Chapter 462 – Home Sweet Home.

“Well, that went better than expected, for a moment I thought he was going to try something.”

“That would be quite dumb if he did. Even if the rest of the troops arrived, their chances off winning were slim.”

“More troops were coming? How many more were there?”

“I’m not sure, it was hard to count… but probably around the same numbers we have here.”

Arthur looked at Roland with some concern in his eyes.

“I see. Well, we’ve sent a clear message today, and it’s one that Theodore will have to reckon with. His knight couldn’t act with me around, but that’s something you probably anticipated, right? But I’m unsure if I like being used in such a way, I’m supposed to be the lord here~”

Roland knew that if this were a typical relationship and he was a real knight, such actions would have been inexcusable. Knights couldn’t simply call on their lords for help while undertaking tasks they weren’t ordered to perform. This incident demonstrated that Arthur was different from other nobles; he didn’t seem offended by Roland’s tone or actions. In fact, it seemed Arthur even enjoyed being asked for help. Perhaps, as his influence grew, he was beginning to relish his newfound authority and usefulness.

The dust had settled, and Alphonse had retreated with his troops. Roland finally released a sigh of relief as things began to calm down. He had used new technology to open a portal, landing in enemy territory. Though his return had been tough, with the help of his friends and allies, the ordeal was now over. With this additional data, he would likely avoid making the same mistake again. But first, he needed to get back home.

“Thank you, my lord, your presence here was crucial.”

“Oh, think nothing of it, Sir Wayland. It was quite invigorating, actually. My brother will probably be seething with anger once his knight makes the report. I wish I could see his face when he hears about this…”

Roland could sense a tinge of satisfaction in Arthur’s words. It seemed Arthur relished the fact that his forces had made his brother look bad. Rumors were likely to spread about this confrontation, and Theodore might become the subject of ridicule at the next noble gathering. However, it was better not to poke a sleeping dragon – especially not while still being just a wyvern.

“Nevertheless, I didn’t think you were such a gallant man…”

With the immediate threat dealt with, Roland and Arthur turned their attention to the group of orphans. It seemed that they were the reason for this whole debacle. Roland could see the men around him looking at him with strange expressions as if he had gained more of their respect.
“It was just a coincidence.”

“A coincidence?”

Arthur raised a brow at the response and Roland noticed that it was better to elaborate further.

“Theodore and his men were capturing people and turning them into illegal slaves.”

“Oh? Those are some strong words but do you have some proof?”

Roland nodded and pulled out some papers from within his spatial space. While there wasn’t much within the dungeon they were holding the children in, after arriving at the building holding the slaver wagon, some paperwork could be gotten. The documents he gathered contained information about the captured people, their origins, and their intended destinations.

“These lack any signatures or seals that could be tied to Theodore, but it does mention this one merchant family, are they connected?”

Roland nodded, confirming the Abramz family’s involvement. However, this wasn’t much to go on, as Theodore could easily deny any connection. The merchant would likely be used as a scapegoat and quickly replaced. Roland also lacked concrete evidence beyond the testimony of the young girl he had saved. Aubert Abramz would probably be silenced before any inquiry could be performed, making the issue difficult to resolve. Nonetheless, in this dispute between brothers, there were ways of gaining new territory and Aldbourne could potentially qualify.

“Hm… interesting, but I’m not sure if we are quite ready to start a territorial dispute with Theo yet…”

“I think so Lord Arthur, we should hold onto this information and use it when the time is right.”

They were still in the development stage. While their armies were growing, they needed more time. Arthur’s troops would struggle against one of Theodore’s Knight Commanders, and his brother had several of them. However, once Albrook began its expansion and the dungeon attracted enough people, they might be able to start pushing their luck.

Roland also had some ideas to increase their military might using golems and possibly his phantom limb technology. Training soldiers took a lot of time, but a simple golem could replace a tier 2 class holder. With his skills, a golemic army could be significantly strengthened and repeatedly restored. Once he fully completed his research, they might not even need people with combat classes anymore. If he was right, then even farmers could do their part inside of an army.

“Indeed. Sir Morien.”

“Yes, Lord Arthur, how can I serve?”
After nodding, Arthur called over one of his proper knights, Sir Morien. The man was holding a large spear that needed some better enchantments. His armor was also not really something a Knight commander-ranked individual should be wearing. It seemed that once he was back, Roland would have a lot of work on his hands.

‘Will I be able to do everything in a month?’

This was indeed a perplexing situation, with time appearing to be a resource in short supply for Roland. For a fleeting moment, he pondered the prospect of delving into the study of time magic. Perhaps there existed a means to fashion a chamber where time flowed at a more sluggish pace – an ability often bestowed upon protagonists in various fictional tales. Now he found himself wishing he possessed such a capability as well and perhaps, it was not a pipe dream.

“Sir Morien, take half of the men and the two adventurers. Stay here and patrol our borders, if someone suspicious dares to cross it, you know what to do.”

“Yes, My Lord!”

Morien saluted and quickly guided his horse back to the soldiers, relaying the information. Armand didn’t seem too happy to not be called by his name but luckily Lobelia was there to pinch his arm before he said something to get them in trouble.

“Ow, I wasn’t going to say anything!”

“Sure you weren’t. Don’t worry Wayland, leave this to me, I’ll keep this idiot in check!”

She called out to Roland while pulling Armand away before he did something stupid. He watch the two with amusement but also relief that they were continuing to get stronger. His time invested in their equipment wasn’t wasted and they were people that even he could rely on. With these issues now over, he turned to the children that he had rescued. They looked quite confused about the situation and didn’t seem to trust anyone around them.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Sir…”

“Vico, don’t worry, they are with me, we will head to Albrook now where you may rest and eat.”

“Okay.”

The young boy nodded without asking too many questions, showing a trust in Roland’s words. With Vico’s help, the other children could be convinced easily. Roland hoped these children could act as witnesses to the slave trade incident. This would not be a one-sided arrangement; they would offer the children food and shelter in exchange for their testimony. Their accounts, combined with the documents, could provide enough leverage to keep Theodore’s activities in check for a while.

‘Might be better to keep them around my home, with the other orphans.’
With the help of spells, it was possible to easily extract the truth from most people. If they presented a case for dispute in the noble court, the children’s testimonies could carry significant weight. This made the children potential targets, but the likelihood of Theodore going to great lengths for one city and a single revenue stream was low. Nevertheless, it was better to keep the children close and surround them with soldiers and golems for protection.

With all of that out of the way, the two forces split. Half of the soldiers remained on the main road and prepared an encampment. The other half accompanied Roland, Arthur, and the children as they made their way back to Albrook. The journey was relatively uneventful, with occasional pauses to let the children have something to eat. Eventually, they arrived at the city he had left over a month ago.

‘I’m finally back… not much time has passed but it felt like I was gone for half a year…’

Roland had finally returned home, but he knew there was little time for rest. While the situation with Theodore had been temporarily diffused, it was far from resolved. Lingering tensions with the Castellane house added to the complexity. He needed to reach out to his sister, who had promised to enlist their mother’s help in addressing this issue. If his father intervened and resolved the matter, Roland might not need to return in a month’s time to keep an eye on Lucienne.

‘Can I build a proper teleportation gate in a month? Do we have enough materials for something like that? I should first make Bernir his arm, I can’t imagine living without one.’

He continued to ask himself questions but his thoughts were interrupted by Arthur, who had caught on to this fact.