158 – Enlistment notice
“You should try it when you get home! It’s really delicious!”
On the way back to the annex after finishing the small tea party. Latera, carrying an armful of sweets, followed Chiron with a smile.
Latera, who munched on the sweets as they were handed them over and didn’t forget to say thanks, was so happy that Hugo handed over everything to the family members of the mansion.
In addition, Hugo even tipped me to come into the main building at any time and bring snacks. They say that there is a little girl who eats deliciously, so it is worthwhile to make it.
‘I’m afraid of the late wind. How can a person change so much in a matter of days?’
Chiron recalled Hugo’s reversed appearance in a week and glanced at Laterra following him.
“I… don’t like sweets very much. So you eat a lot.”
“Why? It’s so sweet and delicious.”
“Even if it’s delicious, sweet is the problem.”
“…Sweet is the problem. Isn’t it good because the more you eat it, the happier you become?”
“Of course I’m happy right now.”
Siron stopped walking and looked at Latera, and Latera looked up at Siron, who for some reason frowned, with an innocent face.
“Listen carefully, Latera. There is no free happiness in this world. You can be happy right now, but you might end up with cavities later.”
“Uh… I’ll brush my teeth properly later.”
“It’s not just about brushing your teeth. You get used to sweet tastes and your eating habits start to revolve around sweets. Do you know what happens then?”
“…What happens?”
“Not only my teeth, but my hands and feet are rotting away, and I have a terrible disease. And it doesn’t get better even after brushing my teeth.”
“…Is that really true? Is it possible for you to get sick just by eating something sweet?”
“You can quickly tell whether I’m lying or not.”
“…then.”
Latera narrowed her eyes and looked at Siron’s soul. He looked sturdy and sturdy… but he was trembling little by little, and I could feel his worry and concern.
“What do you think? Does it look like I’m lying?”
“Oh, no.”
Latera shook her head and tried to turn around, grabbing the bag containing the snacks.
“I’ll return this to you!”
“I’m telling you to eat in moderation. Don’t overeat, just decide on how many you want to eat a day and you won’t get sick. Just eat enough so you don’t gain weight like your uncle.”
“…really?”
“I also exercise hard.”
Shiron, nagging with a stern face, took Latera’s bag of cookies.
As Latera said, you could guess how sweet and fantastic the snacks would be just by looking at them. However, just by touching them to his nose, the sweet smell vibrated and made Siron feel uncomfortable.
Hugo’s late wind is like a sweet cookie.
It is certainly a welcome phenomenon to see Hugo no longer obsessed with fame, but enjoying hobbies for his own happiness. However, if it goes too far, it will be detrimental not only to the empire but also to Hugo himself.
“Hero, you look distressed. I will carry it.”
“It’s okay. I’ll carry it. My uncle will want me to carry it too.”
“Um… Then, I’ll ask you a favor. I’ll stop eating snacks today!”
“Good idea.”
“…I think it’s fortunate that you are truly a hero.”
Latera held Siron’s free hand and laughed.
“I really like this mansion. Hugo is kind, and Eldrina is a little strange, but not bad… and there’s a lot of delicious food.”
“…”
“It’s a bit odd that there are devils, but looking at the way they treat the hero, I don’t think it’s to the point where they can’t live at all. I’ll be a great angel. I can turn a blind eye to that.”
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden? You’re excited alone.”
“I can’t help but be excited.”
Latera looked at Siron with narrowed eyes.
[Imperial First Sword’s Cheering]
At some point, a translucent window appeared and floated above Siron’s head.
“The warrior’s spirit has become a little more wonderful.”
“Did you give me a penalty point?”
“Hmm… that’s not true. I think I can say that it’s better than just giving me a penalty point.”
“I’m glad.”
It was a meaningful remark, but Siron dismissed it as insignificant. It was because I was too busy thinking about how to respond to the next expedition rather than making an abstract assessment that my spirit had improved.
And that evening.
“What the f*ck?”
Siron received a letter from Lucia containing shocking content and read it.
[Active Duty Call-up Notice]
[Name: Siron Prien]
[Hometown: Lien]
[Type of soldier assigned… Date and time of call-up… Unit to be enlisted… Place of gathering…]
Even though it was the first time he had received that letter, it felt familiar somehow, making Siron feel uncomfortable.
“draft call?”
“…I did something, and it came to you too.”
Lucia stared at Siron with sad eyes, and Siron crumpled the notice with trembling hands.
“I… I’m already saving the world. What nonsense are you talking about? I, I’m a hero?”
“Isn’t it because you didn’t announce that you were a hero? Very few people know that you are a hero.”
“Even if you exclude that, it doesn’t make sense that I’m subject to conscription as a regular soldier. How highly skilled I am!”
Shiron nervously slammed the crumpled notice on the table, and Latera read the words on the slippery paper.
“Hero. So are you going to accept this?”
“Are you crazy? No way! I’m not going!”
Siron clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. Isn’t this like… an enlistment notice calling for a free slave? I don’t know what kind of bastard made it, but it was so similar to the one before possession that it made me scratch my head.
“But they say that if you fail to comply with the summons, you will be sentenced to prison according to imperial law. Then, you will accumulate a lot of demerit points?”
“Prison? You’re being f*cked. Are you so arrogant as to use someone as a free slave?”
Even before being possessed, I had been hitting and running for about two years, and even after being possessed, I couldn’t hit and run.
“I can never be dragged away like this. I have done so much for this country.”
“Then what should I do? It’s obvious that if I don’t obey the summons, the military squad will come. Are you going to do the sword dance and kick me out?”
Lucia wiggled her fingers and blushed.
“…I can dance the sword dance for you if you want. Even if you go into exile in a neighboring country…”
“There’s no need for that.”
Siron said with his eyes wide open.
“Before someone comes to catch me, I’m going to go make a deal myself.”
*
A few days later. Siron was able to face the blonde young man.
“What are you doing? You called me aside to meet me first.”
Victor Ado de Lien.
He was the only prince in the empire and the crown prince before he was reborn as the next emperor in name and reality. Even though he was in such a heavy position, Victor readily agreed to Siron’s request as soon as he expressed his intention to meet.
However, the behavior is quite different from before and has changed 180 degrees. A few days after expressing his intention to meet, Victor rented an entire building in the center of Lienne and prepared a place for the two of them to talk.
Numerous guards were double and triple encamped around him, and a number of attendants that were hard to count on one hand followed him. Is that really all it is? Siron felt the dense mana contained within the building.
“Do me a favor.”
However, Siron did not pay any attention to him and began to talk about business.
“Is this a request so important that you have to take me aside?”
“okay.”
“Hmm…”
‘…It’s an important request.’
An authoritative stance in poetry that you would never see before. After checking him, Viktor sat crookedly, crossing his legs.
“I will listen to what you say.”
Viktor spat out a sigh and smiled. Shiron felt the top of his head warm at that openly pissed off attitude, but he decided to endure it for once.
“Let me meet Your Majesty.”
“Hmm… I think we need to hear more details.”
Viktor did not change his posture, but let a provocative smile go off his face.
“As you may have heard, His Majesty wants to minimize contact with the outside world right now.
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“It doesn’t matter if I can’t have an audience. Having a face-to-face conversation is just following the formality.”
Shiron spoke harshly and took out a crumpled piece of paper from his arms. Victor then had an attendant check the contents.
“what is this?”
“You wouldn’t know it if you looked at it, right? It’s a summons notice.”
Siron crossed his arms and spoke in a solemn voice.
“What I want is nothing. Exclude me from the summons.”
“…”
“I can’t explain it in detail, but I’m a very busy person. I don’t have much time to look at the border while fighting with idiots who haven’t proven anything.”
Siron made a one-sided request, not a request.
It was a behavior that could hardly be considered an attitude of speaking to the crown prince, but not only Victor but also his attendants did not say anything to Siron. This was because Victor had trained his own people thoroughly.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can grant your request to be excluded from the summons. Of course, I can’t grant your request to be granted an audience with His Majesty.”
Victor said, holding out a crumpled piece of paper to Siron.
“…explain why it doesn’t work.”
“It’s natural that there are issues of equity.”
Victor spoke calmly.
“Historically, there have been a few times when summons have been issued at the national level, but they are forcibly reviving a system that has not been in place for decades. It is certain that many complaints will erupt… In order to calm the complaints, I am also involved in this summons. It’s included.”
“you also?”
“Yes. In order to raise the morale of an army that is forcibly mobilized, you have to use various methods. If you take someone with you and don’t, it’s obvious that there will be deserters and various problems will arise.”
“…Hmm. It’s surprising that you are also subject to a summons.”
“For that reason, it will probably be impossible to refuse the summons no matter what. I don’t know all of His Majesty’s intentions, but regardless of the issue of efficiency, His Majesty’s main goal is to help the people of the empire face the crisis that is immediately upon them. “It seems like they will make you go on an expedition as a nobleman and if you are of conscription age.”
“…Is this your uncle’s job?”
Victor nodded at Siron’s muttering.
“That’s right, His Majesty was very angry when he heard that Sir Hugo had been secretly suppressed. He wants to make sure he never does something like that again.”
“Then what?”
Siron lowered his head and traced the corners of his mouth. When Hugo’s story came out, his spirit was lost.
‘I just stabbed it once, just in case. It didn’t work either.’
“Then how about this?”
Siron, whose first move was blocked, decided to take out his next hand.
“Change positions at your discretion.”
“Position?”
“At least since you’re the crown prince, you wouldn’t have been called up as a regular soldier.”
“That’s right. At least he’s the crown prince.”
Although it was a folding screen, Victor was scheduled to serve as the commander of the attached unit during this convocation. Siron smiled with satisfaction after hearing Victor’s explanation.
“Make me assigned to the same unit as you.”
“That’s enough… But is that the end?”
“Of course not.”
Siron faced Viktor with a face that could not have been more serious.
“Incorporate me as your adjutant.”
“…”
“Of course, I’m not asking you to look after each other like that. But what does it mean to be good friends? Let’s help each other in difficult times, that’s it.”
‘I’m friends with the crown prince, so I need to get a job.’
Victor couldn’t understand what nonsense his friend in front of him was talking about.