The situation was moving at a speed I couldn't handle. The situation in the North being what it was, there was no ti to mourn. The shocked knights, with pale faces, handled Noivan's corpse and imdiately began the handover procedure.
The knights, despite their grave expressions, were trying not to show too much grief to , an outsider. And only after Noivan's death did I co face to face with another noble in this castle.
There were still nobles left in the North. Rubicon Condrix's wife, Rubicon Emilia, was that noble. According to the knight's explanation, Rubicon Emilia was supposed to take charge of the territory, but she had vehently refused, claiming she wasn't capable, so Noivan had acted as her representative.
Emilia was a sickly beauty with white hair and reddish eyes, as if she were the North personified. Her pale skin made
suspect she might have tuberculosis or pneumonia. I checked her stats.
Na: Rubicon Emilia
Class: Representative of the Northern Grand Duke
Favorability: 0
Level: 4
Stats
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 15
Luck: 0
Traits
Sickly
You are sickly. As long as this trait is not removed,
your Strength and Agility stats will not rise above 4.
Discernnt
You can appraise jewels and luxury goods.
Just looking at them, her stats were completely fucked. Trash with no rit other than having a pretty face. Even if her personality was good, in this harsh North, her stats were such that it might be better to just make a real doll the lord. Emilia herself seed to know this fact.
After all, she'd been grimacing throughout the entire superficial and rushed ceremony. I was completely preoccupied with the thought of escaping this territory sohow. Now that a woman with such fucked stats had beco the temporary lord, there was no hope for this land. The knights would be ground down defending the borders, and the people of the North would be ground down as soldiers before becoming thieves and fleeing further and further south.
In a situation like this, I had no idea what kind of glares I'd receive if I casually said I was looking for the hero and asked for support. In a situation this fucked, Erina would surely understand if I deserted. The situation was unfortunate, but I had no loyalty that obligated
to help the North. Who told you to commit suicide? Fucking bastard?
As soon as I saw the handover was complete, I packed my luggage again. It was truly ti to go. If they even asked why I ca, I'd be at a loss for words. I had not the slightest intention of jumping into that chaotic ss of a Northern Mountain Range. I should just go ho and give Eve a belly fart.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Lord Lusius. We need to talk for a mont."
But contrary to my plans, I heard soone knocking on my room door. For them to co find
as soon as the handover was finished ant there was sothing they wanted from . It was surely a request for help for this territory. Fuck. Noivan died today, but this action was way too fast.
Besides, the presence at the door wasn't just one person. At least four. Four or more people were waiting for
outside the door. It was obvious the Knight Order had co as a group. When I opened the door, just as I expected, four manly n in armor were looking at . They were staring at
with somber expressions.
A knight, who was looking at
with a face as gloomy as if he were about to deliver news of a death, opened his mouth.
"Lord Lusius. We know it's a discourtesy to ask this of you, but..."
The reason the knights ca as a group was obvious. I had to do my best not to scowl. I put on a sad expression as if I knew nothing and asked.
"What is it you wish to say?"
The knights all knelt at once and bowed their heads to . Ah, fuck. There's no escaping this. These bastards were cleverly blocking the exit while bowing their heads to .
"Lord Lusius! We know this is a rude and absurd request! Just for a mont! Just for a mont, please lend us your strength so we can defeat the beastfolk!"
Fuck. I have no justification to refuse here. I'm a High Priest of the Archdeity Church, I made a significant contribution to the Northern Grand Duke's death, and I had a hand in Noivan's suicide. If the North is utterly destroyed after I flee, the responsibility will fall on
too. I had to avoid that situation at all costs.
The knights were moving everything forward quickly, as if they had planned it all. I spoke, forcing them to rise, in an attempt to calm them down. I have to calm them down sohow. I can't get myself roped into the North's problems. The difficulty of managing my palm-sized territory and the vast North was on a different level. There's so much to manage, the tax calculations are a pain, and it's a cripple of a land with no returns.
Plus, for the past four months, Noivan collaborated with the beastfolk and fucked up the finances, so the difficulty has already skyrocketed. And since there are only a few Archdeity Church branches in the North, not much in donations ca in either. I tried my best to persuade the knights.
"I don't have that authority. I can't just keep commanding things here. Besides, isn't Lady Rubicon Emilia, the Grand Duke Rubicon's daughter-in-law, currently the representative?"
"She is very sincere and a good person, but she cannot stop the beastfolk of the North. Lord Lusius! We beg you! As a High Priest of the Archdeity Church who pursues rcy and love, and out of pity for the people of the North! Please, command us and defeat the beastfolk!"
I can see the future. Beyond my fading vision, I saw the future. If I rashly took command authority here, I would be stuck in the North for good. Because there wouldn't be any idiot nobles who'd want to take charge of the Northern Grand Duke's territory.
Besides, from the Archdeity Church's perspective, this was a chance to expand their influence in the Northern region where they have few churches, so they would surely welco my assignnt to the North, even if it ant appointing
as the Northern High Priest.
In a word, if I accepted now, it ant I'd have to spend a fucked up life suffering from the beastfolk and the cold on the front lines. It was a situation where if I wasn't the least bit calm, I might rashly accept and beco a slave to the North.
"We beg you, My Lord!"
Weren't the court ministers who advised the king like this? The knights, still in their armor, began to slam their heads on the floor. These bastards know it too. That if I leave now, the North is dood. I tried my best to change the subject.
"A representative has already been decided. It's not a good idea to involve an outsider. The late Grand Duke Rubicon in the heavens wouldn't like it either."
"We've already spoken with Lady Rubicon!"
That was a 'talk', right? You 'talked' and safely got her to promise to hand it over, right? The murderous intent and madness glinting in their eyes... who on earth were they directed at?
"I'd like to et and talk to her myself. Shouldn't I speak with the person herself?"
"If, by chance, the lord's seat were to beco vacant, would you take it?"
One of the knights had a sudden outburst again. The North has a cold and aloof image, but these bastards had no reverse gear. The extre situation was driving people mad. To them, the North itself was more important than their living mistress.
"First, I will speak with Lady Rubicon."
Rubicon Emilia was a beautiful woman. At my words, the knights took a step back. One of the knights said he would go and ask if she was available to talk, then opened the door and left. I was still in my room, occupied by the knights, mulling it over from various angles.
What should I do about this? Killing the knights and leaving is the worst choice. In that case, the destruction of the North could really beco my responsibility. The only thing left was to make a suitable deal with Emilia and steer the conversation in a direction where I would take as little responsibility as possible.
"Lord Lusius. Would you follow ?"
The knight who had gone to deliver the ssage said. For , who had been irritated standing in the midst of sweaty knights, it was welco news. As I left, the knights shouted from behind .
"We're counting on you, whatever you decide!"
I found the knights' sudden outbursts hard to handle. I missed the knights of my own territory, who were no different from laid-back, unemployed fitness freaks. Noivan, you fucking bitch. Can I even keep up with the sudden outbursts of a world without you?
Emilia was currently using the lord's office. Since she was the lord's representative and it was currently working hours, this was only natural. eting her again, Emilia was still a stunning beauty. The fact that she was a widow who had lost her husband and had the 'sickly' attribute gave her very high marks with .
"Greetings, my lady."
"Yes. Lord Lusius. It is a pleasure. I can only apologize that we are unable to provide proper treatnt, given the current situation."
"The knights keep making that... difficult request of ..."
Not knowing how to bring it up, I broached the subject awkwardly. Emilia's expression didn't change as she nodded her head.
"Yes. That's right. I have agreed to it as well. Lord Lusius. Won't you please lead the North in my stead? I know it's an unreasonable story."
Emilia stood up from her seat. Her skin, so white that her capillaries were visible, and her crimson eyes reminded
of a rabbit. Even though she wore several layers of coats, as if unable to bear the Northern cold, I could tell her body was thin.
"I beg you. Even with command authority, I cannot go outside, nor am I strong enough to defeat the beastfolk. I am just a noble in na only. A person like
cannot be responsible for the North."
Ah, I wonder if a widow produces breast milk?
Emilia got up from her office desk and ca to my side. She carefully took my hand, like a rabbit rubbing its body against sothing. Her eyes were trembling.
"If the North is destroyed like this, I won't be able to face my husband even in death."
"But how can I take responsibility for the North when it ans abandoning my own territory?"
I said, gently pushing her hand away. As I pushed it away, I grazed the back of her hand; her smooth skin gave a novel sensation. It had been a while since I'd been with a woman after coming to the North. The last ti I had sex was in a back alley with a rmaid.
Besides, I'd never been with a married woman.
"Don't be so self-deprecating, Lady Rubicon."
"Ah...."
I said, stroking Emilia's shoulder. She seed afraid of my touch. She trembled slightly, then gently pushed my hand away and knelt on the floor.
"Please, Lord Lusius. If there's any support the North can provide, I'll do any... anything...."
Emilia was hesitating. She must be saying this because I'm a cleric. But she had judged wrongly. Because the one before Emilia's eyes was a beast.
"Anything?"
Actually, what I was about to do wasn't such a bad thing. Looking at the situation, it felt like if I tried to back out any further, the knights would kill Emilia and force the responsibility on .
"Yes. Anything...."
Since I'm being forced to take on this job, shouldn't soone pay the price? Rubicon Emilia probably hasn't had a taste of a man in a long ti, and I haven't had sex with a woman in a long ti either. So this was clearly a good thing for both of us.
I locked the door and asked again.
"'Anything,' you said, right?"
"Ah, th-that's....."
I'm sure Grand Duke Rubicon and Rubicon Condrix, up in the heavens, would agree with my decision. I said, unbuckling the belt of my pants.
"It's obvious, isn't it? What a man wants from a beautiful woman like you."
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