Volume 1 Chapter 17 The Man Named Ashton Lecoitenides
"Pretty shocking, wasn't it?"
Rangella said, sitting at a table in the lobby with Horace. "Nobles have some wild ideas."
Tiaris was busy preparing drinks and snacks.
"I'm curious about where those ideas come from,"
Rangella continued.
"Huh?"
"Nobles usually pay in lump sums, directly most of the time. They might use checks for larger amounts, but..."
"I see, it's strange that nobles understand all these different ways of handling money."
Ideas, after all, come from combining bits of knowledge that aren't used every day.
Government work is pretty much the same old stuff.
And someone with limited experiences should have a low imagination, right?
In other words, it's not very noble-like.
Then, as if remembering something, Horace's eyes lit up.
"Sure, the Duke Lecoitenides family had a lot of pull with the national banks. Ashton must have dealt with a lot of bank-related documents. Maybe he got an idea from that."
"Indeed, it seems to be his own idea."
"But he's got imagination, no balance. The Diamante Kingdom is still the biggest nation in the world, and he's like the number 2 in charge. He probably can't imagine his ideas not going through."
By the way, at the 'world conference' where the hero was rewarded for his achievements, Zayte was the one who came, not Ashton.
Normally, you'd expect Ashton, right?
But Zayte just stood out because he remembered Valzeil with some delicacies and fine wine.
If it weren't for that, Ashton would have been there with Valzeil.
"Probably, even that simultaneous attack on the hero facilities was something Ashton cooked up."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah... about King Valzeil, I have the impression of him being 'arrogant' and 'lazy,' but when it comes to Ashton, it's 'lust' and 'greed,' and his mind works fast."
"Sure, even though the debt is gone, he comes into this mansion way too fast..."
"But at the same time, he's the type of person who rejects things his instincts can't accept, and he basically forgets things in that category right away."
"What do you mean?"
"In other words... he called me the 'head clerk,' right? But as a prime minister, he should have information about 'the hero's mentor.'"
"True, he never said 'make the knowledge of training the hero the Duke family's property.'"
"Probably, he can't intuitively understand my abilities as a Golem Master, so he can't accept it."
""I get how you feel.""
"Isn't that harsh?"
To hear it from his 2 disciples, that they 'can't intuitively understand'...
"Sigh, also, the idea of 'the Golem Master training the hero' must be hard to grasp. Normally, you'd learn swordsmanship from a swordmaster, magic from a magic master. That's the usual way. But in my case, it doesn't fit that mold. So, that's why they can't intuitively accept it."
"...It's kind of a reasoning that's far from ordinary, but I mostly understand."
"Anyway, what will happen from here?"
Rangella, with her question, waited for Horace to think.
"Well, but probably, in the end, Ashton's goal is to 'make the hero his own.' So, he's probably going to try hard to get you guys."
After hearing Horace's explanation, Tiaris sighed.
"Until now, many have tried to criticize my achievements, saying I 'took away the upper class's opportunity to prove themselves in the Demon Lord subjugation,' but now, they're trying to claim me just based on our looks..."
"Well, the hero's achievements themselves are recognized by the World Conference. Even the Duke family can't overturn that. So, yeah... I guess, well, they just want him."
"They said they'll use us as a 'hero brōtḥel' to get money. They don't see us as fighters or even capable. They just think we're pretty girls..."
"Also, earlier, Master, you called a guy named Ashton 'lust' and 'greed.' Well, the Demon Lord is gone now, so I guess it makes sense he doesn't think about using us as 'power'..."
And the conclusion.
"Thus, he's full of lust. Maybe Master should learn from that, huh?"
"Who does Tiaris even side with?"
"There are almost 100 people in the hero community, so Master still needs to work hard."
"What are you saying with that sunshiny smile, like you're seeing a field of sunflowers?"
Isn't lust way too high on your priority list?
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)