NOVEL WEB Ch. 51
Chapter 51
Kalitos and Vaisar were so flustered by Leonardo's offer to work under him.
So much so that they ended up asking back, ‘Yes?’.
However, no matter how flustered they were, the knights were not the type to understand such rudeness as questioning the Crown Prince.
But the knights couldn't dare raise their voices in front of the Crown Prince. So, they just glared at Kalitos and Vaisar.
―…….
―…….
―…….
If the glares from the knights and soldiers could kill, Kalitos and Vaisar would have died several times over already.
Under those fierce gazes, Kalitos and Vaisar finally realized their mistake. The two immediately got off their chairs, prostrated themselves on the floor, and begged for forgiveness.
“S-Sorry, Your Highness! We will do it! We will do anything!”
“Please entrust us with any task! We will do our best— no, we will do it the best!”
Even as they begged for forgiveness, Kalitos and Vaisar thought they were going to die. It was only natural, as they had questioned the words of royalty.
Having lived as slaves, Kalitos and Vaisar knew well that noble people wouldn't bat an eye at killing them.
And that would be even more true for the Crown Prince who had purged numerous nobles.
But then.
Ssk―.
Suddenly, a pleasant scent wafted by, and Kalitos and Vaisar felt a small hand lightly wrap around their shoulders. It was a small hand, not even a quarter of the size of their own.
When they checked to see what it was, it was the Crown Prince's hand. The absolute ruler, before whom even those fearsome knights bowed their heads, had touched their bodies.
“Please rise. I am in the position of asking a favor of you two.”
―……?!
―……?!
―……?!
―……?!
―……?!
At the Crown Prince's words and actions, not only Kalitos and Vaisar but everyone in the room reacted with astonishment. It was because the Crown Prince had not only touched the body of a slave but had also used the word ‘favor’.
“I heard from Commander Jereuth. Sir Kalitos, you have experience working for quite a long time at Duke Panshin's large farm, and Sir Vaisar, you have done all sorts of construction work.”
“Y-Yes……! That's right! I-I am confident that I know everything about farming and farms! I am the best among the slaves!”
“Th-That's right! There isn't a construction site I haven't been to! There is no construction I haven't done!”
Kalitos and Vaisar answered, steeling their minds further to not make a mistake this time.
“Then, as field managers, you can also take overall command of the farm and construction, right?”
Although Kalitos and Vaisar were on high alert, they couldn't answer this question immediately.
‘That question sounds like he intends to use me as a manager.’
‘Wh-What does he mean? He surely doesn't intend to use a slave like me as a manager, does he?’
Kalitos and Vaisar were curious about the Crown Prince's intentions. However, they also knew that no matter what, the only words they should say were 「“We will do it.”」.
“Yes! Of course!”
“Just leave it to us, and we will do anything well!”
As if satisfied with their answer, the Crown Prince nodded lightly and sat back in his chair.
“Good. Then, Commander, and Sir Heinshtangl.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“First, I will appoint Sir Kalitos and Sir Vaisar as the field supervisors for the farm and market construction. So, I hope you two will help as much as possible.”
“I understand.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Jereuth could answer comfortably as he had already expected Leonardo to say that.
However, Heinshtangl hadn't expected Leonardo to hire slaves as managers, so his reaction was a little different.
‘Using slaves as field supervisors……. Those two are masters of farming and construction, so His Highness's judgment is correct.’
But.
‘I'm not sure if the soldiers who will work under those two will follow instructions properly. No matter how much His Highness appointed them, those two are slaves, and a hunchback and cross-eyed at that.’
Heinshtangl's worries and doubts were natural. No matter how much they were managers appointed by the Crown Prince, they were still ‘slaves’.
Just as nobles looked down on and didn't treat commoners as people, commoners also looked down on and didn't treat slaves as people.
And all the kingdom's soldiers were commoners.
‘Since His Highness has given the order, all I have to do is follow—.’
Just as Heinshtangl was reaching a slightly unsettling conclusion.
“Sir Heinshtangl, is there something you wish to say?”
The quick-witted brat, the young tyrant, Crown Prince Leonardo, once again began to torment the adult Heinshtangl.
Heinshtangl flinched and answered.
“N-No, Your Highness. I will follow your words.”
“So you mean you wouldn't follow if it weren't my words.”
“……”
“If you have something to say, please speak comfortably. I really want to hear anyone's opinion. You know my personality.”
You know my personality— the Crown Prince said with a smile.
Leonardo was trying to speak amicably to ease Heinshtangl's burden.
But to Heinshtangl, those words sounded like 「“Have you forgotten my personality? Don't waste time and speak your mind.”」.
Heinshtangl, tense, forced an answer.
“S-Since you put it that way, I will be honest. Your Highness, I agree with your decision to acknowledge the experience and skills of those slaves and appoint them as supervisors for the farm and construction. I was also admiring Your Highness's innovative idea of entrusting such an important role to slaves.”
Heinshtangl appropriately mixed in flattery.
“But?”
“However, I am concerned whether the soldiers who will work at the farm and construction sites will be able to understand Your Highness's innovative and progressive thinking. No matter that Your Highness appointed them, they are slaves…… and on top of that, a hunchback and cross-eyed, so I don't think the soldiers will listen to their instructions well.”
Heinshtangl tried his best to speak without offending Leonardo, yet he stated his opinion clearly. He himself felt that he had spoken very well.
“Hmm…… you're right. There could be such a problem.”
Fortunately, Leonardo seemed to speak in agreement.
But suddenly, Leonardo's demeanor changed.
“So even though I appointed those two as managers, the soldiers might not follow their instructions…….”
Leonardo trailed off slightly.
Erasing the faint smile from his face, he spoke as if wearing a mask of ‘expressionlessness’.
“Then those soldiers will be dealt with by military law. And my word is the law.”
“……”
To be dealt with by military law meant a minimum of imprisonment and a maximum of execution. At those words, Heinshtangl blankly nodded his head.
The Crown Prince now looked at Jereuth and spoke.
“Commander. Please make sure to tell the knights, the soldiers, and the new recruits what I just said. That rebuilding the market, building the farm, and managing and operating them is as crucial as war, so not even the slightest insubordination will be tolerated. There will be no leniency. I repeat, they are an ‘army’.”
“Yes, I understand!”
Jereuth answered firmly and gave a look to the knights beside him. The knights who saw his look also nodded. They had all clearly understood the Crown Prince's words, 「“There will be no leniency.”」.
Kalitos and Vaisar still couldn't quite comprehend the situation. But one thing was certain: a significant responsibility had been given to them.
‘For His Highness to grant us such authority… it must be both authority and responsibility.’
‘Those words are a warning to us as well. A warning that if we don't do our job properly, we will be held responsible. If His Highness has given us so much responsibility and we fail to deliver… it won't just end with death. We'd be lucky if we could just die.’
While the two slaves were having such heavy thoughts.
The Crown Prince spoke with a bright, smiling tone, as if his fearsome words just before were a joke.
He even clapped his hands like a child. His beauty was so striking that even that action was like a painting.
Clap, clap―.
“Well, everyone must be busy, so let's conclude this meeting here. I hope everyone will do their best in their respective roles. For our kingdom.”
―Yes, we understand!
***
After the meeting ended.
“Then, Your Highness, I will bring some tea.”
As the people who had filled my room left, Elly went out to bring tea.
I was left alone in the room.
Hoo―.
‘……I'm tired.’
I always feel this way, but meetings are truly exhausting.
I tried to conduct the meeting with a relaxed demeanor, befitting a Crown Prince, but I wasn't sure how others saw me. I hoped they wouldn't look down on me, at the very least, even if they didn't revere or look up to me.
‘Well…… what's more important is the performance of Kalitos and Vaisar.’
I was a little worried, but I had faith that Kalitos and Vaisar would do well.
That's because Kalitos and Vaisar were veterans with more ‘manual labor’ experience than anyone else in the kingdom. Also, they were individuals whose abilities Jereuth had acknowledged.
In any case, thinking from that perspective, Kalitos and Vaisar, despite being slaves, were skilled laborers with more experience than anyone. They were more than qualified to rise to the managerial class.
At least, they were far more qualified than those who held high positions from birth simply because they were born as nobles.
‘Still, just in case, I should check the
Sharak―.
I opened the
To the future closest to the present.
And as I read the first page of the future written in the diary, a smile and a sigh of relief escaped me.
‘Haha…… looks like I can live for another 5 years.’
My choice to entrust important duties to the two slaves, Kalitos and Vaisar, was not wrong.
I decided to read the diary properly.
Some say the most annoying thing in the world is when someone stops talking mid-sentence.
I used to think so too. Until I came to this world.
The most annoying thing since I came to this world was…….