Liser smiled inwardly.
Sure enough, Grace had agreed far more readily than he had expected.
At first glance, she seemed easy to manipulate. But Liser knew better than to trust first impressions.
Grace's past had been tragic.
Her father and brother had been killed by nobles, and she had been forced to watch helplessly. At only sixteen, she had been left to bear the weight of her family's crest alone.
Liser had no intention of treating someone like that as a simple pawn.
"First, I will be frank with you," Liser said. "I need a sword."
Grace raised an eyebrow.
"An actual sword?"
Liser ignored the interruption.
"Ji has told me about your martial abilities and leadership skills. He says you performed exceptionally well on the battlefield."
Grace's expression became more serious.
"I need you to become the general of the next Imperial Expedition to the East."
She stared at him.
"Your Highness, are you joking?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"That expedition is practically a death sentence."
Grace was not wrong.
Every five years, Jiran sent an expeditionary force eastward to fight the Orches Empire. At least, that was what the official reports claimed.
In reality, the situation was far more complicated.
The so-called expedition was part war, part political theatre, and part convenient arrangement between two kingdoms.
The Orches Empire was a unified nation built around the protection of the orc tribes. It could not simply launch a campaign against its own people without creating a political disaster.
The tribes living along its borders were technically citizens of the empire.
Technically.
Some of them, however, were troublesome enough that the imperial government would have preferred to see them gone.
Yet openly exterminating them would have been impossible.
So the Orches Empire did what governments had always done when they wanted something done without appearing responsible for it.
It condemned the tribes.
It issued stern declarations.
It described the situation as a grave threat.
And then it quietly allowed Jiran to do the dirty work.
Jiran, for its part, gained military prestige and political influence from the expeditions.
The Orches Empire gained a convenient way to remove troublesome tribes from its borders.
Both sides got what they wanted.
The tribes, however, were far from helpless.
Their natural affinity for magic made them extremely dangerous opponents. It was only because of Jiran's formidable cavalry that the expeditions consistently ended in victory.
Liser placed his teacup down.
"I have weapons that will make the expedition considerably easier."
Grace's expression changed.
Liser leaned slightly forward.
"Furthermore, if you succeed, you will have the opportunity to rise through the ranks and eventually command an army of your own."
Grace narrowed her eyes.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I want you to cultivate your own army."
The room fell silent.
"When the time comes," Liser continued, "I want you to be able to lend me a hand."
Grace took a slow breath.
"And why do you think I would follow your orders?"
Liser leaned back in his chair.
"Because I would give you the means to transform a group of ragtag soldiers into a force capable of becoming a divine army."
Grace's eyes narrowed further.
"Their weapons, food, equipment, and loyalty would come from the state, not from the general."
He paused.
"And if I can create one such army, I can create another."
Grace stared at him for several seconds.
"So you want me to build an army that belongs to the kingdom."
"Yes."
"An army that can be deployed by the crown."
"Yes."
"And you expect me to simply believe that you intend to use it for the good of the kingdom?"
Liser smiled.
"I expect you to judge me by my actions."
Grace studied him for a long moment.
Then she slowly shook her head.
"As I have already pledged my loyalty to you, I will not let you down."
Her eyes hardened.
"But do not mistake loyalty for obedience. If you ask me to destroy innocent people for your ambition, I will refuse."
Liser smiled.
"Good."
He looked at her with genuine approval.
"I would have been disappointed if you had said otherwise."
After some time, Liser and Kristina left to continue their little date.
The sun was already beginning to descend when they finally left the building.
A couple from two different timelines walked side by side, their hands clasped together.
Liser felt the warmth of Kristina's fingers.
They had held hands countless times.
Yet even now, the simple sensation still brought him happiness.
Kristina looked toward him.
"How will you create these weapons?"
Liser felt warmth spread through his chest.
There had been no questions.
No doubts.
No objections.
Throughout his previous life, Kristina had always stood beside him. Even after his rebirth, she had continued to follow him without hesitation.
Liser felt a deep sense of gratitude.
"My manor isn't in good condition," he said. "I'll pretend to become ill and leave the capital. With the help of Duke Grayrock, I should be able to obtain a manor somewhere suitable."
Kristina nodded.
"Then?"
"I'll use Ultas to establish an underground workshop."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"An underground workshop?"
"It's safer that way."
Liser's mouth curved upward.
"Then I'll begin producing gunpowder."
Kristina's expression became serious.
"There isn't much time before the expedition. It begins in roughly a month."
"I know."
Liser had not been idle since his rebirth.
He had already spent much of his free time designing weapons. One of his designs was a crude firearm based on principles he remembered from his previous life.
It was far from perfect.
In his previous world, the design would have been laughably primitive.
But this was not his previous world.
Magic had changed the materials available to craftsmen. Certain magical crystals possessed properties that had no equivalent in his former world. Skilled dwarven and human blacksmiths could also work metals in ways that would have been difficult with medieval technology alone.
With the right craftsman, Liser believed he could create a simple weapon capable of greatly increasing Grace's chances of survival.
"I've already drawn a blueprint," Liser said. "Could you take it to the best blacksmith you know and have him make it?"
Kristina smiled.
"Of course."
Liser nodded.
As for the gunpowder, he was not particularly worried about the ingredients themselves.
The main components were relatively simple.
Charcoal could be produced from wood.
Sulfur could be obtained from certain minerals.
The most difficult ingredient was saltpeter.
Nitrate-rich soil could be collected from places contaminated with animal waste and then processed through a series of purification steps.
It would be slow.
It would be unpleasant.
And it would smell absolutely terrible.
But it was possible.
Liser had also discovered another potential source of the materials he needed.
Certain magical crystals imported from the Dwarven Kingdom contained large amounts of potassium.
The dwarves and other skilled craftsmen used these crystals in high-level magic tools. The Dwarven Kingdom possessed rich deposits of potassium-bearing minerals, making the material relatively easy to obtain through trade.
After acquiring several samples from magic-tool craftsmen, Liser had conducted his own experiments.
He was not completely certain of their composition.
But after repeated tests, he was ninety-six percent certain that his theory was correct.
For the moment, that was good enough.
"It will be difficult for a while," Liser said.
"Yes," Kristina replied.
After a brief conversation, they fell silent.
They continued walking, enjoying each other's company.
Eventually, they reached a lake surrounded by willow trees.
Only Ultas and Kristina's maid had followed them.
The two attendants exchanged a glance.
Then, without saying a word, they quietly moved farther away.
Liser and Kristina sat down on the grass beside the lake.
The water was clear, reflecting the golden light of the setting sun.
For a moment, the problems waiting for them seemed far away.
The kingdom.
The nobles.
The expedition.
The weapons.
The future.
None of it mattered.
Not right now.
"It's nice to be with you," Kristina said softly.
Liser looked at her.
"Yeah."
Kristina lowered her eyes.
"I thought I would never see you again."
Liser's expression softened.
"But we are here."
Kristina looked at him.
"Yes."
"We're still here, fighting for our future."
"And our dream," Kristina added.
Liser smiled.
"And our dream."
The atmosphere between them slowly changed.
Liser turned toward her.
Kristina did not look away.
He leaned closer.
She closed her eyes.
Under the willow tree, beside the quiet lake, two people from two different timelines shared their first kiss.
There was no interruption.
No one came running to summon them.
No crisis suddenly appeared.
For once, the world left them alone.
The kiss was simple.
But to Liser, it was more meaningful than anything he could have imagined.
When they finally pulled apart, Kristina's face was flushed.
She quickly looked away.
"Our bodies are still not fully mature," she muttered.
Liser blinked.
Then he smiled.
"I know."
Kristina glanced at him.
"You do?"
"Of course."
She gave him a suspicious look.
Liser quietly looked away.
The truth was that he knew Kristina far better than anyone else.
She had always been more daring than he was.
Perhaps that was why, despite everything, he was secretly relieved that they still had time.
He was also relieved that his kidneys and back would survive a little longer.
Not that he knew what the future would bring.
There was no need to rush.
They had already lost each other once.
This time, they could afford to wait.
The sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.
Beside the lake, beneath the willow tree, two lovers sat together in silence.
The world was waiting for them.
But for that brief moment, they were content simply to be together.