Chapter 243

Chapter 243 – I Fly, the Sky is Clear

Dizzying days had passed, and back in the Second Black-White Slums, I was enjoying fairly peaceful times.

‘As expected, people need to rest.’

Thinking about it, I’d been too busy since summer break.

Managing my academy grades, tutoring sessions with the library head Teheman-senpai, and the Black-White Slums auction incident.

And that was it?

I’d stormed into Decullan territory and obliterated their Troubleshooter training ground.

It had been a time so hectic that ten bodies wouldn’t have been enough, so this rest felt like rain in a drought, melting my heart.

Of course, that didn’t mean I was just lounging around.

“Hmm.”

I’d gotten up early in the morning and was strolling through Svetlana’s territory.

It was to root out any Decullan rats that might be lurking, but so far, nothing suspicious had turned up.

‘Well, they’re probably too busy right now.’

From the recent message from Young Patriarch Sion, it seemed Lortel had set the date.

Decullan wouldn’t be unaware of that.

Lost in such thoughts as I walked the streets, a group of burly figures approached and bowed deeply to me.

“Hello there!”

Svetlana’s action squad… I didn’t know their names.

I acknowledged them casually and kept walking, but more hulking men came up behind, offering polite nods.

‘Hmm, so this is the power of authority.’

It didn’t feel half bad.

Anyway, that wasn’t the point.

Svetlana’s territory had changed quite a bit.

The most noticeable difference was the streets.

The filthy roads, once unmanaged, were now cleanly swept, and the vagrant kids who used to be everywhere had vanished.

So where had all those kids gone?

Right here.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Next to the orphanage under construction stood a massive stone building, all by its lonesome.

It was the temporary orphanage Mysern-senpai had built.

‘As expected, spirit magic is impressive.’

This temporary orphanage housed the vagrant kids from Svetlana’s territory and the children I’d brought from Decullan. Like the past few days, I headed over to check if the kids were adjusting well.

…Or at least, I tried to.

If I hadn’t spotted Lucifer hammering a sign into the front gate of the temporary orphanage.

“…What’s this?”

“The tower… hmm, around here it’s Knight, right? As you can see.”

Was he still upset?

Lucifer stepped aside with a sullen glare.

The words on the sign read:

Knight Entry Forbidden

The ‘tower’ above it had an X slashed through it, like a mistake while writing.

But, so what?

“I’m… forbidden entry?”

“The teacher is pretty angry. Every morning, with nothing better to do, you keep barging into class and ruining the study atmosphere.”

Here, ‘teacher’ meant Mysern-senpai.

She was teaching the Black-White Slums kids subjects like history and literature…

“Forbidden entry, just like that?”

It was weird. That guy wasn’t the type.

…No, the real culprit was someone else.

“I suggested it.”

“…You?”

“Yes. Learning is sacred, and that sacred time can’t be disturbed by the tower… no, even a Knight. That’s the reason.”

With that,

Thud! Thud!

He drove the sign deep into the ground with his brutish fists, then vanished in a flash.

I was so dumbfounded that I just watched his back as he disappeared through the gate.

‘…Not some kid anymore.’

He still hadn’t gotten over me dragging him into the tower in his weakened state.

But what to do.

‘This is fate.’

Tsk tsk.

I gave a brief look at the foolish Lucifer, who couldn’t accept his destiny, then turned back the way I’d come.

I’d come to check on their adjustment, but if that was any indication, they were adjusting just fine.

Oh, and for reference, Mysern-senpai and Rihaym-senpai knew each other from the old war days, so after some initial awkwardness, they’d hit it off and were looking after the kids together.

‘Obern’s stuck to Rihaym-senpai’s side helping out, too.’

Daily life was peaceful like this.

We’d rushed things along, and there was still a full month until the semester started.

Gentle sunlight.

Clear blue sky.

A refreshing breeze tickling my hair on this fine morning.

…I thought this peace would last forever. Or at least through the break.

Until the popping sound came from my pocket.

Crack.

“…?”

A bead shattering inside the small pouch.

It was Parun’s summons.

And…

“Knight, let’s talk for a bit.”

Evelyn requesting a conversation in a gravely serious tone.

I glanced back and forth between the broken bead and Evelyn, then looked up at the blue sky.

There floated our wyvern, flapping its wings in invisible mode.

[Me, fly. Sky, clear.]

…Why was it?

That innocent sight felt ominous.

‘Just my imagination?’

Probably. It had to be.

In the end, Evelyn’s business was minor compared to a ‘wyvern curse.’

“So, Lortel declared war on Decullan, right?”

“Yes. But what’s with that reaction? You already knew?”

“No, well. We expected a clash, didn’t we?”

It wasn’t the right time to reveal my connection to Lortel, so I brushed it off vaguely.

But still.

‘I knew it’d be soon, but not this soon.’

It seemed they planned to push while Decullan was in chaos.

“…Hmm. Something’s fishy, but I’ll let it slide for now.”

“What’s fishy?”

“Not just one or two things, so I can’t pry into each. Rihaym-teacher too, Mysern-teacher too. Suddenly bringing nearly a hundred vagrants…”

Evelyn narrowed her eyes and glared.

I shrugged and wet my lips with tea.

“So, you called me about Lortel’s declaration of war?”

A war between famous houses—what’s the big deal?

I couldn’t help but chuckle at Evelyn’s academy-student naivety.

Until she spoke again.

“I got the info pretty quick myself, but you predicted it ahead… So, you’ve got countermeasures ready? Makes sense—you wouldn’t drag a hundred mouths here without a plan. Not even you, Aster.”

“…?”

What was she talking about?

The war was between Lortel and Decullan anyway.

‘The battlefield’s pretty far off, too.’

Even if the two factions’ fronts got close, the war wouldn’t spread to near Hazen.

That’s when Evelyn noticed something was off.

“…You don’t have countermeasures?”

“So, what countermeasures?”

“You said you expected the war?”

“Yeah, but what do I need countermeasures for?”

Had she figured out I was Lortel’s closest ally? No, impossible.

As I furrowed my brow at her, Evelyn let out a choked “Uh, ah,” then sighed “Hoo…”

“Just to check, I mean, it can’t be, but on the off chance—surely you don’t think the war between Lortel and Decullan will end with just those two houses?”

“Well… their vassal families will join in, right?”

“No, no! That’s not it!”

Was my answer wrong somehow?

Evelyn suddenly yelled like she was having a fit.

Startled, I stared at her quietly as she shot me a blazing glare full of anger.

“Don’t you know what the problem is?”

“…?”

“Fine, I’ll give you a question. What do you need for war?”

“…Soldiers?”

“Do soldiers eat dirt or something?”

“Food supplies, then.”

Evelyn nodded at my answer.

“Okay, next question. Lortel and Decullan own pretty big granary regions. If war breaks out, will those two release grain to the outside? Or not?”

“Not… likely?”

“Yes, exactly. They’ll even buy up extra food at a premium. So, what happens to grain prices?”

“They rise.”

But so what?

“We’ve got plenty of money, right? We sold the Golden Receipt for more than expected, too.”

“…You think only grain will rise? Grain’s just an easy example—overall food prices will skyrocket, and let’s see… War between Lortel and Decullan will mess up trade routes too, right? Freight costs go up, obviously. But just freight? Security shakes, so mercenary fees rise…”

My head felt like it was splitting from this sudden economics lesson.

She went further, throwing around economic terms I didn’t understand and citing historical war examples to hammer home the severity…

The conclusion was this.

“With our current funds, the orphanage won’t last a year.”

“A year should be enough, no? We’re not just sitting around, and the war won’t drag on that long…”

“Prices!”

“…”

“You think they’ll go, ‘Oh, war’s over—back to normal!’? And not sitting around? Who buys at auctions then? What crazy noble splurges in this climate?”

“Splurging… might still happen?”

“You messing with me?”

“…”

I clamped my mouth shut at her sharp tone.

No, there could be crazy nobles—what’s with those eyes…

Evelyn glared with bulging eyes, then sighed deeply and spoke again.

“There are over a hundred vagrants from Svetlana’s territory alone. Add the ones you brought, Aster… about two hundred total? So, how are we feeding two hundred mouths now?”

“That’s…”

I had a mouth, but no words.

Because.

I’d never even thought about it.

“Aster, with your suspiciously stellar connections. This is an order as Duke. Go out and figure something out. If not…”

“…If not?”

“Nothing much. The kids in the orphanage we built starve to death, or head back to the alleys. You’re not planning to make them beg, are you? No, if that’s your idea, drop it. Doubt you could even pull it off, and I couldn’t stand seeing it.”

“…”

What did she take me for?

As if I’d turn into some villainous orphanage director starving kids.

“Anyway, I’m heading back to Timur. Black-White Slums has its own contingencies for times like this, so I need to talk it over.”

With that, Evelyn turned brusquely and left.

Alone in the room.

I crossed my arms and sank into worry.

“Urgh…”

What to do.

‘Is this the weight of being head of household?’

Two hundred mouths.

Feeding them isn’t simple.

Can’t just go to Lortel amid war for grain, either.

But anyway.

“Parun, what’s this about now.”

I hoped this guy’s thing was minor, at least.

…His office, when I arrived.

Fortunately, this time it was good news.

“You’re here. Quick.”

“What’s up?”

“Research on the Infinite Chain is complete.”