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The capital of the Novarens Empire,
The Imperial Capital - Novaresia.
The empire's most magnificent city, adorned with golden ornaments symbolizing the emperor's authority, where the lights never dimmed.
At its heart, within the imperial palace, lay the most secluded and forbidden area: the princess's quarters.
Inside, in a grand bathtub gleaming with golden light, she resided.
Her black hair shone brighter than obsidian, and her skin was as tranquil and warm as the desert at dawn. She bathed alone in the vast tub, listening to her maid's report and chuckling with delight.
"Did Hadem really run away!?"
"Yes, Princess Selenia. The news that Lord Hadem of the Lyons family felt fear from Sharen, the mage of the Cronberg family, and retreated has spread across the entire continent."
"Hahahaha! To think that the boastful axe showed such an unsightly side, my brother must be very angry."
"Yes, indeed, Princess Selenia."
When her maid bowed her head, everyone present aligned with her words.
Her name was 『Selenia Lily Novarens』
As the second princess of the Novarens Empire, she was one of the most noble figures in the empire, holding the highest right of succession to the throne alongside the prince.
From her perspective, engaged in a grand chess game with her brother for the empire, the events unfolding in the south were immensely entertaining.
Initially, when the unheard-of Cronberg family emerged, she was taken aback.
The various reforms initiated by Cronberg had even affected the territories she supported, causing some damage.
Thus, she initially worried that her brother, the prince, had extended his influence to Cronberg, but this incident washed away her concerns.
If they had sided with her brother, they wouldn't have humiliated the Lyons family like that.
"What was the name of the lord of the Cronberg family again?"
"It's Calix Cronberg. People call him the 'Silver Dragon of Cronberg.'"
"The Silver Dragon of Cronberg… that was the nickname of the great general who contributed to making our ancestor the emperor, right?"
"Yes, that's correct, Princess Selenia."
Selenia recalled her history lessons from childhood.
When the first emperor, 『Velsarion Ark Novarens』, became emperor, the general who made the greatest contribution was none other than the Silver Dragon of Cron, 『Draygen Cronberg』.
With the War for the Throne approaching, the appearance of the Silver Dragon of Cronberg felt like destiny to her.
"I like it! Let's bring him to our side as well!"
"Yes, the lord of Cronberg will surely be pleased with your proposal, Princess Selenia."
Splash-!
Selenia emerged from the golden bathtub.
As her beautiful, jewel-like naked body came out of the water, the maids on both sides immediately began to dry her with large towels.
"Then, I think we should send a gift first… Lumiel, who do you think would be good to send?"
At Selenia's words, the maid beside her, with light green hair and large horn-rimmed glasses, who was also the princess's right-hand woman, 『Lumiel』, smiled gently and replied.
"I think that 'child' who recently arrived would be good. Since it's a 'child' who graduated from the academy with top honors, the lord of Cronberg will surely be pleased."
"Ah! That child!… Hmm… Yes! That would be good. Then, please proceed, Lumiel."
"I shall obey your command, Your Highness Princess Selenia."
With that, Selenia walked into her room.
Watching the two maids struggling to dry the still-wet floor without disturbing the noble's footsteps, Lumiel let out a small sigh, unseen by anyone.
*
After the Deeprock incident, the Cronberg territory enjoyed a long-awaited peace.
This peace was largely thanks to Sharen's power.
She truly lived up to the title of 'essential character, one of the Three Divine Instruments,' displaying overwhelming abilities.
Although she was misunderstood to use only fire magic due to her nickname 'Red Mage,' she was actually a candidate for Sage.
The first condition to become a Sage was to master all existing schools of magic.
Naturally, she was proficient not only in fire magic but also in healing and earth magic, surpassing ordinary mages, which was a great boon to Cronberg, where mages were virtually nonexistent.
She healed people, restored their health, and quickly removed salt from reclaimed land to make it suitable for planting crops.
Simply put, compared to before she arrived, the operational efficiency of the territory seemed to have doubled.
"This month's territory revenue has increased by 114% compared to last month, my lord!"
"All of this is thanks to your wisdom in recruiting Lady Sharen, my lord."
Noah and Hart, who had been troubled by the expenses from the large-scale battle and support for immigrants, reported to me with refreshed smiles after a long time.
I, too, was pleased with the news.
"Yes! That's great. Haha!!… Huh?"
Wait a minute!
This isn't something to be happy about!!
Looking at the gold in front of me, I realized my mistake.
I had reinvested too much and was strapped for cash, so I worked hard to manage the territory, only to make more money again.
Sigh… Where should I spend this money? Maybe I should build an 'academy' or something?
Thinking of Cronberg's poor educational facilities, I recalled the special educational building in World Archive, the academy.
As I was pondering how to spend the increased revenue again, I heard a sound from outside.
Knock! Knock!
"Come in."
At my words, the door opened, and a messenger entered.
He came in with a very tense expression.
"What is it?"
"Yes! A letter has arrived for you from the imperial family, my lord."
"A letter from the imperial family!?"
Oh, damn! What was bound to happen has happened!!
In World Archive, when you start as a lord and your fame increases, letters from the imperial family arrive, triggering various events.
What event is about to start! Please, not the 『Imperial Capital Invitation Event』!!!
Worried, I received the letter from the messenger.
The letter was sealed with the imperial family's seal.
Since it was the 'imperial family's' seal, not the 'emperor's,' the sender was either the 'prince' or the 'princess.'
Which one sent it?
Praying it wasn't the prince, I opened the letter, and there was a very simple message written inside.
——————————
Let's be friends from now on.
As a token of friendship, I'm sending you a gift!
Second Princess / Selenia Lily Novarens
——————————
"..."
What? Did I read that wrong?
Even in my previous life's internet emails, it was rare to see such a simple letter, and I was at a loss for words.
In Calix's memories, he had never received a letter from the imperial family, so I couldn't help but be flustered.
Is this acceptable from the imperial family?
Or did the princess just send it according to her own taste?
Either way, it was quite an avant-garde letter.
"My lord! What does it say?"
"…The second princess says she's sending a gift as a token of friendship."
"From the princess!?"
At my words, Noah was surprised.
The story of the princess fighting for the throne with the prince was famous even here in the south.
Moreover, Noah, who had dealt with numerous lords in her trade, surely knew about her.
"This is troublesome. If it's a gift from the princess, we can't just send it back."
"Indeed, it could be seen as an insult to the imperial family."
Even though it was a gift sent by the princess personally without my consent, it was still from the imperial family.
Refusing it without reason or accepting it would both affect my future.
"By the way, my lord, was it written what kind of gift the princess is sending?"
"It wasn't specified."
"…I see."
Hart's expression darkened, as if he knew something.
Noah also spoke with a somber face, as if she knew something.
"According to rumors, the princess enjoys nurturing something. It's probably that kind of gift."
"Nurturing, huh…"
At Noah's words, I recalled what I had heard in my previous life.
That when playing as the princess, the nurturing part is very important.
However, since I had never played as the princess, I didn't know more than that.
"Let's wait for now. My lord, it won't be too late to respond after receiving the princess's gift."
"Yes, let's do that, my lord."
"Alright, let's do that."
Thus, it was decided to respond to the princess's gift after it was clearly revealed.
A few days later, the princess's gift arrived.
A splendid carriage bearing the imperial family's crest arrived at the modest palace of the Cronberg family, and the door opened.
And she stepped out.
"The gift is, perhaps…"
"It seems so, my lord…"
From the carriage, a maid stepped down.
With golden hair reaching just to her neck, sapphire-like blue eyes, and a beautiful yet cold demeanor that made one's heart flutter, she approached me, carrying a large bag that seemed to be hers, dressed in a perfectly arranged maid uniform.
Then, with a perfect and respectful posture as if from a painting, she greeted me and said,
"Greetings, Lord Calix. I am Lana Ansus, a maid who has come to serve you under the orders of the second princess, Selenia Lily Novarens."
She looked straight at me with unwavering eyes and said,
"From today, I will show perfect dedication by your side, my lord. Please give me any orders."
I knew her well.
Her name was 『Lana Ansus』
Among the servant character types, she was one of the few SSR characters I possessed, nicknamed the 『Super Maid』 for her top-tier performance even among SSRs.
She was a perfect character, but there was a big problem.
It was because of her 『occupation』.
In the game, she had two occupations.
One was naturally 『Maid』, and the other was… 『Assassin』.
A Trojan horse had been delivered to our territory.
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The Gift from the Princess 『Lana Ansus』
When Calix, who had received that shocking gift, was still in a daze, Hart took the initiative to bring Lana to the reception room.
In the reception room, Hart… had tea with Lana.
"Well, it's been a while, Lana."
"Yes, it's been a long time since I last saw you, Great-Uncle Hart."
Hart's full name was 『Hart Ansus』.
To put it simply, Lana was Hart's great-niece.
However, Hart, who had little attachment to the Ansus family, rarely returned to the Ansus household.
The last time he saw Lana was five years ago, when his brother, who was Lana's grandfather, passed away.
"So, I heard you entered the Novarens Academy in the capital. Have you already graduated?"
"Yes, I graduated this year."
When Hart last saw Lana, she was a lively and cute girl.
The cute girl who used to boast to him about entering the prestigious Novarens Academy in the capital had changed so much, becoming cold, which made Hart feel bittersweet.
"Your grades… I suppose there's no need to ask."
"Yes, I graduated at the top of my class."
"Indeed, there was no need to ask."
"I apologise. There aren't many places where I can boast, so I wanted to tell you."
"…Is that so."
Hart thought it was fortunate that some things hadn't changed and slightly alleviated his bittersweet feelings.
From the past, Hart had noticed that Lana had some quirky aspects.
"When did you go to the princess?"
"After graduation, I was sent there by my father's orders."
Hart felt a bit emotional.
Because the face of Lana's father, who was his nephew, came to mind.
While feeling anger towards his nephew for using his daughter as a tool for the family's prosperity, Hart spoke calmly.
"So that fellow made such a choice after all… Are you okay with it?"
"My own will is not important. What matters is the will of the family and my master."
"I see… Is that so."
'What matters is the will of the family and the master.'
This was the family motto of the Ansus family, a renowned household of servants that had produced butlers and maids for 300 years.
Both he himself being sent here and Lana being sent here were all because of that motto.
Hart set aside his anger and, as the steward of Cronberg, asked Lana,
"So, Lana… What orders did you receive from the princess when you came here?"
"I was told to serve Lord Calix with all my heart as my master."
"Is that all?"
"…"
"I see… As I thought."
Hart already knew the princess's tactics through rumours.
With enormous rewards and power, she hired servants, trained them into perfect butlers and maids, and then sent them as gifts to her supporters.
Her servants, consisting of carefully selected beauties and handsome men from the empire, served her supporters with utmost dedication, inducing them to pledge loyalty to the princess.
Some lords who knew of her tactics wanted to refuse the gift, but since it was a gift from the princess, they couldn't easily send it back, and eventually, while living together, they fell under her or their influence.
Hart could easily guess that Lana was also sent with such intentions.
"Lana, promise me just one thing."
"Yes, please speak, Great-Uncle Hart."
Since things had come to this, it would be impossible to send Lana back.
Therefore, as the steward of the Cronberg family, he would do his best to act for the benefit of his lord.
"Lord Calix is a lord who will become a treasure of the empire. No matter what happens, please be a strength to him."
"Yes, I promise on the honour of the Ansus family."
"Good, I entrust this to you."
Hart knew well the abilities of his great-niece.
He asked her to support his lord, whom he regarded as his own son.
*
"Thus, from today, I will serve you with all my heart, Lord Calix."
"Uh… Yes, I look forward to it, Lana."
With Hart's permission, Lana became my personal maid that very day.
The fact that a beautiful girl with cold eyes, who looked like she could easily be the centre of an idol group, became my personal maid made me, as a man, unable to hide my joy.
However, knowing what I did about her, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
『Lana Ansus』 was a character among the maid types who possessed the most versatile abilities.
She was an all-round multi-supporter who could assist with everything from the most basic household chores like cooking, cleaning, and laundry to administration, politics, and diplomacy.
Above all, her defining characteristic was her dual occupation: she worked as a 『Maid』 during the day and could act as an 『Assassin』 at night.
The shock of seeing a maid who worked modestly during the day infiltrate a rival territory at night and assassinate the enemy lord was unforgettable.
However, the current problem was that I could potentially become the target of her assassination.
Although it was highly unlikely, if the princess ordered her to take me out, it would be a genuinely perilous situation.
"My lord, you look pale."
"It seems to be because the weather is very cold today. I will close the windows."
I almost blurted out 'It's because of you!' but managed to hold it back, and with the super maid Lana at my side, I started my first duty.
And that day, I properly understood why she was called the super maid.
"My lord, I have brought the documents you will need."
"Ah, thank you."
Silently, she helped with the office tasks and fetched the required documents precisely when needed.
It was so natural that I almost thought I had asked for them in advance.
"My lord, I have brought tea."
And she brought tea when I was tired or when I needed a break.
The tea was amazingly delicious.
I marvelled at how the same tea leaves could yield such varied aromas depending on who prepared it.
"It's astonishing; I can hardly believe it's the same tea leaves."
"Of course. I am a perfect maid, after all."
At my compliment, Lana appeared pleased, like a puppy receiving praise, though her eyes remained cold and impassive.
And her abilities didn't stop there.
Noah said she had something to ask Lana and took her aside.
Worried that they might argue, I followed and watched the situation from a distance.
Noah took the initiative.
"You're Lana, right? Are you truly prepared to devote yourself wholeheartedly to the lord?"
"I am."
At Lana's immediate response, Noah scrutinised her with her characteristic sharp gaze.
Then, appearing slightly startled by something she perceived, she spoke with a somewhat uneasy expression.
"Hmm, it doesn't seem like you're lying."
She approached Lana.
Then, with a stern face, she adopted a menacing expression and pressed Lana, saying,
"Just in case, I'll say this: I'm always watching, so make sure you serve the lord well. Understood?"
Noah's words, which even made me nervous from afar, were met with a serene response from Lana.
"I understand, Mistress Noah."
At Lana's words, Noah's expression crumbled in an instant.
Noah, who had shifted from her dark merchant persona to that of a bewildered girl, was at a loss.
"M-Mistress!?"
"Aren't you? I was certain that you are the mistress."
"Ah! No, not yet… But, well… It sounds nice. Mistress."
Noah's face turned red, and she was completely disarmed.
With just a few words, she effortlessly won over even Noah; she truly was a super maid.
"I look forward to working with you, Lana."
"Yes, likewise, Miss Noah."
It seemed that the two had become friends.
Should I consider this a good thing?
At least, it appeared that I wouldn't have to witness a catfight, which was fortunate.
*
The first day with Lana passed.
Lana, with her remarkable skills, made the maids in our family feel inferior as she concluded the day.
Hart told me that three of them had already submitted vacation requests, stating they would go to improve their skills.
Splash-!
"Ahh… This is nice."
As I soaked in the warm water, I felt the fatigue in my body vanish instantly.
While bathing, I thought,
I was aware that the princess would dispatch someone, but I hadn't anticipated she would send a maid like this.
Actually, upon reflection, given the strategy guides that mentioned male lords who ally with the princess get to see something incredible, I should have foreseen this.
I guess I was just foolish for not thinking that far.
Returning to the main issue, upon assessing the situation, the princess's objective was probably to bring me into her fold.
Lana's role would be to facilitate that and to relay information about our territory to the princess.
Moreover, if I attempted to align with the prince's faction, her duties might include assassinating me and fleeing.
There's a saying to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but isn't this too close?
Anyway, how will Lana try to draw me to the princess's side?
If I were the princess…
As I was pondering that, immersed in the bathtub, the bathroom door opened, and a voice was heard.
"My lord, I will wash your back."
There stood Lana, clad only in a towel that covered her perfectly proportioned figure.
It was spring.
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In the steamy bathroom, I felt as though I were dreaming.
A supremely beautiful girl with a cold demeanor, who in my previous life would have been the centerpiece of an idol group, entered the bathroom, her body concealed only by a single towel.
Though she covered her vital areas with the towel, Lana's extraordinary figure was entirely visible to my eyes.
Her breasts, as large and full as those of Noah and Sharen, her hips resembling a sculpted masterpiece, and her firm thighs, seemingly honed for the clandestine duties of an assassin, were all plainly in view.
I was so utterly flustered—truly, a pure 100% panic—that I shouted like a child.
"La! Lana!? What is happening all of a sudden!?"
"As I just mentioned, I came to wash your back, my lord."
"I can do it myself!!"
When it came to bathing, I preferred to enjoy it leisurely on my own.
In a lord's life, constantly surrounded by others, I longed to have at least this time to myself.
At my words, Lana regarded me with an expressionless gaze before casually stating,
"To be frank, I came under the princess's orders to seduce you, my lord."
She's saying this here!? Lana's blunt declaration left me speechless.
What should I do!?
At this rate, I felt as though Lana would consume me entirely.
To be honest, being consumed by a supremely beautiful girl like Lana would fulfill a wish of mine, yet doing so would ensnare me in the princess's schemes, lead to untold suffering, and somehow, I foresaw a future where Noah and Sharen would kill me.
As I retreated to widen the distance between us, Lana tilted her head, her face etched with confusion, and said,
"Perhaps… do you find me suspicious, my lord?"
From my reaction, it appeared Lana believed I resisted her seduction due to distrust.
As I was about to confirm her suspicion, Lana preempted me.
"Please do not worry; I am a pure virgin and am prepared to offer my body to you at any time, my lord."
"That's not the issue!!"
She's turned me into a trash who only wants virgins!
Lana's mental assault shattered my composure, and I ended up shouting once more.
At my outburst, Lana gazed at me with an even more perplexed expression.
Then, after a moment's thought, she spoke again.
"If that is not the case… could it be… that you prefer men, my lord?"
"Of course not!! I am a 100% straight and love women!!"
Once again, I lost my calm and shouted in exasperation.
No! I am a beloved lord. I must not let my composure falter over such matters!!
As I wallowed in self-reproach for having shouted twice, the bathroom door suddenly swung open again, and guards stormed in.
"My lord! What is the matter!?"
"We heard loud noises and came running!!!"
In an instant, the bathroom was filled with me, Lana, and the guards.
It was the moment my cherished private time crumbled to pieces.
***
After dismissing the guards and dressing, I entered the reception room alongside Lana, who had also clothed herself.
Lana maintained her usual cool, impassive expression, though a faint flush on her face suggested she too might have been slightly flustered.
"I apologise for startling you, my lord. Indeed, real life differs from the academy."
"Do they teach such things at the academy?"
Did the academy instruct its students in skills like washing their master's back or seduction?
To my inquiry, Lana replied without hesitation.
"Yes, they do. I learned it seven months ago in the servant department. They brought professional courtesans from the capital as instructors to demonstrate."
"Ah… I see."
I gained knowledge I had little desire to know.
Was it permissible for the academy to teach such things?
As numerous retorts sprang to mind, Lana addressed me with a deeply concerned expression.
"Perhaps I am not to your liking, my lord? If I am not your type, I will request another girl from Lady Lumiel."
"No! You are my type!"
This time, I responded to Lana's words without a moment's pause.
Lana was indeed my type.
In my previous life, when I rarely spent money on games, the sole character I pursued relentlessly to obtain was none other than Lana.
At my resolute answer, Lana's face flushed—perhaps from both embarrassment and joy—and she said,
"Thank you for stating it clearly. My self-esteem has… recovered somewhat."
With the situation seemingly calmed, I addressed Lana with clarity.
To become a beloved lord, and due to personal circumstances from my past, I refrained from compelling my servants into such intimate acts.
"Let me state this plainly, Lana. I do not require such things from my servants."
"I apologise, but I do not fully understand, my lord."
Lana appeared genuinely perplexed by my statement.
She fixed me with a serious gaze and said,
"You are my master, my lord. You were granted the right to do anything with me by the princess."
"No, I received no such thing from the princess. I merely employed a maid of exceptional ability."
It was the same in World Archive, and perhaps a common mindset among servants of this era, but I did not view her as a tool.
As long as a person lived, no one was a tool.
Yet, seeing that words alone could not make her comprehend, I resolved to employ a different approach.
"You did say you would do anything for me, correct?"
"Yes, that is correct, my lord."
I rose from my seat.
As I headed back to my room, I said,
"Then, let us rest for today and go out together tomorrow. There is a place we must visit."
"Understood. I will prepare for the outing."
I proceeded directly to my bedroom, and Lana offered me a courteous bow as a maid.
I had a premonition that tomorrow would be a busy day in many respects.
***
"My lord… what is this place?"
"From today, this is where you will work during the day."
The following day, I took Lana to that location.
Upon seeing it, Lana displayed the most astonished expression she had shown thus far—though, admittedly, it had only been two days.
That place was none other than the 『school』.
"Henceforth, during weekday daylight hours, you will teach the children at this Cronberg school."
In World Archive, there existed a feature called Memorial, which unlocked upon reaching an affinity rank of 100.
It was content that allowed one to view an extra story revealing the inner thoughts of a character with whom affinity rank 100 had been achieved; naturally, I had viewed Lana's story.
Despite her cool demeanor and multifaceted talents, Lana was, at her core, an ordinary girl.
She too harbored dreams and aspirations.
Yet the Ansus Family did not permit them.
In accordance with the will of the prestigious servant lineage, the Ansus Family, she was molded into the finest maid, lending strength to numerous lords across countless routes.
However, in none of those routes did she attain an ending of her own.
At the very least, within the Memorial story, she disclosed a fragment of her inner self, a memory I could not forget.
As a child, she had expressed a desire to become a 『teacher』.
"I cannot. I must serve you, my lord."
At my words, she rejected me outright.
I rejected her rejection.
"This is serving me."
I gazed at the school.
Though I had invested to expand it somewhat, much progress remained to be made.
Beyond the facilities, the most pressing deficiency was the lack of properly educated teachers.
"At present, Cronberg's school suffers from a shortage of teachers. No matter how seasoned the elders are, they cannot rival those who have received proper education."
Even employing seniors rich in experience and wisdom as teachers had its limits.
Word had reached me that, during lessons, they frequently digressed into tales of their glory days.
We required someone who had undergone proper advanced education.
"And here, we conveniently have a bright teacher who, until recently, studied at the capital's academy."
"My lord…"
"Do you require further orders from me?"
At my words, Lana sighed as though she had no alternative.
Then, meeting my eyes, she said,
"Understood. However, from the afternoon onward, I will return to the castle to serve you, my lord."
"Very well. Thus, teach the children diligently henceforth, Teacher Lana."
"You need not worry."
At my words, Lana offered a faint, confident smile.
As she walked toward the school, she said to me,
"Because I am a perfect maid."
In that moment, she was unmistakably smiling.
***
A week had passed since Lana arrived in Cronberg.
She felt that her emotions were the most tumultuous they had ever been in her life.
Having come to the Cronberg family's territory under orders,
She had assumed that, like her other siblings, her life would be one of lifelong service to the lord designated as her master.
She had anticipated that her carefully guarded virginity would, as her sister Ain had warned, be claimed on the first day, swept away by the lord's desires.
Having prepared every contraceptive measure just in case, what awaited her were constructive days as a teacher.
By day, she went to the school to educate the children, and in the afternoon, she returned to the castle to serve the lord—a routine that persisted.
On certain days, her hours as a teacher exceeded those as a maid.
Though she wondered, 'Is this acceptable?' she simultaneously discovered herself relishing the moments spent teaching the children.
That she could still find joy in something was utterly astonishing to her.
'When I think of Lord Calix, my heart races. What could this be?'
At the academy, she had heard numerous grim tales of lords from her seniors.
Thus, she had been certain that entering the bathroom unclothed would prompt Lord Calix to subject her to all manner of acts.
Though she had steeled herself, she did not feel favorably about such a first experience, even for her.
Yet Lord Calix refrained from doing so.
He did not regard her as a tool and granted her the chance to realize a dream from her past that had long faded.
As thoughts of Lord Calix occupied her mind, Lana's heart quickened, and for reasons unknown, she felt she had wronged him.
While contemplating that she must one day offer an apology and a gift, as she prepared for bed, a sound reached her ears.
Pop-
It was an exceedingly faint ripple of magical energy.
A ripple so subtle that even a mage would struggle to perceive it.
It was the signature disturbance produced by assassins attempting to mask their magical presence.
Concealing an icy glint in her eyes, Lana rose silently and dressed.
Then, without a sound, she opened the door and stepped into the moonlit, tranquil corridor.
It was time to welcome guests.
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It was a quiet night.
Cronberg Castle was the same as always.
Outside the castle, guards were patrolling.
Inside the castle, the blue moonlight shone, gifting everyone a peaceful sleep.
There, silently, they were present.
Wearing black masks, they entered the castle so naturally.
The guards passed by them but did not notice at all and continued their patrol.
Entering the castle as if it were their own home, they ran towards their target without any hesitation.
Without a sound of breath or footsteps, they swiftly ran towards the lord's bedroom, and nothing could stop them.
If left like this, they would soon reach the lord's bedroom.
Upon reaching the bedroom, they would carry out their mission, and the lord of this castle would die without even realizing he was dead.
While the moonlight worried, they had already arrived in front of the lord's bedroom.
However, they stopped for the first time after running without pause.
Because she was there in front of the lord's bedroom, where they thought no one would be.
In front of the lord's bedroom door, Lana, dressed in a neat maid uniform, was silently waiting for them.
And for the first time in the quiet castle, she made a sound.
"Hello. I am Lana, the maid serving Lord Calix."
Lana politely greeted them and introduced herself.
The intruders felt her threat in that greeting.
Even wearing that incredibly complex maid uniform, her body made no sound.
With an ice-cold expressionless face, Lana calmly looked at the intruders and said,
"The lord is asleep. If you wish to see him, please go to the lord's office tomorrow morning and make an appointment."
There was no emotion in those words.
Without fear or hostility, she was merely providing them with information.
And that sounded colder than anything to the intruders.
"If you do not do so and approach the lord any further…"
Lana took a step forward.
At her movement, the intruders stepped back and for the first time since arriving, they made a sound of breath.
Indifferent to their change, she said coldly,
"I will recognize you as enemies."
Approaching without 'sound,' executing without 'heart,' and eliminating the 'target' from the world without any 'trace.'
That was the existence of an 'assassin.'
Therefore, they always heard this when being trained.
『Empty everything.』
The intruders had also been trained with those words and had carried out all their missions without sound or emotion until now.
But today, for the first time, they made a sound.
Because of the maid before them, whose eyes were even more empty than their own, they felt the emotion of fear for the first time and made a sound.
Unable to retreat, they drew their daggers and took a step forward.
And then…
"You have approached."
Lana recognized them as enemies.
At that moment, her long maid skirt was removed.
Then, a short underskirt and two daggers hidden on her thighs were revealed.
She silently drew the two daggers and prepared to greet the guests.
"As the maid of… no, of Lord Calix, I will eliminate you."
At that moment, her profession changed from 'maid' to 'assassin.'
In the quiet corridor, shadows began to clash.
*
The three intruders scattered and charged at her.
No matter how superior she was as an assassin, she was ultimately alone.
Even if there were some sacrifices, as long as they could accomplish the mission, it would not be a problem.
Thinking so, the leading intruder, who was willing to sacrifice himself to complete the mission, witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Because, before he knew it, a dagger thrown by her was flying past his head.
"...!"
What surprised him was not that she threw the dagger at a speed he couldn't see, nor that it passed by his head.
It was because he was certain that her dagger had pierced through the head of his comrade behind him.
Though he couldn't see or hear it, his comrade who was just behind him had died.
Feeling that, the leading intruder charged at her without stopping.
Although his comrade had died, thanks to that, the weapons in her hands were reduced by half.
With the conviction that if they didn't seize this opportunity, they would die, the two remaining intruders began to charge at her.
Swish-! Swish!! Swish-!
In the quiet corridor, the sound of wind began to arise.
Their daggers and her daggers crossed each other's positions, creating the sound of wind.
Without allowing a single hit from each other's attacks, they danced a silent dance under the moonlight.
Who was the most surprised in that exchange?
She, who had entered the empire's best academy and achieved the highest grades as an assassin, was surprised by their skill in engaging in such an exchange with her.
And the intruders, who had successfully completed numerous missions in the shadows, were also surprised by her skill in silently evading their attacks with a woman's body.
Therefore, they could tell.
The next move, the next move that would break this balance, would result in either her or one of them dying.
And that balance was broken by the intruders first.
Stab-!
The sound of piercing through flesh echoed in the quiet corridor, and surprise spread across Lana's face.
Because one of the intruders had thrown himself onto Lana's dagger, stabbing himself.
This was their 'move.'
There were two of them, and as long as one survived to complete the mission, that was all that mattered.
Seeing the opening created by his comrade's sacrifice, who was prepared for death, the intruder charged at her.
As an assassin who had killed many people, he began to see a line.
He began to see a black line that surely guided others to death, and now that line appeared on her neck.
He swung his dagger towards that line.
But at that moment… she disappeared from his sight.
"!!!?"
His confident attack cut through the air, and the moment he saw his comrade who had been stabbed by her, the intruder felt death approaching from behind.
Stab-!
"Cough!"
A metal object pierced through, avoiding the spine and heading towards the heart.
Trying to hold onto his fading consciousness, he looked back.
There, he saw her and his comrade who had been killed with a dagger through the forehead.
Feeling the faint magic from her dagger that had pierced his heart and seeing the position of his comrade who had been killed with a dagger through the forehead, he somewhat understood what had happened to him.
This was Lana's blessing, the
The effect of that ability was to leap Lana to the position of her dagger, in other words, it was a teleportation ability.
Though simple, it was a blessing that exerted absolute power in fights where life and death were decided in 0.1 seconds, such as assassination and close combat, and with this blessing and her talent, she was able to achieve the highest grades in the academy's assassination department.
In his fading consciousness, the intruder lamented his foolishness for entering the battle without considering that she might have such a blessing, and thus he perished.
"May you… be happy in your next life…"
Looking at the fallen intruders, Lana prayed for their final repose.
*
Having dealt with the intruders, Lana fell into thought.
She had stepped forward to protect the lord upon sensing the assassins, but she had never once told the lord about this ability of hers.
There were two main reasons why she had not spoken of her assassination abilities.
The first was because the princess had told her to keep it a secret, and the second was because, for some reason she herself did not understand, she did not want to tell Lord Calix.
In such a situation, looking at the three corpses in front of her, she fell into thought.
If it were discovered at dawn that she had dealt with the assassins, things might become troublesome.
In the worst case, she might be sent back to the princess and might not be able to continue as a teacher, and thinking of that made her feel dizzy.
'I do not want to leave this place… I must find a way.'
While pondering a good method, Lana looked towards Calix's bedroom.
Then, the thought of having to give a gift of apology earlier came to mind, and a very good idea occurred to her.
Without hesitation, she carried out that method.
*
An apple in the morning is a tonic.
Because of the eating habits from my previous life, I woke up in the morning and started my day by peeling and eating an apple alone in my room.
That day too, I woke up before the maid came in, and with a half-asleep mind, I was peeling and eating an apple with a fruit knife.
But then…
"Kyaaaak!!!!"
A scream was heard from outside.
What is this scream from the morning!?
Startled, I went out with the fruit knife in hand and opened the door.
"What is the matter!"
"My… my lord! Over there…"
"Over there?… Oh my! What a surprise."
When I went out, there was the maid Julia, trembling in surprise.
And when I looked in the direction she pointed, there were three bodies that appeared to be assassins.
The assassins, dressed in black clothes and black masks, seemed to have died after a fierce battle, their bodies covered in cuts and stained with red blood.
At that moment, perhaps having heard the scream, the guards also came running.
"My lord!!"
"Are you alright!!?"
They seemed to have run frantically and were surprised, worrying about my safety.
I was about to tell them I was fine, but they shouted first.
"My lord! There is blood on your clothes!!"
"What, blood?… Oh my! What is this now!?"
Hearing that, I looked at my body.
My pajamas were somehow soaked with blood and stained red.
No! What the hell is this!?
Why is my pajama turned into a sea of blood overnight?
While I was panicking, the guards looked at me with amazed faces and said,
"Could it be those assassins…"
"Did you catch them, my lord?"
"What!?"
The dead assassins, the blood-soaked pajamas, the fruit knife
Seeing that, the guards seemed to have reached this conclusion.
That I had caught the assassins with the fruit knife.
…Is that even possible!
I desperately denied it.
"That can't be! I know nothing about it!"
"I see."
"Understood. We will handle it officially as such."
At my words, the guards and the maid Julia nodded as if to say they would keep the secret for the sake of the lord.
No! It wasn't me!
You guys! It really wasn't me!
And a few days later…
On the streets, songs began to be heard about how I had slaughtered the assassins with a fruit knife.
This really wasn't me… I felt so wronged that I could go mad.
In collectionBecoming a Beloved LordIn an effort to survive, I sought to become a "beloved yet incompetent lord," generously giving to the people. However…37 postsTagsBecoming a Beloved Lord
41Meeper Mooper
·
3dLana recognized them as enemies.
At that moment, her long maid skirt was removed.
Then, a short underskirt and two daggers hidden on her thighs were revealed.
Bruh the boss fight was just started wdym she's already in second phase
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The incident of discovering the assassins' bodies was a big deal in many ways.
Actually, it wasn't a big issue who killed the assassins.
There were people who were suspected, and everyone believed that I had caught them with a fruit knife while half-asleep.
The problem was 'Who sent the assassins?'
Even in the medieval times where killing and being killed was a daily occurrence, there was still a line that shouldn't be crossed.
Assassination was the most abhorrent act that all lords detested, and if a lord was caught attempting an assassination, they would become a common enemy and be attacked and destroyed by the surrounding lords.
Assassination was such a dangerous act that even the Noirefleur Family, who specialised in assassinations, had only carried out a countable number of assassinations in the original story and were never caught until the end.
Given the situation, it was natural that the castle was turned upside down, and Hart shouted with anger reaching its peak.
"It must be the work of those Lyons bastards! These crazy Lyons have finally crossed the line!!!"
"Calm down, Hart."
Hart, who was most suspicious of the Lyons Family, which had been involved in bad incidents until recently, shouted loudly.
I couldn't say I didn't understand Hart's feelings, but since it wasn't the Lyons Family, I calmed Hart down.
Hadem Lyons was a 'scum' but a 'warrior.'
He liked to kill his enemies with his own hands, so he wouldn't have done something as boring as sending assassins to deal with me.
While I was calming Hart down, Noah also said a word.
I thought the calm Noah would speak to calm Hart down.
But…
"I don't know which bastards aimed for the lord's life, but I will chase them to the ends of hell and deal with them. So, don't worry, my lord."
"Th…thank you, Noah."
Noah said this with a truly terrifying look in her eyes, as if she would kill someone, and a slight, menacing smile, and for the first time, I averted my eyes because Noah scared me.
Before I knew it, the situation had turned into me calming down my retainers, and I thought I wanted to get out of here quickly.
At that moment, the door opened like a saviour.
"My lord."
"Sharen! So, is the autopsy finished?"
To investigate the assassins' bodies, I had called Sharen.
Because I thought that with Sharen's knowledge, she might be able to find more information from the assassins' bodies.
Sharen was not wearing her usual robe but a black autopsy attire that covered her mouth, and with a very serious expression, she said to me,
"I think you need to see this yourself, my lord."
"Me?"
I and my retainers headed to the autopsy room together.
There were the dead assassins.
Outwardly, they appeared to be robust men in their 30s to 40s.
Looking at them like this, they did seem roughly built, like people from the Lyons Family.
"At first, they seemed like ordinary bodies. But the residual magic was too unusual, so when I traced the magic…"
Sharen placed her hand on their bodies and chanted some spell.
Then, a red light appeared, and distortion began to occur on the assassins' bodies.
And then…
"This is!?"
Their human appearance disappeared, and a different form was revealed.
With dark skin and long ears, it was like the appearance of dark elves, and I knew of a race in the World Archive that had such an appearance.
"The blood clan…"
『Blood Clan』
They were a race that served the demon god Dantalion, who was said to be sealed at the northern end, and they were positioned like the demons of this world.
I hadn't seen the ending where their purpose was revealed, so I didn't know their exact purpose, but at least I knew what their goal was.
Their goal was 'to weaken the empire,' and for that, they ceaselessly caused various problems such as assassinations, espionage, terrorism, and so on.
But why were they targeting me?
Why me, when there were princes, princesses, and many other lords?
While my head was complicated like that, suddenly Lana interrupted.
"I felt that something was strange, not the texture, but the appearance, and it was because they were the blood clan."
"What a surprise!"
"La… Lana! When did you come?"
"I have been behind you all along, Noah."
They were all surprised by Lana, who appeared silently from behind.
She had been behind us all along? I didn't notice at all!
"More importantly, Sharen, I learned that the blood clan is a group of fanatics sealed in the abandoned land in the north by a barrier. Why did they come all the way to our territory?"
"I don't know either. There was no talk of the blood clan invading even in the Magic Tower."
The blood clan was basically sealed in a place called the abandoned land at the northern end by a barrier.
So, they didn't appear until the mid-to-late part when the barrier partially opened, which was why I honestly wasn't paying attention to them.
Amidst such doubts, Noah spoke up.
"Come to think of it, there was news that the barrier in the north partially opened and there was a conflict recently."
"The barrier partially opened!?"
This was insane! Why did it open already!?
Noah said to me with a truly apologetic expression.
"Yes, it wasn't opened widely and was immediately suppressed, so it wasn't announced, but to think that the blood clan that infiltrated from there came to assassinate the lord… I was too careless."
"This is not your fault, Noah."
Yes, this wasn't Noah's fault.
Who would think that because an unexpected event happened nearby, I would be assassinated the next day? It was that kind of story.
After the autopsy was over, the situation was summarised as follows.
First, regarding the appearance of the blood clan assassins, Hart decided to inform Novaresia.
Because although I was lucky to survive, other lords, nobles, and members of the imperial family might become their targets.
Also, they decided to strengthen the castle's security, and Noah would procure materials for magic tools so that Sharen could set up a detection barrier equivalent to that of the imperial palace.
It was a magic that constantly monitored the crisis situations of key figures, and I opposed it because it seemed like it would detect even my private moments, but Noah and Hart pushed it so strongly that I had no choice but to accept.
"Sigh… What's going on…"
When I was finally left alone in the office, I let out a sigh.
Because the timing of the blood clan's appearance was so different from what I knew.
The blood clan, who should have appeared years later, had already come to take my head, and just thinking about it made me scared stiff.
The bigger problem was that this was likely just the beginning.
The blood clan caused various disturbances to weaken the empire.
Among them, there were cases where they used assassination to cause political conflicts.
Like 'killing with a borrowed knife,' they would benefit a certain faction through assassination and then sow discord to make them fight each other and mutually destroy.
When I first experienced that strategy, I really cursed out loud.
Hoping that I wouldn't experience that this time, I fell asleep.
***
The territory located in the southeast of the empire, 『Dreyhardt』
It was the most heterogeneous city in the empire.
In a typical territory, the proportion of slaves was at most about 20%.
But that territory was different.
In the territory of Dreyhardt, as much as 80% of the population were slaves.
This was because of the 『Colosseum, the Slave Arena』.
Dreyhardt was a city with no special products.
Because of that, it was very poor, and the first lord of Dreyhardt, who was troubled about solving this, came up with an idea.
It was to utilise the war slaves, who were the only abundant resource in Dreyhardt at that time.
The lord of Dreyhardt knew that people liked to show off their slaves.
So, he built an arena and held 'slave duelling tournaments' where owners could prove the strength of their slaves through duels, providing them with the opportunity.
The owners eagerly made their slaves participate in the tournaments, and people who wanted stimulating spectacles flocked there.
Thus, in no time, Dreyhardt became the most famous spot for slave duels in the empire and earned a lot of money from the enormous number of spectators.
The problem started from then on.
The lord of Dreyhardt, who had profited from the slaves, began to foster and intensively manage the slave industry.
To avoid the imperial law that if even one parent was a freeman, the child would be free, he thoroughly made slaves marry among themselves and obligated them to have many children.
In addition, he improved the breed of slaves as if breeding dogs or cattle, created an army with excellent slaves, and even started a mercenary business by dispatching them to other territories for money.
After doing that for 300 years, before they knew it, 80% of Dreyhardt's population had become slaves.
The reason why 20% of freemen could control 80% of slaves was thanks to magic tools.
The first lord of Dreyhardt also knew that if there were too many slaves, the risk of rebellion would increase.
So, he made a special request to the Magic Tower, and what was created was the 『Purple Chain』, a magic tool that, when the owner wished, weakened the wearer's strength to that of a child, and it became the symbol of slaves in the empire.
Using this magic tool, the nobles of Dreyhardt had oppressed the slaves and thought they could continue to do so in the future.
Until now, that was.
It happened suddenly one day.
"Huh? Who is it!"
Swish-!
"What?"
Taking advantage of the darkness, the assassins who infiltrated the city began to kill the mages who managed the 'Purple Chain.'
Since the Purple Chain was a magic tool that consumed mana, it required management by mages, and dozens of mages were spread throughout Dreyhardt.
But all those mages were killed overnight.
With all the mages who supplied mana dead, the Purple Chain lost its power, and the slaves regained their strength.
"Wha… what?"
"Even though I'm wearing the chain, my strength isn't disappearing!!"
As soon as the slaves realised that their strength wasn't disappearing even though they were wearing the chains, a massacre began.
The slaves who regained their strength easily destroyed their prisons and began to kill the freemen soldiers who had oppressed them.
And at the forefront was he.
"Stop them! Stop the slaves!!"
"Stop me? Don't make me laugh!!"
With a size 1.5 times that of an average person, bulging muscles, and blue horns on his head, he charged towards the freemen soldiers who were trying to suppress them.
The soldiers tried to stop him with spears, but ordinary spears couldn't pierce his skin, and instead, they were knocked away by his charge.
His name was 『Zarha Legon』,
He was a descendant of the dragonkin, said to be born between dragons and humans in the distant past, and a monster who had never been defeated in the slave arena with his overwhelming strength.
He advanced forward, slaughtering with his bare hands the soldiers who tried to stop him along with his fellow slaves, and finally arrived there.
Bang-!
"Eek!!"
When he broke down the door and entered, there he was.
The current lord of Dreyhardt, Soran Dreyhardt, was unable to escape due to the sudden rebellion and was hiding in his room.
But no matter how sturdy the door was, it was like cotton to Zarha.
Zarha entered the lord's room.
It was a splendid room made of dazzling gold and silver, and the slaves who entered with Zarha, seeing such a luxurious room for the first time in their lives, didn't know where to look.
"In…insolent! Wh…where do you think you are entering!!"
Soran shouted loudly with them in front of him.
At his words, Zarha approached him without batting an eye.
"Hey, Lord, before you say such things, don't you have something to say to us?"
"S…something to say!?"
Zarha recalled his life up to now.
Before he could even speak, he was separated from his parents and subjected to hellish training and abuse.
After that, he was forced to participate in the slave arena against his will.
And there, he survived until now by killing his comrades who were like friends with his own hands.
The reason he endured all that and survived was for this very moment.
"Apologise. To me, to everyone here, and to my dead friends!"
"A…apologise!? Ha! Don't talk nonsense! Apologies are something humans do to other humans."
Lord Soran had been taught this since childhood.
Slaves were not humans like themselves.
The position of the lord of Dreyhardt was to become the god of the slaves.
He had learned such teachings from his father and lived accordingly until now.
To him, Zarha's words were so absurd that they made him forget even the fear of death.
"I am your god! Gods do not apologise!"
And his words were enough to blow away the remaining reason in Zarha.
Zarha approached the lord and said,
"If you are a god, try to stop this."
Zarha swung his fist at the lord.
The fist, filled with the anger of Zarha's 30 years of life, was like an exploding meteorite and fell upon an ordinary human.
Since a meteorite fell on a bare human, the outcome was obvious.
Boom-!
Crunch!!
With one punch from Zarha, Soran was turned into mincemeat and smashed into the wall as a bloody mess.
Seeing that, Zarha threw a remark filled with his accumulated resentment.
"Hmph! So the god is a weakling."
Thus, on that day, a rebellion occurred in the slave city of Dreyhardt.
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Behind Cronberg Castle, there is an archery range.
Since I had some free time after a long while, I went to practice archery, also to get some exercise.
"Hoo... Hup!!"
Creak-
In my previous life, I heard that archer characters are not agility-based but strength-based.
I completely agree with that.
The draw weight of a beginner's bow is 25 pounds (11.3 kg), which is by no means light.
Moreover, the draw weight of a war longbow is a whopping 120 pounds (54.4 kg).
In short, it's extremely heavy, and I have to exert all my strength to barely draw the bowstring.
"Ughhh..."
I strained my entire body to barely draw the bow and aimed at the target about 50 meters away.
With trembling hands, I barely managed to steady my aim at the target, listening to the screaming of my back muscles, waiting for that moment.
Not yet... just a little more!... A little more!!... Now!
Thwong-!
The moment I released the bowstring, the arrow left my hand.
Propelled by the 120-pound draw weight, the arrow flew like lightning toward the target and hit the dead center.
Thwack-!
"It hit the dead center!!"
Clap clap clap clap-
"Phew..."
When the arrow I shot hit the dead center of the target, the guards and retainers applauded.
After being reincarnated, this was one of the few talents I discovered in myself.
Whether it was the blood of that nation awakening from my previous life or Calix Cronberg's talent, I don't know, but I was good at archery.
Clap clap clap-
"Impressive, my lord. As expected, your archery skills are unparalleled."
"Has Hart arrived?"
Seeing my archery skills, Hart came clapping.
It was Hart who recommended archery to me.
He said that as a lord, it would be good to learn at least one martial art and recommended archery to me, and that's where I discovered this talent.
Hart praised me as the best archer in the territory and recommended that I practice consistently, but I didn't shoot arrows often.
Because if I shot about three times, I was guaranteed to have muscle soreness the next day.
I handed the bow to Lana and approached Hart.
The reason Hart came to see me was surely because there was something important.
"A messenger has come from the Platinum Council. It seems to be something you need to check, my lord."
"From the Platinum Council?"
『Platinum Council』
It is a policy-making body located at the center of the empire, similar to the Roman Senate.
Basically, their role is similar to the Senate, but the difference is that they draft policies and the emperor approves them, rather than making decisions themselves.
Of course, due to the characteristics of the feudal system, they do not have as absolute power as the Roman Senate, but still, from the perspective of the lords, they are a very troublesome existence if made an enemy.
I immediately went to check the message from the Platinum Council.
The content was simple.
"There has been a rebellion in Dreyhardt."
"In Dreyhardt!?"
I had also heard about Dreyhardt, the city of slaves located in the southeast.
Among the various cities in the World Archive, it boasts an overwhelmingly crazy setting, so even if I wanted to forget it, I couldn't.
Summarising the news brought by the messenger, it was as follows.
A few days ago, slaves in Dreyhardt rebelled, and when the Platinum Council sent troops to suppress it, they were utterly defeated.
So, after much deliberation, the Platinum Council made the following decision.
'To the one who suppresses the rebellion in Dreyhardt, we will grant all the slaves of Dreyhardt and the full governing rights of the territory.'
"The governing rights of Dreyhardt!?"
"Yes, that's what it says."
Noah had reason to be surprised.
Governing rights meant, in short, becoming the lord of that territory.
Of course, it wasn't unheard of for one family to manage 2-3 territories or effectively have them under their control, but such lords were all called 'great lords' and wielded immense power.
The Platinum Council was saying they would allow that as a reward for suppressing the rebellion.
Even though the rebels had annihilated the lord's family of Dreyhardt, this was an excessively generous reward.
They could have brought in a noble from another region who originated from Dreyhardt, or even made it a direct imperial territory.
The fact that they didn't do so and chose this path clearly had another reason.
"My lord, in my opinion, this seems to have the influence of the imperial family."
"I think so too."
At Noah and Hart's words, I also nodded.
Even though the suppression force was utterly defeated, granting the governing rights of the territory was too excessive a reward.
Yet, the reason why the Platinum Council put that up as a reward and no one objected was only one thing:
The higher-ups wanted it.
"It seems the imperial family has a lord they want to nurture."
It was to nurture a lord that the prince or the princess wanted to raise and to strengthen his faction.
Probably, as I expected, this seemed to be an agreement between the prince and the princess.
If they really wanted to nurture someone, they didn't need to set the condition of 'the one who suppresses,' but could have just ordered them.
The reason they didn't do that was because both had lords they wanted to nurture, so they created this condition to make them compete.
Surviving in such a political arena really gave me a headache.
"My lord, this is a golden opportunity to expand our territory!"
"I completely agree with Noah. Fortunately, we have Rikain and Mage Sharen, so there is sufficient possibility."
Both of them spoke to me together.
Rikain was originally a capable knight, but honestly, there were limits in terms of martial prowess.
Those limits were completely resolved when Sharen joined and provided magical support.
With Sharen's magical assistance and buffs, the Cron Knight Order under Rikain's command became several times stronger than before, and knowing this, the two seemed to think it was worth a try.
But I...
"We... the Cronberg Family will not participate."
"What!?"
"My lord, it's such a pity to miss this opportunity."
In my previous life, when I played World Archive, I had conquered Dreyhardt.
There, I saw how the slaves were treated, and even though it was a game, I thought it was too miserable.
"The slaves of Dreyhardt have been oppressed all their lives. To suppress them with swords and magic? I... think that is not the right thing to do."
Yes, it was not the right thing to do.
There are things in the world that humans should not do, and in my view, this was exactly that.
Moreover, for me, who just wants to be a moderately loved lord, such an excessive reward that might make enemies around me was unnecessary.
At my words, both of them nodded.
"If that is... your will, my lord, we will follow."
"I will follow as well, my lord."
Hart seemed a bit regretful, and Noah... had a deeply moved expression.
What? I didn't say anything particularly moving, did I?
Thus, we decided not to directly participate in the rebellion suppression operation but only to provide rear support, while making a show of following the Platinum Council's orders.
*
A week later, on the Dreyhardt Plains.
Noah, Lana, and I watched the gathering knights from atop a hill.
The sight of numerous knights, soldiers, and mages assembling to prepare for war was, in a word, spectacular.
"As expected, those two families have participated."
"It's disappointing that there's no surprise."
And in that group, only two banners were raised.
The families that volunteered for this rebellion suppression operation were two.
The first was the Lyons Family, known as the prince's axe and battle maniacs, who immediately wanted to participate and were said to have arrived here first with their knights.
And the second family was...
"So you were here, Lord Calix."
I turned my head at the voice coming from behind.
There stood the protagonist of the current story.
A slender man in his 40s with a brown mustache, his name was Viscount Jeras Saville.
He was the lord of the Saville Family and one of the princess's faction families located to the west of our territory.
He was the second family that volunteered for this suppression operation.
"Greetings, Lord Jeras. Have you been well?"
"Thanks to the princess's grace, I have been well. Hahaha!"
He approached me familiarly while twirling his mustache.
What is this guy doing? Did he eat something wrong?
"I heard from the princess. You also received a 'gift' from her, didn't you?"
"Ah... yes, I received a very significant gift."
I looked at Lana.
Seeing my gaze, Lana responded by making a V sign with her fingers.
...It seems Lana has learned something strange from the school students again.
"Let's work hard together, as those who have received great gifts from the princess. Hahaha!"
He probably mistakenly thought that by receiving the princess's gift, I had completely become a member of the princess's faction.
I never properly answered, so why does he think that way?
"Ah! The princess asked me to convey her thanks for choosing to provide rear support for my sake."
"Ah... yes, I understand."
Indeed, the princess seemed to have understood my action as yielding to Lord Jeras for her sake.
I gave a suitably neutral response.
"Then, after this suppression operation is over, let's have a drink in Dreyhardt and talk about the gifts. Hahaha!"
He spoke as if he had already received the governing rights of Dreyhardt and went down.
Around the time Lord Jeras disappeared, Sharen descended from the sky.
"My lord, I have installed the Sky Eye magic."
"Good work, Sharen."
Sharen said while looking at Lord Jeras's back.
"So that is Lord Jeras."
"Sharen, do you know Lord Jeras?"
"Yes, I heard about him when I briefly visited the Blue Tower before."
In the game, I had been attacked by Lord Jeras, so I roughly knew what kind of person he was.
Sharen provided additional explanation about him.
"I heard that in the south, there was a lord who could have become the successor of the Blue Tower. Judging by his mana, I felt it was that lord."
Yes, if Hadem was the 'prince's axe,' then Jeras was the 'princess's staff.'
Although not on Sharen's level, he was an SSR-grade magic character just one step below, and his arrogance was due to his confidence in his own abilities.
Hadem alone is terrifying, and with Jeras also participating in the suppression operation, I sent a message of support to the slaves of Dreyhardt in my heart.
Thus, the 『Dreyhardt Rebellion Suppression Operation』 began.
In collectionBecoming a Beloved LordIn an effort to survive, I sought to become a "beloved yet incompetent lord," generously giving to the people. However…37 postsTagsBecoming a Beloved Lord
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