Chapter 3 – Grafald Territory – Two weeks ago

It all started two weeks ago. That night, I was meeting with my father, Jost.

“cough cough… Good of you to come, Deil.”

“Father, please stay lying down.”

The moment he saw me, Father tried to prop himself up in bed.

But his condition was obviously bad—you could tell at a glance. I urged him to lie back.

(He’s way more weakened than the last time I saw him… He doesn’t have much longer…)

He was my father in this world, and the territorial lord. I felt genuine respect for Father Jost, mixed with pity.

Being territorial lord means undeniably holding the top spot in the Grafald Autonomous Territory. Father had held that position for years. But it came with endless suffering.

He always had to read the moods of both great powers, maneuvering carefully not to provoke them. His wives’ words carried their countries’ intentions, and he had to decide which child would succeed him.

Looking at Father made me think: Yeah, “status” really is everything. How strong a position you hold pretty much decides your whole life.

But the trick is having a position that’s moderately strong.

Once you reach territorial lord, you end up having to defer to even higher powers—the great powers themselves.

(Where your status lets you throw your weight around… Just look at Ms. Yamagure from my previous life…)

She couldn’t act tough inside the head office either. She could only play the strong one against local subcontractors.

Same with me now. Inside the territory I’ve got a solid position, but change the stage and suddenly I’m the weakling.

Father Jost holds the greatest power within the territory, but as territorial lord he has to negotiate with both great powers—never from a position of strength.

That’s why I couldn’t help feeling both respect and pity for the man who’d lived as lord all these years.

“I think back… I wasn’t able to do much as a real father to you…”

“That’s not true. I grew up watching your back as you governed the Grafald Autonomous Territory.”

“Heh… Because you’re Mary’s son, I wanted to treat you as just a father, not the lord… But my position wouldn’t let me.”

Father spoke quietly. He’d married women from both the Holy Noucrates and the Auranz Union—purely political. All to produce an heir tied to one of the powers who’d become the next territorial lord of Grafald.

And in the middle of all that, I was born to the woman he actually loved—my mother.

But as territorial lord, officially marrying a commoner woman was nearly impossible. Father must have wrestled with it.

He’d been reminiscing, but then his expression turned serious.

“I don’t have long… I intend to name my successor soon.”

“…”

“It’ll be Cardon. There’ll probably be conflict with Edward… but I want you to support Cardon.”

“…Understood.”

Cardon—meaning the territory would lean toward the Holy Noucrates. It was surely Father’s decision after long deliberation.

“Deil. Ever since I became territorial lord, I’ve lived for this Grafald Autonomous Territory. Even now, sick as I am, I’m still thinking about what I can do for it… Do you know why?”

“Because the position of territorial lord demands it?”

A position too strong brings heavier obligations and responsibilities.

The lord has to run the government while watching both great powers’ faces, making sure the people never go hungry.

But Father looked at me and gave a soft smile.

“It’s nothing that grand. I just love this Grafald Autonomous Territory. Meeting Mary, and then you—it was incredible luck. I wanted to keep protecting the land that gave me that luck… That’s the only reason I’ve been able to stay lord all this time.”

His words hit me hard—I’d been obsessed with status.

No… more accurately, I couldn’t even comprehend what he meant.

(Not because of the position of territorial lord… but simply as someone who loves this land, he endured that role for decades…?)

…No way. Just that alone couldn’t possibly let someone shoulder the crushing weight of being territorial lord…

“Deil. Do you like this autonomous territory?”

“…Yes. It’s the land that raised me without ever wanting for anything. It’s in a tough spot, sure, but there’s no reason I wouldn’t like it.”

That was the truth. When Father asked if I liked it, the answer came out naturally.

Part of it is being born privileged, but the fishing port means incredible seafood. I loved fish in my previous life, so that alone makes me happy.

The northern mountains rise majestically—great views everywhere. The Grafald Autonomous Territory really is a calm, wonderful place.

“I see… I hope you keep liking it from now on.”

“…”

Father probably had all sorts of hopes for me.

But in that moment, all he asked was that I keep liking the Grafald Autonomous Territory.

And… that turned out to be our last conversation. Two days later, Lord Jost—the man who’d ruled this land for so many years—finally passed away.

Naturally, Lord Cardon would inherit… or so I thought.

But then Lord Edward started kicking up a storm, claiming, “Father’s will explicitly names Edward as the next territorial lord!”

Since Father had told me who he’d choose, he’d surely told Lord Cardon the same.

“That will is forged. Insulting Father’s wishes is a grave crime,” Cardon shot back, digging in for total war.

Once word spread, both great powers would get involved sooner or later. At that point, even Lord Cardon’s position could flip.

And the move Lord Cardon chose… was assassination. Well, not officially—but he almost certainly planned to eliminate Lord Edward right then and there.

Lord Cardon gathered soldiers and stormed Lord Edward’s mansion, under the pretext of “evidence proving the will Edward produced is fake.”

On the surface it was an arrest, but the plan was almost certainly to kill him if he resisted and pin some excuse on it to wrap things up.

It was a dangerous mess, but since I’d declared support for Lord Cardon early on, I figured it didn’t concern me.

I planned to sit back and watch from the sidelines… until shocking news reached me.

“A fight broke out between Lord Cardon and Lord Edward… and both of them died…”

“…What!?”

Lord Cardon had stormed the mansion, but it turned into a real, deadly brawl… and in the end, both were dead.

Lord Edward’s mother had been in the mansion too and got caught up in it. Incidentally, Lord Cardon’s mother had returned to the Holy Noucrates years earlier.

She and Father Jost apparently never got along, and she went home after fulfilling her duty to bear a child.

“Lord Deil… Starting today, you are the territorial lord of the Grafald Autonomous Territory.”

The one bowing as he said this was Zeph, the civil official who’d supported Father for many years.

His white hair came into view as he bowed, but for his age the top of his head showed no sign of balding.

“No no no no… This is way too sudden! Me!? Territorial lord!?”

“Yes. There is no one else left who can inherit this land. And… we must declare your ascension quickly, or troublesome things will happen.”

Zeph looked up, his eyes completely serious.

“Troublesome things…?”

“Surely you already understand without me saying it, Lord Deil?”

“…You mean both great powers will start meddling.”

“Precisely.”

Not much time had passed since Father’s death. The great powers were probably planning to simply send envoys once the new lord declared ascension.

But once news of the brothers killing each other reached their home countries, everything would change.

They might see this as a chance to somehow fold the Grafald Autonomous Territory into their own nation… and start making moves. That possibility couldn’t be ruled out.