The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 230
It’s been about fifteen days since the political upheaval ended.
Thanks to Sophia’s efforts, the situation was being quickly resolved.
Most of the nobles who participated in the conspiracy had their assets confiscated and were executed, and those nobles showing signs of rebellion were preemptively struck down to maintain control.
After suppressing the nobles, the process of distributing their confiscated assets to the citizens began.
A nationwide festival began, combined with the coronation ceremony.
Since it was also a time when rest was needed, I decided to take a few days off without worry.
“Mmm…!”
My consciousness awakened due to light suddenly piercing my eyes. Opening them slightly, I could see sunlight leaking through the gaps in the curtains by the window.
Someone had drawn the curtains so I wouldn’t wake up, but gaps had formed as the sun rose higher.
“Is it already noon?”
I wonder how long it’s been since I’ve slept in.
Feeling hungry, I got out of bed and headed to the dining room.
Meanwhile, I hear what has now become a routine crying sound.
“Waaah─!”
I followed the sound downstairs to the first floor.
There, Erina was holding Ryuna with a troubled expression.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t cry, Ryuna.”
Despite Erina’s attempts to comfort her, it was useless. In the end, she had to return Ryuna to Yumir’s arms.
Ryuna sniffles and buries her face in her mother’s chest. Yumir gently strokes her back.
“Baby, you don’t need to be scared. Everyone here loves you.”
However, Ryuna absolutely refuses to leave her mother’s embrace.
Elena, who was watching this, let out a hollow laugh.
“I wonder who she takes after to be so timid.”
Ash chimes in agreement.
“That’s what I’m saying. She’s so averse to being held by anyone else, it’s something. They say she even notices and wakes up when someone holds her while she’s sleeping? It doesn’t seem like she takes after Ms. Yumir, so does she take after Ars?”
Everyone was gathered at the mansion since they were on vacation.
The only ones not present were Sophia, who lives in the royal palace, Meissen who went to work for business, and Gaspar who headed to the Northern Continent.
“What do you think, Ms. Claire?”
At Ash’s question, mother nodded.
“That’s right, she’s exactly like that child. When Ars was a baby, he would cry pitifully whenever I or Julia tried to hold him. So he was always in Yumir’s arms.”
Yumir smiles warmly as if remembering those times.
However, Ash tilts his head in confusion, saying he doesn’t understand.
“Huh? Isn’t that strange? Being in Ms. Yumir’s arms instead of his mother’s….”
“Ah.”
Mother realizes her slip of tongue and closes her mouth.
“Is there some circumstance behind this?”
There were people who knew and didn’t know that I was adopted here.
Since it wasn’t important, I intervened to divert attention.
“Are you that interested in hearing about someone else’s baby stories?”
“Oh, you’re up?”
“Yeah. I’m never drinking with you again. Thought I was going to die.”
“Haha, your tolerance will improve if you drink with Gaspar or Senior Gunther.”
“I don’t want to improve it.”
While we were chatting briefly, Eonia tried to get up from the sofa thinking I must be hungry, but Erina hurriedly stopped her.
“Eonia, please rest comfortably. I’ll prepare the meal.”
“What? No, Erina….”
Eonia showed reluctance, knowing Erina’s cooking skills.
Seeing this obvious reaction, Erina became even more determined to prepare the meal out of stubbornness.
As Erina charged into the kitchen, a suffocating silence fell for a moment.
Ash was the first to move.
“Maybe we should eat lunch outside today.”
“I actually have lunch plans with Luc today.”
“That sounds good. Elena, take me with you.”
People started leaving quickly.
Eonia also left with mother and Bisketa, saying they would get some nutritious food, leaving only me and Yumir behind.
Yumir sighed helplessly and handed Ryuna over to me.
Ryuna, who had been burying her face in her mother’s chest, briefly checked my face before clinging to my chest as if transferring vehicles.
“I’ll go help Erina prepare the meal. Young master, please watch Ryuna.”
“Yeah, take your time.”
I lay down on the living room sofa and played with the baby.
Ryuna laughs gleefully when I lift her up high like an airplane.
Then, as if her stranger detection sensor mysteriously activated, she clings to my chest and buries her face.
Looking up to check, I saw Anduha coming down with a tired expression.
He asks, looking at the empty living room, “Hm? Where did everyone go?”
“They went out to eat lunch.”
“Why? We could just eat here at the mansion.”
“Erina said she’d prepare lunch.”
“…I think I’ll eat lunch outside too.”
Anduha sat down on the sofa opposite me while saying this.
He looked at me with a complicated expression before suddenly expressing his gratitude.
“Thank you so much. It’s all thanks to you. Thanks to you, Lady Rinoa can find peace.”
Rinoa, who was planned to be executed as an example after taking all the blame for the conspiracy. But now that’s no longer necessary.
Since all the nobles who plotted treason have already been caught.
“At first you seemed like a frivolous fellow so I didn’t like you… But I suppose you were the real deal after all.”
“I merely sought my own survival. The matter with Rinoa was resolved along the way. There’s no need to thank me specifically.”
“No, without you, this situation would never have happened. Thank you again.”
Anduha bows his head deeply. When he raises it, his eyes are slightly red.
“By the way, how is Rinoa doing?”
Rinoa had returned to her family home and was working as the head of the household. Given it’s festival season, she must be incredibly busy.
Anduha nods ambiguously.
“There are some concerns. The lady had given up on her life as a lord, convinced she would die soon. It’s true that she’s struggling, having to suddenly take on lordship duties.”
“Managing territory feels unfamiliar at first.”
“Huh, you’re talking as if you’ve ruled territory before.”
“I have. An area with hundreds of thousands of people at that.”
“Before, I would have dismissed that as nonsense… But it’s frightening that I can’t do that anymore.”
Just then, Erina peeked in, presumably having finished preparing the meal.
Seeing the empty living room, she seemed to understand the situation and bit her lip. Then she put pressure on me, who remained behind.
“Sir Ars… Meal preparation is complete!”
“Alright. Don’t worry, I won’t run away.”
“What about you, Anduha?”
Anduha awkwardly waves his hands in refusal.
“Sorry after you prepared everything. I need to return to my family home today. I should leave right away.”
“…”
“Ha, haha…”
Anduha leaves the mansion with an awkward laugh.
Erina personally escorted me to the dining room as if determined to at least keep me.
To cut to the conclusion, it wasn’t bad. The food was heavily seasoned, which helped with the hangover.
* * *
After lunch, I went outside the mansion with Ryuna wrapped in a baby sling.
Yumir went to check on Eonia out of concern, so Erina was beside me instead.
Erina enviously looks at Ryuna nestled against my chest in the sling.
“Why does she cry whenever I try to hold her? I’ve been doting on her since she was born…”
“I heard from Gaspar that beast-kin babies have a strong ability to distinguish their parents. They might know by smell. As for being timid, well, that might just be genetic.”
“You mean she takes after you, Sir Ars?”
“Mother says I was also timid when I was young.”
“To think that such a person would become a famous general and lead a seemingly impossible succession war to victory. The world works in mysterious ways.”
As we walked toward the palace, we entered the academy district.
The academy was quiet. Its once lively appearance could no longer be seen.
The children had been affected during the process of expelling the nobles.
With hundreds affected, it was natural that the academy would be temporarily paralyzed.
“When do you think the academy will reopen?”
“Well, given this situation, they might completely reorganize it.”
“I hope it normalizes soon.”
After arriving at the palace, we were guided by maids. Erina went off separately, saying she would talk with someone she knew among them.
Reaching the palace garden, I decided to change Ryuna’s diaper while I was at it. That’s when Sophia appeared.
“Changing a baby’s diaper in the royal family’s tea ceremony venue. I don’t know whether to call you gutsy or just lacking in propriety.”
“Probably both. More importantly… What did you want to talk about?”
Today it was Sophia who called for me, not the other way around.
Sophia thanked the maid who brought tea and dismissed everyone around.
Then she speaks quietly.
“Wade, I want to know your intentions. You… I heard you suggested to Queen Rosa about making me prime minister, is that true?”
“Given the competence you’ve shown, isn’t it natural?”
“Are you in your right mind!”
Sophia shouts in agitation but quickly regains her composure when she sees Ryuna getting scared.
“I helped Ellan Kingdom because I knew it was the best personnel choice. If you wouldn’t do it, I was truly the only suitable candidate.”
“Actually, we could have asked Ms. Bisketa. However, given her age, it would have been difficult to entrust her with such demanding work. If Olaf were here, I would have entrusted it to him…”
“That much I understand. The problem is that you’re pushing for something beyond that. Telling me to become prime minister? How does that make any sense? I am clearly a person of the Beckavia Kingdom. I cannot become prime minister of another kingdom.”
“So you’re asking about the intention behind telling you to become prime minister despite that?”
“That’s right.”
“If that’s the case, the reason is simple. Sophia Veron. There is no place for you to return to in Beckavia. No, I misspoke slightly. The Beckavia you would return to no longer exists.”
“…”
A silence sharp enough to cut through flesh passed.
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s already been a year. It wouldn’t be strange if Beckavia, which was already in poor political condition, had fallen.”
“We have Crossing as our ally!”
“Do you trust Crossing? I wouldn’t. You know that Crossing was conducting behind-the-scenes operations to win over Beckavia’s nobles.”
“If you’re suggesting they’ve already sold out the kingdom, you’re wrong. Beckavia isn’t a nation that would fall so easily!”
“Regardless of what you think, I’ve judged that Beckavia has already entered an irreversible situation. Even if it hasn’t fallen right this moment, I believe it’s inevitable by the time we return to the Magic Continent.”
Sophia’s clenched fist trembled.
“That’s why I recommended you as prime minister. Not for the fallen Beckavia, but so you can fully utilize your abilities here in Ellan Kingdom, which is rising anew.”
“Is this atonement for dragging me into this world?”
“While not exactly atonement, I do feel apologetic.”
“…”
“If necessary, you can resign from the prime minister position when it’s time to return to our continent. Don’t overthink it.”
Sophia dropped her head as if resigned.
Just then, Rosa approached with her royal guards.
“Are you finished talking?”
“Yes, she’s agreed to accept the prime minister position.”
“Thank you, Wade. I wasn’t sure how to persuade her.”
Sophia heaved a big sigh and excused herself to get some fresh air.
Rosa watched her departing figure with concern.
“She has complicated circumstances too, doesn’t she?”
“It’s not that complicated. She just can’t accept it herself.”
“After hearing she was a princess like me, I couldn’t help but feel for her.”
“What do you think of her as a person?”
“Of course I like her. She’s much better than you, who I always have to be careful around.”
Rosa’s expression was bright. She had handled all immediate matters smoothly, and the disposition of her guilty brothers had gone as she wished.
“All princes exiled to the lost territories… I’ll say again, it’s a naive judgment. If they escape and plot rebellion, it’ll be troublesome.”
“If I lose the throne that way, it would be due to my own lack of ability. Besides, I believe in you, Erina, and Sophia to help me.”
“You seem like the type to be easily swayed by court officials.”
“Hehe, I do have that much discernment, you know?”
Then Rosa clapped her hands and continued speaking.
“Ah, right! Come to think of it, I had one more thing to tell you.”
“Did they catch the prime minister Railand’s subordinates?”
“That’s still up in the air. No, it’s about the merit rewards I gave out a few days ago.”
“I heard about that. The Akasha and Branford families received generous rewards.”
“Yes, since we couldn’t officially mention you, only those two received rewards… But we can’t just end it without including you. So I’m thinking of having separate merit rewards for you and your vassals, what do you think?”
“Merit rewards…”
It gives me a nostalgic feeling.
“If that’s the case, would you leave it to me?”
“Looks like you have something in mind. Then I’ll give you the rewards, handle it as you see fit.”
“Thank you.”
Since the rewards Rosa mentioned were incredibly generous, I had to spend quite some time thinking about how to distribute them.
* * *
The merit rewards ceremony was held five days later.
On this day, Rinoa and Anduha who had gone to their family home returned to the mansion, and Dorofei and Elliot, who finally had some free time, were also visiting briefly.
Additionally, Gaspar had brought Master Ilya, Estelle, and Gunther from the Northern Continent, making the mansion more crowded than usual.
While Gunther and Master Ilya were wanted in the kingdom, it was no longer an issue now that Rosa had ascended to the throne.
Even Gunther’s crime of killing a noble was given consideration after that noble’s involvement in the conspiracy was revealed.
“Whew! What a sight!”
Ash lets out an exclamation of admiration.
It was truly a full gathering.
I cleared my throat and addressed them.
“Today we’ll be conducting merit rewards. Queen Rosa has sponsored the prizes. Thanks to that, the rewards are extremely luxurious. You can look forward to it.”
At the mention of competing for merit, Elena’s eyes sparkled.
In contrast, Eonia, who usually loves merit rewards, looked gloomy. She knew she had almost no merits to speak of.
“There’s no need to be discouraged if your individual merits are few. I know well that everyone did their best in their respective positions.”
However, I couldn’t avoid making distinctions entirely.
“So this time, we’re changing the method a bit. Instead of individual merits, we’ll determine rankings based on team merits combined. Please form teams freely on your own. I’ll determine the rankings afterward.”
This way, even those with lower merits could receive rewards.
“Teams…?”
“Combining merits…”
Everyone starts murmuring at my instruction to form teams.
However, that didn’t last long, and soon everyone was busy moving around to form teams for the merit rewards.
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