Chapter 120
Daylight broke.
Joshua was receiving a report on the situation of the castle from the mbers of the Order of the Star.
The survivors numbered 300.
Among them, about 60 were knights, and the remaining people were residents.
Had the recapture of the castle been delayed even slightly, they would have been left holding a ti bomb.
Barely 300 people in a base that could accommodate several thousand?
It was clear they had been determined to ruin it completely.
“Where are the captured knights?”
“We have locked them in the basent for now.”
“Let's go see them.”
Headed toward the basent under the guidance of a knight nad Temir.
Upon arriving at the basent, the knights, who had been stripped of their weapons and armor, were gathered in one place.
They numbered about twenty in total.
It was more than expected.
“I thought it would be difficult even to kill them, so I did not expect you to capture them alive.”
“The morale of the knight order pierced the sky thanks to your speech that night. Honestly, even we did not know we would do this well.”
Was the effect of the speech that significant?
The Order of the Star had perford better than expected.
“Nice to et you all.”
The knights turned their heads, reacting to the voice.
Their faces looked as if the world had collapsed.
To think humans with perfectly fine limbs would be depressed just because they lost a single castle.
They were failures as survivors.
“……And you are?”
“I am the person who planned this recapture of the castle.”
The captured knights snorted.
According to what they heard, this plan was a joint effort between the knights of the city and the Order of the Star.
Goliaths like Rodwell and Lucille were included in the group.
Yet they moved according to the words of a student?
Absurd nonsense!
“You little bastard!”
Just as expected.
No knight would stay still after hearing soone try to intercept the achievents of the order.
The boy would pay the price for running his mouth off!
“Who are you laughing at?”
Temir grabbed the collar of the knight who had just mocked Joshua.
The captured knight struggled in distress.
Temir only let go after the man's face had turned pale.
“If you look down on Joshua, I will beat you to death first.”
The knights' eyes widened.
Temir belonged to the Starlight Knights.
It was bizarre that such a man would get angry at them on behalf of the boy.
It was interpreted as if all the words the boy spat out were the truth.
“His words are true. Persuading Sir Rodwell and bringing the security and guard units to our side was all thanks to Joshua.”
The knights felt a chill down their spines.
According to his words, the boy was the figure who held their lives in his hands.
“Calm down, Temir. From their perspective, it might have been hard to believe.”
The boy gave a thin smile.
It ant he would overlook it this once.
However, it was unknown how that expression would change if they made another mistake.
“What should I do with all of you? Does anyone have an opinion?”
The knights looked around at each other.
They could not open their mouths recklessly for fear of misspeaking.
After a long silence, one knight raised his hand and spoke.
“Even though we were defeated, we have spent our lives mastering the sword. If you let us hold the sword again, we want to cooperate in defending the castle.”
“Does that an you will abandon your affiliation and co under us?”
“Yes.”
“What a spineless human being.”
Joshua grew furious.
“You switch ships the mont the leader dies? Temir, does this fit the code of chivalry?”
“Huh? Oh, no. Definitely not.”
“Furthermore, the expression 'cooperate' is a bit off. Is that not sothing said between equals?”
“T-That is also true.”
The knight swallowed hard.
Apparently, this was not the answer the boy wanted.
“Do other people share the sa opinion as this knight?”
When the boy asked, there was a man who answered as if he had been waiting.
“I am sorry, but I don't agree. A knight must not easily abandon an affiliation once decided!”
“So you an you want to die while remaining noble?”
The knights' eyes wavered greatly.
Just which tune were they supposed to dance to!
“Until I judge you to be my people, this is the way it is.”
Joshua muttered in a voice stripped of laughter.
“It is an earring if hung on the ear, and a nose ring if hung on the nose. Just do as you are told, and don't question it.”
The knights swallowed hard.
A charisma hard to believe coming from a student dominated the room.
“Anyone who does not wish to follow, speak now. I will let you leave with minimal equipnt.”
None of the knights stood up.
They feared being kicked out of the castle.
On the other hand, they imagined themselves receiving orders from Joshua.
It did not seem bad.
That alone was reason enough to follow the boy.
“Which unit should I send them to?”
Temir asked.
“Send them to Rodwell. Being under him, they will get used to it whether they like it or not.”
“Hehe, sounds good.”
* * *
Vale, who had beco the Lord, was suffering from a headache.
As soon as he reclaid his position, the maids remaining in the castle washed his body and changed his clothes.
It was a custom taken for granted before the world beca like this.
But now, he thought it was incredibly luxurious.
“Listen, I would like you not to do this starting tomorrow.”
A maid spoke with a flustered face.
“Huh? But……”
The maid was trembling.
He could imagine what kind of deeds the Countess had committed while he was away.
“I am not her. You don't need to do the sa things for that you did for her.”
“Then what should we do?”
Vale let out a sigh.
They were young ladies sent by other nobles to receive lessons in being a lady.
Since the world turned out this way, it would be right to send them back, but there was no proper counterasure.
Those girls also seed to wish to remain here.
“What are you all good at?”
“I can play an instrunt.”
“I learned flower arrangent and dancing.”
Every single one was sothing that was not of much help for survival.
This was trouble.
Because he did not think that bastard Joshua would let things slide.
Furthermore, there were still heaps of nuisances to deal with.
Among them, the most urgent were the letters sent by the vassal families.
Unopened letters were piled like a mountain on the desk.
‘Is it too late to organize them now?’
To expand influence, it was right to look after the nearby families first.
By helping them, he would supplent the resources lacking in Stalia and strengthen relationships.
Even he knew this, yet the Countess did not do it.
She is a pain in the neck even in death!
“Excuse , are you alright?”
The maid could not understand Vale, who was restless.
He was the master of this castle.
Yet he could not stay still in one place, like a person being chased by sothing.
Bang!
At that mont, soone burst into the room without knocking.
It was a handso student.
“Hieeek!”
Vale let out a mindless scream upon seeing him.
“Clothes really do make the man, Sir Vale.”
“I did not dress this way because I wanted to. The maids insisted so much.”
“I don't want to get angry just because you changed clothes. However, if you have not thought about what to report by now, I might get angry then.”
Joshua put strength into the space between his brows.
Vale swallowed hard and floundered.
“First, I checked the personnel inside the castle. Most are people with clear roles, but those maids over there are a problem. They are ones who have attended to the Countess until now, but now they don't need to do that work.”
Joshua looked at the maids.
They locked eyes with the boy while trembling, just as Vale had done.
It felt like a chilly gaze was piercing every nook and cranny.
“Are these five the only maids here?”
“T-That is correct.”
The maid was flustered.
In a situation where she did not know the boy's identity, the answer popped out reflexively.
A power that made people follow was felt in the calm voice.
“Who is the head maid?”
“It is .”
A woman stepped forward.
She was the one who looked oldest among the maids at a glance.
“My na is Ronita. My family na is Frey.”
“If it is Frey, I know it serves as the gateway to the northern road heading to Stalia. High Hall, your hotown, has a high possibility of having collapsed under the attack of zombies.”
Ronita's body stiffened.
Even though the boy was a figure she was seeing for the first ti in this region, he knew the circumstances here well.
Not only that.
Even though it was information not yet confird, he possessed certainty as if he were a person who had experienced it.
“……That’s likely true. The letters I exchanged with my younger sibling stopped a long ti ago.”
Ronita was consud by grief, but the boy continued his answer without concern.
“High Hall is a land that must be reclaid soday, so I will tell you more details then.”
“T-Thank you.”
“I will select a few from among the residents and send them under you. I intend to ask for cooking and chores together with them.”
Ronita held her breath.
The boy's words were an order, not a request.
She hesitated whether it was alright to accept this as it was.
When she glanced at Vale, who was listening on the opposite side, he bowed his head while clasping both hands as if in prayer.
She realized at this mont.
That the being Vale feared so much was the student in front of her.
“Understood.”
“That is enough for the maids; have you called the representative of the residents?”
Vale let out a sigh.
“For now, I asked Lady Lucille, who knows the city well……”
“You did not move yourself and asked her?”
Joshua frowned.
“I also just returned yesterday, the people who have been living here know the circumstances better.”
Vale complained with a crying face.
The boy still looked displeased, and the atmosphere turned chilly.
Tap, tap!
Soone knocked on the door.
Saved!
Welcod the guest entering while brushing off the chest with relief.
It was Lucille and an unnad old man.
“Huh, why is the atmosphere so cold?”
Lucille read the chilled atmosphere as soon as she entered.
Vale and the maids wore awkward smiles.
“Lady Lucille, don't be too soft on him from now on.”
Ah, he got a scolding.
Lucille could sohow empathize with the fear Vale felt.
Joshua was younger than them, but that was just a number.
If he got angry, most people's bodies would freeze.
“Let it slide generously this once. Sir Vale must be confused as well. More than that, this person is the one with the most trust among the residents.”
“I received a favor the other day.”
Joshua shrugged.
They were acquaintances.
“You are the elder who was collapsed in the field. I rember your na is Jiro.”
“I am simply overwheld that you rember my humble na.”
“I am just an ordinary student, so there is no need to use such high honorifics.”
An ordinary student?
Jiro did not think so.
He knew the boy played a huge role in bringing down the castle.
Many things that would have been pointed out as impious if he were an ordinary student were tolerated for him.
In fact, Lucille and Vale were intimidated by the boy.
That ant the boy had proven his ability nurous tis until now.
“Getting to the point, how much of the harvest did the Countess demand while she was the master?”
“It was 90%.”
Joshua massaged the back of his neck.
It ant the share received just for lending the land was 90%.
Did that an things were so urgent that they even had to go out to sea because of a lack of food?
Sothing felt suspicious.
“From now on, you only need to pay half of the harvest. Let the people who did the farming distribute the rest as they see fit.”
“Huh?”
Everyone listening had their eyes wide open.
“Is that much really alright?”
Jiro held his breath.
The residents were not fools, so they thought the current calculation was unfair.
However, the opponents were knights holding weapons.
Even if they started a rebellion, their own damage would be great, so they had not been able to voice their concerns.
Thus, Jiro had thought that now, with the master changed, was the opportunity.
“Yes, it is true.”
“I-I don't know how to express my gratitude.”
Jiro was flabbergasted.
Although the boundary between nobles and residents had broken down a lot due to the appearance of zombies, they still treated the residents with contempt nonetheless.
Yet to share the harvest half and half?
This was a statent that shattered common sense.
“Joshua, in tis like this, they would follow gratefully even if you only doubled their share.”
Vale approached Joshua and whispered.
“I am not a rchant, Sir Vale.”
“Even so, is it not too extre?”
“In a situation where even the people who are here are trying to leave, this thod is the best to innovate the situation of the castle.”
Joshua shrugged.
If managed well, there would be no lack of food even if half were given over.
“Know that and convey it to the villagers. Once the rumor spreads, there will be no taking it back.”
“……Is it really alright to do that?”
“Don't make say it twice.”
Jiro looked at the reactions of the others.
They had faces saying there must be an intention since the boy decided it.
“I have not heard your na yet.”
“It is Joshua.”
“I will convey your na to the villagers. I will tell them you are the savior who saved us.”
“There is no need to do such a grand thing; just do the farming well.”
Jiro went out with a smile.
“Gosh, what a waste.”
“A waste?”
Joshua turned to Vale with a smile.
“No, what I an is simply that the amount we receive should increase so we can stockpile and such, right?”
“And do you have a way to store it?”
“T-That is……”
“I am sure there is.”
“Huh?”
Joshua stood in front of the door while shrugging.
“I have a place to go, so good luck everyone. Oh, and Sir Vale.”
Vale frowned.
There were many people gathered, yet he singled him out.
His spine felt chilly.
“Check the letters piled on the desk and pick out the useful ones until I return. Because I am going to co and read them.”
“Wa-Wait a minute, I don't have that kind of insight!”
“There will be tis when I leave the castle; are you going to leave them unread every ti I am gone?”
“……It is not that.”
“If you cannot, make it happen.”
Vale barely managed to refrain from collapsing on the spot.
As Joshua left, Lucille and the maids also left the room as if fleeing.
Dammit!
Apparently, sleeping today was out of the question.
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