411 – Great White Prince of the North (not Grand Duke) – 3
Half of the empire is governed directly by the great imperial family, and the other half by nobles who have been favored by the imperial family. The imperial family’s direct jurisdiction within the empire is so wide and wide that such a word is floating around. There is even a joke that a military corps can be created with local officials who manage the direct jurisdiction of the imperial family.
I, too, lived as one of those numerous provincial officials. He received the surname Gelbein from the imperial family and the name Alfred from his parents and lived as a mediocre bureaucrat.
A bureaucrat. That was my identity. It is embarrassing to be called an aristocrat because he is so far from his title, but he has lived with pride as a bureaucrat, not an aristocrat. That was me, Alfred Gelbein.
‘It was a good life.’
I lived as a bureaucrat who was silently devoted, not a brilliant nobleman, but it was a life with no regrets. Thanks to His Majesty’s kindness for giving such high praise to me, I rose to the rank of senior provincial governor.
Although the area I was in charge of, Wiridia, was given to a noble, and I was forced to step down from the position of chief governor, although I felt regretful, I did not resent it. If you became the chief governor, you really did as much as you could and rose as much as you could. It is to rise to the pinnacle of this field and then step down with honor.
Of course, this is an honorable resignation, not my fault, so if you wait, you may receive a new position, but we cannot guarantee how long the waiting period will be. There are no vacancies for the position of chief governor. So, at this point, I wanted to withdraw completely. If a guy who has enjoyed enough to enjoy is holding on without a job, it will harm his juniors.
Yeah, I was going to back off.
‘This is what it is.’
What’s going on?
Confused. I can’t understand this situation right now—I’m on my knees in front of Count Wirydia, the Minister of Inspection.
“Alfred Gelbein. You managed the Wiridia region well with the trust of the imperial family, to the extent that His Majesty the situation was satisfied.”
I stared blankly at the floor at the words of Count Wirydia, who put a sword over my head. I was frightened when he suddenly summoned me and pulled out the sword, but now my heart is filled with embarrassment.
“Wiridia was once bordered by hostile forces. Because of this, it suffered considerable damage during the Great Subjugation War five years ago, but you were able to recover the wounds with your abilities.”
It’s an embarrassing comment, but I didn’t deny it. Like Count Wirydia said, Wirydia went through many hardships as a northern outskirts, and despair flickered in front of their eyes during the Great Subjugation War five years ago. Overcoming that hardship and normalizing Wiridia is my pride and achievement in life.
“Therefore, this work declares itself as a legitimate great lord who has been allowed to rule Wiridia.”
Having said that, Count Wirydia lightly tapped my head and shoulders with the sword that had been on top of my head from earlier.
“This work, Carl Krasius of Wirydia, will appoint Alfred Gelbein as Viscount Kisele. At the same time, Viscount Kisele is appointed as the head of the butler, Sir, do your best for Wirydia.”
My sense of bewilderment grew more and more at the calm declaration.
Viscount? Butler? That’s something I can’t quite understand. It is too much of an honor for a bureaucrat who is embarrassed to even be called a nobleman. In the first place, Count Wiridia and I were meeting for the first time this time.
“Go, Your Excellency. This is an unreasonable order. I’m a viscount.”
Before I knew it, my hands and feet were shaking and I stuttered even his words.
But there was no time to worry about such trivial anomalies. The priority now is to find out the true intentions of Count Wiridia.
‘What is it?’
However, no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t grasp the true intention. It is unlikely that Count Lydia Wie was making fun of the provincial governor who only looked at his retirement, and there is no reason to even make fun of him.
The problem is that there’s really no reason to do this unless you’re even making fun of it. This is the first time I’ve wished it was a prank by a distorted aristocrat.
“It’s not too much when you consider that Sir has devoted himself to Wirydia. In this empire, who is better at Wirydia’s circumstances than Sir?”
While I was busy organizing my thoughts, Count Wirydia patted my shoulder and spoke softly.
“In the past, when Emperor Eimanka followed the mandate of Heaven and established an empire, he treated his opponent thoroughly with competence and merit, not from origin or friendship.
Then he put something directly into my hand, which was still with my head down.
‘Seal?’
It’s a seal. It was also a rather fancy seal, not the plain one used as a provincial official.
“What this work gives to Sir is by no means excessive. Sir, in the meantime, is to receive the price of dedication for the imperial family and Wirydia, which is what His Majesty the Emperor deems appropriate.”
My hands began to tremble in a different way from before.
I thought I had done enough. He thought he had risen enough. I thought it was time to retire with honor and watch my children rise.
However, the noble in front of him denied it. I still have work to do, there is still a place to climb, and the life I have been running will not stop here.
‘Dedicated, price.’
I felt a surge of emotion. My life was recognized by the first person I saw. Even His Majesty the Emperor acknowledged it.
I slowly turned my head and looked at the seal in my hand. Accepting this seal makes me a nobleman. My children also become the children of titled nobles, not the children of bureaucrats.
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In exchange for nothing else, my life.
“…I will support you until the end of my life.”
And now, the life I have to pursue should be a nobleman who burns his life, not a bureaucrat who devotes himself silently.
“Don’t say ugly things. Shouldn’t you retire and rest when you get older?”
I lowered my head even more at His Excellency’s words mixed with laughter.
As a person who has received such grace, I dare not rest.
I went home after hearing His Excellency’s words to leave work since there is nothing urgent. Compared to the place where commoner families live, it is splendid, but it is a place that dare not compare with the mansions of nobles.
‘It was an expensive house.’
Suddenly, a laugh came out. This house was built by investing most of the property accumulated while serving as a local government official. It was a home made for my comfortable old age.
However, to my surprise, I got more than this house overnight. Viscount territories included in the viscount rank, castles in the center of the vassal territories, and mansions prepared for smooth work as the head butler. Even if there are hundreds or thousands of this house, I have things that cannot be obtained.
‘I’ll have to make this a vacation home.’
With that in mind, I leisurely entered the house. Even though it became the lowest property among my wealth, it was the best as much as it was.
“Huh? Father, are you here already?”
And as soon as I entered the mansion, Lana welcomed me.
A proud daughter who is the most clever of my children, and that’s why she decided to walk the path of a governor like me.
…
“Lana.”
“Yes. Why is that?”
“Don’t go to Jedo and work in Wiridia.”
“Yes?”
At my words, Lana blankly blinked her eyes. She looked like what the hell was she talking about.
I understand. When Lana, like me, decided on the path of her prefect, she unconditionally asked me to go to the island and take her exam. First of all, it is true that starting from the system is advantageous for future appointments. My personal connections are expanding.
However, it is for the sake of success in the end that it is necessary to thoroughly check whether it is the appointment or personal connections. Wouldn’t it be rewarding to become a provincial governor and climb to the highest possible position?
‘If you want to succeed, Wiridia is advantageous.’
However, the count appointed me as viscount when he saw me for the first time. No other conditions were considered. It’s just a matter of appointing a person who is useful to His Excellency.
In that case, there is no need to go to a system that is far away and has many competitors. Showing one’s abilities by the Count’s side is advantageous for success.
“That, father? I’m familiar with Wiridia and I like it because I have a lot of friends, but suddenly why…?”
Lana, who blinked for a while, cautiously asked. Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to have any objection to being told to stay in Lydia.
“The reason to go to Jedo has disappeared.”
“Yes?”
“Look at this first.”
He took out the Viscount’s seal from her arms and showed it to Rana.
On that day, Lana and the rest of her family will never forget her reaction.
***
Successfully captured the butler—no, after being appointed, I felt much more at ease.
The existence of the head butler is the second-in-command of Youngji in name and reality. When the lord is in the manor, he is the lord’s first advisor and staff member, and when the lord is absent, he is a valuable being who plays an active role as an agent on behalf of the lord.
And it’s obvious that my days in the islands are overwhelmingly longer than those in the territory. As such, the existence of a competent and sincere butler was desperately needed.
‘It’s fortunate that there is a just right person.’
In that sense, the butler appointed this time is a person sent from heaven for me. He has a lot of knowledge about Wiridia, has a lot of experience, and will be somewhat loyal to me, who gave me the title.
Critically, since my original job was to manage Wiridia, I wouldn’t complain even if I was away. You do what you normally do with titles and positions. Wouldn’t it be better to say thank you?
‘Now I just need to fill other positions.’
I lowered my gaze to the document in my hand. I hired a butler, but that’s it. In addition to the head butler, there are many, many other positions necessary for manor management.
If I can think of it right away, there are only the chief chamberlain, the chief maid of honor, the superintendent of finance, the secretary, the captain of the escort, and the marshal. If you look closely, the ship will increase.
‘…A lot.’
Damn it, when are you going to fill this up?
Shall we appoint all the general provincial officials who will just go to other regions? Of course, if you do something like that, the emperor will say, ‘That’s the damn thing.’ I’m going to slap my stomach. You can take the senior provincial governor who will be unemployed anyway, but general provincial officers are the labor force that needs to work right away.
“Your Excellency.”
While I was contemplating whether to kidnap even the family of the vassals in Tileglehen if no one was present, I heard the butler’s voice outside the door.
“What happened?”
“Count Kaitana has arrived.”
At those words, I got up from my seat. As expected, Count Kaitana came first among the thirteen.
‘It came quickly.’
I let out a small sigh. Now, starting with Count Kaitana, all the great lords from the north will arrive at Count Wirydia. If that happens, it’s like going to the point where you can’t turn back anymore.
No, in fact, it is already an irreversible situation.
‘Northern Faction.’
My head is pounding. The reason the great lords of the north came all the way to Wiridia was to form a faction. There is no surer faction formation than faction members gathering together to swear friendship and cooperation.
And the great lords who gathered in Wiridia ‘have a good time’ as soon as the faction formation is over. He said he has no plans to return. Soon there will be a banquet to commemorate the emperor’s coronation, so even if you return to the territory anyway, you have to move to go back to the system.
In other words, until the banquet is held, Wiridia must have thirteen great lords.
At the same time, at the coronation banquet where the nobles of the empire will gather—I have to lead the thirteen great lords and enter the banquet hall.
‘Wow.’
My mind went into a stupor. Leading a faction into the banquet hall, is that not showing off?
I’m afraid of what other nobles will look at me.