Ch.151151. Authority to Appoint

“…there was a lot to do.

“Your Majesty the Duke. Your office has been prepared.”

There was so much to do.

Being a commoner who had ascended to the position of Duke, I wasn’t sure if it would be normal to enjoy it even for a moment. At the very least, I could have climbed the spire attached to the main cathedral in the Imperial district and reflected on the past while overlooking the vast imperial capital.

But I didn’t have time to leisurely savor my promotion.

First, I had to clean up the aftermath of the massacre I had orchestrated.

Thirty-five domains had fallen into chaos after losing their lords, their wives, and even their heirs.

Basically, everyone was lying low. I had warned them that I would immediately raze everything to the ground if they so much as breathed too loudly, so that was normal.

Among the families I had dealt with, some commanded thirty or forty Experts, and others could mobilize considerable forces if they were determined enough, but such military power posed no threat to me.

However, I couldn’t force them to remain prostrate in fear forever.

Some of those many domains were stirring for reasons other than revenge.

“Your Grace. There are already suspicious signs from the Archnite Duchy… It seems the Duke’s siblings are starting to make moves. Of course, it’s not resistance—they seem curious about how to win Your Grace’s favor.”

“It appears the collateral branches of House Gascoine are under attack from their vassals. Some are arguing that since the Duke has been declared an enemy of the Imperial family and the Hero, his bloodline should be treated the same way.”

“There’s a family whose heir survived by not attending the banquet. The House of Count Ludersmann. …This might sound strange, but they’re volunteering to be incorporated into the Wellesley Duchy. I suppose they want to continue their lineage even as vassals.”

The desire for survival was boiling over. It seemed some were even aiming for advancement in this chaos.

It wasn’t particularly strange.

For those who had been sidelined simply for not being in the direct line, the current chaos might seem like an opportunity. Thinking they could receive titles and become new rulers of domains by impressing me was, in a way, an ordinary notion.

‘If they don’t resist me, there’s no need to kill them all.’

But I had no intention of fulfilling their ambitions. If replacing lords with collateral branches had been my goal, I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths in the first place.

However, since it was impossible to immediately incorporate all domains under direct control, I needed to use their psychology.

I immediately summoned the ministers and gave instructions.

“The families that lost their heads in this incident. Identify influential individuals among their collateral branches who are already participating in governance and report to me.”

“Understood. If possible, we’ll find those who actively support Your Grace…”

“No. Anyone capable of stable domain management will suffice. Is there anyone who would defy me at this point?”

“…Of course not.”

“I won’t be granting them titles right away. I’ll only appoint them as temporary administrators. Since their entire clans have been implicated in the serious charges of insulting the Imperial family and plotting against the Hero, that would be more appropriate.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Selecting influential collateral branches and appointing them as temporary administrators.

This way, it would appear that I was respecting the existing order, if only to suppress resistance. They would also delude themselves into thinking they could rise to the noble status of duke, marquis, or count by being loyal to me.

“They won’t oppose you, if only to earn Your Grace’s trust. Are you saying you’ll give opportunities later only to those whose loyalty is confirmed?”

When Count Necker asked this, I gave a vague affirmative response.

But my purpose wasn’t just that.

“Naturally, not all of them will survive.”

“Then…?”

“I plan to absorb domains one by one into direct imperial control, starting with those closest to the capital. We can create justifications as needed.”

Direct imperial territories where mayors are dispatched instead of lords, and where imperial guards maintain order instead of private armies.

Right now, it was impossible due to absolute lack of administrative capacity, but incorporating two or three domains per year seemed feasible. Some families might eventually be restored as hereditary nobles over time, but by then, bureaucratization would already be well underway.

This was the only way for centrally executed policies to be effective throughout the Empire.

“Eventually, all power will be concentrated in the Imperial family… and the central bureaucrats who assist them. That’s the best approach for now.”

At these words, the Minister of Veterans Affairs (who was Garland’s relative and among the younger ministers) hesitated momentarily, as if finding something strange.

I could guess what he wanted to say.

He was probably thinking, “Isn’t power being concentrated in Your Grace the Duke rather than His Majesty?” He likely restrained himself from voicing such an obvious observation, judging that it would only make the atmosphere tense.

‘…No one here is unaware of that.’

Yes. I was the one holding real power.

The fact that thirty-five families who had lost their heads were keeping their heads down and watching carefully, and that I could use that fear to expand direct imperial control—all of this was possible because of me. No matter how much I claimed it was all for the Imperial family, it would sound hollow.

But there was no need to worry.

“Carry it out.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

They would get used to it soon anyway.

The awkwardness they might feel was only temporary. To be honest, I was more concerned that they might become so accustomed to taking orders from me that they would find the Emperor strange.

‘But that’s not something to worry about right now either.’

There was one more urgent matter to address.

Fulfilling the promise I made to Leoneo, who had contributed significantly to defeating the Demon Lord.

I needed to hurry for the sake of the beastkin and the Principality of Microssia. People were probably dying even at this moment.

***

The next day, I headed to a logging forest half a day’s journey from the capital, accompanied by a mage.

I was going to meet Leoneo, who had traveled here for our rendezvous.

‘I couldn’t invite him to the capital.’

No matter how much the capital had descended into madness, people would certainly be terrified if a giant lizardman were to stride down the main streets.

I had already announced that Leoneo had made a decisive contribution to defeating the Demon Lord, but no capital citizen would care about that now. Everyone would be cautiously watching their step in the aftermath of the massacre while picking their lottery numbers.

And there was one more reason I couldn’t bring him into the capital.

“So you came riding a wyvern, as expected.”

“Yes.”

A wyvern with folded wings, rolling its eyes. It was one of the creatures that had helped us escape from the Demonic Land.

There was nothing strange about Leoneo using a wyvern for swift travel.

The issue was that he had brought one more.

“I’ll transfer this one to you, Hero.”

“……”

“I brought it thinking it would be a useful tool for you. I heard you have succubi under your command, so with their help, you should be able to tame it perfectly.”

The wyvern that Leoneo handed over to me growled and glared at me.

Naturally, humans had consistently attempted to tame wyverns throughout history. Even now, a crazy elder from the Magic Tower was breeding wyverns almost like livestock. Although he had failed to tame them as mounts.

However, the wyvern Leoneo gave me was already trained. It was possible with Leoneo’s help, and I had already experienced riding it.

A wyvern that could fly several times faster than a warhorse at full gallop.

Considering the role assigned to me, there could be no more useful tool. Although breeding and maintenance would cost enormously, its utility far outweighed those costs.

‘To think the day would come when I’d receive a gift from a beastkin.’

I looked at Leoneo’s face anew.

Though his reptilian face was largely expressionless, I wondered if he might know what role I performed in the Empire. He was intelligent enough to have created an autonomous territory in the first place.

Naturally, I had no intention of just accepting gifts for free.

I had already made preparations for the safe migration of the beastkin.

Even while preparing for the massacre, I had found time to collaborate with the former Enekia Barony (now my domain) and the Border Marquisate.

“…The migration of the beastkin will proceed sequentially starting tomorrow. They should move to the port of Enekia in tribal units, guided by the troops I’ve assigned, and then board ships there. Mages will cast sleep spells just before departure, and scrolls will be used afterward.”

“Hero, I trust you, but I question whether the nobles there will cooperate with us.”

“There’s no need to worry about that.”

The person managing the operation of shipping the beastkin to the Allied Nations was Lord Dylan Neize, the administrator of Enekia.

He was the father of Millia Neize, the female knight who had been part of Gwon Heejin’s harem.

He had no choice but to be loyal to me if he wanted to maintain his family’s lineage, even in the countryside.

His desire would be even stronger now that the Demon Lord was dead. I was exploiting a desperate person, but that was something I did all the time anyway.

“The father of one of the females who followed that idiot…?”

“The pink one.”

“Ah, yes. I remember.”

“He’ll cooperate well. I heard he’s been running around trying to secure preserved food for your people over the past few weeks.”

This wasn’t all I had prepared.

In fact, I had already found someone to help the beastkin successfully settle after arriving in ‘Islas.’

It was an old dragon hunter who had been forcibly brought to the Empire by the ruling class of the Allied Nations in the past. Though it might not seem like it now, he was once an influential figure in the Allied Nations.

He was a relative and mentor of Master Rodrigo, who had died miserably, and had been staying in the Empire since inadvertently crossing over.

He could have returned to his homeland if he wanted, but whether due to declining strength or disillusionment with his homeland, he was living leisurely here.

‘But now he’s finally found his purpose.’

Just because a veteran mercenary was helping didn’t guarantee that the beastkin would live comfortably.

However, it would be much safer than the times when they were caught between the Empire and the Demon Lord’s army. They might even live much happier than me. Especially considering why the beastkin had been attacking the border for all those years.

“…This seems like too much compensation for swinging a sword once.”

As the Beastkin King seemed about to say something along the lines of “I’ll repay you someday,” I told him to forget about it. He would have plenty to do for me anyway. I planned to give him an official position once he adapted.

“Farewell, Beastkin King.”

I sent the Beastkin King off cleanly.

It would have been courteous to share a drink to cement our friendship, but due to lack of time, I simply handed over several bottles of spirits I had brought from the capital. He would likely need the power of alcohol when facing frustrating situations in the principality.