Chapter 159: |
Chapter 159
Special envoy.
The official title was ‘Disaster Delegate’.
It refers to a person who has been delegated the authority of the king to deal with disasters.
It is not a newly created title, but an original position that existed in the Crusader Empire.
‘This is a position dispatched by the king when a major disaster occurs that the local lords cannot resolve on their own, such as an earthquake or a severe flood.’
In any case, it could be said that it was a position that suited Raymond.
Because this was a job that required his skills the most.
His abilities as a healer will truly shine.
Raymond’s heart swelled as he imagined a rosy future.
The great lord is the highest position, right below the king!
He will be able to stand above the heads of the unfortunate nobles who have ignored him so far, and he will also enjoy great fame, wealth, and honor.
Plus, it couldn’t get any better than that because he can use his power to do something for his patients.
‘Wait, Prince’s Seat! Here comes Raymond!’
Raymond shouted out his dream of becoming a prince with eyes swirling with both a materialistic mind and a heart for his patients.
Although his heart was pounding at the thought of such a golden future, there was one thing he regretted.
Since he was a special envoy, he had to leave the capital.
The people of the capital also felt great regret.
“It hasn’t been that long since you got back, and you’re already leaving.”
“It’s such a shame.”
Raymond felt similarly.
‘Come to think of it, this Penin Treatment Center is like my hometown as a healer, but I can’t stay here any longer.’
But it couldn’t be helped.
Because his body was only one.
‘Even after the special envoy’s work is over, once I become a lord, I will have to stay in the Rafald region for a while.’
Of course, becoming a permanent resident doesn’t mean he’d be tied down to that place.
Because he was a healer.
He intended to be where his patients needed him.
‘I just need to lay a good foundation at first. After that, he’ll have a trustworthy agent, and he will travel back and forth between the estate and the treatment center to treat patients.’
Many other lords also did similar things.
There are many lords who travel between their fiefdoms and the capital and engage in political activities and other activities.
‘Above all, I am a healer before I become a lord.’
Isn’t becoming a lord enough of a success?
No.
Raymond was still thirsty.
‘Being a lord is just a step in my journey. My real goal is to become the best healer on the continent.’
A lord of a province.
And the best healer who commands the continent.
So which of the two can be said to have been more successful?
There was nothing to ask.
It was the latter.
Raymond wanted to live a life that was more successful than anyone else’s.
‘The power enjoyed by the best healer on the continent is greater than that of a lord.’
Think of one of the best healers on the current continent, the ‘Saint of Brilliance’.
His prestige is by no means inferior to that of a mere great lord.
No, it’s even higher.
At best, the power of a great lord was limited to a region or a kingdom, but the power enjoyed by the Saint of Brilliance was limited to an ’empire’ or a ‘continent’.
In terms of power, it is the same, but what about in terms of fame and wealth?
There is no comparison. Not to mention the honor and the wealth he enjoys is truly the best on the continent.
Of course, that’s a dream for the distant future.
Now was the time to do the task at hand.
Successfully stabilizing the Rafald region.
That was what he had to do now.
“Take care!”
“Don’t forget us, Prince!”
“We will be waiting for you to come back!”
“Long live Raymond!”
“Majesty Raymond!”
Raymond departed for the Rafald region amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the capital’s people.
* * *
When Raymond left, there were those who looked at him with the opposite gaze from the people.
They were the princes.
“What are you going to do?”
Lemarton bit his lip.
“If Your Majesty says so, it means that he is considering Raymond as the heir to the throne. Will this continue?”
“What if it is the case? Should I be scared of my dog and make a fuss?”
“Brother! This is not the time to speak so lightly!”
Lemarton shouted.
“Has Your Majesty ever supported any of us like this? No! If this continues, the throne may fall into Raymond’s hands!”
Yes, that’s right.
Ultimately, the will of King Oden has the greatest influence in determining the next throne.
If Oden had been determined and had appointed Raymond, the throne could have gone to him.
‘’He may already be considering Raymond.’
Lemarton even had such thoughts.
He wondered if the attempt to bestow the title of prince upon Raymond this time is a mere attempt to place his illegitimate son on the throne.
It may be an exaggeration, but Lemarton was so anxious that it made one suspect something like that.
But Kairn had a relaxed attitude the whole time.
“That won’t happen.”
“Brother! First of all, we have to join forces and crush that Raymond… …!”
“Tch. Be quiet. If you’re that scared of puppies, then do it yourself. I’m not interested.”
Lemarton rose from his seat, his face turning pale.
“Okay, I understand. If you continue to ignore me like that, I can’t help it. I’ll take care of Raymond. Don’t regret it later.”
The door slammed shut!
Kairn whistled.
“He’s really angry.”
At that moment, the subordinate next to him spoke cautiously.
“With all due respect, I believe that His Majesty Lemarton is right this time. We must crush that bastard before he gets any more aggressive.”
“Are you okay?”
“Your Highness.”
“It’s okay.”
“… … !”
Kairn stared at his subordinates intently.
It was a moment when the subordinate gulped at the sight of those eyes filled with the strange madness unique to Kairn.
Kairn spoke again.
“It’s okay. He will be completely destroyed in the Rafald region.”
A voice that speaks of facts that will definitely happen beyond certainty.
He raised the corners of his mouth.
“Then you can just trample on him.”
* * *
Lemarton came out of Kairn’s room and ground his teeth.
He was feeling a great sense of crisis now.
‘I can’t leave Raymond alone. I have to trample him while I can.’
Originally, Lemarton always presented a calm and gentle appearance.
But when he was cornered, his ugly nature gradually came out.
‘Raymond, you will never be able to stabilize the Rafald region. This Lemarton will not let you do that.’
Lemarton believed that preventing Raymond from becoming a prince was his top priority.
Even if King Oden had secretly chosen Raymond as the next king, if Raymond failed to become a prince, then that would be the end of it.
It is absurd to put someone on the throne who cannot even accomplish this. Especially an illegitimate child.
‘Just wait and see.’
So Lemarton began to plot an ugly scheme.
* * *
Raymond and his party entered the Rafald region.
And after a while.
They arrived at the hill where the main ruins were visible.
First, as the disaster delegate, he decided to restore the Ruin Castle first.
‘Is this the Ruin Estate that I was promised?’
Raymond’s heart pounded.
‘It’s much bigger than I thought.’
He had never been to Ruin Castle during the war.
This is because it was not the central army that Raymond was in that attacked Ruin Castle, but a different branch of the army.
So Raymond saw the ruin castle for the first time today.
It was incredibly wide and large.
“As expected, it is the best city in the Rafald region. The population within that castle alone would be close to 70,000.”
It was Lao.
By the way, Lao chose the region of Rafald as his new post, in order to assist Raymond as an administrator representing the king’s will.
Moreover, Lao knew very well that it was much more beneficial for him to have Raymond by his side.
‘My brother is currently the center of the Houston kingdom. Being by my brother’s side will give me more opportunities to make new achievements than just looking at boring paperwork in the capital.’
Lao thought to himself.
“…70,000 people?”
“Yes, if you include the population surrounding the territory outside the castle, it is much more.”
Raymond’s mind went blank.
It didn’t feel real.
‘If I become a lord, I will be able to lead so many people?’
He was born timid.
He had only dreamed of a rosy future, but when reality actually unfolded before hus eyes, he suddenly became nervous.
“Then please go in.”
Squeak.
The old drawbridge came down, and Raymond entered the castle.
and.
“… … !”
His face hardened.
An unexpected, horrific sight unfolded.
‘This is… … .’
Houses were torn down and destroyed here and there.
People have sad faces.
These were traces of the devastation of war that had swept through.
The war-scarred men looked wary as they looked at the new arrivals, Raymond and his party.
“Who is it?”
“The new ruler of the Kingdom of Houston?”
Hostility and wariness appeared on the faces of the people.
From their perspective, the new ruler was a conqueror.
But one of the people let out a cry of horror.
“No way? That’s Raymond, the Light of the Houston Kingdom Army?”
“What? Really?”
“That’s right! That dignified appearance! The light of the Houston Kingdom Army!”
The people were in an uproar.
An atmosphere completely different from before flowed among the people.
Raymond’s name was famous even among the people of Droughton!
“The hero of the Kingdom of Houston who drove out the devil Berard and saved His Majesty the King?”
“There is even a story that His Majesty the King gave him a personally written plaque of appreciation!”
A message came to mind in line with those words.
[The effect of the item, ‘King Droughton’s Handwritten Plaque of Appreciation’ is activated!]
[The favor of the people of Droughton towards the owner of the plaque increases!]
A man asked Raymond in a trembling voice.
“Oh, are you perhaps the lord who will rule over us?”
Raymond shook his head.
Raymond was nervous because it was his first time meeting the people, but fortunately his skills came to fruition.
[You want to help those who are suffering the devastation of war!]
[Skill, ‘Heart of Steel’ is activated!]
[Skill, ‘Doctor’s Charisma’ is revealed!]
“No, I am not a lord.”
“ah……!”
He was promised this Ruin territory, but he did not receive it. So he was not yet its lord.
The moment when the people are disappointed, Raymond continued.
“I am His Majesty the King’s special envoy, the Disaster Delegate.”
“…!”
“I came to help you.”
The eyes of the people who heard those words wavered.
Special envoy. Disaster Delegate.
They had little knowledge of what exactly that title meant, but they knew one thing.
That’s right, Raymond, the light of the Houston Kingdom Army, came for them.