Chapter 91: The Two Counts
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91: The Two Counts
When Allen took control of everything that belonged to Baron Rasino, his childhood friend, Zaenbold, went from First Secretary to Treasurer.
It was a meteoric rise.
Just then, a maid who had entered the office caught his eye. She had a voluptuous backside that her clothes couldn't hide.
“You seem busy these days.”
Zaenbold grinned lecherously and pinched the passing maid's rear. The maid flinched and turned to look at him.
“Hmph, what’s it to you?”
The maid scoffed and turned away, but unlike before, her walk now deliberately accentuated her ample figure.
One moment she was giving him the cold shoulder, the next she was trying to seduce him by flaunting her best assets.
The important thing was that just a few months ago, this was a woman who had treated him like he was invisible.
The servants of the inner castle were usually wealthy commoners or daughters of minor families, so a lowly junior secretary had never been worth their notice.
“Heh… Is this the sweetness of power?”
Zaenbold was quite satisfied with his changed circumstances. Even now, for instance.
While everyone else was working diligently, he was flirting with a maid, and not a single person dared to object. In fact, they were all watching him cautiously.
It was all thanks to having Allen at his back. However, even this perfect life of basking in borrowed glory was not without its storm clouds.
“The cost of the mercenaries has exceeded our tax revenue. At this rate, our finances will collapse. How does the Treasurer intend to solve this?”
Summoned to the former baron’s office, Zaenbold smiled awkwardly.
It was great becoming Treasurer with Allen’s backing, but ever since, Adeleade, the mistress of the house, had been constantly summoning him for a grilling.
‘Allen, what the hell did you do?’
Until Allen arrived, Zaenbold had been nothing more than a junior secretary. He’d had no real contact with Adeleade.
The fact that he was being chewed out now had to be because of Allen. Zaenbold was sure of it.
“The only way to patch the hole in our revenue is with new taxes.”
With the successive wars, the Rasino family’s wealth was rapidly dwindling.
Even after Allen diverted the profits from the fishing rights, it only provided a brief respite; the outcome remained the same.
War was a money pit to begin with, and this was the result of forbidding plunder.
Thanks to that policy, they were taking over the Debussy barony without much resistance, but the problem, as always, was money.
Adeleade frowned, clearly displeased.
“In the current situation, where taxes have already been raised to their limit due to war and civil strife, adding more will only cause a surge of fugitives.”
Most nobles saw their serfs as money-making machines and thought that indiscriminately raising taxes was the answer to everything.
Indeed, in this age of barbarism, protesting that you couldn't pay your taxes was a good way to get your head chopped off as an example.
But Adeleade knew there were limits to such coercive methods.
If taxes became so high that they threatened the serfs’ survival, they would flee. Tax revenue would then fall again, necessitating yet another tax hike.
It was a vicious cycle.
“We can hold out with the assets confiscated from the traitors and the wealth of Baron Debussy, which Sir Allen will be sending soon.”
“That’s still just pouring water into a bottomless jar.”
“We can hold out until that jar is fixed.”
Many knights had died on both sides. This meant there were no middle managers in the manors to collect and send taxes. It was a temporary administrative vacuum.
Zaenbold believed they just needed to endure until the administration was back to normal.
Adeleade thought differently.
“Treasurer. Persuade Sir Allen. He said the occupation of the Debussy barony is nearly complete, so there is no need to retain the mercenaries.”
“I’d like to keep my public and private lives separate.”
Zaenbold looked troubled. If the mercenaries were no longer useful, Allen would have been the first to dismiss them.
Adeleade scoffed.
“The only reason I appointed you as Treasurer is because of Sir Allen.”
She admitted she had no choice but to cooperate with Allen, but she had no intention of simply letting him have his way.
‘He’s the type to discard Eusebia once she’s no longer useful. And Eusebia won’t be able to accept that.’
Eusebia was like glass, liable to shatter at any moment. As her mother, she had to protect her daughter.
The problem was that with the scales of power tipped so heavily in Allen’s favor, there was no way to stop it.
Therefore, she planned to pull the counterweight as far as she could while Allen was away.
By using Zaenbold to weaken Allen’s military authority and receiving help from her father, the Count, she believed she could control even someone like Allen.
The problem was that this was all based on a misunderstanding. As if the greedy Allen would ever give up Eusebia.
Adeleade still didn't know what kind of person Allen was. Her voice was as cold as ice.
“Treasurer. Either persuade Sir Allen, or find a way to fill the revenue shortfall. This is an order.”
“I will fill the revenue shortfall.”
But Zaenbold did not move as Adeleade wished. Instead of asking Allen, he took on the seemingly impossible task.
‘Damn it!’
Zaenbold had no choice. He and Allen were already inextricably linked. If Allen fell, he wouldn't be safe either.
Leaving a slightly flustered Adeleade behind, Zaenbold returned to his office.
Clap.
“Everyone, gather around.”
Zaenbold called the secretaries together to discuss the task Adeleade had given him. After hearing the details, the secretaries looked troubled.
“If it were something that could be solved so easily, it wouldn’t have become a problem in the first place.”
The other secretaries nodded in agreement with the First Secretary’s words. The atmosphere was not cooperative.
The junior secretary had been parachuted in as their boss. They were all, consciously or not, ostracizing Zaenbold.
Zaenbold clicked his tongue. Until now, he had assumed time would solve the issue, but at this rate, he was about to be crushed from above and below.
In the end, a man had to look out for himself. He decided to completely reverse his attitude.
“So? Are you saying you’ll defy the order?”
“I am merely stating the reality of the situation.”
Even in the face of his threatening words, the First Secretary did not back down.
“Then explain this ‘reality’ in detail.”
“There are two problems. The first is that the absence of administrators has made tax collection difficult, and the second is that the long war has caused a sharp decline in tolls.”
The First Secretary wore a contemptuous expression, as if to say, What can you do even if you know?
Zaenbold pretended not to notice. Right now, solving the problem Adeleade had presented was more important than punishing the First Secretary for his subtle insubordination.
“Isn’t the latter a problem that time will solve?”
With the war mostly over, traffic on the roads and waterways would naturally increase again.
“The problem is the bandits. The defeated soldiers from the successive wars have all turned into bandits. Unless we deal with them, the waterways might recover, but the road tolls will remain the same.”
The problem was that there were no troops to deal with the bandits.
The knights who were supposed to protect each manor had been all but wiped out, and the cost of mercenaries had doubled due to the constant warfare.
Hiring mercenaries to catch bandits could end up costing more than it was worth.
As they say, the oldest peppers are the hottest. The First Secretary’s confidence wasn't baseless.
But Zaenbold was no pushover either.
“Let’s use the freeloaders who do nothing but eat our food.”
A few errant knights, who had come seeking work after hearing news of the war, were living off the castle’s dime. Zaenbold planned to use them.
“Do you think those prideful men will accept?” the First Secretary retorted, as if it were absurd. Knights were a breed that looked down on everyone but the nobility. They would never follow the orders of a Treasurer.
“They all accepted!”
The result was the exact opposite. The junior secretary who returned from proposing the mission had a bright expression.
“What? That can’t be—?”
The First Secretary asked again, his face a mask of disbelief.
“Of course they accepted. By now, they must have figured out that there are plenty of vacant positions in the domain. And they would have thought of this mission as a test to claim one of those spots.”
Zaenbold said it nonchalantly, as if he had expected it all along.
“Hmm… Was that really your intention?”
“Well, if they do a good job, I might be able to put in a good word for them.”
“Isn’t that fraud?”
The First Secretary looked dumbfounded. Zaenbold was shameless.
“I didn’t lie.”
“What will you do about the tax issue in each manor?”
The First Secretary refused to admit defeat. In truth, the first problem was the bigger one.
You only see what you know. If the tax collectors in charge of each manor decided to skim off the top, they could be robbed blind.
The First Secretary was confident that Zaenbold couldn't solve this problem.
“We need someone who knows the internal situation and is good with numbers.”
That confidence instantly shriveled the moment he met Zaenbold’s sly grin.
“N-No, surely…?”
Zaenbold placed a hand on the First Secretary’s shoulder, still smiling slyly.
“It would be great if our experienced and skilled First Secretary would step up…”
The First Secretary’s face turned pale. It was a job that required traveling throughout the entire domain. If he ran into bandits along the way, his life would be in danger.
Furthermore, the mere thought of haggling with the tax collectors of each manor was exhausting.
He smiled awkwardly, his earlier confidence gone with the wind.
“M-My knees have been acting up lately… Perhaps you could send someone else.”
“Someone else? Who?”
Not a single secretary would meet Zaenbold’s eyes. No one liked hard, grueling work.
‘These bastards…’
Zaenbold kneaded the First Secretary’s shoulder as he continued.
“If you’re in such bad shape, perhaps you should take this opportunity to rest at home. Permanently.”
Zaenbold had the power to make that happen. He just hadn't shown it until now. Realizing the situation too late, the First Secretary changed his tune.
“Oh, no, of course I must go. I’ll be better than these kids who don’t know anything yet. Yes, indeed.”
The First Secretary hurriedly bowed his head. It was the fastest change of attitude imaginable. But Zaenbold didn't just wield the whip.
“If you complete the mission properly, you will be duly rewarded. Our territory has expanded, has it not? While we won’t replace all the middle managers in the Debussy barony, their supervisor will be one of our own.”
The nuance was that he could recommend the First Secretary for the position of Treasurer.
It was a very real possibility. After all, wasn't Zaenbold the childhood friend of Allen, the man with absolute power?
As if he had never been on the verge of tears, the First Secretary raised his voice like the most loyal subject in the world.
“I will stake my very life on its completion…!”
“I’m counting on you.”
Having skillfully handled the First Secretary, managing the rest of the secretaries was not difficult.
Zaenbold sank into the back of his chair. With all the problems solved, he thought he could enjoy some leisure time.
‘He looks far too relaxed.’
The problem was that Allen, who had returned at some point, witnessed this very scene.
If he had arrived just a little earlier, he would have seen Zaenbold wrestling with the secretaries, but unfortunately, all he saw was a man overflowing with leisure.
Zaenbold was oblivious to the harsh future that was about to befall him.
He even took it a step further, propping his feet on his desk and humming a tune. Allen’s resolve hardened.
#
“Allen—! When did you get back?”
The moment Eusebia saw me, she shot up from her seat and ran over. I naturally lifted her into my arms and sat down in her chair.
Adeleade, who had been enjoying tea time with her daughter across from her, spoke with a displeased expression.
“Sir Allen. Please mind your manners.”
“It’s just us here.”
“That’s right…!”
Eusebia, sitting on my lap, nodded in agreement.
Adeleade let out a deep sigh. Her face said she was at her wit's end.
Compared to the time when she couldn't even tolerate us being in the same room, this was a huge improvement. Getting used to things was a scary thing indeed.
As I kneaded the faint hint of fat on her belly, Eusebia whined.
“Allen. Let’s go to the room.”
The one who reacted to those words was Adeleade. Setting her teacup down with a clatter, she stared at Eusebia with sharp eyes.
“Eusebia! It’s still broad daylight!”
“But we haven’t done it for two weeks, have we? Allen must be pent up, too.”
“P-Pent up with what!”
“Fatigue, I mean, fatigue.”
Eusebia smiled slyly. It seemed she had developed a taste for teasing her mother.
Adeleade’s fists trembled. If I hadn't been there, would she have given her a real scolding?
I lightly slapped Eusebia’s bottom to tell her to cut it out.
Unfortunately, she let out a soft moan, which only made Adeleade look at me as if I were a pervert.
I feigned ignorance and said, “I’m glad I left things in your hands. The domain seems quite well-organized.”
The residents I saw on my way here had returned to their daily lives.
The smiles on their faces told me that Adeleade had exerted her influence appropriately.
“The surviving families were very cooperative. I realized it later. Someone had already laid the groundwork. Thanks to that, there wasn't much for me to do.”
“That can’t be true. Without proper management, they would have gotten greedy at once. I was very worried when I left, but my trust in you was well-placed.”
Adeleade avoided my gaze. Her cheeks were flushed, as if she were embarrassed.
“So, about that, may I take Zaenbold with me?”
“The Treasurer? Why?”
“I need someone I can trust to manage the Debussy barony.”
“What about you?”
Adeleade seemed to think I would be taking charge of the Debussy barony myself. It was, admittedly, too large a domain to entrust to a mere administrator without a title.
“I need to prepare to face the Count.”
Adeleade couldn't hide her surprised expression.
“What on earth are you thinking? Are you really going to fight my father?”
“Why not?”
“Do you think that makes any sense? My father is a Margrave…!”
A Margrave, the ruler of an entire region, was on a completely different level from the enemies I had faced so far.
Count Dresden had three or four other vassals like Baron Rasino under him. In other words, if he pushed it, he could mobilize over a thousand troops.
And what about the number of knights? Just gathering his own knights would be enough to lay waste to a decent-sized barony.
“Isn’t it just as nonsensical for the son of a mere knight to get his hands on two fairly large baronies?”
“This is on a completely different level. I acknowledge your abilities. You have outstanding martial prowess and leadership, and even a deep strategic mind. But that’s not enough. It’s far from enough. If you don’t want to make my daughter a widow, then stop. I’ll mediate for you.”
“A mother-in-law’s love for her son-in-law, I see…”
“Don’t joke around!”
At her sensitive reaction, I shrugged.
“I deliberately drew the Count in. Using you. I can’t let that effort go to waste.”
“This isn’t the time to be so confident, I’m telling you! Just by occupying the Debussy barony, there will be many nobles who view us unfavorably. Do you think they don’t know the baron’s grandson is a puppet? It wouldn’t be strange if Count Broua, who had deep ties with the baron, joined the war immediately.”
“Count Broua won’t cause any trouble. In fact…”
Leaving Adeleade, who was looking at me as if I were spouting nonsense, I turned my head toward Count Broua’s domain.
“If we’re lucky, he’ll help us.”
At the very least, he wouldn't interfere. I could guarantee it.
Meanwhile, at that very moment, Count Broua was receiving an envoy from a distant land. After paying his respects, the envoy got straight to the point.
“The king’s will is clear. He wishes for you, Count Broua, to aid Sir Allen.”