410 – Northern Daebaek (not Grand Duke) – 2
Thirteen letters that first started in the North and reached Wirydia. It was a terrible letter that contained despair, let alone luck, but I couldn’t ignore the letter sent by the great lord, so I checked each one myself.
And thirteen letters contained the same proposal—except for greetings, rhetoric phrases, and ceremonial sentences—with no exceptions.
A straight-forward request to become their Wolf Punch.
‘It must be difficult to refuse.’
I almost burst into laughter. The great lords of the north did not simply write down their business, but also put the earnestness of thoroughly lowering themselves in the letter. To the extent that if we refuse this request, we can clearly see the future where we will be embarrassed by each other.
I even made an advance payment hoping that I would make a positive choice. Not a small number of nomads have flowed into Wiridia’s territory, and Wiridia’s market is active by interacting with thirteen great lords. No matter how voluntarily it is a pre-payment, if you receive it and wipe your mouth like this, you become a scammer.
‘What should I do?’
I am worried. In fact, it’s not a very bad proposition if you think about it objectively. No, it is rather a good suggestion.
As the great lord of a territory attached to the north, I have concluded friendly relations with the northern forces, and the consensus of the north supports me? No matter how you think about it, it is a situation full of gains without loss. The stability and development of the territory, and the influence in the center will rise rapidly.
Of course, as a faction leader, he will take responsibility if a member of his faction has an accident, but it is familiar for his subordinates to be punished for causing a mess. There is nothing new about it.
Yes, that’s a benefit. It’s a benefit, but…
‘I don’t need it.’
It’s an advantage, but it’s not necessary. He already has all sorts of titles, such as the crown prince’s godfather and the Minister of Inspection, so what would he do if he increased his influence here? It’s a problem because I have a dog-like boss standing over me, and my subordinates are overflowing with personality. To be honest, I’m not a weakling who needs help from others.
Stable in the manor? Unless the great lords of the north go mad, there’s no way they’ll cause a commotion near my territory, let alone my territory. Because those nobles are people with greater intelligence and sense than criminals.
That’s why I can’t help but worry. If I refuse, it will be awkward with the neighboring lords of the north, and if I accept, the rewards and responsibilities I don’t want increase.
“Come to think of it, Minister. There’s nothing wrong with the territory, but he said something interesting has happened.”
‘Ah.’
Then I remembered what the emperor had said.
The Emperor is not a bastard who will sit back and watch as nomadic great lords come into contact with native nobility. A new faction has emerged in the political world, and if you are not interested in it, you will be disqualified as a leader. He’s a problem with personality, not a problem with intelligence.
However, the guy who clearly knew the actions of the great lords of the north just said it was interesting. He did not make any remarks to check the connection between me and the north.
Then the emperor would in fact want me to be the head of the northern faction.
…
‘I have to take it.’
He let out a small sigh. If the emperor’s will is set, he is comfortable following it as much as possible. If you refuse to do so, you will only build up a stack of resentment.
Moreover, the launch of the northern faction itself is an unstoppable future. Even if I reject the Northern Highlords, they will contact the new mainland nobles and form factions. If it was a faction that would appear anyway, it seemed that they decided that it would be better to entrust it to the Emperor Baek (promoted to be promoted) and the crown prince’s godfather rather than entrusting it to an unknown person.
“Since you’ve been waiting for a long time, I’ll have to reply quickly.”
“Yes, I’ll prepare it right away.”
As soon as he opened his mouth, the senior governor who was waiting quickly lowered his head and brought a paper and pen.
From now on, I am the Grand Earl of the North who manages the North.
The name sounds like something similar, but that’s the case.
From noble mtl dot com
Thanks to the magician who delivered me to Wiridia, he also acted as a delivery man, so the reply was delivered quickly. I should at least tell Beatrix that there is a kind wizard.
And soon after the wizard left, the communication sphere began to glow.
– Greetings after a long time, Count.
Barandi, the only Marquis in the North, was the Marquis’ contact.
“Yes, I saw you at the abdication ceremony, but I couldn’t even say hello at that time. How are you?
– Thanks to the grace of the imperial family, I was having a perfect day.
At the formal greeting, Marquis Barandiga replied with a big smile.
By the way, I was a little surprised. In the reply, ‘Let’s discuss a more constructive future through communication channels.’ I included the contents, but I didn’t know that I would contact you right away as soon as I received it.
…Does this mean I have to talk to all thirteen in a row?
– It’s good that the Count is in good health too.
“hahahaha, I’m not at the age to be strong yet. It’s troublesome if I’m already weak.”
– Gee, so is he. I made a mistake.
Anxiety surged, but I decided to focus on the conversation for now. The Marquis of Barandiga is nominally the head of the great lords of the north, so just having a good conversation with this person will solve half of the problem.
The problem is that the conversation is about the transfer of the head position.
“If I had seen your Excellency more often, I would have been able to show off my health, but aren’t there fewer opportunities to interact with neighbors? It’s really unfortunate.”
At those words, Marquis Barandiga’s smile grew even thicker. Following the reply to discuss a constructive future, he said that he regretted not being able to exchange exchanges with his neighbors. No matter who heard it, he seemed to be positively accepting the request of the great lords of the north.
– Please don’t say that. Aren’t you busy with administrative work?
“I can step down from the administration at any time, but the fact that I am a neighbor to the Marquis does not change.”
It’s actually a lie. It might be faster to hand over the county of Wirydia to your children than to step down from the administration.
But the Marquis of Barandiga still doesn’t know how to use the imperial family’s civil servants. Because he didn’t know the cruel truth, he only smiled happily when he heard the white lie.
You shouldn’t be a civil servant.
***
About 5 hours after the minister left for Wiridia, the minister’s contact came.
– Long live the Emperor. Your lowly servant, Karl Krasius, salutes the Sun of the Empire.
I was satisfied with the earlier-than-expected contact. It seems that he noticed what I wanted and pushed things forward quickly.
“Yes, Minister. I’ve already contacted you, so it looks like the job is done.”
– …Yes, Your Majesty. It was handled safely.
As expected, I am satisfied. In the first place, if the minister was determined to embrace the great lords from nomads, it would have ended neatly, but it is right to congratulate him for quickly completing that resolution.
“Good job. Didn’t Jim tell you, there’s nothing wrong with the manor.”
I could see the minister’s eyes quivering at those words, but he ignored them.
I’m not even lying. It is true that there were no problems with the manor. It’s just that something interesting has happened to the Lord Chancellor.
‘Now there is nothing to worry about in the north.’
The corner of his mouth went up slightly. The north is far from the islands and is a barren land, so it is difficult to manage smoothly, but there is no need to worry if a minister with a territory in the north becomes their head.
The minister took part in two wars and twice played a decisive role in killing enemy leaders. It is natural for nomads who value military power to respect and revere such a minister, and even as nobles, not nomads, they would follow the Crown Princess’s godfather and the Imperial White Minister.
It seems to give too much honor and authority to the individual minister, but it’s better for the minister to take over in case someone joins with the north anyway.
‘There is also a safety device.’
If the Minister runs out of control, the father-in-law’s faction spread across the north will confront the Minister’s northern faction. The bizarre situation of tens of thousands of nomads rushing to the islands is avoidable.
Of course, I can’t imagine a future where the minister runs out of control and collides with his father-in-law.
– Your Majesty.
Just as he was about to smile at the thought of the strengthened northern security, the minister opened his mouth.
– I’m sorry, but I dare to ask you something.
“Dear Jim?”
– Yes, Your Majesty.
That was unexpected. It is extremely rare for a minister to ask me something. Perhaps he thinks that his work will fall if he opens his mouth for no reason, because the minister tends to keep his words as sparing as possible.
Soon, instead of wondering, interest began to rise. To the extent that such a minister would ask a question directly, one would be excited to see what the hell would happen. At first glance, I don’t think it’s an emergency.
“Speak.”
– Long live Your Majesty, thank you for your kindness.
After a brief acceptance, the minister nodded and continued.
– What about the local officials who managed Wiridia?
“Since there are many jurisdictions, regular provincial officers will go to other areas, but the chief provincial officer will be on standby for a while. There is no vacancy for the chief provincial seat, so there is no choice.”
– Your Majesty. May God make the chief provincial a vassal?
The interest that was already welling up began to fluctuate even more rapidly.
“Chief provincial governor?”
– Yes, Your Majesty. Perhaps no one is as knowledgeable about the region of Wirydia as the Chief Prefect. That’s why I want to give him the position of Viscount and make him the head of the butler.
‘Viscount…’
I felt my cheeks twitch. I was about to burst into laughter at the spirit of appointing a local governor as a viscount simply because he was an expert.
Certainly, there is no one more familiar with the area than the Chief Provincial Officer. It’s no wonder that the position is ‘senior’ provincial governor. However, if you want to use that ability, simply hiring him is enough, but he intends to make him the head of the butler by giving him the rank of vassal, the second-in-command of the county.
“The distribution of titles within the territory is the right of the lord. If the chief governor accepts the minister’s invitation, he will relinquish his post, so do as you please.”
I managed to suppress my laughter and returned the answer.
Even if the viscount is awarded to the chief governor, there are still several baronial titles within Wirydia. If a rumor spreads that he gave the chief provincial official he saw for the first time this time, talented people full of ambition will turn to the minister.
I can’t stand it when I imagine the minister suffering from them.