Dragon Knight Chronicles ~ From a mere mercenary, rise to success through tactics! A small harem with the princess and the lord's daughter!? I'll also develop my territory! ~ - Chapter 60

Chapter 60   Desolation, a New Journey

“The truth is, we would like to acquire the land of Jif in the north.”

“…Huh? The land of Jif?”

“Yes.”

The land of Jif that the messenger requested was indeed inherited by me from Ove. However, the land is currently under the de facto control of the Fletcher Republic.

But according to the messenger, the actual desire for the nominal control of that land comes from Cade Confederation, an allied nation. Although it’s true that I received that land, the rightful heir would probably be Nataraja. It seemed appropriate to consult her before giving an answer.

“Could you give me some time before I respond?”

“Of course, take your time.”

For the time being, I sent the royal messenger back to the capital.

A few days later—

I summoned Nataraja, who was overseeing training in the countryside.

“You called for me?”

“Yes, it’s about the inheritance rights to the land of Jif. The royal palace has expressed interest in acquiring it.”

“I don’t mind, but…”

Nataraja mentioned that many of her retainers were deeply attached to the land of Jif, and they would like to discuss the matter together.

“I understand.”

As it turned out, after some discussions, it was revealed that Nataraja’s relatives desired a permanent settlement of their own. Therefore, we decided to name a part of the Rillburn family’s territory after Jif and offer it as a substitute land to her family.

In this way, the inheritance rights to the land of Jif were returned to Cade Confederation through the kingdom, resolving the matter.

◇◇◇◇◇

Unified Year 565, October—

I headed to the royal capital of Shampur, accompanied by Io.

The purpose of this visit was to express my gratitude to the royal palace for appointing me as a marquis. As the carriage entered the capital, the sounds of reconstruction were lively, and the city seemed to be bustling with activity.

“Marquis Rillburn, welcome. Unfortunately, Her Majesty is currently touring the realm.”

“Not at all, there’s no need to worry…”

The one who greeted me at the palace was Chancellor Fischer, the Grand Chamberlain. He welcomed us with warm tea and delicious pastries.

That night, I was shown to a guest room within the palace. As a marquis, I was assigned one of the finest rooms available.

The ceiling was adorned with a chandelier of gold and silver, and the bed had a large canopy. The floor was covered with a plush red carpet embroidered with gold, so luxurious that it felt almost disrespectful to walk on it with shoes. Io and I slipped into the opulent bed together.

“So, I’m finally a marquis… I’ve climbed as high as I can go.”

“You truly are remarkable.”

“…Hey, Io, now that I’m a marquis, is there anything you want?”

“Hmm, can it be anything?”

“Of course.”

“Oh, then I want….”

Io blushed as she said this and wrapped her delicate hands around my neck…

◇◇◇◇◇

“What is this place?”

I had arrived in the southern lands of Shampur, which I had been granted as a marquis. All the villages that should have been here were completely burned down, and the farmlands were overgrown with weeds.

“There’s no one here.”

Stallon’s mutter was futile.

The land assigned by the palace was scorched by the recent war.

“Stallon, this is serious!”

“…Indeed.”

If the farmland was left as it was, it would soon turn into wasteland. We needed to bring back farmers and manage it as soon as possible.

…However, thinking about it, I am the owner of the land. There was also the idea that anyone who would come to this land would be welcome.

“Stallon, return to Lebe Castle and get that war machine out!”

“Understood.”

Two weeks later—

“We are recruiting immigrants!”

Stallon and I personally went to the royal capital, Shampur, to recruit immigrants. We offered tax exemptions for the first year and also provided living expenses as a loan.

Since there were countless displaced people from the capital, we quickly succeeded in gathering the intended number.

Furthermore, the gathered populace had no means of transportation to their destination. They had belongings and some had young families.

“Keep bringing them out!”

“Yes, sir!”

I had repurposed the newly constructed war machines as emergency transport for the immigrants. Though it was an unglamorous first use, this approach allowed the relocation to proceed as quickly as possible, preventing the newly granted land from turning into wasteland.

“…However, this has cost a lot.”

“Yes.”

I returned to Lebe with Stallon from the newly acquired land. As he noted, the expenses for providing living costs to the new settlers and the tax exemptions had been significant.

The tax exemptions, which sound good, effectively mean that the tax burden falls on other regions. I anticipated a future where I would likely face a stern reprimand from Adelheid, the house steward and treasurer, at the Lebe administrative office.

◇◇◇◇◇

Unified Calendar, Year 565, November

On a beautiful night with a full moon.

Inside Lebe Castle, in the lord’s bedroom.

“…Hey, Io.”

“Yes, my lord?”

“Can I be away from this castle for a while?”

“…Yes, but why?”

“This experience has made me realize that the lord must be stronger.”

“Isn’t it enough to rely on everyone’s cooperation?”

“Yes, that is important too, but I want to be stronger myself. I want to go on a journey.”

“…Hehe, you’re so selfish. Please come back soon. Just make sure to show me plenty of affection tonight before you go…”

I was grateful to Io for her understanding and approval.

The next morning, I persuaded my retainers and set out on a journey for training.