VOLUME 14: CHAPTER 14

VOLUME 14: CHAPTER 14

[King’s Castle]

If one were to ask who the most overworked person in the entire capital was right now, Secretary Irene would rank among the top. From managing the crown’s correspondence, maintaining official documents, organizing meetings, and gathering information on political affairs – her work was never-ending.

She would always wake up the earliest, start her administrative tasks by dawn, and read through mountains of documents until midnight. Of course, this also included the numerous meetings she had every day with various officials.

“Lady Irene, shouldn’t you take a break once in a while?” said Emma, the maid who’d been serving Irene since she was young.

Lord Chase was a former commoner, and after he became the Lord of Golden Wheat City, the way he treated his vassals didn’t change. As a result, even his daughter was close to the servants, treating them like friends and confidants.

After realizing that even the assistants working in her office had hints of corruption in their history, Secretary Irene asked Emma to come to the capital all the way from Golden Wheat City.

This way, Lady Irene would have a trusted ally by her side who would never betray her, no matter what.

“I’m trying to set an example to everyone,” said Secretary Irene. “If I just laze around, the people around me will find excuses to skimp on work. We don’t like that happening, do we?”

The assistants nearby who heard this almost groaned.

Why was the secretary so stubborn!

Although what she said wasn’t necessarily wrong, it wasn’t correct either. Her being a workaholic wouldn’t necessarily transform the department into a stronger workforce. On the contrary, the assistants were becoming drained lately. Some of them even began contemplating resigning just to finally get a good night’s sleep.

Secretary Irene was competent, very much so, and there was no one here who doubted that. However, the assistants believed there should at least be a clear line between work and their home lives.

Some of the people here were also forced to stay late in the night with her, and it had started affecting even their family lives.  

Emma looked around her. She could feel the discontent of the people working in the department.

She was worried about what would happen if these people decided to suddenly rebel and leave without notice one day.

The citizens believed that the kingdom had entered its golden era, and the people in this department were the key players in that.

“Here, please have some tea first,” said Emma, placing a cup of hot tea on Secretary Irene’s desk.

Secretary Irene took the cup and scanned the room with her eyes. She said in a soft voice, barely loud enough for everyone to hear amidst the rustling of documents, “I know the struggles all of you have been going through. I’m sorry. But please hang in there. I plan on expanding our department soon. Three weeks. Before winter ends, we’ll have enough people that everyone in this room can take a break whenever they need one. I promise you that.”

The entire room fell silent for several seconds, before bursting into cheers filled with excitement.

“Oh gods, I thought she doesn’t care about us!”

“I want to cry!”

“Is… Is that true, Secretary Irene?!”

“My daughters! I can finally meet my daughters!”

“The heavens haven’t abandoned us yet!”

“Three weeks? I can hold on until then!”

Secretary Irene sighed and shook her head when she saw someone jump around the room in utter bliss. Two old men at the corner were even hugging each other while sobbing.

‘They’re almost at their breaking point, huh?’

She knew that what she’d been doing was inhumane, but she wouldn’t be able to face His Majesty if she couldn’t even do this much. She would be too ashamed to report to King Lark if the kingdom was in an utter mess by the time he returned.

“I’ve already interviewed thirty people. Half of them will start in two weeks, and the rest will start helping us out before the month ends.”

The assistants didn’t know when the secretary had the time to meet all of those people since she was cooped up in this room most of the time, but that no longer mattered. What mattered was their numbers would double soon!

“Lady Secretary! I knew I could count on you!”

“You’re the best, Secretary Irene!”

“You heard her! Let’s grind our bones to dust until those greenhorns comes!”

“Hahaha! I can’t wait to – huh?”

The assistants froze at the same time when a shadow flew past their office.

Those who were near the window looked outside.

“Huh, that’s strange? There’s nothing there?”

Their office was located at the western wing, near the central part of the castle. Knowing their office’s location, Secretary Irene immediately inferred what the shadow that flew past them was.

‘Could it be?’

And after several minutes, her deductions were proved right.

“Secretary Irene.”

A messenger arrived at their office.

“His Majesty has returned to the capital.”

Indeed, King Lark had finally returned to the kingdom.

***

Secretary Irene, the former King Alvis, the retired General Carlos, and King Lark’s disciples were the first people to meet him upon his arrival.

King Lark’s group landed at the courtyard, bringing with them hundreds of monsters encased in ice.

Secretary Irene almost shrieked from terror upon seeing those monsters.

Not only were they grotesque, their corpses were so intact that they looked alive. It felt as though those cases of ice would break at any moment, letting those monsters out.

Secretary Irene thought she’d gotten used to monster corpses being delivered to the castle by now, but it seemed she wouldn’t be able to become accustomed to this no matter how many times she saw it.

“You look pale. Are you alright, Irene?” said Anandra, who stood nearby.

During the time Lark departed for the Empire, the two had grown considerably closer that they started calling each other without honorifics.

Strangely, her body stopped quivering the moment she heard Anandra’s voice. It felt reassuring to have him nearby.

Secretary Irene shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Anandra stared at her for several seconds, nodded his head, and directed his gaze at King Lark’s group.

Nearby, they heard the soldiers whispering to each other.

“Holy shit.”

“What are those monsters?”

“Are they still alive?”

“Did King Lark hunt all of them?”

The voices were filled with terror, disbelief, and amazement. Although they didn’t know what kind of monsters those were, it was apparent with just a glance that each of them was a formidable opponent.

Secretary Irene mustered all of her courage and stepped forward to greet them. Behind her, Anandra, Chryselle, former King Alvis, and the others followed suit.

“Welcome back, Your Majesty.”

“Welcome back, King Lark.”

“Welcome back, Master.”

Hearing the voices of his people after being gone for quite some time, Lark smiled.

“I’m back, everyone.”

Chryselle and Reginald met each other’s gaze. After silently confirming that everything went smoothly on Reginald’s side, Chryselle sighed in relief.

“I don’t see George and Austen,” said Lark.

Anandra frowned. “The two kids have been unruly recently, Master. They kept skipping training. They’ve been frequently disappearing together with Her Highness, Princess Esmeralda.”

Anandra sounded as though he couldn’t wait to discipline the brothers the moment he got his hands on them. Lark could already imagine the training those two would undergo once they were caught by his oldest disciple.

“With the princess?” said Lark.

“Yes, Master,” said Anandra. “I don’t know how it happened, but the three suddenly grew closer during your absence.”

Lark looked at the former King Alvis, wordlessly asking if this was alright. After receiving a nod, Lark decided not to prod on this matter any further.

“Being friends with the princess is one thing, but skipping on training is another,” said Lark. “I’ll let you handle this matter, Anandra.”

Anandra bowed his head. “I’ll make sure to discipline them properly, Master.”

After that, Lark introduced the new members of his group. Particularly Arcturus and Lady Alice.

“A-Another Dragon?”

“She’s Lady Alice? Oh my god, she looks so young and beautiful!”

Chryselle had been staring at Lady Alice for quite some time now. And after Lark introduced her and gave subtle hints about her true identity, Chryselle finally put the pieces of the puzzle together.

“Ah, the painting,” muttered Chryselle.

Lady Alice had uncanny semblance with the woman in the painting she’d gifted to Lark before.

Lark said through mental transmission, “You already know this. The woman in the painting is Leanne, the Deity of the Desert. And this woman, Lady Alice, is Leanne’s descendant.”

Hearing those words, Chryselle’s eyes widened. She stepped forward and grabbed Lady Alice’s hand.

“You’re her descendant?! I am Chryselle Vont Aria, the fourth disciple of His Majesty, King Lark. It’s an honor to meet you in person, Lady Alice!”

Amazingly, the two women quickly bonded after that. Both seemed to have quickly grown fond of each other for some reason Lark wasn’t aware of.

Lark thought there would be friction between the two once they met, but it seemed he’d been worried for nothing.

After greeting the other officials of the castle, Lark ordered the soldiers to transport the corpses of the abyss lurkers to the tower basement.

Later, he would perform the essence animation spell, creating more living suits of armor that would protect the kingdom.

***

[Throne room]

After Big Mona arrived in the castle, Lark summoned everyone in the throne room to receive updates regarding the current status of the kingdom.

Secretary Irene and the former King Alvis gave detailed reports about the recent events and developments in the Kingdom of Lukas. The most notable of them all would be the ambitious expansion of the House Marcus.

After the Kelvins fell, the western region now practically belonged to the Marcuses. Although Lark promised Kalavinka Kelvin that he would help the boy rebuild the House Kelvin if he served Lark for several years, it would be a long arduous process. Currently, the Kelvins didn’t even have a proper territory they could call their own. The port and the duchy undergoing reconstruction were both under Arzen Boris’ jurisdiction.

“They’ve fully conquered the territories near Silen Riven,” said Secretary Irene. “Based on reports, they’ve started exploring all of the untapped mines in the area. West of Tranta, they’ve also started building a small fortress. We’ve also received reports that they’ve begun the construction of a naval base south of Kalavinka Port.”

Knowing that King Lark was from the House Marcus, the other officials in the throne room looked at Secretary Irene uncomfortably as she made this report.

Aside from her, nobody else boldly reported this matter to the king, afraid of earning his ire if they displeased him.

Although the current king was known to be just and wise, the other officials believed that he would still give preferential treatment to the family he came from.

Only Secretary Irene thought otherwise.

“Your Majesty,” said Secretary Irene. “Although the nobles are given a certain degree of autonomy in handling their territories, it would be detrimental to the kingdom if one of the ducal houses grows too big.”

The other officials started sweating when they heard this.

Secretary Irene was really fearless!

To think she would openly rebuke the House Marcus’ expansion like this!

“The construction of the naval base is a rational decision, especially after the fall of the Kalavinka Port, but the fortress West of Tranta shouldn’t have proceeded without the approval of the crown first.”

Lark fell silent for several seconds.

Honestly, he felt indebted to Duke Drakus since he took over the body of his son. Still, it didn’t mean he should turn a blind eye on this one.

He also agreed that it would harm the kingdom in the long run if the House Marcus grew too powerful. One of the reasons why Lark planned on rebuilding the House Kelvin was to keep the other ducal houses in check later on.

Of course, there was also the option of elevating another noble family to the status of a Duke, but Lark found potential in Kalavinka Kelvin, and he believed the boy would do a great job in leading the House Kelvin later on once he grew up.

“Send a royal decree to the House Marcus. Tell them to temporarily halt the construction of the fortress West of Tranta until further notice from the royal family,” said Lark decisively. “I want you to send several inspectors to the site. Although the nobles have jurisdictions on their territories, by law, all of the land in the kingdom belongs to the royal family.”

It was a bold statement that would incur the hatred of the other nobles if heard.

But Lark didn’t care.

Based on history, the Founding King gave away these lands to his vassals in exchange for their unwavering loyalty and service to the crown. Over the years, those vassals created their own families, leading to the creation of the various noble houses known to this day.

“But Your Majesty,” said the grand chamberlain. “Wouldn’t this lead to conflict with the Duke?”

This was the thing everyone was most worried about.

Although the crown had solidified its power and position after Lark ascended the throne, the House Marcus was still one of the most powerful forces in the kingdom.

“It’s not like we’re asking them to halt the construction of the fortress permanently,” said Lark. “We’re just asking them to let us inspect the site first. They’re trying to construct not only one, but two large military bases at the same time. For such a significant expansion, the nobles should at least inform the crown beforehand.”

“…And if they refuse to temporarily halt the construction of the fortress?” said the grand chamberlain.

“Then we’ll mobilize the military to suppress them. I am from House Marcus, that’s true. But currently, I am the King of Lukas. My loyalty lies on the country, not on some noble family.”

The grand chamberlain closed his eyes and smiled when he heard this.

He felt relieved that although Lark said he was a mere regent, it seemed his loyalty was to the crown and not to the Marcus Family.

After that, they talked about other pressing matters in the kingdom. Lark also received welcomed news that Golden Wheat City had started expanding its farmland. Eventually, their topic shifted to the Coalition Army and the recent alliances.

Everyone in the throne room was stunned speechless when Lark confirmed with his own mouth that the Empire had agreed to become part of the Coalition.

“I-Is that true?” muttered Secretary Irene in disbelief.

Although they’d received intel that the Empire and the Republic of Everfrost had become part of the Coalition, due to the distance between their countries, it took some time to gather enough information to verify its authenticity.

They couldn’t believe that the Empire, who used to be the biggest threat to the Kingdom of Lukas, had become their ally.

“The Republic of Everfrost… and even the Great Empire,” muttered King Alvis. “I really made the correct decision in choosing you as my successor. To think that madman of an Emperor lowered his head and agreed to become part of the Coalition…”

Secretary Irene couldn’t stop herself from trembling. “Y-Your Majesty! This is such a great feat! With this, we’ll be able to reallocate our forces more efficiently!”

Due to the threat of the Great Empire, a sizable force was always stationed at the Yorkshaire Fortress and its adjacent territories. But now that the Empire had become their ally, they would have the leeway to reallocate those soldiers to somewhere else.

The Great Empire to the North.

The Endless Forest and the Kingdom of Elves to the Southeast.

The Dwarven Kingdom to the Northeast.

The United Grakas Alliance to the South.

And the Mullgray Islands to the West.

Although a new Pirate King had emerged recently, the annihilation of the Pierson Pirate Fleet had taken its toll on the pirates. It should take them several years before they could form a proper fleet that could threaten the mainlanders.

Now that the threat from their adjacent nations was gone due to the alliance, they could finally freely move their forces and train new recruits.

“The Emperor saw firsthand how dangerous the demons are,” said Lark. “It’s only logical for him to concede and join the Coalition. As for the Republic, they are currently occupied with internal matters in their government.”

Secretary Irene bobbed her head. She understood that the Republic must have joined the Coalition in order to avoid fighting against the Empire. She would have done it too, if she were their leader.

Still, in the end, it was a win-win situation for all parties.

After their discussions, Lark held a small awarding ceremony for the people who’d accompanied him to the Empire.

He generously praised and awarded Captain Symon and Reginald Vont. Of course, Big Mona was greatly displeased when he witnessed this, but the fat merchant didn’t utter a word.

“Is Magaras still here in the capital?” said Lark.

Secretary Irene said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lark promised before that the torturer would be granted an audience once he returned to the capital.

Although Black Midas was now nothing but a shell of its former self, it would still be better to snuff out the remnants if they had the chance. This would prevent future problems later on.

“Bring him to the sitting room. I shall meet him there.”

Lark looked at the muscular giant leaning on the wall next to the entrance. Unlike the other people, Kel’ Vual didn’t join the political discussions.

Lark sent a mental transmission to him, “Kel. Let’s drink after I meet Magaras and perform the Essence Animation Spell.”

Kel’ Vual grinned, “Oho~ At the top of the tower, just the two of us? Are you sure you’ll still have enough energy to drink after all that?”

“Does it matter where? This trip was exhausting. Just this once, I’ll abuse my authority and order the servants to bring me several bottles of centuries-old wine from the cellar. Let’s drink until we drop tonight.”

Kel’ Vual laughed loudly, startling those in the throne room.

“Now, that’s rare! I’ll remove all of my body’s toxin suppression! Let’s get drunk tonight, Evander!”