AWDC Chapter 64

King His Majesty returned to the capital. And left a souvenir in Toriholi Village.

“This is a good place. I like it!”

Standing before me with a satisfied expression is Prince Raphael, the troublesome souvenir. Even after His Majesty returned to the capital, His Highness was still in the village.

His Highness is the fifth son of the previous king and also the younger brother of the current king. That Highness was left behind as an inspector of the southern region. Although it hasn’t been announced yet, due to Prince Charles’s rebellion, His Highness, Marquis Miranda, and Earl Milona are expected to receive considerably heavy punishments. And Earl Milona would have his fief reduced, with many of his territories confiscated, and Prince Raphael was said to be taking his place. In other words, His Highness was given the role of uniting this southern region as a vassal of the king.

That Highness had been acting as a member of the Crown Prince’s faction since the current king was the Crown Prince. He repeatedly negotiated with the Midland and Gregg families as a proxy for the Crown Prince, which was very different from his other brothers who harbored antipathy towards the Crown Prince. He accompanied the Crown Prince as a close aide during this southern expedition and also came to Toriholi Village. Even after the king returned, he remained behind.

“Why don’t you plant only wheat?” His Highness would catch me and ask questions that came to his mind.

“If you keep planting the same thing, insects that like that plant will gather, and eventually diseases will spread. It’s called crop rotation. If you plant a different plant the following year, you can prevent such things.”

“Why aren’t other villages doing this?”

“They don’t know that continuous cropping causes problems and reduces yields.”

It took me years after coming to Toriholi Village to teach them about the problems of continuous cropping by practicing it myself and to have them understand the benefits of crop rotation. I thought it would take many years for other villages to understand this as well.

Anyway, in this way, His Highness was bombarding me with questions.

Before this, the king had told Prince Raphael when returning to the capital.

“You stay in the southern region. If things continue as they are, Baron Robertson’s power will become too great. I think I’ll take measures now.”

“You mean the baron’s territory is too large?”

“That’s right. If you can cultivate that much desert, the country’s food shortage will be solved. Most of the wheat in this country can be harvested in that village alone. A house with more financial resources than the two existing ducal families will appear.”

“Certainly, it’s too huge. But Your Majesty increased the Robertson family’s territory, right?”

“The Robertson family is known to have a stronger loyalty to the royal family than in my father’s time. This time, they promised to place 10,000 bags of wheat and a rail carriage in the capital. If we don’t value such a family, the state will be in turmoil.”

“I understand that we cannot openly do anything to the Robertson family. I’ll hit them from behind.”

Prince Raphael responded with a smile.

“By the way, why is His Majesty so obsessed with the rail carriage?”

“If I show such a vehicle to the people in the capital, their loyalty to me will gather more. People listen more when they see the real thing than when they hear a hundred words.”

None of the Robertson family could read such thoughts of the king.

I finished harvesting the wheat and decided to enter the capital with the promised 10,000 bags of wheat.

This time, I was to have meetings with people involved in laying the rail carriage in the capital, so I took Eric and Peck with me. Eric had worked as a government official in the capital, and Peck was very attentive and helpful.

If possible, I wanted John or George to accompany me, but both of them had important roles in the village. I myself wanted to organize the structure of the newly added villages, so I didn’t want to do any work in the capital.

However, since I was ordered by His Majesty the King, even the slightest flaw was not allowed. I had no choice but to become the person in charge of installing the rail carriage.

“Eric, it’s been a while since you’ve been to the capital. You can go visit your relatives.” After arriving at the Robertson’s residence in the capital and unpacking, I said.

“No, my parents don’t have any siblings, and I don’t have any siblings either, so I don’t have any relatives in the capital I want to see.”

Even though several years have passed since coming to Toriholi Village, it sounded a bit like he was putting on a brave face when he said he didn’t have any acquaintances he wanted to see. That’s how difficult his life as a government official in the capital was.

“I see, then let’s have a meal together tonight to celebrate our safe arrival in the capital.”

From tomorrow, I will deliver wheat to the government officials in the capital and meet with the acceptance window for rail carriage installation.

“This time, it’s a preliminary survey of where to install the tracks. I’m thinking of a period of one week.”

I told the two of them our future policy.

“How much of the installation route has been decided?”

“I don’t have that information. I’ll find out who the contact person is tomorrow.”

“The arrangements are quite late, aren’t they?”

We were talking about such things in a leisurely manner.

“Your Majesty, the security around here is not good. I don’t recommend going any further,” one of the aides stopped the king.

“Hmm, I understand. Let’s go back here today.”

Even after returning from the desert, the king was inspecting various places. And today, he was looking at the slums of the capital.

He was trying to find the cause of why the security was not improving.

“I received a warmer welcome than I expected in Toriholi Village. Even though it was a remote village, it was something that wouldn’t happen in my capital.”

He wanted to know the actual conditions of the slums and was about to step into the garbage-filled, dilapidated streets.

After completing a certain inspection, it was when he was about to return from the slums. Suddenly, arrows were shot at the king’s party.

Four or five people ran up with bows and arrows and fired arrows from a distance. From a place 200 meters away, the arrows naturally did not reach the group and fell far in front. However, the guards who were on duty were furious.

“How dare you be so disrespectful to His Majesty! I won’t forgive you, catch them! Don’t let them escape!”

The guards shouted in unison and headed towards the thugs.

“Please, Your Majesty. Please return to the carriage,” the aide said, urging the king.

The king’s carriage was in the opposite direction from the attackers. It was a very natural measure, but this was the action the terrorists had predicted.

A ragged cloth was hung on a building near the road where the carriage was stopped. When the king’s party was about to pass by the side, a man with a sword appeared from inside as the rags were brushed away.

The security guards quickly responded and stood in front of the man.

But the man was faster than the security guards. Slipping past the security guards, he charged at the king as if he was crashing into him with his whole body.

It was a desperate tactic. It was simple but difficult to defend, with the sole purpose of throwing away one’s life and taking down the target.

The guards tried desperately to protect him without a shred of negligence, but the deadly blade reached the king’s torso.

“Your Majesty!” The vassals protected the wounded king and escorted him to the carriage, setting off for the palace. Behind them, the shredded corpse of the thief remained.

Toma and the others did not know about the king’s plight.

On that day, he was discussing the installation route with the capital’s officials in charge of the rail carriage installation project.

After finishing work and finishing the meeting with Eric and the others, he was relaxing in his private room at the Robertson’s residence.

“Toma-san, you have a guest,” one of the servants announced late at night. The guest was the steward of the Midland Duke.

He quietly said when he was alone with me.

“His Majesty the King has passed away.”

For a moment, I didn’t understand what I was told.

When I checked with my eyes as if to ask if it was true, the other person nodded back.

“Would you be able to come four days later in the evening?”

“I understand. Thank you for contacting me. Please give my regards to Your Excellency.”

After saying that and having the messenger return, I immediately summoned Eric and Peck, who were resting.

“Something terrible has happened. Start gathering information from tomorrow.”