The principality was essentially a vassal state. And one of their ships knew about this island.
When news of it got around and entered my father’s ears… How would he react?
Fule continued.
“Doesn’t your father the king have the ‘Supreme Ruler’ crest?”
“Now that I think about it, I did tell you, didn’t I?”
Yes, when Fule and I had first dug together. We had talked about Erevan.
“That crest sounds very impressive. What kind of man is he?”
“Hmm… He’s very strict.”
I couldn’t tell Fule about it, but he was not the kind of person to forgive monsters.
Furthermore, when he found out that I had refused to die, he would be even less pleased.
No, perhaps it wasn’t true…?
I thought back on our conversations.
I did not actually know him that well.
We had not had many opportunities to speak to each other. And he always avoided me.
And then there was the day of the land granting ceremony… As everyone laughed about what I had been given, there was one person whose face remained the same.
It was my father.
This hatred of monsters was something that was shared by the majority of people in the kingdom. But I had never heard him speak about monsters directly.
“A strict man, huh? Is he more strict than my father?”
“Erevan is… He laughs a lot. And he’s kind, isn’t he?”
The father I knew was the same cold and emotionless person regardless of who he was with. It was very different from Erevan.
“Huh… So, he’s always angry?”
“No, I wouldn’t say that…”
Yes. Now that I thought about it, he never showed his emotions. Nor was he dictated by them.
He was staunchly about the profit of the kingdom, and nothing else.
In the first place, my role was still that of lord of a part of the kingdom. And I hadn’t lost my position as prince.
This land had been entrusted to me because of the oracle.
In that case, the possibility of him attacking us was…very low.
He would try to gather information first, and then think of a plan to deal with us. Maybe he would just threaten us with an attack.
Regardless… If I could show how difficult an assault on this island would be, there would be more room to negotiate.
Besides, I had so much rock here.
I could build towers and walls in order to make the place look like some kind of impenetrable fortress.
The giant golems would be quite useful for such a thing.
If I had another Heart Stone, I could make another Golem that was even bigger…
Fule muttered.
“Hmm. That’s kind of surprising.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well, because you laugh a lot, Lord Heal. …Except for when you’re mining. You still smile, but your eyes are serious. It’s kind of creepy.”
“Wh-what? I really look that scary?”
“Hmm?”
Fule replied.
Did I make that same kind of face I did when I first met Rienna and the others… I would have to be careful.
…Oh?
I thought I could hear the echo of our pickaxes coming from the other side.
Fule seemed to notice too, and she and Taran nodded to each other.
“Lord Heal. I think we’re close to a cave…”
“Yeah… I’m ready.”
And so I activated ‘Shield’ around us.
And I also told Mappa, Shiel and the others to be careful.
Immediately, Number 15 moved to protect them.
Once I saw that they were ready, I swung down with the pickaxe.
And then…
We were greeted by thick darkness.
However, there were countless floating red eyes within.