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 99

Chapter 99   Appointed as Royal Staff Officer

“I’m sorry, my dear,” Io apologized.

“…Well, it can’t be helped. The real grudge is against me,” I replied, accepting the situation. Given that our noble family owned vast farmland worth over 300,000 dinars, it was inevitable that we would face land reduction sooner or later.

Most of the land was owned by commoners who had recently risen to prominence. It was only natural that we would be envied…

When land is reduced, it brings with it additional tasks—like the downsizing of tax collectors and security officers.

Adelheid had tried her best to secure continued employment for them, but ultimately, it was up to the new lord’s discretion. It didn’t go as smoothly as we’d hoped.

A few days later—

A message arrived from the royal palace, officially finalizing the division of our territory.

The Rillburn duchy was forced to relinquish most of the land around the capital, Lebe. Our primary domain was now limited to the area around the eastern port city of Europa.

That evening—

“Please, have some more of this,” Io offered.

“Thank you.”

Tonight’s dinner was herb-roasted lamb and goat cream stew. The meat, especially around the bones, was abundant and particularly delicious.

…Lately, everyone has been trying to be considerate. It must be because our domain, which I had worked so hard to build, has been diminished.

But surely, the root cause is me. I must find a way to turn the situation around. Or perhaps it would be better to lie low for a while.

As I was pondering this after dinner, Adelheid, who had been relieved of her duties as steward and now had free time, approached me. Beside her was Nataraja, who had also been dismissed from her position as captain of the guard.

“What’s wrong?”

I asked the two of them. They must be under a lot of stress after their dismissals.

“Baronet Reister! We request your company!”

Ah, that’s right. They are officially being dismissed tomorrow. Until today, my rank was lower than theirs.

“Oh, really?”

“I’ll make use of my authority as a superior while I can!”

I was led by the two of them to my bedroom. Naturally, I couldn’t resist the frustrations of my superior officers… well, it couldn’t be helped.

A few days later—

Recognizing my achievements in the retreat, I was granted the rank of Baron. I was also given a portion of the Gale region and appointed as the governor of the port city of Enkera.

◇◇◇◇◇

Year 567 of the Unified Calendar, September—

In the skies above the port town of Enkera, a large eagle soared comfortably. This summer had been blessed with moderate rain and sunshine, allowing many Ishtar wheat crops to bear large ears.

“Lord, the harvest is abundant this year!”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to everyone.”

I was enjoying a relaxed time in the Gale region. With the constant warfare, there had been no requests for troops from the royal palace.

“Lord, will there be a feast today?”

“Yes, I hope so.”

The military officers flanking me were Adelheid and Nataraja. Since their dismissals, they had been hired as the dedicated military officers for the Reister Barony.

“Lebe is rather stuffy, isn’t it?”

Nataraja remarked. The castle in Lebe had become a stronghold of the old retainers.

With the steward, Lord Monkton, handling almost all the administration outside the Gale region for the Reister family, it felt stifling. Io had relocated her residence to Europa with Opal.

Well, if things are peaceful, this situation isn’t too bad. Even if the old retainers disliked me, they were favorable towards Io and Opal.

After the harvest festival, while relaxing in my office, a summons arrived from the royal palace. Curious about what such a low-ranking noble could be wanted for, I removed the wax seal from the rolled parchment and opened it.

“Hmm.”

The letter was from General Alcock. He requested that I serve as a military advisor in the royal palace. It seemed I had caught his eye during the retreat.

“More work, huh?”

As I grumbled about this, Adelheid chided me.

“Lord, being appointed as a military advisor to the royal palace is an honor. It guarantees future advancement.”

“Yes, indeed.”

Nataraja echoed the sentiment. Although I had a vague recollection of having risen to the rank of Chancellor before…

The next morning—

I set out from the port of Enkera with Adelheid and Nataraja. After meeting with Io and Opal at the port of Europa, we traveled west by land.

“Fulfill your duties faithfully!”

“Yes, sir.”

I communicated my intention to report to the royal palace from Lebe Castle. After receiving permission, we traveled six days further west and passed through the city gates of the royal capital, Shampur.

“It’s as bustling as ever, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

Nataraja, originally from the mountainous region of Cade, always seemed unfamiliar with the crowded city streets. Adelheid, on the other hand, kept a keen eye out for any suspicious activity.

We spent the night at an inn run by Lager. The next morning, we dressed and made our way to the royal palace.

We entered the royal castle gates, walked through a long corridor, and arrived at the room housing the Royal Palace’s military advisor headquarters.

“Thank you for coming. I am counting on your work!”

“Thank you very much!”

General Alcock welcomed me warmly, and I joined the ranks of the advisors. It was a somewhat amusing contrast to my previous life’s trajectory.

…Just then.

“General! This is urgent!”

“What’s the matter?!”

A messenger burst into the room, collapsing as he entered. The news was that Her Majesty the Queen had fallen ill.