Chapter 77

The journey to the Kingdom of Marita was, to put it bluntly, the worst.

The number of monsters was far greater than expected, and although we managed to avoid casualties, the fatigue of the troops accumulated. Part of the reason was the consecutive missions following the extermination in the Le Route territory, but more than anything, the presence of a companion who doubled our fatigue was significant.

"Prince Rolfe! The monsters are moving, and my magic isn't hitting them! Please make it hit!"

The one who repeatedly made such ridiculous statements, which anyone would recognize as foolish, was Lana Colts. Even a plague would be more charming.

Lana Colts had decent magical power, but her control and accuracy were non-existent. The fact that she could be an excellent student in our country's prestigious academy was a sign of its decline. She was more likely to harm our own soldiers than the monsters, so I quickly prohibited her from participating in combat. Naturally, she was not satisfied. However, by repeatedly saying insincere words about preserving her strength and wanting her to be a fighting force in case of emergencies, I managed to convince her.

Lana Colts' participation in this escort mission was, of course, known to my brother and sister-in-law. Initially, my brother had rejected the request, but the pressure from the Colts family was immense, and he had no choice but to accept. Since Lana's engagement was dissolved, the Colts family had been repeatedly proposing marriage to Jinklett, hoping to find a suitable match for their daughter. If, by some chance, the unvirtuous daughter became the queen of Jinklett, it would not only reduce the social backlash against Lana but also turn into a great match. However, the Kingdom of Marita had consistently rejected their offers.

Then came this escort mission for Kanan. If Lana, who was a seductive beauty, were to accompany us, perhaps she would catch Jinklett's eye.

The Colts family seemed to have the overly optimistic delusion that Lana's scandals had not reached the Kingdom of Marita. However, Barry, Jinklett's right-hand man, would certainly investigate any woman Jinklett proposed to. The official reason for the dissolution of the engagement was the other party's illness, but the rumors circulating in society would quickly reveal the truth.

Despite this, the Colts family, perhaps unwilling to give up on this great match, had the head of the family, Lana's father, personally request her participation in our mission. He even went so far as to send a letter with his signature and the family seal, making a formal request.

Thanks to my repeated negotiations, where I reluctantly agreed and then hesitated, the head of the Colts family left evidence of the family's involvement. This was an uncharacteristic oversight for the cunning head of the family.

My brother had strictly ordered me to stop the foolish actions of Lana Colts and her group at all costs, but I pretended to nod in agreement while secretly planning to let them run wild.

During the preparation for departure, I secretly had my comrades and subordinates investigate Lana's movements. She had naturally included the servants and guards who always did her dirty work, and she had also obtained suspicious drugs. I had gathered all the evidence.

Thus, the journey to the Kingdom of Marita began, and it was even more arduous than I had imagined. Primarily, this was due to Lana's arrogance and capriciousness. My excellent subordinates and Lana's group had a falling out within minutes of departure and began to ignore each other's existence. After I prohibited Lana from participating in combat, my subordinates fought for their lives while her group, protected by the guards, enjoyed the spectacle of the battle. It was absurd for those on an escort mission to be protected by their own guards. The subordinates looked at the procession, which resembled a grand wedding, with cold eyes.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, a few days after our departure, one of my subordinates rushed to me in a panic.

"Prince Rolfe! I'm sorry! I forgot to use the monster-repelling incense granted by His Majesty!"

"Monster-repelling incense... Ah, right."

Looking at the black lump my subordinate brought, I inwardly cursed, thinking, "Why did you have to remember this now?" During the extermination in the Le Route territory, I had stubbornly refused to use it, but for this escort mission, my brother had ordered me to use it. Even though it was surely a fake, I had to do this pointless task.

"Since it's an order from His Majesty, there's no choice... What was it again? There were various uses, right?"

"Yes, sir. There are incenses for normal times, sleep, and meals."

My subordinate answered earnestly. I suppressed my skepticism and responded seriously.

"Then, use the one for normal times now."

"Understood, sir!"

My subordinate began to burn the incense. To my surprise, a refreshing and gentle fragrance spread.

"Hmm, the scent is not bad. ...But, this scent might attract the monsters' attention. Everyone, stay alert during the march."

It's such a suspicious item. If it has no effect, it's not a problem, but it might stimulate the monsters. Better to be safe than sorry.

"Yes, sir."

My subordinates relayed the order to the soldiers, who became tense.

A few hours later, my prediction was completely off.

"Hey, are the monster attacks stopping...?"

"Look, the monsters on the road are fleeing into the forest?"

The number of monsters clearly decreased, and our marching speed increased. We witnessed many instances of monsters fleeing in fear of the incense's scent, and confusion and bewilderment spread among the troops. The movements of the high-level monsters that occasionally appeared were also sluggish and disorganized, making them much easier to defeat. It felt like the easiest extermination in months.

As night fell and we prepared to camp, we used the incense for meals. The scent had weakened, but the effects seemed to remain. The soldiers, who usually had to eat hurriedly to respond to the constant monster attacks, now had the leisure to enjoy their meals and conversations.

When the soldiers were about to sleep, we used the incense for sleep. We set up the usual watch and took a short rest. At night, monster activity increased, so deep sleep was impossible. We would be woken up after a brief rest. However, this night was different. I covered myself with a blanket, closed my eyes... and was eventually woken up by a subordinate.

"Your Highness, breakfast is ready."

"Huh?!"

I jumped up. The surroundings were already bright.

"What? Breakfast?"

My subordinate nodded excitedly, unable to contain his joy.

"Yes, sir. It's morning, Your Highness. That incense is amazing! This is the first time we've had such a quiet night. Of course, the guards did their job, but there were no monster attacks at all!"

Stepping out of the simple tent, I heard the soldiers' light laughter. The soldiers, who had rested well and regained their energy, looked lively and radiant. They all praised the incense's effectiveness.

"Apparently, it was made to bring good results in monster extermination, good sleep, and enjoyable meals."

Said's words echoed in my mind. The monster-repelling incense, created to ensure the safety of the soldiers, was not a fairy tale creation but a real thing.

A sense of urgency and regret welled up inside me.

No way. No way.

"Your Highness, please!"

I took the breakfast my subordinate offered and was surprised. Instead of the usual hard bread, there was an unfamiliar white, round object on the plate.

"What is this?"

"Have you not tried it yet, Your Highness? It's a new ingredient that recently came from the Kingdom of Marita."

Those words brought Said's words to mind again.

"Zaros..."

"Oh, you know about it? It's amazing! That Zaros, which was once called 'tasteless bird feed'! Please try it!"

Encouraged by my subordinate, I grabbed the Zaros with my hand. It was soft and seemed to crumble with a little pressure. I carefully put it in my mouth.

It melted softly in my mouth, spreading a moderate saltiness. The Zaros, neither too hard nor too mushy, was delicious with a subtle sweetness. It had little flavor on its own but would be delicious with meat or fish.

"My wife is obsessed with cooking Zaros. When you shape the Zaros into a ball, coat it with a seasoning called soy sauce, and grill it, it's incredibly delicious! You can eat as much as you want! And when you add meat, it's even better!"

My subordinate spoke about Zaros with sparkling eyes. He had learned the cooking method from his wife and tried it for the first time on this mission.

"Zaros grows everywhere. It reproduces quickly and is highly nutritious. It's useful as emergency food during disasters and famines. It's also being used in food distribution for the poor."

Cooking Zaros with the broth made from discarded bones from the butcher, adding scraps of vegetables, and seasoning with salt creates a dish that is gentle on the stomach, easy to digest, and delicious. Because it is made from discarded bones and vegetable scraps, the cost of food distribution is reduced, and fewer people go hungry.

"This cooking method also seems to have come from the Kingdom of Marita. It's a dish called 'Zousui' originally made for patients."

This was the Zaros that had solved the food shortage in the Kingdom of Marita. Not just emergency food, but a fine ingredient that was also delicious. In the Kingdom of Marita, this ingredient was widely used to create a variety of dishes, including Donmono.

As I ate the Zaros, my sense of urgency grew stronger. Zaros was real. Then, could it be that regeneration magic was also real?

The answer came in an urgent message from my brother that afternoon.

"Adam reports that Kanan's leg has fully recovered."

A message from Adam, Kanan's primary physician and the man who had been skeptical about the trip to the Kingdom of Marita until the end. He had seen Kanan's struggles, efforts, and sorrows and had always been by her side.

Many fraudsters had approached, claiming they could cure Kanan's leg. They had tried every trick to fake a cure, such as using recovery magic to temporarily improve the appearance of her leg or using assistive devices to make it seem like she could move. Adam had crushed all their schemes. He had never compromised or shown any leniency in Kanan's treatment. He had only accepted a perfect cure. Now, he was reporting a complete recovery.

A sense of disbelief welled up inside me. The news that Kanan's leg had been cured was the happiest thing I could hear. But I had a venomous insect in my own ranks, a worst-case scenario planted to counter the false saint who was eroding the Kingdom of Marita.

If the saint's achievements were real, I would be repaying the Kingdom of Marita and the saint, who had cured Kanan's leg, with ingratitude.

As we entered the capital of the Kingdom of Marita, the cheers of the people greeted us. The capital, the heart of the kingdom, was bright and full of vitality. It was nothing like the resigned and hedonistic atmosphere of a country in crisis. The people's expressions and orderly activities conveyed a sense of stable living. It was hard to believe that this was a country that had been repeatedly shaken by monster attacks.

Kanan ran up to me, dismounting from her horse, with a proud smile.

"Uncle!"

Kanan's voice, filled with joy. Her confident strides, firmly planting her feet on the ground. The proud and relieved smiles of Kanan's guards and Adam.

I caught Kanan as she jumped into my arms and smiled.

I witnessed a miracle. Kanan's leg was really cured! I was overjoyed, but the thought of the venomous insect wouldn't leave my mind.

King Graysen of Marita had a warm and gentle expression. There was no sign of the madness that had gripped him during the kingdom's crisis, and his strength was still evident.

In my line of sight, I saw a tall, red-haired man and a small girl by his side.

When our eyes met, I felt unusually nervous. The saint who had brought about this miracle was a small, frail, and seemingly ordinary girl.

When we spoke, her responses, though young, were steady and likable. When Jinklett's body radiated hostility, I feared my plans had been exposed, but I realized he was just jealous of the saint's engagement prospects and breathed a sigh of relief.

I was desperately trying to hide the cold sweat running down my back. While they welcomed us so friendly, I was only thinking about how to eliminate the venomous insect before they discovered my plans, even as I smiled.