Chapter 73: Loyal and Devoted Rivalen
Noah's perspectives on certain matters were fundamentally different from those of the British or the Picts.
In present-day Britain, mystery hadn't completely faded, so for those whose ancestors had lived under the protection of the Age of Gods—regions with declining field yields, unpredictable grain production, food spoilage, pests, and diseases were considered death zones, veritable hells!
But for Noah—such lands were the world as he knew it.
Farming required considering weather patterns, guarding against pests, and laboring diligently to achieve abundant harvests—not casually scattering seeds and being inconsistent in efforts, expecting bountiful yields automatically.
After harvesting grains, careful distribution and proper storage were essential for preservation and utilization—not simply dumping them in a warehouse and considering the task done.
Food demanded meticulous seasoning and thoughtful preparation to become both delicious and wholesome—not just haphazardly roasting or boiling ingredients, then wearing puzzled expressions when Noah questioned why they seemed proud of such "advanced" culinary skills while he remained unsatisfied.
To Noah, surviving in such environments was taken for granted. But for Wakuri, this was unimaginable.
The British knights were largely unaware of Pictavia's circumstances. Those like Rivalen and White who knew—the former hadn't witnessed it firsthand, the latter trusted Noah too deeply to comment.
Scáthach merely raised an eyebrow without speaking.
But Wakuri the Pict stared dumbfounded at Noah's words, only snapping back to reality after Scáthach kicked him.
"...My King, can such lands truly be utilized?"
Noah laughed at his question.
"Are temperatures there uninhabitable?"
"No..."
"Is it overrun with magical beasts making it too dangerous?"
"No..."
"Then it's completely barren, frequently struck by disasters?"
"No..."
After three consecutive denials from Wakuri, Noah's fourth question stunned him into silence.
"Then why can't people live there?"
Wakuri remained speechless for a long moment before attempting to explain the region's problems, but Noah cut him off.
"If yields decline, tend the fields more diligently and select better crop varieties. If meat smells rank, refine cooking techniques to make it edible. If there are pests, eliminate them. If food spoils, plan distributions carefully. If diseases spread, gather herbs for treatment."
"Frankly—even unsuitable temperatures can be regulated through special means. Magical beast infestations can be cleared. Frequent natural disasters can be countered with specialized structures or even harnessed through governance!"
Noah's words left Wakuri utterly speechless.
He felt as if a door had opened in his mind, yet he couldn't grasp the specifics immediately—or rather, too many ideas surged forth at once, plunging him into confusion.
So Noah walked over to Wakuri and patted his shoulder.
"When you encounter difficulties, you solve them. You may have no way, but I do. As long as you find the right method, such problems aren't hard to resolve—but if you run away at the first sign of trouble, the difficulties will always remain there, and may even multiply. In the end, those who only know how to flee will gradually corner themselves as the problems grow more numerous and complex."
"So next time, don't tell me something is impossible just because you run into a little problem. I don't like that."
Noah left these words behind and then departed with his people.
At Noah's signal, only Wakuri and Scáthach remained in the room.
Wakuri was too shaken. He stood dazed for a while before finally speaking to Scáthach.
"Teacher... am I really too cowardly?"
If before, in the dungeon, when Scáthach said he surrendered without a fight, although he feared Scáthach, he still felt a slight hint of defiance in his heart.
He believed that situation was already hopeless, that victory was impossible.
But now, after hearing Noah's words, that lingering defiance completely vanished.
Hearing him say this, Scáthach raised an eyebrow.
"Do you still think I was lying to you with false words?"
Scáthach narrowed her eyes, and in that instant, the chilling aura she emitted scared Wakuri so much he jumped up.
Then, mid-air, he bent his knees, using a skill honed through countless repetitions—a perfectly refined technique—to drop directly to his knees on the ground.
A pained cry.
"S-sorry! I didn't mean that!"
Hmph.
Seeing him like this, Scáthach snorted coldly.
Then, Noah, who had already walked quite a distance away, once again heard Wakuri's screams from the direction of the tent.
Clearly.
That guy got beaten up again...
Sigh.
Although Noah didn't know what foolish thing Wakuri had done this time, he had no intention of meddling in such matters.
He still had to deal with the Great Northern Beast Tide.
Regarding the situation in Pictavia, he had told Scáthach everything he needed to. The alchemy equipment specifically developed for the circumstances here had also been prepared long before Noah came to Pictavia.
All of this would be handled by Scáthach.
As the Queen of the Land of Shadows, she was naturally adept at handling such affairs, so Noah didn't need to worry about matters here.
He just needed to trust Scáthach.
It was the Great Beast Tide that concerned him instead.
He even planned to try negotiating with those magical beasts.
But just as Noah was thinking this, Rivalen followed behind him.
The knights had dispersed by now, with only White secretly following Noah.
Rivalen thought no one else was around, which is why he approached.
"Do you have something?"
Noah had Mary with him, so even while deep in thought, he couldn't fail to notice Rivalen's movements—when Rivalen drew near, Noah deliberately waited a moment before turning around and speaking.
As Noah turned, Rivalen was pulling something out from within his robes.
When Noah turned around, Rivalen immediately knelt on the ground, then took out what he had been holding in his arms and presented it to Noah with both hands.
—It was a letter.
"Your Majesty, this is a letter sent to me by the other five lords from the north. They announced their impending arrival and even spoke disrespectfully of you in this letter! I, King Rivalen, disdain to associate with such rebels!"
Had Rivalen not witnessed Noah's kingly authority, he might have agonized over this letter for a long time after receiving it.
Although the other five northern lords hadn't truly intended to rebel against Noah, their disrespect toward him was undeniable. King Pellinore even wanted to test whether Noah possessed real capability.
But after witnessing Noah's kingly authority...
"Your Majesty, I suggest we set an ambush in Selkirk Territory, capture these five disrespectful fools, and behead them as a public example!"
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