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 85 Shinker Becomes a Baronet

Unified Calendar 567, February—

The snow continued to blanket the mountains in white, signaling that spring was still far off. Even the lowland villages were frequently hit by blizzards.

On a clear day, I was summoned to the government office in the port town of Enkera.

“Sir Reister, the defeat of the demon noble was truly commendable! Therefore, you are hereby appointed as a baronet, a vassal of the Rillburn family.”

“Thank you! I shall serve the Duke with even greater dedication!”

I received the letter of appointment and a pouch of gold coins as a reward from the steward, Adelheid. In the Owen Kingdom, noble titles were typically granted by the king. However, high-ranking noble families could bestow titles upon their vassals, which the royal family would then confirm.

“Congratulations on your promotion, my lord!”

On the way back from the government office, Belchi, the ghost archer disguised as a retainer, congratulated me on my promotion.

…By the way, my vassal, Lord Bartholomeus, is a count in the demon realm. It feels like the hierarchy is a bit out of order.

As a baronet, I would now receive an annual salary of 500 dinars in Ishtar wheat. Although it felt strange to pay myself, I couldn’t help but feel pleased.

And then, there was my other identity—the lord of Bartholomeus Castle, which had been passed down to me by Count Bartholomeus. In reality, Lord Bartholomeus managed the affairs of the castle as its steward…

But aside from that, the surrounding demon tribes all declared their allegiance to me. They paid their respects and presented oaths of fealty.

◇◇◇◇◇

Unified Calendar 567, Late February—

The Rillburn family’s magic stone refining facility in the Gale region finally succeeded in refining magic stones. This achievement enabled the entire production process, from mining to finished products, to be managed in-house.

“My lord, we did it!”

“Yes, Arias, you’ve done well.”

I promised Arias, who was in charge of developing the magic stone mine, a substantial reward. Afterward, I sent him back to his family in the town of Lebe.

I personally saw Arias off at the port of Enkera. The number of ships docking at Enkera’s port was steadily increasing.

These ships came to purchase Gale’s specialty goods, such as furs and seafood. They also brought essential goods that were scarce in Gale.

Additionally, the Rillburn family’s ships, which secretly transported silver ore and magic stones, were also docked. All of these ships were expected to bring immense wealth to the Rillburn family.

“My lord, this land has become prosperous. Perhaps it’s time for you to return to Lebe? I swear on my life that I will continue to develop this land.”

Adelheid suggested this to me. However, the development of this region had only just begun, and I couldn’t burden her with such heavy responsibilities alone.

Yet, I hadn’t seen Opal’s face in quite some time. She must have grown quite a bit by now…

“My lord, we’ve captured another spy!”

Belchi, the ghost archer standing behind me, reported.

“I’m on my way.”

“Understood.”

I headed to the underground dungeon of Enkera Fortress. The prisoner was a spy sent by Marquis Clock’s faction. Officially, they were members of the Owen Alliance Kingdom’s investigative department.

From their perspective, they likely wanted to investigate the mysterious source of silver. However, we couldn’t allow that to happen.

“Where did you come from?”

“…W-who would tell you that!”

“Hmm.”

The captured spies were usually killed according to our code. However, recently we had acquired a new method.

“Bring in that special one.”

“…Yes, leave it to me.”

I ordered the ghost sorcerer standing behind me. He was a master of memory-erasing magic and could even create false memories.

“N-no, please don’t!”

Surrounded by the undead, the enemy spy screamed in terror. For those without magical aptitude, there was no way to resist the dark arts. This allowed us to plant false information and gain an advantage in the ongoing intelligence war against Marquis Clock’s faction.

◇◇◇◇◇

In March of the year 567 of the Unified Calendar—

The snow had melted from the mountains of the Gale region, and the meltwater was nourishing the earth in various places. Farming had begun across the land, and the sound of woodcutters echoed through the forests.

Around that time, I was busy subjugating monsters that refused to follow Count Bartholomeus.

“Charge! Don’t let a single one escape!”

“Yes, sir!”

My current lieutenant was Belchi, the ghostly archer. He was not only a skilled marksman but also an excellent staff officer.

We had successfully taken control of ancient ruins scattered deep in the mountains, and one by one, we conquered the monsters’ settlements.

“Belchi! What’s our next target?”

“…Yes, the next target is the ghost ship. It’s at sea!”

…Are you serious!? Do we really have to engage in naval combat with monsters?

A sea battle would require warships. I hurried back to Enkera Port and summoned Admiral Scarlett from Europa.

She arrived aboard the Leviathan, a cutting-edge warship that was the pride of the Rillburn family, her silver hair flowing proudly in the wind.

“My lord, it’s been a while!”

“Ah, it certainly has!”