ALL NOVEL Chapter 29
Although the young nobles still felt awkward, it had already been two weeks since they took office. Jeongjae had grown quite fond of this land. For one, it seemed clear that the people were neither lazy nor negligent. Of course, they might have been keeping an eye on him since he was a newly appointed noble wandering around, but the fact that this territory had survived without major issues proved that laziness was not their nature.
There were indeed some signs of internal discontent, but under the common understanding that they were in a dire situation, most frustrations were suppressed. They were generally aware that their fates were tied to the immense power of Harker and understood that Harker was dedicating everything to the Empire’s destiny.
However, Jeongjae remained doubtful about whether they truly sympathized with the policies of the Imperial Assembly. There was a significant difference between knowing about the existence of war and having experienced it firsthand.
While they were aware that war had broken out and that things were difficult, they simultaneously felt that their youths were being unjustly conscripted.
This gap surely brought about contradictions, but was it really a contradiction that needed resolution?
For that to happen, the territory would need to face the threat of war. Destructive acts must take place. Even if there were some contradictions and differences of opinion, preventing such events must be prioritized.
“If it were to go according to my wishes…” Jeongjae muttered with a sigh while gazing at the sea.
The village chief, Hark, turned to him and asked, “Is there something that doesn’t go according to your plans, my lord?”
“There’s hardly anything that goes as planned. If only I could count the things that don’t go as I wish.”
“I apologize if I’ve overstepped,” Hark said.
“There’s no need to say that. It would offend a person.”
The fishermen were still busy at sea. Jeongjae, who had been watching the scene for a moment, turned to Hark with a question.
“It seems that the nets I provided aren’t being fully utilized.”
“Oh, well that’s… I see. The fishermen know that the nets you knitted are more efficient and require less manpower. However, many are accustomed to their own tools, and…”
Hark rambled on as if making excuses. Jeongjae interjected, saying that was enough.
“I’m not saying it’s bad. There could be many reasons. They might feel more comfortable with what they’re used to, it could be that they find me untrustworthy, and with fewer hands needed, you might end up with more idle people, which is a problem. Or maybe they’re hesitant to use the tools I provided out of fear of offending me…”
Jeongjae paused for a moment. Hark wore an expression that seemed unsure of how to respond.
“In any case, the conclusion is that trying to achieve something without a solid trust relationship in place could yield poor results. I hope we find a breakthrough by next spring.”
“The young nobles are gradually beginning to understand your true intentions. What you wish will come to fruition.”
“Thank you, that’s comforting.”
This time, Jeongjae turned his gaze slightly towards the castle. It was the tallest building in the area, but it was rather modest in size for a castle. As he eyed its volume, he turned back to Hark and asked, “How many people can this castle accommodate in an emergency?”
“Well… I’m not sure as I’ve never counted. However, there probably isn’t enough space for many people to hide. We could squeeze them in if we tried, but then that wouldn’t serve any real purpose.”
“What about a basement? Or a secret tunnel?”
“I’ve been guarding this castle for decades, but I’ve never heard anything like that.”
Jeongjae nodded as if resigned. The village chief, looking a bit uneasy, asked the noble, “Do you think war will come to our territory? Is there any signs or information?”
“There are no specific signs or information. However, the issue is that I now scrutinize every facility and ask myself, ‘Is this suitable for defense?’ The castle walls are low, so it’s difficult to fend off enemies from the borders. And as for holding out inside the castle, it’s too small to serve as a refuge. Ultimately, if we are to confront the enemy, we have no choice but to band together with the villagers.”
“I’m asking because I’m genuinely worried. Is there a risk that war could come here?”
“No place in the Empire is safe from war, Chief Hark. This isn’t a game or a competition. Just one tiny hole created in a moment could bring forth the flames of madness to a place that seemed completely unrelated to war.”
Hark did not seem satisfied with Jeongjae’s answer. He, who could be considered quite adept in administration among the villagers, was suspicious as to why a legendary hero like the Grand Mage had chosen to be assigned to this small territory, and likely thought that the noble’s demeanor suggested an anticipated enemy attack soon.
Jeongjae lamented that he couldn’t give a proper answer. He had no idea why he had come to this place, let alone whether an enemy attack was impending.
“If you’re unsatisfied, let me share my more private thoughts. The truth is, because I am here, there’s a chance that the enemy may target this territory. In that case, I would become the spark of disaster for this village.”
It was a possibility. However, Jeongjae had enough standing in the imperial army. If the Demon King were to learn of his movements, there was that chance he might not hesitate to strike this place out of fear.
Hark still couldn’t shake off his suspicions and furrowed his brows. “Isn’t it the other way around? The spark of disaster comes because you are here, my lord?”
“The decision was made by Walter Hellhound. I don’t know what he is thinking or what he knows. Really. Please try to understand my position a bit, Chief Hark. I was equally perplexed.”
When Jeongjae chuckled, Hark chuckled along, his expression slightly relaxing.
“If you think that the possibility of a calamity visiting this place is because of you, I can understand why you wouldn’t want to mention it to the nobles.”
“I feel they’re already wary of me. If I mention it and get kicked out, then I wouldn’t have a place to stay tonight.”
Jeongjae turned his gaze back to the sea. The coastline wasn’t very wide, but it could harbor five or six large ships without much trouble.
Come to think of it, why was this castle built so close to the coast? As if it was constructed to defend against an enemy approaching from the shore…
If enemies were to approach from the sea? The thought of such a plausible scenario crossed Jeongjae’s mind. If the Demon King’s army advanced through the land, they would have to subdue Harker first. If Count Harker’s territory, which was hidden behind the Crown Lands of Caprice, fell to the Demon King’s army, the tide would surely turn, and humans’ defeat would be a foregone conclusion.
But preparing for such a situation seemed to hold little meaning. Rather, if the Demon King shows interest in Harriet’s territory due to the actions of the Grand Mage, that prospect could become troublesome…
“If there were a landing, they would likely come from the sea.”
“Is that so? Should I order the construction of barriers to impede enemy landings? When would it be appropriate to know how many troops might come?”
Hark took each of Jeongjae’s words seriously. Jeongjae waved his hand dismissively with a wry smile.
“That’s just hypothetical, mind you. To be frank, it’s much more likely that the Demon King wouldn’t even take an interest in such a small territory. I tend to worry a lot. Please don’t take it too seriously…”
Jeongjae’s words trailed off, as if a sense of inexplicable precognition was informing him that the possibilities he had just conjured might not end at mere fantasy.
Such things had happened since he arrived in this world and became a wizard. And in most cases, those intuitive warnings had never been wrong.
“Indeed, if you have surplus manpower, I’ll open the armory and give you a hundred spears. Please prepare barriers to block enemy landings as best as possible. Make sure the spearheads face the enemies, and also prevent the enemies who land on the shore from pushing forward easily. However, there’s no need to focus too intently on this.”
“I will take the necessary measures, my lord.”
Hark seemed to have gained certainty that war would soon arrive at this place, thanks to Jeongjae’s orders. Moreover, there was a high likelihood that such rumors would circulate among the young nobles during the implementation of these orders.
Jeongjae himself was also left wondering if this was indeed the right course of action, but the die was already cast. In the presence of Hark, who displayed a resolute intent to protect his homeland, it would be impossible to rescind his orders.
Just then, the count’s daughter, staggering with a tired expression, suddenly lunged toward Jeongjae from behind.
“Professor… Professor… I’m sleepy…”
“Goodness, who in the world is this?”
Jeongjae quickly straightened Jenis, who seemed on the verge of collapsing on him. Over the past few days, it was unclear if she had genuinely been sleeping, but her fatigue had visibly accumulated, leaving her nearly lifeless as she wandered about.
Jeongjae couldn’t help but feel if Jenis were ever to be mixed among the Demon King’s undead army, she might be reduced to a dormant state without being able to retaliate.
“Jenis? I told you to take it easy. What on earth has happened?”
“Nothing at all… Why is there nothing? This is weird… Clearly… something’s…”
Thinking that a fatigued Jenis might start spouting nonsense, Jeongjae hastily gestured for Hark to leave. Hark understood the situation, bowed, and stepped back.
Jeongjae grabbed Jenis by the shoulders and shook her a few times. Jenis’s head swung back and forth.
“I can’t wake up like this… pinch… pinch my cheeks, please…”
Although it was an absurd request, Jeongjae complied, pinching her cheeks with his fingers. Only then did Jenis’s eyes brighten, and she suddenly jumped back into her place.
“Pro, Professor? What’s going on? What was I doing? Why do my cheeks hurt so much?”
“You were wandering around in a daze and got caught by the guards. I must have punched your cheeks for it.”
“No way! I wouldn’t do such a thing! And that’s a lie! You only pinched me lightly! I can remember that much!”
To a workaholic, work itself might be a form of substance abuse, so it wasn’t entirely incorrect, but Jeongjae simply accepted Jenis’s protests.
She appeared a bit more alert than before, but the fatigue still lingered on her face.
“Why not take a break? Duties are important, but your condition is a hundred times more crucial.”
“I’m glad you said that. But in this state, there’s no way I could sleep. It’s maddening to have made no results after two weeks! My pride as a student is being shattered!”
“It was a somewhat vague task from the start. What on earth have you been doing to feel so exhausted?”
“I’ve been monitoring the entire territory with observation magic every night! Watching for any stolen ingredients, or anything that might resemble that! But if food is being smuggled out in large quantities, wouldn’t there have to be at least transportation happening once a week? How could there have been zero evidence for two weeks? Something has to be disappearing!”
“No signs mean there’s nothing going out of the territory at all?”
Jeongjae asked. The moment Jenis communicated her thoughts, it piqued his curiosity. He deemed the possibility of Jenis having made a mistake in her reconnaissance to be low. Her magic was skilled enough, and she should’ve been able to detect anything slipping out of the territory during the night.
If someone managed to deceive her and leave unnoticed, they too would be a wizard of considerable proficiency, and from there, the story would change entirely.
“Yes. I’m certain. If a merchant or someone is making their way out, I’d think to follow up, but there were absolutely no traces, nothing at all!”
“Surely there must have been something. Are you missing something because it’s too obvious?”
“Well, I don’t know… nothing else comes to mind…”
“And it’s not just the nights; what about the days? Have you properly observed during the day?”
“Of course I have! I have! But… the people of this territory are really good at being self-sufficient. Unless it’s trade with Harker, which happens only every three months, they rarely move outside the territory. Could it be that they’re hiding within the territory?”
“If they were hiding inside the territory, I don’t think Count Harker would be unaware of their existence… Hmm… No, let’s think. There must be people going outside the territory. Whether it’s during the day rather than the nights…”
“During the day, people going outside while avoiding my surveillance… What madness! I’ve got it!”
Suddenly, Jenis exclaimed with joy and started sprinting toward the village like a madman. Jeongjae, momentarily distracted by the excitement of her revelation, was startled and called out.
“Jenis? Student? Hey! You! First, go inside and get some sleep! What are you doing right now?! Are you out of your mind?”
No matter how much he threatened her, it was an empty shout. This bold Count’s daughter had a heart of steel, not even bending before the fearsome Elven Princess.