Restart:Untalented Man-Chapter 438: Extended Vacation

"Well, this is bad."

"What is bad?" Theodora curiously asked.

She was somewhat displeased. Though it was only a short break, it was a rare opportunity for her to spend time in different places rather than being stuck at the office.

Yet, a problem came to them unexpectedly and disturbed the quality time she had hoped to spend with her husband. Judging by the expression on her husband's face, Theodora surmised that it was not a small matter. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Inver is asking for help," Riz stated.

"Why? We have nothing to do with their war," Theodora responded.

She would prefer Riz to refuse the request. After all, Ryntum is not a charity organization or a selfless hero. They never regard themselves as one to begin with, so why should they get involved?

In her view, it would be a waste of resources and energy to embroil themselves in conflicts that did not directly concern the interests of their kingdom.

Riz explained, "Currently, their opponent, the Inverloch Empire has successfully pushed them back repeatedly. Inver is in a bad position. They lost so many resources and manpower in the process of defending themselves. I don't think they will last long. On the other hand, the Inverloch Empire has successfully recovered one of the two previously lost cities. I doubt the Inverloch would stop at that point."

"I see," Samuel chimed in, "If we don't stop the Inverloch, there's a high possibility that the Kingdom of Inver will be swallowed. Once it happens, the entire southern part will become the territory of Inverloch."

Riz try to imagine the scenario. Just thinking about it made him shudder.

Inverloch's landmass would double, extending its territory from east to west and providing them access to the sea on three sides, east west and south. Such expansion would not only reshape the balance of power but also have far-reaching implications for the entire southern region.

This was something that even Ryntum didn't possess. It was important to note that Ryntum had to fight wars just to gain a mere stretch of shoreline.

To further complicate the scenario, Ryntum had to share a long border with Inverloch if the empire decided to eat its rival.

From a resource perspective, Inver was rich in valuable minerals. While Ryntum had its own resources, Riz was unwilling to witness the emergence of such a self-sufficient empire on its doorstep.

Perhaps the scariest part of all was the sheer size of Inverloch's population.

Even if the Inver Kingdom were razed to the ground, the territory could be easily rejuvenated with people.

The issue of population was the main reason for Riz's general reluctance to get involved in numerous conflicts. He wanted the soldiers who had spent a long time in war to be near their homes and procreate.

One might say Riz does not take a golden opportunity to expand his kingdom. With the advantage of advanced weaponry, it will be an easy task to conquer one or two countries.

However, Riz disagrees. A hasty expansion will cause a rapid collapse. Ryntum's reputation will plummet and most likely, an alliance against him will form.

No matter how many advantages Ryntum had, countries will gain the courage to band together once they face an existential crisis.

He was also well aware that giving time could potentially allow other countries to catch up with Ryntum in terms of technological advancements.

However, this aspect did not overly concern him. He is confident in the kingdom's research capability since he has been pouring so much money into education.

Education was one of the earliest sectors he paid attention to.

In his opinion, the true differentiator between developed and developing countries lies in research strength— the ability to materialize ideas and imagination into the physical world.

Riz looked at Theodora and Charlotte. "I don't think I can go home today. If you want to return first, then go ahead."

He was not worried about them too much. With the train, they will arrive at Bideford in a couple of hours.

Since Theodora and Charlotte were already in a vacation mood, they were reluctant to cut their leisure outing short and return to the capital. Seizing the opportunity, they decided to enjoy a short vacation instead.

The only problem is..., "But our clothes..."

"Don't worry, my queen and my lady. You can wear my clothes for the time being. I just don't know if it fits your taste," Samuel's wife, Aurora, kindly offered.

Theodora, not overthinking the situation, accepts the offer. "Then, we will take your offer, Lady Aurora."

She and Charlotte really hadn't brought spare clothes. They don't even prepare money to buy some.

It was an impromptu outing.

Either way, it is decided that the three of them will stay in Samuel's mansion for the next few days.

"We should move to another place, Your Majesty. This is not a suitable place to be talking about national concerns," Samuel suggested.

Riz looks around him. There are hundreds of people looking at the steam train. "Yeah, let's do that."

With the steam train standing prominently in front of them, the crowd seemed more preoccupied with the marvel of engineering before them than the presence of the king and his entourage.

As such, the royal group discreetly exited the train station and rode the horse carriages prepared beforehand.

....

At Samuel's mansion, the king and the governor sat opposite each other. The women had disappeared somewhere, escorted by Lady Aurora.

"How do you plan to deal with this request, Your Majesty?"

"How many soldiers are stationed here?"

"Five thousand. We can muster more if you want. If the total number wasn't enough, we can conscript more from neighbouring provinces." Samuel responded, thinking his king planned to raise an army.

Riz shook his head. "No need, we're not going to join the war. We are going to stop them. The Kingdom of Inver and the Inverloch Empire has been fighting long enough. The outcome was visible in our eyes so there no need to prolong the war."