CH 24

Feudal Lords

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

While Eliza and others were waiting for the Ears to arrive. The feudal lords of Rynegard were also busy coping with the oncoming famine.

Viscount Oberl’s domain is located in the southwest of the Eastern Knight’s Domain. Even Ustash Oberl, a lord who is well-known as a prodigal even though he is over forty years old, is no exception. For once, he had to stay in his office in the mansion and take measures to cope with the lack of food. A quill pen is held in his brown right hand, which is usually tipped with a cup of liquor.

He was the only one left in the office. The reason is that the vassals have gone out to scavenge food in the territory. When they do return from time to time, the reports are not good. Ustash was growing frustrated with the situation, which showed no signs of improvement.

「Shit, what are they doing! They can’t even gather food from the territory. Are they not ashamed to be a subordinate?」

He throws his pen, which has become useless due to his excessive grip, on the floor and throws a tantrum, scratching his red hair. If there had been a direct speaker here, they would have said.「We are the ones who should be ashamed for a lord like you.」Oberl’s food crisis was as good as caused by himself.

The damage to Oberl’s territory is not as severe as in other areas of the country. If he had been stockpiling food on a regular basis, he would have been able to avoid such a situation. He just needed to buy some more food from other territories.

However, Oberl did not have any reserves, and even the money to purchase it was scarce. It was all due to Ustash’s entertainment. His debauchery was so excessive, even for an aristocrat, that he had finally reached into the estate’s operating funds.

「Can’t something be done about this…」

His mutterings of distress were not out of concern for the people of his domain. Ustash did not care what happened to them. However, if a large number of people died of starvation, their lands would be confiscated as they were not qualified to be lords. This was for the selfish reason that he would not be able to indulge in amusement again if that were to happen.

As Ustash was grunting, the door to his office was opened and a petite, beautiful girl in a simple dark blue dress entered. He glances at his own daughter, who has the same brown skin and red hair, and quickly returns his eyes to the papers on his desk. He had a hard time with this brilliant and therefore difficult to handle girl.

「Cecille. What do you want? Don’t come in here unless you have something to do.」

「Father. Was the offer from the Clanetta territory accepted?」

Showing no sign of caring about the ill-treatment, Cecile asks her father. Cecile asks her father about the food aid from the Clanetta territory, which was recently announced to all the territories.

「I think that support is just selling at a fixed price. Our territory cannot afford that.」

「But if Father give up some of the luxury items that you used to buy, we’ll be able to have a little bit of a better life——」

「We won’t get any help from Clanetta anyway! The Count is observing me.」

By citing the parochial parents, Ustash makes his daughter’s words moot. The Jungk territory is located between the Oberl and Clanetta territories. Its lord, Count Edmond Jungk, is the head of the Eastern Knight faction to which Oberl belongs. And his dislike of the Clanetta family was known to all within the faction. It is a recrimination against the Ducal, who was heavily favored by the royal family, but there is no telling what they will do if a parasite approaches them without regard to their feelings.

「I understand. We have no choice but to consider other moves. The best I can think of is to turn to the Count, but you haven’t heard from him about support, have you?」

「You invite him to my domain and ask him.」

「How about a return gift? Even though it is a donation, it is not free of charge…」

「It’s ready to go.」

Ustash looks up and sees Cecile, young and beautiful. His gaze contained no parental warmth.

「The Count is in his late twenties, it’s time for him to get himself together.」

「…Understood.」

Cecille was silent for a while as she realized the meaning of his words, then slowly bowed her head and took her lord’s orders.

◆

There are three territories in Rynegard that have vast plains. The Clanetta territory in the northern part of the kingdom, which is famous for their granaries. The central part of the kingdom is directly under the jurisdiction of the government. And the territory of Garandolph, located in the southwest of the kingdom. It is the domain of the Prime Minister, Roger Garandolph.

Like the Clanetta territory to the north, the Garandolph territory is responsible for the food supply in the south. However, the land, which in previous years has shown abundant harvests, was covered in mud from the flooding of rivers caused by the long rains.

「Prime Minister. Other fields have been damaged by flooding as well.」

「So much for this…」

From the muddy farm road, Roger, who has just returned from the royal capital, shouts out. The field in front of him was littered with blackened wheat, broken off the stalks and scattered everywhere.

The man standing next to him, a man in his fifties, had been prepared for this when he received a report from the courier who had been entrusted with his domain. However, the current situation in the Garandolph territory, which he actually witnessed, was nothing short of disastrous.

「Nearly 70% of the fields were engulfed by mud. Others are by no means safe.」

「I see…」

His back trembled slightly, as if he was a large tree. But it stopped before the deputy could offer words of comfort, and a strong, ageless voice rose above him, small in contrast to his Lord.

「We cannot stay depressed forever. We must do what needs to be done. You’ve placed restrictions on what can be offered and taken out of the territory.」

「Already. But this was unusual damage. With only the territory’s reserves and food supplies, we will run out of food in less than three months.」

「We can’t just ignore the surrounding territories altogether. We are all citizens of the same kingdom. As soon as we have a clear idea of how to secure food in the territory, we will also make preparations for immediate support.」

「Hah!」

The deputy replied with pride to his master, who cared not only for his own people, but also for the people of other territories.

◆

The news brought to us by Ears back in the Clanetta territory was that each territory was desperate to secure food.

「In several territories, it appears that tariffs on food sent out of the territory have been raised significantly. Most of them are confiscated in lieu of taxes if they try to leave the barrier.」

「Father. This is…」

「Yes, we will not be able to provide assistance to distant areas.」

The office in the manor house. Claude’s report makes me and Father frown. The damage to each territory was significant, but it was supposed to be manageable with relief supplies.

However, the lords, thinking only of their own territories, were eager to secure as much food as possible, even though the initial turmoil had passed.

「To get to Garandolf territory, where the damage is most severe, one has to pass through the direct territory and the three territories, all of which are heavily tariffed except for the direct territory.」

「And the adjoining territory too!」

「Yes. Princess.」

「Those ungrateful bastards!」

I was furious at the act of avenging the Galandoplh territory, which had shared food with the surrounding territories even though it was in dire straits. Then Father reached out from his desk and patted my head as if to soothe me.

「Eliza. Now we need to figure out how to get food into Garandolph. Any ideas?」

「Excuse me. Father… The only thing I can think of is to get a royal decree to provide support, but that would take time even if we appeal now.」

This is a national crisis. I am sure that many appeals have already been made to His Majesty. Even if we sent a messenger immediately, it is impossible to predict how long we would have to wait, even for a Duke.

「If I were to come to them, I would have an immediate audience…」

As a Duke, Father would have been granted a special exception, but he could not leave his estate under the current unpredictable situation. I, who have not even reached adulthood, am also not fit to be a messenger. Since the chief vassals who might be his deputies had also been dispatched to various parts of the territory, it would take time to recall them.

We were at a loss for what to do, but then Claude kneeled down and announced himself.

「Duke. Princess. Will you allow me to be your messenger?」

「You, Claude? But…」

I stumble over the words that follow. Certainly Claude is an excellent official, skilled at negotiating. If the audience is granted, Clanetta will surely be able to receive the imperial order. However, being from a commoner background, he was likely to be disrespected by the officials of the royal city and his audience might be postponed.

「Princess. Although I am of humble birth, thanks to the patronage of the Duke and Princess, I have made some acquaintances with the merchants who frequent the royal court. I thought it might be possible to reach His Majesty with your message.」

After all, Claude was not a man who did not understand the meaning of that silence. Nevertheless, he stands up for us and offers practical solutions as well.

After receiving his approval, I looked at my loyal retainer who had gone too far and gave the order.

「I’ll have a postcard ready for you right away. Claude, please.」

「I understand, ma’am.」

We decided on a policy, and in no time at all we began to take steps to save Rynegard.