After that, about three days passed.
While heading to my destination, a river demon secretly visited me and observed the dynamics of my wagon.
Each time, the merchants used a deceitful trick to subtly leak the words that they were deceived and ruined by me.
At this, the river demons were greatly relieved.
The place they arrived at was a military district sandwiched between the Illami and Matu territories.
“Is this a military district? From the outside, I don’t know.”
“Because you can’t go inside unless you’re an official.”
Strictly speaking, the road from Drude Hills was connected to the military district, not to Illami.
Due to its location, it also served as a crossroads accepting the logistics of the two territories.
It was also a place where you could flexibly deal with the defense.
However, the iron door was firmly closed, so it was not possible to look inside.
Even I, a prince, couldn’t enter without a proper business.
“Then let’s go, my dear.”
It was Clark, the owner of the Mir Merchant Merchant, who spoke to me.
There were other top stocks next to them.
This time they came to connect the logistics between the military district and the Matu.
So, we had to part here and now.
“I don’t think there’s any need to lower my voice since all the river demons have gone.”
“But maybe you don’t know.”
“That’s right.”
“I will follow your orders without forgetting, so don’t worry, I hope you achieve what you planned.”
The instructions they gave included investigations, not just silence.
Collecting data to accuse the Gangma Tribe in the future and those related to it.
I still don’t know what my plans are.
Nevertheless, he reiterated his will to follow the will.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
After saying goodbye and parting, as I moved on, I felt a strong wind that was distinctly different from the royal road.
The lukewarm smell of the sea mingled in it.
They had arrived at Illami Manor, the westernmost point of Grandets Kingdom.
* * *
Upon arriving at the Illami estate, I did not immediately go to meet the Marquis.
This was to see and judge Yeongji’s appearance with his own eyes.
[What on earth is that delicious thing to eat?]
After about five days, I came to see the Marquis.
The Marquis of Brisman Illami did not work in the mansion, but in a separate building called the Manor House.
This was due to the fact that there was so much work and the Marquis’ tendency to separate the space for work from the space for rest.
In other words, Willwright and I were sitting in the drawing room of the permanent residence.
[Ugh… … The disgusting fishy smell still doesn’t go away.]
‘Well, who wants to assimilate when eating fish?’
There was a reason why Skadi was making this mess right now.
It was because I assimilated into the food I ate before coming to Yeongju Hall and tasted it.
As it is a place along the coast, seafood was the main ingredient.
Surprisingly, this suited me well.
So I ate all the seafood here.
Skadi, who became curious about this, assimilated it and tasted it.
[Okay, open one more candy in front of it and eat it.]
‘Yeah, yeah.’
chump chump.
After diligently holding the candy in her mouth for such a Skadi, she stopped grumbling as if she was satisfied.
“Are you not offended by me?”
Those were the words of Willwright, who was sitting next to him.
“what?”
“It’s been quite a while since I arrived at the estate, but I mean, you didn’t come to say hello first.”
It was a question that came about because the Marquis hadn’t shown any signs of looking for me even though it had been five days since I entered the Illami estate.
Ordinary lords greeted high-ranking nobles or royalty when they visited their estate.
“Isn’t the Marquis famous for his temper?”
The Marquis of Brisman Illami was known for her unwavering tenacity.
I don’t know if it’s because of my natural nature or because of the environment I’m in.
If it was the latter reason, it was a good enough reason.
Without doing so, it was a very difficult environment where the manor could not be operated.
“Don’t you think you’d be upset if it wasn’t? I didn’t come here to be treated.”
“Normal, though, you’d be upset.”
“Well, I guess. Morgan… … My brother did too.”
In the past, Morganan had visited this place to enlist the Marquis of Brisman.
At that time, I didn’t even go out to meet you like I did.
When he refused to take over, Morgan was greatly angered.
Political pressure has since been applied, but to no avail.
“Still, if you look at him, he’s a great person.”
The biggest reason the Marquis had withstood Morgan’s offensive was the influence he had built up with his ability.
Unlike other territories, it is an isolated area where there is no road connecting the outside world.
At the same time, he had to have a military force to be wary of the Feyer continent and the foreign races.
I was doing it.
He sacrificed himself for the kingdom, and the results were excellent, so no one could easily touch him.
“You also know me well. I asked just in case.”
smart.
A knock sounded just as the conversation ended.
It was the secretary who opened the door after receiving permission.
“Your Excellency’s business is over, so I will guide you, Your Majesty.”
“okay. Willwright is waiting here.”
“Yes, lower.”
The place where they arrived after being guided by the secretary was the office of the Marquis.
When I opened the door, the first thing I saw was an old man who looked very healthy.
Rich gray hair with thick wrinkles.
Muscular body that makes the shirt burst.
He was the Marquis of Brisman Illami.
“It’s been almost 10 years since I’ve seen you in person, Miss Cruz.”
“Nice to meet you, Marquis of Brisman.”
I shook hands with the Marquis and glanced around.
Even though it was tidy, I felt a considerable sense of realism in the enormous documents and slightly disordered objects that could be seen at a glance.
‘There’s no one inside except me and the Marquis.’
What I am going to say from now on is to be cautious, so I paid attention and sat down.
“It’s a little harsh to say this, but I hate useless ostentation.”
There was no awkwardness in his words and actions, as if he was accustomed to direct speech.
“You know. I know very well what happened with Brother Morgan.”
“Somehow, I ended up going against the planting of Lesser Morgan.”
“I heard that your brother held a grudge and launched a political offensive, but he did not achieve what he intended.”
The Marquis of Breezmann smiled shyly, but there was no shame in it.
“So, what is the reason for coming to see me… … ?”
“I’ve been looking around the territory for the past five days. All of them, including the main street, Genola, are unique.”
There was a slight interest in the Marquis’ eyes.
Coming here, and touring the estate for five days.
Because that meant everything was intentional.
“After seeing the information about this place at the palace residence and checking the site myself, I was sure of one thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s a lot of waste. It will be a choice you have no choice but to make.”
By waste, I meant that the investment of all resources, including the economy, was spent on armaments and was inefficient.
Actually, it was unavoidable.
Without doing so, we cannot maintain the necessary forces.
“If you ask Your Majesty directly and increase the support for the territory by about four times, the waste will be reduced.”
It meant that in order to develop the estate while reducing waste, the support needed to be four times greater than it is now.
To put it a little further, it meant to keep your mouth shut because it’s an unrealistic story.
‘Since he used this kind of speech, Morgan must have gone on a rampage.’
Rather than being arrogant, I saw that his words and actions were formed because he was upright and direct.
Even objectively, Illami’s territory sacrificed a lot for the kingdom’s peace.
“I’ve come to suggest another, better way.”
“Oh, I really want to hear that.”
Intense eyes that did not match the raised corners of the mouth were pierced into me.
As interesting as it is, it was more about exploration than anticipation.
If I say something absurd here, they won’t want to deal with it anymore.
“It connects the Illami and Rothstein estates with a road.”
The Marquis of Brisman slightly wrinkled his brow as if doubting his ears.
“Ha ha ha!”
Then he started laughing heartily.
It was an act that would make some people feel bad, but I silently watched his actions.
The Marquis stopped laughing and shook his head.
“It’s an unrealistic fantasy.”
A cold yet heavy assertion filled the office.
“How can you say that?”
“Are you serious?”
The expression of the Marquis, who sat down coldly, remained the same.
Right after hearing the story, I was stunned, but now I feel like I’m feeling bored somewhere.
As if spending any more time on this encounter would be a waste.
“It is nonsensical because it is not realistic. There are so many reasons why it’s impossible to list.”
“I’m going to answer that, so can you tell me one by one?”
“… … great.”
If I hadn’t been the prince, the conversation would have ended at this point.
… … The Marquis continued to speak while giving her eyes with meaning.
“There are two reasons why the Illami estate has no roads connecting it to the outside world. The opposition of the nobles and the pact with the river demons.”
The question was whether it would be possible to disregard those two and proceed with this work.
“Surely, this is something that even Your Majesty cannot push through.”
“I think so too. But mom can’t do everything. Rather, these things are easy to pursue because he is not a king.”
widely.
After taking the letter out of his arms and placing it on the table, he continued his conversation.
“Read it.”
In response, the Marquis of Brisman silently read the letter.
The letter was written by the Duke of Leon.
I haven’t read it myself, but there must be information about the exchange between the two families and about construction.
wriggling-
After reading the letter, the marquis slightly twisted her eyebrows.
But he said in a tone that he was still far away.
“If it works, there is absolutely no reason to reject it.”
However, it still meant that reality was not resolved.
“Read this next.”
What I took out in turn was a document written by the owners of the upper tier five days ago.
I wrote down the acts of the Gangma Tribe and the testimony that I helped them while doing business.
“… … Hmm.”
For the first time, the Marquis was lost in thought.
I watched him silently.
I had no idea what he was thinking.
‘Well, he’s over 70 years old. Even if I combine the experiences of my previous life, I won’t be able to reach that of the Marquis.’
Although the status was different, there was an aura about him that reminded me of the queen somewhere.
As if he had finished his thoughts before long, the Marquis slowly met my eyes and asked.
“If I accept the offer, do you think these two will suffice?”
“No, it will be difficult.”
The corners of the Marquis’s mouth went up slightly at my assertion, but he continued without hesitation.
“It will be difficult to suppress the strong demons and high-ranking nobles with this cause alone. More than anything else, the Matu people will strongly oppose it.”
“Why do you think there is a backlash? Unlike the river demons, aren’t they the ones who signed a defense treaty with us?”
It sounded like a test, but it didn’t feel bad.
Is it because I can see the anticipation on the Marquis’ face unlike the first time?
“In the mansion, the actions of the Matu tribe, who reject the kingdom and the Kangma tribe, are written on it.”
“You mean you won’t accept it because you’re not kind to everyone?”
“Such speculation is possible, but I think a little differently. I think this is the result of strategic action.”
“Oh, I’d like to know the basis for your guess.”
The Matu tribe had a complicated situation in which they were treated as key points by both the Kangma tribe and the kingdom.
It was a rare and fertile coastal city for the river demons, so I coveted it.
For the kingdom, like the Illami Territory, it was an existence that served as a gateway to the continent.
“If you get too close to one side, the other side will be wary, so I think it’s to avoid being seen.”
“Is there any need for that? It would be better to be friendly to everyone.”
“If you do that, the river demons will feel the danger and start a fuss.”
Of course, the power of the Kangma tribe was incomparable to that of the kingdom.
It’s just that the topography is burdensome for the kingdom to attack directly.
“So I’m going to go and convince you myself. It was my intention from the beginning.”
In the first place, my goal was to get the acceptance of the Matu tribe and the Marquis of Brizman.
Because I thought it was possible if I could get justification and possibility from them.
In that respect, what happened ahead was fortunate.
Witnessing the gangma tribe’s depravity, and forming a relationship with the top lords, he gained another justification.
“You say it easily, I don’t even have the confidence to convince the closed-minded Matu.”
I didn’t respond to the Marquis’ questioning as if asking for a way, but I laughed silently.
In fact, I wasn’t even sure I could convince them.
I just do it because I have to do it.
“It won’t be easy, but you have to bump into something to know it, right? There are things you have to face in person to see.”
“… … !”
It was said without much meaning, but a strange feeling flowed in the marquis’s eyes.
I don’t think it’s a negative emotion, what is it?
“What’s up?”
“… … No, stop thinking about the old days for a while. Ha ha ha!”
Then, out of nowhere, I laughed out loud.
Why are you here?
“Anyway, I was relieved to know that it wasn’t an act of beating.”
“Can I take that to mean that you accept my plan?”
In response to my question about the exact intention, the Marquis of Brisman briefly laughed and then gave a powerful answer.
“When the time comes, I will gladly bow my head in favor, my lord.”
“Don’t forget that.”