Chapter 158: Conscription Notice
“Once you’re home, try some too, Hero! They’re incredibly delicious!”
On their way back to the annex after a small tea party, Latera, cradling a heap of cookies, followed Shiron with a beaming smile.
Latera, who did not miss out on thanking him while munching on the cookies, was so pleased that Hugo handed over even the portion meant for the mansion’s household.
Moreover, Hugo even hinted that they could come into the main building and take cookies anytime. It’s rewarding to make them when there was a little lady who enjoyed them so much.
“The late bloomer is truly fearsome. How can someone change so much in just a few days?”
Shiron recalled Hugo’s transformation over the week and glanced over at Latera following behind.
“I… don’t really like cookies. So you should eat a lot.”
“Why? They’re so sweet and delicious.”
“Even if they’re delicious, the sweetness is the problem.”
“The sweetness is a problem? Isn’t it good because the more you eat, the happier you become?”
“Maybe happy for now.”
Shiron stopped in his tracks and faced Latera, who looked up at him with an innocent expression, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.
“Listen, Latera. There’s no such thing as free happiness. You might be happy now, but you could get cavities later.”
“Uh… I’ll brush my teeth properly later.”
“It’s not just about brushing. If you get used to the sweetness, your diet will revolve around sweet things. Then what happens?”
“What happens then?”
“Not just your teeth, but your hands and feet could rot away from a terrible disease. And it’s not something that brushing can fix.”
“Is that true? Just by eating some sweet food, you could get sick?”
“You could easily check if I’m lying or not.”
“Then…”
Latera narrowed her eyes and looked into Shiron’s soul. His sturdy and robust figure… yet trembling slightly, conveyed feelings of worry and concern.
“What do you think? Do I look like I’m lying?”
“No, no.”
Latera, shaking her head, clutched the bag of cookies and turned to leave.
“I’ll return these!”
“It means to eat in moderation. Don’t overeat, and if you decide on a specific amount to eat each day, you won’t get sick. Just don’t end up like your great uncle.”
“Really?”
“And exercise a lot.”
Shiron, with a stern face, snatched the bundle of cookies from Latera.
As Latera had said, the cookies looked sweet and fantastic even to the eye. But bringing them close to his nose, the sweet smell made Shiron’s stomach churn.
Hugo’s late blooming was like the sweet cookies.
No longer clinging to prestige and enjoying hobbies for his happiness was indeed a welcome change. However, too much of it could become toxic, not just for the empire but for Hugo himself.
“Hero, you look troubled. Let me carry that.”
“It’s okay. I’ll carry it. My great uncle would want me to.”
“Um… Then, I’ll leave it to you. And I’ll stop eating cookies for today!”
“Good decision.”
“…It’s good that you’re the warrior.”
Latera held Shiron’s free hand and smiled brightly.
“I really like this mansion. Mr. Hugo is kind, and Lady Eldrina is a bit strange but not a bad person… and there’s a lot of delicious food.”
“…”
“It’s a bit of a problem with the demons here. But seeing how they treat the Warrior, it doesn’t seem unbearable. I’ll become a great angel. I can overlook that much.”
“Why all of a sudden? You seem excited on your own.”
“I can’t help but be excited.”
Latera looked at Shiron with narrowed eyes.
[Support of the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman]
Suddenly, a translucent window appeared above Shiron’s head.
“Your soul has become more noble.”
“Did I receive a demerit?”
“Um… not exactly. But I can say it’s better than just receiving demerits.”
“That’s relieving.”
Although it was a profound statement, Shiron brushed it off, not taking it too seriously. He was more preoccupied with how to handle the next expedition than with the abstract assessment of his soul becoming noble.
And that evening.
“What the hell.”
Shiron read a shocking letter from Lucia.
[Active Duty Conscription Notice]
[Name: Shiron Prient]
[Residence: Rien]
[Assigned Military Branch… Conscription Date… Training Unit… Gathering Place…]
Despite receiving it for the first time, the letter felt strangely familiar, unsettling Shiron.
“Conscription order?”
“…I wondered, but it seems it came for you too.”
Lucia looked at Shiron with pity, and Shiron crumpled the notice in his trembling hands.
“I’m… already saving the world, what’s this nonsense? I am, I am a hero, aren’t I?”
“Isn’t it because you haven’t made it public that you’re a hero? Only a very few people know you’re a hero.”
“Even without that, it doesn’t make sense for me to be conscripted as a regular soldier. How valuable am I!”
Shiron angrily slammed the crumpled notice onto the table, and Latera quietly read the letters on the paper.
“Hero. So, will you comply with this?”
“Are you crazy? Absolutely not! I won’t go!”
Shiron clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. It was like… a conscription notice calling for free slaves? He didn’t know who the hell made it, but its format was strikingly similar to the one before his possession, making him instinctively grab the back of his neck.
“But if you don’t respond to the conscription, you’ll be sentenced to prison according to imperial law. Won’t that accumulate a huge amount of demerits?”
“Prison? Screw that. Who the hell do they think they are, trying to enslave me for free?”
Even before his possession, he had spent a couple of years messing around, and there was absolutely no way he could mess around after his possession.
“I can’t just be dragged away like this. Damn. After all I’ve done for this country.”
“Then what? If you don’t respond to the conscription, it’s obvious the Military Discipline Team will come. Are you going to drive them away with a sword dance?”
Lucia fidgeted with her fingers, her face flushing.
“…If you want, I can dance with a sword for you. Or we could even seek asylum in a neighboring country…”
“There’s no need for that.”
Shiron declared, his eyes wide open.
“Before anyone comes to catch me, I’ll go and settle this myself.”
A few days later, Shiron managed to meet with the blond young man.
“Why have you called me? Asking to meet like this.”
Victor Ado de Rien.
The only prince of the empire and now the de facto next emperor, he was the crown prince before his rebirth. Despite his heavy position, Victor readily agreed to Shiron’s request to meet.
However, his demeanor had changed drastically from before, doing a 180. A few days after expressing his wish to meet, Victor rented an entire building in the center of Rien to provide a private space for their conversation.
The number of guards tripled around the area, and countless attendants followed him. But was that all? Shiron felt the dense mana filling the building.
“Just do me one favor.”
But Shiron began to speak his request, not paying any attention to him.
“Is your request so important that you had to call me out?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…”
‘…An important request.’
Shiron’s uncharacteristically humble stance. Victor, realizing this, crossed his legs and sat askew.
“Depending on what you say, I’ll consider it.”
Victor spat out with a smile that made one want to punch him. Despite feeling his head heat up at that openly infuriating attitude, Shiron decided to endure it this time.
“Let me see His Majesty.”
“Um… I think I need to hear more details.”
Victor did not adjust his posture, but his provocatively mocking smile faded.
“You might have heard, but His Majesty currently wishes to minimize contact with the outside. Even if you’ve bestowed favors on me among others. It might be difficult to have a face-to-face meeting.”
“It doesn’t matter if I can’t meet him face to face. Just talking face to face is just a formality.”
Shiron spoke roughly, pulling out a heavily crumpled paper from his pocket. Victor had an attendant check its content.
“What’s this?”
“Don’t you see? It’s a conscription notice.”
Shiron said with a solemn voice.
“I don’t want much. Just exempt me from the conscription order.”
“…”
“I can’t explain in detail, but I’m a very busy person. I don’t have enough time to look at the border lines with kids who haven’t proven anything.”
Shiron made a one-sided demand.
It was an action that could hardly be seen as talking to a crown prince, but neither Victor nor his attendants said anything to Shiron. It was because Victor had thoroughly trained his own people.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t exempt you from the conscription order. And of course, I can’t grant your request to meet with His Majesty either.”
Victor extended the crumpled paper back to Shiron and said,
“…Explain why it’s not possible.”
“It’s obviously a matter of fairness.”
Victor spoke calmly.
“Historically, there have been a few instances where a national conscription order was issued, but reviving a system that hasn’t been used for decades is bound to cause various complaints… To quell the discontent, even I am included in this conscription order.”
“You too?”
“Yes. Various measures must be taken to boost the morale of the forcibly mobilized troops. If some are taken and others are not, deserters may arise and various problems could occur.”
“…Hmm. It’s unexpected that you’re also subject to conscription.”
“For that reason, it would be impossible to refuse the conscription order by any means. I don’t know all of His Majesty’s intentions, but aside from the issue of efficiency, it seems His Majesty’s main goal is for the citizens of the empire to face the imminent crisis. It seems likely that anyone who is a noble and of conscription age will be compelled to participate in the campaign.”
“…Is this my great uncle’s doing?”
Victor nodded at Shiron’s muttering.
“Right, His Majesty was very angry upon hearing that Sir Hugo was being covertly checked. He wants to ensure that such actions can’t happen again.”
“Then what?”
Shiron lowered his head, fumbling at the corners of his mouth. The mention of Hugo had dampened his spirits.
‘I tried poking at it just in case. So, it was impossible after all.’
“How about this then.”
Blocked at the first attempt, Shiron decided to play his next card.
“Change my assignment at your discretion.”
“Assignment?”
“You, at least as the Crown Prince, wouldn’t have been conscripted as an ordinary soldier.”
“That’s right. At least because I’m the Crown Prince.”
Though merely a figurehead, Victor was slated to serve as the commander of a special forces unit in this conscription order. Shiron smiled satisfactorily upon hearing Victor’s explanation.
“Put me in the same unit as you.”
“That could be arranged… Is that all?”
“Of course not.”
Shiron faced Victor with the most serious expression possible.
“Make me your adjutant.”
“…”
“Of course, I’m not just asking you to watch my back. But what are friends for? It’s about helping each other out in tough times, right?”
‘Being friends with the Crown Prince should at least land me a sweet position.’
Victor couldn’t comprehend the nonsense his friend was spouting.