Journalist got second-hand embarrassment
The days were passing like the flow of the river. But in reality, it was hard as a rock. Winter has finally come to Brinein.
"Adonis, did you check the guild requests today?"Viktor turned the page of the morning newspaper to read the articles.
"Yes, master. The monster wolves from the dark forest are entering the villages of Brinein due to the cold weather. So, the village leaders are recruiting adventurers to take care of them. So many adventurers are already on their way to the villages."
"I see."
Suddenly, the half-elf boy came inside the study room and asked, "Sir Adonis, I accidentally broke my sword."
Viktor looked at him and saw his pointy ear full of piercings. He looked like an emo boy with those rings around his ears and lips. So, he asked him "Why do you wear that much on your face."
"Oh, these? These are the earrings of the people I assassinated all these years. They are the trophy of honour."
"That's some weird hobby you got there. Keeping things of the people you killed."
I don't blame him for having some weird hobbies. I have one too.
"Yes, I like it." The elf boy replied.
"Come to think of it, you named yourself, right? What was that again?"
"It's Nor."
"I see, it's a good name."
"Master, an unknown person sent you a letter this morning."
Hm?
"Who's that?"
"A journalist, he claims himself that you know him well. He's also waiting outside the gate.
"Call him in."
Adonis went inside in an instant and took the man inside his study room in a minute. Viktor looked at him and he remembered a small event that happened to him a couple of weeks ago. It was the man who overheard him talking about the never-ending winter. The day Viktor rescued Kathryn beside the pub.
"I finally found you, Viktor."
"I'm also surprised that someone whom I don't know figured out a way to my house."
"We have to talk about something."
"I already prepared a cup of tea and sweets for you in my greenhouse. Let's go talk there."
"I don't have time for a cup of tea! I want to talk with you right now!"
But Viktor didn't stop walking towards the greenhouse.
"Hey! Will you stop walking? I just want to talk with you!!"
"I don't turn my guests away without giving them some sweets. So please be patient."
Viktor went inside his warm greenhouse powered by a mana generator. It was filled with unknown plants and some rare butterflies.
"This butterfly is a poisonous one. Where did you get this?" The journalist asked him but he was busy pouring a cup of tea onto the table.
"Oh? You knew about that butterfly? It's called Utorphomis Sytoros or in short, 'Romog'. Its wing dust is enough to kill one hundred people at once. But it can be used to cure a rare disease called cure black lung."
"Black lung? Don't be ridiculous. It's an incurable disease. A pandemic that comes once every 50 years. It killed about thousands the last time it came."
"It's incurable because no one dared to take a step ahead to make one. They just killed and burned everyone who coughed out blood."
The journalist avoided all the butterflies around him and took a seat in front of him to take a cup of tea. He was so scared of the butterflies that he used his coat to avoid physical contact with them.
"Don't worry. They don't bite."
"Bite my ass! Why are they so big? And look at those sharp teeth!"
Romog is a butterfly-type monster found deep inside dungeon forests. They are huge and they have teeth to chew food. It wasn't the butterfly inside the greenhouse that was different, the plants inside of it were different too.
The mushrooms were huge as a fully grown man, bonsai trees that looked like a thousand years old which were probably picked up by Adonis when they went inside a dungeon to collect herbs, a weird tree that had a transparent body with transparent fruits. It was a magical dungeon-type greenhouse filled with both poisonous and rare good things.
"Are you going to keep staring at my plants, Mr journalist?"
"No, they are just mesmerising. Where did you find them?"
"Inside the dungeon. Anyway, you wanted to talk about something right?"
The journalist put his cup on the table and asked, "Then, I will introduce myself first. I am David Wilton. The 4th son of Count Astron Wilton of Feras Territory. I came here a few months ago to follow my dream. So, I didn't know much about Brinein territory. So I was unable to recognize the top student of Lyfrone Academy. Then, I overheard you the day I went outside to take a walk. You said that this winter is going to stay for 2 or 3 years?"
He still remembers that? That's some sharp memory he got there.
"Yes, I remember saying that."
"Were you making fun of something back there?"
"No, I was telling the truth."
"Are you a saint or something? Did you receive some kind of prophecy from a god?"
"Ptfff hahahahaah!!! Prophecy!!! Oh my goodness!! Noo!! I'm not a saint!! And why did you come here anyway??"
"I want to know what will happen if the winter stays for three years?"
I can't say anything ceaselessly now. He's a noble journalist. He will write something so critical that I'd have to take counter-measurements for his actions.
"I don't remember.", Viktor replied.
"Are you kidding me? Do you know it's not even Fayaros, and all the rivers are hard as rock to the bottom? Even some part of the port has stopped shipping things to the ice. The ocean is about to freeze at this point."
"That's not my problem," Viktor replied.
David felt a little irritated by his reply and asked him, "Do you know what will happen if the port stops working? We won't be able to receive any good from the neighbour kingdom."
I can't do anything about that, because I am not a god to take care of my people. Even God won't save people from disasters. Because it's a part of the trail.
"I know. But what can I do if that actually happened? You're not telling me to melt the ice, right?"
"You are the best student of Lyfrone academy. You have a great responsibility to save.."
Thurbbbb!!!!!!
Viktor broke the table in half with his teacup and said, "Don't make expectations by yourself for me and put some shitty work called responsibilities on my shoulder. A great power comes with a great responsibility ha?? Why don't you just ask your creator since he's the one who created you? He should be the one to take all the responsibilities."
"It doesn't work like that," David replied.
"Yes, of course. It doesn't work for me either."
Ugh! I already have a great responsibility to save a damn realm. In that process, millions will die.
"So, you are saying that you won't tell us how to stop this disaster?"
"Why are you asking me? As the king."
David stopped talking after Viktor pointed out a big fact to him.
So, he asked, "You know how the winter is going to end and yet you don't want to help the people? Do you know what will happen if I print this news in the newspaper? The top student of Lyfrone refused to help the people."
"Are you threatening me?"
"For the people, yes."
"Then listen, Mr Journalist. The planet is currently too far away from the sun. This happens every ten thousand years. Not this kingdom, but the whole world is going to face a cold winter for 3 years. Ask someone who has the ability to grab the sun and pull it closer."
David was embarrassed to hear the actual reason behind the cold winter.
"The royal space observers will warn everyone anyway after a few days. So, you don't have to be that sensitive about this."
What a waste of time.
"So, you are still refusing to help the people in this cold winter?" Devid asked.
"You nobles really think that you can pressure anyone to do anything as you wish? Lyfrone forbids their students to join any kind of volunteer work for the people. I thought that nobles knew about the academy well."
David became quiet after hearing his reasons. Then he understands why he knew about the upcoming climatic disaster. Because Viktor is a student of technology.
"I hope you can withdraw the threat you mentioned in the letter."
"Oh. Hm"
Heh! You're embarrassed now ha? And here you thought that you would frame me as a wanted dark magician who cursed the land with winter by sprouting some nonsense.
Damn, those nobles are really something else.