novelraw Chapter 106 : Chapter 106
Chapter 106 : Chapter 106
Chapter : 106
There was no understanding human greed.
I spared her life, so she should have lived quietly in the tower, but she was trying to join hands with an outside force to start something again?
Of course, it wasn't that I was annoyed or stressed because Isabella was a threat.
The reason was singular.
‘My half-brother, João….’
It was because of my half-brother, João.
If Isabella acted rashly, I would have to deal with João as well, wouldn't I? But for me, who still had the sensibilities of a modern person, killing a child was an option I simply couldn't bring myself to choose.
"Tsk. I can't just leave this woman be, can I…?"
Thinking so, I immediately summoned Chamberlain Hamil.
For matters like this, the fewer people who knew, the better. And it had to be someone trustworthy.
Chamberlain Hamil, who had plotted with me from the very beginning, was the perfect man for this job.
"Did you… call for me, my lord?"
Perhaps my discomfort was visible on my face, as Chamberlain Hamil flinched in surprise upon seeing me.
"Yes, Chamberlain Hamil."
I said, massaging my tired eyelids.
"Isabella. How are the servants around her being managed?"
"Hm? Surely Isabella is not up to some foolishness."
As expected, just like before, he was exceptionally quick-witted for a former knight.
"That's right. Baron Pierre told me. The nobles of the capital are using her to pull some strings."
"Strings? They are surely planning a rebellion, my lord. You must bring Isabella to court at once."
"Calm down. Nothing is certain yet, is it?"
It felt like a similar development to the conversation we had before driving Isabella out.
How strange.
A laugh escaped me before I knew it.
"If we get rid of her while the conspiracy is ongoing, won't the plot just go deeper underground?"
"Ah-! You're right. I was hasty. My apologies, my lord."
"I plan to use this opportunity to clean up the elements of internal instability."
"Are you planning to use Isabella as bait?"
At Chamberlain Hamil's question, I nodded instead of answering.
A conspiracy was frightening because it was hidden. An exposed conspiracy was no longer a conspiracy.
Rather, it was an excellent trap.
In that sense, I planned to use this as an opportunity for internal discipline. My title was secure, but there were still numerous other successors besides myself.
"Hmm…. No. Let's use them a bit more."
"?"
Just then, a rather good idea popped into my head. Would Isabella be the only one swayed by the capital nobles' persuasion?
The feudal vassals from the collateral branches, who were now as quiet as dead mice, would surely be swayed as well.
"What is Viscount Avignon doing?"
"These days, he is leading his family's merchant guild and is very active. I hear he is gaining enormous wealth through relay trade."
"Indeed."
As expected of someone with a good eye for reading the trends, his abilities as a merchant seemed outstanding.
"Can you summon him?"
"He's probably at the market, so he should be here soon. Shall I bring him?"
"Please do."
Not long after my words, Viscount Avignon entered my office with a bewildered expression.
He then spotted me and, startled, bowed his head.
"I greet you, my lord."
"Oh, Viscount Avignon. Have you been well?"
"Thanks to the consideration you've shown me, my lord, I am living a more prosperous life than ever before. But for what reason have you called for me…?"
Speaking cautiously, Viscount Avignon glanced around.
He seemed to have sensed something was off about the empty office, where there was no one but me and Chamberlain Hamil.
"Do you know how my collateral relatives are faring these days?"
"Do you mean the feudal vassals? Hmm…. I do not hold frequent gatherings with them, so I am not sure what movements they are making."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, my lord."
Only then did Viscount Avignon seem to grasp what was going on. He watched my expression and carefully opened his mouth.
"Do you perhaps wish for me to maintain close contact with the collateral families?"
‘Oh-!’
This was why I liked clever and quick-witted people. I nodded my head.
"You don't have to do it if it's a burden…. But if you do, I will give you a great reward."
"How could it be a burden? Please, just give me the order. Am I not your vassal, Margrave?"
"I'm grateful for the sentiment alone."
I smiled at his quite loyal demeanor.
But Viscount Avignon was sincere. He believed that the decision to side with me was the best choice of his life.
Behold.
The prospering city.
Behold again.
The soaring honor of the Margrave.
In that short time, I had already surpassed the rise and fall of the old Margrave ancestors.
And not be loyal to the Margrave? Viscount Avignon thought that was a truly foolish choice.
"What exactly would you have me do, my lord? Just give the command. I will accomplish everything."
Thus, Viscount Avignon resolved to surely carry out the mission he was given.
-Tiriring!
[Insidious Plot]
[You have identified the opponent's plot and laid a trap upon it. The opponent may be toyed with by a stratagem that an ordinary person would not even dare to imagine.]
[Stratagem Correction-!]
[The probability of the plot working more certainly and powerfully increases.]
***
After giving orders to Chamberlain Hamil and Viscount Avignon to counter the capital nobles' plot, my daily life became hectically busy.
I had started many things, and I had to manage all of them.
First, I had to stamp my seal on the pile of major administrative documents, and I had to give instructions for laying the road network connecting the relay market and each city.
If I didn't pay attention for even a moment, things would go awry, so I had to personally oversee and confirm them.
Of course, it wasn't just major tasks like these.
"Ooh! As expected of Your Excellency."
"Splendid."
"You are skilled in dueling, and now you are skilled in hunting as well-!"
It was absurd, but…
I had to go on a morale- boosting hunt for the elf knights who were grumbling that their bodies were itching from sitting idly in the domain.
Furthermore, that wasn't all.
"Meeeeh-!"
"Stop crying and eat this."
"Meeh-! I don't want to, my loord…. Meheheh?"
To soothe the still-pouting goat beastman, Bishop Marco—though I wasn't quite sure why I had to be the one soothing him—I even went as far as to make and feed him the ultimate luxury food by [Pangea Universalise] standards that could be made with sugar.
Tanghulu.
"Meheheh! My loord. What is this? It's super delicious. Merr."
My situation felt somewhat pathetic, but what could I do? They were all people I needed and had to manage.
‘Ugh….’
But still, there was some good news.
Canton City, in the name of friendship, had sent dwarf technicians who knew how to make steel.
"Oh, are you the technicians sent from Canton? Welcome!"
"We greet Your Excellency. There are many of our kin here, so it is quite a comfortable place."
"Of course, there are plenty. I do not discriminate based on race. I especially like dwarves like you who possess outstanding skills. If you are interested, you are welcome to settle in my domain."
"Ahem, ahem. First…. let's see the facilities, Your Excellency."
The dwarf technicians seemed quite flustered by my warm welcome.
But what did it matter?
To recruit talent, I was willing to crawl on the floor like Liu Bei, who made three visits to Zhuge Liang's cottage.
And in fact, my attitude seemed to appeal quite a bit to the dwarf technicians.
"The Margrave is much better than the rumors, isn't he?"
"That's true. For a human lord, he's very humble and holds us in high regard."
"Should we consider settling here?"
"Oh, you? If you do, I'd like to follow along."
"Hey, Mr. Du! Stop the nonsense and carry the rod."
"……."
***
-Tiriring!
[The progress of the relay market increases with the completion of the waterway construction.]
[Current Progress 89/100]
-Tiriring!
[The steel production facility has been completed. ‘Steel’ will be registered as a specialty product of your domain.]
Dazzling system notification windows popped up. These were the things I had diligently managed recently. I looked at them with a satisfied smile.
"Hm? Why are you suddenly smiling like that?"
"Ah, I was just happy that everything seems to be going well, Magician Agpiel."
My domain was moving forward, taking one step at a time.
All the major construction projects were handled, and the rather dangerous conspiracy related to Isabella was being thoroughly controlled through Chamberlain Hamil and Viscount Avignon.
Now, there were no particular internal problems or major incidents that needed attention.
It was a most satisfying state of affairs.
"Indeed. Your domain is developing very rapidly. Honestly, lately, I thought it was the mobile court of the Holy Empire's Emperor. It was teeming with people."
In the medieval European setting of [Pangea Universalise], there were no fixed palaces like in the Eastern world.
The place where the emperor or king stayed was the palace. Thus, huge and splendid processions, like caravans, would follow their movements.
"It's not quite at that level yet, Magician Agpiel."
"It's just an expression. Still, it seems like it will catch up to a decent city soon. That's a good thing."
I nodded at Magician Agpiel's words. Once the relay market became a little more active, catching up would truly be a matter of time.
‘By the way…. is the outside all that's left?’
I thought to myself, averting my gaze from Magician Agpiel.
It was only natural to turn one's eyes outward after organizing the inside. Therefore, it was time to start moving again.
In fact, piecing together the rumors from the merchants and Baron Pierre, the king and the Duke of Bourgogne were on the verge of a clash.
I needed to slip in and help balance the power.
And I had a good excuse just in time.
‘The wedding in the Duchy of Bourgogne!’
It was the perfect event for me to make my official debut on the political stage of the Elang Kingdom.
It had high visibility, and the entangled relationships were also very complex.
If I were to drop plop into the middle of it, everyone would surely look at me with troubled expressions, as if they had touched something hot.
They would be restless, not knowing how to handle it.
‘I must become a definite key man so that they dare not touch me.’
If I acted ambiguously, they would surely create insidious plots to attack me, just like this time.
Dying a sudden death at the blade of a conspiracy was an end I truly wanted to avoid.
‘I must show them clearly at the wedding of the Duke of Bourgogne.’
Thinking so, I leisurely waited for the invitation from the Duke of Bourgogne.
And not long after.
The long-awaited envoy from the Duke arrived.
"My lord, an envoy from the Duke of Bourgogne has requested an audience."
"What is it about?"
"I hear he has come to deliver an invitation, saying that the Duke wishes for you to attend the wedding of his eldest son."
The time had finally come to leave the domain and move again.