Chapter 201: |
Chapter 201
As Raymond’s heart sank, a thought flashed through his mind.
‘Wait, what if I leave this as an achievement?’
Raymond’s eyes widened.
In fact, he was preparing a scholarly presentation on the Healing Tower.
It wasn’t difficult.
But it was something new, and most of all, it might affect a lot of people.
‘Maybe this academic presentation will get me a good grade……?’
[3 seconds left, please select!]
[1 second!]
Raymond squeezed his eyes shut.
‘Damn, I don’t know!’
He doesn’t know what the results of his academic presentation will be.
Contrary to expectations, it could have just fizzled out.
But Raymond chose.
“Use the Excessive benefit, re-examination after a one-month grace period!”
[You used the ‘Excessive Benefit’!]
[After a one-month grace period, academic evaluations will be re-examined!]
[Note: Your ‘Royal’ qualification will be lost!]
Raymond sighed heavily.
‘Did I make the right decision?’
He wasn’t convinced.
But since he had already made his choice, he had no choice but to do his best.
“Luckily, a month is plenty of time. I’ve been preparing something beforehand.’
Raymond stood up.
Before he could pursue his academic work, he had work to do.
Then, a knock was heard.
“Your Excellency, Your Majesty the King is looking for you.”
He had to be rewarded for resolving smallpox.
* * *
Then, the Kingdom of Houston.
The Marquis de Terne, Duke of the West, was in communication with Lemarton.
“You’re in a lot of trouble, Your Highness.”
-…… No.
Lemarton was appointed as the administrator of Tiryu, a province north of the central king’s direct control, to stabilize the floods.
It had only been a few days since he had arrived, but his face was not very good.
“Stability in the disaster area. It’s not a befitting of Your Highness.’
The Marquis Terne shook his head.
Lemarton has never done anything tough. He also only learned about it from books.
So it wasn’t easy to get on his feet in a disaster zone.
‘Marquis Penin is the best at stabilizing the people…
The Marquis Terne shook his head.
Yes, to be honest, the Marquis Terne knew.
Lemarton, once hailed as a genius, was actually a sham. The true genius was Raymond, who was despised as an illegitimate child.
Raymond was incomparably better than Lemarton.
‘But that doesn’t mean I can back down. We must put His Highness Lemarton on the throne.’
The Marquis Terne is inseparable from Lemarton.
Even if he knew he wasn’t good enough, he had no choice but to cling to Lemarton.
“Your mama is also very worried about Your Highness.”
-……!
Beyond the crystal ball, Lemarton’s face hardened.
Mama.
It refers to his biological mother, the third queen.
His strongest patron.
‘But His Highness Lemarton is not very fond of the Queen.’
What prince wouldn’t have done that, but the Third Queen raised Lemarton with too much wrapping him up.
As a result, Lemarton developed an arrogant disposition and a disrespectful attitude toward his birthmother rather than a grateful one.
Moreover, recently.
-Is she okay?
“Yes, it won’t get any worse.”
The third queen had come to the Marquis Terne. He told the outside that she was there for a break, but in reality she was there because of illness.
She probably won’t be able to return to the palace again.
“I’m under the curse of the gods.”
The Marquis Terne squeezed his eyes shut.
Curse of God.
It refers to a disease that cannot be cured with a heal that causes disgust to others. The syphilis that Raymond had previously cured was also part of the curse of the gods.
Apparently, the queen had contracted such a terrible disease.
If the rumor spread, it would have a negative effect on Lemarton, so she deliberately fled from the palace.
Lemarton wasn’t worried about his mother’s condition.
– Never let the word get out of the way. Please keep that in mind.
“…Got it.”
The Marquis Terne had a bitter face.
Before being the queen, she was his sister.
So it didn’t feel good when he saw her son treat him like that.
But he couldn’t get it out of the way, so he moved on to another story.
– At that time, did you fulfill what you said?
“Yes, there was a big fire in the granary. Now the province of Rafald will be severely affected by inflation.”
The Marquis Terne replied, his stomach aching. No, it burned because of what he had to do.
The storehouses containing so much grain were burned alive, and the horror was indescribable.
But Lemarton didn’t care about that and smiled broadly.
– Well done! Now, Raymond is going to be in big trouble.
The Marquis Terne hid his true feelings and struck back.
“Yes, now that Your Highness has done a good job in the province of Tiryu, the people will praise you again.”
Lemarton’s appointment as administrator naturally set the tone for a confrontation between Raymond and Lemarton.
Which of the two will rule the people well?
Many were paying attention to the confrontation between the two.
“If Your Highness does a good job while Raymond is in trouble, it’ll be a success.”
Then Lemarton said something unexpected.
– I can’t be satisfied with that. I’m going to do the great achievements in the province of Tiryu.
“Achievements?”
– Expect an achievement that I will leave behind soon.
Lemarton cut off communication with a meaningful smile.
The Marquis Terne was silent for a moment.
‘Great achievements? What is he going to do?’
For a moment, he felt anxious, but he shook his head.
It’s just that he’s been compared to Raymond, and Lemarton was once hailed as a genius. He could only hope he is not going to overdo it.
“In any case, the province of Rafald will now be in great trouble, and His Highness Lemarton will be the winner of this showdown.”
The Marquis de Terne opened his ledger.
The amount of money he lost this time was staggering, but he consoled himself that it was an inevitable loss for a bigger victory.
* * *
Raymond’s eyes widened.
“Are you saying that you will provide food assistance as compensation?”
Macapell III smiled and nodded.
“Yes, Master. Not long ago, a great fire broke out in the western part of the Kingdom of Houston. This will disrupt the food supply in the region of Rafald, and we, the Kingdom of Droughton, will help with the shortfall.”
It was a major accident, and the news quickly reached the capital of the Kingdom of Houston and then to the capital of the Kingdom of Droughton.
“Of course, I don’t think it’s going to be free. I’m ashamed to say this, but our kingdom is not in a good financial position right now. Instead, we will supply you at less than the average market price.”
Raymond looked surprised.
It was a great reward, if not gratuitous.
“If you want to get below the average market price, you’re going to have to take a big loss.”
The Rafald region and the Kingdom of Houston were connected by a river, minimizing logistics costs.
On the other hand, the province of Rafald and the Kingdom of Droughton have to go around the mountains.
Even if it is the same amount of food, it adds a huge logistics cost.
However, King Macapell III said that all the additional logistics costs would be borne by the Kingdom of Droughton.
“You’ve saved our kingdom, and you deserve it. I’m sorry I couldn’t support you for free.”
Raymond nodded.
It was not a matter of refusal as a prince.
‘I’m glad I did. If I got it wrong, there would have been a huge increase in prices.’
‘If it weren’t for this repayment, we would have had to deal with enormous logistics costs to bring in food and food prices would have skyrocketed.’
“Thank you for your majesty’s grace.”
“Thanks. Compared to Master’s grace, it is insignificant. Is there anything else you would like?”
Macapell III looked directly at Raymond.
“We have been blessed too much to be able to end with just food aid. Please let us know if there is anything you would like to see. I’m willing to do anything if so long as it’s within my powers.”
Raymond swallowed.
“It’s the moment I’ve been looking forward to. Let’s talk about it.’
“I don’t want anything in particular.”
For the time being, he opened his mouth like this.
It was a lie, of course, and Macapell III replied:
“Don’t hesitate to tell me anything. I want to give you some kind of repayment.”
“If so…… I want to free the people of the Kingdom of Droughton from the horrors of the Grim Reaper.”
Macapell III’s eyes widened.
Durak, who was listening to the story from the sidelines, also looked surprised.
By the way, not only Durak was here now, but also the other key ministers of the Kingdom of Droughton.
“What do you mean, Marquis Penin? Escape the fear of the Grim Reaper?”
“Literally. Just as I did in the town where the Death Reaper was created, I want to provide the Miraculous Elixir, the Vaccine, to all the people of the Kingdom of Droughton.”
“……!”
Vaccine Supply Contract!
This was what Raymond wanted.
‘Make the Kingdom of Droughton my first customer. It’s going to get a huge market.’
Raymond licked his tongue inwardly.
If he persuaded Macapell III to do so, he could sell the vaccine to all the people of the Kingdom of Droughton.
For reference, the total population of the Kingdom of Droughton was approximately 1.5 million, even after the province of Rafald fell away.
Since they are selling to the poor, they should sell it at the lowest price possible, but it is still 1.5 million.
If he sells the vaccine to that many people, he can make a lot of money, no matter how low the price.
‘I have to persuade them well.’
With that in mind, Raymond eagerly explained about vaccinations.
He had already told them that the vaccine is a cure for smallpox, but they don’t know exactly what it does.
“That…… If you get the vaccine once, you won’t get the Death Reaper in the future?”
“Yes. This prevention prevented the Grim Reaper from spreading further in the village.”
Macapell III, the ministers, and Durak put on a look of wonder.
“What a miraculous elixir. To have the ability to resist the Grim Reaper.”
No, there was something more wonderful than the vaccine’s effectiveness.
It was Raymond’s noble heart.
“I can’t believe you’re going to supply us with such a miraculous elixir. Alas, Master. How noble is your heart?’
‘What the hell are you, Marquis Penin?’
Macapel III, Durak, and the ministers of the kingdom of Droughton looked at Raymond with emotion.
He knew Raymond’s sublimity, but there was no end to what he knew.
There is no one in the world who cares for others like Raymond.
Raymond, meanwhile, said inside his head.
‘Good. Now I’m going to make a lot of money!’
With that in mind, he smiled brightly, and when he saw it, King Macapell III and others couldn’t stand it.
“You smile so brightly for others.”
‘What the hell! How could a man be so stupidly nice?’