Novel Full Chapter 222 : Chapter 222
Chapter 222. The Paths Are Indeed Different (2)
“It’s more or less settled.”
Even a Hegemon King who strode through the world without obstacles was, in the end, a human.
It was inevitable to feel the pressure of an uncertain challenge.
But he could not reveal that side to others.
Because he was the Hegemon King.
To be precise, because he had to be the Hegemon King.
He let out a sigh of relief only after entering his empty room and taking off the heavy coat of being the Hegemon King.
It was a night that called for a drink, but he couldn’t.
To avoid showing any weakness, he stayed away from alcohol.
Instead, he preferred cold water that cleared his mind.
The moment he was about to order his attendants to bring him water….
“Come out.”
A cold dignity once again filled Cierion’s face, which had been relaxed from the tension.
And following his words, a man revealed himself from the shadows in the corner of the room.
The moment he saw the man, who was cloaked in a black robe with a white mask covering his face, Cierion’s brow twitched.
“What is it?”
“Congratulations on your victory in the war. Your Majesty, the Hegemon King.”
“Did you come here just to say that?”
To Cierion’s words, the opponent replied in a voice tinged with laughter.
“As allies striving for the same goal, I believe it is natural to offer words of congratulations on a victory.”
“…….”
“Especially in this war, you must acknowledge our contributions, don’t you think?”
Cierion’s eyebrow twitched.
He knew it too.
From the beginning to the end of this war, their hands had been involved in every corner.
The people of the world didn’t know.
They didn’t know how many dirty and despicable conspiracies and schemes had run rampant in the shadows of this war.
In the shadow of the Hegemon King’s brilliant and confident march, there was their assistance.
‘Hooo…’
Cierion let out a sigh.
He had missed the biggest fish because he had joined hands with them. Still, he could not let go of their hands yet.
“I understand. If you have nothing more to say, then leave.”
“That is not the case. I have come to deliver the Venerable Master’s message.”
“Then get to the point quickly.”
“Yes. First, the Venerable Master said that the Elves are leaving Evergreen and moving their home.”
“The Elves? They are leaving Evergreen?”
“Yes. They are said to be moving to the southeast.”
“Southeast…”
Somehow, he felt he knew the Elves’ destination.
There was no basis, but a vague intuition was pointing to it.
“Is it the Schneider fiefdom?”
“Precisely.”
“Double Dragon has drawn in the Elves. So what is he planning to do?”
“He is said to be planning to build a pioneer city in the Great Forest.”
“In the Great Forest…. I see, yes. So that’s it.”
Cierion stroked his chin and nodded.
Yes. If so, the conversation from that time made sense.
[Then are you saying it’s fine to remain as you are?]
[Are you saying you will just turn a blind eye as the powerless people of our East continue to pile up the wall of corpses that maintains the peace of this continent for an eternity? Is that it?]
To Cierion’s resentful questioning, Patrick had answered like this at the time.
[I also have a plan to improve this crappy situation. But, that plan is different from yours.]
At the time, he hadn’t asked what it was.
After all, if it wasn’t the same path as his own, they couldn’t walk it together. However….
“He’s far more reckless than I am. Even the Roman Empire couldn’t conquer the Great Forest…”
Cierion wore a bitter expression.
Patrick was undertaking a much more difficult and reckless challenge than himself.
While he thought it was amazing, he also felt a subtle sense of inferiority.
“In the end, our paths are indeed different.”
He had decided to unite the continent to save the East, which suffered from the threat of the Great Forest.
Patrick had challenged the Great Forest itself.
Only the result would tell who was right. However….
‘In the point of being able to execute what you believe in so straightforwardly without compromise, you are far better than I.’
He felt like he had lost for no reason.
Especially when he looked at the Black Mage loitering in front of him.
“If you’ve said all you have to say, leave.”
At Cierion’s words, the Black Mage bowed his head slightly and was about to retreat. However….
“Ah, and this is a personal suggestion I’d like to offer…”
“What is it?”
“I heard you have acquired the bloodline of the Spirit Royal Family this time.”
Cierion’s eyebrow twitched.
“…So?”
“If possible, would you not entrust her to me?”
“…….”
“I heard she is quite feisty, but that must be troublesome for you. If you entrust her to me, I will make her a woman who is obedient to Your Highness. Literally one who will crawl if you say crawl, and bark if you say bark…”
The mage’s mouth closed.
It was because a terrifying killing intent was emanating from Cierion’s body.
And he spoke.
“Do not cross the line. She is the woman who will be my wife.”
“…My apologies.”
“If you commit the same rudeness again, I will sever our relationship.”
“I will keep that in mind… Your Majesty, the Hegemon King.”
The Black Mage bowed his head politely.
Yet, he felt regret.
‘Tsk, there were so many experiments I wanted to try on a descendant of the Spirit Royal Family…’
“Get lost.”
At Cierion’s single word, the Black Mage vanished. Watching the shadow ripple and disappear into the floor, Cierion thought.
‘I can’t help it for now. For now…’
* * *
The Schneider fiefdom.
A fiefdom that was the most remote and rural backwater of the East.
But that was a story of the past.
“Hohoho. This place has changed a lot too.”
Aron, the head of the Elbador Merchant Guild and the great merchant who held sway over the entire Eastern commercial world.
He personally led his guild and arrived at the Schneider fiefdom.
The soldiers standing guard at the tall castle walls and gate greeted him.
“Welcome. Lord Aron.”
“Hahaha. I am glad for the welcome.”
The Schneider fiefdom had recently recruited a large number of new soldiers.
It was because the existing soldiers had all become knights and had moved to the pioneer city, so soldiers were needed to maintain the security of the fiefdom.
Although they were newly recruited soldiers, the armor they wore was solid and their military discipline was strict.
‘They’re like the royal guards protecting the capital’s gate.’
The military discipline of the Schneider fiefdom’s army was always surprising to see. And what Aron saw upon arriving through the gate was….
“It has grown in scale again.”
He had seen it before and had been consistently receiving reports, but the speed of the Schneider fiefdom’s development was astonishing.
The wide main road was divided into a road for carriages and a sidewalk for people, and the surrounding buildings were all newly built, neat brick structures.
Following the road, he could see a market that had grown larger than before, and coachmen driving post carriages were also waiting nearby.
‘This was a rural fiefdom just a few years ago?’
For Aron, who remembered its previous appearance, it was enough to make him click his tongue.
As he was moving, a familiar voice was heard.
“Father.”
“Oh, my son.”
There was his son, so precious he wouldn’t mind putting him in his eyes.
With a sturdily trained physique and skin tanned black by the sun….
Anyone could see he was now a dependable knight.
Not a trace of his weak old self could be found.
“You’ve worked hard coming all this way. Father.”
“It’s fine. It’s natural for a merchant to travel a long way to earn money.”
Though he said that, for the master of a large guild like the Elbador Merchant Guild to visit in person meant he viewed the Schneider fiefdom as an important business partner.
“So. Where is your friend?”
“Patrick is in the pioneer city.”
“Hmm, the pioneer city, you say.”
He had heard that Patrick was working to pioneer the Great Forest.
In fact, he had come to receive an order for necessary goods and to deliver them.
“For today, you should stay at the lord’s mansion and then travel by boat tomorrow.”
At Matthew’s words, Aron nodded and said.
“I should. I need to greet the lord as well.”
And he walked with his son for the first time in a while, sharing various conversations.
“Is it true that you built a city directly inside the Great Forest?”
“You will see for yourself.”
“So you’re saying you did it. Goodness…”
Aron wore a dumbfounded expression.
It seemed his son’s unbelievable friend had finally made the impossible possible.
That evening.
Aron was welcomed by Baron and Baroness Schneider and stayed at the mansion.
‘The mansion has changed a lot too.’
Baron Schneider’s mansion was originally a small, cozy, and quite old one.
Although their son had become a big shot whose name was known throughout the continent, the Baron and Baroness’ living environment had remained the same.
But recently, Patrick had personally ordered a large-scale extension, and as a result, it had completely changed.
Flowers were planted in the large garden, and a pavilion and fountain were made for relaxation.
The cozy two-story mansion had become a massive three-story mansion.
The newly built ‘ㄷ’-shaped mansion had over 100 rooms alone, and the interior was also greatly renovated.
‘There are no candles. All the lighting has been changed to magic tools.’
That wasn’t all.
The water facilities and toilets personally attached to the rooms were also renovated to the latest style using magic tools.
After dinner, Aron, ever the merchant, immediately calculated the cost upon returning to his room.
“It must have easily cost 100,000 gold.”
To use this amount of money on renovating a mansion.
For the frugal Baron Schneider, it was an astonishing expenditure. But Matthew, who heard him from the side, said.
“It didn’t cost as much as you think.”
“What? That can’t be? To install this level of equipment, the construction cost and the price of the magic tools alone should exceed 80,000 gold.”
“Yes. Originally, that’s right. Originally…”
Matthew sighed and said.
“The construction labor was borrowed from the Orcs, and the mages dispatched from the Tower of Truth personally did the enchanting for the magic tools.”
“Hoho…. The Orcs have a close relationship with the Schneider fiefdom, so that makes sense, but did the mages cooperate so readily?”
“Well… they had to.”
Because someone lay down in front of the 5th Sage and….
[Sooo saaaad! It’s not even that much, and they won’t even do it for free, a travel fee? An installation fee? The coooost? Oh my, we’re allies, we’re neighbors, we’re comrades-in-arms, but they’re so de-ter-mined to take that money! Oh myyyy. It’s dirty, it’s cheap, it’s soooo saaaaad!]
Threw a tantrum, so it all worked out.
Patrick Schneider.
A fearsome fellow.
In any case, the mansion of the Baron Schneider family was no longer old and shabby.
Setting aside the fact that it was expanded and made splendid, it had become an extremely comfortable and excellent mansion thanks to the renovations for the convenience of daily life with various magic tools.
In fact, this was a part Patrick had paid a lot of attention to.
‘My parents should also live in a nice place for once.’
With that thought, he had ignored Baron Schneider’s words that it was fine and proceeded with it almost by force.
In the end, it turned out well.
The bigger the Baron Schneider family grew, the more guests they would have to receive, and they couldn’t have them stay in a shabby old mansion every time.
And once it was all done, Baron and Baroness Schneider were also very satisfied.
Who would dislike it when life becomes comfortable and pleasant?
Having equipped it with the latest water and sewage facilities, heating and cooling systems, and lighting with magic tools, it was to the point where they couldn’t go back to their previous lifestyle.
Thanks to that, Aron, who was staying in the guest room for distinguished guests, could also stay comfortably.
And the next day.
Aron, seen off by Baron and Baroness Schneider, boarded the ship heading to the pioneer city.
“Oh, have you already constructed a waterway this large?”
“Yes. The power of the mages was great.”
The waterway constructed to connect the pioneer city and the Schneider fiefdom had already taken shape and was in operation.
The mages expanded the depth and width of the river and built revetments for civil engineering to stabilize the banks.
Thanks to that, even a medium-sized ship of a considerable size could go up the waterway without difficulty.
“To think you built a waterway of this size in such a short time. And in the winter season when construction is difficult…”
“Because that fellow Patrick stepped up and pushed for it.”
Matthew let out a sigh.
[Do it. We can do it. Emperor Yang of Sui built a much larger waterway than this without magic. Just try it and then talk.]
He didn’t know who Emperor Yang of Sui was, but when Patrick was determined and insisted it could be done, there was nothing they could do.
What was more frightening was that it actually worked.
They hadn’t known because there was no precedent for utilizing mages for civil engineering so seriously, but it was certainly a cheat.
They had constructed a waterway of this size in a jiffy before winter was even over.
Aron looked around while on the ship and said.
“Even if you travel by waterway, you won’t be completely free from monster attacks. Is it alright?”
“It’s alright. Right now, we’re subjugating monsters on such a large scale that there’s no great threat, but please look over there.”
What Matthew pointed to was a siege ballista installed at the bow of the ship.
And it wasn’t just an ordinary item, but a magic tool made in the Tower of Truth.
“Most monsters can be repelled with that. And just in case, Elven archers and mages are also on board for escort.”
The number of times they had been attacked by monsters while traveling on the waterway could be counted on one hand.
A swarm of gargoyles or harpies had pestered them a few times, but Patrick, saying they must always prepare for the one-in-a-million chance, had them stand guard with excessive strictness.
Thanks to that, there had never been a failure in the transport that went back and forth on this waterway.
After traveling half a day up the river by boat.
The medium-sized ship carrying Aron arrived at its destination.
“Father, this is the pioneer city, Ava.”
“Ava… Ah, so it was named after the Baroness.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Hahaha.”
Usually, when nobles achieve something, they put their own name on it.
So-and-so’s Bridge.
So-and-so’s Avenue.
So-and-so’s War.
Like that.
This was quite a big privilege.
An achievement is something that remains forever as long as the record continues, and that becomes honor.
One’s name could be passed down for thousands of years.
But Patrick put the name of his parents, and his mother at that, on it instead of his own.
‘What a peculiar friend.’
That was how much he cherished the Baroness.
At this moment, even Aron couldn’t help but be envious of Baron and Baroness Schneider.
After going up the well-maintained waterway for half a day, they finally saw their destination, the pioneer city of Ava.
And the moment he arrived in the city, Aron’s mouth dropped open.
“…Matthew.”
“Yes. Father.”
“How long did you say it’s been since this city was built?”
“It has been five months now.”
“…Did Sir Schneider perhaps make a deal with some devil?”
There was a reason Aron was saying this.
The solid city walls that rose higher than the main castle of the Schneider fiefdom and the port facilities built to allow ships to dock and transport goods.
And the buildings constructed inside the city were also completed to a considerable level.
This city was made in less than half a year? This? And the city was built inside the Great Forest. This was truly an unbelievable achievement.
Matthew nodded as if he understood his father’s feelings and said.
“He may be my friend, but I think he’s an amazing guy.”
Pride was evident in Matthew’s expression.
Things that ordinary people said were impossible.
Or things that they thought of but didn’t dare to try.
Patrick attempted them with such nonchalance and somehow, tenaciously, succeeded.
He drove the mages like crazy to proceed with the construction.
The mages were hounded by Patrick to the point where they thought for the first time in their lives, ‘Ah, so this is the pain of labor.’
Normally, this would be an impossible thing.
A mage, by their very existence, was basically no different from a noble.
When would such high-class personnel have ever been hounded about not working?
But there was definitely a reward for grinding down such high-class personnel.
A single mage could easily do the work of several hundred ordinary laborers.
Thanks to them, the pioneer city of Ava was now undergoing dazzling development.
And the person who had created this pioneer city in such a short time approached.
“Guild Master. It’s been a while.”
“Oh, Sir Schneider.”
Aron hadn’t seen Patrick in a long time.
The last time he saw him was when he was still a student at the Academy, but seeing him again like this after he had left for his knight’s training journey….
“You brought the goods, right?”
He hasn’t changed. Not at all.
Seeing Patrick immediately start talking about work, a pleased smile bloomed.
Sometimes he thought, if this kid had become a merchant instead of a knight, wouldn’t he have earned more money than himself?
Aron chuckled and said.
“I’ve brought what you asked for. But I don’t know where you intend to use this.”
“Oh, right. Let me take a look.”
Patrick immediately ran over to check the goods first.
After checking the goods that were being unloaded from the ship for a while, Patrick smiled.
“As expected of the Elbador Merchant Guild. The delivery is as sharp as a knife.”
Inside the boxes were iron farming tools and seeds for wheat and barley.
Where to use these?
Obviously, there was only one place.
“It’s time to start developing farmland in earnest.”