Chapter 145: Reunion at the Feast

Aside from Winter and Anton, who joined later, all my retainers can write to some extent. The fact that Hans and Ted, who were poor students, could now write at least short sentences was proof of Joseph’s ability.

As Hilda toured the manor, she seemed to see me in a new and impressive light.

"Being a lord really is an amazing position."

"A lord is someone who can make his voice heard even among high-ranking nobles. Even if it’s only the lord of a small village."

"To poor duchy knights, it’s a position above the clouds. What does big or small matter?"

"Not really. Once I actually became a lord, I couldn’t help comparing myself to the princes."

There was a time when I struggled tooth and nail just to become a lord. The fact that my family became lords in my generation was already an enormous leap in status, but one quickly forgets where they came from.

"So Wolf is greedy after all. But please, don’t ever push yourself too hard."

"I pushed myself plenty at the tournament, so I’ll hold back from now on. Don’t worry."

"That’s all I ask. More than anything else, I pray for your safety."

Hilda’s eyes grew tender.

There was still time before the supply convoy arrived. So I was about to head into the bedroom with Hilda when August brought the village chief over. It seemed he wanted to introduce us in advance.

"I always seem to get interrupted at moments like this."

"Hee hee, it’s all right. The night is always ours, isn’t it? I’ll go look around the garden some more."

August introduced me to a relatively young village chief. Greeting the villagers’ representative for the first time in the manor’s reception hall stirred unique emotions in me. Was sitting crookedly in the lord’s chair the latest trend?

"My name is Wentner, my lord."

"A pleasure, Wentner. If there are any issues among the villagers, take them to August here."

"Pardon? I was under the impression that with your arrival, my role was over."

"What are you talking about? With everything happening at the duchy’s center, I won’t be staying in Feuzen for long. So you remain estate manager, and I’ll be counting on you going forward."

"...Thank you."

Hmm, that was the look of a man who had hoped he’d be free of his estate manager duties. But I only intended to give him the broad direction and leave the practical work to August. After all, I wouldn’t be in Feuzen year-round.

Still, seeing how overwhelmed August looked, it seemed like a good idea to bring on more staff. Rather than handling everything alone, it would be helpful to have a competent administrator to manage the clerical work.

"Your face has gone stiff. The work must be quite difficult, am I right?"

"Sigh, it’s harder than I thought. At first, since this is my hometown, I tried to treat the villagers well, but maintaining the balance between the villagers and the estate was difficult. The lack of professional administrative staff is also a problem. At least Chief Wentner here has been a great help."

Chief Wentner seemed taken aback. He looked shocked that August would pour out his troubles to a lord as lofty as me. He must have thought I’d get angry over something this minor.

The reason August spoke so candidly was that he knew me well. And as a vassal knight, he was entitled to speak frankly. Vassals and retainers are distinctly different positions.

"If there’s a problem, of course it should be addressed. When I return to Breisburg, I’ll look for someone. Hold on until then, Sir Einbeck."

"My lord keeps his promises, so I’ll trust you and wait."

I’d ask Old Man Bertheim about it. With a treasure trove of connections right beside me, there was no need to take the long way around. I’d entrusted Rosengarden to Göring, but that alone wasn’t quite enough to settle the debt. So I’d put him to further use.

August didn’t bring Chief Wentner just to introduce him. He’d come to brief me on the detailed status of the fief, which I was most curious about.

Feuzen had 62 households totaling 278 people, which on average came out to about 4 people per household. But this perfectly illustrated just how misleading averages can be.

There were households of 8, and households of 2 where family members had died of disease or run off, drastically reducing the family size. So when viewed across the whole village, the average came out to 4.

And of the 545 livestock, the village’s wealthiest farmer, Chief Wentner, owned a little over 100. Five other wealthy farming households owned around 400, with the rest belonging to ordinary households.

The proportion held by wealthy farmers was quite high.

It was like a Rockefeller monopoly.

It meant these wealthy farmers had wielded more power in the lordless village than even a lord would have. The estate managers dispatched by the Administrative Department wouldn’t care, as long as they could pocket bribes. In fact, it made things easier for them to manage.

There might even be some kind of corruption involving the taxes.

But once August arrived in Feuzen as estate manager, things started to change. For one, the chief had taken August’s side. When I asked why he was being so cooperative, August hesitated.

"Well, the truth is, Chief Wentner’s younger sister is my lover."

"A solid blood alliance. Judging by your hesitation, you want to marry this commoner woman?"

"...I can’t deceive you, my lord. If possible, I’d like to marry her."

The reason August was being so cautious was the difference in status. As a vassal knight, whom he married was technically his own choice, but taking his liege lord’s interests into account was the most basic courtesy.

What if my vassal or my child fell in love with a child from a hostile family? The relationships would get tangled into knots. That’s how the masterpiece Romeo and Juliet was born.

Having become the head of a family myself, I could fully understand the parents’ position in that story. It was a forbidden love that completely disregarded noble society’s social standing and relationships. Well, I’m not that closed-minded.

A vassal knight wanting to marry a commoner woman! Are you trying to ruin my standing? He must have been worried I’d react that way. Even when nobles treat people well in everyday matters, when their reputation is on the line, things tend to change.

"There’s no connection between me and Feuzen, but if you and the chief’s younger sister marry, an indirect connection will be established. And I’d like to bless the birth of a true married couple."

My standing was important too, but this much was within tolerable range. Besides, becoming a couple with someone you love is a blessing. In a noble society dominated by political marriages and marriage as business, such a thing was a kind of romantic ideal.

"So there was a reason Sir Einbeck so admired your character, my lord. The Wentner house of Feuzen will swear eternal loyalty to you. Thank you for granting permission for the marriage."

Chief Wentner seemed greatly relieved that the conversation was going so well. But his disposition was ambitious (neutral). Those with the ambitious disposition tend to be greedy and obsessed with power.

"Chief. Serve August well."

"The Wentner house will fully cooperate with my brother-in-law."

"It’s also important to know your place and conduct yourself accordingly. Wouldn’t you agree?"

He must have thought the conversation would continue going smoothly, but I warned him not to overstep, and the atmosphere turned awkward. Don’t even think about using your brother-in-law’s power to grasp at authority.

"You’ll be Sir Einbeck’s brother-in-law, but you’d better keep yourself firmly in check. You know my temperament."

"I’ll keep that in mind. In fact, that’s something I’ve been firmly cautioning him about myself."

If August was already aware, then management would go smoothly. Chief Wentner must have realized that the real lord had returned. He’d been milking the absence of a lord for all it was worth, hadn’t he? Now it was time to give it back.

"What about those five wealthy farmers? Were they uncooperative with you?"

"They cooperated, but they have a merchant’s temperament and tend to try to negotiate."

"Now then. They’re not going to try to negotiate with me, are they?"

August and the chief brushed it off with awkward laughter, saying surely it wouldn’t come to that. All the land in Feuzen belonged to the lord, and everything produced upon it was paid as tax. So what was there to negotiate?

For livestock, since the standards were ambiguous, it was set at a fixed rate per head. So in the chief’s case, he had to pay tax on 100 head, and if he couldn’t pay in coin, he could pay in livestock.

Calculating roughly from the village’s information, I could expect to collect about 1,000 silver coins in taxes annually on average. Dairy farming was Feuzen’s main source of income, and it generated substantial tax revenue.

Of course, since only a month had passed, I couldn’t guarantee how the tax collection would go. But since I planned to start various enterprises in Feuzen, both taxes and income could grow further.

I pushed the corruption investigation involving the wealthy farmers to a later date.

Today was a special day, after all.

"My lord! The supply convoy has arrived!"

"Has it now? Then prepare the feast. Bring all the villagers and feed them their fill!"

A great quantity of food and drink was distributed throughout Feuzen. I offered the laborers who’d transported the supplies extra pay to work the feast. Since they had nothing else to do during their stay anyway, most of them signed up to earn the extra coin.

"Maybe it’s because it’s been so long since the last feast, but the villagers seem genuinely thrilled."

"Seeing them so happy makes the money well spent."

Not only the villagers but also the Gale Knights were fed their fill in thanks for their hard work as escorts. In the midst of it all, Viktor and August froze in shock the moment they laid eyes on each other. Had I forgotten to mention it to them?

"Sir Einbeck! A-are you Sir Einbeck?"

"Heavens, Sir Falkenheim! You’re alive? Where on earth have you been?"

"I should be asking you the same! I wondered where you’d gone, and here you are in our lord’s village!"

"I became a vassal knight of the Streit family. I’m currently serving as estate manager."

Viktor was astonished that August had become my vassal knight and the estate manager of his hometown of Feuzen, and August was astonished that Viktor had become Vice Commander of the Gale Knights. Yet I, their lord, had completely forgotten to inform either of them. Whoops, my bad.

"It’s all right, my lord. The more unexpected the reunion, the more precious the joy."

"Sir Falkenheim, are Simon and Natalie well? Ah, it would be perfect if Sir Klugen were here too. That’s truly a shame."

"Indeed. I haven’t seen that fellow once since the second battle. I wonder if he’s doing well."

Cough, cough!

If word got out that I’d killed him, the atmosphere would turn really strange.

What do I do? Should I just tell the truth?