My eyes widened.
I thought, “What does that mean, a grown-up?"
I thought, “What does that mean, a grown-up?"
But the Marquis just stared blankly at me and the Crown Prince as if asking something so obvious.
“Why are you so surprised? Didn’t you say you received a prophecy? Both of you.”
“Ah, that dream...”
I didn't think it was an ordinary dream, but I never thought it would be a prophecy from a goddess.
I blinked dumbly at the unexpected situation for a moment, then gasped and covered my mouth.
'What? So you're saying the verdict won't be as severe as it was in Adam?'
Even if it is a sacred relic, there is no way anyone would tackle a body that has received permission from the goddess.
Only then did I shake off the anxiety that was weighing on my chest and exchange glances with the Crown Prince sitting next to me?
He also looked very relieved.
I couldn't control the corners of my lips that were twitching, but then I opened my mouth with a much more relaxed look in my eyes.
“Oh, by the way, what should I call you from now on?”
“Title?”
“I can’t bring myself to call you by your name. I’ve been calling you Your Excellency, but I think it would be difficult to continue calling you that. And I’m also concerned about the opinions of other people.”
The Marquis burst into laughter at my words. It was a slightly exasperated laugh as if to ask why I was worrying about such things.
“Just call me Marquis Bayen. That’s my status in the real world.”
Hmm, I guess that's okay. He's the son of a goddess after all.
After hesitating for a moment, I soon nodded willingly.
“Then let’s do that.”
There was no reason for me to feel uncomfortable since he said he was fine. The title of Marquis was also the most appropriate.
After organizing the titles like that, I turned my head out the window.
Maybe it was because my mind was at ease, but today the scenery outside the window felt incredibly beautiful.
I closed my eyes comfortably, letting the slightly warm breeze take over my body.
***
After about two hours of riding in a carriage, we arrived at a fairly large city called St. Bern.
I had been here about three years ago to provide disaster relief, so I got off the carriage expecting to see a familiar landscape, but I ended up being startled.
The city, once filled with the sick and the poor and exuding a gloomy atmosphere had completely changed.
Although they did not look very well-fed or wealthy, the faces of the people who were moving around busily and neatly were full of energy.
'How did this happen?'
I thought we'd still be suffering from the aftermath since it's only been a few weeks since the disaster.
As I was looking at them with a bewildered expression, the Crown prince standing next to me spoke in a relieved voice.
“Looks like the Catalonian Hundreds' policy of civilian stabilization is working.”
“A century-long plan to stabilize people’s livelihoods. This is a new support policy that has been implemented recently.”
The Crown Prince, still looking straight ahead, answered.
“This is a policy to relieve the people of the empire who have suffered from the disasters of the past 13 years by building temporary shelters so that those who lost their homes due to the disaster can stay, providing subsidies to local merchants so that the people of the empire can purchase food and daily necessities at cheaper prices, and providing interest-free loans to those who lost their stores due to the disaster to give them a chance to start a new business.”
I was a little taken aback by the Crown Prince's words as he listed numerous items, including free clinics and support for artists.
“When on earth are we going to be able to do all that... No, more than that, wouldn’t it be a significant financial burden to provide such benefits to all 50 million citizens of the empire?”
“I have released the imperial treasury. Starting next year, I have decided to cut the treasury in half, and I plan to revise the tax laws for the nobles soon. For a while, everyone, whether they are the imperial family, nobles, or commoners, will have to share the burden.”
“No, how much of your personal wealth did you spend to secure all those funds... You didn’t empty out the imperial treasury, did you? Do you have any money left for me?”
I know it's ridiculous to say something like that in front of the crown prince who's willing to spend his own money to save the people of the empire, but I couldn't help it.
Because I had given away all my wealth due to a rash decision, the only way I could get back on my feet was through the allowance he gave me.
'Say it quickly! Say it quickly!'
The Crown Prince chuckled as I looked at him with almost tearful eyes.
“If I say no, you look like you’re going to pack your bags and head up to the capital right away.”
At those words, I couldn't stop my shoulders from bouncing up.
'Is this guy a poisoner?'
As he had guessed, I was even thinking of returning straight to the capital when the Crown Prince said 'no'.
If you have to risk your life to save the world and there is not even that small reward, what can you find satisfaction in and comfort in?
As I, who had been hit hard, just stared at him with a dumbfounded expression, the Crown Prince shook his head as if to say, 'You are really you.'
“Don’t worry. The imperial family has accumulated so much money over the thousands of years that it can last for decades even after disbursing so much support. There’s no need to touch the allowance I’m going to pay you.”
Phew, that's a surprise.
I breathed a sigh of relief and only then was I able to truly praise the Crown Prince's generous support.
“As expected of our Highness. How can you be so loving to your people? I say you are the best monarch in the world.”
He opened his mouth again, laughing as if he was taken aback when I gave him a thumbs-up and showered him with compliments.
“Anyway, since we’ve come this far, I’d like to take a look around. Is that okay?”
The advice that followed was addressed to the Marquis, not to me.
“Let’s do that.”
Perhaps conscious of the gazes of the knights escorting him, the Marquis responded politely as if they had met for the first time.
The Crown Prince nodded slightly as if he was grateful and walked ahead.
We went around to shantytowns, shelters, and clinics to check on how well support was being provided to the people of the empire, and we also stopped by stores every now and then to check whether promised prices were being kept.
Fortunately, all support policies were proceeding smoothly, and as if to prove it, praise and gratitude for the royal family continued to flow from people's mouths.
“It’s not just because it’s my home country, Catalonia is a really great country. Where else can you find a country that cares so much about its common people?”
“Yes, that’s right. There is no other royal family that implements policies for the common people so meticulously.”
“I heard that this policy was proposed by His Highness the Crown Prince. He is truly an excellent person.”
It was the royal family and the Crown Prince who were receiving praise, but for some reason, I also felt proud.
I walked around the city laughing and laughing, and then I started walking again with enthusiasm at the words of the Crown Prince, “I think we’ve seen most of it, so let’s go find the holy relic now.”
Thinking about how to appease the compliments of being weak-hearted and sympathetic.
The place we arrived at after following Bayen, who was walking briskly while sensing the energy of the holy relic, was a small stone building located in a quiet alley.
'There's a congratulatory message here?'
I couldn't stand the excitement and impatience of finally being able to obtain the second relic, so I looked around.
Through the wide open window, I could see a boy who looked to be about ten years old turning a spinning wheel.
'It looks like a pottery workshop. But where is Chihara?'
I tilted my head and glanced at the Marquis, but he remained silent and just stared at the boy beyond the window.
'What? Surely that kid isn't Chihara?'
As I was making a puzzled expression, the boy took his hands off the spinning wheel, straightened his hunched back, and approached us hesitantly.
“Have you come here to buy pottery? If so, I recommend you turn the corner and go to the store in front of the building. This is not a place to sell pottery, but a workshop where they make pottery.”
“Oh, it looks like we interrupted your work. But we didn’t come here to buy pottery....”
The moment I was about to correct him by saying that I had come to find something, the Marquis, who had been silent the whole time, opened his mouth.
“Chihara has formed a bond with a human.”
His gaze was still fixed on the boy.
At those words, the boy looked at the Marquis in surprise.
“How about that name...”
The boy's eyes were trembling without any rest as he looked at the Marquis.
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