We succeeded in returning to the territory safely.
Apparently the escape from the sewer was unmarked, so the Duke and his men were able to join up with the troops that had been put on standby without any problems, and succeeded in returning to the Duke’s territory at once.
My return method was the original Buitor that I had hidden at the airport in the forest northeast of Lurden, but after getting used to the improved model, I found the old one a little difficult to fly.
After all, I was satisfied with the improvements that had been made, and at the same time, it shook my engineer’s spirit to make more improvements.
I don’t know when it will be, but I’d like to build a glider like the one I flew in a previous life, with a double seat, or a light plane with more seats.
Well, I heard that the situation in the Royal Capital has not been good since then.
When the lords heard the king’s decision this time, their reactions were divided.
First of all, the southern aristocrats, who were firmly united around the Duke of Ramslett, supported the Duke without a single defection.
This was a result of the fact that the groundwork had been done quite well in advance.
And the lords who are threatened by the Est Empire in the east have not made their stance clear, but many of them seem to take a position more in line with the Duke of Ramslet.
There are two reasons for this. The first is that, if the food supply from the Duke of Ramslett’s territory is cut off, then there will be territories that will starve.
No matter how fertile the land of Bruseni is, it is obvious that the Imperial Army will mess with the kingdom.
Moreover, it will take a long time for production to recover since they have expelled a significant number of residents.
After all, is it still a long-standing grudge? I don’t know why they drove out the inhabitants, but I hope they will learn from the Roman Empire, which treated its conquered people well.
Well, in this world, there is no way to know about ancient Rome, and in the history, I learned here, there is no empire as huge as that one.
Now, let’s get back to the story. The other reason is my existence as an adventurer of the Duke of Ramslett’s family.
My one-sided bombing and overrunning of the Est Empire is already well known, especially to the soldiers who participated in the Battle of Bruseni in the east, and they have experienced its power firsthand.
It’s reassuring while I’m on your side, but the moment I turn against you, it turns into a nightmare.
After all, there was no way to shoot me down except by attacking me during takeoff and landing, also bombs and incendiary bombs were raining down from above almost without limit.
With such an opponent, it was no longer a matter of maintaining morale.
In fact, the Est army had clearly lost the will to fight in the middle of the battle.
Now, on the other hand, the nobles in the west and north are supporting the royal family, taking the opinion that the Duke of Ramslett should be eliminated.
However, many of the nobles support the current king and crown prince in the west and the second prince in the north, so while they are ostensibly condemning the Duke of Ramslett, they are also in a state of internal strife.
And the king has emphasised the order of the subjugation of the Duke of Ramslett, a rebel.
However, despite the king’s order, when it comes to actually send troops, the lords are reluctant to lose their own soldiers or those of their own faction.
It’s a messy situation that I’ve heard of in world history, but I’d be grateful if my opponent could actually get stuck in such a situation.
The Duke, on the other hand, mercilessly took action.
First, he stopped the export of wheat outside his territory.
The ostensible reason for this is that it was plundered as a result of the invasion by the Kingdom of Xaus, but the reality is different.
In the first place, it wasn’t the time to sow wheat seeds, so the damage was not as great as it was said to be, and the Ramslett Dukedom was not hurt since they got more compensation from the Kingdom of Xaus than they got plundered.
As proof of this, distribution to territories that support the Duke of Ramslett, such as Margaret’s Altmunt and Isabella’s Luinberg, is still permitted.
However, this wheat embargo cast a huge shadow on the lives of the common people living in non-Ramslett ducal territories.
The price of wheat is rising day by day, and in some towns, the price of bread has already doubled within a week of the start of the embargo.
I felt sorry for them, but I couldn’t just sit by and let the king’s arrogance get the better of me. There is no choice but to make my heart a demon here.
The next thing that happened was a huge migration of adventurers.
Adventurers make their living by hunting demons and conquering dungeons to gain treasure, but due to the nature of their work, they are allowed to move to other cities.
When the price of wheat skyrocketed, many of these adventurers moved to the Duke of Ramslett’s territory or other cities that were self-sufficient in wheat. Some of them are said to have moved to the Duke of Ramslett’s territory in anticipation of the war demand.
Among them, Margaret’s Altmunt is said to be particularly popular, and I’ve heard that a considerable number of adventurers have travelled there for the Orc’s meat that can be produced in the Great Dungeon of Orcs.
I can only hope that master and others are included in this group.
Well, so far we are following the plan that I discussed with the Duke.
There are a few things I envision for the future, but there are still many uncertainties.
In particular, it is necessary to watch how the Est Empire, which has lost two of its important people, and the United Kingdom of Norsane, which has yet to make a move on the political changes in its neighbouring countries, will emerge.
Also, the situation is unpredictable as to what the non-Ramslett faction lords will do as the food situation worsens as time goes on.
＊＊＊＊
I finished my work for the day and came to Anna’s room.
By the way, my job is to help the Duke with his political affairs. In this situation where the duke’s territory is in need of even a cat’s paw, there is no room for idle play. (TL:- cat’s paw is depicting shortage of personnel.)
“Good evening, Anna. The stars are shining beautifully today too.
I called out to her, but she didn’t respond at all.
The maids who serve her every day make sure that she is well-groomed, and she looks fantastic, as beautiful as an elaborately made sculpture.
I gently lifted Anna’s body and turned her to face me, changing her position to prevent bedsores.
Every time I pick up her body, which has become lighter and thinner, my heart tightens.
“Listen, Anna? The Duke has agreed to Anna’s marriage to me. Don’t you think it’s time for you to wake up?”
Of course, I know that won’t happen. I raise her up and talk to her while I try to relax her joints so they don’t stiffen.
“That’s right. The day after tomorrow is Anna’s birthday, right? It’s been a while since we’ve been able to celebrate your birthday at the mansion, and everyone at the mansion is really excited about it. So, you know. Wake up, please.”
I can’t. I had decided to smile and talk to her.
I started to tear up a little.
If Anna woke up in this state, it would worry her.
“Anna, good night.”
When I put her down on the bed again, I lightly kissed her on the forehead and left the room.
In the moonlight, Anna’s figure was still so fantastically beautiful, and so fragile that I was afraid she would disappear at any moment.
We succeeded in returning to the territory safely.
Apparently the escape from the sewer was unmarked, so the Duke and his men were able to join up with the troops that had been put on standby without any problems, and succeeded in returning to the Duke’s territory at once.
My return method was the original Buitor that I had hidden at the airport in the forest northeast of Lurden, but after getting used to the improved model, I found the old one a little difficult to fly.
After all, I was satisfied with the improvements that had been made, and at the same time, it shook my engineer’s spirit to make more improvements.
I don’t know when it will be, but I’d like to build a glider like the one I flew in a previous life, with a double seat, or a light plane with more seats.
Well, I heard that the situation in the Royal Capital has not been good since then.
When the lords heard the king’s decision this time, their reactions were divided.
First of all, the southern aristocrats, who were firmly united around the Duke of Ramslett, supported the Duke without a single defection.
This was a result of the fact that the groundwork had been done quite well in advance.
And the lords who are threatened by the Est Empire in the east have not made their stance clear, but many of them seem to take a position more in line with the Duke of Ramslet.
There are two reasons for this. The first is that, if the food supply from the Duke of Ramslett’s territory is cut off, then there will be territories that will starve.
No matter how fertile the land of Bruseni is, it is obvious that the Imperial Army will mess with the kingdom.
Moreover, it will take a long time for production to recover since they have expelled a significant number of residents.
After all, is it still a long-standing grudge? I don’t know why they drove out the inhabitants, but I hope they will learn from the Roman Empire, which treated its conquered people well.
Well, in this world, there is no way to know about ancient Rome, and in the history, I learned here, there is no empire as huge as that one.
Now, let’s get back to the story. The other reason is my existence as an adventurer of the Duke of Ramslett’s family.
My one-sided bombing and overrunning of the Est Empire is already well known, especially to the soldiers who participated in the Battle of Bruseni in the east, and they have experienced its power firsthand.
It’s reassuring while I’m on your side, but the moment I turn against you, it turns into a nightmare.
After all, there was no way to shoot me down except by attacking me during takeoff and landing, also bombs and incendiary bombs were raining down from above almost without limit.
With such an opponent, it was no longer a matter of maintaining morale.
In fact, the Est army had clearly lost the will to fight in the middle of the battle.
Now, on the other hand, the nobles in the west and north are supporting the royal family, taking the opinion that the Duke of Ramslett should be eliminated.
However, many of the nobles support the current king and crown prince in the west and the second prince in the north, so while they are ostensibly condemning the Duke of Ramslett, they are also in a state of internal strife.
And the king has emphasised the order of the subjugation of the Duke of Ramslett, a rebel.
However, despite the king’s order, when it comes to actually send troops, the lords are reluctant to lose their own soldiers or those of their own faction.
It’s a messy situation that I’ve heard of in world history, but I’d be grateful if my opponent could actually get stuck in such a situation.
The Duke, on the other hand, mercilessly took action.
First, he stopped the export of wheat outside his territory.
The ostensible reason for this is that it was plundered as a result of the invasion by the Kingdom of Xaus, but the reality is different.
In the first place, it wasn’t the time to sow wheat seeds, so the damage was not as great as it was said to be, and the Ramslett Dukedom was not hurt since they got more compensation from the Kingdom of Xaus than they got plundered.
As proof of this, distribution to territories that support the Duke of Ramslett, such as Margaret’s Altmunt and Isabella’s Luinberg, is still permitted.
However, this wheat embargo cast a huge shadow on the lives of the common people living in non-Ramslett ducal territories.
The price of wheat is rising day by day, and in some towns, the price of bread has already doubled within a week of the start of the embargo.
I felt sorry for them, but I couldn’t just sit by and let the king’s arrogance get the better of me. There is no choice but to make my heart a demon here.
The next thing that happened was a huge migration of adventurers.
Adventurers make their living by hunting demons and conquering dungeons to gain treasure, but due to the nature of their work, they are allowed to move to other cities.
When the price of wheat skyrocketed, many of these adventurers moved to the Duke of Ramslett’s territory or other cities that were self-sufficient in wheat. Some of them are said to have moved to the Duke of Ramslett’s territory in anticipation of the war demand.
Among them, Margaret’s Altmunt is said to be particularly popular, and I’ve heard that a considerable number of adventurers have travelled there for the Orc’s meat that can be produced in the Great Dungeon of Orcs.
I can only hope that master and others are included in this group.
Well, so far we are following the plan that I discussed with the Duke.
There are a few things I envision for the future, but there are still many uncertainties.
In particular, it is necessary to watch how the Est Empire, which has lost two of its important people, and the United Kingdom of Norsane, which has yet to make a move on the political changes in its neighbouring countries, will emerge.
Also, the situation is unpredictable as to what the non-Ramslett faction lords will do as the food situation worsens as time goes on.
＊＊＊＊
I finished my work for the day and came to Anna’s room.
By the way, my job is to help the Duke with his political affairs. In this situation where the duke’s territory is in need of even a cat’s paw, there is no room for idle play. (TL:- cat’s paw is depicting shortage of personnel.)
“Good evening, Anna. The stars are shining beautifully today too.
I called out to her, but she didn’t respond at all.
The maids who serve her every day make sure that she is well-groomed, and she looks fantastic, as beautiful as an elaborately made sculpture.
I gently lifted Anna’s body and turned her to face me, changing her position to prevent bedsores.
Every time I pick up her body, which has become lighter and thinner, my heart tightens.
“Listen, Anna? The Duke has agreed to Anna’s marriage to me. Don’t you think it’s time for you to wake up?”
Of course, I know that won’t happen. I raise her up and talk to her while I try to relax her joints so they don’t stiffen.
“That’s right. The day after tomorrow is Anna’s birthday, right? It’s been a while since we’ve been able to celebrate your birthday at the mansion, and everyone at the mansion is really excited about it. So, you know. Wake up, please.”
I can’t. I had decided to smile and talk to her.
I started to tear up a little.
If Anna woke up in this state, it would worry her.
“Anna, good night.”
When I put her down on the bed again, I lightly kissed her on the forehead and left the room.
In the moonlight, Anna’s figure was still so fantastically beautiful, and so fragile that I was afraid she would disappear at any moment.
