The Archmage’s Restaurant - Chapter 109
# 109
Chapter.26 Visit to the next town
“So there’s no need to leave something like that. your majesty.”
“Hehehe, well, anyway, you’re right. but… .”
“it’s okay. I am retired. “I have no intention of getting involved.”
“is it… .”
The emperor nodded as if relieved.
“Then what is that little thing?”
Get straight to the point. In that case, it is my turn to get straight to the point.
“Do you know anything about Deadran City?”
“You mean the Count Dedran incident?”
“You know.”
“yes. “I’m currently pretending not to be involved in state affairs, so I heard in detail that Count Mornemann had a serious accident, right?”
“you’re right. Thanks to you, Deadlancy is now a mess. So I have a suggestion. “Could you please incorporate Deadran City into Grace City?”
Even if I stabilize Deadran City, it will be in vain if a proper lord is not appointed.
In that case, wouldn’t it be best to leave it to the Gray boy who raised his voice saying that he would become a proper lord?
“Why is that again… ? “Isn’t this something that has nothing to do with you?”
“I understand that taxes are not coming in properly from Deadran City right now.”
“I know it’s probably the worst.”
“I plan to jump in and normalize taxes. Wouldn’t it be the center’s priority to recover taxes? “The dukes are so busy keeping each other in check that they are probably not in a position to appoint a proper lord.”
“Did Duke Gelty say that he would normalize the issue if it were left to him?”
He said he would not get involved in state affairs, but as expected, he was hiding and knew all the facts.
“Dedran City does not want to be played in a power struggle. “It is the place where a kind and noble woman grew up who only had eyes for one man, and she believes that her son deserves to inherit that land.”
I began to tell the emperor a more detailed story.
The story of Berna and the Gray family.
And the story is that they must continue to develop the territory.
To that end, I will step in and sort out the situation, so I ask you to disguise me as a noble under the emperor’s direct control and send me to the grand palace.
***
High ceilings. red carpet.
Gorgeous window frames.
Candles shining everywhere.
And a desk in the center.
The desk, made of high-quality Rummel wood and used only by nobles, is overflowing with elegance.
The entire building showed how much money had been poured into it.
And sitting at the desk was a man with long hair covering his ears.
On the surface, it is usury. And this man is connected to several criminal organizations in the southern part of the empire.
snap. snap.
Rieden was sitting at a desk with a beautiful wood grain pattern, trimming his nails.
And then the subordinate came in front of him. He is a large man with broad shoulders.
“Sir, we have received new information.”
“is it so? “A new officer has arrived?”
“I think so.”
snap!
One of the fingernails he was cutting bounces and lands on his subordinate’s forehead. Only after Rieden had finally finished cutting his nails did he raise his eyes and look at Bernetto’s face.
“Hmmmm.”
Bernetto grumbled inwardly, saying, ‘Again?’ I thought it would be good if you could just put up with my habit of speaking in a murky tone. It doesn’t suit me very much.
But on the outside, he just looks calm. If this man is right-handed or left-handed, he is merciless.
“So what kind of person are you?”
Rieden asks with a look on his face, “What are you talking about?”
I waited for him because he was cutting his nails, but he got angry with his face.
“What are you so dissatisfied with? “If I tease you, you are the master.”
“Oh no!”
Thinking that he had been tricked by mind reading again, Bernetto began to sweat.
“The new crown prince is Baron Evolk. It is said that he comes down with the title of Youngju Daeri, but I looked into the capital, but there is no special title. “Isn’t he a nobleman living in the countryside somewhere?”
“He’s a baron.”
Until now, there have been many visits by officials of that level. It’s so boring now.
“How long do you plan to send your representative to the lord? Even though all the nobles of Deadran City have been captured and the city is empty, it is absurd that they continue to send only barons.”
When Rieden answered by blowing his clipped nails, Bernetto nodded in agreement.
Usually, nobles above the count level have knights dedicated to the count family. It is a privilege from the rank of earl. Of course, given the status of a count, the size of the knights is not large. At the level of a duke, the knighthood becomes the size of a division.
However, it does not have private soldiers other than the Knights Templar. Usually, nobles above the count have fiefdoms and troops are stationed in those fiefdoms.
The army is made up of ordinary citizens who are obliged to serve in the military.
In other words, although there is an army, it can be said that the military of the country is managed by the lord.
After Count Dedran was overthrown, the army’s military discipline collapsed and there was no discipline, and it became like a criminal group.
Therefore, the structure was such that the newly appointed officials had no choice but to use their power properly.
It might be a good idea to send down the capital corps directly under the emperor in the capital.
However, the capital corps was busy with border disputes with the neighboring empire. As a result, there was no thought of sending troops to small towns.
In fact, the central government did not think that the problem of the general nobles was that serious, except that there was a slight disruption in taxes.
Taking advantage of that opportunity, Rieden, who had been committing all sorts of evil acts with Count Dedran, began to work secretly in the city of Dedran.
“But master. “Wouldn’t we be able to control this place for a longer time if weaklings like the Baron keep coming down?”
“That’s not true. “If you ask too stupid questions, you never know when I’ll disappear from the seat next to you.”
Rieden’s eyes shine.
Bernetto had to keep his mouth shut and tense up at the words, which were no different from a warning.
“In order to completely make Deadrun City mine, I need the perfect puppet lord. A puppet that even the imperial palace can’t say anything about. The rental companies change frequently, so you have to pay attention every time, and what a waste it is. The story goes that if you use that medicine on the Count when he comes down, everything will go well. all right? “If you say something stupid like that again, I’ll replace you with someone else?”
“sorry!”
Bernetto shouted loudly. Because that was something that should never have happened.
The only end for a person who is no longer needed by Rieden is death. Bernetto was the one who knew it best.
‘It’s that medicine. There was that.’
And Bernetto was convinced by the word “medicine” and nodded.
The medicine used on Count Gray.
It was Rieden who presented it to Count Dedran. And Rieden had one more medicine.
“You mean the medicine the dark elves made?”
“That’s right.”
A test project that provided the Dark Elves with an infinite number of humans they could use with ease.
Just as elves were talented in healing magic, dark elves also had excellent knowledge of medicine. Unlike the elves, the dark elves were using that knowledge for evil purposes.
“Isn’t that why we brought Count Dedran’s chamberlain over to our side? “Hehehe.”
The chamberlain of Count Dedran was a person who was released rather than taken to the capital due to several testimonies that he was often assaulted by Count Dedran.
“Anyway, making medicine is very difficult, so all I have is one bottle. You cannot use it carelessly. So, a formally appointed lord is needed, and the magistrates have nothing else to do. “Even if we bring some knights down, we can deal with it later.”
“That’s right. “It goes without saying.”
“I poured so much money into Duke Mertina for that, but they still haven’t sent me a proper lord.”
“This time, I received a message saying they were sending the Count… “It is said that the emperor suddenly pushed for it.”
“Suddenly?”
“yes.”
“Hmmmm find out more about him.”
“All right!”
“Anyway, if there’s nothing special, I’ll have to kill the guy who comes this time. I need to give him shock therapy. Wouldn’t that make you understand the seriousness a bit and send the count with the knights down?”
There are also levels in the territory.
Of course, a duke could send a count under his command to a territory granted as a duchy.
The only difference between the territory to which the emperor directly sent a count and the territory to which the duke sent a count was the only difference in who sent the lord, but the fact that the count became the lord of that region did not change.
In the case of a duchy, even if an earl becomes a lord, the actual owner of the estate is forever the duke, and once appointed by the duke, the lords rarely change unless something like Count Dedran happens.
“All right. “I will prepare him as well.”
“Prepare without a hitch.”
Rieden said that and looked at his nails again.
***
I returned to Deadrancy under the name of Baron Evolk.
Yeongju Castle burned down and half of it was lost. Of course, there is no problem because you can eat and sleep well with the remaining portion.
The purpose of burning this castle was to remove the shackles from Verna’s heart, which had been oppressed by a monster named her father all her life.
I’m not sure if it actually helped Berna. It’s not like I entered her mind.
“Lurin, I’m going to stay here for a while.”
“here?”
Lulin narrowed his eyes and looked around the office in the lord’s castle. It’s not something I really like.
Of course, it’s not a space I like either.
But, isn’t it bad to be born as a man and live with the title of lord?
Of course, it is a very problematic neighborhood.
Now pay back the price for not taking responsibility for what happened after getting rid of Count Dedran. Because that’s all the story is about.
“There are no beds.”
“ok? “Is that the problem?”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I know?”
When Rurin questioned him back, he was at a loss for words.
“Well, just for a moment. I’ll be back soon. Because there is something that needs to be accomplished. “You idiot, I feel sorry for you for talking like that.”
I can’t believe I have to stay in a place like this because of my personal work. Suddenly, my heart sinks.
So, I stroked Lurin’s head as she looked up at me.
“Hehehe.”
Lulin suddenly starts laughing.
“If you’re sorry, you can just let me sleep on the floor. “Because there is no bed!”
I’m back to square one, saying things like that, but there is a bed. This is the office, so the only thing there is a desk.
“Well, this whole lord castle is our home for the time being. So, the fact that there is a bed.”
“Huhhhhh? What is that! “I don’t like that!”
He said nothing would matter as long as we were together, but then he suddenly started losing his temper.
“It’s meaningless if I can’t sleep with you in this small place. Do you understand? That’s it!”
What is it like?
Was this why he was strangely obedient?
“Even when you won a bet before, you ran away?”
“That’s it! I did it because it was my first time! I’m used to it now! It was like that before! “That’s it!”
“okay? Hehe, but that won’t happen for a while.”
“you. “If you keep bringing tears to a woman’s eyes, you will regret it later!”
“what? “Who else did you hear that from?”
“There is such a thing!”
Lulin sat down on the desk in his office while making an absurd claim. And then he started shaking his legs.
At the very least, it’s either my former colleague or, more recently, that damn red dragon.
The fact that you don’t say who you heard it from means that you don’t want your pride to be damaged.
In that case, the culprit is Serena.
Anyway, that red dragon.
I want you to know that I am also holding back.
Besides, I almost couldn’t stand it on the rooftop of the Magic Tower.
Be patient, be patient.
Rurin’s birthday is just around the corner.