Chapter 35
For some unknown reason, Wizards of the Empire had long been perceived as Noble beings.
So one first appeared in the Territory.
“W-Wizard, sir…!”
Everyone was so startled that they immediately prostrated themselves on the Ground the moment they saw the person who was clearly a Wizard.
However,
“I am not a Wizard. There are very few wizards in the Empire. Please, everyone, raise your heads.”
The man who introduced himself as not a Wizard helped the people up with a very complicated expression on his face.
“…From now on, starting with farming, whenever you have difficult tasks, I will always help you. Please feel free to ask.”
After pouring out those incomprehensible words, he dragged his heavy-looking feet and entered the mansion where the Lord resided.
At first, the people couldn’t understand what the Wizard was talking about at all.
He was going to start with farming and provide various conveniences? A Wizard?
wizards, who were even fewer in number than knights, were suddenly going to do menial chores?
It was not something that could be understood within the bounds of common sense.
So in the beginning, they couldn’t even imagine asking the Wizard for a favor.
This situation had continued for about a week.
“Is this the Baralleum Territory?”
“Pardon? Yes, uh… that is correct.”
A boy wearing an armband suddenly appeared in the Territory.
Appearing as if he had dropped right out of the sky, the boy looked like a Noble to anyone’s eyes, and he acted like one too.
You could say he displayed an elegance different from that of a Commoner.
Anyway, there was absolutely no dust on his armband.
“I suppose it’s because it’s a rather dusty day, ahem.”
He lightly brushed off the armband, which had the number 1 embroidered in gold thread.
“I received a report that the usage rate of Staff #782 over the past week is a staggering 0%. Did a Staff-wielder happen to be delivered here a week ago?”
“Eh, eh?”
He brought up a puzzling story.
Staff #782? Usage rate? Delivery?
Everyone just tilted their heads at the string of words no one could understand.
“This is the problem. If you’re a Staff-wielder, you should actively promote yourself to fulfill your duties as a Staff-wielder… Can you just sit still because no one is looking for you? The neighboring Territory is already flying through the sky and watering the crops… If you show such a comparable work attitude, you should think about how ashamed I, Staff #1, will be when I see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince…”
The boy muttered quietly to himself before looking at the people gathered around him.
“Ah, I’ve confirmed what the problem is. Could you tell me where the mansion where the Lord resides is located?”
He asked for the mansion’s location with a bright smile.
“I-It’s over there.”
Flustered by the way things were just progressing on their own, the Territory residents pointed toward the mansion.
“Someone is living in the best place, doing absolutely nothing with a 0% usage rate for a week. If this happens, the rest who, excluding weekends, are taking the initiative and fulfilling their roles as staff-wielders will suffer. How can he not know this!”
Swish.
As soon as the location was specified, the boy vanished in an instant.
It was a phenomenon that could only be explained as Magic.
Some of the Territory residents, who had absolutely no information about Magic, were so shocked they almost collapsed to the Ground.
“S-So the wizards my grandfather talked about really did exist.”
wizards were so rare in the Empire that it was said you might or might not see one before you die.
To think an opportunity like this to see a Wizard would arise!
“It seems we’re very lucky these days.”
It was in the spot where the Wizard had left.
“Indeed. Taxes suddenly dropped significantly, and thanks to that, well… we don’t have to force the kids to farm, and we can let them learn to read and write.”
“Mhm, I’m learning to read and write these days too. That reading and writing should be the basics… mhm, those are truly wonderful words.”
The Territory residents were very positive about the recently changing Empire.
First of all, taxes had been drastically lowered, and they could not only enjoy the resulting leisure.
But educational aspects were also being actively supported.
They harbored the hope that, although it was already too late for themselves, their children at least might live a different life.
And amidst those expectations.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a loud Explosion was heard from the mansion where the Lord resided.
“Staff #782! Shout your duties loudly in The Center of the village!”
“T-Teo… why are you doing this, huh? Let’s not do this, let’s just be like before… can’t we just quietly research like before? H-How can I use Magic just to water crops… d-do you think that makes any sense?”
By the time they came to their senses, the Wizard who had arrived a week ago and the boy who had just arrived were conversing in The Center of the village.
“There is no Teo here. What is in front of your eyes right now is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s Staff #1.”
“…Do you think this makes sense?! Truly throwing away everything we’ve lived for until now! Throwing it all away… and just living a life where we make fire when told, and shoot water when told. You want me to live that kind of life?”
The boy’s posture was incredibly overbearing.
In contrast, the body of the Wizard who had arrived a week ago continued to lower.
“During the course of this conversation, you have accumulated about two warnings. If you accumulate one more warning, I will immediately activate the Restriction and blow your head up, regardless of the reason. If you don’t like it, just die. There are plenty of staff-wielders besides you.”
Then, at the boy’s final words, it happened.
“…Residents of the Baralleum Territory! I am not a Wizard! I am a Staff-wielder who exists for your convenience! If you have any difficult tasks, I will solve everything with my Magic from now on! My Magic is free! However, weekend shifts will be conducted depending on the situation…!”
The Wizard, who had been lying flat on his face, sprang up and began to pour out words.
No, he tried to pour them out.
“No, no.”
“H-Huh?”
“Your usage rate for the week is 0%; do guaranteed weekends make sense? That is a benefit given only to diligent staff-wielders.”
“T-Then when is my weekend…?”
“When the Staff-wielder satisfaction survey Magic is used, you must genuinely receive five stars.”
“Isn’t that done once every six months?”
“Staff #782, as I said before, if you don’t want to do it, you can just die. Is it difficult? Shall I detonate the Restriction for you?”
“…”
That is, if the boy with a serious face next to him hadn’t said anything, the situation would have been different.
Upon hearing those words, Staff #782's expression rapidly faded.
Afterward, he received the document handed over by the boy and read it aloud so that all the Territory residents could hear.
“I, Staff #782! Swear to dedicate my devotion and obedience for the infinite convenience of the Baralleum Territory and the boundless glory of the Bellos Empire!!!”
“Louder! Is that all the voice you can muster! Staff #264 in the neighboring Territory even shed tears while reading that document, which was personally written and copied by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! How can you be of use with such a lack of loyalty!”
“…Sob… H-Huuuk…!”
Staff #782 also cried.
Was the meaning behind his tears the fear of death, or lamentation for his own life?
His life drastically changed.
But despite that, there were days when it was still good to be alive.
Feeling those complex emotions, Staff #782 declared to the Territory residents that he was not a Wizard, but a Staff-wielder.
“Haha, I’ve perfectly instilled the proper mindset in another Staff-wielder.”
The boy, who watched all of this proudly, tapped his armband again.
“There will be no more nonsense from now on. This is your final warning.”
He spoke with a very serious face while looking at Staff #782.
“You’ll really die. A lot have died already. Was it about 50 people?”
He vanished from the spot, ending by casually spitting out such bloodcurdling words.
In the spot where the boy had disappeared, there was nothing.
“Does anyone need Magic…?”
Staff #782 began his Magic sales pitch to survive.
++++++
[ The Wizards are spreading a positive influence across the Empire at an astonishingly fast pace! ]
[ The Empire’s Magic Level is rising tremendously. ]
[ The probability of children blessed by mana being born within the Empire increases significantly. ]
“…Teo is working incredibly hard.”
“This Humble Woman has never seen a Wizard with that much passion.”
Teo had appointed himself as Staff #1.
and was conducting 21st-century on-site A/S.
Honestly, when he first said he would do it, I wondered if there was really a need for that.
But after I actually made him do it, the efficiency was ridiculous.
First of all, the fact that he could travel all over the Empire by himself using Teleport was truly incredible.
This was something Arveda was also very surprised by, saying his Mana Core was ridiculously vast.
“Perhaps, if we only consider the amount of mana it can hold, it is on a level comparable to a Dragon Heart.”
“Hah, right… It’s because he’s a Male Lead.”
This was a magical talent capable of rivaling a dragon, despite being Human.
I figured this was the minimum requirement to be a Male Lead with a Genius Wizard setting.
Anyway, the Empire’s Magic Level was rising rapidly.
The message was pleasant to hear.
[ The Empire is becoming healthier. ]
[ A tremendous achievement! ]
[ 2 Convenient Empire Status Window points are awarded! ]
'Oh.'
As I obtained Convenient Empire Status Window points, a smile drew itself naturally on my lips.
“I should start by laying down railways all across the Empire.”
I remembered there was a Tech Tree like that.
If I use one to lay down railways and invest the other in the Academy.
In the current situation, it would be a good means to prepare for both the present and the future simultaneously.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, we have arrived. the Crown Prince, we have arrived.”
“Good work.”
At Arveda’s words that we had reached our destination, I stroked her hair and slowly drew my sword.
This is the Imperial North and Eastern Region.
This was the case because one had to maintain the Front Line and the other had to maintain the coast.
This could be done by bestowing the title of Grand Duke and entrusting them with the governance of these regions.
The Western Empire and Southern Empire didn’t particularly need to do so, so no Grand Duke existed there.
However, just because there was no Grand Duke didn’t mean there were no bastards appointing themselves as the boss.
For where there is no lion, even a jackal may fancy himself King.
There were always bound to be those who wanted to climb to the top of others' heads.
In that sense, the Southern Empire was problematic for the sole reason that it was close to the Romper Holy Nation.
“Why is a symbol of the Holy Kingdom… and a golden statue at that, sitting right here in the Southern Region?”
It blatantly took on a form similar to the Holy Kingdom.
So right now, the Southern Empire is…
“This is driving me crazy.”
A Forward Base for the Romper Holy Nation.
Therefore.
Slash!
I cut down the golden statue first.
Thud!
Peddling faith in someone else’s country ends now.