Chapter 47

Since I received a review, I hastened the update.

The arena fell silent as if water had been poured over it, and the air was so tense it made my stomach hurt. It reminded me of the emergency meeting held after a major bug was found post-release... It wasn't a game I was involved in, but the president at that time was terrifying.

Incidentally, Chaos and the members of the Akogi Knights were standing there in shock.

I quickly descended from the arena and knelt before the kings. Just being in the presence of the king, let alone looking at him directly, was considered a grave act of disrespect. Looking down on the king from a high place was absolutely out of the question.

"Y-You fool. This is in the presence of the king. Bow your head!"

Alan's anguished cry echoed through the arena. Of course, it was understandable, given that his subordinate had not only been scolded by the king but had also acted rudely.

(As expected of the king. The pressure is immense... I might actually wet myself.)

In the game, there was a scene where the hero spoke face-to-face with the king, but it was unbelievable. Did he think he was cool for speaking to the king as an equal?

"George, I ask you. What do you mean by saying that Chaos is a knight and you took advantage of that?"

The king was standing next to Horte and had clearly heard my line... In other words, there was no way to wriggle out of it. The biggest problem was that I didn't have the right to answer the king directly.

If the content of that statement became known, I might face the wrath of all the knights. While I might be an exception now, that exception could be a double-edged sword. Nobles are extremely jealous of honor and power. If it became known that I was treated specially by the king, I would become a target of envy and resentment.

I glanced at Horte, silently pleading for help. Only three people in the arena had the right to answer the king directly: Horte, Alan, and the other guest.

Alan was panicking and was unlikely to help me. As for the other guest, they would only make things worse.

However, no matter how many times I signaled, Horte showed no sign of moving. Perhaps Horte could answer the king but found it difficult to interrupt. Still, not answering at all would be even more disrespectful, worse than Chaos's rudeness.

At that moment, the other guest removed their hood. Platinum long hair, a face so refined it could be mistaken for a woman's.

"It's the prince... Why is His Highness Shane here?"

Shane, the first prince of the Orizon Kingdom. Shane could be recruited as a companion under certain conditions. The conditions were quite strict, but in return, his abilities were high, and he was equally popular among female players as Muwe. Incidentally, Shane was a swordsman type and was often placed in the front line, but given his current position, I thought it was absolutely out of the question to put a prince in the front line.

"Father, George seems to be nervous. Perhaps you could call on him another day?"

Prince Shane said, giving me a gentle smile... I was in trouble; I might even be willing to be embraced by this person.

"Prince, it has been a while. I am Chaos. I know this is presumptuous, but may I ask... Are you siding with that coward?"

Desperation was evident on Chaos's face. If things continued this way, Chaos's position would become the worst, so it was natural for him to be desperate.

"Yes, we were in the same class in high school... George, is it okay to be spoken to like that?"

Oh no... The prince and Chaos were classmates. What should I do... It would be easy to refute Chaos, but if I didn't handle it well, I would make more enemies.

"Hey, coward!! Answer the prince's question. With a beastman as your master, you can't give a decent answer, can you?"

Chaos seemed determined to make me the villain. However, I couldn't forgive him for insulting my master. First, I bowed to the king with my head lowered.

"I will answer the king. Full armor, while providing high defense, also restricts movement. Of course, a veteran knight can move freely, but Lord Chaos has not yet reached that level. That's why a young upstart like me could easily get behind him."

Next, I turned to Chaos.

"Coward? So what? A knight might complain about a dishonorable opponent after losing, but if a lord admits defeat, his territory will be ravaged. I will do anything to protect the lives of my people and the peace of Orizon. And the taxes paid by my citizens, including beastmen, are what pay your salary. Don't indulge in self-satisfaction and masturbate with your knightly code!!"

It was the way of a lord, not a knight. However, the female audience was recoiling in shock. The only one laughing was Horte.

"Chaos, I'll answer your question. George has developed the economy of Bouble and enriched the treasury of Orizon. But what have you done? A knight who only eats his salary versus a lord who has dramatically increased tax revenue. Even a child can see which the royal family would favor, right?"

Prince Shane was smiling, but it wasn't the gentle smile from before. It was a terrifying, intimidating smile... I decided, never to oppose the royal family.

"Shane, that's enough. However, as Lauren boasts, you are quite interesting. George, wouldn't it be easier to live in the Kokatsu territory?"

"No, I can maintain good relations with the Kokatsu family because I am not involved in the succession dispute. Most importantly, I cannot betray the citizens of Bouble who serve a young upstart like me. Besides, I have so many things I want to do, and I don't want to leave Bouble yet."

Bouble is the safest place for me. It's like a hermit crab's shell.

"Very well, I understand. George Akogi, continue to govern Bouble well. And I will grant you the autonomy of Bouble."

This king is quite a fox. If autonomy is granted, Bouble's tax revenue will go directly to the state without passing through the domain. Moreover, it would be possible to impose various difficult tasks such as water management and road construction.

"Yes, I will gratefully accept it."

But now I can have my own army. I will strengthen Bouble's military before the Demon King Goliath and the Six Demons appear.

---

Autonomy was to be granted from the following spring. According to what I heard from Horte later, the king had been keeping an eye on Bouble for a while. It seems my grandfather had encouraged this. When the king heard Alan boasting about my match with Chaos, he ordered Horte to bring me to the match. In other words, both Alan and I had been manipulated by the king... The king and the prince are truly formidable.

"I'm glad to be granted autonomy, but we need to address the shortage of personnel."

As Mr. Sander said, with more work ahead, we need to increase our staff.

"It would be helpful if there were job centers or talent banks in Orizon. For now, let's look for former officials and highly educated individuals in various regions."

Especially in the Ashic territory, where a large number of people were laid off due to food shortages in the fall, it would be a good target. Since we provided food aid, we could turn a blind eye to some issues.

"Another option is to buy literate slaves."

"I'll pass on that. Once we start trading, we'll be dragged into their circle. I'll ask the Gilliam Guild to recruit in various places. And, Mr. Sander, can you reach out to your orc acquaintances and university friends?"

Age, race, and family background are not a concern. We will clearly state the working conditions.

"Rabbits are also suitable for civil service. They prefer desk jobs, after all."

Indeed, seeing the seriousness of Peter and Lapin, rabbits might be suitable for civil service.

"Understood. I'll create a standard application form and have applicants fill it out. There might be talented individuals who are overlooked."

However, if someone exceptionally talented comes, I will thoroughly investigate their background.

"Still, our guild has become thoroughly a part of Bouble's organization."

A lord who is closely associated with the Assassin Guild... It's not a good image, but they are helping with information gathering, preventing assassinations, and stopping spies from other territories.

"We will need more funds as the number of people increases. We will start new businesses."

At Adeleine's tea party, the women requested a facility for their enjoyment. I will make another profit from it. Moreover, if I can win the support of noble wives, it will also benefit their husbands... As a result, my workload will inevitably increase.