Chapter 60
Joshua finished his eting with Rodwell and ca down alone.
Rodwell still looked suspicious.
Joshua had declared that he would personally solve the problems of food and the survivors' dissatisfaction.
This was a difficult problem that even Rodwell himself had failed to resolve.
‘It is only natural that it is hard to believe.’
As he descended alone, he saw the survivors whispering among themselves.
They were talking about the issue of confining the diplomatic mission.
So of them glared, saying that Rodwell had made a misjudgnt.
The bloodlust revealed in their eyes felt as if it would explode with even a tiny bit of provocation.
‘This is a matter directly linked to my survival as well.’
If a riot occurred, the Starlight Knights would fall.
That was the scheduled sequence of the scenario.
Rodwell’s fate shone for only a few months after the zombie incident broke out.
Once that period ended, even he could not control the situation.
Joshua had to twist fate.
He could not afford to lose the link known as the Starlight Knights right now.
They were the defensive line that would protect his farm.
They were also the source of assistance and influence he would need when heading out for exploration later.
There were plenty of things to utilize.
“Joshua!”
Knights who were about to leave surrounded him.
“I heard you confined the diplomatic mission. Just what is the Captain thinking?”
It was a voice full of anxiety.
Trying to calm them with hand gestures had no effect.
Even if he used [Serenity], it would only work for the mont the magic was active.
Therefore, while it was suitable for combat, it could not quiet the psychology of a crowd.
“There was a small commotion during the conversation. It is not sothing to worry too much about, but for now, we decided to confine them.”
“What if they stop negotiations using this incident as an excuse?”
“It is fine. They also admitted to their own cris. You know Sir Rodwell’s personality. You know he is not soone who would cause a commotion without a reason.”
“W-Well, that is true.”
“Please trust Sir Rodwell a little more. He is the leader, after all.”
The knights cald their excitent.
Perhaps thanks to his improved [Charisma] and [Leadership] skills, he felt his words becoming more persuasive.
“This problem will not last long. I will help as well. So, please wait just a little longer.”
“If you say it to that extent, I suppose it is fine to wait.”
Fortunately, it did not look as if they would cross the line.
He truly hoped they would not.
Even if they carried out an uprising, it would not work against Rodwell.
It would be a slaughter without even a 1% chance of a miracle.
He did not want to see this tower beco a sea of blood.
“I will go outside for a mont.”
It was ti to return to the farm.
By now, the tasks he had requested of Leonard would have been finished.
* * *
When he returned to the farm, Leo was standing with his arm raised in an unfamiliar posture.
A hawk he had seen before was perched on his arm.
“It really ca just as you said. It is a well-trained bastard.”
“I told you that you could just put it on a nearby tree, does your arm not hurt?”
“I intended to do that, but this bastard does not seem to want to leave.”
He approached and examined the hawk.
A note was attached to its leg, and a small bundle was tied behind its wings.
There were no signs of it being untied.
That Leonard bastard.
He must have been quite curious, but it seed he had endured it this ti as well.
“You did not open it.”
“I don't know what is inside, and I don't know where it ca from. You only told to call the hawk in.”
“You aside, how did you appease these two in the back?”
When he turned his head, Talleon and Gavinu wore startled expressions.
They turned their gazes as if pretending not to know and put effort into removing weeds.
“Those guys stayed quiet.”
Joshua showed a suspicious look.
There was no way those two would have stayed quiet after seeing the bundle.
“Are they your family now? You even know how to cover for them.”
“I don't know what you an by that.”
“Well, fine. It does not matter as long as you can manage them.”
He felt like he could hum a tune.
The relationship between these three showed no signs of becoming close.
Fortunately, it seed it had been resolved smoothly.
Bonding strength becos even stronger if they can unite without going through his hands.
“It was a diplomatic mission.”
“What?”
“You must be curious about the talk inside the tower. Since you should know about it too.”
“Yeah, tell .”
He explained the circumstances to him.
The fact that a diplomatic mission had visited, the demands they made during negotiations, and how they were confined for contacting multiple groups like an octopus.
“It seems quite a headache. Is there a solution?”
“I would not have visited the tower if I did not have one.”
He untied the note and bundle the hawk was carrying.
First, he checked the contents of the note.
It was from Martel, the head of the rchant Guild.
He had developed a relationship with him at the eting, and they had progressed into a trading partnership.
The contents of this bundle were also part of a trade.
“It ca properly.”
What was inside the bundle were seeds.
Their identity was radish.
Radishes are easy to grow and grow quickly.
Furthermore, they possessed the characteristic of not dying easily even in winter.
He had tried various crops while playing the ga, but radish was the best to start with.
“Leo, work has co up.”
“What is it?”
“Cut down all the mana herbs, pack them, and load them onto this hawk's back. Then just fly it away.”
“All ten of them?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it not a waste to cut down all those expensive things?”
“We cannot grow them in winter anyway. Unless we had sothing like a greenhouse, it would not be strange for them to wither at any ti if left like that. In that case, it is a profit to sell them while they still have comrcial value.”
At first, he had envisioned a greenhouse like a plastic house.
The plan was blocked from the design stage.
Materials were insufficient.
He had rummaged through the nearby empty abandoned houses.
Whether people took things during their escape or the knights took them, the places were empty.
For now, he would give up on the mana herbs.
When one must give up, one must let go without lingering regret.
[Cool] and [Clever] also did not nitpick regarding this matter.
“Can we not grow them again?”
“I kept the original mana herb I brought from the research center separately. Oh, leave the roots. It would be troubleso if they research them, and we might be able to grow them.”
“Understood.”
Leo nodded as ordered.
Now this task had left his hands.
“Excuse , are we cutting all of these down?”
Talleon raised his hand and asked a question.
Leo wore a sowhat dissatisfied expression at the boy's action.
“If you intend to raise a question, do it to first. It is not right to skip over and ask Joshua directly.”
Joshua was a bit astonished.
He knew it already, but this bastard was strictly by the book.
He struggled to keep principles and rules in a group of only five people.
Whether he intended to establish Joshua's dignity.
Or whether he thought he was not trusted as a boss.
Either way, there was a justification for his actions.
To use a taphor of this era, it was no different from a low ranking soldier asking a lord a question directly.
“I don't think you need to act that stiffly.”
“It would be good to practice in advance while thinking about the ti when the group grows large.”
“Hmm, certainly.”
[Clever] laughed with satisfaction at Leo’s judgnt.
[Cool] likes a smart boy, which is a rare find.
From what Joshua saw, these two personalities were quite authoritative.
The fact that they chuckled when treated with respect was proof.
“Since I heard it, I think it would be good to answer for now.”
Leo nodded his head.
Boosting this bastard's energy was as important as Joshua's own dignity.
“I understand that you have grown fond of these plants by managing the mana herbs. But there is no way. They will wither at this rate, and watching that will be more heartbreaking than cutting them down.”
So people beco more sensitive rather than cold even after the world becos like this.
Joshua thought Talleon was a good example of that.
Even though it was a plant that could not speak, he had cared for it with sincerity with his own hands.
It would be painful if he were ordered to cut it down with his own hands.
[Cool] grumbled that he could not understand.
What a cold hearted bastard.
He wondered if Talleon's mind would beco comfortable if he cast [Serenity] on him.
“I-I see.”
“A mont to grow them again will co, so endure until then.”
“Understood. Thank you for telling .”
“Yeah, next ti, ask when Leonard is not around.”
“Hey!”
When Leo shouted out.
Talleon and Gavinu covered their mouths and giggled.
Joshua took the seeds and returned to the tower.
* * *
“Senior!”
As he entered the entrance, Tania approached him.
She continued her life in the tower rather than the farm.
There were two reasons.
One was that her mind and body looked precarious after returning to the eting site.
He hoped her ntal state would recover while staying with her elder sister.
The second was to have her observe the situation inside the tower.
“How is it?”
“It seems quiet for now. But seeing that everyone has not fallen asleep yet, it seems they have many worries.”
He checked the ti.
It was the period when the sun set and evening deepened.
It was ti for the knights who were not in charge of patrol and guard duty to rest to conserve their physical strength.
However, they were refusing to sleep.
“It seems they are gathering with close people and talking. The side that says they should go to the city and the side that says they should stay are neck and neck.”
“What about Lady Lucille?”
“Sister answered that she does not know.”
Tania had a bit of a resentful face at the fact that she could not find out information.
Since this child also had a personality that hated to lose.
Her expression was scary when he told her that Talleon and Gavinu were doing well.
“That is enough.”
“Pardon?”
“It ans I can know her inner thoughts just by the fact that she is worrying.”
“That ans?”
“Lady Lucille is of the faction that wants to go to the city. I can tell what kind of emotion she is suffering from.”
The emotion that she might have to betray her leader.
He had heard from Tania that several knights had deserted recently as well.
It must have been while they were away from the tower for the eting site.
“What are you going to do?”
“I have no intention of holding onto people who want to leave. You should think about it too.”
“So you are talking about whether to go with my sister or stay with you, Senior.”
“Yeah.”
She understood his aning at once and gazed at him intently.
It was the face of a cute and youthful girl.
It was much more attractive to see her up close like this than when looking at a monitor.
She would definitely grow into a beauty if she grew up like this.
[Patience] twitched.
He suppressed the bastard irritably.
It was a cri for him, whose inner substance was thirty, to harbor feelings for a fifteen year old girl.
Of course, it did not matter if considering the era.
His consciousness had not completely left that of a modern person.
“How do you think I will act, Senior?”
“Hm, I’m not sure.”
The bond between the two sisters was stronger than expected.
As long as they could not return to the Rainwood territory.
Each other was all the relatives they could rely on inside the academy.
Therefore, in most routes, the two move together.
There was no rule that it would not be so this ti either.
“Then I will ask differently. How do you want to act, Senior?”
“I am prepared to accept either way, and I have a plan.”
“That is not the answer to my question. I am asking whether you want to stay by your side or if you want to leave.”
Tania bit her lip.
Her cheeks were flushed red, perhaps from more emotion than necessary flowing out.
She was even trembling.
He knew that it was better to answer honestly when a woman was being sincere.
Joshua knew that.
“I want you to stay. There is more I can do if you are here.”
Tania smiled brightly.
She showed her clenched fist, as if it were a satisfactory answer.
“Understood! I will be by your side, Senior.”
“Huh, I don't think it is a matter to be decided so easily.”
“I have already decided. Since it will not change, don't even imagine a plan that excludes . Understood?”
“...Understood.”
“Hehe, good.”
Was it that joyful of a thing?
His mood was not bad while watching her smile.
“Where are you going now? If you are thinking of eting my sister, should I call her for you?”
“No, that side is for later. I have a place to visit before that. You go back to your room for now.”
“Got it.”
Tania nodded and disappeared beyond the stairs.
Sohow, her footsteps looked light.
Had they said that a single word can repay a debt of a thousand silver coins?
It seed the single word asking her to stay had soothed her heart.
Joshua headed toward the prison in the basent.
“Joshua, what brings you here?”
A soldier guarding the prison talked to him.
“I ca to have an interview.”
“Did you get permission from the Captain?”
“I did not.”
“If so, I cannot let you in even if it’s you.”
Joshua placed a boiled egg from his pocket onto his hand.
“It is freshly boiled. Please eat it by yourself.”
“You, where did you get this?”
“I got it by chance. It is a secret to others.”
“Ahem, I should not be doing this but... you have exactly 10 minutes.”
“Thank you.”
He handed the prison keys over as a whole.
The diplomatic mission was a total of eight people.
They were confined in different rooms just in case.
However, there was no need to et all of them.
There was only one person to et.
“Osmond, is there any discomfort?”
Osmond glared at him with a sharp gaze.
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