The outside of the window was covered in a silver world. Captivated by the beauty of the sunlit scenery, I momentarily forgot about the cold.
“Linos, is something wrong?”
“No, Rico. Look, it’s a silver world as far as the eye can see.”
I took Rico’s hand, pulled her out of bed, and led her to the window, embracing her shoulders.
“Well, it’s beautiful…”
“It’s already completely winter.”
“Yes, indeed.”
We changed our clothes, and I held Rico’s hand as we descended the stairs, heading towards the dining room.
It was already mid-December, and the new year was approaching. And soon, it would be Rico’s time to give birth. To be honest, I had mixed feelings about it, half excitement and half anxiety. In this world, it was common for nobles to hire a wet nurse for their newborns, but Rico seemed determined to breastfeed. I agreed with her decision.
While I was concerned about Rico, I hadn’t forgotten about the wives I recently married. I spent time with them on a rotating basis. The current routine went something like this:
Monday: Rico or Mei Tuesday: Concidy Wednesday: Rico or Mei Thursday: Soleil Friday: Rico or Mei Saturday: Matokal Sunday: Rico or Mei
Of course, there could be variations depending on the circumstances, but this was generally how we spent our time. Some might question why we were doing this despite being newlyweds, but Rico would become anxious if she wasn’t with me.
As for Mei, she seemed hesitant to sleep together with Rico, possibly due to consideration. Knowing this, Rico would arrange for me to sleep with Mei once a week. By the way, both Mei and Rico slept in the room on the first floor that used to be Mei’s library. We had removed all the books and placed a large bed there, turning it into a bedroom. It also served as a place for medical examinations by Roni, and it was planned to be the delivery room.
When they slept in that room, one of the family members always slept with them. Initially, it was just because we were worried about the baby in Rico’s belly, but eventually, it became a consultation room for Rico and Mei. The two of them listened to the worries of the other women. Of course, Gon was not allowed in there, and it seemed like a bond was growing among the women.
Meanwhile, there was a visitor to Agarta. Three men dressed like sharp-eyed hunters came to seek an audience with me. They claimed to be representatives of a village called Daitas in the Lamaron Empire. I accompanied them, along with Kunogen and a few others, to a guest room in the reception hall.
“I am Jinbi, the village chief of Daitas Village in the Lamaron Empire. These two young men, Izira and Donsei, are the youth of our village. I brought them as my escorts. I thank you for allowing us an audience.”
“So, you made it here in this snow. Well, I hope this warms you up.”
I served them sweet rice wine. The three of them hesitated for a while, but then slowly began to drink it, exchanging glances.
“It might have a unique taste that might not suit your palate. Anyway, do you recognize me as the Agarta king?
Jinbi, the sharp-eyed man who introduced himself, gave a signal to the young men he brought with him. In response, the young men nodded slowly.
“Indeed, Your Majesty of Agarta. It’s just… how should I put it… you are quite approachable.”
“Oh, so you know my face. That’s pleasing. You’ve come to see me for a reason, haven’t you? I’ll hear you out. So, what is it?”
Jinbi and his companions knelt down, placed their right hand on their chest, and bowed their heads.
“King of Agarta, we, the village of Daitas, including myself as the village chief, wish to become your subordinates, along with 150 others.”
“…Another unexpected request. May I ask for the reason?”
“If we continue to follow the Lamaron Empire, we will perish.”
I learned that the autumn harvest in the Lamaron Empire this year was extremely harsh. It was evident to everyone that famine would occur if things continued as they were. As a result, the empire provided food assistance to various towns and villages, which was a good thing.
“However, the amount of food they provided was far from enough for us to survive.”
It seemed that what arrived at the village was less than half of what Village Chief Jinbi had requested. Daitas Village was located halfway up a mountain and would be covered in snow during winter, making it difficult to secure food. Furthermore, many young men had been taken as soldiers during the recent war, leaving mostly elderly people and women and children in the village.
“As the village chief, I must protect the villagers. Rather than sitting and waiting for death, I must find a way for us to survive.”
“Are you saying that you want to follow us?”
I looked straight into Jinbi’s eyes. He also stared back at me without averting his gaze and nodded slowly.
“During the previous war, the imperial army withdrew from Agarta. At that time, some soldiers attacked our village and plundered our food. If only we had that, we could have survived this winter… Those were not soldiers; they were thieves disguised as soldiers. Such a military that turns into bandits is no longer a military.”
Jinbi spat out his words.
“There were young villagers who went to war among the imperial army. However, they didn’t return even after several days. We had given up, thinking they had died in battle, but then, out of nowhere, five young men, including these two, came back. They were carrying an abundance of food. And when we asked, they said it was provided by the Agarta king. Even if you only released soldiers who had invaded your territory, it would be an extraordinary response, but to provide them with food and send them back to the border… It’s unheard of. At that moment, I thought to myself, with this king, we might not starve.”
“Well, this kingdom of Agarta follows the principle of providing food, clothing, and shelter to its subjects. I knew those soldiers weren’t fighting because they wanted to. They have families waiting for them at home. So, I thought I’d send them back with food.”
“We are truly grateful. We are truly grateful.”
Jinbi deeply bowed, and the men who stood behind him also bowed repeatedly, expressing their gratitude.
In a calm voice, Jinbi continued speaking.
“For the past few years, the empire has been experiencing poor harvests. We have struggled with increased taxes. Nonetheless, we managed to barely survive, clinging to life despite the hunger, for the sake of the empire. But they took away our food and made no effort to save the village. We are now left with nothing but hunger and despair. We are on the verge of starving to death. However, before that happens, I wanted to turn to King of Agarta and plead for help… Can you save us from starvation?”
I had a favorable impression of Jinbi’s attitude. He had cast aside his pride and was determined to save the villagers. I had an instinctual feeling that I could trust this man.
“Understood. Let me think about it for a moment. I won’t take much time. Wait for three hours. Hey, bring Layfence and Mat here.”
Kunogen left the room with the three individuals. Thirty minutes later, Layfence, Kunogen, and Matokal arrived in the room. I shared Jinbi’s story with the three of them.
“What do you think?”
Layfence grinned.
“Isn’t it already decided in your mind?”
“Well, I want to support them,” I said.
“However, the Lamaron army won’t stay silent. It will likely escalate into a full-scale war,” Kunogen sighed, crossing his arms.
“Hey, Mat, where exactly is Daitas Village, where Jinbi is the village chief?” I asked.
“Daitas Village is located beyond the Banzabi Mountain, a short distance away. It should be around here,” Matokal drew a simple map.
“Oh, I remember. We were staring down the Lamaron army recently… Um… Isn’t it on the opposite side of the Ilbezi River? Near the mountain over there. So, the Lamaron army was stationed right behind the village,” I said, resting my chin on my hand as I looked at the map Matokal drew.
“But in this deep mountain village, there aren’t many military advantages,” Layfence furrowed his brows and continued.
“If we were to occupy the entire mountain, it could serve as a logistical base, but we don’t have the power to control the entire mountain. And if we were to do that, we would need reinforcements from Hideita. Will the empire actually act?” Kunogen sighed, deep in thought.
I pondered while looking at the map for a while and then turned to Matokal.
“Hey, Mat, where does this Ilbezi River lead to?”
Matokal continued drawing on the map.
“This river flows into the Lamaron Sea. Near its estuary, there is a large city called Galbi. Between Galbi and the Banzabi Mountain where Daitas Village is located, there are high mountains.”
“Are there any towns or villages in between?”
“There is only the village of Suirebo.”
“Where is that?”
“If you go west from Daitas Village, it should be around this area.”
“It’s quite far. Is it at the foot of the mountain? How long does it take to get from Suirebo Village to Daitas Village?”
“If you climb the mountain, it would take two days. If you go from Daitas Village, it would be about a day.”
“I see.”
“Lord Linos, what has happened to the village within this mountain?” Layfence asked with a puzzled expression. I smirked.
“Mat, what do you think would happen if Daitas Village were to defect to Agarta? Would Lamaron immediately crush them?”
“…If it were up to me, I wouldn’t do it right away. Well, if the enemy were to come and occupy the village with a large army, it would be a different story, but a single village wouldn’t pose much of a threat. If they were to suppress it, it would be during the collection of tribute. They would go and plunder all the harvested goods. In any case, even if Daitas Village were to join Agarta, it wouldn’t be immediately crushed.”
“Understood. Then, what do you think of this?”
I explained my plan to the three of them.
“Hahaha! That’s interesting. It’s really interesting!” Layfence clapped his knees in delight.
“The enemy will be surprised,” Kunogen said, nodding with a smile.
“L-Linos-sama, you have such outrageous ideas…” Matokal said, her mouth wide open in astonishment.
“Matokal, the master you married is truly the God of War, isn’t he?” Layfence smirked, teasing her. She shook her head in exasperation.
“Lamaron made a big mistake. One was not recapturing Matokal. And now, they are about to make another major mistake. Let’s see if they realize it,” I said, wearing a wicked smile, and once again, I looked at the map Matokal had drawn.
The outside of the window was covered in a silver world. Captivated by the beauty of the sunlit scenery, I momentarily forgot about the cold.
“Linos, is something wrong?”
“No, Rico. Look, it’s a silver world as far as the eye can see.”
I took Rico’s hand, pulled her out of bed, and led her to the window, embracing her shoulders.
“Well, it’s beautiful…”
“It’s already completely winter.”
“Yes, indeed.”
We changed our clothes, and I held Rico’s hand as we descended the stairs, heading towards the dining room.
It was already mid-December, and the new year was approaching. And soon, it would be Rico’s time to give birth. To be honest, I had mixed feelings about it, half excitement and half anxiety. In this world, it was common for nobles to hire a wet nurse for their newborns, but Rico seemed determined to breastfeed. I agreed with her decision.
While I was concerned about Rico, I hadn’t forgotten about the wives I recently married. I spent time with them on a rotating basis. The current routine went something like this:
Monday: Rico or Mei Tuesday: Concidy Wednesday: Rico or Mei Thursday: Soleil Friday: Rico or Mei Saturday: Matokal Sunday: Rico or Mei
Of course, there could be variations depending on the circumstances, but this was generally how we spent our time. Some might question why we were doing this despite being newlyweds, but Rico would become anxious if she wasn’t with me.
As for Mei, she seemed hesitant to sleep together with Rico, possibly due to consideration. Knowing this, Rico would arrange for me to sleep with Mei once a week. By the way, both Mei and Rico slept in the room on the first floor that used to be Mei’s library. We had removed all the books and placed a large bed there, turning it into a bedroom. It also served as a place for medical examinations by Roni, and it was planned to be the delivery room.
When they slept in that room, one of the family members always slept with them. Initially, it was just because we were worried about the baby in Rico’s belly, but eventually, it became a consultation room for Rico and Mei. The two of them listened to the worries of the other women. Of course, Gon was not allowed in there, and it seemed like a bond was growing among the women.
Meanwhile, there was a visitor to Agarta. Three men dressed like sharp-eyed hunters came to seek an audience with me. They claimed to be representatives of a village called Daitas in the Lamaron Empire. I accompanied them, along with Kunogen and a few others, to a guest room in the reception hall.
“I am Jinbi, the village chief of Daitas Village in the Lamaron Empire. These two young men, Izira and Donsei, are the youth of our village. I brought them as my escorts. I thank you for allowing us an audience.”
“So, you made it here in this snow. Well, I hope this warms you up.”
I served them sweet rice wine. The three of them hesitated for a while, but then slowly began to drink it, exchanging glances.
“It might have a unique taste that might not suit your palate. Anyway, do you recognize me as the Agarta king?
Jinbi, the sharp-eyed man who introduced himself, gave a signal to the young men he brought with him. In response, the young men nodded slowly.
“Indeed, Your Majesty of Agarta. It’s just… how should I put it… you are quite approachable.”
“Oh, so you know my face. That’s pleasing. You’ve come to see me for a reason, haven’t you? I’ll hear you out. So, what is it?”
Jinbi and his companions knelt down, placed their right hand on their chest, and bowed their heads.
“King of Agarta, we, the village of Daitas, including myself as the village chief, wish to become your subordinates, along with 150 others.”
“…Another unexpected request. May I ask for the reason?”
“If we continue to follow the Lamaron Empire, we will perish.”
I learned that the autumn harvest in the Lamaron Empire this year was extremely harsh. It was evident to everyone that famine would occur if things continued as they were. As a result, the empire provided food assistance to various towns and villages, which was a good thing.
“However, the amount of food they provided was far from enough for us to survive.”
It seemed that what arrived at the village was less than half of what Village Chief Jinbi had requested. Daitas Village was located halfway up a mountain and would be covered in snow during winter, making it difficult to secure food. Furthermore, many young men had been taken as soldiers during the recent war, leaving mostly elderly people and women and children in the village.
“As the village chief, I must protect the villagers. Rather than sitting and waiting for death, I must find a way for us to survive.”
“Are you saying that you want to follow us?”
I looked straight into Jinbi’s eyes. He also stared back at me without averting his gaze and nodded slowly.
“During the previous war, the imperial army withdrew from Agarta. At that time, some soldiers attacked our village and plundered our food. If only we had that, we could have survived this winter… Those were not soldiers; they were thieves disguised as soldiers. Such a military that turns into bandits is no longer a military.”
Jinbi spat out his words.
“There were young villagers who went to war among the imperial army. However, they didn’t return even after several days. We had given up, thinking they had died in battle, but then, out of nowhere, five young men, including these two, came back. They were carrying an abundance of food. And when we asked, they said it was provided by the Agarta king. Even if you only released soldiers who had invaded your territory, it would be an extraordinary response, but to provide them with food and send them back to the border… It’s unheard of. At that moment, I thought to myself, with this king, we might not starve.”
“Well, this kingdom of Agarta follows the principle of providing food, clothing, and shelter to its subjects. I knew those soldiers weren’t fighting because they wanted to. They have families waiting for them at home. So, I thought I’d send them back with food.”
“We are truly grateful. We are truly grateful.”
Jinbi deeply bowed, and the men who stood behind him also bowed repeatedly, expressing their gratitude.
In a calm voice, Jinbi continued speaking.
“For the past few years, the empire has been experiencing poor harvests. We have struggled with increased taxes. Nonetheless, we managed to barely survive, clinging to life despite the hunger, for the sake of the empire. But they took away our food and made no effort to save the village. We are now left with nothing but hunger and despair. We are on the verge of starving to death. However, before that happens, I wanted to turn to King of Agarta and plead for help… Can you save us from starvation?”
I had a favorable impression of Jinbi’s attitude. He had cast aside his pride and was determined to save the villagers. I had an instinctual feeling that I could trust this man.
“Understood. Let me think about it for a moment. I won’t take much time. Wait for three hours. Hey, bring Layfence and Mat here.”
Kunogen left the room with the three individuals. Thirty minutes later, Layfence, Kunogen, and Matokal arrived in the room. I shared Jinbi’s story with the three of them.
“What do you think?”
Layfence grinned.
“Isn’t it already decided in your mind?”
“Well, I want to support them,” I said.
“However, the Lamaron army won’t stay silent. It will likely escalate into a full-scale war,” Kunogen sighed, crossing his arms.
“Hey, Mat, where exactly is Daitas Village, where Jinbi is the village chief?” I asked.
“Daitas Village is located beyond the Banzabi Mountain, a short distance away. It should be around here,” Matokal drew a simple map.
“Oh, I remember. We were staring down the Lamaron army recently… Um… Isn’t it on the opposite side of the Ilbezi River? Near the mountain over there. So, the Lamaron army was stationed right behind the village,” I said, resting my chin on my hand as I looked at the map Matokal drew.
“But in this deep mountain village, there aren’t many military advantages,” Layfence furrowed his brows and continued.
“If we were to occupy the entire mountain, it could serve as a logistical base, but we don’t have the power to control the entire mountain. And if we were to do that, we would need reinforcements from Hideita. Will the empire actually act?” Kunogen sighed, deep in thought.
I pondered while looking at the map for a while and then turned to Matokal.
“Hey, Mat, where does this Ilbezi River lead to?”
Matokal continued drawing on the map.
“This river flows into the Lamaron Sea. Near its estuary, there is a large city called Galbi. Between Galbi and the Banzabi Mountain where Daitas Village is located, there are high mountains.”
“Are there any towns or villages in between?”
“There is only the village of Suirebo.”
“Where is that?”
“If you go west from Daitas Village, it should be around this area.”
“It’s quite far. Is it at the foot of the mountain? How long does it take to get from Suirebo Village to Daitas Village?”
“If you climb the mountain, it would take two days. If you go from Daitas Village, it would be about a day.”
“I see.”
“Lord Linos, what has happened to the village within this mountain?” Layfence asked with a puzzled expression. I smirked.
“Mat, what do you think would happen if Daitas Village were to defect to Agarta? Would Lamaron immediately crush them?”
“…If it were up to me, I wouldn’t do it right away. Well, if the enemy were to come and occupy the village with a large army, it would be a different story, but a single village wouldn’t pose much of a threat. If they were to suppress it, it would be during the collection of tribute. They would go and plunder all the harvested goods. In any case, even if Daitas Village were to join Agarta, it wouldn’t be immediately crushed.”
“Understood. Then, what do you think of this?”
I explained my plan to the three of them.
“Hahaha! That’s interesting. It’s really interesting!” Layfence clapped his knees in delight.
“The enemy will be surprised,” Kunogen said, nodding with a smile.
“L-Linos-sama, you have such outrageous ideas…” Matokal said, her mouth wide open in astonishment.
“Matokal, the master you married is truly the God of War, isn’t he?” Layfence smirked, teasing her. She shook her head in exasperation.
“Lamaron made a big mistake. One was not recapturing Matokal. And now, they are about to make another major mistake. Let’s see if they realize it,” I said, wearing a wicked smile, and once again, I looked at the map Matokal had drawn.
