Volume 5 Chapter 13 Year End Progress
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
A few days after Ludmila renounced her title as princess, her letter set off the very reaction in the Black Dragon Dukedom that Talia had predicted.
The news sent shockwaves through the royalist faction, splitting it in two. On one side were the elder supporters of Fabulanova, and on the other, the younger nobles rallied by Rosvita, a high-ranking minister, who placed their hopes in Delprius. Meanwhile, the Ugno faction fractured as well—one part siding with the royal faction, while the rest aligned with Ludmila’s growing southern alliance.
In response, Delprius and the southern alliance joined forces, declaring themselves the true successors. With this third faction now in play, the political landscape of the Dukedom spiraled into deadlock.
Amid the turmoil, Princess Fabulanova proposed an unexpected solution: rather than naming her own daughter, Delprius, as the next ruler, she suggested elevating a prominent member of her faction, the Dragonia. But this only provoked fierce opposition from the Ugno faction. Since the successor faction also backed Delprius, they refused to side with her either, leaving the matter of succession completely unresolved.
Sensing an opportunity, Gwain took advantage of the chaos. He conspired with elements of the royalist faction, inciting a rebellion, and under the guise of maintaining order, sent 25,000 troops marching into the Black Dragon Dukedom.
Fabulanova, recognizing this as foreign interference, immediately protested. She issued a formal warning demanding the withdrawal of Gwain’s forces, threatening to drive them out by force if they refused. But Gwain ignored the warning, expanding his occupation deeper into the territory.
At first, some within the Ugno faction welcomed the royal army’s presence—only to regret it once the troops began looting and terrorizing the villages they occupied. Realizing the kingdom’s true intentions, the Ugno faction abandoned their former allies and reconciled with Fabulanova. Enraged by the devastation of their homeland, the successor faction also threw its support behind her.
With the Dukedom finally united, Fabulanova prepared to drive out the invading army. Yet, before taking action, she managed to smuggle a letter past Gwain’s lines, addressed directly to Demon Lord Shifa. In it, she clarified that this was a limited war—one solely intended to expel foreign occupiers, not a rebellion against the True Demon Kingdom itself.
Shifa’s reply came swiftly: a decree granting permission to eradicate the invading army.
With official approval secured, the Black Dragon Dukedom’s forces moved decisively. Dragonewt units, alongside Dragonia airships, launched a devastating assault. A coordinated barrage of dragon breath attacks, followed by infantry strikes, utterly crushed the 25,000-strong enemy force.
The invading army’s commander, General Travers, was captured.
Back in the kingdom, news of the crushing defeat reached Gwain. Realizing that Shifa’s decree had exposed his involvement, he scrambled to cover his tracks. He publicly denounced the invasion as a rogue operation, placing full blame on General Travers. To further distance himself, he declared the retreating soldiers war criminals and had them arrested, burying the truth behind political maneuvering.
This chain of events, later known as the *Travers Incident*, marked the breaking point between the True Demon Kingdom and the Black Dragon Dukedom.
In the aftermath, fear spread once more among the western nobles of the True Demon Kingdom. The sheer might of the Black Dragon Dukedom had been laid bare, and many nobles rushed to send tribute in an attempt to stay in its good graces. But just as one crisis ended, another emerged.
With the conflict resolved, the Dukedom fractured yet again.
Fabulanova, now aligned with Ugno, officially named Ugno as her successor. She issued a stark declaration: anyone who opposed the decision would be exiled.
The consequences were swift.
One-third of the Dragonia—180 members—were expelled, along with 580 Dragonewts. The exiled fled to Estfort, where Delprius resided, and over ten thousand more followed them, forming a new faction beyond the Dukedom’s borders.
Although the Black Dragon Dukedom lost significant military strength, it had successfully purged its internal dissenters and achieved newfound unity.
And that was how, as the New Year festival approached, I suddenly found myself scrambling to prepare living quarters for the influx of the new Black Dragon clan faction.
At the same time, I was overseeing the development of the mines. The past two months had been an exhausting blur—so busy, in fact, that I hadn’t had a moment to sleep.
”Mr. Kent. We’ve managed to make some progress on the refugee housing. I hadn’t expected Estfort’s population to grow this rapidly. Nearly 30 thousand residents have registered in Estfort. This is an abnormal speed. Even Abyss Vena took hundreds of years, yet we hit 30 thousand in less than a year──…”
My mother-in-law was also surprised by the results of her efforts as the urban development manager.
While towns and streets with 30 thousand people are common in the kingdom’s central area, the southern region has rapidly developed into a major city second only to Abyss Vena.
Moreover, even though it includes areas that were mostly open fields where monsters roamed just a year ago, it has transformed significantly.
”Well, that’s all thanks to everyone’s efforts. Besides, most of the residents are migrants from the central or western regions. If Gwain and Fabulanova continue to clash, the number of settlers in the south is likely to increase.”
”I never thought TalTal’s plan would work out so well, but if we can solve the housing issues for the Black Dragon clan and the ten thousand residents, they should be able to work hard for us.”
In reality, many of the people who fled to the south belonged to the lower classes in the Dukedom.
They mainly consisted of miners, factory workers who had lost their jobs due to declining output, and those who lost their homes due to the “Travers Incident.”
The Black Dragon clan transporting them was composed mostly of younger individuals, all under 200 years old on average.
As a result, many came here with nothing but the clothes on their backs, lacking possessions and goods.
To organize the refugees, I had my wife, Delprius, a direct descendant of the Black Dragon king, receive knighthood from my father-in-law, and she became the Noirlament noble family in the southern region.
Dee was put in charge of managing the welcoming process.
I entrusted her with overseeing the protection of the refugees, providing food and shelter, and coordinating job placements.
Rosvita was active in various negotiations as Dee’s guardian, organizing personnel from the Mining Development group and the refinery among the refugees, successfully developing iron and coal mines and refineries in a short period.
Then, Ludmila took command of the ‘Black Wing’ private army, which consisted of 40 combat-specialized members from the 80 exiled Dragonia and 600 Dragonewts.
”Ms. Ludmila’s ‘Black Wing’ is quite a powerful military organization, isn’t it? I’ve heard that Kondrad, Garvey, Ane, Fristoph, and Akebus were all beaten badly in mock battles. The only thing that could counter them was the Barrage Shooting used by KerKer’s ‘Black Bullet’ with the AK-MK02.”
The ground forces led by Kondrad seemed to have no effective means of attack against the airborne Dragonewts, and were easily scattered.
The attacks from the Black Dragon clan, which had high basic abilities and were resistant to magic, were nothing short of a nightmare.
Next, I should ask Golerg and Aida to develop weapons specifically for dealing with the Black Dragon clan.
”Indeed, while ‘Black Wing’ is a powerful military organization… the consumption of iron and coal is staggering… According to the reports, it seems that half of the resources produced in the mines are going into the belly of ‘Black Wing’…?”
”No, it’s a definite amount. When I asked Ms. Rosvita, she said that the young ones in their growth spurts eat like crazy. Their combat power is impressive, but the expenses are also quite significant.”
The ‘Black Wing’ is a powerful combat group that costs a lot of money. However, it is believed that they can also be used for purposes like maintaining public order, reconnaissance, and troop transport, making it a net positive.
”If it looks like we’re going to be in the red, I’ll send them on an expedition to the Abyss Gate to hunt ‘another world monsters’.”
”For now, having them engage in mock battles or patrols in small units should be sufficient.”
”Understood. I’ll let Ludmila know.”
After the meeting with my mother-in-law, a knock came at the office door.
When I opened it, Annabella and Carly stepped inside—the very two I had summoned. Both were in the final month of their pregnancies, expected to give birth around the New Year. My children.
For now, they were on maternity leave, their usual responsibilities temporarily handed over to others. Feria had stepped in as Head Maid, though Annabella seemed unsure about Feria’s growing independence in her own interpretation of the Maid’s Way. Still, with no better candidate, the arrangement remained. Carly, on the other hand, had entrusted the Church’s administration to those who had granted her the [Priest] job, a service dedicated to me—their god.
The Church of Kent was quietly spreading into Abyss Vena, with over 3,000 people now bearing the [Worshiper] job, and more than 20 officially receiving the title of [Priest] from Carly. Thanks to that, my Divine Magic—Creation of the Universe—had gained a new feature: limited weather control over a select area.
But today, I had called them here for something far more personal.
They had informed me that Lana had determined the gender of the babies with her [Examination] skill.
”We should decide on names for our children before they’re born. Things will be chaotic right after, so it’s best to settle it now.”
Annabella and Carly exchanged looks before Carly smiled warmly.
”To think I’ll be naming the child of Sir Kent, who is destined to lead the Church… Carly is truly honored.”
I held back a sigh. She was already plotting to place my child at the very top of the Church of Kent.
As a father, I had no intention of letting my child get caught up in the Church’s questionable politics. But Carly was resolute—she would raise them as the next leader.
Well, if she ever went too far, I’d step in. A father’s job, after all, was to keep the brakes firmly in place.
”Even if they are the illegitimate child of Sir Kent, I will ensure they grow into a respectable child who won’t be pointed at by the villagers.”
Since it was a long-awaited child that Annabella had been looking forward to, she was showcasing her motherly side by playing music and reading books for prenatal education.
Annabella hesitated to call it an illegitimate child, but since Milly, the legal wife, was a succubus, she could only bear female succubi, so Annabella’s boy had a high chance of becoming the legitimate heir.
”Well, you two, make sure not to push yourselves too hard. Now, I’ll announce the names. First, Annabella’s boy will be ‘Berge’, and Carly’s girl will be ‘Rivière’. I plan to declare it in the town once they’re born.”
”Berge… it’s a lovely name… Your name is Berge. It’s an important name that your father chose.”
”Rivière… my daughter who carries the blood of my lord. You must be healthy and strong for your father.”
Both of them were talking to their children while gently rubbing their large bellies.
I felt a sense of paternal awareness as I named my child.
I wanted my children to grow up freely and honestly, and as a father, I was determined to raise them strictly enough that they wouldn’t use their noble status to show off.
”Let’s raise them to be healthy and honest children.”
””Yes.””
Thus, with the names given to the two children, I was busy with my lord duties up until the New Year festival.
* * *
”It’s finished… I’ll be able to celebrate the New Year’s Day with this.”
A tragedy of corpses spreading in the office.
In addition to the various arrangements for displaced people and the development of mines and refineries, Lord’s usual work, the work that had been done was to be stopped for 8 days from the New Year, so the addition of these administrative tasks has led to nearly ten times the amount of work per day.
What I meant in my world was ‘end of the year progression’.
I called out to them, thinking that they would help me out, but the person who was also stunned by the busyness of being stolen from the ‘end of the year’, and was glaring so hard that I thought I would be killed by their gaze.
Since there was no other choice, I decided to have my wives help me, but even the ones with positions were caught up in the ‘year-end rush,’ so the ones who actually helped were Dee, Ines, Lina, Talia, Ulrika, Aurelia, Milly, and even Beatrice, who was not exactly a helping hand, but I borrowed her assistance to get the work done.
”Why is Bea being mobilized for Kent’s work too! Bea is definitely going to demand overtime pay!”
Beatrice, with a stamp mark on her face, was making a fuss.
It was true that I had mobilized Beatrice, but I knew she had only worked for about the first 30 minutes before getting bored and falling asleep.
”Alright, alright, let’s give a candy to Beatrice, who dropped out after just 30 minutes.”
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply