The Medieval Modern Man With A Gamer Mindset

The Medieval-Modern Man With A Gamer Mindset 76

76. Pre-work

The main castle of Povis, where King Aestelton and his family were staying.

There were many fond memories and familiar faces here. I hadn’t been able to see them because I had been so busy, but today was a chance to enjoy a long-awaited reunion.

I walked towards them with a light step for the first time in a long time.

“John, didn’t I tell you to always keep the Lord’s room tidy? There are too many uncleaned areas. Even if he seems to overlook it, he takes it to heart and can be harsh.”

“No, milady. Why would the Bishop bother to… to clean his own room…”

A strict maid with braided black hair and sparkling eyes was scolding her companion.

Edwina looked exactly the same as she had four years ago, as if time had not passed her by. I was relieved that there was something unchanging in the ever-changing world…

“…Lord?”

“John, you. Your hair.”

The facial features were definitely those of the John I remembered, but I gasped when I saw his scalp, which was as smooth and shiny as if it had been shaved.

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It was as if nothing could live in water that was too clean.

My mind went blank with surprise and dismay.

I tried to think of a joke to say, but I couldn’t think of anything.

It was like asking someone who was dressed in mourning for their mother how their mother was doing.

“…I will find that alchemist who lied to me about the hair growth potion and make sure he is hung. I promise.”

He sounded like one of those swindlers who take advantage of people’s desperation to steal their money.

Even though John was always complaining and whining, he was a loyal friend who always did what he was told. I felt bad that he would remain a servant even after being rewarded, so this was a good opportunity.

Just then, John, now bald, waved his hand and gave an embarrassed smile.

“It’s alright, Your Grace. I stopped using the hair growth potion of my own accord.”

“What?”

As someone who knows how deeply those with alopecia care about their hair, I found this to be an unexpected decision.

John, who used to cherish every single strand of hair, was now displaying such a peaceful attitude. When I looked at him with a puzzled expression, John calmly explained the situation, appearing much more relaxed and composed than before.

“The alchemist told me that a side effect of the hair growth potion can be impotence.”

“Ah.”

“So I stopped using it.”

“…”

I didn’t feel up to discussing this topic any further, so I looked away awkwardly.

It was difficult to even imagine the anguish John must have gone through to reach this point. One thing was for sure, though. The John I knew from the creek was gone forever.

“I wish you all the best in your new life, Bald John.”

“You haven’t changed a bit, Your Grace.”

Bald John laughed hollowly with a truly ascetic demeanor and let it go.

It was clear that his spiritual cultivation had progressed significantly since before. A saying I had heard somewhere came to mind.

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People change only when they lose something…

“Welcome back after such a long time, Your Grace.”

“Edwina, on the other hand, you haven’t changed at all. You’re exactly the same as when I first met you.”

“Perhaps it is because I have been striving to maintain the image of Your Grace’s return.”

Considering that I had possessed this body when I was about twelve years old, this was quite remarkable.

Of course, I had grown a little taller and my somewhat awkward demeanor had become more refined, but what I meant was that my appearance had hardly changed. Edwina even lifted the corners of her mouth slightly with a strange sense of pride.

“…? Of course not.”

That is, until John, who had been watching from the side, raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“From what I understand, the age difference between Lady Edwina and Your Grace is only one year.”

“?”

“I believe Lady Edwina is seventeen this year.”

As soon as I heard those words, I couldn’t help but glance at Edwina.

Her hair was neatly braided, and her hands were always clasped modestly just above her navel. Perhaps it was because of her slightly clumsy demeanor that she always tried to maintain her composure.

While I had always thought of Edwina as a somewhat inexperienced maid, I had never considered her to be childish.

In the first place, I didn’t think she looked any younger than me.

I stared at Edwina’s face, which had flushed deeply due to John’s tactless remarks, for a while before slowly nodding my head.

“Edwina.”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

Why are there so many pitiable people around me?

I felt a surge of compassion from deep within my chest, and my previously dry eyes began to glisten.

“You’ve really matured.”

“….”

***

The only reason I went to see Edwina and John,

It’s because I was certain of those two’s loyalty. When it comes to employing people, the most important thing is ability, but just as important as that is trust and loyalty.

No matter how great your ability, if your heart is already over yonder in Bukmangsan, you’re completely useless. I had established a very simple three-principle rule for hiring personnel while playing [Fantasy Monarch].

First. A loyal but incompetent person is better than a capable but treacherous person.

Second. If you’re going to employ a capable person, and their ability is particularly outstanding, be prepared to be overthrown by them.

Third. A country where anyone can do their job properly is better than a country where only capable people can fully utilize their abilities.

Based on these three principles, Edwina and John were more than capable enough.

Other users who played [Fantasy Monarch] would have praised me, saying, “Wow, you’re such a humble and generous person.” But it wasn’t always the case that my generous and humble recruitment of personnel would be successful.

Time passed, and it was August 13, 1212.

As Terver, along with 83 knights under his command and 211 soldiers including squires, completed their expedition, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh as I walked through the corridor of the castle.

“John.”

“Yes, my lord. No, I mean, yes sir. I’m listening.”

“I just realized this now, but a woman’s heart really is difficult to understand.”

Ever since I last met her, Edwina had been acting strangely and had since disappeared.

She seemed to be doing her job properly, but whenever I went to look for her, she would just vanish like a mirage, leaving no trace behind.

“Do you think she was offended because I didn’t know her age right away?”

“Sir… If it were me, I would have kept going to her to apologize, but in your case, it’s probably best to just ignore her and live your life. That seems like the right thing to do.”

Unlike before, John gave a somewhat reasonable argument, but there was one thing I had to point out.

“Apologize? I was just trying to clear up a minor misunderstanding. Why would I apologize?”

“Oh my, look at that. It’s best not to meet her, it’s best not to meet her.”

“Hmm. If that’s your advice, then I’ll take it.”

It’s good for human relationships to clear up misunderstandings as quickly as possible.

What was considered [common sense] in the modern world of the 21st century seemed to be a little different here. Since I had resolved to adapt to this world, I couldn’t just cling to the common sense of my previous life and become narrow -minded.

I embrace change in order to live a life among the locals.

“Alright. Then I’ll put Edwina’s matter aside for now and go find Brother Terver first.”

“Excuse me. Will you be taking us with you?”

“What else would you be doing if you didn’t come with me?”

“Well… Shouldn’t you go chop firewood?”

John was just too serious, it was driving me crazy.

If he had caught my eye, I would have told him to leave the trivial tasks to those below him. Boy. He was so earnest that even I, who usually followed the rules, felt like showing him a little consideration.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you an easier task than chopping firewood, so just follow me.”

“Yes, sir, but I don’t think…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

It was a fact that the pagans who would soon be invading this land had skin that was softer and more tender than tree bark.

Anyway, I took John, who kept tilting his head in confusion, down to the training ground as my attendant. The knights, already fired up for the expedition, were in the midst of a heated rivalry.

“Who do you think will cut off more pagan ears?”

“Ears only come in pairs, right? There’s room for manipulation. Let’s go with noses.”

“What about tongues? We should cut off the filthy source of their heresy at its root.”

While the knights were making strange bets with each other, the soldiers were checking the supplies loaded on the wagons one by one.

“We have flour. We have an oven. We have firewood…”

“We hear the firewood’s to be procured locally, which is why they’re loading axes.”

“What… Do you think you can use wood right after cutting it as firewood? I bet there’ll be more than a few people catching pneumonia while it dries. Hey, if you’ve got any connections with the local servants, see if you can get some leftover firewood. Load as much as you can carry.”

They all seemed busy, each fulfilling their roles.

I’d like to chime in and say a word or two myself… but the person I had to watch out for was the knight who would lead this expedition, Terver. Terver was away from the group, placating a little girl he had never met before.

“Papa! When you come back, can you bring me an ax like the ones the heathens use? They say it glistens so much!”

“Ugh. What use does a girl have for an ax? I’ve got plenty of thread for you, so go learn how to knit from your mother.”

“Waaah! I hate you, Papa!”

Just from a glance, you could tell she was a tomboy with brown hair that would make her parents dote on her.

Even after throwing a tantrum when she didn’t get her way, the little girl buried her face in Terver’s leg, looking utterly defeated. Far from being annoyed, Terver accepted it with a face full of indulgence.

“Why an ax, of all things? What would you do with an ax?”

“Axes are a symbol of authority! I want to lead soldiers like Papa and defeat the bad guys!”

“Ugh! What business does a woman have on the battlefield? They say spears and swords avoid faces that are delicate and cute!”

Hmm. If she were to be captured, that might not be a problem.

I watched the two of them bicker for a bit, but I couldn’t wait any longer and decided to just interrupt.

“Sir Terver.”

“Hmm? Oh, Narva!”

Terver’s expression, which had been troubled by the capricious child, brightened considerably at the sight of reinforcements.

“Narva?… My youngest uncle?”

“Yourid, you should call him ‘Your Grace.’ He is the Bishop’s aide, after all.”

On the other hand, the little girl who had been whining for an ax glared at me.

“…You don’t look like you fight very well.”

From our first meeting, I could tell that she was quite precocious.

But it couldn’t be helped. A knight’s job is not one that allows for enough free time to stick around at home and provide moral education, so it was only natural.

I seriously ignored my niece and spoke.

“I have something to say about the expedition. Since it’s a serious matter, I would like my niece to leave.”

“No! I want to listen with Papa!”

My foolish niece continued to whine, still unaware of the ways of the world, but Terver was the strongest knight in the duchy, through and through.

In other words, he knew how to separate his public and private lives.

Terver knew that I would never speak idly, and he transformed from a powerless father to a knight with an intense aura in an instant.

“Yourid. Follow the maid and leave.”

“Papa…?”

“Maid, take Yourid to her room.”

“Yes!”

Terver went so far as to call over a maid who had been waiting nearby and gave her instructions.

Yourid seemed to shrink at his cold demeanor. I watched Yourid being led away by the maids without saying a word, then turned my attention back to Terver.

“So. What did you want to say, Narva?”

“This expedition is the first battle of the Peace Alliance, which was formed under the pretense of saving our people from the heathens. However, there is something you must keep an eye on as much as the heathens’ movements.”

“…Yubas.”

Terver suddenly became wise when it came to military matters.

I checked the answer off on my mental list and continued.

“It is unlikely that Yubas will actively participate in this battle. Therefore, you must make Yubas your first choice when you need material support or other assistance.”

“…?”

Terbaire blinked for a moment after hearing my words.

“You say it is unlikely that they will actively participate, yet we should rely on Yubas?”

“That’s why, that’s why. You must ask for their help while being certain that no help will come.”

A person does not always become a leader by force alone.

“That will be the groundwork to bring the initiative of the Peace Alliance to this side.”