Chapter 32: Side Story The Earl of Cross Frontier (2)

32: [Side Story] The Earl of Cross Frontier (2)

On that day, later in the afternoon.

I went to the Earl’s mansion once again.

“Earl of the Frontier! Are you inside?”

As I entered the garden of the mansion with a loud knock on the outer door, Earl Cross immediately jumped out of the mansion.

“Looks like you don’t value your life! I told you before not to come even close to my…”

The Earl tried to point the spearhead toward me but dropped it right after.

It was because he saw the small cart that I had been dragging behind me.

“Wh-what is that?”

“What do you think?”

I grinned as I unveiled the cloth covering the top of the cart.

“It’s the thing you love the most.”

The cart was loaded with alcohol.

Liquor bottles bathed in the late afternoon sunlight shimmered like sand on a sandy beach.

“......”

Earl Cross looked lost as he looked at me and the bottles.

* * *

Ash, the one I possessed, was a spoiled bastard.

He was the nasty prince who enjoyed all kinds of amusement and was an embarrassment to the empire.

There was no way such a guy would come all the way down to the countryside without bringing some premium alcohol along with him.

However, I do not enjoy alcohol at all. So I don’t have any reason to conserve alcohol. I’ve brought all the expensive liquor that Ash brought from the capital.

“Let’s have a drink, Earl.”

I picked up a bottle from the cart and shook it.

Inside the wine bottle wrapped in luxurious wrapping paper, a beautiful golden liquid overflowed.

The sweet sound of shaking liquid resounded.

It must have been an offer that Earl Cross, a drunkard, could not refuse.

Gulp.

Drools ran down the earl’s throat. I shrugged my shoulders and put the bottle back into the cart.

“Unless you don’t want to?”

“No, not at all! I never said that!”

Earl Cross opened the door to his mansion widely.

“Come in, Your Imperial Highness. Bring all those in too!”

I like his attitude, ‘cause it’s easy to see through.

I dragged the cart full of alcohol and entered the mansion.

“Holy shit.”

The moment I took the first step inside, I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

From the entrance to the back of the mansion, empty bottles of alcohol were rolling around on the floor.

“Holy… Moly…”

I covered my nose with my hand.

It was to the point where I could feel the evaporated alcohol mixed with the air. Yuck.

‘This guy doesn’t just love alcohol, he’s an alcohol addict.’

Avoiding the bottles on the floor like a carpet, I entered the mansion's kitchen.

The Earl Cross brought two glasses from the cupboard.

“It’s been a while since I drank with other people.”

After accepting the cup the Earl gave me, I suspiciously examined the bottom of the cup.

“This cup. Is it clean?”

“The house can be a mess, but I must keep the cups clean at least. That is the courtesy I show to alcohol.”

After he recited his bizarre philosophy on alcohol, he snatched the bottle from my hand.

“Let’s see what drink you brought…”

Soon after, the Earl’s eyes widened when he checked the words written on the label.

“Imperial whiskey from the first year of ‘Peacemaker’! Good god, isn’t this very precious?!”

‘Peacemaker’ is the middle name of the current Emperor of the Empire.

In other words, it means the drink was made during the year of commemoration of the emperor's enthronement. It was also a special product brewed directly from the imperial brewery.

Not only was the taste delicious, but the symbolic meaning was also very deep.

Put in other words, they were very expensive.

‘I've brought this expensive drink for you, so please be kind to me now.’

My intention must have been conveyed even without words.

The Earl Cross stared at me with complex eyes, and he opened the whiskey bottle and poured it without hesitation.

A golden liquid pooled in their glasses.

“Then, cheer…”

I raised his glass to say a toast, but the Earl was already taking the glass to his mouth.

I awkwardly lowered my glass.

The Earl poured the drink down his throat in one go. This is pretty heavy alcohol, I wonder if he’ll be okay.

“Pah!”

The Earl looked down at the empty glass with admiration.

“It’s premium alright! The way it goes down the throat is different than other drinks.”

“You just shoved it down your throat, how could you feel anything?”

“If I want to make an accurate comparison with the cheap drinks I usually drink, I should also drink this one like that. That way I can evaluate it fairly.”

Damn it. I don’t really drink alcohol that much so I was not sure if he was saying nonsense or not.

Well, anyway, I'm not here to discuss alcohol today. I put down the glass I hadn't even touched.

“Anyway, Earl of the Frontier, I’ve got something to talk about today…”

“Don’t bring up other topics!”

The Earl interrupted me and filled his glass again.

“Only drink and go back home. If you wanna talk about anything else, get out.”

“I mean, then at least give me something to eat on the side…”

He's only pouring alcohol into his stomach, this drunkard old man.

In response to my complaint, Earl Cross reluctantly opened the cupboard again, and he took out a small pouch.

“Here, take this.”

“What’s this?”

“Dried fruit. I made it with fruits that I harvested from the orchard over there.”

Inside the bag was a pile of chopped and dried fruit.

I lifted a piece and looked at it carefully. What is it like a mango? No, is it grapes?

“You own an orchard?”

“Over there. Do you see it out the window? There’s one right behind the mansion. It’s a small one. I manage it as a hobby.

“Hm, then thank you for it… Pfft?!”

I spitted it out the moment I put it in my mouth.

“Wh-what is this? It’s so bitter! How am I supposed to eat something like this?”

“How rude of you to act in such a way and spit out the fruit that I harvested myself…”

With a displeased face, Earl Cross took a bite of the fruit himself.

“Pfft!”

And he spit it out right away.

“You can’t even eat it either!”

“It’s terrible. I know I grew them myself, but these are trash.”

The Earl quickly poured alcohol to rinse his mouth and threw the bag of dried fruit to me.

“Here, it’s a gift. Take this.”

“Why are you giving away something you can’t eat as a gift?”

“If I could eat it then I’d eat it myself, why would I give it to you? Don’t say something so obvious.”

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I guess? He blabbers nonsense in an oddly persuasive way.

I gritted my teeth as I put the pouch in my pocket.

Nonetheless, it is a gift that the previous Lord has given me. I can’t just throw it on the ground.

The Earl let out a sigh as he looked at the fruit left in his hand.

“Crossroad is located on the farthest southern part of the continent. The sunlight is rich and the soil is fertile. There is no better land for fruit farming than here.”

“Then why does it taste like this?!”

“Not only is it good for growing fruits, but it’s also great for growing all kinds of crops. As long as you cultivate the fields, you’ll get an abundant harvest.”

I stopped myself for a moment after hearing his next words.

* * *

* * *

“If only the monsters didn’t attack so often.”

“Ah…”

“It's a problem that the monsters destroy the fields and kill the farmers, but they also sprinkle the land with muddy mana as they die. Then do you know what happens next?”

A bitter smile crept across the Earl’s wrinkled mouth.

“The entire area gets contaminated. The land becomes cursed and you won’t be able to grow any crops anymore.”

The Earl looked down at the glass with complicated eyes.

The golden liquor of the imperial family made with grains and fruits that cannot be harvested in this area...

“That's why there are no farming fields around Crossroad. So what if the sun is good and the soil is fertile? You can't grow anything. You work hard and it’s ruined with just one invasion.”

“This land is cursed. It’s always been like this, and it will continue to be.”

I pointed outside the window.

“Then why are you taking care of your orchard?”

“Everyone lives with at least one regret, no?”

The old man looked toward the orchard with sad eyes for a moment, then closed his eyes and drank from his glass.

“That orchard is my regret.”

We didn’t talk at all until we finished the entire bottle.

“I can’t even get drunk when I want to anymore…”

The Earl muttered as he whirled around an empty wine bottle.

I took the next bottle from the cart, opened it up myself, and poured it into the Earl’s glass.

“Earl of the Frontier, can you guess why I’m here today?”

The Earl glared at me with empty eyes.

“Didn’t I tell you to get out if you wanted to talk about anything other than alcohol?”

“If you want to kick me out, then do so. But I have to say what I have to.”

Thump.

I placed the bottle on the table after I filled the Earl’s cup.

“The monsters started moving again. And their scale is extraordinary.

“......”

“The last invasion consisted of one thousand Living Armors. We somehow managed to stop them, but the wall was severely damaged, and we lack soldiers.”

“......”

“We desperately need troop reinforcement.”

The Earl listened without saying a word. I raised my voice.

“Earl of the Frontier. I’m saying that I need the help of the soldiers under your command.”

“There are no soldiers under my command.”

“I came here already knowing that you have private soldiers that work for your family.”

“But what I do have is friends I picked, taught, and walked the battlefield with for the rest of my life.”

Then he let out a long sigh.

“But when I gave up my lordship—when I let go of that spear and shield… They also laid down their weapons. They are all retired now.”

“Please, reconvene them.”

“It’s no use.”

Glug, glug.

The Earl muttered indistinctly as he poured a glass into his mouth at once.

“This land is not worth protecting.”

“What do you…”

“Don't risk your life for nothing—to protect these worthless fronts, and to help everyone run away.”

From distant ancestors until now.

A man from a family whose purpose was to protect this land said so.

It was so unexpected that I froze for a while.

“Come now, Your Highness. Why did you come to this land?”

He looked at me calmly and asked.

“Everything on this land is only dying. There’s no hope, and no future.”

“......”

“This is my advice, having spent my whole life protecting this place. Leave as soon as possible. Before being devoured by the curse of this land.”

Just what happened to this old man?

What could’ve possibly happened to make this man deny his entire life?

I wanted to ask him and hear the answer, but the Earl turned away from me and waved his hand.

“You may leave now. I’m too tired to continue talking.”

I had a feeling that this is it for the day. I slowly got up from my seat.

“I’ll visit again, Earl of the Frontier.”

“......”

“I’ll bring something to eat on the side next time.”

The Earl didn’t respond, nor look this way.

He only stared at his orchard through the window.

After taking a last look at the old man, I left the mansion.

* * *

When I came out, Lucas was waiting with his horse.

“Your Highness, was the persuasion successful?”

"Nope, a failure. I got a present though.”

I was dried fruit that I can't eat, but a gift is a gift. I’d call this a great development.

Shrugging my shoulders, I raised myself onto the saddle.

"Well, not everything can work out in one day, right?"

“You intend to keep coming?”

“If successful, I can recruit veterans who have been fighting monsters all their lives. It's well worth the effort.”

I tilted my head as I started to return to the city with Lucas.

“By the way, I wonder what happened to Earl Cross? It seems that he went through a huge crisis… Lucas, do you know anything about it?”

“No, not really…”

Lucas and I lived our entire lives in the capital and just came to the southern part.

Of course he wouldn’t know about what happened here.

“And Aider said that I need to hear it directly from the Earl… Hmm.”

Aider seemed like he wasn’t going to spoil anything for me. Damned Director.

“Anyway, that is that. Until the moment of battle, I will do what I can.”

Do what I can.

I have to repair the wall and prepare for the war.

No matter what I hold in my hand, the monsters will come. And I have to kill them as efficiently as I can, to the best of my ability.

As I had my eyes on the distant city, I spit out as if I had promised myself.

“Let’s return to Crossroad. We’ve got a lot of things to do.”

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