Chapter 339: The King's Homework

Chapter 339

The king’s homework

The first to react were the knights.

“How rude! This is an insult to the Kingdom of Britannia!”

“If you need swords, just say the word. There are knights here who would charge to the ends of the earth for Your Majesty and the kingdom’s honor.”

The knights found the word “kingdom” attached to their nation unfamiliar. But not a single one disliked the resonance.

-‘He who obeys the king’s command is a true knight.’

A line read countless times in chivalric literature. A dream that had been impossible in Britannia was now realized.

Next came the lords who had pledged fealty.

“We will join as well. With the Lord’s Moving Castle, what is winter to us?”

“No one can predict us.”

Everyone had tasted real money during the Midgard expedition. Seeing the king holding the cradle lost in thought, they seemed to have jumped straight to thoughts of military action.

For these men, money was like a soap bubble. No matter how diligently they amassed it, it burst at every turn. In the society of those with blue blood, maintaining appearances demanded nothing less.

-Please forgive our presumption. We never imagined you would repay such debts in one blow. Neither I nor my colleagues could have conceived of it.

-Gods bless those who walk the path of justice. Having conquered the barbarians and rescued innocent priests, is it not right to bestow reward?

-Indeed. From this day forward, the credit rating of Lord Davis and his family is upgraded to B+. Should you need financial assistance in the future, we will offer lower interest rates.

Thanks to the Midgard expedition, there were more than a few who had wiped clean their overdue debts.

One blow!

Those who had been hounded by debt collectors and tasted the euphoria of a single decisive blow wanted to keep following Eugene.

Serving under the king in the field meant no grueling marches. They could sell their swords while enjoying hot springs and aristocratic leisure at the Moving Castle. It couldn’t even be compared to mercenary work in far-off Roman or Samur.

Moreover, frontier villages were being built one by one through the subjugation and development of uncharted territories.

-I will definitely claim a fief like Lord Mawin.

-They say an iron mine was discovered in Glory Belt last week.

Eugene had granted frontier villages to those who achieved great merit, and that region came to be called Glory Belt. With courage and skill, one could become a lord – that was how it got its name.

A territory with a mine was especially desirable. Eugene wouldn’t hand over the mines themselves, but he would entrust management and security while paying handsome protection fees.

“I’ll accept the sentiment, but it’s still just a gift whose intentions haven’t even been determined yet. Think it over at your leisure. You’re welcome to remain at the palace even after the festival ends.”

Eugene’s words delighted the landless knights. They had been watching the winding-down banquets wondering where they would stay next. Lodging at the king’s palace would save on room and board while expanding their network.

“Is my second son doing well?”

“He’s a man worthy of being a Holy Knight of the First Order. Brave, skilled in swordsmanship, and so intelligent he’s memorized all the prayers. The goddess must surely be guiding him.”

At the praise of his son, the lord’s mouth split into a wide grin.

Unlike the firstborn who inherited the estate, the second and subsequent sons had to find their own way. They typically chose careers as knights, mercenaries, clergy, or scribes.

The Banas order permitted clerical marriage through the goddess’s tolerance. Noble sons who weren’t heirs were applying for Holy Knight positions, seeking to enjoy the honors of both knighthood and priesthood.

Considering the relationship with the king, who was the goddess’s proxy, the fathers would welcome this with open arms.

“Do you perhaps know my son? I…”

“Carver. Your son’s name is Carver, right? Carver of the Reed family.”

Another rural lord was moved by the honor of being remembered by the king.

“He was the first of the First Order Holy Knights to manifest a divine miracle. I couldn’t help but remember his name.”

Banas had bestowed greater blessings upon those who fought to the death for the protection of the weak.

It was called Holy Aura.

Light that illuminated darkness and drove away evil energy. More advanced than the order’s candles, these masses of light enveloped the mounted Holy Knights.

It was a new authority granted to Banas through Eugene’s branding, channeled through candlelight.

“If there are more Holy Knights like your son, I’m thinking of forming them into a knightly order.”

“My son will surely stand at its forefront!”

“I’ll look forward to it. When they march in formation, it will be truly magnificent.”

These chosen Holy Knights were being called the Knights Templar.

-The boundaries of the world grow ever more unstable. We don’t know when another external descent crisis might occur.

-The Knights Templar will be a great force in destroying true evil.

Marbas, Alzhar, and all the other sorcerers who had pledged fealty to Eugene spoke in unison about their importance.

*

Throughout the festival and banquets, the lords’ oaths of fealty continued.

“My sword will strike Your Majesty’s enemies, and the grain from fertile lands will feed Your Majesty’s army in times of need.”

Eugene clasped the hands of the kneeling eastern lord.

“Your enemy is also my enemy. Together, we shall see the most prosperous Britannia in history. Now, rise as a baron. I shall bestow honor worthy of your strength.”

“I am overwhelmed.”

It was a ceremony of homage so numerous that the count had been lost. For an ordinary noble, such an event might occur only twice in a lifetime, so Eugene responded with gravity.

‘Is this why kings fall into arrogance and make poor decisions?’

Wasn’t this a life of seeing people kneel and swear their lives and loyalty a hundred times over? He understood how pride could boil over and lead to mistaken choices.

“We Cornwall nobles have prided ourselves on being the last bastion of the elf royal house. Now that the royal house has returned to Britannia, we will serve as a stepping stone to the outside world.”

The loyal subjects of Britannia’s southwestern tip presented a map as their coronation gift.

“There’s a strait far to the south, I’ve heard. The position is truly exquisite.”

“That’s right. For hundreds of years, Samur, the burned barbarians, and the Eastern Empire have been locked in a constant struggle.”

“If you pass through this strait, you can reach the island of Sicily and the Eastern Empire by sea.”

It was a strategically vital point of extreme importance in both military and trade terms. Naturally, countless kingdoms had coveted it.

But it was a place where only a united kingdom could even dare to press its claim. Britannia, which had been fragmented, could only suck its thumbs.

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s coronation, Britannia’s merchants are full of hope. If you seize this, the achievement will shine for eternity. The royal treasury will also grow considerably.”

“I’ll remember it. If you ever set your sights on this place in the future, I will surely be with you.”

“Thank you!”

Cornwall, the most loyal faction, was a region that lived by trade. Seizing the strait would directly lead to strengthening royal authority.

Hadn’t they been the most solid supporters when Eugene first arrived in Britannia? Loyalty maintained since the First Era rightfully deserved reward.

*

The festival concluded successfully, and the lords returned to their respective territories.

“Finally, it’s over. I feel so relieved.”

“You’ve worked really hard.”

Valda embraced Eugene tightly.

-Now you are everyone’s king. So I should naturally use formal language…

-Please spare me that. I need someone I can talk to comfortably.

Outside of official occasions, they were still a couple who spoke casually.

“The north seems content to live as they always have. They sent a gift congratulating the coronation, though.”

The west, center, and east all recognized Eugene as king and swore oaths, but the north alone held out. Count Constantine had sent a representative to the banquet, citing illness.

“That’s how northerners are. They hate kneeling to anyone and always want their own path.”

“Well, they are a different ethnic group to begin with.”

It was said that the indigenous people who had long inhabited Britannia were pushed out by foreign powers and became the northerners of today.

As a result, their accent, vocabulary, and customs had many distinctive aspects. Additionally, the pain of their ancestors who had lost their homeland gave them a strong rebellious spirit.

“They’re not the type to win over quickly. Let’s take our time.”

Valda moved her golden queen across the chessboard. She loved this gift as much as the full-length mirror.

“How were they subdued in the First Era?”

“There happened to be a civil war at the time. The north was split in two, and a great famine struck. When the royal house intervened on one side’s behalf, they were subdued without much difficulty.”

Homi was grooming her tail before the full-length mirror. Since the mirror’s reflection reached to the base of her tail, she was pleased to be able to primp more than usual.

“Hmph~ hmph~!”

To Eugene’s eyes, it looked like the same brushing, the same fur texture. He couldn’t tell any difference at all.

-Today you applied diagonal force? And you added a slight wave too.

But judging from how she usually talked with Sasha, fellow tail-holders must have seen things differently.

“The Constantine family will want to remain in the gray zone. They won’t swear fealty to you, but they’ll show respect and coexist…”

“I don’t know how long that will last.”

Other great houses had received duchies after pledging fealty, but the Constantine family still maintained a countship. When such differences accumulated, the very otherness between them would eventually provoke confrontation.

-How disrespectful. We must punish Count Constantine.

-Letting his rugged terrain go to his head – let’s show him how foolish that notion is.

Though not many, there were already those in the north who showed hostility toward the king. Some wanted to impress the new king, while others were ambitious types who wanted to seize northern territory with the king and great lords at their backs.

“What do you intend to do?”

Valda asked, holding her knight.

Eugene was getting thrashed in today’s chess match as well. In actual combat, he was praised for achieving maximum results with minimal losses through selfish exchanges. But in chess against Valda, it was the opposite – he was reduced to a pitiful state with all his knights, castles, and pawns lost, left with only pawns.

As her slender fingers placed her knight and reached for his rook –

He grabbed it.

Eugene’s hand caught it in midair.

He squeezed.

And then he pleaded. Just one move.

“No. If I go easy on you, your skills won’t improve.”

Valda quickly clenched her fist, hiding Eugene’s rook inside.

She squeezed.

“Wait, wait, I said stop! Aha!”

Eugene didn’t try to pry his wife’s hand open by force. Instead, he used technique to tickle her hand.

“Stop it… hahaha! Ahahaha!”

When the grip loosened, he snatched back the rook. Valda glared at him disapprovingly. But the corners of her eyes curved like crescent moons.

“Really, your chess skills haven’t improved but your sleight of hand has gotten much better.”

“Going back to what we were discussing – I have no intention of using force on the north right now.”

Eugene quickly changed the subject.

“A wise judgment. After the civil war and peasant revolts, the country is too destabilized. Recovery must come first.”

“Honestly, the north’s mountainous terrain is also extremely difficult. Even the ancient kingdom beat on them a few times before eventually giving up, didn’t they?”

More precisely, the effort required for occupation and control outweighed the benefits, so they left it alone. The north still had Britannia’s lowest population capacity. In the Second Era, it was said to be nearly wild.

“Time will resolve it. Strengthen the south, develop the lands across the sea, and deepen relationships with the great lords under your command. When the time comes – whether the north has problems of their own or they make a mistake toward me…”

“That could take decades… perhaps more than a hundred years.”

“I’m thinking long-term. Many conquering kings who tried to achieve everything in their own reign actually ended up further from their grand vision.”

One of Eugene’s strengths was his historical knowledge. He knew a great many past examples and figures relevant to each situation – as models to emulate or as cautionary tales.

“And right now, there’s something more important than the north.”

Eugene placed his hand on Valda’s slender abdomen. She sighed and stroked the back of his hand.

“I’m sorry, but with my knowledge, I can’t complete the remaining recipe. The Fairy Crown isn’t some common herb you can just find.”

If the ingredients were ordinary, they could have referenced the parchment, gone through trial and error, and completed the potion. But the Fairy Crown was a precious medicinal herb that couldn’t be bought even with money.

“There’s no need to worry about this here. We can just go to the Great Forest and ask.”

“They won’t dare mistreat me, but they won’t welcome me either. Too much time has passed since they abandoned the royal house.”

That was why Valda and Grace had continued living in the Emerald Forest before meeting Eugene.

The elf kingdom where a rival royal house had already been established with a fully realized power structure. Setting foot there based solely on bloodline alone could lead to untold difficulties.

“But isn’t your situation different now in many ways? Let’s go together, boldly knock on their door, and see how they react. Aren’t you curious?”

It was a question that needed no asking.

“If there is a door to knock on, please leave it to me.”

From the moment she learned of her lineage, no one had desired that visit more than Valda.

*

Eugene didn’t rush. No journey was wise to begin in winter. He focused on domestic affairs and stockpiled supplies until spring arrived.

Meanwhile, congratulatory envoys continued to arrive. Being an island nation, news traveled one beat behind.

“Panis!”

“Your Majesty! I’ve been hearing daily reports of success from the Voyd.”

Among them was an old friend from the Voyd. Eugene immediately ran to embrace Panis tightly. The king’s attitude of cherishing old bonds even after becoming one moved Panis deeply.

“You’ve gotten incredibly solid.”

When they met during Roman’s civil war, he had been merely gaunt. Now muscles had filled out everywhere.

“With the halo of a champion knight, I was elected executor, and my appetite grew. If I want a second term, I need to have the body of a proper warrior.”

“I’m happy but also a bit sad. When I hugged you, you used to fill my entire body so snugly.”

“Aha, ahaha…”

Panis sweated, wearing an expression that said he didn’t know how to respond. Everything had changed, but his tendency to sweat profusely remained.

“I knew from the first time we met six years ago that you were a remarkable person. But I never imagined I’d be calling you Your Majesty.”

“Six years have already passed.”

It had been exactly six years since Eugene and Homi left the countryside. Having departed in autumn, they were now entering the seventh year.

“Your Majesty is still in your mid-twenties. I look forward to seeing what greater achievements you accomplish. Please accept the Voyd’s sincerity.”

“This is…”

In the gift box Panis presented were Fairy Crowns. Three of them.

“I searched earnestly through Gord, Samur, and Roman. Three fronts simultaneously. I hope you’re pleased.”

“The Voyd will receive tax exemption from Britannia. Indefinitely.”

Eugene embraced Panis tightly once more. It seemed Panis’s re-election was effectively guaranteed.

*

“Ophelia will guide us through the Great Forest.”

Cassandra brought a young elf woman in a hooded robe.

“I appreciate your dedication, but there’s no need to push yourself.”

“The king’s consideration for my humble self. I am simply grateful.”

Ophelia bowed more deeply than before.

“Just call me the lord. That’s enough for our family.”

“Oh!”

Dark elves unbound by the forest had lived nomadic lives in Roman or the northeastern steppes. Cassandra’s maternal line had even established a small nation in a corner of human territory.

But elves, by their nature, could not abandon the forest. So the majority of those active in the outside world originated from the Great Forest in the north.

Most left the forest for adventure or specific purposes, but there were also cases like Ophelia who had been banished.

“Not all elves there are traitors. In the distant past, many ancestors headed into the forest following their superiors’ orders, knowing nothing.”

The relationship between dark elves and elves was more antagonistic than even dwarves. But Cassandra viewed elves somewhat favorably because of Ophelia, her close aide.

“They went in thinking it was a campaign, realized something was wrong, turned back, and by then the royal house had already disappeared?”

“You always say exactly what I want to say.”

Cassandra stroked Ophelia’s shoulder as she spoke.

“Deep within the great forest, there are still many who hold love for the royal house. Ophelia’s family was one of them.”

“But not a faction with mainstream power?”

“No. They fell out of favor with the current elf leader and received banishment. How pitiful.”

Ophelia shook her head.

“I’m satisfied with my current life. Everyone has become my family. I’m simply glad I can guide you to the queen.”

The ruler of the Great Forest was the Elf King – the only elf to reign as king in the Third Era. But Eugene and the Moving Castle family did not recognize that legitimacy.

After the king’s coronation, all of Britannia’s nobles followed suit and referred to the elf king simply as “the leader.” This extended even to the north, which had refused to swear fealty.

“My homeland forest is vast. There are places good for living and places bad for living, with scattered villages organized by tribal units.”

In the center of the three was a large map. A hard-won map of the Great Forest, purchased from the Adventurers’ Guild when they became involved in Roman’s civil war.

Since no one had ventured deep inside, only the forest’s scale as observed from outside was marked.

“If we enter through here, we can pass through primarily villages that remain loyal to the queen.”

Ophelia pointed to a spot.

“Oh my! This is…”

“That’s going to be a headache.”

“???”

Eugene and Cassandra exchanged meaningful glances. Only Ophelia, ignorant of world geography, tilted her head cutely.

The spot her delicate finger pointed to was Lantzheim territory – land not far from the capital. The homeland of the Highlanders, as barren as it could possibly be.