Chapter 50 : Chapter 50
Chapter 50
Even after the meeting ended, Ian remained in Lier.
He couldn't leave his post because the agreement with the three domains was not yet finalized, but the mental burden was a greater reason.
The source of this burden was the paper covering Ian’s face as he lay in the middle of the training ground.
It was an edict that had come down less than two days after the meeting, appointing the young lord of the Moner family as the temporary head.
“My lord Duke, are you still contemplating?”
“Lina?”
At Lina’s now-familiar voice, Ian slightly lifted the letter to look at her.
“Contemplation is something that never ends.”
Perhaps it was because I had been lying in this place for several days.
I could feel the worry of everyone who came and went.
Maybe I was throwing a tantrum like a child to feel that affection even a little bit more.
“Don’t you have a plan this time as well?”
Lina, who had crouched down next to me, said as if it were no big deal.
“There’s always a plan, just no certainty.”
“Is there something even you are not certain about, my lord Duke?”
I chuckled at the surprise in her voice.
Who in the world could be certain about everything they do?
“Of course.
I don’t know anything about what has already happened, or what I have to do in the future.”
Would the things that had already happened come back to haunt me?
Would an unforeseen difficulty arise?
I revised and rechecked my plans countless times, fearing that the Black Noble Troop, that the Moner family, might suffer because of what I had done.
Because the lives that hung on my every step were no longer just my own.
After saying that, feeling as if I had shown a weak side, I awkwardly got up and spoke nonchalantly.
“Alright, I’ve rested enough, let’s get to work.
Which one is it today?”
To return to Central Hold, I had to end the negotiations that had been going on for several days.
“Countess Natasha has come today.”
At the news that Natasha had come, Ian, who was heading to the reception room, stopped in his tracks.
“Finally?”
An awkward meeting that he had been anticipating but wanted to avoid awaited him.
* * *
“I greet the great young lord of the Moner family, who protects the Demonic Beast forest.”
Natasha greeted him politely with the now-familiar greeting.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you since you became a countess.
I think I’ve called you several times already.”
“Ah, I, I wasn’t m-mentally prepared……”
Ian looked at her with indifferent eyes.
What must she be feeling, having lost her father and brothers in an instant?
How must she feel, having to bow her head obsequiously to the murderer who had killed them with his bare hands?
I knew that she hadn’t had a good relationship with her family, but there was no way of knowing what she herself thought.
Perhaps that small, frail girl was secretly honing the blade of revenge in her heart.
“Shall we begin our discussion?”
What the Moner family had to receive from Obsol was 150 million gold in compensation for breaking the contract with the Golden Goblin Merchant Guild, and half of the granaries.
Just as Ian was about to sit down with a businesslike attitude and take out the documents, Natasha, who was trembling as she looked at him, bowed her head slightly.
“Th-thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
At the unexpected words, I raised my head, and Natasha continued.
“Everyone tells me to hate you, Young Lord, but I know that it is thanks to you that the people of Obsol and the members of the Lord's Castle did not die.”
At her unexpected words, I tore my eyes away from the documents and raised my head.
Through her terrified, uncontrollably trembling eyes, I could see how much courage she had mustered to stand in this place and say those words.
“Thanks to me?”
“If a war had broken out, countless lives in Obsol would have been shed, and even if a war hadn't broken out, you could have demanded the deaths of all the remaining family members, including myself.
I don't know why you gave me such an undeserved position, but I really wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
At those words, Ian chuckled.
How long had it been since someone had thanked him?
She must have sat alone in the empty Lord’s Castle for days, contemplating.
Why she had survived, why the Lord’s Castle had not fallen.
And she must have realized.
That I had saved her out of necessity.
Contrary to that feeling, a cynical voice came out with a crooked smile.
“Countess, a noble must know how to hide their true feelings everywhere.
You shouldn’t bow your head or bend your back carelessly.”
As I said something Mogul might have said, I burst into silent laughter inwardly.
Sometimes, being honest like this was much more powerful than hiding one’s true feelings.
“If you are truly grateful, recall the knights stationed at the border as soon as you return to the domain and strengthen the defenses of the Lord's Castle.
The kingdom will never welcome an illegitimate daughter becoming a countess.”
“The kingdom……?”
“A noble who is a woman, and an illegitimate daughter at that.
They will never accept it.”
I swallowed a bitter laugh inwardly.
Natasha, who had succeeded to the title of countess as an illegitimate daughter, would never be able to set foot in the central noble society.
No one, except Moner, would recognize her as a noble.
In the end, from the moment she became a countess, she and Obsol would have no choice but to rely on the Moner family.
That was the plan from the beginning, and why I had wanted her to succeed Obsol.
“Thank you for the advice.”
As Natasha nodded and answered with a stiff face, the conscience that I didn’t even know I had, hidden in a corner of my heart, ached a little, just a little.
* * *
The negotiations with the three domains proceeded smoothly.
Merchen and Lyt, who had no way to repay the large sum of 200 million gold, agreed to extend the repayment period in exchange for giving the Golden Goblin Merchant Guild exclusive distribution rights to their food.
Obsol agreed to hand over half of its granaries to the Moner family, but considering their complete lack of farmers or agricultural technology, they would continue to farm as tenant farmers under a lease agreement.
With this, all three domains’ merchant guilds had collapsed, and the Moner family had acquired all of the food distribution rights of the three domains.
“Then shall we head back.”
Behind Ian, who had finished his preparations, the Black Noble Troop, which had grown to 40 members, and the Rangers followed.
Although there were no thunderous cheers or fluttering petals, it was a modest triumphal return to the Lord’s Castle after finally finishing a tiresome war.
“Let’s go.”
Thinking it suited the Black Noble Troop and myself, I was about to ride out as usual when I heard Lina’s loud shout from behind.
“All units─!
To the Duke, allegiance ─!”
Clang!
The sharp sound of the entire Black Noble Troop drawing their swords and holding them to their chests was heard.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
The sound of the Black Noble Troop and the Rangers stomping their feet in unison echoed like thunder on the road.
“What is this……?”
My heart tickled at the display of allegiance, something I had never seen since coming to this continent.
The members and Rangers, whom I had still thought of as uncomfortable, were looking at me with their heads held high and unwavering eyes.
In the pride and confidence they held, I could finally face them.
That I, that the change I had made, was standing there.
That I, who couldn't even be sure of my next step, had created a change I could be sure of.
As I was staring blankly at the scene, Lina, who had come up beside me, spoke.
“Although we couldn’t even swing our swords properly, everyone wanted to celebrate your victory, my lord Duke.”
My soldiers, who had been with me through all the moments I had thought were my own private war, raised their swords to me and repeatedly stomped their feet.
As if they trusted me.
As if they were proud of the victory I had achieved.
“Such a useless thing to do.”
Unlike my blunt voice, my cheeks ached from the corner of my mouth that had naturally gone up.
Seeing this, Reina came up close and asked.
“Young master, how do you feel?”
As if the answer was already decided, I unknowingly smiled and muttered.
“Fantastically happy.”
The magical spell that had protected me just a short while ago.
* * *
The next morning.
At the appearance of the scoundrel young lord, the Dark Elves, and the Black Noble Troop armed with swords, weapons, and black armor, the residents of Central Hold hid in their homes, and an unprecedented silence hung over the city.
Clank, clank, clank.
As Ian’s small army, which moved with a constant stride even after a march of over a day, moved, the startled residents hastily moved out of the way.
In the midst of this, a child holding a large loaf of bread ran out towards Ian at the head of the line.
“Come back right now, Terry!”
“No!”
At the sight of the child running with small steps, Ian raised his hand to stop the advance and got off his horse.
The child handed him the bread and hugged his leg.
“Thank you for the bread!”
This small, little child did not know who Ian was, or what rumors were spreading in the market.
He only knew that Ian had brought food, and that the merchant guild with the golden plaque had said it was thanks to the young lord and had handed out bread and food.
“My mommy said to always say thank you right away for good things, but my mommy is a shy person so she hid!”
Ian silently looked down at the child clinging to his leg.
“I only ate bread that hurt my tummy if I ate it every day, but now I can eat soft and delicious meat and bread every day!
My mommy and daddy are super excited!”
Ian, who was frozen in place, just watched the chattering child for a long time.
He had never imagined that someone would run up to him and express their gratitude.
No, more than that, he hadn't thought the citizens would know about this small war.
As Ian stood there, at a loss, worried that the child might get hurt if he moved his leg, a familiar voice came from somewhere in the distance.
“That’s right!
There’s no way the people of Moner wouldn’t know gratitude!
Thank you, Young Lord!”
‘Rick……?’
Clap, clap, clap.
At his shout, which seemed unlikely to express gratitude, a small round of applause began awkwardly, and soon grew into a roar of cheers.
“Waaaaah!
Long live Moner!”
“Long live Central Hold!”
“Long live soft bread!
Long live meat!”
Amidst the awkward cheers, Ian picked up the small child clinging to his leg and met his eyes.
The child, who was so happy about something, kept bursting into giggles.
“Thank you.”
I was not wrong.
Even though I had doubted and wavered countless times, I had brought smiles to their faces.
In the end, I had ended the quiet war in silence.
I was not wrong.
They did not know of the war, but they enjoyed the joy of victory.
What greater victory could there be?
A small message window appeared in front of Ian as he proudly advanced towards the Lord’s Castle.
[Title acquired. - Savior of the Moner Family]
- Reputation in Central Hold has increased.
- Some of the residents of Central Hold now support the young lord.
* * *
“Look, look, look at that smile.
He’s about to die of happiness, isn’t he, boss?”
Smack!
At Rick’s flippant voice, Rylae smacked Rick’s head with her fan.
“He deserves far greater cheers and gratitude than I do.”
From punishing the corrupt administrators and setting the cleric straight, to breaking the unity of the three domains.
If he had been the son of a lord from another domain, a full-body statue would have been erected in the square.
“Aigoo, to get bigger cheers than me, you would have had to spend all the money you earned this quarter.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.
Even if we didn’t spend money, that child would have run out, and people’s hearts would have been moved eventually.”
Rylae looked at Ian, who was moving towards the Lord’s Castle in the distance.
She had hired a few people to stir up the crowd to express her gratitude to him and to raise his reputation, but the child who had suddenly run out and the cheers that had spread through the streets were all changes that the young lord had created himself.
“Now, the Moner family can finally serve its true master.”
A monarch as great as the great previous dukes, or perhaps even greater, might have appeared.
“Ayy, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Smack!
Even as she hit Rick’s head with her fan, she chuckled.
Even though she had hired enough people to stir up the crowd, the reason Rick had run out to that spot and shouted was probably because he wanted to thank the young lord while watching the changing domain, even though he whined about being scared every day.
“Such a big boy, yet so dishonest.”
As Rylae turned and headed back to the merchant guild, Rick stuck to her like glue and made awkward excuses.