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 61

Chapter 61   Loyalty of the Rillburn Family

I departed from Lebe, accompanied by Pokorina.

Our destination was the capital, Shampur.

I was going there to meet Master Schneider, the swordsmanship instructor at the royal palace.

As I walked through the capital, which was still filled with rubble, I made my way toward the royal palace.

Master’s room was in a corner of the Knights’ building within the palace.

“Hey, Shinker! Long time no see!”

“It’s been a while.”

Master was, as usual, soaked in alcohol.

Empty bottles littered the floor, and I couldn’t help but marvel that he still managed to work at the court.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Recently, I’ve become painfully aware of my own lack of strength. I wish to achieve a higher level of power! Please, instruct me!”

“Hmm… But as a noble, is it right to neglect the suffering of your people and focus on your own training? The people of the capital are still struggling after being burned out of their homes…”

“With all due respect, the capital is under the royal family’s jurisdiction. It is not my place to intervene.”

“Then isn’t it the duty of a vassal to assist the royal family?”

“Yes…”

“The Queen has issued a decree to recommend someone with the wisdom to break the current stalemate. I’ll recommend you, so go! You cannot train until you resolve the situation!”

“Y-Yes!”

It might have been the drunken ramblings of an old man, but I couldn’t refuse Master’s orders.

So, with the letter of recommendation in hand, I headed to the royal palace.

◇◇◇◇◇

I was escorted by a guard to the royal palace and led to the room of Chancellor Fischer.

“Pardon my intrusion.”

“Oh, it’s you, Marquis Rillburn. What brings you here?”

I handed the elderly, white-haired man the letter of recommendation from my master.

“Hahaha, so you’re here to enrich the royal treasury? It’s because we couldn’t rely on warmongers like you that the capital was ravaged…”

“I deeply apologize.”

Currently, Captain Alcock’s royal guard had returned, but Grand Marshal Clock’s forces were still engaged with the Garland Trading Nation in the west.

“To be honest, if you had returned any later, the defense of the capital might have been in jeopardy. You have my gratitude!”

“I am honored.”

A maidservant approached, offering a cup of fragrant tea. I accepted it and took a small sip.

“Now then, the royal estates have been devastated, and the capital is in ruins. We need someone with wisdom to find a new source of revenue… but surely there’s no easy solution, is there?”

The Chancellor asked, as if knowing no simple answer could exist. Indeed, finding a solution was far from easy. After a moment’s thought, I hesitantly spoke.

“The trade of iron and salt within the kingdom… If the royal family monopolized these, it could serve as a stable source of income.”

“What did you say? Are you out of your mind?!”

The elderly chancellor slammed his hand on the table, his anger clear. The monopoly of salt and iron was a crucial source of revenue for the noble houses. Intervening in such matters was taboo for the palace politicians, who feared rebellion.

“The one who profits most from the monopoly on salt and iron in the kingdom is Marquis Clock! And the second-largest beneficiary is your own house, the House of Rillburn, isn’t it?”

“You are well-informed. However, if the second-largest beneficiary were to offer up its monopoly rights to the royal family, wouldn’t the other lords follow suit? And besides…”

The Rillburn family’s primary source of income came from the sale of salt and salted fish. Additionally, the iron industry within our domain generated significant profits, second only to gold mining.

“And besides? What else?”

“Marquis Clock is still on the battlefield. He has not achieved results comparable to the damage suffered by the capital. Isn’t this an opportune moment?”

“Would the Rillburn family truly be willing to relinquish the profits from salt and iron?”

“Yes! But I would ask that it be limited to a period of three years.”

“Understood. You have my thanks.”

This proposal, known as the “Rillburn Family’s Loyalty” or the “Monopoly on Iron and Salt Proposal,” became a beacon of hope for the capital’s troubled reconstruction budget. Given the significant influence of the Marquis’ family, other noble houses with vested interests could not ignore this and agreed to a peaceful reduction in their revenues for the next three years.

◇◇◇◇◇

Three days later, in a corner of the knights’ barracks, I was summoned by my master.

“Haha! Marquis, your proposal this time was splendid, absolutely splendid!”

“…Haha.”

The thought of getting scolded by my steward, Adelheid, later made my stomach churn, and I could only manage a weak smile. However, Master Schneider decided to reward me.

“…What is this?”

It was a small glass vial, something I had seen before. Inside, there was a liquid with a rainbow-like shimmer.

“Hehe, it’s that magical potion. I don’t know what it does, though. I found it while wandering through the ruins of the capital… Do you want it?”

“Absolutely!”

I knelt and begged for it.

“For a marquis, you’re quite the greedy one…”

Master laughed at my desperate attitude. But I was always a lowly person to begin with. I had nothing to lose…

“Please, I beg you, grant it to me!”

“Alright, I’ll reward your great achievement with it!”

I took the vial from my master and drank it all in one go.

…Let this magic power become my strength!

I drank it with a strong determination. After I finished, Master tilted his head.

“But you know, Shinker, it takes time for that potion to manifest its power. Until then, why don’t you work on strengthening the magic you can already use?”

“…Yes, thank you!”

Just when I thought I was heading to the training ground, a desk and chair were set up instead.

“Shinker, first we start with theory!”

“…!?”

Theory… I’m really not good at that…