Savory Willingness

"Ah-choo!" Roland let out a sneeze, a bizarre look appeared on his face.

"Are you alright?" Anna didn't change her expression as she took a handkerchief and then gently squeezed Roland's nose to wipe it clean. "Don't push yourself, take a rest."

Roland just gave a declaration that composed of nearly two hours long series of speeches, which included the details of the militia recruitment. For a while, the people in the town square descended to chaos due to his passion that infected others and not even the winter chilling breeze could cool their heated will.

It was good and all that his intention smoothly conveyed and received well, but to Anna, she wished he would take care of his health first and foremost.

While Roland didn't refuse her caring action, he still got embarrassed that Anna could boldly do that in front of others. Though he was already not in the spotlight, there were still plenty of people around. Fortunately, he was now very experienced in posing a calm face, or he might break into a very bright smile from the warmth.

He quietly shifted the topic. "I think someone's talking behind my back."

"Who?" Anna took it literally and turned around to see.

"I mean, it's probably the group." Roland was nearly rendered speechless, he stifled his laughter and continued. "They're probably bored. For a day or two, the majority of the time they are going spent is inside the carriage."

The favorite form of simple entertainment in such era was naturally, a conversation, or to put it bluntly, gossip. Talking about someone behind their back was a good way to start a conversation, he can't blame them if somehow or another he became the subject of their conversation. After all, wasn't it what he just did?

The carriage had stopped and the people came out to eat lunch. While Roland gave plenty of sandwiches, he also had rationed them with other things. A clear favourite of theirs would later prove to be the so-called stock cubes, which when dissolved to boiling water, gave out rich flavor.

The water in the pot was slowly boiling above the flame from dry wood they quickly gathered, and Nightingale casually threw in two stock cubes. She had learned the simple instruction and care of how to use it from Roland and even accompanied him testing the depth of its flavor. According to the prince, it was not as good as he wished because of the lack of refrigerator or non-stick dehydrator sheets, both something unknown to her.

Yet though it was clear that he had his eyes set on a higher standard, for her it was really amazing to be able decently replicated the flavour that should have gone through hours of processes normally. There were also many kinds of flavouring, from meat, vegetables, fish, and the combination of them, which ensured her that she wouldn't get tired of the instant soup anytime soon.

"The prince is trying to ignite the passion the Border Town residents had lost," Carter said, his solemn tone was completely betrayed by his satisfied expression from munching a piece of sliced boiled egg sandwich that he dipped in the hot meat flavour soup.

Nightingale was interrupted from her thoughts, but she was not angry and instead looked over curiously. The chief knight choice of words was interesting. As well as his tone that mismatched his face.

"The people in Border Town are feeling hopeless, but they are indeed weak," Tigui responded with a nod, for he knew the situation well and felt a bit gloomy. A trace of guilt from his helplessness to prevent the tragedy that occurred two years ago still lingered in his mind. It was unknown whether his mouth couldn't stop chewing food because of his stress.

"Without someone powerful in their front leading them, it would be quite difficult," Carter muttered. "And the prince is trying to take the role."

"Is it difficult?" Nana didn't know of the situation nor understand politics much, she only asked because she thought it was an appropriate question.

"It's both easy and difficult." Seeing the two men taking their time thinking, Tyre decided to speak up. As former spy that had to report periodically of Roland and his surrounding, it wasn't an exaggeration that she actually had a clear grasp of Border Town situation very well.

In fact, she was expecting a return order soon after her latest report. If not for Roland that came to her and suddenly assured her he would take care of the letter and the pigeon, convincing her by mysteriously reciting her expected order content, she would never join the expedition no matter what. After all, her response letter could be delayed, but if it stopped going she didn't know what would they do to her sister.

She still couldn't believe Roland completely, just like how she had perceived Roland also did not trust her truly despite his action that might seem like to say otherwise. However, no matter what they were both trying, and the expedition this time was also a form of trial.

Tyre lost in thought and forgot to continue answering Nana's question, but they, unaware of her thought already chattering away.

Tigui's grasp of the situation was not bad, he knew where to start. "I think the biggest problem is food. And since I don't think His Highness have any problem to solve it, his declaration should already half-success from the start."

Carter nodded in agreement. He then looked at Nightingale and said earnestly. "His Highness had said to me that the intel about Fierce Scar and his minions were brought over by you. To that, we the knights offer our gratitude."

Nightingale smiled wryly. Roland also had told her the same, but his explanation to her was a bit harder to accept. What exactly the other her in his parallel story was doing, sniffing around and happened to meet a group of bastards? Thinking in the context of her own character it might be possible, but perhaps it was also luck.

Anyway, with Roland's otherworldly knowledge they arrested eight out of the ten from patrol team, two were considered threats. With the knight's capability, however, and since they had the advantage of moving first, the thugs were still arrested smoothly. And with cooperation from Nightingale, the truth was also easily spilled out. Just like Roland expected or rather knew, they were targeting the granary, which contained the majority of food that had enough to provide both the castle and people of Border Town during the harsh time.

She had no interest to continue listening to Carter's flattery since it wasn't actually herself that provided the tip. She waved her hand and shifted the topic. "What do you think His Highness going to do?"

Nightingale only had a short interaction with Roland. Though she strangely already felt familiar with him, it was still the fact that she didn't know much about his thought process and the extent of his ability.

"The first thing the prince's going to do is to ask them to stay." Tigui readily answered her inquiry. "But he would not asking them to stay with just food, but also with sincerity."

"What's sincerity?" Nana expressed a doubtful look.

Tigui smirked and pressed hard to suppress his laugh as he answered. "It's money."

"Money again?" Nana shook her head and put a long face, muttering. "Adults really are..."

"Hey, don't be like that!" Tigui said in a stern tone as he roughly rustled his daughter's hair, but it wasn't long before he exploded and was laughing out loud.

"Don't say it like that," Tyre interjected, at some point, she already joined back and followed the conversation. She similarly shook her head but it was because she was dissatisfied as he was talking like it was some kind of bribe. "His Highness determine to use all his money to not only complete the project but also to repair all the residents' home."

Nightingale showed a subtle surprise expression hearing her point. Of all people, Tyre was the first to chide Tigui for saying things in a roundabout way that it could tarnish Roland's name. Was she being earnest?

"Yes, they are going to get an offer of considerable benefits for joining the militia, and those didn't get included still had the chance to also earning money by repairing their own home." Carter finished the last bite of his two sandwiches share, a trace of disappointment could be seen flickering in his eyes that reflected his empty hands as he continued. "His Highness was prepared to emptying his and the town's treasury in preparation for the months of the demons."

At first, the chief knight thought it was foolish. Not only him, but Barov also shared his opinion and so had the knights under him. In fact, even now he was still doubtful of how a group of civilians, with little training, could possibly change the dire situation. But he recently had gradually and slowly changed his perceptive, one that from not trusting people he didn't know about to trusting Roland instead, the prince that kept making big efforts and supplemented them with novel ideas.

A bitter smile appeared on Carter's face. At some point, he already decided to go along the flow. "Today His Highness should process the application of militia."

"Oh." Nightingale nodded lightly, she pondered for a moment and realised she didn't know how many exactly Roland's going to recruit and so she asked. "How many people?"

"His Highness said for a starter, three hundred people would be enough," Carter answered with a sour look.

In Carter's humble opinion, even a hundred was already pushing it. Putting aside the difficulty dividing people that could reliably act as instructors, there was something else that can't be forgotten. And it was that each member of the militia was said to get three meals a day. Though the food cargos carried from Willow Town were certainly a lot, and indeed with the purpose for sharing to Border Town people for them to go through the months of the demons, consumption from training was definitely going at a rate higher than normal. Basing on his experience during his earlier days, the chief knight estimated that three hundred people were definitely not a small number in that case.

"That's quite a lot indeed..." Nightingale nodded without hiding her shock. She thought for a moment before expressing her doubt. "I remember Border Town only have a little over two thousand people? Are there enough young men for the job?"

Actually, it was quite rare for common folk to advance deep in age, so it was a rather weird question to ask. It could only be said that Nightingale was being polite in asking how many of them would actually be suitable for the task, with malnourishment and illness around.

"That won't be a problem." Carter smiled wryly. "His Highness accepts healthy young women applications too."