My Kingdom Building Done Right!

"Captain!"

"Captain, where are you?!"

A man in his late twenties walked across the valley, yelling for his captain.

Based on his clothes, he was a bard from the Radiant Empire, a wandering performer who sang tales about heroes saving the world.

"Captain! Where are you?! The Master has sent a message!" the man, who went by the name Oisin, shouted. "This is an emergency! I repeat! This is an emergency!"

A man in his early forties, seated on a boulder with a fishing rod at hand, glared in the direction of the voice.

"Oh, for crying out loud—will you shut up?!" he shouted back. "You’re scaring the damn fish!"

"Captain!" Oisin heaved a sigh of relief.

Finally, he found the person he was looking for.

Hurrying toward his leader, he passed on the message he had received from the communication crystal entrusted to him.

"He wants us to return to the Duchy as soon as possible?" The fisherman frowned at the message. "Did he say anything else?"

This man went by the name Conall. He was the leader of the mercenary company called Lost Paradise, one of the Rank-S Mercenary Groups in the Radiant Empire.

Their mercenary group only consisted of six individuals, and they refused to recruit anyone else into their ranks.

They had just recently finished a mission where they had to stop a dungeon outbreak. That being so, they were currently on a well-deserved break to relax and unwind.

"The Master did say something else," Oisin replied. "He said we have exactly a week to return, or else he will personally come to drag us back in chains if he has to."

Conall narrowed his eyes after hearing his subordinate’s report.

Patience was a word they would never use to describe their Master. There had been more than one instance where they had been beaten black and blue for ignoring his summons.

"It seems our vacation has come to an end." Conall slowly stood up from the boulder and did a few light stretches. "All of you heard that, right? We need to go back now."

In response, a giant bull standing three meters tall emerged from the trees, breathing fire through its nose.

A few meters away from it, a Giantkin slowly propped himself up from the ground. His captain’s words marked the end of his nap time.

On top of a cliff, a spearman swung his spear for the last few times, ending his martial training.

Lastly, somewhere in the forest, an owl hooted before transforming into an elf, answering his leader’s call.

"This better be worth it." Conall sighed deeply before looking over the horizon. "Lost Paradise, let’s move out."

—————

Somewhere in the capital city of the Helion Duchy, Luxoria...

"Father, are you sure about this?" Andreas asked. "Are you really sending Lost Paradise to help Leone out?"

"Why not?" Lugh replied as he casually inspected the newly forged armor meant for the soldiers of his Duchy. "Do you have any opinion about my decision?"

"I’m just wondering if sending them is the right decision," Andreas stated.

Lugh chuckled. "You overthink too much, Andreas. Leone said he needed specialists, and the members of that group are simply the ones who best fit the bill."

"But we can use them to help us with the plan Leone wants us to execute. Having them on our side will make things much easier," Andreas insisted.

"What you say is indeed true." Lugh nodded in agreement. "But even without them, we can still execute the plan, right? Of course, if you’re that worried, I will personally make a move. Happy now?"

"If you are taking part in this plan, then we have nothing to fear." Andreas smiled faintly.

"I see. So that’s your goal, huh?" Lugh clicked his tongue in return. "I’m supposed to be retired, yet you’re forcing these old bones to work for you. Have you no shame?"

"Shame? What’s that? Is that edible?"

"Tsk!"

The two men then shifted their attention back to the map spread across the table before them. Time was running short, and every move they made from this point onward would determine the outcome of their plans.

However, neither Andreas nor Lugh appeared worried.

This wasn’t their first rumble at all. If anything, Leone’s plan only sped up a few things that they had already been working on for years.

After all, their goal was simple.

Gain the greatest possible profit while suffering the least possible losses.

"Did the other side reply to your message, Father?" Andreas asked.

"They did." Lugh smirked. "I even got a love letter from that fiery woman."

"...I’m telling Mother."

"Son, why are you not filial?"

"Telling my mother about my father’s infidelity is being filial."

"Where were your ears when I said our encounter happened long before I even met your mother? We’ve been through this already!"

This time, it was Andreas’ turn to click his tongue. Though he still had one more concern that needed to be addressed.

"What about His Majesty?" Andreas asked.

"What about him?" Lugh blinked.

"You’re... not planning to tell him anything, aren’t you?" Andreas gave his father a fed-up gaze.

"Why should I tell him?" Lugh shrugged. "Did he tell us anything?"

"No."

"See? That means it’s all good!"

"You and I both know that this is just sophistry, Father." Andreas was still a bit worried about how their King would react after the deed was done.

"Stop worrying, son," Lugh said calmly. "Your constant worrying is why you look much older than you really are. Enjoy life, eat good food, embrace women, and have lots of kids. Isn’t that our Helion Family’s motto?"

"Father, that’s your motto. Not ours." Andreas facepalmed at those words. "Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. We need to contact Helen soon and inform her about the arrangement we’ve prepared."

Lugh agreed, so they used the communication crystal in their possession to connect to the Frontera Viscounty.

A minute later, Helen answered and informed them about the latest movements of the Kingdom of Britannia.

"The Frontera Viscounty has volunteered to handle logistics in this upcoming war," Helen reported. "My husband will personally lead our people to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"As expected of my granddaughter," Lugh praised. "Since your people are part of the logistics team, you will be at the rear of the formation. There’s no way you will suffer losses in this war."

"We will suffer monetary losses, but money can always be earned." Helen smirked in response. "We even promised to splurge a bit so that the other nobles will not have any complaints."

"Just make sure to tell your husband not to do anything suspicious and not to sabotage the Britannian Army for the sake of petty revenge," Andreas commented. "The last thing we want is for someone to ruin our plans."

"My husband is not stupid, Father." Helen frowned. "It seems that you still look down on him even now."

"Well, he doesn’t look like a bright person." Andreas scoffed in return.

"Whatever." Helen shook her head, knowing that this discussion would not end well if they continued this topic.

She knew her father hated her husband, Marco, for he wasn’t the person he had chosen for her to marry.

"Let’s talk again when my son appears in the Duchy," Helen added. "Reach out to me only if it’s absolutely important. Good day, gentlemen."

As soon as the light in the communication crystal faded, a sigh escaped Lugh’s lips.

"Son, can you move on already?" Lugh asked in annoyance. "Helen doesn’t regret her decision. Why must you always open ‌old wounds and make things difficult for everyone? Can’t you just be happy for your daughter?"

"I... I was wrong, Father," Andreas admitted. "I thought I was already over it. It’s just... whenever I see Helen’s defiant gaze, I can’t help but remember the past."

"She inherited that gaze from your mother." Lugh smirked. "Anyway, let this be the last time you talk smack about her husband. We are a family, and even my great grandson is making his way up in the world. As his grandfather, can’t you at least be proud of his achievements?"

"I am proud of his achievements," Andreas stated. "He reminds me of what I was like when I was his age."

Lugh and the butler, Jeeves, who had been listening silently since earlier, looked at Andreas weirdly after hearing that.

At that moment, both were thinking of the same thing.

’What is this dolt talking about?’

Andreas and Leone had nothing in common, especially in terms of personality.

Still, in order not to ruin the mood, the two men decided to just ignore Andreas’ delusion and simply continued to focus on the matter at hand.

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