Winter is Coming
Love and affection come in many ways and there is no recipe or guide to these things. They just happen on the spur of the moment without anyone's control. The worst thing is when 2 people exchange their affection for each other but they don't share the same type of affection. One sees another as a potential partner and one sees another as a family or good friend.
"Your Highness?" Barov called out to Roland who was sitting at his desk, seemingly deep in thought.
"Hm? Yes...Decline their request, they have no suitable reason for me to allow this. Do I really have to do all of this? Most of these things can be resolved by you, Barov." Roland asked with a slightly annoyed expression. Since the Border Town where he was staying had only around 2000 people, the problems he had to deal with were mostly unproductive.
"Your Highness, we already talked about this before..."
'Seems like the prince was also annoyed by this work same as me.'
"You are supposed to be my aide, how about you take care of these small matters while I will read some books and think of more important things? Don't worry I will be here with you so you can always ask me in case you won't be sure." Roland said which slightly surprised Barov.
'His Highness...reading a book? Well, he said that he will do it here so I guess it won't hurt to take care of small matters but-' Barov thought, eyeing Roland suspiciously.
"Alright, however, if I may ask, what are those important things, Your Highness wants to think about?" Barov asked, taking the seat in front of Roland.
"Nothing much, Border Town's main income and how much it exceeds over the other incomes. Then I would like to hire stonemasons and other various craftsmen, anyone with experience at building or helping. This- Border Town is simply too small and we have almost no manpower at our hands. This is the place that has been entrusted to me by my father, I would like to take care of it and make it prosper. *sigh* And for that to happen, we need to start building a solid wall around Border Town since we could be attacked anytime by any of my crazy siblings." Roland began speaking as he took a random book from the bookshelf and started reading it.
"...Most of our income comes from taxes since we mostly exchange ores, gems, and high-quality furs for food from Longsong Stronghold. At least that's what I have heard since I came here together with Your Highness, I have yet to grasp the entire situation here. It might be wise to ask local about it." Barov could only watch Roland with a surprised expression but he quickly recovered and explained the main income of Border Town.
"Hmm...Can you please call Anna to come here and help us? She said that her father is a miner here therefore she should know a bit." Roland requested and Barov called for a maid to do the task and since it wasn't Tyre, Roland let it go. He was still figuring out on whose side Tyre was but one thing was sure...it was one of his siblings.
'I might as well invite her here at night someday and play a little mind game with her. After all, humans always fear the unknown.' Roland thought while reading the book about the history of the Kingdom of Graycastle.
After a while, Anna arrived, wearing completely new clothes. She was practically wearing a maid outfit but with much more...one my say fiery design and colours. It certainly suited her powers.
"You called for me, Your Highness?" Anna asked while taking a glance at Barov, seemingly slightly uncomfortable with someone other than Roland in the room.
"Yes, can you please tell me about the relationship between Border Town and Longsong Stronghold. Everything you know, business-related things and all other things you can think of." Roland gave her a small comforting smile before redirecting his sight to the book in front of him and asking Anna.
"Of course, Your Highness. But before that...I might first need to speak about...the months of the demon." Anna said with an uncomfortable expression before she started explaining everything she could think of.
*BAM!* At the end of her explanation, Roland couldn't help but slam his fist against the desk and others could hear the wood quietly crack.
"Y-Your Highness?" Barov was startled by this development and even Anna was slightly taken back.
"How contemptuous! They dare to swindle people and buy at such a low price and even making them starve during winter despite them already paying such a low price?! Forget it, if they won't change their ways, there is no longer Longsong Stronghold in my eyes. We will start trading with others, I am sure they will offer us a better price." Roland said with narrowed eyes, clearly angered by Anna's information and experience.
"You can't Your Highness! Longsong Stronghold is the only place where locals and you can hide from the demonic beasts once the months of the demon arrive." Barov quickly tried to calm Roland down.
"Change of plans...immediately issue the work notice and find as many people who have any experience in building, stone grinding and others as possible. I will provide further information about their salary later. Carter!" Roland told to Barov in a hurried manner before calling Carter who was standing on guard just outside the room.
*creak* "Yes, Your Highness?"
"Go and find anybody who has some experience with demonic beasts, preferably those who already fought with them." Roland ordered with a resolute tone, quite out of character in Carter's eyes ever since Roland saved Anna.
"Wha- U-understood!" Carter was a bit confused but he didn't question Roland. Even Barov took his leave since he got his orders from Roland, thus only Anna remained in the room alone with Roland.
'We should still have some time but my plans for drafting primitive sewers throughout the entire Border Town will have to wait. There are many things I want to introduce to this town but for now, my main goal is to survive next winter in this hole. I need to build a wall and very quickly, with this era's means it is closely impossible and with the amount of manpower in this town, it is completely impossible...Think, what could I use here from the modern world' Roland thought with closed eyes and his hands folded in front of his mouth.
Anna was wondering what he was thinking of so hard but she knew better not to interrupt him.
"Cement! Haha, if I am right, it should be pretty easy to make, the only problem should be heat-" Roland suddenly raised his voice and laughed a bit before his voice lowered as if he found another problem but at the same time he looked at Anna and...a sly smile formed on his face.
"W-what is it?" Anna was especially conscious of his eyes lingering on her.
"I will need your help, Anna. Without you, it is impossible to protect this town." Roland said and extended his hand towards her.
"Of course I will help, Your Highness." Anna didn't hesitate this time much and quickly took Roland's hand with a smile on her face.
'Good...but there are many types of cement, I need to find the one that is the least expensive since this town's financial situation isn't the best. I think it's time to buy some things from "Shop" but I still need higher INT to buy that book about Civil Engineering. Let's try to finish this book first and see if my INT can be increased by reading books.'
"Anna, I will call you once I will need you and your powers but for now, you should continue practicing unless you feel tired."
"Yes! I am slowly getting the hang of it, it won't take much time until I can use my powers without burning my clothes!" Anna replied enthusiastically before taking her leave.
'Wait...is it really so easy to get a grasp on one's powers? Wasn't she completely new to this till yesterday? How can she improve so fast, well all matters is that she is having fun and isn't forcing herself to use those powers. I also have a work in front of me.' Roland thought before he once continued reading from the book in front of him.
Several hours passed and Roland even skipped on the meal just to finish it as fast as possible.
[+ 1 INT for inquiring about the history of your own kingdom]
[+ 100 Gold Coins]
[+ 1 Undistributed stat point for increasing your stats by 3]
---
[Name: Roland Wimbledon
Titles: Fourth Prince (+2 CHA)
Stats:
STR: 5
AGI: 5
END: 4
STA: 5
INT: 6
CHA: 6 (8)
??? [locked]
Undistributed stat points: 2
[Current money: 800 Gold Coins]
---
Roland looked at the page with the Shop and selected the Knowledge section. He immediately noticed a few books were finally unlocked and he could buy them and the most important one...
[Basics of Civil Engineering] - 100 Gold Coins
'Yes! Although I doubt I will be using those Undistributed stat points on the stats enhancing my physical body, it would still hurt a bit if I had to use them on my INT. I still want to keep them for that locked stat since I have no idea what could it be...perhaps...magic? Well, nothing to think about right now.'
[ - 100 Gold Coins]
[ + 1 Basics of Civil Engineering - the book can be summoned from your inventory]
[The original books don't take up free space in your inventory, however, a copy of it will.]
[ Spend another 50 Gold Coins to absorb the knowledge immediately? (Includes only this book)]
'NO! I need to save up as much as I can and I should really check other sections of the Shop since there might be even more useful things than just knowledge...for example materials like gunpowder or food...shit, I should have done that much earlier. I thought that I have all-time in the world but no- I will take a look at it right after reading this new book' Roland thought and concentrated on the book he just purchased, on the icon he saw in the shop and with a flash of pale blue light, the book appeared in his right hand.
"Neat, heh." Roland muttered with a smirk before his smile completely disappeared after taking a look at the book in his hand.
'T-This book look exactly like the ones used in high school...meaning, they don't fit into this world at all! I will have to make a copy for the other people!'
[Spend 50 Gold Coins to make a copy of the book adapted to this era?]
"Fuck off" Roland said with a dark expression but thankfully no one was here to see him or hear him...probably.
"I-I will leave your meal behind the door, Your Highness"
Roland suddenly heard a meek girl's voice behind the door which completely erased his dark expression.
"Wa-"
"I am leaving, no need to worry, Your Highness!"
"-it" Roland couldn't even finish his word before he heard someone running away, all he could do was stand there with a confused expression and his stretched-out arm towards the door.
'Fuck!'