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 65

MAP

Chapter 65   The Departure of the Diplomatic Mission!

Late at night, I used teleportation magic to return to Lebe. This magic isn’t powerful enough to transport other people—at most, it can carry a single Pokorina.

“Welcome back!”

I greeted the guards at the castle gate and entered the government office. While everyone else was fast asleep, I found myself buried in the paperwork that had piled up during my training.

The next morning—

Breakfast consisted of wheat bread with hot, fried eggs. Honestly, I would have liked some sausages as well, but I couldn’t afford to be that indulgent.

“Alright, let’s get started!”

I gathered my staff in the conference room to discuss various matters.

“What’s the status of the exam we talked about?”

I asked the elderly Arias. With the expansion of the territory, we had decided to select new castle officials through an exam.

“Yes, the exam is scheduled for around March, to be held while the general is away on campaign.”

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Understood.”

Arias, being a guest official, quickly headed home once his tasks were completed.

“Next, about the gold mine…”

I turned the conversation toward Kim.

“Yes, thanks to the widespread adoption of the cupellation process, output has increased. However, the development costs for the southern part of Shampur are rising, and it would be great if we could discover new veins…”

…Indeed. Originally, we were supposed to profit from the trade of iron and salt, but that was ceded to the royal palace.

Kim showed me the balance sheet for our house. As expected, the finances of our marquisate weren’t in great shape.

“Sell the gold bars we received earlier and use the funds to irrigate the new land. Recruit refugees and displaced people as future residents!”

“Understood.”

It wasn’t like a new gold vein was going to conveniently appear. So, I instructed Kim to find ways to increase crop yields.

“And how’s the mithril situation?”

“Yes, as per your previous instructions, we’re prioritizing equipping Her Majesty’s royal guard. The payment is expected around summer.”

Mithril is an excellent metal, but it’s difficult to process and requires a large amount of magic stones for smelting. As a result, the processing costs are quite high, and so far, the profits have been minimal. While selling it freely would bring significant profit, the Chancellor had prohibited this, fearing it might fall into enemy hands.

“Lager, how are the dried fish sales going?”

“Since we’re buying salt from the royal palace, our profits have decreased, but we plan to compensate with increased production.”

“I’m counting on you!”

“Yes, sir.”

The paperwork piled up like a mountain, and my hand was on the verge of breaking from all the signing.

“Adelheid, how’s the development of southern Shampur going?”

“As long as we don’t run out of funds, it’s progressing smoothly. There’s a tax exemption period this year, so tax revenue will start coming in from next year…”

“Thank you for your hard work. I’m relying on you.”

“Yes, sir.”

There’s a military campaign planned for March. We needed to prepare for the necessary military logistics. Additionally, many of the internal administrative matters had to be settled at the beginning of the year.

My staff and I worked tirelessly, with almost all of January consumed by internal affairs.

◇◇◇◇◇

February 566 of the Unified Calendar—

This February had less snow than usual, but the mountains were still heavily blanketed.

“My Lord, a delivery has arrived…”

“What could it be?”

I opened the box that had been delivered to find a pair of gleaming black gauntlets inside. They were crafted by the renowned artisan Udon.

If I recall correctly, they were made of orichalcum. I quickly tried them on, and they fit perfectly. The gauntlets were thinly made and extremely light.

“My dear, isn’t it about time for you to head to the lands of Cade?”

“Yeah, I know…”

Io reminded me of the unpleasant task ahead. And then, there was the issue of a gift. Diplomacy without a proper gift was difficult for me.

“I have no choice. Summon the merchant Hop!”

“Yes, my lord.”

Three days later—

Hop arrived, dressed in luxurious clothing that suggested he was doing quite well for himself.

“You summoned me, my lord?”

“Yes, I need gifts for the northern country. Can you find me something suitable?”

“Of course, my lord.”

After a short wait, he returned with large pearls from giant clams, along with corals, tortoiseshell, and other treasures from Gale. The cost was substantial, but this was a diplomatic expense for the nation. The royal palace was supposed to cover most of it.

“My lord, would you also need new attire?”

“…Hmm?”

Now that he mentioned it, I only had the same formal attire from my days as a count.

“My dear, perhaps you should get a new outfit?”

“Alright.”

I originally thought that only Io needed a new dress, but even Adelheid advised that I should dress appropriately for my rank as a marquis. Otherwise, I might not be taken seriously, so I decided to have new clothes made as well.

“My dear, why not go ahead and have new attire made for everyone?”

“…Ah, you’re right.”

At Io’s suggestion, I decided to update the formal wear for all my staff as well. We also ordered a new carriage for diplomatic purposes.

It seems that being a noble comes with considerable expenses. While these costs added up significantly, for some reason, Adelheid, our treasurer, didn’t show the slightest sign of displeasure.

◇◇◇◇◇

Mid-February, Unified Year 566――

“Depart!”

The diplomatic mission from the Rillburn family left Lebe Castle. At the head of the delegation was Adelheid, riding with a dignified and impressive presence. As the head of the mission, I traveled in a magnificent carriage.

By the way, Io stayed behind this time. I had only recently found out, but it seems she is pregnant.

We proceeded northwest along the tranquil country roads, crossing the snow-covered mountains, and entered the familiar land of Neville.