房客(糙汉)何璐程曜坤

Chapter 450 147 - Perserios territory - part 2 - Dark clouds on the horizon (part 1)

　　"Zoemi, we might have a problem."

　　Zoemi stopped and turned around to him attentively while a blond-haired girl and a girl wearing a full helmet slowed their pace while glancing over their shoulders to see what it was about.

　　"Come with me. It's okay to tell your friends later but it would be better if they will not follow you this time."

　　The young heir of the Perserios family added, putting pressure on the words at the end of his sentence.

　　"No problem."

　　Zoemi nodded and looked back at the girls, smiling and waving his hand dismissively to show that it wasn't anything important and to go on without him.

　　The two boys then went through the castle and ended up in Devios's office.

　　"Please, take a seat."

　　"..."

　　The younger boy pointed at the chair in front of his desk before he himself sat down and pushed some papers to the side to make room for his elbows.

　　"As I said, we might have a problem."

　　Devios took a deep breath and declared.

　　"Yes, I think so too. It has been two weeks already and not a single barbarian attack happened on ANY strategic spot. They must be preparing something in the background. Then? What's the plan? Miri, Burushi, and I are ready for some recon mission any time."

　　Zoemi nodded in agreement and asked back with a serious expression, all rearing to go.

　　"What? No! The barbarian attacks finally settling down is not a problem - things are just returning to how they were before. No. The problem we have at our hands are rumors spreading amongst the troops."

　　Devios leaned back with a shocked expression and shook his head in denial. His eyes widened, but soon enough he managed to calm himself and drummed his fingers on the desk.

　　Zoemi thought that he might be wrong, but he certainly did not expect such a turn of events.

　　"...what are those rumors...? You will not tell me that the magicians here believe that I am permanently stealing their mana, right?"

　　"That's also a no. This rumor has nothing to do with the rumors about you being the ringleader behind the kidnappings - which, by the way, stopped since you arrived here. The kidnappings, not the rumors."

　　The black-haired boy asked, leaning into his chair and furrowing his brows, but the blue-haired boy waved his hand denying it and explaining that part.

　　"Then...? What it is about? Do they think that I get favorable treatment during training or something?"

　　Zoemi asked relaxed a bit and asked curiously.

　　"...well..."

　　Devios opened his mouth just to close them and looked to the side slightly embarrassed.

　　"You see, the thing is that miss Mirienne's identity is safe to the point of the other troops thinking that you were the one who found and brought her here... and that you, and she, and miss Burushi are using our castle as a convenient love nest and aren't treating the whole barbarian threat seriously..."

　　The younger boy found it very uncomfortable to talk about, but as an heir of the Perserios family he couldn't get away from the responsibility he took upon himself - that being meeting Zoemi in on the gossip circulating amongst the troops.

　　"Wow. Who would have known that it would be worse than in a school full of horny adolescent kids... tell me, Devios, do you think that your underlings are too bored with the lack of life-threatening fights?"

　　Hearing the actual thing made the black-haired boy roll his eyes and sigh.

　　Jealousy.

　　The reason for the new rumors brewing up was pure and simple jealousy.

　　"I can't deny that it is the most likely the case, yes... but since you don't want to showcase your power during the training..."

　　The blue-haired boy nodded, clearly relieved that Zoemi responded the way he did and not in a more violent way, but he also lowered his head slightly and shared a suggestion.

　　"Devios. You were the one to tell me to not try and conquer the lands beyond the border with my sentinels even though I explained to you that it can be done. Why does it sound you now have a problem with me laying low?"

　　The black-haired boy frowned and moved forward, now also hovering over the desk, right in Devios's face.

　　The blue-haired boy tensed up but he did not move back, facing Zoemi head-on like a leader always should.

　　"As far as I remember, you received an explanation for that too. Zoemi, we don't want to conquer anything. That's the thing. The land on which the barbarians are living is literally worthless to us. Conquering them would only add to the burden our territory and by extension, our kingdom is facing."

　　He stood his ground in an exemplary manner and spoke in a calm and composed voice despite the fact that he wanted to actually move back and apologize.

　　"Genocide is also out of the question... things are really problematic. Are we really spending less money on keeping an army to fend the barbarians off than we would on making this land a part of Bellcephora kingdom?"

　　In the end, Zoemi was the one to back away and sigh heavily, returning to the talk they had before.

　　"That is up to the royal family and the gathering of the high aristocracy to decide, not a decision that we at the frontline can make."

　　The blue-haired boy also breathed out but in his case, it was in relief.

　　"Alright. Why is this particular rumor a problem?"

　　"Huh?"

　　Still, the next question that the black-haired boy asked seemed to catch Devios by surprise.

　　"Why is that a problem? Burushi is supposed to be a commoner and Mirienne is a daughter of the fallen Etwistrall family. We all knew that something like that might happen but the girls said it is better to let people think that I am in a slight relationship with both of them. That way no one will try to hit on them - at least no one with a brain."

　　Zoemi repeated and gave a bit more information about the circumstances.

　　"O-oh... is that so...? Sorry for misunderstanding then... I just assumed you and your fitness wouldn't like something like that being said behind your back..."

　　For the first time, Devios fidgeted and seemed to act a little bit more like someone his age - at least compared to how he normally was.

　　"It's okay. Honestly, I'm honored that you keep an eye out for anything that might bring any harm to us. Thank you for going out of your way. If that's it then I will be on my way back."

　　Zoemi nodded with a bright smile as he got up from the chair and walked towards the door.

　　"But just in case - since I already mentioned barbarians preparing in the shadow, it would be best to put up more patrols and beef up the night watch duty."

　　The black-haired boy added, stopping at the doorstep and glancing back at the surprised Devios.

　　"Do you have some information or clue that we are missing...?"

　　The younger boy asked, making a concerned expression but Zoemi merely shook his head and shrugged.

　　"Nah. I'm probably just overthinking again. Forget that I said anything."

　　The black-haired boy nodded apologetically and left.