Volume 8 Chapter 1 Interlude： Chancellor Lila’s Struggle
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Alright. I’m heading to the post-war conference at the Royal Castle. Seems like the 3 bureaucrat musketeers are hustling, but they can’t handle those cunning nobles on their own.”
”I’m counting on you, mother. I’ll make sure to report back on the quest you assigned by tomorrow.”
Saying this, Milly left the room.
”Alright, Lana. Mr. Kent is in your hands, alright? Call me immediately if anything happens.”
”Yes, ma’am. Leave it to me.”
Mr. Kent.
I actually want to be by your side, but I have to take your place… Once you regain consciousness, you’re gonna owe me big time… So, come back soon…
Leaving Lana in charge, I hopped in a carriage and rushed to the Royal Castle.
* * *
Once inside the castle, I was led by a guide into the round table room where the post-war conference was being held.
It seemed to be a break time, and the 3 musketeers, upon spotting me, approached with a speed I’d never seen before.
”””La, Lady Lila!”””
The 3 grabbed my hands, looking like they were about to burst into tears.
They were probably stressed out from getting the third degree from those cunning Capital City nobles.
”Layla, Est, Seema. You’ve done well. Now that I’m here, we’re at least getting this round’s expenses and compensation for the wounded. Ideally, we’ll get Sir Arbalest transferred, get us the vacant South District Margrave position, and gain autonomy. Also, let’s get the Blackdagger family promoted to Count. It’s unprecedented, but considering Mr. Kent’s accomplishments, it’s only fair.”
The 3 were shocked to hear my plan.
”Lady Lila… Are you planning to become independent by gaining autonomy?”
Est asked, having heard my plan.
”No, we’re staying in the Kingdom. It’s just a way to set up a system where Mr. Kent can build the country freely as the king.”
”Mr. Kent as king…”
”Yeah, making Mr. Kent king would make for a great country. I think there’s no lord more kind to his people.Just, he’s a little blind to pretty girls, that’s a drawback, you know? But, maybe that’s part of his charm, too.”
Even looking at him as a concubine, Mr. Kent was a charismatic ruler.
It’s good to serve him as a subject, and he evaluates and promotes those who work hard, making him a rewarding king to serve.
I think his own laziness is a way of making his subordinates work harder.
In fact, all the important decisions so far have been made by Mr. Kent.
”That horny His Excellency as King, huh? Well, it’s definitely more livable in South District than Capital City, so I can’t argue with that…”
Layla, too, was racking her brain while acknowledging Mr. Kent’s abilities.
”We also have the development of Westferm to consider. I really want to wrap up this postwar conference in Capital City quickly. I’m sure there’s a mountain of work waiting for us when we get back.”
Seema had been entrusted with the territory of the newly to-be-built Westferm, and she was sent to Capital City during that project, so she was concerned about the backlog of work.
I’d gotten a head start on things, but there was still a ton of work to do.
”Seema’s right. Let’s grab what we can and head home.”
Just then, the bell signaling the end of the break rang.
I’d been listening to the 3 girls discuss the flow of the postwar conference so far.
Representatives from Black Dragon Dukedom and True Demon Dukedom also attended the postwar conference.
Nord, the second son of the Dracul family, represented Black Dragon Dukedom, and Felia, an old acquaintance who was Gwain’s concubine, represented True Demon Dukedom.
Other Capital City nobles who had likely participated in this battle were also present.
The bell rang again, and His Majesty Shifa, the current Demon Lord, appeared on the throne situated at a higher level.
”Gentlemen, let’s reassess the merit ratings. In my opinion, the top honor for this Gertroud uprising should go to Kent, Lord Blackdagger, of the South District army. What do you all think?”
Murmurs of discontent ripple through the assembled nobles.
One man raises his hand, seemingly to voice these concerns.
”Your Majesty! I understand Lord Blackdagger distinguished himself in this battle, but he is merely a new noble. Moreover, he has already earned 2 military honors this year. To award him again sets a precedent that is, quite frankly, unprecedented.”
The speaker was Count Belt Velis.
Known as the brain trust of His Majesty, he was a noble who had seen his stock fall after a botched Combat Command performance in this battle.
”Then, shall we consider Letticia Lawrence as the top performer?”
Shifa inquires amicably towards Velis.
Velis, put on the spot, sweats bullets as he contemplates his response.
”That… is not feasible… He was merely guarding Your Majesty…”
”Indeed.”
”Your Majesty, our forces are also fighting to protect against Gertroud. Certainly, it was Lord Blackdagger who vanquished the head honcho, Gertroud, but it was our forces that weakened the enemy ranks beforehand.”
Stepping in for the flustered Velis was Nord, a representative from the Black Dragon Dukedom.
”Indeed, without your reinforcement, our nation might have perished. However, I remember that your forces retreated once to avoid a decisive battle with Gertroud’s army…”
”That was a strategic feigned retreat to split the enemy general Nokin from the Demon God Emperor’s faction. Our plan was a success, and we have managed to diminish the enemy forces. I would like that to be recognized.”
Nord’s words exposed how the Black Dragon Dukedom had encouraged Nokin to go rogue and declare independence.
Shifa’s face showed a slight flicker of displeasure when she heard the story.
Does that Nord kid even realize he’s making people uncomfortable?
”I, too, feel your country’s contributions deeply. I have even accepted the cession of territory in the western region…What more do you seek?”
Shifa had officially acknowledged the cession of territory from the western nobles to Nord, who demanded sovereignty over the Black Dragon Dukedom.
”Brother, are you being a bit greedy? While the Black Dragon Dukedom has done a lot, the Kingdom has already rewarded them. Is it your diplomatic style to beg for things like a pauper?”
Aldo Dracul, a short, chubby incubus youth standing next to Shifa, fanned himself and glared at Nord.
He had recently been appointed Chancellor and was a close ally of Mr. Kent and Shifa.
Aldo possessed an unfathomable network of spies and connections and was the one who proposed the Kingdom’s dissolution.
Aldo had flatly rejected Nord’s request, calling it “begging.”
”Aldo! You’re the one who’s talking out of line! You may have seized control of the Dracul family’s power by taking down Father, but don’t get cocky. I saw through your disguise a long time ago. I’m here as the Black Dragon Dukedom’s full envoy. Mocking me is the same as mocking the Black Dragon Dukedom!”
Nord’s words caused a stir among the nobles present at the meeting.
It was a brotherly squabble, but they didn’t want it to escalate into an international conflict.
They decided to intervene before things got out of hand.
”Both Lord Aldo and Lord Nord, please calm down. This is not a place for sibling rivalry.”
All the Noble’s eyes in the meeting room were on me, like, laser-focused.
”Oh, Lila, long time no see. I heard you were working for Kent, but I didn’t know you were representing him at this meeting.”
”Your Majesty Shifa, it’s been a while. I’m here to participate in the meeting as Sir Kent’s representative.”
Shifa looked at me and spoke with a nostalgic tone.
When Shifa became the Demon Lord, I supported him in various ways, and we became friends.
Even after that, I was invited to the king’s dance parties and birthday parties, and we got along well.
”I intend to reward Kent as much as possible. Make your demands. You have full authority from Kent, right?”
Shifa seemed to want to prioritize negotiations with me, ignoring the Nord who kept making unreasonable demands.
”Thank you very much. Then, I will state the demands of my lord, Sir Kent. First, as compensation for the soldiers of the South District army who participated in the recent war, 5 silver coins per soldier, and condolence money for the dead, one gold coin per soldier, and 50 large gold coins for all the expenses used to procure supplies. The total amount is 50 large gold coins, 50 gold coins, and 40 thousand silver coins, to be paid in cash immediately.”
The room around the round table buzzed at my demands.
The amount of money requested was equivalent to one-tenth of the Kingdom’s tax revenue.
I already knew that the military funds, as well as the national treasury, were running dry due to Gwain’s repeated military expeditions, but I intended to push through these demands no matter what.
”Lady Lila, are you trying to bankrupt the Kingdom?”
Lord Velis, with a slightly pale complexion, asked cautiously.
”I have no intention of crushing the Kingdom. If I did that, Sir Kent would be furious. Therefore, in exchange for the cost of this military campaign, I would like to request a position within the Kingdom. For instance, I would be grateful to be appointed as the South District Margrave, a title that would allow me to govern the region as a semi-autonomous state, perhaps by the name of King of the South District or Border King.”
”A semi-autonomous state… is Lord Kent planning for independence…”
”Lord Velis. It troubles me to think you might be misunderstanding. This is to create a nation that protects the Kingdom. Sovereignty lies with the Kingdom, so I would like to see Sir Kent’s status elevated to that of Kingdom Count. The South District Margrave state, under my lord, will guard the Kingdom in place of the seceded Black Dragon Dukedom and True Demon Dukedom.”
”To be a Kingdom Count…! Just the other day, he was from a knight’s family, and now a Count? Lady Lila, this is an affront to the Kingdom!”
Velis clenched his jaw, veins popping on his forehead as he retorted.
The other Kingdom nobles also opposed my opinion, and the round table began to fill with chaos.
”Enough, everyone, quiet down!”
Shifa stood up from her seat and shot a glare at the noisy nobles.
”So what you’re saying is that I must choose between giving the reward in cash or in land. Is that correct?”
”To put it simply, yes indeed. Given Sir Kent’s abilities, he could effectively govern the land──what shall we decide?”
”The answer has already been given. I adhere to the principle that I do not take something that I cannot pay for. I will bestow a decree to appoint Kent Blackdagger to the position of South District Margrave and recognize the title of Border King. Furthermore, I will grant the Blackdagger family the rank of Kingdom Count. With this, may I kindly ask for leniency regarding the military funding this time?”
”Ha! On behalf of my lord, I extend my gratitude. The South District Margrave state shall stand as a shield for the Kingdom.”
Shifa, acting on his own, appointed Mr. Kent as the Margrave of the South District.
”Of course, since Kent is my son-in-law, he’ll fall under the Kingdom’s military, right? I’m counting on Kent as a force to be reckoned with.”
The one who spoke was Arbalest, who had just become the Kingdom’s General.
After the decisive battle, he took the place of his older brother, Gwain, who had been expelled from the military, and took control of the Kingdom’s army.
”I intend to follow General Arbalest’s orders, but may I assume that Sir Kent will be granted independent command?”
The Kingdom nobles attending the meeting could be heard muttering things like, “If we allow that, it’ll be no different from an independent nation,” and “Are we just going to let Lord Blackdagger run wild?”
Then.
Felia, who had been silent until then, spoke up.
”Your Majesty. Although we, the True Demon Dukedom, have seceded from the Kingdom, we cannot overlook the biased favoritism shown to Lord Blackdagger this time. I cannot return to my country unless we get the revocation of Lord Gwain’s dismissal as Kingdom Chancellor and his return to the military. Lord Gwain, who led the Kingdom army, shed the most blood and fought on the front lines in the Gertroud rebellion. Sir Rashid, the True Demon King, has also given us his tacit approval that he will return to the Kingdom’s umbrella if Lord Gwain’s reinstatement as Kingdom Chancellor is approved. I would like Your Majesty Shifa to make a wise decision.”
Felia, staring at me with her sharp eyes, was urging Shifa to reconsider the rewards for the Blackdagger family while plotting the reinstatement of her master, Gwain.
She had been a colleague who served as a Secretary under Gwain since his time as military commander and was my right-hand woman, handling paperwork and coordinating various opinions.
”I cannot forgive Gwain for abandoning many soldiers. Besides, the Kingdom Chancellor has already appointed Aldo, and Arbalest has been appointed as the Supreme Commander of the Kingdom’s forces. Furthermore, the longstanding evils led by Gwain are being uncovered one after another. Normally, I would sentence him to death, but considering his achievements leading the True Demon Dukedom army, I have chosen to spare him, stripping his Kingdom title and banishing him instead. If he seeks more, shall I challenge him to a duel?”
It seemed that Shifa had resolved to part ways with Gwain.
Should he take him back, it would be clear to anyone that even if the True Demon Dukedom returned to the Kingdom, Shifa would be ousted from the throne as Demon Lord.
”If such a harsh decree is issued, Sir Gwain will officially seek asylum in the True Demon Dukedom along with his territory. Are you sure you want that?”
Felia threw words at Shifa that felt like an ultimatum.
Since Felia did not believe Shifa was willing to reinstate Gwain in the heart of the Kingdom, this statement seemed like a pose to detach the territory adjacent to the northern True Demon Dukedom from the Kingdom.
”I don’t care. I have no intention of forgiving Gwain. Let it be known that those who illegally occupy the Kingdom’s territory will be dealt with. Make sure to convey this to the True Demon King.”
”Understood. Sir Gwain will officially seek asylum in the True Demon Dukedom, and the True Demon Dukedom will formally detach from the control of the Kingdom.”
Felia stood from the table and swiftly exited between the round tables.
Following Felia, the nobles from the northern territories who had participated in the meeting also hurriedly left.
”As one who knows compassion, I allow those who wish to leave the Kingdom to take personal property from the Capital City. However, only gold bars minted for cashing out will be permitted. The removal of art, magic tools, books, and so forth is not allowed.”
From the nobles gathered around the round table, Shifa could hear murmurs like, “Just gold? What are you going to do?” and “Our family has a lot of assets, so we plan to stay in the Kingdom.”
Shifa appeared to be showing leniency to the nobles leaving the Kingdom, but his true intention was to prevent them from taking cultural artifacts and force them to sell their assets, leaving them with only gold before casting them out.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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