Political Scheme 2

There was nothing in my life that I needed to feel ashamed of.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that I always found the right answers or overcame every hardship like the heroes in fairy tales.

I am an ordinary person with flaws and imperfections.

But I am never ashamed of being that kind of person.

But…….

“Haa…….”

Today, more than ever, I am ashamed of myself.

Why did multiple faces come to mind when I heard the council leader’s proposal?

‘Am I going crazy?’

I couldn’t understand myself either.

So I curled up under my blanket and thought about it for a long time.

‘Misha Karlstein.’

It’s only natural that she came to mind.

Since coming to this world, she was the first person I formed a genuine emotional bond with, at a time when I couldn’t break down walls and get close to anyone.

‘Erwin Fornacci di Tercia.’

Erwin’s case is different from Misha’s.

I always carry a lingering sense of guilt in my heart, but that feeling is distinctly different from the romantic feelings between a man and a woman.

It’s just that, since I know how she feels about me, it’s likely that her face came to mind when the topic of ‘marriage’ came up.

You know, there are people like that sometimes.

Those who prefer someone who likes them over someone they like.

‘Amelia Rainwales.’

It’s quite ironic. Amelia, whom I first met as an enemy during my raider days, is the most reliable person among all the people I know.

She’s solid and dependable in any situation, you could say.

And honestly, she has her cute sides too.

But, the problem is…….

‘Why aren’t those three the end of it?’

Raven, Hyunbyeol, Ragna.

And Aynar—.

‘No, she’s just a friend.’

Compared to the first three, my time with them was much shorter, but honestly, their faces also briefly crossed my mind.

Like a teenage boy imagining his grandchildren’s names just from a kind smile, I abstractly pictured married life with each one of them.

Surprisingly, it seemed like a happy life awaited me no matter who I ended up with.

‘……Am I really a crazy bastard?’

I really don’t understand myself.

It’s not that I want to be with all of them.

While it’s not institutionally impossible since I became a noble, I myself don’t want that.

But then, why did multiple faces come to mind at that time?

After being lost in thought for a long time, I found an answer that seemed closest to the truth.

‘……Maybe it was only natural.’

I still haven’t made up my mind about anyone. After what happened with Misha, I’ve been suppressing and burying these kinds of feelings as much as possible.

In that situation, if the topic of marriage suddenly comes up, it’s only natural to first think of the people around you.

After all, they’re all the women in my life, right?

‘Yeah, I’m not the weird one.’

From an outsider’s perspective, it might just sound like rationalization, but coming to that conclusion made me feel better.

So…….

Snore! Snoooore!

I fell asleep without realizing and woke up the next morning.

I slipped out of the newly constructed building that had been built where the chief’s tent had been.

“You woke up early?.”

Uh….

“Haha, I was just thinking of taking a walk….”

I laughed awkwardly and glanced around, but Amelia let out a light laugh.

“Don’t worry. The others aren’t around. I persuaded them well that waiting for you was pointless, so I sent them all away.”

“Ooh… Is that so……?”

“You’ll have to give a proper answer someday. Everyone’s curious about what choice you’ll make.”

As if she had been waiting to say that, Amelia turned away coolly as soon as she finished speaking.

On second thought, ‘cool’ wasn’t exactly the right word for her.

“And… I don’t know where you’re planning to go today, but don’t come back too late. If you’re planning to stay out, let me know in advance.”

Even while walking away stylishly, she stopped midway to toss in a remark like a nagging mother.

Well, I guess that’s part of her charm too.

‘Sigh… How did the marriage talk even come up at the dinner table……?’

This is why people should watch what they say. Life and death could be sealed by the slip of a tongue.

“It’s the Chief!!”

“The Chief is leaving the city!!”

“Open the gates!!”

I’d only meant to walk around a bit, but before I knew it, I’d passed through the city gates and ended up in District 7.

Because reconstruction hadn’t really begun yet, the place was practically a ruin.
Residents lying like vagrants under blankets in front of collapsed houses saw me and got to their feet.

“The Giant…! It’s the Giant!”

“What? The Baron has come?”

“Baron Jandel…!!”

Was it because of the reputation of being a hero?

Usually, commoners would scatter in fear from a noble’s procession, but here, they showed a very different attitude.

Of course, it wasn’t all good.

It was fine when they just offered thanks and blessings as I passed. But not everyone did.

“P-please! Help my family! Our shop was destroyed, and if things stay like this, we won’t be able to pay next year’s taxes…!”

Begging for aid or sympathy was one thing.

“Baron! Baron! What will happen to District 7? What about Bifron? What’s going to happen to it?!”

“There’s a rumor the royal family plans to abandon District 7! Is it true?!”

Some demanded answers.

“Just tell us something!!”

Many acted as if I owed them an explanation, as if I were responsible for something I hadn’t done.

‘I mean… I can’t really blame them.’

Their lives were hard enough as it was, and without real news, their frustration must have been unbearable.

“Baron!”

“Don’t believe baseless rumors. Reconstruction of District 7 will begin soon.”

“Baron!”

“Here—take this and hang on a little longer. I’ll do my best to bring in more relief supplies.”

“Baron!”

“Bifron’s barrier? What’s so frightening about that? Don’t worry. This city will never fall!”

Rather than getting angry at them, I continued down the street, offering words of encouragement and giving them the answers they hoped for.

And after walking a bit more…

‘…I wonder if she’s here?’

Since I was here anyway, I also visited the Mage Tower.

After all, she’d already sent several letters to the sanctuary.

Thanks to the long special leave granted by the royal family after our expedition, she’d invited me to visit as soon as possible.

‘Invincible, my foot.’

When I reached the tower, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

For all its proud history of never once falling to invaders, that record had been broken twice in recent years.

Once by me.

And now, by Noark.

Honestly, it isn’t impregnable; it just got a good location.

Compared to the damage at the entrance, though, the interior has held up relatively well. As soon as the invasion began, I heard they bought time with the barrier, packed up all their research and equipment, and teleported out with the local dignitaries.

Aside from the ruined teleport circle, everything else was fine.

“Why are you just standing around at the entrance? If you’re here, just go in and wait.”

Just then, Raven appeared behind me at the research lab.

“Hey, you should make some noise when you walk around.”

“…What?”

“Come on, that’s no way to talk to a baron. And you’re so short, too.”

“Why are you picking a fight the moment you see me? Did something piss you off on the way here?”

“…”

“What, something did happen?”

“No.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie.

 

I wasn’t pissed off so much as I was physically and mentally drained by all the attention from the residents.

After waiting a moment, Raven said, “Come in for now. We’ll talk inside.”

“By the way, where are you coming from? I figured you’d be inside, since you’ve been saying how busy you are.”

“Not far. I went to borrow something from an acquaintance.”

“What?”

“It’s an experiment tool, do you want me to explain in detail?”

“Nah, forget it.”

Once we went inside the laboratory and settled into our seats, I could see that Raven’s lab had also changed a lot from before.

“It’s a mess, right?” The whole tower is in chaos because of the recent incident. My master managed to carry most of the things out, but quite a bit is still missing.

“I see.”

“Well, I’d already taken most of the supplies to the research station in Karnon, so there wasn’t much left here anyway. Want me to get you something to drink? You’re still a baron, after all.”

“Give me water.”

I gulped water straight from Raven’s 1.8-liter flask while we talked. Quite some time had passed since we came out from Basement Floor 1, and a major incident had taken place as well.

“How is it that as soon as you return, something like that happens right away?”

When I briefly explained my situation after returning to the city, Raven listened with keen interest but also laughed incredulously in between.

“If you think about it, it seems like you’re always involved in every incident and accident that happens in this world, doesn’t it?”

It was a sad thing to say, but I couldn’t refute it at all.

Honestly, since she knows almost everything I’ve been through, it didn’t seem like she’d be convinced even if I denied it.

‘Why does it really feel like the whole world is out to get me?’

Was I really cursed with the name Hansu?

I was seriously pondering that question when…

“By the way… what a shame it turned out that way.”

Raven continued in a voice dripping with sincerity.

“The essences from the first basement floor. I heard you gave them all away to ordinary explorers. Just researching them could’ve guaranteed years of academic awards.”

“Ah, that…”

“Don’t get me wrong—I’m not blaming you. Honestly, I thought it was very you to do that.”

“…Me?”

For a moment, I wondered if she’d somehow figured out the full truth, but no.

“You gave them up for the city and the people, right? It wasn’t wise, but no one can deny… personally, I think it was admirable.”

She glanced up at me with a shy, almost respectful look I’d never seen from her before.

“Uh… really?” I stammered

“Yes.”

“But… listen.”

“…?”

Her expression was so serious I couldn’t even joke like usual. Instead, I corrected her assumption directly.

“But, you know…”

“…?”

Raven looked too serious, so I couldn’t even joke. I decided to clarify.

“Don’t feel too bad about it.”

“Yes, you’re right. It was for the greater good. Perhaps the thought of how it might have benefitted me would seem shallow from your point of view—”

“No, no, it’s not that……”

How should I say this?

Looking at Raven waiting for me to continue, I just manfully confessed.

“Actually……”

“Yes, actually?”

“…I already stashed away all the useful ones.”

“…What?”

It took her a long pause to get a response out.

“You… stashed them? What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. When you scatter essences around like that, even the royal family can’t keep track of them properly.”

To me, it was a brilliant plan.
But Raven, like someone in denial, stammered her words.

“…You… stole from the royal family’s spoils?”

“So what?”

“Are you insane?”

I knew it was a fair reaction, but I could only tilt my head.

“Why act so shocked? It’s not like this is the first time.”

We’d already pocketed things together back on Basement Floor 1.

“Remember how much you loved that? You even named it the ‘Crown of Agony’ yourself.”

“T-that—that was different! And why do you always confess this kind of thing to me?!”

Now, now—don’t try to wriggle out.

Her reaction stung a little, but fortunately, I knew how to handle mages.

“Because… I don’t want to hide anything from you—”

“That doesn’t work on me anymore!”

“…Really?”

Guess she learns fast.

“Anyway, this is much worse! That other time, it was just between us, but this—this is way bigger!”

Hmm. She wasn’t wrong.

“Still, if we get caught, either way we’d be executed, right?”

“No! Not the same! That one was just between us, but this is too big!”

Hmm… yeah, she had a point.

“But still.”

“…What?”

“Don’t you want to research on them?”

“T-that’s…!”

Like a puppy staring at a treat, Raven hesitated awkwardly before finally lowering her head and replying in a barely audible whisper:

“…I do”

Yeah, I figured as much.

 

 

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