[WildPocketMon has donated 100 Gold.]
'D, donation?'
No matter how I looked at it, the word donation was stuck there plain as day.
'I, is this a donation?'
I almost burst into tears for a moment, but they didn't actually flow.
That's how overwhelmed I am.
It's been about 2 years since I started serializing saying I'd write.
It was finally the first time I received a donation.
I'm choked up and want to bow deeply to WildPocketMon, but the problem is-
'Why now of all times!'
The timing is quite bad.
If I received it outside, I would have captured this note, set it as my wallpaper, and looked at it every day grinning, but here, it is just a pie in the sky, nothing but wishful thinking.
[You have received your first donation.]
[The Gold Shop opens!]
[You can trade with the donated Gold.]
...Was almost what I said.
Right, since the number of favorites has become my lifeline and my actions become a novel, there's no way the gold received as donation is useless.
Cash shop.
Isn't it a system arranged quite intentionally for me!
That Lucas guy seems to have a conscience.
Beaming with joy, I hurriedly summoned the Gold Shop.
Just by thinking of it in my mind, a translucent window floated before my eyes.
Indeed, should I say it's like a cash shop.
-Moonlight Sword Technique 1,000,000G
-Hundred Steps Divine Fist (sale!) 820,000G
.
.
.
The ripping off of users is tremendous enough to make 3N go away.
What I have is a mere 100G.
However, the average price of the Gold Shop is a tremendous level far exceeding that.
'Fuuuck, are you playing with me!! How is there nothing I can buy with 100 Gold....'
[Setting price, searching for 100G or below.]
'...There is one.'
There was exactly one.
-Language Mastery (Open Limited Special!) 100G
Just one.
If there is a fortunate thing, it is that it is the thing I need most right now more than anything else.
'I'll buy! I'll buy it, I'm buying!'
[Language Mastery has been purchased.]
The Language Mastery displayed in the Gold Shop turned into a cluster of light and began entering my head.
It doesn't feel like anything changed in terms of feeling.
"Hmm..."
Glancing around, the book I was reading earlier caught my eye.
– Written by Heinz.
"Oh..."
There is an effect.
The title that was just squiggly drawings reads clearly.
"Is there something you are looking for, Master."
Not only that, the servants' words that I couldn't understand at all began to be heard vividly.
"...I'm thirsty."
Words come out properly too.
Long live the Gold Shop!
Long live WildPocketMon!
As one worry decreased, suddenly my appetite returns.
...But I can't just stuff my face suddenly, so I cut it small as I used to and ate little by little, savoring it.
'Delicious!'
The meal that felt like chewing sand feels like something heavenly.
Originally this must have been the true taste.
As my stomach starts filling with a delicious meal, hope seems to spring up.
***
...My ass.
Just when I thought I dealt with one, a new crisis loomed before me.
"His Majesty... wishes to see you."
"Yes, so I came to escort you personally, Sir Kraus."
The King's summons.
You might think it's no big deal, but this is a huge deal.
Summoning order.
In the first place, Lucas obtaining the peerage was also because the King of Aeroc, who thinks Lucas is strong, gave it to him as he pleased.
Now is the time to pay the price.
Lucas received what was given, but I have to solve it.
How can it be this unfair!
Furthermore, there is a huge problem.
According to my setting, Lucas is thrown into the middle of a battlefield before being appointed as a professor.
With tremendous luck, he survives alone, and after that becomes a professor at Glasco-
'I never described that process in detail.'
I only mentioned it slightly to show the aspect of the gag character Lucas where misfortune and fortune coexist, but I didn't describe at all how Lucas survives and how he avoids crises.
Moreover, at the time, it was a period where readers also had no interest in Lucas, so I didn't allocate deep story to it separately.
I just glossed over it with the single phrase 'Lucky.'
But now is not a situation where 'Lucky' will work.
It means I have to face it directly.
'Absolutely not!'
But I can't run away from here either.
Since I've eaten something, if I just swallow it and run, it was obvious a terrifying pursuit would follow.
[Favorite Count : 2]
What bothers me most is exactly that.
Favorites.
Avoiding this kind of event might become the cause for the 2 I barely raised to turn into 0.
What reader in the world would like the protagonist in a novel blabbering things like 'Ah, I'll just skip this crisis!'?
A novel must have continuous incidents.
A novel without incidents is no different from being dead.
But, the big problem is that if this novel dies, I die too.
'First, it means I have to see the King guy's mug....'
It's gloomy.
But without showing it at all, I nodded.
"Let's go."
***
Aeroc's Royal Capital, Yuged.
It is the most prosperous kingdom in my novel.
And it is also the place that collapses first starting from Glasco.
As I was looking at the view bitterly, the attendant spoke to me.
"It is the entrance to the Royal Castle soon. Inside the Royal Castle, wearing arms is impossible except for authorized personnel, so please take them off. If detected by the barrier, the Black Lion Knights will be dispatched, so please be careful not to leave anything out just in case."
It means if I have any hidden weapons or such stashed away, hand them over on my own.
As if I'd have something like weapons.
I've never even held a kitchen knife properly.
Maybe if it were a fork or knife.
"Seems you have none. Good."
The carriage passed through the castle gate very slowly.
The attendant who was examining my side closely also withdrew his suspicious gaze once we passed completely.
"Please understand if you were offended. Escorting a strong person like Sir Kraus into the Royal Castle also entails great danger."
I'm not that dangerous.
Well, there's nothing good for me if I open my mouth unnecessarily, so I kept my mouth shut tight and just looked ahead.
To be exact, I fixed my gaze on the number 2 that was being maintained precariously.
Even after passing the castle gate, we ran for quite a while before arriving at the main castle.
Since it's the most prosperous place in the worldview, the Royal Castle is also uselessly wide.
I could only reach the front of the door after passing several layers of security until the audience chamber where the King waits.
"Your Majesty, Count Lucas von Kraus has arrived."
"Let him enter."
As the King's permission fell, magic circles floated up from the door and I could see the magics that were cast in several layers being released.
"...Triple, no, quadruple is it."
Oops, a mumble popped out unconsciously at the dazzling display of the magic circles.
I should be more careful living here from now on.
Towards not opening my mouth as much as possible.
***
"...Triple, no, quadruple is it."
Romero, who brought Lucas here, had his heart in his mouth the whole time he was with him, but this time the surprise was greater.
'No, how?'
The barrier installed on the audience chamber door is the core security device of this castle directly installed by the absolute being of centuries ago, Archmage Cayenne, and the only one who knows that fact is the King.
But Lucas saw through it accurately just by glancing.
That's not all.
Didn't he see through the presence of the secret guard who had been hiding the whole time coming here, and engage in a staring contest with him while moving?
Although it is a single promotion peerage, he is indeed an existence who won the title of Count with that martial power.
It is certain he is a figure to be used greatly for Aeroc.
However, because he is that level of strong person, he couldn't help but be more tense.
Because if a strong person of Lucas's level put his mind to it, he could harm the King even without something like a weapon.
Maintaining his tension, Romero led Lucas in front of the King.
***
-Count Kraus.
Thank you for responding willingly to such a sudden call.
A heavy low voice rang out from behind the huge veil.
'Hm?'
At the sense of incongruity felt for a moment, I raised my head and looked beyond the veil.
Appearance worthy of a monarch of a country and presence felt even beyond the veil.
The existence before my eyes was strong enough to make all the hair on my body stand up.
However-
"It is His Majesty's presence. Show respect."
The person called the attendant who brought me urged.
He was scolding me with a solemnly composed expression.
I couldn't understand this situation at all.
'The King of Aeroc in my novel is....'
I looked straight at the attendant.
"Sir Kraus!"
Astonishment appeared on his expression.
Seeing that expression, I felt like laughter would burst out.
It was harder to endure because of the wart dangling on his earlobe.
I had to hide my expression.
I hurriedly bowed my head.
"Please forgive the discourtesy, Your Majesty. Subject, Lucas von Kraus. Sees the Sun of Aeroc."
"...."
"...."
Silence hovered in the presence.
The one I showed respect to was not the King beyond the veil, but the attendant who brought me here.
"No, Sir Kraus..."
Bewilderment squeezed out from his mouth.
"As expected, you knew."
Obvious words.
The King of Aeroc I described is a man whose physique is small and whose feature is a wart on his ear.
'But I didn't write the setting that he uses a 'shadow' separately.'
Well, since I didn't describe the Aeroc Royal Family side in detail, this much is within permissible range.
If I weren't the author, I would never have noticed.
"How did you know? I thought you didn't notice at all during the last title conferment ceremony."
Look at this.
Originally Lucas didn't know.
"...I knew."
"Hoh, you noticed even then? I see. So you were considerate of me because of other nobles' eyes. Sir is not only martial power, but also quite quick-witted. Hahaha!"
Aeroc's King laughed in satisfaction.
"Sorry for deceiving you. I apologize if you were offended. Having ascended the throne at a young age and lived under threat of life my whole life, I cannot easily trust people. That is also the reason why there is no one who knows that the person sitting there is my shadow. I switched from a very young age so no one noticed. Except for you."
He slowly approached the front of the veil and lifted it.
The 'shadow' who was originally sitting showed extreme respect to him and stepped back.
And he naturally sat on the empty throne.
"I am the very King of this Aeroc, Romero Van Aeroc."
He, whose presence was faint until now, exuded the atmosphere of an emperor as if he was never otherwise as soon as he sat on the throne.
It was natural as if an incomplete painting was completed.
His physique is small, but even that is a gimmick to deceive people's gazes.
He- was a born monarch.
"Well, there's no need to beat around the bush to the Sir who noticed even my shadow. I will speak the main point right away. Go to Igner."
Fuck.
A curse was about to pop out naturally but went back in.
As expected, this summons was for conscription.
If speaking of Igner, it is the front line with the currently most gloomy situation.
In a word, a death place.
I absolutely can't go.
Originally I don't know how Lucas survived, but I am not him.
I started rolling my brain to survive.
I don't want to die.
Therefore I absolutely will not go to Igner.
However, that is a strict royal order.
And I am a noble of Aeroc.
Refusal of a royal order can lead to death penalty.
Because it is common in this kind of worldview.
Furthermore, since Aeroc is a country with quite strong royal authority, nine out of ten it will end up like that.
"...I cannot receive the order."
"Hoh, even though there is what I gave you?"
"If you wish, I will return it."
"Oh my, seems you didn't understand properly."
As Romero's words finished, the 'shadow' standing behind began to move.
A fine crack appeared at the gesture of his hand and a new space appeared, and a sword hilt peeked out from within it.
All this happened truly in an instant.
If it were a normal person, their throat would have been cut by that sword before even recognizing the existence of the sword.
But to me, it was 'visible'.
The moment the 'shadow' was about to draw the sword.
I could barely open my mouth.
"That sword, do not draw it. You will die."
Me.