Volume 6 Chapter 6 Refugee Problem
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Recently, Annabella and Carly safely gave birth, and I now have a son named Berge and a daughter named Rivière.
Thus, I’ve become a father, but to be honest, it still hasn’t sunk in for me yet.
However, my first wife Milly and the other concubines are vying to dote on the two children, and their mothers, Annabella and Carly, are struggling to hold them.
Both children seemed relieved to be accepted by everyone.
Since these two kids have an inescapable darkness in their backgrounds, both Annabella and Carly were worried about whether Milly and the other concubines would accept them, but it seems their fears were unwarranted.
In particular, the boy, Berge, is attracting attention from Milly and the other concubines. For a moment, I wondered if he’d inherited some strange skill from me, but there’s no way to know that until he grows up.
On the other hand, I got to see the girl, Rivière, with my own eyes, and luckily, my Handsome Guy Skill didn’t activate.
As of now, Rivière is the only one of my bloodline of the opposite sex in this world, but it seems the Handsome Guy Skill probably doesn’t carry over to blood relatives.
Carly seemed a bit disappointed by this fact.
It appears she was eager to position the grown-up Rivière at the top of the church and have her serve me, wishing for her to become a Carrier, but once she found out it wouldn’t carry to blood relations, she now seems to be plotting to educate her somehow.
For now, I’ve forbidden Carly from being involved in our daughter’s education.
Just then, a messenger sent by the officials I dispatched to the Nolans territory near the east burst in with urgent news.
”Your Excellency Kent! It’s terrible! Recently, Gertroud has captured the eastern Occlair territory and reorganized forces to ravage the nearby Roland region close to Nolans. Those living in Occlair are terrified, and Browning, Gorlbev, and Fenry territories have reportedly defected from the True Demon Kingdom, aligning with Gertroud who claims the title of Demon God Emperor.”
”Huh!? The Demon God Emperor nation? Gertroud doesn’t plan on recognizing the Demon Lord?”
Milly was shocked by the messenger’s report.
She never expected Gertroud to establish an independent nation without recognizing the authority of the Demon Lord.
However, I know Gertroud well, and I couldn’t believe he would acknowledge the current True Demon Kingdom.
”Yes, Gertroud has claimed the title of Demon God Emperor and is gathering military forces, supplies, and women from the subordinate Lords. Thanks to that, we have a flood of refugees from the east streaming into Nolans.”
Nolans is a vital traffic junction where the road to the royal capital intersects with the road to the east, governed by a few noble Lords in the south.
However, due to Gertroud’s recent coup, the barely 8-year-old Eris is now the ruler of the territory, and I was forced into the role of guardian by my father-in-law.
”How many refugees are arriving?”
”Over ten thousand. They keep coming, and the numbers increase day by day. We’re providing emergency food and tents, but we can’t manage just with Nolans! Even though there are relatively few monsters in Nolans, it’s way too dangerous to let them camp outside at night. We’re accommodating the elderly, women, and children within the walls, but tensions are rising with the local residents.”
Upon receiving reports that tens of thousands of refugees were flooding into the Nolans territory, I immediately made the decision to deploy the military.
If left unchecked, the refugees would become food for the monsters, and though it’s unfortunate for them, I couldn’t afford to miss out on these workers who had come.
With the development of the city and commerce, the labor shortage in the south had become severe, and various organizations and shop owners were likely to offer high-paying jobs to the refugees.
Estfort still had room to accommodate more residents, and the western garrison I had given to Aurelia was named Westferm, and plans were underway to develop it into a city on par with Estfort.
I urgently called Kondrad to inform him to start organizing the relief army, and I also mobilized Giuliana’s ‘Red Valkyrie’ to assist in guiding the refugees.
By midday, the organization of the relief army was complete, and I decided to take command myself, bringing along my escort members.
I had Eris, who had never seen my domain, ride in my beloved hunting carriage, and we set off toward Nolans territory with the army.
* * *
The organization of the relief army was as follows: Black Wing, a hundred strong under Ludmila’s command, Estfort Army with a thousand troops led by Garvey and Fristoph, Red Valkyrie with all teams mobilized, and Black Bullet along with Crimson Bride, with everyone except Annabella and Carly also mobilized.
The advanced Black Wing transported the relief supplies wrapped around Dragonewts’ bodies in a shuttle pattern to Nolans territory, sending supplies to the refugees and relief army as needed.
When the ground troops arrived two days later, many tents had been set up outside the castle.
”Elder Brother Kent, is this my territory?”
Inside the hunting carriage that had just arrived in Nolans territory, Eris was pressed against the window, looking outside.
”Yeah, this will be your territory once you come of age. Until then, I’ll manage it for you.”
Eris had never left the castle walls before, so this was her first long journey, and it seemed she was quite nervous.
”The tents outside the walls… they’re for the people in trouble, aren’t they? Wow, there are so many…”
Eris marveled at the sight of the tents stretching out beyond the window.
”Indeed, it’s quite a number. Let’s head inside the castle for now. We’ll decide everything after that.”
We hurried the carriage toward the castle to arrange for the transport of the refugees.
* * *
Once we were shown into the castle’s reception room, the vassals of the Nolans family gathered, all wearing expressions of relief.
They had been doing their best to handle the situation, but because the refugees outnumbered the residents, they seemed worried about possible riots.
”Everyone, you’ve done well. Thanks to you, the refugees didn’t explode in anger or become monster food. I owe you all my thanks.”
A young man stepped forward and bowed.
This man was currently serving as the head steward of the Nolans family.
Previously a low-ranking retainer under the former lord, after the lord’s death, the former head steward started scheming to take control and become Eris’s guardian, openly criticizing the old steward and bringing up the matter with Margrave Heido.
This forced me to take on the role of Eris’s guardian, and as a form of harassment, I made this man the head steward of Nolans. Surprisingly, he turned out to be quite competent.
If not for him, this situation might have been much worse.
”Your Excellency… is this some sort of harassment aimed at me?”
The young man gave me a tired look.
He had been quite stubborn when I made him head steward, saying, ‘It’s too troublesome, I decline,’ but I liked him because of his strong personality.
”Yeah. Magnus needs to be given a mountain of work, or else he’ll fall asleep. Once I realized how capable he is, I decided to make full use of him. If Nolans isn’t a major city by the time Eris comes of age, I’ve already told her to hold you responsible.”
”Ugh, are you telling me not to sleep… Your Excellency? Once Lady Eris comes of age, I will resign from my position as head steward.”
Magnus had set a limit when he took the position, saying he would resign when Eris came of age.
He accepted the position under those conditions, but he knows that Eris is an excellent, so he plans to take her on as a direct vassal of his once she leaves the Nolans family.
”You can resign, but if you live in the south, be prepared to be used as my direct vassal. Of course, I’ll reward you with wealth and honor in return for your work.”
”Ugh, a life where I’m used by Your Excellency…”
”Lord Magnus… If you show your abilities, you’ll be worked to the bone, but Lord Kent, who made me a General from a low-ranking officer and even found a noblewoman for me, isn’t a bad person. If you serve him, he’s not so bad, and you might even live a comfortable life with three meals a day and naps.”
Garvey, who had led the relief army, offered comforting words to Magnus, who had a pained expression on his face.
As Garvey said, I also thought that if Magnus used his abilities, I could offer him a comfortable life with three meals and a nap.
”I suppose… very well, I’ll try to develop Nolans into a major city to earn that comfortable life with three meals a day and naps.”
Magnus said, and then began the meeting about the pressing refugee issue.
Magnus had already called the representatives of the refugees from Roland, Browning, Golbef, and Fenru territories and brought them to the meeting.
When Magnus invited them in, the young man entered the reception room.
Sitting next to him, Milly murmured, “Oh? Another of Kent’s breeding candidates?”
The young man in front of me was presumed to be a woman, and moreover, one of the women within my sphere of concern.
First, a young man of the Minotaur breed, prompted by Magnus, stepped forward to greet us.
”Oh my, I’ll start then… I’m Clarette, the representative of the refugees from the Roland territory. It’s an honor to meet Sir Kent. I was raising dairy cows in the Roland countryside, but I heard from a hunter that the men were killed and the women enslaved by those holed up in the castle, so I fled with the people from the southern rural areas. Please, help us.”
The young man who called himself Clarette was the representative of Roland, who had directly suffered from Gertroud’s rampage.
From his voice, I imagined a warm, older sister-like aura.
”Ah, you’ve worked hard. Now that you’ve decided to leave your homeland behind and come to this place, I won’t let you suffer.”
”I’ve heard of you, Sir Kent, from my monster-hunting friends. I respectfully request your support for the people of Roland.”
Clarette moved closer and squeezed my hand.
At that moment, I felt a soft sensation against Clarette’s chest in the empty space.
I instinctively confirmed that sensation with my hand.
”Oh my, how troubling. Do you desire me, Sir Kent…? I want to help the people of Roland, but I can’t have children just yet…”
”Whoa, I’m sorry. You’re a woman, right? I didn’t mean anything like that! I’m not asking you to offer your body, Ms. Clarette!”
Caught off guard, I was babbling nonsense.
”Ahem, Your Excellency, please discuss such matters after the meeting.”
Magnus, the facilitator, cleared his throat and prompted me.
Every participant’s gaze turned uniformly towards me.
Anyone would want to confirm a sensation if they felt something in empty space.
Yes, I only touched to confirm what was invisible, with no questionable intentions whatsoever.
It was just incredibly soft, and my fingers sunk in.
”I was just confirming! There’s nothing questionable about it!”
”Oh my?”
Clarette, the person involved, was just smiling cheerfully.
”Well, that’s fine. It seems Your Excellency’s fondness for women won’t change. More importantly, about 5 hundred people from Roland have evacuated with a thousand dairy cows. We’ve surrounded the cows with makeshift barriers, but we should quickly find a safe location for a farm.”
Magnus proposed the need for a farm for the people of Roland.
Clarette had brought her beloved dairy cows with her, unable to escape without them.
”A farm, huh… Should we build one near the Abyss Vena where the Hunter Guild’s Hunting Groundlock has been lifted?”
Since the large-scale invasion, the monster spawn rate in the Ignis Plains has been continuously decreasing, and not long ago, the Hunter Guild lifted the Hunting Groundlock, restricting the use of magic where magic elements accumulated.
Because of this, monsters have become even scarcer, making the southern area relatively safe.
”Yeah, since there’s no more Hunter Guild’s Hunting Groundlock, and the monsters that do spawn aren’t very strong, I think it’s a good idea. Plus, if we can get fresh dairy products, everyone will be happy.”
Milly agreed with my proposal.
Garvey also said he would talk to Kondrad about incorporating the Ignis Plains into the army’s patrol route, so the farm construction talks were progressing smoothly.
”Oh my, oh my, how should I thank you…”
”I’ll have a temporary farm built quickly. The Ignis Plains have plenty of grass suitable for pastures, so I think it’s perfect for livestock. Dairy products are quite high-level in the south, so if we get going, I think it’ll go well.”
Just then, Feria and Ines entered through the door, having arrived late due to the supply delivery work.
”Sorry for being late… Ah, Lady Clarette! If you’re here, then my family must have evacuated here too.”
Ines jumped at the sight of Clarette.
”Oh my, this is IneIne. Yes, IneIne’s family came along too. By the way, I heard you found a job at Abyss Vena, working at Sir Kent’s mansion, right?”
”Um, Sir Kent is my husband…”
Ines shyly answered, fidgeting.
At first, she used boyish language, but recently, she had become a cute wife who firmly asserted her femininity during our nightly duties and begged for my seed.
”Do you two know each other?”
The two, who were embracing nostalgically, seemed to be acquaintances.
”Yes, my hometown was in the Roland territory, so I was really worried, but when I heard there were refugees, I thought it might be the case, and then I saw the ranch owner, Ms. Clarette, so it seems like my parents and siblings have safely evacuated with him.”
”I grew up like sisters with IneIne. I never thought we’d reunite in a place like this…”
”But I never expected Ms. Clarette to abandon the ranch… Could it be to protect that?”
Until then, Ms. Clarette, who had been smiling, stiffened, and placed a hand over Ines’s mouth.
”Oh dear, IneIne! That should be a secret of our Minotaur kind, right?”
What could that ‘thing’ be… A secret of the Minotaur kind… It’s interesting, but I shouldn’t pry too much.
”But Sir Kent is such a fan that he milks me every morning! I’m sure he’ll help us!”
Wait, Ms. Ines.
Sure, I do enjoy milking you every morning, and after that, I let you re-inject my milk into me, but I really don’t want you going into details like this in public.
”…Every morning… I see, IneIne, your chest is growing. You’re so good at milking me… Sir Kent is a true enthusiast. Understood. Once things calm down, I’ll ask for Sir Kent’s help.”
Clarette’s gaze became determined, as if she’d made up her mind.
Thus, the meeting with Clarette, the representative of Roland, came to an end.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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