บท 32: Chapter 32
Late that day, I once again found myself on the doorstep of Lord Cross's mansion.
"Lord Cross! Are you home?"
With a vigorous thump on the outer door, I stepped into the mansion's garden. Almost instantly, Lord Cross appeared from within the mansion.
"Don't you cherish your life! I made it clear! Stay away from me..."
As Lord Cross was on the brink of pointing his spear at me, he abruptly let it drop.
His eyes had landed on the little cart I'd brought with me.
"What... what's that?"
"What do you think it is?"
I smirked and yanked back the cloth that draped over the cart.
"It's your all-time favorite."
The cart was chock-full of alcohol.
The bottles, basking in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun, shimmered like grains of white sand on a beach.
"..."
Lord Cross, taken aback, continually shifted his gaze between me and the bottles.
***
The character I'd taken over, Ash, was a real mess.
Truly a debauched prince who indulged in rivers of wine and mountains of meat, a walking disaster.
Such a man wouldn't have ventured into the countryside without ample supplies. Naturally, he'd brought plenty of premium alcohol along.
But I had no fondness for drinking. Therefore, there was no need to hold back.
I gathered all the costly drinks that Ash had painstakingly transported from the capital.
"Let's share a drink, Lord Cross."
I grabbed a bottle from the cart and gave it a little shake.
The luxurious bottle housed a beautiful, golden liquid that swirled around within.
The sweet sloshing sound echoed in the air.
To a seasoned drinker like Lord Cross, it was an irresistible proposal.
Gulp.
Lord Cross's dry throat managed a swallow. I shrugged and returned the bottle to the cart.
"If you're not interested?"
"No, no! Who said I wasn't interested?"
Lord Cross flung open the doors to his mansion.
"Come in, Your Highness. Bring everything!"
Easily appeased.
I wheeled the alcohol-laden cart directly into the mansion.
"Oh crap."
I involuntarily muttered a curse as I took the first step inside.
From the entrance right through to the interior, discarded bottles littered the floor.
"Good... grief..."
I cupped a hand over my nose.
Given the amount of piled-up, uncleaned bottles, the air was thick with the scent of evaporated alcohol. It was almost nauseating.
'This isn't just a drinking problem, it's alcohol poisoning...'
Avoiding the carpet of discarded bottles on the floor, I found my way into the mansion's kitchen.
Lord Cross pulled out two cups from a cupboard.
"It's been ages since I drank with someone."
Taking the cup offered by Lord Cross, I suspiciously eyed the bottom of the glass.
"Is this glass clean?"
"The house may be a mess, but the glass needs to be clean. It's a matter of respect for the drink."
Uttering some peculiar doctrine about alcohol, Lord Cross snatched the bottle from my hand.
"Well, let's see what kind of alcohol you've brought..."
Margrave Cross's eyes bulged as he read the label.
"'Peacemaker' inaugural royal whiskey! Good heavens, this is incredibly rare!"
'Peacemaker' was the reigning Emperor's middle name.
Hence, it was a liquor concocted to mark the year the Emperor ascended the throne. Furthermore, it was a specialty product, crafted right from the royal distillery.
It wasn't merely the taste, the drink bore a deep symbolic significance.
In essence, it was damn expensive.
'I've gifted you such a pricey drink, so start showing me a bit more respect.'
The message would resonate without having to spell it out.
Margrave Cross cast me a complicated, contemplative look before uncapping the whiskey bottle without a second thought.
The golden fluid filled our glasses.
"Then, to..."
I lifted my glass to propose a toast, but Margrave Cross was already bringing his own glass to his lips.
"..."
I awkwardly lowered my glass.
Margrave Cross downed the whiskey in a single swig. Wasn't it a bit strong to drink like that? Was he alright?
"Phew!"
With a look of admiration, Margrave Cross studied his now-empty glass.
"Truly a marvel! The smoothness is unparalleled."
"Can you fully appreciate it when you're knocking it back that fast?"
"To fairly compare it to the cheap liquor I normally swill, shouldn't I swill this one too? That's the only way to give an honest assessment."
Damn, my knowledge about alcohol is limited, so I can't tell if his logic holds water or not.
Regardless, I wasn't here to chat about booze today. I quietly placed my untouched glass down.
"Anyway, Margrave. Today, we need to..."
"Don't switch subjects!"
Interrupting me, Margrave Cross refilled his glass.
"Just drink up and leave. If you have something else to talk about, you can leave."
"Then at least provide me with some nibbles to..."
This soused old geezer was just pouring pure alcohol into his belly.
In response to my grumbling, Margrave Cross begrudgingly opened a cabinet and pulled out a small bag.
"Here, eat this."
"What's this?"
"Dried fruits. They're from the fruits harvested from my own orchard."
The bag was filled with finely diced, dried fruits.
I took out a piece and scrutinized it. Was it a mango? Or a grape?
"You have an orchard?"
"Just over there, can you see out the window? It's right behind this mansion. It's a tiny plot. I tend to it as a hobby."
"Alright, I'll try it... *Spit* What?!"
I spat it out as soon as I put it in my mouth.
"What, what's this, it's extremely bitter and sour! How are you supposed to eat this!"
"To spit out the fruits I've painstakingly grown and harvested... That's rather rude."
Margrave Cross, wearing an offended expression, also bit into a piece of fruit.
"*Spit* What?!"
And he promptly spat it out.
"You can't eat it either!"
"This tastes like absolute rubbish. Even if it's fruit I've grown, this is just junk."
Margrave Cross hastily swigged his liquor, swished it around in his mouth, and tossed me a bag of dried fruits.
"Here, a gift. Take it."
"Why would you give me something even you can't stomach?"
"If I could eat it, I'd have kept it for myself. Why would I hand it over to you? It's simple."
True? His logic was undoubtedly warped, yet strangely compelling.
I grumbled under my breath and pocketed the bag of fruit.
After all, it was a gift from the previous lord, right? I couldn't exactly just toss it aside.
Margrave Cross sighed as he gazed at the remaining fruit in his hand.
"Crossroad is nestled at the southernmost edge of the continent. The sun beams brightly, the soil is fertile. There's no land better suited for fruit cultivation."
"So, why does it taste so bad?"
"Not just fruit, but all sorts of crops too. If you simply tend the field, it rewards you abundantly."
His next words caught me off guard.
"If only the monsters wouldn't invade."
"Ah..."
"The monsters ravage the fields and slay the farmers, which is troublesome, but when they die, they spew their corrupt magical energy onto the land. Do you know what that does?"
A bitter smile crossed Margrave Cross's weathered face.
"The whole region becomes tainted. Any crops grown there wither and die. The land becomes cursed."
Margrave Cross stared at his drink with a complex expression.
Golden liquor, brewed in the royal court, from grains and fruit that couldn't be grown in this region...
"That's why there are no fields around Crossroad. What good is sunlight and fertile soil if you can't grow anything? Even your hard work becomes worthless after a single invasion."
"..."
"This place is cursed. It was in the past, and it will be in the future."
I gestured towards the window.
"So why do you keep the orchard?"
"Doesn't everyone harbor at least one regret in their life?"
The old man looked towards the orchard with a far-off gaze, then closed his eyes and emptied his drink.
"That orchard is my regret."
We sat in silence until the bottle was drained.
"I can't even get a decent buzz anymore..."
Margrave Cross grumbled, spinning the empty bottle around.
I pulled out the next bottle from the cart, uncorked it myself, and refilled Margrave Cross's cup.
"Margrave, do you know why I'm here today?"
Margrave Cross shot me a sour look.
"Didn't I make it clear that I wouldn't talk about anything else?"
"Kick me out if you want. But I need to tell my tale before I leave."
Thud.
After filling the Margrave's cup, I placed the bottle on the table and began to speak.
"The monsters are becoming restless again. And it's not on a small scale."
"..."
"The last invasion consisted of 1,000 Living Armors. We managed to fend them off, but our walls were severely damaged, and our ranks of soldiers are precariously low."
"..."
"We're in dire need to bolster our ranks."
Margrave Cross remained silent as he listened. I persisted.
"Margrave, I require the soldiers under your command."
"I don't command any soldiers."
"I came knowing there are mercenaries within your household."
"I have friends, true, whom I've chosen, trained, and battled alongside all my life."
Margrave Cross exhaled a heavy sigh.
"But when I relinquished my role as lord, when I cast aside my spear and shield... those friends also laid down their arms. Now, all of them have retired."
"I implore you, summon them once again."
"That would be in vain."
Gulp, gulp.
In a single swig, Margrave Cross emptied his cup and slurred his words.
"This land isn't worth the defence."
"What do you mean..."
"No need to waste lives defending a front that's meaningless. Better for everyone to flee."
From time immemorial to the present.
The men of the family, who had sworn to protect this land, were now advocating for its abandonment.
I was stunned by his words and fell silent for a moment.
"Tell me, your highness. Why did you venture to this land?"
Margrave Cross gazed at me and coldly uttered his words.
"Everything on this land is just wilting. There's no hope or future here."
"..."
"This is advice from me, someone who squandered his life protecting this place. Leave here. Quickly, before the curse of this land ensnares you."
What had transpired in this old man's life?
What had led him to renounce everything he had dedicated his life to?
I yearned to ask him and hear his answer, but Margrave Cross turned away and waved his hand dismissively.
"You must take your leave now. I'm too weary for further discourse."
I sensed this was the end of our conversation for today. I slowly rose from my seat.
"I will return, Margrave."
"..."
"I promise to bring better side dishes next time."
The Margrave neither responded nor turned to look at me.
He just stared out the window at his orchard.
After a final glance at the old man's profile, I left his manor.
***
As I stepped outside, Lucas was waiting with the horses.
"Your Highness, were you successful in persuading him?"
"No, I failed. But I did receive a gift."
The gift was inedible dried fruit, but a gift is a gift, right? Isn't this a significant stride?
I shrugged and climbed onto my horse.
"Well, not everything can be resolved in a single day."
"So you plan to keep visiting him."
"If I succeed, I can recruit a seasoned squadron that has battled monsters all their lives. The effort is worthwhile."
As I began to head back to the city with Lucas, a question surfaced in my mind.
"By the way, what happened to the Margrave of Cross? He seems to have gone through something significant... Lucas, do you know anything about it?"
"No, I have no idea either..."
Lucas, like me, had lived his entire life in the capital of the empire before being exiled to the south.
We had no way of knowing the detailed circumstances of this place.
"Aider told us to hear it directly from the Margrave himself...ugh."
Aider didn't seem inclined to spoil anything. Damn that director.
"Anyway, persuasion is one thing. We need to do what we can in the meantime."
Do what we can.
Repair the city walls, prepare for war.
No matter what cards I held, the monsters would come. All I could do was kill them as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Looking out at the distant city, I muttered to myself as if making a promise.
"Let's return to Crossroads. There's much to do."
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