After the king's words, an uncomfortable silence filled the room. Honestly, I had no idea why everyone was so quiet. Both the king and Albert remained silent, so for some reason, I thought it best to follow their example. But seriously, why did the king have to bring up this topic? Usually, people just pretend they've never heard of it, right?.

I had a torrent of thoughts flooding my mind, but none of them seemed to offer a solution to the situation I found myself in. In my previous life, I never had any experience with girls or even managed to get a girlfriend, so how the hell was I supposed to handle the fact that her father found out his daughter was no longer a virgin? Someone, please give me an answer.

“Ren”

As I pondered this situation, the king's voice echoed in the room, causing me to glance up at his face. His expression seemed calm, and I really couldn't grasp what his thoughts were at that moment.

“... Yes?”

After responding with a question, silence hung in the air for a few seconds. Then, the king's voice echoed again.

“Please take care of Emi”

The king's serious and composed expression as he spoke was evident. I realized his words were sincere, and therefore, my next words also reflected my determination regarding Emi.

“Certainly, my lord. My love for Emi runs deep, and I am willing to do anything for her. Despite my immaturity in various areas, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make her happy”

Upon hearing my words, a faint smile appeared on the king's face as he nodded.

“I am glad to hear that”

He said. However, his expression soon became serious again. This time, I sensed that the emotion he conveyed was different from before. When we talked about Emi, his serious expression showed the concern of a father worried about his daughter. However, now, his serious expression reflected the concern of a king for his nation, or at least that's what it seemed.

“Now, let's return to the main reason I called you here”

Saying these words, he pulled out some papers from under the table and placed them on it. To my surprise, instead of looking like documents, they resembled more like letters. As I watched the king attentively, I noticed his eyes were fixed on me. Coupled with the fact that he wasn't uttering a word, I deduced he possibly wanted me to read the letters. And that's exactly what I did.

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While reading the messages, a series of information was presented before me. It took me some time to fully absorb the content of the letter since, while reading, I also internalized every word written. After finishing reading, I raised my gaze toward the king.

“This... is quite a lot of information to take in all at once”

Upon hearing my words, a small smile appeared on the king's face. He leaned back on the couch, and his voice echoed through the room.

“I suppose it is”

After these words, silence once again dominated the room. Although I couldn't discern the thoughts of the king and Albert on the matter, mine remained the same, if necessary, we will respond with retaliation.

“Well, for now, you don't need to worry too much about it, Ren”

Albert, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke. As he did so, he reached out towards the letter and picked it up.

"We'll probably receive more information soon. There's no need to jump to conclusions based solely on a single letter"

I looked at Albert and nodded in agreement with his words. Just as he had mentioned, it was still too early for us to jump to hasty conclusions. There was something we should do before that. Additionally, unexpectedly, the king also seemed to share the same thought as me.

"Initially, we will send spies to the opposite continent. They will infiltrate among the citizens to gather information about their culture and technology"

Listening to the king's words, I nodded in agreement. As he had mentioned, we didn't need to worry about it so much at the moment. Besides, there were other matters I needed to address. While pondering over this, the king continued with his speech.

"Furthermore, this information that would take days to reach was delivered in just one day, all thanks to your invention of the steam train. Your technology has greatly facilitated the spread of information"

After saying these words, he brought the cup back to his mouth, taking a slight pause before continuing.

"With this, we can rest a bit more, as we will be quickly alerted if something happens"

After that moment, our conversation became considerably lighter. We moved on to discuss various other topics, and a few hours later, I finally bid farewell to the king and Albert, heading towards Emi.

On the way, I came across a blonde hairdresser near the castle. In the background, I saw Lucas, whom I only knew superficially, practicing with a sword. Although we hadn't interacted much, I knew of his fondness for swords and knightly matters.

"Oh, Ren"

He said, noticing my presence, approaching me. Suddenly, he raised a wooden sword in my direction.

"How about some training?"

Lucas asked, with a smile on his face. Honestly, I wasn't very interested, but I thought it wouldn't hurt if it was just for practice. Anyway, I'd probably lose badly, as I hadn't touched a sword in years.

"Sure, why not?"

With these words, I took the sword and followed Lucas to the field. Both of us positioned ourselves at a considerable distance from each other.

"How will we decide the winner?"

I asked. Upon hearing my question, Lucas assumed a thoughtful stance. A few seconds later, his words echoed almost like a shout.

"The first one to drop the sword loses. What do you think?"

He proposed. Mentally agreeing, it seemed like a good way to decide.

"Alright, then, let's begin"

With these words, Lucas and I started a race towards each other.