Chapter 100

Chapter 99

"Why?"

"You asked for help, don't you like it?"

"Ah... No, that's not it."

"Let's get this straight. The organization you belong to mainly hunts rare and dangerous monsters, right?"

"How did you...?"

"It's also likely related to the Demon Realm, which is known to be impossible for ordinary people to enter. And if it's a secret organization that you can't even reveal the name of, it must have various types of people. Right?"

"Th-That's right!"

"That's all I need to know."

I can't directly implant data, so I need someone with Ilina's level of skill. Moreover, if we're dealing with non-human monsters, the amount of data collected will be quite extensive.

'This is a golden opportunity to secure a large amount of data! I absolutely can't miss it.'

-...It seems your mind is only focused on the development of your territory...

The golem will be further enhanced, which means the defense of the territory will be strengthened.

My position will become stronger, and my influence will grow.

After that, the probability of being restrained by force will decrease.

It's also a golden opportunity to collect data from various talented individuals in one place.

And if Last Whisper is what I think it is, connections are absolutely necessary.

"I'll help in my own way. Is that okay?"

* * *

"Great deal."

A laugh escaped without a moment's hesitation.

-Last Whisper is a term for secret organizations, Dave. Getting involved with them will inevitably lead to constraints...

"That's why it's even better."

I stood up confidently and answered while tinkering with the magic array that forms Megatron.

-Better?

"Yeah, unfortunately, this guy..."

Bang Bang!!

The solid metal plate loudly asserted its presence.

"Can't be revealed to the world yet. Not the mana crystals, the magic array, or the arrangement."

A Megatron-class golem is completely different from the manifestation of the Moon Grass or the Holy Mark.

If built as it is now, it will be a war machine slightly below the Master level.

Once it's created, there will be endless issues surrounding the special magical golem like Megatron on the continent.

The nuclear weapons issue on Earth wasn't noisy for no reason.

A golem that can be used freely, is powerful, and can be maintained with just an outer shell can operate semi-permanently, carrying significant risks.

At the very least, I need to become strong enough to withstand constraints or lay a solid foundation.

"But should I openly go around collecting data from everyone? Absolutely not, so I'll use this opportunity."

The Last Whisper's apprentice knights, despite having undergone their coming-of-age ceremony, are mostly still kids.

But their talents are undoubtedly different from those I saw in the former Felicity Principality.

Last Whisper doesn't discriminate based on background; anyone with talent, from royalty to slaves, can join.

Moreover, with a wide range of talents, if I can extract combat data from them...

-At least the combat data will be nearly complete.

What I want is diverse data, not just completed data. It's different from when heroes with extensive experience were creating arbitrary sparring partners in the corridor.

It's not just that.

"At least there's a possibility of encountering extremely rare monsters."

Even if the kids are surprised by Megatron's existence, they won't dare speak about it lightly, or they'll face consequences.

Two birds with one stone, the icing on the cake.

-Haa... Dave, even if everything is good, you're not considering your safety...

"Is there a problem?"

She flinched at my question.

"Mmm... Ah... Ah..."

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and clung to me. I sat her on my lap and gently pinched her cheeks.

"There shouldn't be."

Unknown threats? Most of them I've encountered at least once.

As long as they're not transcendent-level revenants or demons.

* * *

She seemed surprised by how readily I agreed, or perhaps she was relieved.

She only told me she would leave in two weeks and then left looking dejected.

Two weeks, a long time if you think it's long, but not so long that I can't handle other tasks.

"A started the violence. Then B drew a weapon in anger, and the incident escalated. The cause... seems to be a simple dispute."

"Violence during this period? Put both in the holding cell, next."

"Two women have come to request a judgment over a child... Both claim to be the child's mother."

"Split the child in half and see who gives up. The one who gives up is the real mother. Next."

"Really?"

"Of course it's a lie. The Alchemy Guild said to contact them if we need help, so refer it to them."

"The Petrod Caravan has sent a gift. They want to buy a large amount of undeveloped land..."

"What time is it to speculate on real estate? Reject it. Next."

"Report from the Monmither Guard Captain, a goblin village has been discovered..."

"A few guards were dispatched yesterday to handle it, so pass. Next."

I made judgments without hesitation, never taking my eyes off the documents. Was it funny to see me like that?

A very soft chuckle came from the girl preparing tea on the side.

"Cough!!"

Of course, the uncomfortable cough from Butler Bernil made her jump and bow her head deeply.

The maid in blue, with blue hair, seemed to realize her rudeness and fumbled.

She has a plain appearance, yet why does she give off the same clear feeling as the masked girl I saw in the forest before?

Ah, this scent is that of a high-level spirit mage!

Spirit mages are different from other existing beings; their mana scent is unique.

These days, maids are even making contracts with high-level spirits and have good abilities. Moreover, they're not even human.

"Sorry! Your Highness!"

"The maid's training was inadequate. What are you doing? Chase her out immediately!"

"No, people should live with smiles. Don't be so strict about such things."

"Sorry."

She looked quite flustered, but to me, it seemed like she was enjoying the situation.

To put it simply, it's a natural sense of ease.

"It's fine, Bernil. While we're at it, bring some snacks. We should eat while working; a bit of sugar will improve efficiency. Find a suitable place in the city that sells desserts."

"As you wish."

The existing residents of the territory are adapting well, but the new residents have a lot of unnecessary complaints and demands, which is quite overwhelming.

Even with good treatment, it seems that as the population grows, so do the critics.

After cutting off the problems decisively, how much time has passed since I started managing the territory?

The two weeks I agreed with Ilina passed faster than expected.

* * *

The message from Baron Gorneo, who went to the Lindis Empire for disease control, was surprisingly unexpected.

-It seems we had good luck. There were assassins attacking a carriage carrying the Lindis Empire's royal family.

"Hmm..."

-The problem is that the location was the Ordem territory. Whatever happened, the massive lightning that fell across the forest at that time engulfed the assassins, burning them to ashes without leaving any bodies, making the investigation ambiguous.

"Investigation..."

I'm sorry, but I was the one who did that.

I thought it might be royalty, but I didn't expect it to be the Lindis Empire's royal family.

It seems a large-scale war almost broke out.

It's like a cow stepping back and accidentally stepping on a frog.

-Actually, I'm here to treat Princess Aria Al Lindis. And after this treatment, I will do my best to spread the achievements of the prince throughout the continent.

"You don't need to worry about that."

-No, achievements should be recognized. The prince doesn't know how great his achievements are.

Anyway, it's just causing trouble and bringing no benefit, so it's fine. This person...

It's better to keep quiet for greater benefits in the future. Pushing too hard won't do any good.

His stubbornness about spreading my achievements to the world seemed unbreakable.

He must have a deep sense of pride in medicine, so he couldn't back down on this.

Just as I was sighing after ending the communication, the quiet window suddenly opened, and a bright blonde girl jumped in through the window, grinning at me.

"Dave!"

"...Guards!!"

"Aah, no!"

Without hesitation, I called the guards, and the girl, who was sitting on the window, turned pale.

Before I could think of anything else, she rushed in and clamped her hand over my mouth.

"If this gets out, who will you be blocking from getting married!"

Rumors, they would definitely spread.

The forbidden princess of the Palan Empire, Princess Ilina, secretly visiting the office of the lord of Haines territory.

A formal visit wouldn't be a problem, but a secret visit is a different story.

Even in a world where women's rights are relatively good, her actions are still considered rash.

"Even so, you're climbing into someone's office window in broad daylight?"

"I've already told you several times that I can't just walk in."

"If it gets out."

"..."

"Would you be very regretful?"

Grinding her teeth.

You must be having a hard time controlling your temper.

In a very short time, I learned that she has a very dirty temper, despite her known elegant and wise image.

In fact, every time she let out a bitter remark, her attendant would panic and try to stop her.

Her attendant's name was Lily, or Linda, I think.

This dirty feeling confirms the connection between talent and temper.

After agreeing to her request, two weeks passed.

During this time, she clung to me, asking if I needed anything, as if she felt indebted to me.

It wasn't for her but for me, but that fact wasn't important to her.

She just expressed endless gratitude to me for accepting her brazen request.

"This is the last time. If you don't want to, you can still refuse now."

"Let's confirm one thing first."

At my words, her face showed confusion.

"That secret knight order, if it's unknown to the public, it means the information is well-contained. Is it possible to just bring anyone in for testing?"

At my words, she slowly nodded, pulling out a small artifact from her pocket.

"That's not a problem, I plan to use the opportunity I have."

"Opportunity?"

She nodded at my words.