Today is December 27th. When I sent Lina to work, I dropped Lanivia off with her as well. Since I'm going to the royal castle for work today, it's inconvenient to bring Lani along.
I left Lani in Dex's care. I also told Dex to let her read books and not to worry—Lani never causes trouble. I'm just not sure if she'll get bored.
(Alright, time to get moving! I need to finish work quickly so I can pick Lani up!)
I rushed through my daily tasks, though milking the cows was no longer part of the list—because I'm gradually reducing the number of livestock. By the day before I leave, there won't be a single one left.
Once I depart, no one will be around to take care of them. Lina has her job, and definitely won't have time to manage animals. And Lani? Impossible. She's the one who needs looking after—how could she stay home alone?
The farmland, however, can still be left to the stone golems. I used "Plant Modification" to adjust all the crops so they'll be ready for harvest in two months.
I also prepared everything I need to install at the castle later. Then I started making a fruit cake for the queen.
After finishing the cake, it was already noon. I ate lunch and headed to the royal castle.
It had been a few months since my last visit. As I looked up at the castle gate, it was just as tall and magnificent as before—twice the height and width of my home's gate. I went over to speak with the gatekeepers.
"Hello, I'm Karen. I'm here under His Majesty the King's order to modify the gate."
When the four gatekeepers saw me, one of them stepped forward and politely responded.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Karen. We received notice this morning that you would be modifying the gate, along with the other instructions. Please take your time, we won't interfere."
I took out the fruit cake, sealed in a cake box, and handed it to the gatekeeper who spoke to me.
"Thanks. Please deliver this to Her Majesty the Queen."
He accepted the cake and bowed.
"Yes, of course."
After that, I made sure the castle gate opened outward, then started the work.
First, I carved out a space inside the wall and placed the battery in it. Then I installed a square hatch so it could be opened for maintenance. After that, I climbed to the top of the castle wall to install the solar panels.
Compared to magic stones for electricity, solar panels are simply better. Opening and closing a gate doesn't require much power. Besides, the sun here is ridiculously strong every day. There should be more than enough energy.
After spending some effort modifying the structure, the electric gate was complete. Next came testing. I asked the gatekeepers to step out of the gate's opening range, took out the pre-set remote, and pressed the button to open the gate.
The gate opened successfully, leaving the gatekeepers completely stunned.
I opened and closed it a few more times to confirm everything worked properly. Then I handed the remote to the gatekeeper who spoke earlier.
"This is the switch for opening and closing the gate. Press it once, and the gate opens. If you press it again when the gate is halfway, it will stop. Press it a third time, and it will close. Got it?"
The gatekeeper looked embarrassed.
"I'm sorry… I don't quite understand."
Perfectly normal. I handed him the remote and said:
"It's fine. Try operating it yourself."
"Yes, sir."
Once he tried it, he got it immediately.
"Mr. Karen, I understand now! It's actually pretty easy!"
The gatekeepers all looked excited—learning something new can be thrilling, after all. I smiled at them.
"Right? Not hard at all."
Then I pulled out my pocket watch. It was already four. If I don't hurry, I won't finish in time. I waved to them.
"I'm going to see His Majesty now. Keep up the good work—castle security depends on you."
"Yes, sir!"
After that, I went to look for the king. Since the palace was enormous, I stopped a noble along the way and asked where His Majesty was. The result? I got thrown out—and insulted over my status.
I didn't feel like wasting time on arrogant people, so I didn't argue back. I just walked out on my own.
Since I was already kicked out of the palace, I wandered around the castle grounds, hoping to run into someone I knew. First, I checked the knights' training grounds to see if the sword saint was there—he wasn't.
After that, I had no idea where to go. The royal family was most likely inside the palace, and I couldn't enter.
Well, I might as well keep walking around. I'll just treat this as a little stroll around the royal castle.
If I don't run into anyone, I'll just leave. I still have to install the solar lamp posts, and that won't take much time anyway.
Eventually, I arrived at the garden. The moment I saw it, all I could think was—it truly lived up to being the royal castle's garden. Vibrant colors, creative arrangements… it could even rival the flower fields in the dungeon.
(Lina would definitely love this.)
Unfortunately, I was the only one seeing this breathtaking view. If I knew I'd end up here, I would've brought my camera.
What a regret! Ahhh—!
I entered the garden and spotted a middle-aged man wearing a straw hat, holding a pair of shears. He was probably the gardener. The moment he saw me, he walked straight over.
"Hey, I don't think I've seen you before. Are you new here?"
Did he think I was a newly hired worker? Well, with how plain my clothes looked, that assumption wasn't surprising. I shook my head.
"No."
The gardener removed his straw hat, frowned, and shook his head with confidence.
"Impossible. I've worked here in the royal castle for over forty years. I know everyone."
Forty years!? A veteran employee?! That's impressive. Maybe gardening is his favorite things.
But from the way he reacted, he must have misunderstood my answer. Did he think I meant I had also worked here for a long time? Did he really remember everyone? Never mind, I should clear this up quickly.
"…Ah, no, you misunderstood. I'm not a castle employee. I came to see the royal family."
"Huh?"
Did he not hear me clearly? I spoke pretty loudly… or maybe he really couldn't fight against the natural erosion of time. I repeated myself, louder and more specific.
"I said, I'm here to see His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, His Highness the Crown Prince, Her Highness the Princess, and Duke Somart. I just need to find any one of them."
I almost forgot the Sword Saint. But as long as I met someone who could bring me to the king, that would be enough.
Please, just tell me if any of them are in this garden!
The gardener held up a hand, telling me to slow down, then asked with a confused look:
"No, no, I understand what you're saying. But if you're not an employee, and you're a commoner… how did you get in here?"
Ah, so that was his concern. Looks like time hadn't fully defeated his hearing yet. Normally, commoners couldn't enter the castle freely. But I wasn't "normal."
"His Majesty the King called me here."
When I said that, the gardener made a face that clearly meant You must be joking.
How rude. He placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke with pity.
"Young man, are you dreaming? I suggest you go back quickly. Sneaking into the royal castle is a serious crime. If it's bad enough, you could be executed."
Do I really look that clueless? Of course I knew entering the castle without permission was forbidden. But I had entered the front gate with the full approval of four gate guards. I am right.
I brushed his hand off and explained everything.
"No. I entered openly through the main gate with the guards' permission. I was going to the palace to look for His Majesty, but I had no clue where he was. So I asked the first person I ran into, and that person threw me out. So now I'm wandering around hoping to run into someone from the royal family."
The gardener placed his hand back on my shoulder and shook his head again.
"Young man, you're perfectly healthy. Why do something like this? You're still young; you have a bright future. Turn back while you can."
…Now he thinks I'm some desperate guy trying to beg for something? This is ridiculous. Is this what people call a generation gap? Talking more won't help—time to show proof.
I pushed his hand away again, put my hands on my hips, and asked:
"Forget it. Just tell me—are there any members of the royal family nearby?"
"Stop insisting. Nothing good will come of this."
Just tell me yes or no! What's with all the lecturing? I answered impatiently:
"You just need to say yes or no. I won't get you in trouble."
The gardener finally paused and thought for a moment before answering.
"Her Majesty the Queen and a group of noble ladies are in the pavilion nearby, having tea and chatting. But you really should listen to me. I've lived long enough to know these things—I'm not lying to you."
Finally! Information about the queen. Talking with the gardener for so long wasn't in vain after all.
But since he was giving me advice based on his "experience," I'd show him something new today.
"Take me there. I'll show you a different kind of result."
Having someone lead the way would definitely save time. The gardener sighed deeply.
"You really don't listen… Fine."
"Thank you."