Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Providence Dynasty's Second-in-Command
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Oh Country Road. Take Me Home.
The thought that came to Duke's mind the moment he spotted the capital's walls.
It was a roughly 200-year-old memory, so not entirely accurate, but he remembered the lyrics well enough.
'Was it East Virginia?'
Of course, in case anyone nearby might overhear, he kept it to himself rather than humming aloud.
Back in his spiritual hometown, Duke breezed through the checkpoint and stepped inside the walls.
Normally, crossing what was once called the outer wall should have revealed the severed inner wall.
It was a sight Duke himself had created in the past, and when the territory was growing rapidly, they'd skipped restoring it to save money.
They'd missed the timing, and the citizens had come to see it as a symbol of openness, turning the chopped inner wall into the duchy—now kingdom's—icon.
Inside that inner wall stood a new castle he'd never seen before.
'Matryoshka?'
What do you even call the walls inside the outer and severed inner ones?
Inner-inner? Baby castle?
Duke entertained such idle thoughts as he walked toward the inner city.
He could have taken a carriage, but he wanted to personally survey the city, now truly the capital of a proper kingdom.
'Not much has changed.'
And after thirty minutes on foot...
He concluded that nothing had really changed.
If there was any difference, it was the slight communication confusion between those still habitually calling Rex "Duke" and those trying to adapt to "Your Majesty."
This wasn't just among ordinary citizens—even public servants like guards were mixing up titles.
"Providence Excellency..."
"Your Majesty! Call him Your Majesty."
"Ugh. What can you do when it doesn't roll off the tongue?"
"Still, be careful. That's lese-majeste."
Switching overnight from "Duke" or "Lord" after over a decade wasn't easy.
In the midst of that chaos, guards occasionally dropped to the ground in full prostration.
"Well, you see, Duke Rex this time..."
"Hey, hey. Behind. Behind you."
"Behind what...? Hup! My apologies, Duke Ex... uh... Your Excel...!"
"?"
Duke, who didn't particularly care about titles, found the knight's reaction puzzling.
'Excel? Is that a title I don't know about?'
Duke had studied the etiquette of every culture in the world to avoid embarrassing himself at social gatherings.
But he'd never heard of "Excel" before.
He realized it was short for "Excellency" only after seeing the knight waver between "Excellency" and "Sir."
'Excellency? Did I get promoted?'
It was only natural, really.
When a lord becomes king, his closest aides naturally rise to prime minister or marshal.
Duke was a founding hero to boot, so even without an official post, calling him duke was fair game.
'Oh, Excellency. Sounds good.'
The man himself only felt that mild satisfaction.
Aside from those minor title mix-ups, the capital Paidus was the same as ever.
- "Your Majesty! Your union with the palace lord in a century of harmony is humanity's fortune and a blessing of virtue. Yet the people still tremble in anxiety. You vowed to cherish us not as subjects but as your people, but humans by nature believe only what their eyes can see. You must swiftly demonstrate your intent!"
'Ah, one more change.'
Peter's nonsense had grown more refined and verbose.
Previously, Rex had been a bachelor without an official partner, but now he was an engaged bachelor with a princess.
Thus, Peter's petitions now included Queen Ari as well, so he at least maintained a dignified tone.
- "Your Majesty! The hour to retire to your chambers..."
The tone was dignified, but the content was unchanged.
Ignoring the hardworking rioters as usual, Duke headed to his mansion.
His one true home—a magnificent, Eastern-style grand estate.
It stood alone in a district full of Western-style mansions.
As Duke returned, the head butler greeted him joyfully.
"Welcome home, Master. What's your schedule like today?"
"Just a report to His Majesty, nothing else."
"Understood. I'll prepare dinner. Your coat, sir."
Duke handed his campaign cloak to the servant and headed to his room to change into court attire.
En route, he chatted briefly with the head butler.
His gaze drifted to the small structures under construction outside the window.
"Building annexes?"
"I know you dislike extravagance, Master, but if you keep your mansion modest, the other nobles have to build even smaller..."
Of course, that was the butler's misconception.
Duke was far from ascetic.
If anything, his desires leaned toward a craving for honor.
(Whether a final boss's desire for honor is debatable.)
Thus, he didn't particularly dislike luxury.
He just avoided it to maintain his austere knight image—though he'd reluctantly accept if pressed three times.
So Duke welcomed the mansion expansion.
Without showing it, he recalled his character's expected response.
"Understood. Then use those annexes as quarters for the staff."
"Yes... Yes? But we already have rooms..."
"Bring your families and live there."
"Master, that's too much..."
"With the weight now on my shoulders, aren't those responsible for my daily life even more important?"
"Ah..."
The butler was awestruck by Duke's logic.
As Duke's status rose, so did the staff's importance.
Even families could be taken hostage to poison his clothes or food.
Duke's suggestion was thus highly rational for security.
No noble anywhere would offer annexes for that reason alone.
That's why the butler was impressed.
"I have nothing to say to that. Understood."
He couldn't find a reason to refuse Duke's kindness.
Naturally, the annexes' purpose was set, and the conversation shifted to Duke's lady of the house.
"Where's Hana?"
"Madam is out. She didn't specify her schedule."
"I see."
Given her role as intelligence chief, she couldn't share her itinerary with the staff.
She often faked outings to mislead other nations or territories, so the staff never asked until she volunteered.
Duke received his court uniform from the butler and headed to his room.
Normally, high nobles had servants dress them.
But Duke's identity was top secret, so he changed alone.
It was the utmost confidential, so servants cleared the hallway when he approached his room.
Duke glanced indifferently at the now-familiar staff evacuation and reached for his door.
Click.
Savoring the long-absent creak of hinges as he turned the knob.
Expecting the nostalgic scent from within, he opened the door to find...
"Hngh..."
Hana, wrapped in his cloak and blankets, moaning atop his bed.
"...?"
Duke's brain froze.
Quickly rebooting, it began processing.
What? Is Isabella alive?
No. My soul's rejoicing means this is real.
Real? For real?
Then what is this? Not Isabella, so is she actually seducing me? Right?
As Duke stood rigid, Hana emerged from her world and looked toward the entrance.
Her gaze fixed on Duke's helmet.
A brief silence hung between them...
"Eh?"
Click.
Duke silently closed the door.
"Hm. No matter how I think about it, the report comes first. Of course. Off to report to His Majesty."
- "Uuuugh...!"
The kettle-boiling sound from the room was surely Duke's imagination.
A few days had passed since Duke's strategic retreat.
Since discovering Hana's secret preference, they hadn't had a proper conversation.
Neither had done anything wrong.
Duke entering his own room without knocking wasn't an issue,
and Hana's case...
'No, people have those tastes. Yeah. Lovers do that sometimes.'
Strictly speaking, it was Hana's fault for sneaking into someone else's room, but since Duke didn't mind, it wasn't worth making an issue.
Thus, whenever they crossed paths since, Hana would blush crimson and excuse herself.
Even if they spoke, it never lasted.
- "Eaten yet?"
- "Yes, thank you for your concern, my lord."
- "..."
- "..."
Something like that.
It wasn't exactly awkward, though.
As the atmosphere persisted, Duke occasionally regretted his choice.
'Should've just gone for it then.'
But he shook his head, dispelling the regret.
They had made that promise.
To truly confirm their feelings once the kingdom stabilized.
They'd planned for unification north and south in over twenty years, but it happened fifteen years early.
No need to rush.
Three more years for stability, then fulfill the promise.
More than that, he'd read her wish to avoid their first time in mutual embarrassment.
So, time would sort it out, and Duke focused on work.
'Kingdom's in turmoil. Time for a rare undercover knight mission.'
Abolishing slavery and implementing other policies was bound to spark backlash.
As before, some would exploit loopholes.
Thus, Duke took on an undercover knight assignment after ages.
- "No matter what, don't cross into foreign territory."
Rex had earnestly warned him.
This time, though, he didn't dive straight in.
Like last time, undercover knights didn't roam blindly.
They were dispatched to areas with suspicions to confirm them.
Thus, a nationwide preliminary investigation was essential before starting.
Duke hated such tedious prep work.
Field missions offered catharsis—tearing resistors, forcing hidden truths out.
Not always dynamic, but the adrenaline hits made them fun.
Prelims? No.
Most people were normal; crooks were rare, and you couldn't execute on-site—had to withdraw.
Duke loathed the boredom.
"So, I'd like your help."
In the military conference room, Duke from the head seat eyed the three company commanders.
Reactions varied.
Dark elf 1st: 'Me?'
Vampire 2nd: 'That?'
Returner 3rd: 'Why?'
Perfectly normal responses.
Surveying territories was work enough; now it was the southern kingdom-wide.
In this era without networks or phones, even normals might collapse midway.
Hence Duke assigning these three.
'Can't push paperwork on desk jockeys; you'd kill 'em.'
Average superhumans would likely break; needed 5th-tier ones, and he had three.
"Excellency, this isn't our duty—might be overreach?"
Dark elf Hedonius tried logical escape.
"In chaotic times post-founding, flexibility is key."
Duke shot it down with logic(?).
New nations encroached on other departments, borrowed staff—that's how it worked.
Knowing the toil, the state overlooked it for founding merit.
"Daytime movement's tough for me. Half-measures are worse than none."
Next, sunlight-hating blood ghost Sagas.
Surveys needed citizen testimonies, usually daytime.
Harsh for him.
"No worries. No combat needed, so weakened state is fine. His Majesty prepared mass-produced gear—use that."
With 1st and 2nd ordering it, he had no choice.
Last, 3rd commander Remesis.
"Just give me hazard pay."
The ruthless realist soldier accepted swiftly.
But Duke, contrarian, excluded him.
"On second thought, your condition's an issue. One shield for His Majesty feels thin. You're off this."
"?"
Remesis puzzled.
Sure, my leg's busted, but not so bad I can't survey.
1st commander Hedonius whispered, reading his face.
"Not that—your mug's plastered nationwide. Can't pass as surveyor. Can't even disguise properly."
The whisper recalled the inauguration misunderstanding.
Others could human-form disguise; ice-one-trick Remesis couldn't.
His pale skin was unhideable, unlike ears or fangs.
Infiltration exclusion was natural.
Then Sagas snickered beside him.
"One fighting monsters must beware becoming one— but you already are, so no need."
"This bastard."
With a curse, Remesis bit his cigarette in half.
The neatly severed butt fell to the table.
Primed to fight 2nd, Duke intervened.
"Calm down."
"Apologies, Excellency. Got heated."
"No matter. Sagas is tense taking your load too—understand that."
"?"
Sagas's eyes bulged.
Me? This guy's share too?
2nd's face soured; 3rd's brightened.
Ignoring the golden boys' swap, Duke called the third: Remesis.
"Instead, you'll do this."
No infiltration planned anyway.
"His Majesty wants public sentiment before new laws."
"Pardon? Misheard?"
"Laws affect daily life—can't be detached. Cultures vary by territory; survey that."
Early nation-building ground bureaucrats to dust.
The harder the start, the healthier and longer the nation.
"His Majesty and I know your toil well."
= Peel when told?
""...Your grace is overwhelming.""
= Yes, peel we must.
Thus, Providence Kingdom ground its bureaucrats today too, safeguarding the people's happiness.