Weekly chapters (1/2)
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Translator: Raizu
Editor: Mirp
Chapter 34 – The people of Lioncoeur
I’m in trouble.
The problem is…I’m too popular.
No, it sounds stupid, but it’s true.
Right now, there are too many people who want to become my squires, and I’m in trouble.
There were 11 of them…most of them were the members of the Death Squad.
All of them are Lioncoeur people with black eyes and black hair.
Including Rolo, Jean, and the others, that will make for 15 people… As expected, I can’t afford to feed them all with my financial resources.
Sugar is also sold little by little, but the amount of sugar that can be harvested from sugar beets is small, and the amount produced is not enough to feed everyone.
I want to set up a production system as soon as possible, but… I don’t have any territory.
Starting a business on someone else’s land is risky.
Although it rarely happens, we live in an era where property can even be confiscated at the whim of the feudal lord.
For now, they have been asked to become guests of the Lioncoeur family, but there is a limit.
It’s not every day that you live in a house where more than 10 of your second son’s friends eat together every day.
[That’s why I’m telling you…I’m recommending them to become a squire for Father or Brother.]
[But, are they as good as you say…?]
Robel sighed after hearing my advice.
It’s also a complicated situation for my brother.
A squire is a kind of barometer of popularity and an indicator of a master’s ability.
A squire is a commoner warrior who, of his own free will, serves in anticipation of “certain person”.
The reason may be personality, but mostly it’s strength in battle.
A strong master is someone who gives you the honor of winning battles and earns you wealth by plundering.
There aren’t many squires in battle, and a master who doesn’t share his spoils will probably never have any squires.
Robel also has squires, but they are his schoolmates, or children of Rudolph’s squires… they are not people that he has assembled himself.
Robel is a young man with excellent qualities, and has a track record of serving in our father’s expeditionary forces.
But he’s still hidden under Rudolph’s shadow, and meanwhile I, his younger brother, saved our hometown with my dramatic debut.
And not to mention my appearance.
Robel has brown hair and green eyes, similar to Rushieno.
It’s no wonder I’m so popular among the people of Lioncoeur, as I have black eyes and black hair that is the typical characteristic of a Lioncoeur.
Robel must have many things on his mind, but he never says it out loud.
I think he has a great attitude even though he’s 19 years old…What was I doing when I was 19?
I’m pretty sure I was busy chasing girls back then… ugh, my head…
Well, that’s why Robel and I have a slightly awkward relationship.
[That said, I don’t have any plans for battle…]
For some reason, Robel was considering my advice carefully.
However, there seems to be no good idea.
…or should I say… my advice is unreasonable…
I’m saying, [I don’t have any income, but I want to support my subordinates]. Normally, I would get scolded and told, [Are you sleeptalking?].
I felt really sorry.
Sorry, brother.
At that time, my family’s butler appeared, making a thumping noise.
[I heard that, I’ll give you a job to feed the squires… go to Fort City Portu.]
Albert looked happy, even chuckled, but I didn’t really understand.
[Portu?]
[That’s right. Rule the fortress in Rudolph’s place. The job is simple… maintain the fortress and destroy the enemy when they come.]
Albert answered my question, but it doesn’t seem to be that easy.
[But, I’ve never been into politics. It’s impossible for me to rule Portu.]
When I whined, Robel replied, [That’s not true].
[The city of Portu has a Mayor and Councilors and is self-governing. The city is given autonomy and pays taxes. You receive a budget from those taxes to maintain and manage the fortress.]
[In other words, should I leave the town to them while I just manage the fortress… simply put, should I use that budget to feed the squires?]
Robel answered with a [Yes]. His explanation was easy to understand.
By the way, it seems that the fortress’s budget and the fortress lord’s personal assets are not considered separately.
The budget is not pocket money, but it seems like it will be enough to support the squires.
Of course, it goes without saying that if the fortress owner is proven to be irresponsible, he will be fired or punished.
Let’s not overdo it, I guess.
[Who is the Treasurer currently serving again?… Or, did it change to Rodrigue during the battle the other day?]
Albert tilted his head while only saying [Fumu?].
It’s not that he’s confused.
For him, it might be a boring job that he can’t even remember unless there’s a war going on.
[Thank you, brother, Albert. I’ll take care of the fortress, since we’ve gathered together at such a great deal of effort.]
When I thanked them, they both nodded.
[Oh, by the way… Yannick’s village is close to Portu. I can stop by on your way there.]
After saying that, Albert left with a huff.
[Albert and Yannick had a lot of trouble with each other… back in their heydays.]
Robel muttered.
A rival… In a sense, Albert lost someone who understood him.
I absentmindedly looked at Albert’s back.
=============
[Hey, everyone! Gather around!]
When I called out, the people who wanted to serve as the mansion’s squires gathered.
……eh? Isn’t it too many…10, 11, 12, 13…it’s increasing, isn’t it?
I muttered, [Okay, that’s okay], and headed for the Fortress City of Portu with them in tow.
Of course, Rolo and the others were along for the ride.
When I arrived at Portu City, my uncle Rodrigue welcomed me.
He looked delighted after reading the letter from Albert.
[…It’s a big deal to be a fortress owner at the age of 14. So, what about these people?]
My uncle looked at the squires lined up behind me.
[Squires.]
[Wow… you are truly amazing. You take care of them until the end.]
No no, if you say “take care of them until the end” like that, it’s almost like you’re saying that I’ll be taking care of them like pet dogs. In a sense, it’s true though.
Although my uncle was disappointed, he handed over the work to me.
Various people live in the fortress.
First of all, there is the finance officer…this person is in charge of the budget and manages the employees. Sometimes called a steward.
Next are the guards…even though they are soldiers, they will not go into battle unless the fortress itself is under attack. Their duties are gatekeepers and sentries.
Craftsmen…carpenters, blacksmiths, and masons live here. They play an important role in maintaining fortresses and producing weapons.
Stable Keeper…A servant who takes care of the horses. The stable manager has a lot of authority and is sometimes in charge of things such as purchasing horses.
The priest… is the priest. He prays at chapels and holds memorial services for the war casualties. Because he is well-educated, he often writes official documents…There is a possibility that the previous fortress owner is illiterate, so he has a lot of work to do.
Servants… They are the maids managed by the treasurer, and many are slaves. They are indispensable for cooking, cleaning, and everyday life.
My job is to command them, maintain and manage the fortress, and deal with any abnormalities.
The urban area of Portu is a small, self-governing city with less than 900 households.
The population is probably around 5,000 to 7,000 people.
The exact population is unknown because slaves are probably not counted.
If you think of a town with a population of several thousand people, you might think it’s small, but it’s actually a magnificent place.
Most things needed to live in this world can be covered here.
The city of Portu was founded by people fleeing the carnage of war, flocking to the fortress in search of safety.
Therefore, there were no major products, and commerce flourished.
It is also a commerce city and the gateway to Lioncoeur.
[Well, it’s roughly like this…Is there something you need?]
[Yes, Albert asked me to visit Yannick’s village.]
After muttering [Ah, of course], my uncle directed me to a location.
[I’ll still be here for a few days, so it’s best to leave here for today and go to the village. There’s no need to rush.]
I was seen off by my uncle and headed to Yannick’s village.
There was no way I was going to take all my squires with me, so I left with only Rolo to accompany me.
Jean and Andre seemed a little dissatisfied, but Rolo and Giroude know each other, and Rolo is good with swords and shields, so he is more suitable as an escort.
Rolo is the best among us when it comes to pure sword and spear techniques. He’s also better at horse riding than me.
When it comes to mock battles, I could only win by overwhelming him with my physique and judo, but Rolo is still growing and I’m looking forward to his growth in the future.
Yannick’s village was nearby, and I could see it as soon as I rode my horse.
It can be seen that the terrain is difficult to attack, making use of hills and streams.
I thought it looked like Yannick’s face in a way, and I couldn’t help but grin.
Papuoooooo
As we approached the village, a horn was sound.
[Varian-sama, that’s…?]
[It’s some kind of signal, probably for defense purposes… but don’t let your guard down.]
As we approached, we could see a figure looking towards us from the top of the hill.
Seemed to be a lookout.
There is a fence around the hill, so it will be difficult to climb up from here.
…It’s not even wartime…
I felt a little uncomfortable. It’s too well defended.
There was earthwork in front of the village, and the gate was closed.
There was also a wooden turret, making it dangerous to be shot at with a bow.
The defense is stronger than an average small fortress.
[Who are you guys!?]
A voice called out from the top of the hill.
[I’m Varian! I’m the son of the Earl! I came to visit Yannick’s grave!]
When I answered out loud, I saw a figure move.
After waiting for a while, a familiar man came out of the gate.
It’s Giroude. There is no doubt although he now has a fine beard hanging from his square jaw.
[Jiro! It’s been a while!]
Rolo and I got off the horse and called out to Jiro.
[Hmm… I can’t believe it! It’s Young Master, isn’t it?]
[Indeed, it’s me, Jiro.]
Giroude and I hugged each other tightly.
[Rolo too! You’ve grown so big!]
[It’s been a while, Jiro-san.]
Rolo also hugged Giroude tightly.
Giroude wasn’t that tall to begin with, so Rolo towered over him.
However, the sturdy Giroude’s thick arms seem to be tightening up Rolo.
[Young Master, you’re too big now, I didn’t even notice!]
Giroude burst out laughing and invited me to the village. Apparently, Giroude’s family has been the head of this village for generations.
The village seemed to be very poor, but there are training targets here and there, giving it the feel of a mountain fortress.
It is in stark contrast to Sumina’s idyllic village.
[It’s kind of amazing.]
[Looks like a fortress.]
It seemed that Rolo had the same impression.
[This place was a rebel base until my father’s time.]
[I see, so… what is that?]
When I pointed to the earthen embankment on the hill, Giroude replied, [Oh, that’s an evacuation center].
[When the village is attacked, women and children run to the top of the hill, so I usually keep emergency food in the warehouse over there.]
[I see… men can fight with peace of mind because women and children are safe, right?]
Rolo seemed to concur.
Giroude ignored us looking around and moved on to the ground in the back of the church.
It’s a cemetery.
[There it is.]
What Giroude showed me was a brand new wooden stake.
It’s too simple for a tomb of a feudal lord.
[We pride ourselves on having a shallow funeral.]
Giroude muttered to himself.
Rolo and I prayed at the grave while remembering Yannick.
[Yannick-san…Albert sent his regards and said it was fun.]
When I muttered to the grave, Giroude turned away.
His shoulders were shaking, probably because he’s crying.
After who knows how much time had passed, Rolo and I stood up and thanked him.
After that, we were introduced to Giroude’s wife and children, and it was a wrestling tournament with the villagers.
I defeated all the villagers, and Rolo had a good fight with Giroude.
[Kaahh! Strong!]
Every time I threw a villager away, Giroude laughed happily, and even the villagers, who were a bit reserved at first, started smiling.
Lioncoeur people like strong men.
If you show your strength like this, you can become friends.
After this, we were served a meal, but it was really simple.
Porridge of barley and bitter leaves, and salted meat.
The leaf seemed to be a dried strawberry leaf.
I didn’t think that something like that could be exploited.
It can’t be compared to Sumina’s village, where they could afford to butcher goats for a banquet.
[We’re poor, aren’t we?]
Giroude’s wife looked down in embarrassment.
Although she is not beautiful, she seems to be a simple and kind person.
[No… more than anything, I’m glad I finally met you. Jiro always boasts that she’s the best wife there is, so… Rolo and I were gossiping about it once. We’ve been wanting to meet you.]
[Ara, you are so sweet.]
Giroude’s wife laughed modestly, covering her lips.
[Hey, hey, Young Master, please don’t say anything weird, I’ll get you back.]
Giroude panicked and stopped me.
Everyone burst out laughing.
…It’s nice, it may be poor, but it’s a nice village…
I think it’s very similar to Yannick.
[My father…told me before he died that Varian-sama is the hope of Lioncoeur and Amoros liberator.]
Giroude muttered to himself.
[Nah… I’m nothing but a son of an Earl.]
[No, that’s not what I’m saying.]
Giroude closed his eyes and paused for a moment… probably remembering Yannick’s words.
[What can I say…you’re from Lioncoeur. Yes, you’re from Lioncoeur.]
Giroude’s words resonated deeply in my heart.
The same goes for Giroude and his squires. They think of me as a 『Lioncoeur』 and adore me.
But, that…
I decided not to think about it.
There’s no way I would fight with Robel.
No one in our family would want us to fight.
I desperately chased my unpleasant imagination out of my head.
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