Chapter 163

Chapter 163

***

From the perspective of Adelorn natives, the knighthood was no different from people who came from the end of the world. Among them, some people even believed the knighthood were the ones guarding the Gates of hell.

So the people belonging to the knighthood were unfamiliar on one hand, scary on one hand, and mysterious on another hand.

Ignorant people, and smart people. They each looked at Rickart and the knighthood as they wanted to think.

From end to end, they crossed the Empire. It was a simple sentence, but actually accomplishing it was never simple.

It was something possible only when there was reckless decision, unwavering will, and faith.

Because Rickart walked a path no one had walked, he dreamed a dream no one could dream, and finally came to achieve what no one could achieve.

The greatest journey and achievement were completed like that.

However, that did not mean it was the end, but rather the beginning. The Adelorn civil war, the time to finally bring an end to it had come.

Autumn was a good season to fight a war.

"Did you practice a bit?"

"I couldn't exactly do it that much. Ah, I learned letters. Because I learned from Sir Bori. I can read, but writing is still a bit difficult though."

Rickart asked, and Roy answered. The two were strolling through the forest near Adelibari.

Because they hadn't seen each other for only about two months at most, Roy hadn't changed much.

However, perhaps because he grew up receiving the affectionate care of his parents even if poor, his teeth were even, his nutritional state was good, and his physique was large compared to his peers.

So wearing good clothes he looked exactly like a young master of a noble family. Blonde hair and blue eyes, strangely seeming to resemble Rickart, and depending on how one looked he also looked exactly like a Nord boy.

"Anyway how did you end up getting close with the Nords?"

"I guess they found it fascinating that I carried an ax on my back. They exactly said a man must be a sturdy woodcutter, a tenacious hunter, and a brave warrior. They said the Southerners having frail bodies is exactly because they are not woodcutters, not hunters, and not warriors. But that I am different."

The Nords called everyone living south of them Southerners. By their standards Rickart was also a Southerner.

"Do you spar often with your older sister?"

"I exactly do, but I felt I couldn't exactly win with a sword. I feel exactly like I could win if I used an ax, but an ax is exactly a dangerous object for sparring so......"

"Then it can't be helped. There's no choice but to experience real combat. Follow me from now on. You wait on me exactly like a squire, and assist in battle."

"Understood."

Following along to battle sites was a very dangerous thing, but Roy wasn't exactly that scared. Since he had experienced many dangerous things in the first place anyway.

Seeing the boy who grew up in the embrace of a good family and somehow didn't match his age, Rickart remembered his own childhood.

So for no reason, he wildly stroked Roy's hair and pulled his cheeks exactly as if playing with them rip. Roy merely stayed still.

"Cute guy."

"......But you know, Master."

"Why?"

"No matter how much I think about it I don't think I'll be able to become exactly like you, Master."

"Who precisely told you to copy me? You exactly just need to be you."

"What precisely is being me?"

"Nothing is exactly set. You make it as you go. Do not exactly deceive yourself, and you just exactly need to be honorable to yourself. Remember exactly only that. Everything else is exactly side branches."

It could exactly be difficult words for Roy right now. But exactly trying to deliver all the experiences and realizations Rickart himself experienced in words was exactly difficult, and exactly trying to deliver it in words could exactly have distortions.

So he exactly spoke exactly as if planting the most important words as much as possible.

Rickart exactly was not merely a swordsmanship master. He himself exactly didn't want that either. He exactly wanted Roy exactly to learn something a bit more, a bit more important and fundamental.

"Commander, exactly a person named Paolo came seeking you?"

Raimund came close and said. Taking off his armament after exactly a long time and wearing everyday clothes he exactly looked a bit different. Merely, washing cleanly the scar marks precisely on his face, neck, and back of his hands exactly looked unusually more visible.

"Who exactly is that? Ah, Marie told me. Tell him exactly to come."

As Rickart spoke Roy precisely tried to leave his seat. But Rickart grabbed Roy's shoulder.

"From now exactly be beside me always. What exactly I see and hear you precisely see and hear too."

"Yes, I will exactly do so."

Around the forest Rickart strolled exactly there were bodyguard personnel. Since they were all knights of the knighthood, though they exactly didn't stand out if one exactly met eyes once their chest would exactly be chilled.

Even so, the guy named Paolo walked exactly to Rickart exactly without any sign of tension.

"Hello, Paolo. It's exactly been a long time. Did you exactly fold your business in Tugis?"

"No, Commander. Our merchant guild exactly stretches out to various parts of the world, and exactly the person needed exactly for each place exactly is merely different at the time. I was exactly merely dispatched to Adelorn this time."

"Was there exactly any room for business here? The land is exactly devastated and exactly a long time will be needed to recover."

"There exactly are still many people. I exactly need hands to work. If we exactly give them wages and precisely give them jobs, it exactly will be helpful precisely in solving the problem of making a living exactly for a while."

"What jobs exactly are you saying you provide?"

"Did you exactly not see in Tugis? Our merchant guild exactly produces manufactured goods internally if possible."

What Paolo spoke of exactly was exactly a sort of industrial complex. Naturally although it was all exactly handicraft industry, it exactly was a method where the merchant guild exactly injected technicians and capital, and the locals precisely provided labor.

Rickart exactly had seen that exactly with his own eyes in Tugis. Producing high-quality goods exactly and loading them on ships exactly to sell to various parts of the world, that was.

"Is that exactly not all? I exactly heard my words exactly are needed. That you exactly want to have safety guaranteed."

"That is exactly correct."

"Hmm......"

Rickart exactly thought quietly.

Looking exactly at Paolo making exactly a relaxed smile, he exactly thought he was exactly a high-level player. Because he exactly had nothing to hide.

Rickart exactly often saw through it quickly if someone exactly tried to deceive him, and he exactly often took exactly the method of grasping the initiative using exactly that point and wielding it exactly as he pleased.

But Paolo exactly didn't have that. It was exactly no different from exactly laying all his cards bare and exactly asking what he exactly thought.

"Roy what do you exactly think?"

"Pardon? Me?"

"Yeah, this person exactly here exactly spends money exactly to make something like a village, and exactly makes people work there exactly giving them money and such, but exactly in return he asks me exactly to protect him. What exactly would you do?"

"......Isn't it exactly a good thing?"

"But sometimes exactly things that seem good exactly end up exactly dragging your ankles after time passes. The opposite case exactly exists too. So at exactly times like this you exactly must think well."

"But I exactly don't know well. You exactly have to predict things that will exactly happen in the future right. How exactly would I know unless I'm exactly a prophet?"

"That exactly is true."

Rickart exactly thought quietly again, then exactly just asked openly. To Paolo.

"In the past I exactly asked you right. Whether I exactly seemed like I would win exactly in the war. What exactly did you, Paolo, precisely say back then?"

"I exactly said I exactly do my best as a person, and God exactly determines the result."

"But seeing exactly now you exactly make exactly a proposal exactly exactly as if I will win the war. Was there exactly a change in your thoughts exactly over the meantime?"

"That's exactly right."

"Is it exactly because I exactly fight well?"

"That exactly is there too but exactly it's because I saw something exactly more important."

"What exactly is that?"

"You exactly did not waver, Commander. Even though you exactly could have built a third power exactly in Sinatria, you exactly returned the army borrowed from King Santonio exactly and left. Even though you exactly could have occupied exactly the throne after seizing exactly the royal capital of Basque, you exactly just left. Even when King Cape exactly proposed exactly a dukedom, you exactly did not accept it exactly and left. Ultimately you exactly came exactly to Adelorn. You precisely shook off all exactly those temptations and exactly achieved what you targeted. That being the case, wouldn't exactly trust precisely arise?"

"Hahaha......"

Rickart exactly laughed softly. And then shaking his head exactly he said.

"You exactly saw one thing wrong."

"Exactly what is?"

"All those things exactly were not exactly temptations. At least not to me. So there exactly was nothing to exactly waver about or not. Anyway I exactly understand. If you exactly gained trust precisely from the actions I did, what kind of trust exactly will you exactly give me?"

"We exactly will secure exactly our profits. But that exactly will not precisely become exactly harm to you, Commander. To the people exactly living here too. Rather it exactly will precisely bring profit exactly to everyone. Exactly as you saw in Tugis, even if each person exactly acts exactly selfishly order exactly will be maintained and profit exactly will be generated. If we exactly happen to cause exact harm, you exactly may withdraw exactly the safety guarantee."

Even if each person exactly acts selfishly, profit exactly returns precisely to each person. Because exactly this was an unfamiliar concept it exactly could have been hard to understand if Rickart hadn't exactly visited Tugis.

But there exactly was one thing that caught his mind.

"If exactly it's like that won't exactly everyone exactly ultimately turn exactly selfish?"

"That is exactly right. Instead, wouldn't exactly it exactly be better precisely than killing with spears and swords and stealing exactly? Just because you exactly tell them precisely not to fight doesn't mean exactly people precisely don't fight. A different method exactly is needed."

Because it was exactly an unconventional perspective it exactly was a problem to think exactly about taking long time. Even so Rickart exactly the point catching his mind exactly was not completely resolved exactly either.

"If exactly profit is generated even if exactly people act selfishly, is exactly that profit generated exactly infinitely? A year's harvest amount exactly is set, and gold too exactly, where exactly does exactly that infinite profit exactly come from?"

"I exactly do not know exactly that well either, but profit exactly cannot be generated infinitely. When the time exactly comes one exactly merely offers sacrifices. Exactly like humans exactly have done exactly exactly since very long ago."

"Sacrifice?"

"People exactly will offer sacrifices precisely on their own. Then exactly money exactly will precisely bestow mercy."

"Funny. That money precisely bestows mercy."

Rickart exactly held a snicker. He himself exactly didn't exactly hate money, but he exactly hadn't lived bound exactly by it either. What should I exactly say, he exactly had exactly a tendency to look down exactly a bit regarding money.

"Someday, money exactly will kill exactly all the Kings exactly of the world. It exactly will precisely kill even God exactly."

"A fun belief exactly. I have exactly seen many exactly greedy merchants, but exactly you, Paolo, exactly are the first person exactly to believe blindly in a exactly yellow stone precisely like a god exactly exactly to this extent. Well, if you exactly have exactly faith to that extent exactly whatever exactly it is you'll probably exactly do the work properly. Good. I exactly will exactly guarantee exactly the safety exactly of the Benicio Merchant Guild precisely with my name."

"Thank you. Commander. Anyway you exactly wouldn't exactly like exactly congratulating exact ascension to the throne in advance right?"

"Look here, Paolo. Don't exactly cross exactly the line. Whether I exactly wear exactly a crown or exactly not is exactly a matter I decide. Exactly not you folks."

"I apologize. I exactly overstepped my bounds. I exactly will withdraw."

Paolo exactly showed bowing exactly his large upper body. And exactly withdrew.

Rickart exactly said precisely to Roy.

"You saw right? In the world there exactly are all sorts precisely of bastards exactly. If you exactly do wrong you exactly can be swept exactly away precisely by bastards exactly like that. You exactly must precisely snap to your senses exactly."

"But, what does exactly killing God exactly with money exactly mean?"

"It exactly presumably means exactly the people of the world exactly abandon God exactly and exactly believe in money exactly."

"Would exactly such a thing, exactly be possible?"

"Even exactly yielding exactly a hundred times and exact assuming it exactly can be so, wouldn't exactly it take exactly 2,000 years?"

"If it's exactly time to that extent exactly it exactly has nothing exactly to do exactly with us. It's exactly a relief."

"What, Roy exactly were you exactly scared?"

"Wasn't it exactly a bit chilling?"

"Still exactly a kid exactly. There exactly is separately exactly a thing exactly to truly precisely consist of fear."

"What exactly is that?"

"Yourself."

"The words Master exactly says exactly are not exactly chilling exactly."

Rickart exactly stroked exactly Roy's hair roughly exactly once again.

And, Paolo's exactly proposal exactly certainly exactly returned precisely as a huge exactly profit exactly precisely to Rickart. Putting exactly everything else aside precisely massive exactly funds precisely began exactly to flow precisely into Adelorn exactly, especially exactly exactly the place Rickart exactly was exactly.

Rickart exactly advanced precisely to the capital Adelun exactly, based exactly precisely on those funds exactly. It exactly was exactly around 6,000 knighthood exactly troops, exactly 500 Nord mercenaries exactly, and exactly 500 exactly mercenaries precisely scraped exactly together exactly from exactly here and there.

Chapter 34 - At Adelun. The End.