1 year and 3 months in real time was 3 years and 9 months in game time. This was the period that Lauel had served Grid. From the first moment he realized Grid’s potential until now. For a long time, Lauel had worked harder for Overgeared than anyone else.
As any Satisfy player, he once dreamt of great achievements. It was to be the protagonist behind a kingdom construction.
‘Long...’
It was difficult and painful. But that made him enjoy it even more. Grid and the Overgeared members. He had gone through many incidents and sufferings with his fellow colleagues. There were many crises, such as Grid naming the guild Overgeared, Grid naming the guild Overgeared, and Grid naming the guild Overgeared, but it was rewarding.
"...”
Lauel’s office. Lauel was filled with joyful emotions after his whispers to Grid and opened his eyes. Faker stood in front of him. As usual, he appeared without a sound. Lauel had adapted, so he asked without any surprise. “Have the results from the scouts arrived?”
The soldiers of Reidan had been trained by Piaro and Asmophel. The soldiers trained by the former pillars of the Saharan Empire were exceptional. The soldiers of Reidan had high levels and their skills and stats were much better than soldiers of the same level. There was also Grid’s items. In short, they were elites. Elite soldiers.
Among them were scouts who were trained by Faker. They learned how to move covertly and quickly. Thus, Lauel believed in the skills of the scouts. Of course, Faker gave him a wonderful answer.
“I have obtained the layout of Patrian.”
“Ohh!”
Lauel’s face turned rosy. He was pleased and requested the report. However, Faker asked him with a serious expression.
"Can we expose Grid’s power like this?”
It might allow them to easily win the battle, but Faker questioned if they should reveal Grid’s hunting scene. If Grid’s current power was revealed, it was no different than giving hostile forces a strategy against him.
‘This is true.’
Faker was quiet and didn’t often express his thoughts. However, he was also a member of Overgeared. He was always worried about Grid. It wasn’t enough to call it loyalty or justice. It was friendship and affection.
‘Hasn’t he been watching Grid much longer than me...?’
Lauel smiled. He stared confidently at Faker.
“You don’t have to worry about the world knowing about Grid’s full power.”
Grid’s greatest strength was the flexibility of his items. He was a person who could exert a completely new power by making and wearing items to suit the time and place.
“The him today is not the same as the him tomorrow. The world will never be able to measure him.”
If a force analyzed Grid’s weaknesses based on his power today, they would never be able to threaten him. In the meantime, Grid would produce new items and have different abilities than before.
***
Bland.
The only son of Earl Ashur, one of the 10 great magicians on the continent. He had been taken hostage by Grid for three years already. He learned a lot from Piaro over the years. He now knew how to use all the farming equipment and how to utilize his mana for farming.
He had excellent talent in magic like his father, and was also skilled with the sword. Now that he learned Piaro’s farming methods, he reached a new field and people called him the ‘Magic Swordsman of the Field.’ In the fields... He was really strong.
“Have you looked back on your life in Reidan?”
It was the farmers’ snack time. Despite the bloodline of a noble of the Eternal Kingdom, Bland was covered in dirt and eating a potato. Lauel came to him and asked.
Bland put the potato in his mouth and replied cynically. "You want me to look back on my life as a hostage?”
“No. That isn’t the case. We have never treated you as a hostage.”
"...”
“You have always been respected and allowed freedom. I’ll ask you again. How was your life in Reidan?”
"...”
There was nothing wrong with Lauel’s statement. After being brought to Reidan, Bland had never been forced to do anything except for farming on the first day. He wasn’t monitored and didn’t suffer any restrictions or discrimination. In fact, Bland could’ve escaped at any time. But Bland didn’t run away.
He kept living in Reidan. It was comfortable. As a prestigious heir in the kingdom and the son of a great magician, he grew up with the prejudices and anticipation of the people. His life as an ordinary farmer was delightful. It was thanks to the Overgeared members and Reidan people who didn’t discriminate against him.
“Well... It isn’t that bad." Bland avoided his gaze and answered.
Lauel asked again as Bland’s cheeks bulged from the potato.
“What would you do if you lived here with Earl Ashur?”
“...!”
Bland was shocked. His eyes opened angrily and he cried out.
“Earl Lauel! What are you saying? Don’t tell me you...!”
Prince Ren waged war against Duke Grid and was killed by Prince Aslan, who rose to the throne. Bland knew the truth that the world didn’t know. He couldn’t help it, being in Reidan. He had been expecting it. King Aslan regarded Reidan, which knew the truth, as an eyesore. Someday, Reidan would become independent from the Eternal Kingdom. His father would be swept up in it. But Bland didn’t know it would be this fast.
“You intend to rebel against the royal family and threaten Patrian...!”
Bland shouted, filled with anxiety about his father. Lauel raised two fingers.
"There are two things wrong with your words. It’s true that we are hostile to the Eternal Kingdom, but we aren’t rebels. Duke Grid only pledged allegiance to King Wiesbaden. From the time of the king’s death, we no longer belonged to the Eternal Kingdom. In other words, it isn’t a rebellion if we are hostile towards the Eternal Kingdom.”
"...”
It was sophistry. But originally it was called politics. It was easy to use a justification like this when there was the smallest gap. Bland didn’t deny it and Lauel continued.
“And I don’t intend to threaten Patrian. How can we threaten one of the best fortified cities in Eternal, ruled by Earl Ashur, one of the 10 great magicians on the continent? We just want to embrace it. I need your strength in order to do that.”
"Do you want me to persuade my father? He won’t abandon the Eternal Kingdom to serve Duke Grid!”
The family of Earl Ashur had served Eternal’s royal family for generations. It was impossible to betray Eternal. Earl Ashur would never betray the royal family. Bland was certain of it. However, Lauel’s thoughts were quite different.
"The person who should’ve been on the throne is Prince Ren, not Prince Aslan. However, Prince Aslan borrowed power from a foreign nation and stole Prince Ren’s throne. This is an unforgivable sin and the current Eternal royal family isn’t authentic. There’s no reason why Earl Ashur should be loyal to the current royal family.”
"...”
Bland’s eyes started to tremble. Lauel whispered to the confused Bland.
“The pure and honest Bland who likes potatoes... If you don’t want your father to be a puppet duped by a false king, you should accompany me to tell him the truth. I will protect you, even if there is some danger in the process.”
Bland’s hands and feet curled up. At the same time, the muscles of his body contracted and sweat dripped down his back. Bland was embarrassed by this sensation that he felt for the first time and nodded, trying to regain his calmness. Then he carefully opened his mouth.
"I understand... I also want to give my father a taste of the rainbow potato.”
His father dedicated his life to the country simply because their family served the royal family for generations. Bland wanted to show his father new pleasures in life. Lauel looked at him in a pleased manner before turning his attention to the sky. It was the direction of Gauss.
‘I’ve prepared the fishing rod. Now I need the bait.’
***
"By the order of Earl Lauel!”
"We will leave in four hours!”
There were a total of nine knights in Reidan. One of them was Jude, who had served Grid for a long time, while the other eight were young talents raised by Piaro and Asmophel. The swordsmanship, agricultural, and tactical abilities of these young knights were very good. It wasn’t a match for the Red Knights yet, but they were far superior to the Black Knights. If Piaro and Asmophel kept training them, it was highly likely they would develop into Red Knights. They were confused as they ran around and checked the soldiers.
“The commander?”
"No way, he didn’t appear again today?”
It happened since going to the place called Siren. Commander Asmophel was strange for several days and suddenly disappeared. In the past month, he hadn’t been seen anywhere in Reidan. The anxious knights asked the Overgeared nobles, including Lauel, about Asmophel’s whereabouts, but the only reply was that they shouldn’t worry.
No one knew where Asmophel was. However, he was strong and clever. There was no need to worry about him... Yet he didn’t appear even before a campaign! Commander Piaro was in Siren, so who would command the army if Asmophel wasn’t here? The eight confused knights turned to attention to Jude, who was standing quietly on one side.
"Will he lead the army on behalf of Asmopehl?”
"Rumor has it that he has served Duke Grid for a long time. There should be numerous achievements...”
“I don’t know if he’s capable enough to replace Asmophel."
"He’s someone that Duke Grid chose. Of course he will be amazing. He has acted as protector of Winston for a long time.”
The young knights talked among themselves and soon approached Jude.
"Sir Jude, the soldiers are ready. We can leave at any time.”
"What should we do now?"
"...”
Jude was silent. He looked silently at the soldiers. His eyes were so solemn that the young knights couldn’t help gulping.
‘Did we make a mistake?’
’Did we mislead the soldiers?’
The young knights were nervous. Jude stayed silent for a while before finally opening his mouth.
“We. Go. Where?”
“...?”
‘Is this a joke?’
The young knights didn’t yet know the reality of their senior knight. On the other hand, among the 3,000 soldiers of Reidan who were standing in front of Jude and the eight knights. One soldier had sharp eyes.
‘I am still not from enough. Unless I start again from a soldier and build up achievements and experience, I won’t be recognized by Duke Grid. I won’t be able to reach a higher ground. I will do my best as a soldier.’
The identity of this soldier was surprisingly Commander Asmophel.