episode_0084
by fnovelpia
84. The Age of Warlords (群雄割據)
One month after Jett Grace returned.
Erica examined the letters delivered by the spies she had planted.
Romania, the Emperor’s land, had been the warlords’ greatest interest.
After reading the contents of the letters, Erica’s assessment could be summed up in a single phrase.
“So it’s finally collapsed.”
The imperial family had ‘finally’ fallen.
Sebastian, though politically astute, was an amateur when it came to war.
After recruiting the peerless Reina, he recklessly advanced and faced defeat.
Foolishly, he hadn’t even appointed a proper defensive general, and news of his death had arrived.
As a result, traitors like Lyke and Targon seized the imperial palace.
The Heavenly Emperor’s authority had plummeted to the ground.
“Now, even the last leash restraining the warlords is gone.”
Until now, the name of the Emperor had kept the warlords in check.
If framed as rebels at any moment, they could legally crush or trample the accused—even if they were nobles.
That was why no warlord dared act aggressively even when Blackdown occupied the imperial palace.
Even when Oh Yeong-je recklessly rebelled, they kept their mouths shut.
But now, everything had changed.
The high officials even Blackdown didn’t dare touch were gone, and the Emperor was nothing more than a hostage.
To put it crudely, even if an imperial decree arrived, ignoring it wouldn’t cause trouble.
Which meant…
“The Age of Warlords (群雄割據).”
The future they had only prepared for until now—
The Age of Warlords had finally begun.
Some might fear it, while other warlords would smile, seeing the opportunity they had awaited.
Erica belonged to the latter.
She gazed out the window.
“Beautiful.”
Though not yet completed, pillars stretched over a kilometer across the river, spaced at regular intervals.
The steel beams connecting them were still just a skeleton.
Meanwhile, Aries, the administrative officer, oversaw the land development and urban planning on the opposite bank.
Erica let out a soft chuckle.
Even seeing it with her own eyes, the sight was unbelievable.
Building a bridge spanning such a vast river to connect the cities…
If she had told her past self—before meeting Cain—about this, she would have pulled a knife and told her to stop spouting nonsense.
Erica smiled as she watched Cain diligently folding something outside the window.
“How fortunate. Enough to make me regret the past.”
Commoners were merely the class that shoveled manure.
This perception was common sense and natural order in this world.
Even if Erica had a revolutionary mindset, she couldn’t completely escape these ingrained notions—especially as a former duchess.
So, on the day they first met,
she had looked at Cain and issued a half-threatening command.
‘Make it or die?’
At the time, she thought she was just hiring a clever commoner.
That was as far as her thoughts went.
She assumed his role would end once he made heat bulbs to survive the winter.
But now, that commoner had become indispensable to her.
As a subordinate… and as a man…
Just as she was lost in thought, something slipped in through the open window.
A paper airplane made of crisp white paper.
When Erica unfolded it, bold letters spelled out “RESIGNATION LETTER.”
Cain, who once wrote poems about quitting, was now resorting to creative methods.
Meanwhile, Cain himself stood on the first floor, delighted like a child after successfully launching his target.
It could have been dismissed as a childish prank, but Erica—completely smitten—smiled instead.
Pretending to dislike things while fulfilling every unreasonable request she made.
Shielding her back when firing cannons, making soup to cure her hangovers.
His infuriating attempts to escape while flirting like a fox wagging its tail.
Watching him, Erica smiled like a wolf.
“I’ll devour you one day.”
Erica’s pure love was far from over.
But wait—what conversation had she been concluding earlier?
Oh…
Right. Aries and Cain had become indispensable to her.
She wanted to stay with them till the end—that was the point.
Though no further explanation was needed, given that her mind was already filled with bestial thoughts of devouring him.
────────────────────
Success!
I had successfully flown the paper airplane into Erica’s office window.
Maybe I had a knack for physical activities?
I happily pondered this.
What if Erica got angry, calling it a childish prank?
What could she do, anyway?
Huh? Other than laughing while pinching me, dumping work bombs, dragging me around like a stuffed animal, and forcing punishments—what else could she do?! Ah…
“Why did I do this…!!”
Looking back, I deeply regretted it.
“Tsk tsk… You’ve really lost it now.”
“Pathetic…”
As I slumped in regret, the Huldra sisters looked at me pityingly.
They were relaxing in the Grace mansion courtyard, taking a break from bridge construction like a picnic.
Meanwhile, I’d lost my mind and folded a resignation letter into a paper airplane.
Why did I lose my mind?
“Hey, did you finish the calculations?”
“Ah…”
“Hello~? Genius?”
“Aaaaah—!!”
For bridge construction, weight distribution calculations were essential.
In apartment buildings, where structures rise vertically, minor mistakes might…
Fine, this mindset is bad, but honestly, if the pillars are solid and steel reinforcements abundant, collapse is unlikely.
But bridges are horizontal.
Even a slight miscalculation in weight distribution spells disaster.
Normally, computers handle these calculations—sometimes even running specialized simulations dozens of times to prevent errors!
But in this world—with 800s-level technology—computers don’t exist.
So, I manually calculated and double-checked over ten times.
“I…”
“You what?”
“I like white rooms. I like white rooms. I like white rooms…”
“He’s broken.”
Perhaps sensing my suffering, Brook clicked her tongue, covering my eyes with her palm and telling me to rest.
Well… I hadn’t slept a hundred hours total in the past month.
Blocking the light brought some relief.
Meanwhile, Eightree whispered:
“Wake up… You said we’d finish today…”
Timid yet subtly pushy.
Using Brook’s tiny, cute hand as an eyemask, I replied:
“I’m just a talking potato.”
“You can do it!”
Eightree tried to encourage me, but I groaned before finally getting up—
Then, I spotted a woman on horseback approaching the Grace mansion.
For a moment, I wondered if Aries had grown her hair out—they looked strikingly similar.
Even her outfit resembled Aries’ usual suit, though more provocatively styled.
Seriously… Even in a gender-equal world…
Strangely, though her face was refined, her body looked grimy.
As I stepped forward to greet her—since the Huldra sisters were resting—she noticed me.
“Huff… Huff… Hey, you!”
Her once-luxurious hair was dusty and tangled.
But her flawlessly clear, refreshing blue eyes—like Aries’—confirmed her noble status.
She asked abruptly:
“You… Ha… Are you a noble?”
“…No?”
“Do you work in this mansion?”
“Yes.”
I hadn’t received my baronetcy yet, so I truthfully answered ‘commoner.’
Her expression twisted instantly.
Pointing at me imperiously, she barked:
“Ha… You! Servant! Fetch me water.”
Huh?
I was taken aback but quickly reasoned:
Commoners in noble mansions could only be servants.
Given her disheveled state, she must’ve endured hardships.
Humoring her, I fetched a water bucket from the courtyard.
Brook eyed me suspiciously as I carried the whole thing.
“What shady scheme now?”
“Just… seemed fun.”
Ignoring her glare, I handed the bucket to the woman.
Without thanks, she snatched it and gulped greedily, even pouring leftovers over her head.
Somehow, despite her beauty, she felt ruggedly masculine.
“Ahhh!! Now I feel alive.”
“So… leaving now?”
“Listen, kid. Lemme give you life advice.”
She slung an arm around my shoulder, playfully punching my chest while grinning.
“Never get curious about noble affairs.
Most nobles would do anything—I’m different, though.”
Lighthearted, but there was weight to her words.
Having recently dealt with eccentric nobles like Erica and Cecilia, I’d forgotten:
One wrong word to nobles usually meant execution.
Sending resignation paper airplanes? That’d earn me a gruesome death.
Humbled, I bowed gratefully.
“Thank you! May I know your name?”
“Isovel Veraquia.”
“Thank you, Isovel.”
**Whack!**
She smacked the back of my head—not hard, like patting a misbehaving puppy.
With sudden sternness, she lectured:
“Address nobles with their family name.
How’re you still alive without basic manners?”
“Good question…”
Really, why *was* I alive?
Between disrespecting nobles—even the Emperor—plus untold acts toward Vivian and Adele…
Noticing my daze, Isovel roughly ruffled the spot she’d hit.
Her advice came from genuine concern, so I didn’t mind.
She handed back the empty bucket.
“Thanks. Be careful!
A pretty face like yours shouldn’t go to waste.”
“Uh… Thanks?”
“Alright! I’ve got business with this mansion’s owner!”
At least she thanked me.
Smiling, I watched Isovel stride inside.
Once she disappeared, I muttered:
“Huh… That was fun.”
A refreshing change.
I’d never been treated as a commoner before.
Back in my rural hometown—where crossing mountains was needed to reach the city—
everyone was equally common, so I was respected as the top earner selling heat bulbs.
After conscription, my first superior was Erica, who valued competence over status.
Then her easygoing sisters, Cecilia (respectful as Erica’s friend), and intellectuals who pretended to respect my genius while tormenting me…
Now, genuinely treated as a commoner, it felt like an amusing roleplay—like a politician slumming it.
It also made me appreciate my current privileged treatment more.
Though embarrassing to admit, my potato-level self-esteem recovered.
Like a cringy otaku feeling energized.
“Nice event!”
With renewed confidence, I returned to work.
Somehow, things felt like they’d go smoothly now.
In high spirits, I headed to the workshop filled with calculation-filled notebooks.
────────────────────
Erica faced the sudden visitor.
A grimy woman who seemed to have rough-slept for days.
Yet her noble status was undeniable—beautiful with distinctive hair and eye colors.
Contrary to Erica’s concerns, communication flowed surprisingly well.
Her好感rose hearing Isovel had fled after a failed Blackdown assassination.
Unlike Aries, her expertise lay in military strategy—
and her bold, sometimes extreme approach meshed perfectly with Erica.
“Hahaha! We’re a match! I’ve been needing a strategist!”
“And I needed a worthy lord. Perfect timing.”
“Indeed! How fortuitous!”
Their camaraderie felt instant.
After discussions, Isovel swore loyalty on one knee, delighting Erica at gaining talent.
As Erica prepared to give her an advance for new clothes—
Isovel, relaxed, casually mentioned something.
“You’re truly an unbiased ruler.”
“Well, I try… Why so?”
“You even employ mannerless commoners as servants. Admirable.”
Erica blinked.
Only Jett and Cain were male in Grace Manor—
and Jett was unmistakably a Grace.
Maintaining her smile, Erica inquired:
“Oh? What did he do?”
“He addressed nobles without their family name.”
“I see… Just their names?”
“Yes! Such disrespect!”
Indeed, that was punishable by death.
But Erica’s mind raced through memories—
Cain had never addressed her so informally.
Always proper, using titles like a cunning fox…
So why had he casually used only this woman’s name?
Suppressing bubbling jealousy, Erica asked:
“And how did you handle that rude commoner?”
“Smacked his head, of course! Taught him properly!”
“Ah… *Smacked* his head?”
“But I educated him well, so don’t punish him.”
Isovel’s sparkling eyes sought praise.
Likely wanting a good first impression…
Erica maintained a benevolent smile.
“Did you see the pillars along the wide river?”
“Yes! Impressive!”
“Our fox is building them.”
“A heaven-sent genius… I’d love to meet him!”
Isovel nodded excitedly, having heard of Cain’s reputation.
Erica’s smile widened as she proposed:
“Let’s visit the river. I’ll show you the site.”
“Really? Honored!”
“Yes… It’ll be our city’s landmark.”
Erica’s eyes curved like crescents—
her tone dropping low, exuding icy calmness.
“I’ll personally guide you through *every* inch… Down to the riverbed.”
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