Chapter 55: To the north (2)
Roan and Chris kept talking about light things for a while.
After the strawberries were starting to fall short, Roan asked in a low voice.
“How’s the agency going?”
At those words Chris looked at the insides of the building and smiled faintly.
“It’s not bad taking into account I just started.”
He settled in quite a fast time with the comrades he used to run errands with.
And now he was requesting the entrance application for the tourists that wanted to come to Miller castle and the surroundings instead of them.
‘However…..’
Chris gulped down the words that surged up to his throat.
“How good.”
Roan sincerely congratulate him.
‘I can’t do it.’
Chris, who hesitated for a moment, stood up as if he couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Wait a moment.”
Then, he went to a table and looked for something and after that he came back with piles of paper.
“Will you look at this?”
The piles of papers he gave to Roan.
Roan carefully received it and asked back.
“What’s this?”
At those words Chris laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
“It’s information I gathered about Miller castle and the surrounding regions while running the agency. I was doing it unconsciously.”
“Ah…..”
Roan let out a low exclamation and started to look at the contents.
For a while, only the sound of paper passing was heard.
Chris seemed somewhat uneasy.
‘I feel like an academy student that’s being evaluated on a subject.’
He smirked and shook his head.
After a while Roan placed down the papers and looked at Chris.
His face was stiffened.
Chris gulped dry saliva.
“Why are you like this? Is this such a mess?”
At those words Roan whispered like he was whispering.
“It would be good if you didn’t publish this as you wish.”
“Ah……Is it that much?”
Chris was really dispirited.
Then, Roan continued to say.
“There is really important information written down systematically. If you make a bad move you may be seen as a spy of an enemy kingdom.”
“Ah……”
Chris let out a low exclamation.
His stiffened face loosened up and his mouth raised.
‘I got recognized.’
Actually, he was pondering in big way about his identity.
Travel agency and information group.
Although he did start working like this, he felt bigger fun just by collecting information about Miller castle and the surrounding regions.
‘It’s the first time I felt this much fun since I was born.’
Every time he heard small information and unbelievable rumours, he put in more effort to gather more authentic rumours.
It wasn’t because he wanted to be treated in some way or because someone asked him to.
He just felt too much fun.
‘If I were to pick the travel agency or the information group…….’
The answer was already set.
Then Roan’s voice was heard.
“Mister Chris. This is really amazing. The height of Miller castle, length, precise location of the gate, structure, the shifts of the guards, and the inner castle. Not only that but the location of the surrounding villages and main roads, and important information of each village is registered.”
“Yes. I gathered and analyzed all the information I could gather.”
Chris replied like it was nothing.
No, he replied like it truly was nothing.
Roan continued saying.
“On top of that there’s also information about important people in this region.”
“After gathering the rumours, I just picked out the authentic ones.”
Certainly, it was a casual voice.
No, he tried to make it seem that way.
Roan smiled faintly and said in a low voice.
“Mister Chris. I think that your talent is even more amazing than what I had thought.”
Boom.
Chris felt a big rock falling on his chest.
A joy he couldn’t precisely describe with words surrounded his entire body.
Roan just looked at that Chris.
Actually, he was much more surprised than what he was showing.
‘To even guess the things that would happen from now on…..’
There were some things written about what would happen in the future, and among them there was information Roan actually knew.
‘The cases that would really happen.’
Chris had precisely guessed the future with limited information.
‘He certainly is the head of the agency that had all the information on the continent in his hands and made the continent shake.’
After looking at the papers, he felt an even greater urge to grab Chris.
However he didn’t want to force him.
He was planning to wait until he truly wanted to do it himself.
Then, Chris that was looking down at the papers, said in a low voice.
“If I get to work in things related to information, what will I be doing?”
He pointed at the papers.
Roan felt that the situation was somewhat weird.
‘The time of choice has come.’
He took some breaths and said with a composed voice.
“Yes. You have to do these things. Only……”
“Only…..”
Chris copied Roan’s words unconsciously.
Roan pointed at the pile of papers and continued saying.
“You will be handling information about a wider world and broader information.”
“Ah…..”
A low exclamation followed.
Chris felt that his heart beat quickly and that his blood flowed quickly.
This world was much broader and colorful than Miller.
‘I’m grasping all of those things.’
Something that made his chest swell just by thinking of it.
Chris slowly calmed his breath.
He smiled faintly and looked at Roan.
‘Mister Chris.’
Roan forcefully hid his urgent feeling.
He just waited for Chris’s reply.
A moment’s silence.
Poke.
Chris poked the pile of papers with his finger.
“Much broader information and more various than this…..”
His voice was calm but the end slightly shook.
He couldn’t know if he was nervous or excited.
Chris looked at Roan’s eyes fixedly and continued saying.
“I want to handle it.”
Roan didn’t show any reaction.
He just looked at Chris’s eyes.
However Chris didn’t feel stuffed or uneasy.
Roan’s hot eyes.
That was enough.
Chris stood up.
“Sir adjutant Roan.”
He bowed his head.
“Take good care of me from now on.”
A voice filled with strength.
As it turned out like this, Roan too couldn’t keep still.
He stood up and bowed.
“Also take good care of me.”
A historical day.
Roan and Chris grabbed hands.
The people who were looking at different directions now looked at the same one.
Then, Roan smiled brightly and said in a low voice.
“Then, should I give you the first task?”
“Already?”
Chris asked back with a surprised expression.
Roan smiled faintly.
“The world is wide but time is limited.”
At those words Chris nodded.
Roan continued to say.
“I’m planning to invest in the merchants in Miller. To the young merchants that are a bit vague right now but have a bright future. I’m talking about people just like you.”
This was the reason he came to Chris in the first place.
‘Should I listen to Chris’s opinion?’
Roan put a strange smile and carefully asked.
“Don’t you have anyone to recommend to me?”
At those words Chris went silent for a moment.
But it wasn’t because he didn’t have anything to say.
The instincts of an information gatherer in getting the initiative of the conversation.
Chris took in a breath and replied in a calm voice.
“There are some. They have talent and their nature is great, so their future is bright.”
“How many are they?”
At the question, Chris extended five fingers.
“Tio, Lidia, Eska, Lego, Ford. It’s these five people.”
Confident voice.
Roan didn’t ask anymore and took out the bag containing the gems.
“Take this.”
Chris carefully received the bag.
“What’s this?”
“Investment. As I don’t have much time and on top of that I am a soldier, my actions are really limited. So I would like you to invest in those five instead of me.”
Chris had a surprised expression.
“What if something goes wrong as I invest as I wish?”
Roan answered like it was nothing.
“You can’t always succeed at investing. It doesn’t matter if it fails with everyone. That by itself will become valuable information.”
At those words Chris slowly nodded.
“And…..”
Roan took out one more gem bag.
“This is investment i’m giving to you. You will need quite a lot of money to make a full fledged information agency.”
“Ah…..”
Chris let out a low exclamation.
He then nodded.
“I understand. I will do my best not to disappoint you.”
“Yes. I believe in you.”
Roan grabbed his bag and stood up.
“Then, I will be leaving.”
“Already? Why don’t you eat something?”
It was an urgent voice.
However Roan shook his head.
“The path I have to walk is long.”
He extended his right hand.
Chris couldn’t talk back anymore and grabbed that hand.
“I will find you with good results.”
“I will be waiting for you.”
Roan smiled faintly and nodded.
“Then, I will be leaving.”
A farewell.
Roan shook his hands once and then moved outside the agency.
Chris let out a long sigh.
‘Is it a new start?’
He felt his chest beating even more than when he first opened the travel agency.
‘First, should I go and find those five merchants?’
Chris bit his lower lip and slowly moved.
This was his first task and road.
*****
The Lancephil was a weird family for various reasons.
He was one of the five counts from Rinse kingdom that didn’t have a residence in the capital of Miller, didn’t even have a territory and was located in a barren land in the south.
Because of that Ipen castle, Beno castle, etc. were all inside the territory of Count Lancephil.
But the real reason he was special was because of Io Lancephil, who was the head of the family and one of the five counts of the kingdom.
This year he turned out 60, but he didn’t have any children.
Of course, there were various reasons for that, for a count that was in his sixties to not have any children was a really exceptional case.
Because of that, a similar conversation came and went in the castle everyday.
“Sir Count. You aren’t late yet. If you marry now…..”
“Just stop hohoho.”
It was a laughter that made people feel good.
The middle aged man who was suggesting with an earnest heart let out a long sigh.
‘Whew. He’s once again laughing like this.’
He looked at the old man and had a regretful face.
‘To devote all of his youth for the sake of the kingdom and to already become that old. Tch. It’s the frailty of life.’
The man seemed to have read the thoughts of the middle aged man and he laughed off once again.
“Hohoho. Albert. I’m really fine.”
At those words the middle aged man Albert Wein bowed.
“Yes. I understand sir Count Lancephil.”
The man that seemed good natured was one of the five counts in Rinse kingdom and the lord of the eastern region, Io Lancephil.
Io slowly started to move while carrying his baggage.
“Then, should we go outside the castle?”
“Yes. Understood.”
As Albert shook his left hand, the knights that were lined up to the sides ran outside the castle a step ahead of them.
Io and Albert followed them from behind.
Albert looked at Io’s white hair and bit his lower lip.
‘He could have been in possession of the central region but he said he would keep Byron kingdom and Estel kingdom in check and he personally was put in charge of the outer regions as his territory. As the love he feels towards the kingdom is that extreme, his interests would obviously change.’
It had already been more than 30 years since he served Io.
He was called as the second lieutenant knight guard until now, and he even received a title of viscount.
‘If my health was good I would have served him a bit more…….’
Retirement was decided for Albert.
Then, Io who was walking in front let out a short sigh.
“It doesn’t remain long for you and this scenery.”
“I’m sorry sir count.”
“There’s no need to be so. You are also quite old. Holding onto you until now was also my greed.”
At those words Albert lowered his face.
“Viscount Kali Owells, who was decided to become my successor is a more outstanding knight than I am.”
“Really? Hohoho.”
Io burst out in laughter.
However it somewhat felt like he didn’t completely like it.
After they got out of the castle they entered a long road.
Io liked inspecting Pavor castle, from what he had to do, the most.
It was the opportunity to check the lifestyle of the residents himself and sympathize with them.
And the residents truly liked Io and respected him.
Because of that, the day when Io did the inspecting, the road was more noisy and busy.
Just like there was a festival.
But today it was an exception.
The road was dead silent.
Io looked at the residents with a strange expression.
‘The expressions…….’
They had really scared looks.
Then, a serious looking middle aged man approached him.
He bowed towards Io and Albert.
“We finished the preparations for the investigation.”
In that instant, Io knew the reason as to why the residents were scared.
‘It seems the knights scare them.’
He felt bitter.
“Hohoho.”
A laugher.
But this one was filled with displeasure.
He looked at Albert and said in a whispering voice.
“Albert. I don’t know why but it seems like I will already miss you. Hohoho.”
At those words Albert glared at the middle aged man in front of him.
‘Kali Owells. You stupid bastard.’
The middle aged man who looked serious.
This was the successor for Albert and the one that was leading the knights, Kali Owells.
He was the head of the Owells family and was also the father of Walter Owells who was related with Roan.
‘Kali. Your abilities and talent are outstanding, but that excessive aspiration is the problem of your ambition.’
Albert became speechless and looked at Io.
He was still laughing.
However Albert could know.
‘He’s really angry.’
He wanted to loosen his mood with whatever he could.
Then, a young knight passed over the crowd and approached them.
‘Huh?’
While he frowned and tilted his head, the guy approached and whispered.
“Ah……”
At that instant, Albert’s face brightened.
He looked at Io and said as if he was whispering.
“Sir Count. Even so it seems like he have to leave the inspection for another time.”
“It seems like something has happened?”
Io slightly tilted his head and asked back.
“It seems like Viscount Reil Baker has come to visit to Ipen castle.”
< To the north (2) > End
Translator’s note: Thank you for reading!