chapter_0048

48 – The Eastern Territory ‘Klaus’

48 – The Eastern Territory ‘Klaus’

Located in the eastern part of the Empire was the territory of “Klaus.”

This was one of the leading grain-producing territories in the eastern Empire.

Like most cities in the Empire, it was rotting away due to immense wealth disparity and the extravagance of the nobles, but thanks to its status as a breadbasket, food was abundant.

So much so that there was a saying, “In Klaus, even a beggar doesn’t starve to death.”

The lord of that place was Royce Klaus, a young man in his twenties who had recently inherited the position from his elderly father.

With a plump body that looked like he had never exercised in his life, he had become very irritable lately.

The reason was none other than the neighboring territory of Dreyhart.

For the Klaus territory, Dreyhart was a kind of scapegoat.

The city, made up of slaves, had even worse conditions than Klaus, and seeing that, the people of Klaus were satisfied that where they lived was much better.

But the situation had changed.

The slave city, which had almost collapsed due to a rebellion, began to grow rapidly after being ruled by the Cron family from the south.

All the slaves became free citizens and began to work with fair compensation.

Even the compensation they received was twice the Klaus standard.

In addition, the fighting tournament for warriors, represented by the UFC, provided interesting entertainment and became a new object of envy for energetic young men.

The tournament, where one could gain honor and glory by becoming strong, felt so simple and attractive that young warriors flocked to Dreyhart.

And the spices cultivated by taking advantage of Dreyhart’s terrain characteristics presented a new taste to the surrounding territories and began to sell like crazy with a premium attached.

Royce clutched the back of his neck when he heard that they were selling for up to 20 times the price of wheat based on the same weight.

He immediately yelled to plow up the wheat fields and grow spices, and his vassals barely managed to protect the wheat fields by explaining the seeds and cultivation environment for a long time.

And what he couldn’t stand the most was Calix, the lord of Cron who ruled Dreyhart.

A young lord who became a lord around the same time as himself,

In just two short years since becoming a lord, he had developed his territory three times over, created a new territory called Dreyhart, and brought down Hadem, the infamous “Messenger of Hell” in the east.

The story of the young hero was popular in the songs of the bards, and his songs began to spread to the territory of Klaus.

The song that Royce made by giving money to the bards and inviting the best musicians was not heard.

His father, who had now stepped down, just clicked his tongue while looking at him and told him not to do anything more strange than that.

The fact that he didn’t even scold him and acted like he had given up on him was what angered Royce the most.

He wanted to beat up the freemen who were running away to Dreyhart and send knights to attack Dreyhart, but he couldn’t.

Because he had heard what Hadem had suffered from Calix for doing such a thing.

But Royce, who couldn’t just stand still, called his chief retainer and friend, Berick Cass.

“Did you call for me, Lord Royce?”

“Yes, Berick, I called you because I need your wit.”

“You need my wit, something must have made the lord’s heart ache.”

Berick said, wiggling his characteristic squinty eyes.

He already knew why he had called him and what he needed.

But he didn’t say it himself.

A truly smart aide pretends not to know on purpose and looks after the master’s heart.

“The desert rat next to us, Dreyhart, is too big and seems to be encroaching on our territory. I want to take action so that they don’t ignore us again. Is there no way?”

At Royce’s words, Berick pretended to ponder.

And he took out the words he had prepared in advance.

“There is a way to take away everything from them, beyond not ignoring us… Lord.”

“Oh! What is it!?”

Royce cheered at Berick’s words.

Just imagining being able to take everything from Dreyhart made Royce feel like ten years of indigestion had been completely relieved.

And Royce was shocked when he heard Berick’s plan.

“To…to think there’s such a way…is that really a possible way?”

“It’s information I’ve obtained from observing for the past 10 years. If we want to do it, it’s definitely possible.”

However, Berick’s plan seemed very dangerous even to Royce.

If he succeeded, he could definitely gain enormous profits, but if he failed or made a mistake and even the Platinum Council got involved, his father would not forgive him.

As Royce pondered, Berick fueled his heart.

“Lord, the world is in chaos. It’s an era of either eating or being eaten.”

“Chaos…”

At Berick’s words, Royce recalled his father’s words.

His father kept saying until the moment he stepped down.

The era is chaotic, and if you act carelessly, the family can be ruined.

“There is no such thing as justice in such a chaotic world. Is that Cron’s Lord Calix a hero because he is just? No! He became a hero because he won.”

“Hero…”

Berick knew well what Royce’s complex was.

He took out Calix’s name to stimulate Royce.

“The lord can also become a victorious hero. This plan can be the beginning of that.”

“Hmm…”

At Berick’s words, Royce imagined himself becoming a hero.

Royce couldn’t hide the smile flowing from his heart.

Berick delivered the final blow.

“Imagine. The Silver Dragon of Cron kneeling and begging to the lord.”

If Berick’s plan went well, it was not impossible for the Silver Dragon of Cron, Calix Crone, to beg him.

Royce decided.

“Okay! Let’s do it! Berick!”

“Yes, Lord, I will follow your orders and prepare to the best of my ability.”

Another conspiracy was about to begin in “Klaus” in the east.

* * *

Time had passed since Lord Zelas’s invitation and the meeting with Princess Lily.

Azel and Lana were injured, and a lot had happened, but fortunately, no one died and they were able to return safely.

Hart, Noah, and Sharen, who heard about the incident, were about to find the Blood Clan right away and use the “Flame of Lanix,” so it was a bit of a struggle to stop them.

…Thinking about it in detail, it wasn’t just a bit, but a lot of struggle.

It felt like my heart was beating faster than when I was attacked by the Blood Clan.

Anyway, everything ended safely like that, and it seemed like everything was back in place.

But a few days later, an anomaly occurred.

It started with “Lana.”

I woke up as usual, ate an apple, opened the door, and left the bedroom.

And Lana was waiting in front of me as usual.

“Good morning, Lord.”

“Yes, good morning. La…”

The problem was Lana, who was waiting for me, just like any other morning.

Because her face was dyed a dark brown color as if she had been tanning.

“Are you okay, Lord?”

“Uh…that…Lana? Your face…”

“I heard it’s a trendy makeup style these days. How is it? Does the lord like it?”

Lana looked at me intently as if asking me to praise her skin.

I avoided her eyes for now and ran to the bathroom.

I had a bad feeling, and that feeling was right on target.

“Hello, Lord!”

“No…Noah…your skin too…”

“Ah! How is it? It’s a trendy makeup style these days. Do I look pretty in the lord’s eyes?”

Noah, who came to the office, was also dyed with dark brown skin as if she had been tanning.

In a situation where two of the people in the office were suddenly dyed black, I wanted to say a lot.

But I was holding back because I felt like I would become a racist the moment I said something wrong.

And then I heard a sound from outside the door.

“Lord! Sharen has arrived.”

“Yes, come in.”

I prepared myself and brought the two into the office.

The door opened and Azel and Sharen entered the office…as expected, both of their skins were also dyed dark brown.

“Did…did you two also do the trendy makeup these days?”

“Yes! That’s right.”

“I tried it because I heard people like this these days. Does it suit me, Lord?”

In an instant, four black people took their places in the office.

Looking at them, I thought of the Harem game from my past life.

Four of the same color…in a game, it was a combination that would explode and create a bonus block.

I roughly grasped the situation and said.

“I can guess what the situation is, so let me tell you, I like dark brown skin ‘too,’ but I don’t like ‘only’ dark brown skin. Rather, I like everyone’s appearance as it is.”

At my words, their eyes all turned to Lana at once.

Lana desperately avoided everyone’s gaze and looked elsewhere.

“Then let’s all return to our original appearances before starting work.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Snap-!

At my words, Sharen snapped her fingers.

Then their dark brown skin disappeared, revealing their clean, original skin.

Yes, that’s it, feeling my eyes being purified as I looked at their original beautiful skin, I brought up the story.

“Okay, Noah, what’s the problem we’re going to talk about today?”

The reason why the meeting was scheduled early this morning was largely due to Noah’s request for a summons.

At my words, Noah became serious and said.

“I think the Klaus family is trying to play tricks on our Dreyhart territory, Lord.”

“Tricks?”

“Yes, they are buying up food.”

No, what is this story again?

My head was already hurting before I even heard everything.

Author’s words (Author’s afterword)

Thank you for your support, 4444woo-nim!!

I will repay you with more attractive characters!!!!!!

A new incident begins.

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