An inborn talent.

  Although Pichio himself hadn’t been able to realize it, he had a brilliant talent that was unlike others.

  Of course, that was wholly Clay’s judgment.

  ‘The sharp eyes. And……’


  It was different than how Roan used the Kalian’s Tears to grasp many visual information at once.

  Even while looking at the same thing, Pichio could find a difference within it.

  The reason was.

  ‘Instinct.’


  Clay judged that Pichio’s sixth sense, which sensed things that were strange, dangerous, and unusual, was greatly developed.

  ‘Whether his instinct is developed or not, there is enough value in bringing him with us.’


  Just with having good and sharp eyes, there was enough value in having him at their side.

  ‘Just the number of dependents the continent’s top most powerful houses have numbers in the thousands.’


  People were wealth.

  Even for a petty talent and ability, there were places and times it was needed.

  “Pichio has been beaten by Dose to a pulp. Also, it seems his relationship with the other guards is originally not quite good. I will order some people and make up a situation, sir.”


  Clay faintly smiled as he organized the schemes to employ Pichio that arose within his head.

  Of course, it would be difficult to extract Pichio within a month or two even so.

  There was a need for a plan that looked long term and perfectly tie him up.

  Roan nodded his head and entrusted the related mission to Clay.

  At that moment.

  “We can see the border gate!”


  A man standing at the head of the caravan band shouted aloud.

  From here and there, loud sounds of laughter resounded.

  Finishing the greatly tense life in the foreign kingdoms, they had finally returned home.

  *****

  Roan sent Harrison, Brian, Clay, and the caravan band to the Tale Barony and headed alone towards the capital, Miller.

  Standing in front of King Deni Von Rinse, the three princes, and the nobles, he revealed the fact that he formed friendship with the Pershion Kingdom as he presented the relevant letter.

  Deni III spoke words of criticism at how he made friendship with a foreign kingdom based on a prince’s order without the king’s permission.

  But on the other hand, he himself had no interest in politics and delighted at the fact that the door of trade that had been closed for decades had opened.

  The one definite thing was that Simon once again took one more step ahead in the competition for the succession of the throne.

  That was what the Rinse Kingdom’s nobles thought.

  “You are going back right away?”


  “Yes, your highness. I have left the fief for much too long.”


  When Simon spoke with a lonely expression, Roan slightly lowered his head.

  Although he had entrusted the fief to the capable and loyal subordinates, the time he spent in the Tale Barony after the Poskein Exodus was almost none.

  He wished to return even a moment faster.

  “Well, you have really been going around busily.”


  Simon smacked his lips and nodded his head.

  It was because he too knew that it wasn’t a situation where he could keep Roan close for very long.

  He signaled with his eyes towards Viscount Tio Ruin, who was standing nearby.

  Tio then took two wooden boxes from the back of the office and appeared.

  He placed the boxed on top of the table.

  “This is my present to you. Open it.”


  Simon cheerfully smiled as he looked at Roan.

  Roan slightly lowered his head, then opened the lid of the wider of the two boxes.

  “Hhm?”


  His expression turned slightly surprised.

  Inside the boxes were objects he had completely not expected.

  He heard Simon’s voice.

  “They’re Dion roots dug from the Grain Mountains.”


  “These precious things……”


  Roan couldn’t even dare touch the contents inside the box.

  Purplish Roots.

  ‘If it’s Dion root, it should be the most sacred herbs said to be touched by a dragon’s breath.’


  If one ate Dion roots, the mana increased rapidly.

  ‘Per each root, one could earn an amount of mana that requires an year of tireless training to gather.’


  Although it wasn’t an incredible amount, even just that much was an amazing amount.

  Furthermore, within the box were in fact five Dion roots evenly laid out.

  Seeing the sight of Roan delighting at it, Simon smiled gleefully and pointed at the small box next to it.

  “Go ahead and open that one as well.”


  “Yes? Ah, yes.”


  Still with a slightly dazed look, Roan opened the small box’s lid.

  “This is……”


  Roan once again made a surprised look.

  Inside the box was a single book with a clean cover.

  “It’s a book of spearmanship found at the palace reference room.”


  Unlike the library that was open to many people, the palace reference room was a secret vault-like place that not anyone could enter.

  Currently, there were only four people permitted the entry into the reference room.

  They were only the current king Deni III and the three princes, Simon, Tommy, and Kallum.

  “I had wanted to find you a really incredible book of spearmanship, but compared to swordsmanship or spells, there didn’t seem to be anything worthy about spearmanship. The thing I found in the end is that. Flepsse Spearmanship.”


  “Flepsse Spearmanship……”


  Roan quietly whispered as he looked at the book of spearmanship.

  Seeing how the cover was clean, it was certain that Simon had transcribed it himself.

  ‘If it’s Flepsse Spearmanship, it’s the spearmanship of Count Natus Flepsse who was active a hundred years ago. Although it certainly is amazing, it’s difficult to see it as an incredible spearmanship even so.’


  Of course, it wasn’t certain since he hadn’t personally seen and experienced it.

  But the one thing for sure was that its level wasn’t something comparable to Pierce.

  ‘But even so, it’ll be an incredible help to me.’


  Roan had never learned a standardized and refined spearmanship.

  He had only gathered countlessly many spearmanship techniques from actual battles and been training his own unique spearmanship.

  ‘If I study Flepsse Spearmanship, I may be able to combine the many spearmanship from actual battles more easily.’


  It literally was no different than getting a textbook.

  Roan carefully closed the lids of the boxes containing the book and the Dion roots, and then turned towards Simon.

  “Truly, thank you very much.”


  “I should be the one saying thank you.”


  Simon brightly smiled and nodded his head.

  Those were his honest words.

  ‘I became closer to the throne thanks to Baron Tale.’


  Because he was there, he was able to pass and step ahead of his younger brothers in the throne succession competition.

  Simon quietly looked at Roan, then made a bright smile.

  “Baron Roan Tale.”


  “Yes. Prince.”


  Roan slightly lowered his head.

  Simon inhaled deeply as he continued to speak.

  “I will continue to rely on you from now on as well.”


  Strength was carried onto his voice.

  He was already planning for the events after the throne succession competition.

  Roan was an existence that was definitely necessary in that process.

  “Yes. I will do my best.”


  Roan deeply lowered his head and spoke in a powerful voice.

  Like that, the two shared a pleasant chat for a while.

  “Then, I will now leave, sir.”


  Roan was only able to exit Simon’s mansion by the time the surroundings became dark.

  It was quite a late hour.

  However, he moved his feet towards someplace that wasn’t his residence.

  After an unknown amount of time.

  Roan appeared again.

  ‘For now, he wouldn’t be able to move easily as he wish. No, at least……’


  With quick steps, he crossed the street towards his residence.

  ‘I will be holding the knife handle.’


  The place Roan briefly stopped by.

  That was in fact Kallum Rinse’s mansion.

  Swooosh.

  Just in time, a cold north wind blew. 1

  *****

  Roan didn’t particularly wish to enter the fief loudly.

  Intentionally picking an early hour, he crossed the Mediasis village and entered the entrance of the fief lord’s castle.

  No, it was a lord’s castle in name only, and was still a simple building made up of offices and meeting rooms.

  It was when Roan had just entered the central hall.

  “Thank you very much for your work.”


  He heard a familiar voice.

  “We’re glad that you have come back safely, my lord.”


  Following behind, resounding voices were heard.

  In the central hall, many retainers including Austin were lined up straight.

  “Did you know I was coming back?”


  When Roan shyly smiled, Austin made a bright smile.

  “The agents of Agens are active throughout the Tale Barony. We knew ever since lord entered the fief’s border.”


  Roan slowly nodded his head at those words.

  Since he didn’t move while intentionally hide his identity, it shouldn’t be very difficult for the Agens agents to find him.

  But.

  ‘The communication system is well organized.’


  Although he had moved rather quickly, the news had already reached the lord’s castle before he arrived.

  ‘Brilliant. As expected of Chris.’


  If it was to this extent, there wouldn’t be much problem from now on even when hunting and spying on other noble’s, and possibly a foreign nation’s spies.

  “You’ve done well until now.”


  His voice carried strength.

  At Roan’s words, all the retainers turned their ears and listened.

  “But there is still much more to do. Us Tale Barony……”


  Roan faintly smiled.

  “Starts now.”


  “Yes! Understood!”


  Everyone including Austin answered in one voice.

  Their faces and voices were resolute.

  Their hearts raced rapidly.

  Ambition.

  They were ready to follow Roan and spread a large dream.

  Roan faintly smiled as he looked at that sight.

  ‘I too must work harder than now.’


  He resolved his heart on his own.

  He moved a little more faster, a little bit more further than his retainers.

  There was no instance of lazing about just because he was a noble and a fief’s lord.

  Also, Roan knew of parts he lacked very well.

  Because of it, he called the scholars and the military officers together and opened various meetings before proceeding the works.

  “What happened to the Rinse Southern Mercenary Guild Arnold recommended?”


  Roan looked at Keep, who sat at the end of the meeting room.

  “We have disguised and infiltrated the Tenebra Troop members.”


  “The situation?”


  “They received the guild master’s trust and are acting as official mercenaries.”


  A short conversation went back and forth between Roan and Keep.

  Thanks to successfully infiltrating while disguised, they were able to meticulously grasp the information concerning the Rinse Southern Mercenary Guild.

  “Good. Build the mercenary guild headquarter in the outskirt of the Mediasis village. I permit their relocation. But……”


  Roan stared straight into Keep’s eyes.

  “Keep the Tenebra Troop members who infiltrated inside the guild as a secret until the end.”


  “Yes. Understood.”


  Keep lowered his head and answered.

  Following that, Roan turned to Clay.

  Clay glanced once at the prepared materials and then spoke in a composed voice.

  “While we were away in the Pershion Kingdom, the number of engineers including alchemists, blacksmiths, carpenters, and so on increased. Even now, although by a small number, they are continuously increasing.”


  At those words, Roan formed a faint smile.

  The alchemists and engineers were organizations that couldn’t possibly be excluded from the fief’s development plan that Roan had thought up.

  “Because the size of the alchemist guild and the engineers union have become bigger, there is a need to manage them a bit more systemically.”


  “Okay. We will proceed that part after consulting with the managers.”


  “And……”


  Clay’s words hadn’t ended.

  Unlike just before, he spoke in a cautious voice.

  “Several druids have requested appointment.”


  “Druids?”


  Roan asked back with a slightly surprised expression.

  Clay faintly smiled as he answered.

  “I have sent letters to druids who are connected to me. Because they are those whose talents are too valuable to waste.”


  “Hmm.”


  With a quiet groan, Roan nodded his head.

  “If they work together with us, they will be a great strength.”


  “Then we will……?”


  “Accept them.”


  It was a short answer and a straightforward decision.

  Clay immediately lowered his head.

  “Thank you very much.”


  It wasn’t clear what he was thankful of.

  Roan turned his head and looked at Chris.

  “Did you say that the academy graduates who received Principal Fred Brown’s recommendations have came?”


  “Yes. We have checked the recommendations and deployed them to administration works for now.”


  Chris swiftly answered as he checked the memo.

  The number of academy graduates who Principal Fred Brown had recommended were more than they had thought.

  Even excluding the people who realized something after visiting Roan and abruptly left, quite a large number of graduates came to Tale Barony.

  Most of them, after looking at the small and shabby Tale Barony, were disappointed greatly and left without regret.

  But even amongst them, tens of distinguished talents stayed and were handling administration works.

  “I should go meet them personally.”


  There was a need to meticulously discuss the plan concerned with establishing an academy.

  Roan inhaled deeply and gazed around the meeting room.

  “Then, are the pressing matters all finished?”


  At those words, Clay raised his right hand again.

  “There is one more thing.”


  He checked the content of a memo for a moment and then continued to speak.

  “Mages have came from a place called Reno school.”


  The moment his words ended, the people sitting with them tilted their heads.

  “Reno school?”


  “There’s a school like that?”


  “It’s a first time I’m hearing it……?”


  Even Chris’ expression was full of questions.

  On the other hand, Roan’s expression was greatly calm.

  ‘If it’s the Reno school, it was a school that studied various subjects instead of a one subject. They were more on the side of manufacturing magic tools rather than personally using magic.’


  He clearly remembered.

  There was a reasonable reason for it.

  ‘Even in the last life, they attempted all kinds of endeavors to bring prosperity to the school.’


  The endeavors led to results.

  They had received sponsorship from many nobles and big merchants.

  But.

  ‘After the Great Warring Era began, they became despised.’


  There was no one who would pay patronage to the Reno school that couldn’t become any help in war.

  No, there wasn’t even a room to do so.

  ‘In such situation, the Reno school’s last master McCrum, he whose talent at least was recognized as the best, became too greedy in his efforts to prosper the school.’


  He had tried to turned the Reno school’s magic technologies into weapons of war.

  The result was.

  ‘A great explosion.’


  The tens and hundreds of magic arrays carved for the weapons of war began to rampage on their own.

  An enormous amount of mana rippled unstably, and a great explosion soon occurred.

  The aftereffect of the great explosion was colossal.

  The entirety of a small city that McCrum’s research lab was in evaporated completely.

  ‘McCrum also died at that time and the Reno school’s life ended.’


  Roan exhaled a short sigh.

  ‘Reno school……’


  Complicated thoughts and plans surged within his head like a wave.

  He soon shook his head and looked at Clay.

  “Guide them to the reception room. I will go meet them directly.”


  “Yes. Understood.”


  Clay lowered his head slightly as he answered.

  With that, the meeting was over.

  The retainers, to carry out the missions each undertook, quickened their steps.

  Roan also moved his steps towards the reception room.

  When he opened the door, he saw the simple scenery inside of the reception room.

  At the center table, a white-haired old man and an adolescent young man sat.

  ‘So it’s them.’


  The current master of the Reno school, Lemming Ade, and the one who blew away a small city in the last life, McCrum.

  Making a cheerful smile, Roan looked at them.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Roan Tale.”


  End.

  1. for those confused, Roan first left Simon’s mansion, then headed to Kallum’s mansion and disappeared from sight, and then appeared again from Kallum’s mansion and headed to his own house.