Chapter 97: For I have resolved myself to fall alongside you

“Hmm…”

After hearing what Dant-san said, I slowly inclined my head to one side.

“I don’t think Raul’s going to do anything drastic once he finds out about the village though…?”

I mean, he’s now the successor of the Albert house. If he really did perform marvelously in such an important war, especially considering that it’s his first ever, chances are he won’t have the time or interest in a village in the wasteland, right?

“You’re being too naïve, Luke-sama.”

“What do you mean, Millia?”

“That person, he’ll do whatever it takes to remove any and every threat to his position, no matter how insignificant it might be. Even more so if he discovers that the threat is you, Luke-sama.”

“There’s no doubt about that! That guy acts so big, but in truth, he’s nothing but a small chicken.”

“Selen, you too?”

The two of them seemed to have extremely poor opinion of Raul…

“I’m not a threat to him though…”

“““How are you not!?”””

Huh? Why are they immediately rejecting what I said? Even Dant-san…

“If Lord Albert somehow knew that you were able to build a village as grand as this in such a short time, he’ll instantly change his assessment of you. Given that, it’s only natural for Raul-sama to see you as a threat.”

“I-is that so?”

“Truth be told, an order to investigate the existence of this village has been issued to me in the past. I managed to deceive them with my report, but now that rumors of the village have spread so far, I fear it’s only a matter of time before Raul-sama knows of this place.”

“Huh? Isn’t that dangerous for you?”

If it gets discovered that the governor falsified a report, he would get terminated. There was a chance that it would not be just from his position…

“You need not worry about me, for I have resolved myself to fall alongside you, Luke-sama!”

“Ehh!?”

I didn’t ask you to be though!

“Regardless, the matter with Raul-sama cannot be ignored. I suggest that you strengthen your war potential, all while trying to hinder Raul-sama from discovering the village as much as possible of course.”

After Dant-san said so with a serious face, he suddenly chuckled.

“But then again, judging from the adventurers you’ve invited through the dungeon, the high-grade weapons and the potions you’re making, the training ground you’ve built, and of course the training of soldiers you’re doing, it seems I didn’t even need to tell you to improve your war potential.”

…I wasn’t at all preparing for a fight against Raul though.

The dungeon, the weapons, and the potions were things we got by chance and not something we purposely looked for.

As for the training area, it was requested quite often enough that I decided to build one. The mages in particular wanted a place where they could safely practice their magic.

And of course, I thought that in this war-torn era, it was only natural for us to improve ourselves in order to better protect the village.

◇　◇　◇

“Arrgh…Selen, where have you gone…”

Sedes Bazurata, the head of the Bazurata house, was at his wit’s end.

His daughter, who was supposed to marry into the Albert house, has ran away and hasn’t been heard from since. He has sent out his retainers to look for her multiple times but to no avail.

If things were left as they were, their house’s relationship with the Albert house would surely deteriorate.

“Beg your pardon, sir! We’ve received critical information about Lady Selen’s whereabouts, sir!”

“What? Is that true!?”

When his retainer reported so, Sedes unintentionally drew near.

“Firstly, there have been rumors about a newly built city going around recently and has even reached your lands, sir… this city is said to be in the wasteland in the norther region of the Albert territory.”

“A city in a wasteland…?”

When he replied so, Sedes remembered something.

“Can that wasteland be the one Luke-sama has been ordered to develop…!?”

“It appears so, sir. Moreover, he has done so at an unbelievable speed. It’s said that his city already has a population of over 10,000 people.”

“10, 000!? But it’s been only a year since he was banished, hasn’t it!?”

“Y-yes, sir…in relation to that village, we believe it’s possible that Lady Selen might have come there…”

“…it’s not out of the question. However, if Luke-sama really did build a city in that place in this short span of time…”

The report was certainly a valuable piece of information. However, it also made Sedes’s head ache more.

“…like this, Luke-sama might once again be considered to be the next head of the Albert house…no, it’s too late for that now. If what I heard about Raul-sama’s performance in the current war is accurate, he should be guaranteed to be the next head. And if that’s the case, Selen should do as …”

As though he has just made up his mind, Sedes nodded to himself and then gave an order to his retainer.

“Investigate this city at once. And if you find Selen, bring her back at all costs.”