Chapter 27
27
It was a story she hadn't told anyone yet. It wasn't like Nina didn't have a plan.
Knowing the future, she had meticulously set up plans in her own way. When she offered her body to the Spirit, she thought the future was completely gone, but when she returned and saw that two years had passed, she felt impatient.
"Trying to make up for the lost two years... I guess I put too much effort into it."
"Nina, you haven't lost anything."
"Well, my swordsmanship has improved, but with just that..."
Taking care of herself was one thing, but when she thought about Young Master and the Dukedom, she felt overwhelmed.
"Why are you worrying about that? I'm the Duke."
"That's true, but..."
Still, shouldn't I, who knows the future, do something?
When Nina mumbled without giving a proper answer, Adrian tapped the bed with his fingers.
"What do you want?"
At Adrian's question, Nina pondered.
'What I want.'
"To live happily, all smiling together...?"
To become rich, for the estate to prosper, to defeat the Cultists...
Those were just processes.
"I see. Then you're on vacation for a week."
"Huh? Suddenly?"
"I'll tell them not to involve you in anything for a week. No, stay by my side. I'll be watching to make sure you're resting properly."
"No, I have a lot to do... Besides, the Exchange Tournament is in two weeks!"
"Rest."
Adrian said that and grabbed her head, making her lean back on his shoulder.
"Sleep."
It was a firm smile.
Nina groaned, but she had no intention of resisting Young Master.
A week.
A whole week!!
A vacation!
At this busy time!
Closing her eyes, she sighed deeply. As his hand began to pat her head, Nina chuckled.
Perhaps because she was exhausted, sleep quickly overcame her again.
'A week...'
With that thought as her last, Nina fell into a deep slumber.
"A week's vacation!"
Nina rolled around on the sofa.
Vacation is so good!
It had already been three days since she started resting.
Come to think of it, she had been working non-stop since the day she returned. She realized only now, while resting, that she had been so caught up in her anxiety that she hadn't properly looked around.
Taking a step back and forcibly watching the surroundings turn leisurely, she realized that the Dukedom's situation was not as bad as she thought, and it was running smoothly even without her desperately struggling.
"Young Master, Young Master."
Lying on the sofa, Nina called out to Adrian, who was writing a letter. Without turning around, he asked, "What?"
"The Unicorn. We decided to send it to the Gota family. What did they say?"
"They said they'll come up right away."
It was a family that raised hunting dogs, hawks, and horses for the Dukedom.
After the internal strife, the Gota family hadn't had much to do, but suddenly being asked to raise a Unicorn... They would rush over immediately.
"Well, I guess so. And I went down below the castle. There's a rumor going around."
"What rumor?"
"That the appearance of the Unicorn is proof that Young Master is the rightful heir! The new Duke of the Louveaen Dukedom is blessed by the heavens!"
"Not bad."
"You spread it, didn't you, Young Master?"
"I ordered it."
Nina rested her chin on her hand and smiled.
"That's good. There's no harm in having the public on our side."
Since many people had actually witnessed the Unicorn, it would be excellent testimony to support Adrian's legitimacy.
How much effort have rulers put into proving their legitimacy since ancient times?
'By the way, we even have a force capable of conducting media warfare.'
"Young Master, are we stronger than I thought?"
It was a blatant expression, but Adrian didn't scold her and pondered for a moment before saying,
"I need to know how much you thought we had to answer that."
"A failing Dukedom?"
"I let it look that way."
"Ah, so we really are stronger than I expected."
"We're still lacking."
Adrian put down his pen. While waiting for the ink to dry, Nina got up from her seat and approached him.
"Now I understand what you meant, Young Master. I really haven't lost anything."
There are things Nina can do and things she can't.
Consolidating the family's internal affairs, spreading information networks, deceiving those around them, and filtering out dissidents.
Those were things she couldn't do.
But if that work wasn't done first, the things she was trying to do wouldn't work properly.
In short, all the groundwork has been laid. Now all that's left is to build the building.
Nina hugged Adrian from behind, resting her chin lightly on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry. For acting like I had to do it all alone."
Adrian turned to look at her. The distance was so close that their breaths almost touched.
He chuckled and said,
"I still won't let you off. A week's vacation is a vacation."
"Well, fine."
Nina pouted for no reason and got up.
Anyway, Jin, the vice-commander, had spread the official announcement that the Jet-Black Knights were recruiting everywhere.
They were planning to recruit about thirty people, so they hoped many would apply.
The existing knights were also excited about the arrival of new recruits. More than anything, they seemed to be expecting new 'elites' to be selected.
The screening was scheduled to begin in earnest after the Exchange Tournament.
'Lord Louis said he'd also select and organize candidates for the head merchant. I've also organized the people who appeared in the novel.'
It was convenient that people moved on their own without her having to move directly.
Is this why people raise subordinates?
Nina picked up the letter in Adrian's place, neatly folded it, and sealed it.
"So, how will the Exchange Tournament proceed?"
"In our case, teams of ten fight, and the winner continues to fight."
"Ah, I see."
Nina melted the wax and dropped it on the envelope, and Adrian stamped it with his seal.
"Then, of course, we'll win. I was a little worried, but."
Nina smiled brightly.
"Where will we meet?"
"In our territory that they're using."
"I'm really looking forward to it."
Adrian looked at Nina and smiled.
"Me too."
The Ila Great Plains are the most productive area in the Duchy.
The Dukedom could be the Dukedom because of this land, where the horizon can be seen in all directions when standing in the middle of the plains.
"Finally, the Exchange Tournament is resuming."
"It just passed by for two years."
"It was nice to occupy it without a fight. It's going to be our land anyway."
The knights of Count Lava, who were gathered, threw out a word each.
With six years of consecutive victories, they were arrogant. Moreover, the Louveaen Dukedom was getting weaker day by day, and in the end, it was so boring that it was even pathetic.
"Did you gather the farmers again this year? I don't think there's any need to do that anymore."
"No, those guys are stupid, so we have to show them properly."
Everyone burst into laughter at the other person's words.
According to Imperial law, Imperial nobles cannot collect more than 60% of taxes from their own territory's residents.
Count Lava thought.
Then it doesn't matter how much tax is collected from the residents of other territories, right?
The Ila Great Plains were only rented for usage rights, and the owner was Duke Louveaen. The farmers living there were not his farmers, nor were they residents of the Lava County.
Count Lava raised taxes up to 90%.
Naturally, the backlash was extreme, but the knights firmly suppressed the backlash. Also, if not for the Eagle Knights of the Lava County, there would be no one to protect them from Bellac.
Every year, when the new Exchange Tournament was held, the farmers looked forward to it.
Count Lava created a stadium to shatter that expectation, and forced representatives from each village to attend.
For years, the village representatives witnessed the Ducal Knights being miserably defeated and returned.
This year, farmers with hopeless faces filled the stadium. They did not come to the stadium empty-handed.
After the knights won, they had to bring food and drink to eat and drink and offer it to them.
One of the knights slyly said.
"But then in two years, we'll become the Ducal family, right?"
No one answered the words thrown by a knight, but expectations soared in an instant.
