Chapter 105: The Other Side’s Growth

“Oops! Didn’t you want to ask about the Kingdom of Coruz before? Now we have the perfect person to ask.” George said to Green while they walked, “You’ve been gone for so long, tell me what the Kingdom of Coruz is really like. Is it exactly as the merchants described before?”

Green looked back with a nostalgic expression and said, “It’s partly the same and partly different. Besides the merchants exaggerating to raise prices, there are also differences in perspective due to where people are located.”

“I was mentally prepared for this, but your serious explanation almost scared me. You know how you used to be! You always seemed a bit cynical. Does this mean you’ve grown up after being away for almost a year?” George teased while looking Green up and down, but this time his gaze was much more restrained.

At George’s reaction, Green punched him in the chest with a fist that was full of fake anger: “Hey, don’t talk to me like my old man. You know you are two years younger than me!”

That punch meant nothing to George, but he immediately retorted, “Why make such a big deal? If you had as much pressure as I do, you’d probably turn out like me too.”

Green’s face clearly showed the word “Unbelievable”: “Bart and the others are also Heirs from their families. Why didn’t they turn out like you?”

“If their fathers were also stuck in Karada for so long without returning to their Territory, they wouldn’t be too different either. You know I’ve been managing my Territory since I was eight. With so many things to consider, a person’s mind naturally becomes too mature. When they start managing their Territories, in a few years they will likely end up like me.” George stood on his tiptoes to match Green’s height and looked him in the eye seriously.

After hearing George’s words, Green thought for a moment, then shivered and said, “Good thing I am a free man. I don’t want to try that experience.”

“Is that so? That is the lifelong dream of many people! We just got it easily because we were born into good families. Not everyone can be as uninterested in it as you are.” George asked with a look of frustration.

“Maybe I didn’t understand much in the past, but this trip let me truly see the price and ambition commoners show to climb up. Things we can get easily, they might spend their whole lives, even risking their lives, and still not get them. The world is just so unfair, don’t you think?” It seemed George’s words touched some deep thoughts in Green’s heart, so he sighed like that.

George stroked his chin, nodding with interest: “You really have grown a lot! You used to be unable to say such deep words! It seems you really went through a lot during the time we didn’t meet. Some things just can’t be reached by just watching or thinking; you have to experience them yourself.”

Green protested again at George’s tone: “I told you not to do that. Being with you always makes me feel like I’m your little brother.”

“I’m really sorry, but this habit is hard to change. Besides, I have no plans to stop.” George apologized jokingly with no sincerity at all.

Green glared at George and said, “I don’t think this habit needs to be kept.”

“Who said that? It helps others ignore my age to some extent, allowing me to have a more equal attitude when handling administrative affairs and negotiating with other organizations.” George showed off his good habit with pride.

“This is the price you pay for gaining power. My brother is the same. Remember when I was young, even on snowy days, he had to be dragged out of the house early in the morning for Knight training in the open ground. At night, he had to manage the Territory and study literature, and later he was sent to other Knight families for a four-year Squire training. Compared to his nearly abusive learning process, my own efforts really don’t count.” Green shook his head and then looked at George with tearful eyes full of pity. “And even if you become a Lord, what then? I have seen my father worry so much about the Territory’s affairs at night that his hair turned white. Just making sure there is enough tax revenue every year is not a simple task. Those are not the days I want to live.”

George shook his head, responding to Green’s somewhat libertarian words: “Everyone has their own ideals! This might not be the life you like, but it doesn’t mean others don’t like it. Besides, some people take that seat because of responsibility. Rights and obligations are equal. If you want to get something, you must pay a price, even if sometimes you ignore those costs.”

Green immediately got interested in George’s statement: “Is that so? That sounds quite reasonable! Just give me an example right now.”

“Do you find this interesting?” George clearly didn’t want to waste words on this, after all, it wasn’t the main purpose of their conversation.

“Of course.” Green insisted a bit.

“Alright! Since you are interested in this now, I’ll tell you properly today. Take the simplest example, like the book borrowing situation today. The Bokabu Temple’s borrowing plaque is not easy to get. If it weren’t for your Noble status, the tests and guarantees needed would be too much for you to handle now. Simply put, your status brings you convenience, but it also has a price. First, in the eyes of others, you are a member of the Farnsworth family, and this will never change.” Seeing Green was so persistent, George had to compromise and start explaining with examples based on his earlier words. “So when the family needs you, if you refuse, you might be despised by the world. Also, as a member of the Noble system in the Duchy of Nohan, even though you don’t have a formal title yet, you still have the duty to respond to the Duchy’s summons. Of course, unlike us Heirs, unless there is a major event concerning the country’s future, you won’t be sent to the battlefield. The exception is volunteering to earn merit for your future.”

Green scratched his head and thought for a while, feeling that George’s words made sense. Suddenly, he thought of something and said with a grin, “That’s true! But even if I go to the battlefield, I won’t have to charge to the front like you guys. It seems I chose the right path as a Bard.”

“Don’t say that. The situation on the battlefield changes in a flash. Staying at the back of the line doesn’t mean you are safe. Enemy ambushes could turn the rear into the front line in an instant. Besides, you have to be careful of stray arrows and hidden bolts, after all, a Bard’s survival ability on the battlefield is not as good as a Knight’s.” George immediately poured cold water on Green’s overly optimistic thoughts.

Knowing George meant well, Green continued to rub his hair, and then he joked with George: “You really like to steer the conversation toward war today. It looks like the pressure of going to the Northern Fortress for the first time at the end of the year is quite heavy.”

‘War might really be not far away.’ Thinking of this, George felt a bit down: “Maybe! How did the topic shift to this? Weren’t we talking about the customs and culture of the Kingdom of Coruz before?”

“Okay! I got a bit off-topic just now. Most of the time I spent studying in the South was inside the Kingdom of Coruz. How should I describe the feeling there? Forget it, I can’t summarize it well, so let me give examples.” Guided back to the right track by George, Green began to tell his experiences. “The Nobles there are not as stable as in our country. Fighting every other day is common. But most of the time it can only be called conflicts. Things like annexing other Noble Territories probably happen only once every ten or twenty years. However, the number of Private Troops or Guards in the hands of their Nobles is very small, and their combat power is not great. So after war starts, small conflicts directly hire Adventurers, while big ones contact Mercenaries in advance…”

Green talked endlessly to George about his experiences. It seemed that the overall status of Bards there was much higher than in Nohan. Not all Bards were combat professions, and there were quite a few who were purely artistic. Even among combat professions, those who could master music magic were not the majority. In Nohan, Bards with strength had high status, while purely artistic personnel had little status. But there, regardless of combat ability, as long as one excelled in art, they could gain social status. Some even received rewards from the King of Coruz and became lifetime Court Nobility that could not be inherited.

To George, this was completely putting the cart before the horse. With strong enemies outside and constant internal chaos, the ruler of a country should not be thinking about revitalizing the country and holding the sharp blade tightly in hand, but instead be indulging in romantic affairs and caring more about art than the nation’s fate. Perhaps he pinned all his hopes on an alliance with Nohan. If that were really the case, he would be a total useless teammate. Unfortunately, even if a teammate is useless, you still have to help them because if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.