mtl dot com
It may be a bit vague, but that was the only thing the princess tax collector had to do.
She’s smart, so even her little experiences can be turned into great nourishment. As they accumulate, they will gain her powerful insight, and no noble will be able to ignore her.
“Okay. I won’t fail anymore. I won’t do anything to disappoint Prause.”
“You don’t have to try to look good.”
“Yes?”
“It is okay to fail. No, I would rather fail and break and fall. That way, when she becomes emperor, she won’t fail.”
I tapped the back of my hand twice and stood up.
“And when you can’t stand it, you can complain to me. Don’t listen Because I know better than anyone how burdensome and hard work you are doing.”
“Prause… ….”
“Then I will go.”
Walk to the door. By the time she put her hand on her doorknob, the publican muttered something.
“…… I also want you——”
When I turned her head and looked at her, she was smiling. It was a laugh that was different from usual, and had a strange feeling.
After staring at Se-Ri for a while, she opens the door and leaves.
“——I love you.”
* * *
In case you didn’t know, grab some water and head to the training ground for Urca in the backyard.
By the time she set her foot near the training ground, the scorching heat hit her skin.
There, a huge storm of fire soared skyward.
I could understand why it was a training ground exclusively for Urca. I can feel the heat with a difference of one step, but I don’t feel it.
This meant that barriers were set up in the training ground.
It seemed that her magical powers had been installed to prevent damage to her mansion.
I move forward feeling the tingling heat.
There, the warriors and the two spirit kings were watching over the training ground where the flame storm was swirling.
“Ah…… Are you here, Master?”
Iris, the first one I found, approached with quick steps. So was Tina.
“Yes.”
“How is the princess?”
“I am fine now. You won’t have to worry.”
The real concern is Urca, who will have a formal duel, not Cerri.
After patting Iris’s head appropriately, she looked at the group. During her party, she notices that Maria is missing and she looks over the training ground.
“Dueling—”
Pain!
The firestorm dissipates before I can finish my words. It was because a huge tidal wave came from Maria’s feet and hit the storm.
“You can’t pierce me with that much force.”
“It’s great… !”
“It’s my turn.”
The moment her words were spoken, countless water droplets from where the tsunami had passed stopped in the air, defying the law of gravity.
“What is this—”
Urca looks around her in bewilderment.
“「Freezing」.”
Damn it!
Water droplets become ice thorns and threaten Urca’s life. To that, she hurriedly recited her skill.
“「Wall of Fire」.”
The fire rising from her body created a barrier, and the ice that approached her melted as soon as it touched it.
“Heo Eok! Huh!”
Perhaps he had consumed a lot of mana, his breathing was rough and he was sweating non-stop.
Well, if you think about it, it’s Maria’s magic with heroic traits. Even if it was Urka, she had no choice but to consume her mana excessively in order to block her attack.
“It’s not easy to defeat someone with more mana than you with magic. She told me to push herself to the limits of her mana, so I got along, but she seems tired now, so let’s stop —”
“Not yet!”
Called Urca.
“With this…… She can’t beat her We need to increase her mana limit.”
“… No, stop.”
As I interrupted, Maria and Urca simultaneously turned their heads toward me.
“Prause?”
“Ah, Master is here?”
Maria, who jumped off the training ground, quickly approached me.
“For a moment, Urca-nim asked me to be an opponent, so I was sparring lightly.”
Maria said, sweeping her own blonde hair. Looking closely at her face, she was sweating a bit. She must have had no choice but to use her strength in her own way, even Maria.
“I see. Then rest now.”
I stroked her Maria’s hair, then she climbed onto her scorched and broken training ground. There, Urca was holding her ass to the ground, gasping for her breath.
I hope you don’t do that posture, it looks like you’ll see your panties.
“Urca, drink.”
I approached her with my gaze fixed on her face. As soon as she arrived in front of Urca, she crouched down and handed her a water bottle.
Urca looked up at me for a moment before she accepted the water bottle. She opens the water bottle and drinks it.
Watching her uvula move restlessly until the water in her water bottle runs out, she wipes the water from her chin with the back of her hand.
“Whoa… thank you.”
“…… Are you working so hard for a formal duel?”
I looked at Urka, who was avoiding her gaze, then said. Then her pink ears and tail stood up.
“Everything… You know everything…….”
The ears and tail droop. It was a very busy body part.
Urca wiggled her hand in her hesitation.
“Sorry. At the meeting of nobles… I can’t stand it……. Prause decided to free the slaves…… I think I ruined everything…….”
“No. Does not matter. After all, slave emancipation will be settled in seven years, sooner or later.”
“Seven years?”
“There is such a thing.”
I got up from my seat, evasive.
“Anyway, keep training until there. If mana exhaustion comes, you will lie down sick for a few days.”
“Yes… ….”
Urca nodded obediently. She finished her water and sighed as she looked at her warriors as she closed the cap on her water bottle.
“That kid has become very strong. Those guys who use swords must have gotten stronger too, right?”
“… Yes.”
“I thought I had talent, but… …. I didn’t expect you to become this strong in 2 years. No, it was like that in a week…… Is it normal?”
She laughed.
You may feel a great sense of deprivation when you see talents greater than yourself, but even S-class was a talent close to that of a hero.
Actually, it didn’t take long for her to be recognized as her S-class. She only realized too late that she had great powers.
“Perhaps it was thanks to Prause that I was able to grow like that, right?”
“I didn’t do anything. I just gave you a few pieces of advice.”
“Advice?”
I nodded.
“Come to think of it, Prause told me last time. I can be faster here.”
“…… It did.”
Even as she answered Urca’s words with trepidation, she intuited one thing.
“Hey, Prause. Then… …. Can you tell me how to do that?”