Chapter 79: It’s the Sea
Ascal had been experiencing the busiest days since his appointment as the Minister.
There were two reasons for this.
The first was because the Crown Prince had been sending Ascal far more tasks than usual.
Given their importance—ranked at level 2 or higher and significant enough to affect the nation—these tasks couldn’t be handled carelessly.
“This isn’t under our department’s jurisdiction, is it?”
“Think of it as practice for when you become Prime Minister.”
It was clear that he was being groomed for the next Prime Minister position.
If it weren’t for his previous life’s experiences and Lia’s support, Ascal might have already taken a vigorous leap out of the window.
The second reason was the preparation for the ancient dragon raid.
In game terms, Ascal was the raid leader. He had to recruit members, devise strategies, organize and deploy personnel, and coordinate everything.
Ascal resumed his habit of smoking the pipe he had once quit.
One puff, and his mind cleared.
“Ah, now this feels like living.”
“Pipes are bad for your health, Lord Ascal.”
Lia waved her hand and opened the window.
A cold breeze entered.
“Look at this, Lia. Isn’t it cool?”
Ascal made an ‘O’ with his lips and exhaled smoke.
Smoke rings floated in the air.
Then he followed up with four more rings.
He had once impressed a superior with this trick.
‘Those were the days.’
Lia frowned.
“It’s not cool at all. Please refrain from smoking indoors.”
Lia’s tone was stern.
Ascal felt a playful urge.
“This is a skill I don’t show to just anyone.”
He took a deep drag, then exhaled through his nose and mouth simultaneously, like a steam engine.
“What do you think? This is my ultimate technique—Smoke Breath.”
“Ascal.”
Sensing something unusual, Ascal turned his head.
…Lia’s headband had come undone.
Her platinum blonde hair fluttered in the wind.
“I told you to stop, didn’t I?”
“I am reflecting on my actions.”
In the end, Ascal’s pipe was confiscated.
He finally understood the Emperor’s feelings when his pudding was almost taken away.
“If you’re feeling stressed, taking a field trip might be a good option. Here is a list of tasks that might interest you, Lord Ascal.”
Lia spoke like an NPC marking a map.
Ascal looked at the documents Lia brought.
Maybe it was due to the stress, but strangely, the contents of the documents started to translate themselves into game terms…
――――――――――――――――――
<Tears of the Emerald Coast>
One of the Empire’s famous regions, the Emerald Coast, is facing a significant change.
It is about to become a tourist attraction. The sea is beautiful, and the surroundings are romantic.
However, there is a minor issue.
The brine tribe that illegally occupied this area has raised an objection.
They claim that they cannot allow their home, the Emerald Coast, to be defiled. They insist that the coast should remain as it is. What a terrible and dreadful thought!
Despite offering them a large compensation, they remained stubborn.
But then the leader of the brine tribe suddenly said,
“If it were the wise and benevolent Ascal Erindale, he would resolve this dispute wisely.”
In other words, if the Minister of Evaluation decides that they must leave, they will comply.
Please, Minister.
Just as you created a hot spring resort for the Empire, help us create another beautiful tourist attraction.
――――――――――――――――――
A. Side with the Coastal Development Union.
Reward: A massive bribe, increased favor with the development union.
B. Side with the Brine Tribe.
Reward: ?
C. ?
――――――――――――――――――
“This isn’t strictly our department’s work, is it?”
“……You’re saying that now?”
Ascal agreed.
Recently, the Empire’s situation had improved, leading to complacency.
Except for a few departments, most were still not functioning properly.
Tasks that belonged to one department would often be handed off to another, and vice versa—this was a common occurrence in the imperial administration.
As a result, Ascal occasionally heard the Crown Prince mutter, “If I become Emperor, the first thing I’ll do is reform the departments,” when he visited the Evaluation Department.
“It’s a good opportunity to go to the sea and get some fresh air.”
“But isn’t this still work? Resolving conflicts will take a lot of effort.”
“Conflict? What conflict?”
“……?”
Lia spoke as if she was puzzled.
“It’s common for natives to illegally occupy land. Just go and forcibly remove them.”
Ah, that’s right.
Ascal nodded.
Sometimes he forgot that this place was akin to a pseudo-medieval era.
And that she had the qualities of a tyrant.
****
“We’re going to the sea? I want to go too!”
“Sushia, this is work. It’s not a vacation.”
“The temporary Duchess of Senestia will accompany the Minister of Evaluation as an advisor. Consider it an honor!”
“……Do as you please.”
Sushia joined the party.
“Excuse me, Minister.”
“Aren’t you Arin, the head of the second division? What’s the matter?”
“I’d like to join this task as well……”
Arin fidgeted with her fingers.
“I really enjoy and am happy working in the Evaluation Department, but I feel like I’m not being much help…… I want to be of assistance this time.”
How commendable.
Though commendable, he wanted to dissuade her.
In Ascal’s view, Arin was diligent but lacked competence. She was the type that proudly topped the list of worst supervisors.
“Wow, Arin is coming to the sea too? Let’s go shopping together for clothes to wear at the beach! I heard the new arrivals are amazing!”
While Ascal was contemplating, Sushia approached and linked arms with Arin.
“Can I join in the shopping too?”
Even Lia, whom he trusted, ended up joining the women’s gathering.
Ascal gave up.
In the end, he had to admit that this task was essentially a “We’re going to the sea!!” disguised as work.
****
“We finally lured him into the trap.”
The chief of the brine tribe, the Singer of the Waves, smiled darkly.
How many attempts had they made until now?
-This matter is not under the jurisdiction of the Evaluation Department. Please contact another department.
-The Minister is currently unavailable. Please get in touch another time.
-The signature section is damaged. Please resubmit the document with proper formatting.
-You have been registered as a malicious complainant and blacklisted.
Every time the petition was returned, the Singer of the Waves felt like he aged ten years.
Why was the procedure so complicated?
It wasn’t like this when he was younger; these days, things were completely messed up.
In the end, the Singer of the Waves adopted a different approach instead of sending the petition himself.
He decided to leverage the strength of the youth.
“You did well, Veld. To succeed on the first try... I’m envious of your youth.”
“Release me now as you promised.”
The representative of the Coastal Development Union, Veld, glared at the Singer of the Waves, his hands and feet bound.
“Of course, as promised.”
The Singer of the Waves smiled slyly.
He slowly approached Veld. The sharp dagger gleamed in the light.
Veld’s eyes widened.
Swish!
“There, you’re free.”
“......”
Veld stood up. There was nothing wrong with his body.
“What, did you think I wouldn’t keep my promise? Unlike you merchants, we always keep our word.”
“I see.”
“However, you’ll be under surveillance for a while. Once the job is done, you’ll be released from here.”
The tribesmen took Veld away.
The Singer of the Waves stared into the empty space, left alone.
“Leader... where have you gone, abandoning us?”
He was one of the legs of the spider.
****
Do you know what the best tourist attraction is?
A place with lots of sights and great natural scenery?
No.
A place with a rich history and many things to learn?
No.
The correct answer is a place with no people.
****
“It’s the sea―――!”
As soon as Sushia got off the carriage, she shouted.
A crab scuttling across the sand was startled and ran away.
Sushia changed into sandals and walked along the beach.
The soft, golden sand tickled between her toes.
“Everyone, look at that! The clear waves! The cute seashells! Coming to the sea was the right choice!”
“I told you, we’re not here to play.”
Ascal got off the carriage.
He was wearing a white shirt, comfortable pants for easy movement, and a straw hat to shield him from the sun.
It was the perfect outfit for activity.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the sea.”
Lia, who had followed him out, was wearing a light white dress and sandals. Behind her was Arin, who looked somewhat awkward.
“Should we start grilling the meat first? Or maybe play ball? Or build a sandcastle?”
Sushia chattered excitedly.
Ascal, on the other hand, was watching a different direction.
‘This was supposed to be the meeting place…’
He focused on the spot where a large rock was visible.
It was the place where he was supposed to meet the representative of the development union.
A bit of time passed.
Someone was approaching, but it wasn’t the representative.
“Oh, finally, you’ve arrived. Honored guests.”
“And you are…?”
An elderly native with a wrinkled face and a strange feather decoration in his hair greeted Ascal.
“I am the chief of the brine tribe, the Singer of the Waves. We have been waiting for you.”
A tribesman behind the chief brought forward a wooden tray and offered it.
“This is water blessed by our tribe. Please accept it as a gesture of welcome.”
The liquid in the wooden cup looked suspicious, to say the least.
‘I don’t think we should drink this…’
“Thank you, we’ll drink it gladly!”
At that moment, Arin came running.
However, her running form looked wobbly, as if she might fall at any moment. It was because she was wearing high heels.
“Eek!”
Arin tripped and spilled the tray.
The liquid splashed onto the sandy ground and was quickly absorbed.
“I-I’m so sorry! I’ll eat the sand to make up for it!”
“Calm down, Arin.”
Ascal stopped Arin from licking the sand.
“Oh dear, our tribesmen put a lot of effort into making this, but it’s a pity... It can’t be helped.”
The Singer of the Waves spoke as if he was genuinely disappointed.
****
The man had become accustomed to business.
He started with grilling steaks, then opened a small ice cream stand. With the money he earned, he launched a new venture.
“Enjoy fresh fruit coated with honey at an affordable price!”
The man smiled.
Combining sweet with sweet created an unbeatable combination.
It was so simple, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it sooner.
The business was a huge hit.
Fruit coated with honey became wildly popular across the union, appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Thanks to this success, the man was able to quickly open a store under his own name. Despite being extorted by the merchant union and having to bribe officials significantly, the financial drain was considerable.
“Welcome! This is the original honey fruit shop. What are you looking for? Grapes, strawberries, apples?”
“I’m looking for a man.”
“Excuse me?”
The man squinted. Occasionally, there were troublesome customers like this.
“If you’re not going to buy anything…”
“The man I’m looking for had ambition. He endured countless times more suffering than others but never gave up.”
“…You?”
The customer removed his mask.
A face scarred by burns was revealed.
“The Tracker.”
“Is the man standing before me the one I was searching for? Or just a coward who ran away?”
“I am…”
The man, the leader of the Spider, bit his lip, then smiled confidently.
“I am Doppelganger, the leader of the Spider. Tracker, you’ve finally found me. I’ve been waiting.”
“Leader.”
The Tracker’s expression became complex. Then he knelt down.
“My loyalty belongs to you alone. No matter what happens.”
And the next day.
The honey fruit shop had an additional employee diligently peeling fruit.
He always wore a mask, sparking curiosity among many customers about his face.
