Chapter 6

### Casual Talk 1: The Rodel Duchy After Joshua's Exile, Day 4

In the capital city of Rosenheim, the heart of the Rodel Duchy—

Rosenheim, the capital of the Rodel Duchy, boasts the largest population in the duchy.

The number of its inhabitants is a staggering 200,000, nearly half the population of Zirconia, the port city with the world's largest population, which is also a city-state in the neighboring country.

Rosenheim, a capital city far from the sea, is recognized by all as one of the most prominent capitals.

However, dark clouds began to gather over the once-prosperous Rosenheim.

The central shopping district still bustled with activity as before, but rumors of the "Duke of Rodel's exile" were whispered with increasing seriousness, and the guards seemed to be on edge.

The most evident sign of the chaos was in the political center of the duchy.

The line in front of Joshua's room grew longer each day since he disappeared.

"Where is the Duke of Rodel? Is the Duke not here?!"

"Your Grace, about this document..."

"I should go first! I had an appointment with the Duke to discuss agricultural policies. Today is finally the day I can meet him!"

"Then I should go first! I haven't even met him yet, despite having an appointment yesterday!"

Despite understanding that it was disrespectful, the civil servants knocked on Joshua's door.

However, the room's owner was no longer there.

They had heard from the Holy Maiden's followers that Joshua had been exiled, yet they still relied on him.

Tap, tap, tap—

At that moment, the regular sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor, and the atmosphere froze.

The owner of the footsteps was a beautiful girl with a perfectly composed face, so much so that those who saw her couldn't help but sigh.

Draped in a pure white robe, her eyes, which looked at the gathered civil servants with a blank expression, seemed to carry a hint of compassion.

However, cold sweat trickled down the foreheads of the gathered civil servants, and their movements all came to a halt.

"Everything is according to the will of the gods. Is that understood?"

"Y-Yes... Holy Maiden..."

The civil servants left Joshua's room with heavy steps.

"What are they worried about? All they need to do is follow what the gods say. There's no need for hesitation or consultation."

The beautiful girl in the robe, the Holy Maiden, drew a diamond shape with her right fingertips without changing her expression.

This gesture is a simple prayer to the gods, and it is a common sight, not only among those who belong to the Holy Church but also among the general public.

However, she, who devoutly believed in the gods, was unaware that Joshua had met over a hundred civil servants a day.

The civil servants, who came one after another, relied on him, sought his advice, and got their work done.

Joshua encouraged them to make their own judgments, but the more complex the matters became, the more they had to rely on the wise king Joshua, who always provided appropriate guidance.

It had been only four days since the Duke of Rodel, Joshua, was exiled, but the political center was already in chaos, and the administration was unable to function.

Incidentally, the work the Duke of Rodel handled was not just listening to the complaints of civil servants. Rather, meetings with civil servants were just a small part of his duties.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the city's commercial guilds visited the highly respected captain of the knights.

"I'm sorry. I'm not an expert in these matters..."

The captain of the knights, with his arms crossed and a deep frown, expressed his frustration to the gathered leaders of the commercial guilds.

"However, the palace is in no condition to hear our concerns right now."

"..."

The captain of the knights sighed deeply, recalling the daily lines of civil servants.

"Could you please convey our message to the captain of the knights?"

"..."

"Only if it's just conveying the message."

"Thank you!"

The leaders of the commercial guilds bowed their heads in unison, their faces beaming with joy.

"The processing of our affairs with the state is delayed. Moreover, the guild leader and a senior member have suddenly disappeared..."

"Surely... they followed the Duke of Rodel?"

"Most likely. With the two most reliable people gone and the state's control failing... we are still holding on, but how long can the market remain calm?"

"We can help with security. I will convey the situation to the civil servants."

"Thank you for everything. You are our only hope, Captain of the Knights!"

The leaders of the commercial guilds bowed so low that their heads almost touched the floor, shook hands firmly with the captain of the knights, and left the room.

The captain of the knights, left alone, looked up to the sky and placed his hand on his forehead.

"Prophecy... Divine revelation... There's no room for doubt, but could it be wrong? This country needs the Duke of Rodel..."

The captain of the knights' voice, filled with sorrow, was heard by no one.

◇◇◇

### Casual Talk 2: A Certain Man

In front of Joshua's residence—

Almost everyone respected and revered Joshua, rushing to his side.

However, there were exceptions, and one of them was a man with a leopard-like head, who stood at a distance, arms crossed, observing the scene.

His blue eyes were open on only one side, and a large, painful scar ran vertically across his left eye.

The man, with a stern gaze, watched Joshua as he ascended the podium, but he had no intention of harming the duke.

"Who would have thought I'd end up here..."

He muttered under his breath, so quietly that no one could hear him.

He was an adventurer. However, since losing an eye, he had faced more dangerous situations.

Danger was not a big issue for him.

He just couldn't forgive himself. As an S-rank adventurer. For becoming weak.

"I know no other way to live than as an adventurer."

He had a plan.

In this new settlement that was about to be developed, his strength might be of some use.

There he is, the duke. He looks small and frail, as if he would break if you twisted him.

He's a dull man.

That was the leopard-headed man's honest impression.

Protecting this man might be easy... or rather, if he could get hired as a guard, it would be a great opportunity.

As he thought this to himself, the duke's figure on the podium came into view.

Joshua raised both hands.

At that moment, a shock ran through him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, as if he had been struck by lightning.

He was drawn in.

He was completely captivated.

"Did you come here, not to choose the prosperous Rodel Duchy, but to support me, this me?"

Joshua's voice made him cheer from the bottom of his heart.

No, he wasn't a dull man!

The duke's words were like magic. Each word shook the core of the leopard-headed man's body.

This must be what charisma is...

He could feel it. Why the citizens adored the duke so much. He didn't know about the duke's achievements.

But he thought the duke's words reflected the great path he had built.

The man wondered, "Can I serve this person...?" and shook his head.

"For someone like me, it's too much of an honor."

He decided to leave.

He clenched his fist, his muscular arm tensing.

"I've seen something good. I'll go again. Just because I lost an eye, it's not a big deal. It's a trivial matter."

He touched the scar on his face, as if to convince himself, and was about to walk away when—

"Would you like to join the exploration team instead of the agricultural department?"

"Ah... What...?"

The leopard-headed man gasped.

He shivered.

The man had stood behind him without making a sound.

The well-mannered middle-aged man standing behind him seemed far removed from any kind of battle.

The gentleman's natural demeanor made cold sweat run down his spine.

"You must have come here out of admiration for Joshua. As his butler, I deeply appreciate it."

"Y-You are..."

"My name is Rumburg. Please remember me."

"I'm Garuga. I was an adventurer. Is someone like me acceptable?"

"You are most welcome. Joshua treats everyone, regardless of their status, equally."

"Is there such a noble...?"

"Yes. I believe he is a miracle sent by the gods to this world."

"Please, let me help! Let me lend a hand!"

He rubbed his dirty hand on his clothes and extended it.

Rumburg took his hand with a smile and bowed, saying, "Pleasure to meet you."

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