episode_0124

As soon as I stepped into the warp portal, my entire vision turned blue.

Eventually, the blue light turned white, and the surroundings gradually became clearer.

I was dazzled and frowned as I waited for my vision to recover.

Hearing recovered before sight, allowing him to pick up and analyze surrounding noise.

‘Large space. There are a lot of people around. It must have been such an amazing event that residents flocked to it. Is it a square? However, the plaza must have had a pre-existing purpose. They may have completely leveled the road to create a new space for the portal.’

This is the minor yet fatal flaw of the warp portal.

Immediately after transmission, the field of view is so bright that you cannot see your surroundings.

For this reason, sufficient soldiers must be placed near each warp portal to guard it.

Eventually, my vision returned completely, and all my guesses turned out to be true.

Odokani Sun Warp Portal in the middle of a large square.

Surrounding it were many residents as well as soldiers who appeared to be the city’s garrison.

“That person is Ian… ?”

“You’re the same person as Philip, right?”

“Look at what happened. Anyone can see that he is a tyrant… .”

“Ugh. My back will be bent again. It’s already hard to make a living.”

“Still, wouldn’t it be a bit different if a warp portal was created?”

“You shouldn’t judge a person just by looking at their appearance.”

The first impression on the residents doesn’t seem to be very good.

Charles, who followed me, explained it to me.

“It is the city of ‘Arrogant’, the central city of the former Crescent Territory and current Ian Territory, in the southwest of the continent. We will give you a detailed explanation after taking you to the castle.”

“Let’s do that.”

“Count. Please speak comfortably.”

“Ah… . Because I’m not used to it yet. No, um. That’s right.”

“Good.”

The Fruit Warriors and Mercy who arrived later were amazed as they looked at their surroundings.

“Wow… . It’s pretty… .”

“It’s beautiful and somehow gives me a nostalgic feeling!”

“Oh… .”

Certainly, the city scene is not bad, except for being wary of unfamiliar owners.

A well-paved street made of gray stones.

And the roof of the house made of ivory bricks was orange, so it was quite colorful and cute.

There were houses made of red brick and houses made of warm wood.

In the distance, a bell tower and a church spire could be seen rising into the sky.

The city must have been quite large, so the fortress walls surrounding the city were not visible.

Charles, who stepped forward instead of me, unfolded the emperor’s edict and shouted.

“In the name of Julian Apostata Humil, Emperor of the Pride Empire, I hereby declare that Count Ian has become the new owner of Crescent Territory as of today, and the name of the territory has also been adjusted to Ian Territory… .”

Charles’ remarks were quite long.

Anyway, since I became the new owner, I was told to treat it well.

“… This concludes the declaration. This document will be posted on each bulletin board within the territory for one month, so we ask that all documents be treated seriously, and anyone who damages them will be severely punished.”

Applause poured in.

It was ceremonial, but not bad.

Vivian, who was standing behind me, looked embarrassed and looked awkward, while Helena proudly spread her shoulders as if she was so proud.

A soldier heavily armed with plate armor approached Charles.

He took off his helmet and bowed curtly.

“My name is Guard Captain Bernard Bearman. It is an honor to be able to serve our new master.”

It was a gesture that showed quite a bit of noble etiquette.

I know that among nobles, there are nobles who work under higher nobles.

‘But isn’t that only for fairly high-ranking nobles?’

I wonder if it’s okay to have such an aristocratic subordinate under someone with no fundamentals like me.

“We have prepared a carriage for you to travel comfortably to the castle.”

“Everyone in my group can ride too… Me?”

I guess I’ll have to talk to this guard captain too.

It’s not easy.

“Of course.”

The preparation isn’t bad.

“eggplant. Instead, I want to see a bit of the city, so I’d like to go slowly.”

“I will accept it.”

Bernard led the way, followed by Charles.

Lucia slowly approached and smiled.

“For some reason, it suits you well, doesn’t it? Is it natural to be treated poorly?”

“Only on the surface will it be so. My beautiful heart is suffering.”

Lucia giggled.

The carriage was really big enough to carry my entire group.

It was a large carriage with six wheels.

It was open, with a awning instead of a roof, so it was great for getting some fresh air and seeing the city.

‘It looks like you paid careful attention.’

Charles sat across from me, and Kati sat right next to me.

The carriage set off under the direction of Bernard on horseback.

There were spectators on the road to the castle.

While the Fruit Warriors and Mercy greeted them, I listened to Charles explain.

“Former lord Pertille Crescent was arrested and executed on charges of participating in the anti-imperial coalition.”

… ah. So this is the land it came from.

“His family members were sentenced to prison or exiled.”

“Then isn’t there a shortage of vassals?”

“Not really. A few weeks ago, by order of the Emperor, we diligently summoned talented personnel to the point where it would not cause any inconvenience to the Count.”

A few weeks ago, it was when I asked for some land in court.

“ Although the land area is not large, this area has fertile soil and the quality of crops is always excellent. However, it is isolated from other regions due to the basin topography, and there are few passages through the mountainous area, making trade with the outside world very difficult.”

“Hmm. If so, there must be quite a few abandoned dungeons in the territory. Because of that, it would have been difficult to utilize the entire territory properly.”

“How… .”

Charles opened his eyes wide in surprise.

It seems to be the correct answer.

“It’s not that great. Since I have often experienced similar types of things, from my perspective, the answers are bound to be limited to that.”

Due to the terrain, military support was difficult, and isolated cities and villages were quite common.

‘Actually, I just remembered hearing about Crescent Spirit in the second episode.’

I couldn’t tell you that, so I gave a good reason.

“… Once again, I realize that my choice was not wrong.”

Charles, who did not know the inside story, smiled in satisfaction.

“The fortunate thing among the misfortunes is that, due to the terrain, monsters flowing out of the dungeon cannot often attack the center of the territory.”

That would mean that there are no flying monsters.

That’s really fortunate.

By the way, if you just clean up the dungeon, it’s a pretty empty land.

The emperor has chosen the territory that is exactly right for me.

‘We can use it as a sacrifice for our fruit warriors to grow.’

“I have a question. Aren’t you the royal family of Jeriha?”

“That’s right. Although it was a distant collateral.”

“Maybe it’s because I don’t know much about politics, but I’m curious as to why you bother to serve me.”

Charles shrugged off his glasses and added indifferently:

“If it weren’t for Ian’s instructions at that time, my hometown would have been reduced to ashes.”

“Hmm.”

“Despite the warning given in advance, some royal families overconfident in their strength and did not run away. me too… He was one of those foolish characters. At that time, Ian… sorry. I was miraculously rescued by the Count’s former warriors, and learned what kind of person the Count was.”

Does this mean that you want to repay the debt you owed with your life back then?

For me, I would welcome someone like this as my acting authority.

Because it is a loyalty formed not by anything else but by life.

“If you find this loyalty difficult to understand, how about thinking of it this way? It is said that an old man from a secondary world who did not receive much attention had a guaranteed success.”

“You’re good at telling jokes. I like it.”

Charles smiled gently.

“Not only me, but there are also some of the vassals who have benefited from the Count. But there are some who are not like that. It may be unstable as we have brought together completely separate talents.”

Originally, they were not people who had been loyal to a noble family for a long time.

Since they are all cut out and newly selected for me, it means that I, the center of it all, must do well.

Charles will be the one directly managing it, but I am the actual owner of this land anyway.

“I need to leave a good first impression.”

Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the castle.

Around the gate that opened, a castle that was not flashy but had a solid feel was visible.

The time has come to create a new order.

***

The main conference room of Arogant Castle.

All the important figures of the territory gathered to welcome the new owner of this land.

Administrators, secretaries, judges, bishops, ministers of food and agriculture, diplomatic envoys, and captains of the guard.

Other servants, including maids, were standing against the walls of the conference room.

Behind the head table in the conference room were warriors who had recently become famous.

Subtle freckles on the face and red hair.

The wizard Vivian watches the conference hall with gentle green eyes.

Orange hair and orange eyes.

Priest Helena is as tense as a soldier holding a military banner.

Dark purple hair and brighter purple eyes.

Knight Lucia is standing with a slight smile as if she is relaxed.

A maid and an elf wearing an unidentified eye patch.

And, a woman and her husband, who seemed to have come from the far East, covered their heads with high turbans and covered their faces and bodies with cloth.

It was reported that the two had recently joined forces.

Their identities are Galatea and Malion, but Ian has not yet been able to reveal Galatea to the public.

And in front of them, sitting at the head of this conference room, was Count Ian.

As rumored, it gave a dirty impression.

Some of the participants already had feelings of favor and loyalty towards him.

These are people who have received help in the past.

But there were also people who were not.

These were mainly people who were eager for the first warrior party itself, rather than for the names Philip and Ian.

Alternatively, there were some who ignored Ian’s origins and background, as he had lived a life completely separate from the political world.

“Nice to meet you. His name is Ian.”

Ian finally spoke.

“There is no need to talk too much. Although I received the title of earl, I am, as you may think, a commoner with no roots.”

A few people were offended by those words.

Ian laughed and said as if it was a joke.

“I wonder if someone has just been stabbed. Well, anyway. I may be the actual owner, but it won’t get any better if I tinker with it. So, most of the work will be done by Charles, the head deacon.”

He openly admitted that he was nothing more than a scarecrow.

Charles, standing right next to him, bowed his head humbly.

“So, the good news is that even if you embezzle sacks of wheat behind my back without my knowledge, I may never know. Isn’t he a very welcome owner? Well, that kind of thing is rampant wherever you go, so I know it won’t go away just by telling you not to do it.”

It was a very rude and irresponsible remark.

Those who distrusted him began to think lightly of him.

“But. Before I came here, you would have had time to fully research and learn who I am and what kind of person I am.”

“So, you know who I am. To put it bluntly, I believe everyone clearly remembers the kind of revenge that has been committed in the name of ‘Ian’.”

Everyone stiffened at the remark just now.

Those who were watching him swallowed dry saliva.

What happened to those who gossiped about the first warrior party from the manager who came forward, Ian.

Anyone who investigated could never have known.

“Do not betray, do not embezzle, be honest. I won’t talk about this kind of dream. Just.”

Ian warned, leaning his upper body over the round table.

“Don’t get caught by me.”

“… !”

“It is true that I am not very interested in politics, but I also have no desire to remain in history as a tyrant who wielded this small territory.”

“… … .”

“And, I guarantee that it will be beneficial for you to always remember that I have many eyes and ears.”

Everyone had no choice but to keep quiet.

Those who had previously believed in Ian were impressed.

Ian’s calm and deep eyes scanned the audience.

It was like a lake reflecting the truth, and if there was any dark intentions inside, it would be exposed.

Therefore, those who distrusted him had to hastily trample on his petty behavior and ambition.

Charles was purely impressed by Ian’s skill.

‘You say you’re not interested in politics…’ . He has a knack for using words that can sway the audience.’

Acknowledge and confidently disclose your origins and the distrust and shortcomings that arise from it.

Instead, he used his own strengths to offset it into nothing.

Charles was sure that some of them would cause trouble, and he was thinking about how to fix it.

However, I just saw the indescribable power of the new owner of this land.

Thanks to this, all the recovery plans I had been thinking about turned into pieces of paper, but I was extremely happy.

Lucia, who was quietly behind her, was inwardly impressed.

‘and… . ‘He seems more noble than anyone else.’

It was a strange feeling.

It was clearly his rough words and actions that were far from noble, but he felt more noble than any noble he had ever seen.

‘It’s kind of cool, isn’t it?’

I knew it, but it was something new to me.

Helena was thrilled beyond admiration, and Vivian blushed for some reason and glanced at Ian.

Mercy smiled happily, and Kati had other delusions on her own.

Of course, all of this reaction was happening behind Ian’s back, so he didn’t know.

“Well, even if you look like this, you have a direct connection to the imperial family, so wouldn’t it be better to be seen well rather than being hated by me?”

Ian ended his greeting with a joke that didn’t seem like a joke.

“I hope you behave wisely. That’s all of my greetings.”

Ian bit the group waiting behind him.

There is only one reason why he brought his group here.

This is a hint that these are your close associates, so treat them with caution.

Although it was not mentioned directly, everyone in the room understood it.

Dozens of maids came together and took the group away.

But Ian’s work isn’t over yet.

“There is something I need to know, so I will listen to it right here.”

Ian carefully checked the information regarding the territory.

Castle and church in the center.

Farmland and grazing land outside the walls.

Because there are many abandoned dungeons, the walls were expanded and most of the residents live inside the walls and only go outside to work.

While listening to the information I needed.

A deacon from outside hurriedly entered the conference room.

“Excuse me while I speak, a guest has come to visit.”

“Guest?”

Usually, they are left waiting in the reception room, but if the butler comes in during the meeting, it means that he is a distinguished guest.

“Yes. This is Aria.”

“… What?”

Ian made a dumb noise without realizing it.

Why does that name appear here?

“And, Kylie also came to visit.”

“… … .”

The intestines froze in an instant.

There were still people here who envied the first party.

Ian’s value in their minds was being adjusted upward again.

“He said he had a very urgent request to make to the Count.”

They were found guilty, but in a judicial deal they received a suspended sentence.

So I couldn’t look down on them like criminals.

Ian understood the butler’s feelings.

“Is there anything else I need to hear?”

“There is nothing you need to know right away.”

Ian got up from his seat and followed the butler’s instructions to the living room.

Aria and Kylie, who had been waiting on chairs, jumped up.

“Ian… !”

“Ian!”

Before Ian could say anything, the two immediately knelt down on the floor.

“Please make me Ian’s hero again!”

“Please give me another chance!”

“… … .”

Ian rubbed his temples.

Two troublesome things come and do troublesome things.