"What is this?"
Liam couldn't hide the cold expression on his face.
This was because he was secretly hoping that the princess would show him something impressive.
“It's a message.”
But the result was just one letter?
Even though Duke Blair has delegated the necessary budget and authority?
He looked at April with a slight feeling of disappointment.
“Just send it to the address written on it.”
The princess, without hiding her tired expression, shook the delicate envelope in her hand and urged it.
Her little face had changed several times even during the short encounter, but he couldn't tell what she was thinking.
Liam reluctantly took the message and checked the recipient.
[Elamina Alliance, Goalbru Region, Ginebra Goalbru]
When he looked at him as if to ask who this was, the princess answered.
He's someone I met through my work. Ask for workforce assistance.
As the Duke said, she was trying to find a group of workers to send to build the dam.
After his expectations were confirmed, Liam smiled and crossed his arms.
“Is this it?”
Sorry? Well...I guess this is the best I can do for now.
“If anything happens, the letter will be delivered by one of the knights who have sworn allegiance to Duke Blair.”
It was a warning that there would be sufficient measures even if the princess tried to send a rescue request to the Salt Kingdom secretly.
“Okay, I get it.”
But the princess nodded indifferently.
“Anything else…?”
“No, that's it.”
In the past, Liam would have suspected that she was up to something else if she left so quickly. But now, they understand.
The princess was not sneaking anywhere, but was returning to her room faster than anyone else.
“Why does she keep locking herself in this prison?”
Once upon a time, there was a con woman who pretended to be the granddaughter of the late duke's cousin in hiding.
After being held in the room for only three days, the woman began to cry and longed to go out as much as possible when she was allowed outside for a short period.
But the princess had a very strange side.
“By the way.”
Although a letter may take three days to be delivered through the portal, finding suitable manpower and negotiating may take at least a few weeks.
Thus, it seems that the mission entrusted to him by the princess is doomed to failure.
“I will have to tell the Duke to prepare a backup plan.”
There was a feeling of remorse crossing his face.
.
.
.
It's been a week.
It's been a disappointing week. Since sending the message, nothing has happened.
At this point, Liam began to worry about the princess's ability to escape.
After Duke Blair reported the matter, Liam kept a close eye on any suspicious behavior from the princess. Well, he meant to.
“She has to leave the room first before I can monitor or question her.”
However, even a week after the letter was sent, the princess's door remained tightly closed.
The dishes and utensils that came out were cleaned three times a day, so it didn't look like she died or escaped.
"Hey."
“Hello, assistant.”
Unable to bear the frustration any longer, Liam arrived at the door of the princess's room and greeted the guard at the door.
With a calm face, he lowered his voice and asked.
Did anything happen?
“Did anything happen...?”
“Are there any escape attempts, or suspicious people lurking around?”
He surprised the guard and waved his hands quickly.
Nothing like this happened! The inner window does not open from the inside, and the door is guarded in three shifts without any crack.
Liam already knew this fact, so he could only shake his head awkwardly in response.
“Okay… then, please keep doing the good work.”
It was already half way through the princess's two-week deadline, and Liam was growing increasingly anxious.
* * *
“This is paradise.”
I really enjoyed my lovely vacation.
I could sleep for fourteen hours without being woken up, and yet meals were served on time.
Naturally, my body and mind, which had been dry and devoid of any energy, began to regain their vitality.
“Doing nothing could make me so happy.”
Before, I couldn't even imagine staying at home without a smartphone, but after my energy was exhausted by hard work in the fantasy world without any human rights, my thoughts changed.
People are simple creatures who can only be happy when they relax on the bed and cover themselves with a blanket.
So, I was very happy and satisfied at that moment.
Of course, just because my heart was full didn't mean I suddenly wanted to be busy and move around.
The bomb that the Duke dropped on me had not yet been solved, so I was not wasting time in vain.
But I had something to rely on.
“If there is a shortage of people, just fill the gap.”
There were numerous specialized groups carrying out orders across the continent, and the Ilamina Alliance Mercenaries were one of them.
The recipient of my letter was Ginebra Golbru, daughter of Count Golbru, owner of the Black Eagle Corps, a construction unit. She was also the liaison responsible for negotiating their employment.
In other words, you asked them directly, and set very specific conditions that they could not refuse.
“Unless there is a natural disaster, the Black Eagle Corps should be on their way to Blair’s territory by now.”
I didn't need to wait two weeks to get the result.
Once the letter was out of my hands, half the solution was already secured.
Others might have thought I was hiding in my room, crying and giving up.
But sometimes, talking through the results is more effective than explaining every detail of the plan.
More than anything, right now, I just wanted silence. How long has it been that I haven't talked to anyone?
“If I had not cut off trade with the Ilamina Alliance in time, I would have been in trouble.”
Originally, the Black Eagle Corps had an exclusive contract with Salt Company, which made it impossible to accept any other orders.
But the salt king, Berga, stopped the trade this month out of the false hope that the exploration party, in which he had invested so much money, would return the slaves free.
I knew that the exploration team had been sent by impostors hired by the empire, but I couldn't find a way to convince the king, who didn't like me.
But I never expected things to turn out this way.
It would have been foolish not to take advantage of this situation, so I had to seize the opportunity.
“The work will be done quickly.”
The Elamina Alliance has deployed workers in various fields to finance the coalition's operations.
Therefore, their capabilities far exceed those of mercenary groups or ordinary guilds.
If anyone could end the slow and steady progress of construction, it would be them.
“And I am already skilled at meeting conditions that will satisfy them.”
After exchanging hundreds of letters with Ginebra, I have become very skilled at dealing with her.
When I was working as a servant in Salt, I had to help with administrative tasks to gain people's favor, especially thanks to Limia's insistence. And so things developed.
Normally, negotiations with such professional groups require long and painstaking discussions about prices and details.
But explaining how I came into contact with Ginebra would require a lot of tears, so I'll leave that for now.
Once the mercenaries arrived, the administrative staff at the Duke's residence would handle everything, so there was no need for me to participate.
“Until then...”
Let's rest.
I'm sorry to the Duke for giving me such a huge undertaking with budget and authority, but you never know when I'll be back to work like an ass.
For now, I will enjoy my rest without regret.
I lay on the soft bed, rubbed my back with the pillow, and closed my eyes.