“Isn’t that far more than imagined!?”
“What’s this? This big number of people…”
It’s four days after the mass slaughter of Baron Rückner and more than 50 other people by the remaining residue of Kurt’s grudge.
In this time’s trip to the capital I was only accompanied by doushi since everyone else was busy.
Given that Paul-nii-san was busy with inspecting and examining his new territory, there were plans to use the chance for His Majesty to bestow him the peerage of Associate Baron next time he comes to the capital.
“This child is the child of the deceased Associate Baron Blumental (T/N: >> Burumentaru <<)! Please acknowledge it!”
“Finance Minister Rückner! I definitely believe to be the appropriate successor of Sir Bureau!”
“What’s this about?” (Wendelin)
“It’s likely because more than ten central noble households were almost totally destroyed.” (Armstrong)
With the Baron Rückner household, including him, his family, his retainers and his servants, having been annihilated, several folks, including even the relatives, are intruding and proclaiming 『I’m definitely suitable as next Baron Rückner』.
In case of brutal households, there are families where the other children and retainers were entirely annihilated by the heir.
I think it’s more helpful to use the authority of Finance Minister, which will be the verdict of a powerful person, than having the guards draw close to protect the property against the mob directly intruding up to the mansion of the person himself.
“Well, then it’s better to leave it to His Excellency the Finance Minister after all.”
“I guess so.”
Even I don’t have spare time because I might be granted a new territory and get an order to develop it any time soon.
Of course I have already finished doing a round of courtesy calls to other important nobles.
I have been told by Minister Edgar 『Wilma is my adopted daughter! You do understand, right?』
In other words, I have to absolutely receive her as wife.
With the influence of Wilma originally being the daughter of an Associate Baron household, she should be next after Elise in the ranking order.
I cursed at the Minister of Military and Naval Affairs, who wasn’t a simple muscle-brain albeit having the same muscled build as doushi, in my mind.
Probably they will tell me various things after the Savage Lands have been bestowed to me.
“At any rate, we won’t meet Minister Rückner like this.”
Today he is running around to support here and there in the mansion and has gone to the actual site because he was informed by Minister Edgar. Many people are crowding in front of the Rückner mansion in order appeal for their case. Doushi and I address the guard being at the main gate while pushing our way through the mob.
“Whose relative is it this time? Or whose children or something are you?”
I thought he was a very arrogant gatekeeper, but he likely had to always be this lot’s partner for the last few days.
Since the gatekeeper immediately treats us politely, we enter inside through the gate.
“Baron Baumeister-sama! This child is really Associate Baron Blumental’s child! By all means, please put in a good word for it!”
“I’m also on good terms with the capital’s Sir Baumeister! Please mention my name, Christian of the Knight Martinstein household, to Minister Rückner!”
With doushi and me being celebrities, the bunch, who is crowding at the gate, tries to request various troublesome matters to us, once they become aware of our social rank as we are smoothly entering the mansion.
“It will be endless, if you care about each and every single of them!” (Armstrong)
Once a noble dies, this kind of people will always come forward.
However, because there isn’t something like a DNA test in this world, they won’t be recognized in the first place if there isn’t any written proof of the deceased from the time of its birth.
Also, claiming non-existent connections and relationships, there are nobles without any duties, who aim to become the successor of the official position.
Yesterday a candid advice, close to sarcasm, was mentioned in the royal castle as well.
“It’s a disaster, isn’t it? We also want to entrust you with it, but is it alright?”
“You mean regarding the treatment of the children of the eldest son, who caused the attempted assassination? I will somehow handle it. But before that, there is a single problem…” (Rückner)
The contents apologetically reported by Minister Rückner were something shocking for me.
“Hah? Roderich is the next Baron Rückner?” (Wendelin)
And in addition to that it was astonishing that immediately following the case of attempted assassination caused by Kurt, Baron Rückner provided information about the magic tool handed to Kurt with a nonchalant look.
Moreover I was more than amazed that Minister Rückner ended up approving that.
“Why did you approve his demands!?” (Wendelin)
“He wasn’t an utter fool to be caught red-handed like Duke Hertha, whom you dueled before, Sir. If there’s no evidence to deserve an arrest…” (Rückner)
Although he was an accomplice without doubt, he sold Kurt with an innocent look and pretended to be an information provider with good intentions.
Never did I expect him to be a shameless person to this degree.
“And, believing it went well, he called his faction’s followers and held a party.” (Rückner)
There it led to his downfall from the peak.
This might certainly be a just retribution.
“The cat cornered the mouse, but it died due to blood loss being bitten in the neck by that very mouse.”
“Didn’t he need the permission by Roderich himself for acknowledging him in the first place?” (Wendelin)
“Legally speaking, there’s no need for that.” (Rückner)
For a noble household the authority of the family’s head is absolute.
Since there was already an heir, they likely planned to not hand over a single cent of the assets, not to mention the peerage, either.
You can apparently also say that it equals the nobles’ way.
“But, thanks to that it has become troublesome.”
The party was held at Baron Rückner’s mansion.
But, if that happened, it might produce a huge hindrance in the development of the Savage Lands.
“Please don’t steal our head retainer, who will also act as governor.” (Wendelin)
Since he will become my representative concerning the development of the Savage Lands, I had naturally planned to give him the salary of the head retainer and even offer a possibility of the title becoming hereditary.
It will result in him earning sarcastic remarks by His Majesty and all the ministers once again.
“I know, but, although I understand…” (Wendelin)
The Savage Lands, granted to me, will become the territory of Earl Baumeister according to plan.
The next day I travel there together with the messenger of the royal castle.
First there was Baron Rückner. His household will be shut down as punishment for the complicity in the attempted assassination against me. All of its assets will be confiscated.
As that’s the case, it apparently will end with a quick punishment.
“The other nobles will be deprived of their official positions.”
The 12 nobles were veterans, who have been experts in their professional duties.
And, those inexperienced people will be able to rise in rank to at least the official position of their parent.
Therefore, it has been decided that recruitment will be opened for the 12 official positions without nobles this time.
This seems to be a rule in the Helmut kingdom.
But, according to those observing the priests, the undead, being an assembly of the grudges, which actually performed the massive killing, were purified. Those undead had absolutely no resemblance to Kurt’s body.
Apparently a ghastly, loud laughter continued in front of the corpse of Baron Rückner, who was devoured by zombies and changed into almost only bones.
He failed killing me, but was he satisfied with killing Baron Rückner transformed into such a shape?
Even so, as there’s the crime of obtaining the used magic tool from the black market and handing it over to Kurt, it turned into a different punishment of discontinuing the noble household. (T/N: The difference is: Rückner bought it, handed it over and used it, Kurt only used it. <– official version, not truth)
“Well then, there’s a reason why I wanted you three to listen.”
First we were told that Helmut-nii-san’s and Erich-nii-san’s peerage will rise to Associate Baron.
“Why?”
“Your Majesty, we don’t have any particular achievements or such…” (Erich)
“It can’t be that there’s nothing. You are putting effort into your given work everyday.” (King)
“That is the same for all the other nobles as well though…” (Erich)
His Majesty answered Erich-nii-san’s doubts with a smile.
◆◇◆◇◆
“In a word, it’s a payment for the troubles.” (Armstrong)
After I was raised in rank to Earl, doushi has invited me, Paul-nii-san and Erich-nii-san to his mansion.
Nonetheless, him and His Majesty have a relationship of being close friends.
“However, if we raise the peerage of your elder brothers, you won’t say anything and therefore we called them in a hurry and raised their peerage”, doushi explained.
“No… Suddenly rising in peerage or such, the looks of my surroundings are painful.” (Paul)
“It’s alright for Helmut-nii-san as you’ve been an ordinary river guard. In my case, my workplace is…” (Erich)
They were suddenly summoned and suddenly given a higher rank of peerage.
“Therefore they might conversely come drawing close before long”, doushi said.
“In that case, no, rather… We have already received real harm though.”
The rumours about the Savage Lands are already a hot topic between the nobles living in the capital.
As result, in addition to the previous massacre at Baron Rückner’s home, Minister Rückner’s mansion was crowded by an excessively large amount of people.
This might be inevitable as vassal of Finance Minister Rückner.
“Which reminds me, it was the same for us, too.” (Helmut)
It was Helmut, who usually worked as guard at the forest at the river source.
I hear that they wondered why a large number of such people came.
“They might have thought that I might recommend them as Wend’s retainers, even if they failed joining us. Or they might have simply come to make themselves known.” (Helmut)
“I’m sorry.” (Wendelin)
“As we are usually secluding ourselves by guarding the forest, we don’t mind the rumors in society too much. Besides, I became an Associate Baron.” (Helmut)
However, apparently the number of forests, he has to control, has increased by one more at the same time of him rising in peerage.
“It’s isn’t as troublesome as I thought because it is an adjoining forest, but if I don’t pick someone new again… I wonder, how many people will come to apply this time?” (Helmut)
Since the personnel working in the forest as guards are Knights and Associate Barons, their recruitment targets are former adventurers, children of commoners or third sons and below of Knight households.
The noble’s common sense dictated that children of such high-ranking nobles wouldn’t normally be employed.
“It looks like I have been promoted as well.” (Erich)
“That is, congratulations.”
“However it’s the lowest seat of the budget executive committee. I think it’s pretty obviously for contacting you, Wend.” (Erich)
The development will begin with the funds I have on hand, but that doesn’t mean that the kingdom won’t lend assistance at all either.
Because they will hand out subsidiary aid connected to employment, it will apparently be Erich-nii-san’s role to manage that.
“If the level of the Savage Lands development looks promising, I was told that I could rise in rank again.” (Erich)
“That means?”
“Without a doubt, as successor of that person.” (Erich)
It might not be as Head of Financial Auditing, but since the sole appointed Baron related to financial affairs vanished, it likely meant that Erich-nii-san might become his successor.
Under a suitably fabricated pretext I was given an additional reward.
Second, the mansion, where the massacre drama happened, was given to me. But once I told them that I don’t want it, it will apparently be turned into cash by selling it to a realtor.
The old Barron Rückner mansion has been purified at the same time when the priests, who rushed over from the church, purified the remaining grudges.
It’s a scheme to get rich quickly fitting that shady Rinnenheim-uji.
“I heard it from Minister Rückner, but a considerable fortune was found in the mansion’s treasury.”
“If I’m not mistaken it’s around 50.000.000 cents.”
Almost half of it was in gold coins. The remainder was magic tools and works of art.
“No matter what kind of official position he held, it’s far too much for an appointed Baron.”
“It’s that man! Going by the many magic tools and works of art, he likely accommodated them for the black market.”
Opposing his elder brother, who is a Marquis and the Finance Minister, he even maintained his own faction, albeit small-scaled.
There’s no problem at all because it will be beneficial to use it as funds for the development. But another inconvenient matter was forced upon me.
“It’s the reward of several peerages, isn’t it?”
“Although rare, it’s not something that doesn’t happen either!” (Armstrong)
Of the nobles, who died due to their involvement with Baron Rückner, there were three Knight households and one Associate Baron household that didn’t have an heir of direct descent.
They apparently anticipated the territory to break apart in smaller pieces with each generation they repeated this.
“But, is that really necessary for Earl Baumeister?”
“Certainly, it’s necessary.”
In reality I had planned for Amelie-sister-in-law-san and my nephews to live in the capital, but that ended up becoming impossible with the excessively strong impression of that atrocious incident.
They might consider to avenge their father in the future, but that can’t be helped, I think.
“With this the development of the Savage Lands can finally begin! His Majesty was relieved! Now that the talking has also finished, let’s eat lunch!” (Armstrong)
After lunch in the mansion of Viscount Armstrong, Helmut-nii-san has returned to his forest protection and Erich-nii-san has returned to his own workplace.
The taste was great, but apart from Helmut-nii-san, who is moving his body regularly at his forest protection, you could consider it a trial for Erich-nii-san, who has a small appetite with his office work.
There weren’t any noisy children during the meal as they are nobles, but we have been pestered to tell interesting stories and to give souvenirs before the meal.
Although several of the elder children weren’t here anymore as they became adults, the son and heir became a soldier and the other children have begun jobs like founding a new business, working as adventurer, etc.
『Huh!? They do stuff like trading!?』 (Helmut)
Helmut-nii-san was surprised, however that was the education plan of this household.
Instead, they all receive education equally. It has been decided to distribute the assets in an unusual manner for a noble household.
『And the distribution of the assets!?』
『In doushi’s case it’s slightly unique.』
During his time as active adventurer he earned money to a degree that wasn’t inferior to my master.
And, even now he would go out hunting, if he had a little bit of free time.
From these places he hunts around 2~3 flying dragons per month.
Therefore, even if you went to hunt as side job occasionally, there were no complaints either.
That Cardinal Hohenheim at least said 『Since I’m a leader of the church as well, I believe I’m far more affluent than other appointed Viscount households, but only in the case of doushi’s household it’s meaningless to compare』.
『This Viscount Armstrong household is a household consisting of my magic! Therefore it will simply return to be a normal appointed Viscount household after my death!』 (Armstrong)
Therefore, splitting the assets among all children, it will turn back into a regular appointed Viscount household.
In other words, it means that doushi is earning this much income.
『The only regretful matter is that I don’t have a daughter, I guess?』 (Armstrong)
From the start the Armstrong family apparently has a tendency to easily give birth to young men.
Also, it seems like the daughter would resemble her father.
Therefore, I will feel relieved from the bottom of my heart, if I can at last return to my original occupation as adventurer.
Title: Earl Baumeister