NOVEL NEXT Chapter 113
Chapter: 113
Some content was modified on January 9th at 3 PM.
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I wrote “Finding a woman to be the hero’s companion” at the top of the to-do list, and then the hero and I moved along with the cavalry.
Arcadia.
A country formed by survivors who lived in the wasteland of Arcad.
A nation that struggled to survive amidst trials and tribulations.
“To be honest, the situation became so dire that we were half ready to give up, but His Majesty made a bold decision.”
“A decision?”
“Yeah. He used the crown that’s been passed down for generations in the royal family as collateral to secure land for the people to live on and a generous amount of food.”
The crown passed down in the Arcad royal family… that must be the one I gave, right?
Hmm. Using such a super valuable treasure as collateral to get land and food… it reminds me of those characters in Romance of the Three Kingdoms who borrowed troops using their imperial seals as collateral.
This king is quite an interesting fellow.
“After that, we united all the survivors of Arcad and the tribes already living on the borrowed land to establish the country of Arcadia.”
“To be honest, it wasn’t an easy task. The borrowed land was terrible for farming. Weeds grew real well, though.”
“Hmm…”
Land where weeds grow like crazy but farming is impossible… is it a problem with the soil quality? Or could it be the terrain?
I’m not really sure, but it seems the land they borrowed by pledging the crown isn’t exactly prime real estate.
“As a result, the farmers instead ended up raising cattle, horses, and sheep. But luckily, the hills are pretty fertile, so there was enough grass for the livestock, which is a blessing in disguise.”
Wow. So the agriculture-centered Arcad transformed into livestock-centered Arcadia because of this change.
This transformation is… quite fascinating.
“Plus, we allied with the existing tribes and somehow managed to coexist peacefully. That person over there is from one of those original tribes.”
A wolf-woman who had been walking a bit away waved to us with a smile.
Indeed, a wolf gal.
“I’ll share more details when we get to Arcadia. It’s not too far from here.”
And so, we headed towards Arcadia.
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The place we arrived at with the cavalry was somewhere between a city and a village.
It looked more like an encampment with a bunch of tents typical of nomadic folks.
A nomadic nation centered on livestock farming… hmm… Mongolia, perhaps?
“This place may seem a bit shabby compared to villages from other countries, but welcome to Arcadia.”
There weren’t any proper buildings, but still, the people living here were bursting with energy.
The shepherds feeding the cattle, the wolf-like dogs herding sheep, and the wolf-like merchants pulling carts loaded with various goods.
Everyone was putting in the effort to survive.
Hmm. Quite a nice sight.
As we walked through the crowd,
“The two of us need to report the patrol results, so this wolf gal will guide you to the king. Wishing you a good time in Arcadia!”
The two cavalry members, excluding the wolf-woman, politely bowed and headed toward a tent in the distance.
Hmm. Given the many tied-up horses, that tent must be acting as a stable.
Or maybe it’s the cavalry’s barracks.
“This way. I’ll take you to where the king is.”
The wolf-woman led us to a large tent right in the center.
“Is everyone living in tents?”
“Yep. Because we have to move to areas with enough grass for the livestock on a set schedule, we can’t build proper structures. And even for the king’s place… we can’t just pick up and move an entire building, so it’s really no different.”
Pretty impressive! Arcad was definitely an agriculture-based country, but to completely switch the main industry like this, even with a divine curse floating around…
How peculiar. Or maybe the king who made that decision is quite bold.
As we stepped into the large tent guided by the wolf-woman,
“Hmm. The military situation of the tribes looks solid. How’s the food supply?”
“Farming in the south has been great, so we were able to buy plenty of food at a cheap rate.”
“Good. Then… hmm? Who are you guys?”
The two people in deep conversation—a sharp-eyed man who seemed to be the king and his servant—noticed us entering the tent.
“I’m Epona from the 5th patrol squad. While patrolling the old lands of Arcad, I encountered the hero and the Dragon’s Priestess, so I came to guide you.”
“Hmm? The hero and the Dragon’s Priestess?”
In that moment, the king’s gaze shifted.
His initially sharp eyes suddenly softened, transforming into a friendly, welcoming look.
“Oh my! To have such esteemed guests visit this humble place! Welcome, hero and Dragon’s Priestess! I am Makairodous, the king of Arcadia. Please, just call me Makai.”
Makai…? That’s an unusual name. Somehow feels a bit Japanese.
Responding to the king’s warm greeting, the hero stepped forward, bowed slightly, and spoke.
“I’m the hero chosen by the goddess of life, though unworthy. And this is…”
“Ah, indeed. I’m the Dragon’s Priestess, the representative of the goddess. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Oh wow, this is incredible! To meet the famous hero and Dragon’s Priestess in person, I must be very lucky!”
“It’s not very appropriate for someone not yet 40 years old to say such things.”
The servant standing next to the king grumbled softly. Seeing his rather long beard, it seemed he was annoyed by the younger king lamenting about age.
“Hmm, you have a problem with that? You, who’ve lost your youth.”
“Ugh…”
Wow, that’s a bit much. Not like it’s the servant’s fault for losing his youth.
“Well then… since we have such distinguished guests, shall we call it a day for today’s chores?”
“But, Your Majesty! There are still pending matters…”
“Oh come on! Surely the hero and Dragon’s Priestess are more important than those things! Come, let it go! We can deal with it tomorrow!”
Wow. The sight of the king practically tossing a few papyrus sheets at the servant is something to behold.
Is it really okay for such a king to exist?
The servant, now burdened with the papyrus sheets, sighed and started organizing them while the king paid no attention to him and continued speaking.
“Now, let’s see! Yesterday, that bald-headed Phillio said he was going to catch a cow with a broken leg, but there’s no way he roasted an entire big cow in a day… You! Go buy some meat from Phillio.”
Saying that, the king gave a little push to the servant who had finished organizing the scrolls.
“Your Majesty…”
“Oh come on, help a king out here! It wouldn’t look right if the king went to buy it himself!”
“I don’t think that’s a line a king should say, especially one who was just drinking with the citizens a few days ago and dealing with a hangover.”
“Well, I couldn’t help it! It was the day my daughter became a proper adult! How could the king possibly miss such a celebration?”
Hmm. Where has the king’s dignity gone? He’s incredibly friendly with the citizens, but seems to have no dignity left at all.
Well, maybe it could be entertaining to have a king like that around.
“In any case, I understand. You’re right; esteemed guests deserve to be treated well. But the expense will come out of Your Majesty’s personal funds.”
“What? I still have personal funds left? I swore I spent it all!”
“Yesterday was the end of the month, you see.”
“Ah, got it!!”
Hmm. Feels like they’re auditioning for a comedy show or something.
With that, the servant exited the tent, and the horse-woman named Epona also left at the king’s gesture.
“Well, it seems the arrangements are good enough, so we can talk calmly now.”
The king, Makairodous, wore a small smile.
But in his curved eyes, there was no trace left of the friendly old man who had been joking with the servant just moments ago.
“I never expected the representative of the goddess to visit this place. I thought that the goddess had turned a blind eye to the survivors of that land.”
The sudden shift in atmosphere seemed to catch the hero slightly off guard.
But hey, that must be his true self.
A king who made the bold choice to pawn his crown to gather his people wouldn’t just be some bumbling old man.
“It’s not that I intentionally turned away, but rather that I had no reason to come here.”
“No reason to come… Does the goddess still not intend to lift the curse?”
“Well… I cannot retract a declaration made in the name of the gods, unless that fool admits his mistake and apologizes at the temple.”
A curse that prevents even a single blade of grass or insect from growing.
A curse that destroys a nation by blocking access to proper food supplies.
In these times, where logistics are limited and agriculture and hunting dominate, such a curse is downright catastrophic.
Yet, the king before my eyes has somehow managed to rally and relocate his people in this cursed land.
Now that is worthy of some serious recognition.
The king raised his lips slightly as he said,
“So lively, was it? Is that how it seemed to you?”
“…….”
I did not respond.
“The people who fled from Arcad are barely holding onto their lives. They blame the goddess’s curse and resent that foolish younger brother who caused it all.”
The king continued, his smile unwavering.
“Ah, I’m not denying that idiotic younger brother’s mistakes. That idiot deserves a thousand deaths. How dare he commit such a sacrilege right in the temple of the Supreme Deity.”
That foolish younger brother.
The king in front of me must be his older sibling.
Well, it makes sense. If there’s a second prince, there’s sure to be a first.
“However, it’s been decades. Isn’t it time to lift the curse that’s been placed upon that land?”
The king locked his cold gaze on me.
Seeking a response from the representative of the goddess, as if asking the goddess herself.