The Generous Lord (1)
The Generous Lord (1)
The Machete Knight Unit led by Dvil proudly entered Viscount Potashu Territory.
"Everyone remember. As long as we have the machete, mandrake, Fentanyl, glucose biscuits, and the Priest, we are invincible."
"We are invincible!"
"We are invincible!"
They had no Subspace Magic Tool, but instead they had crammed Storage Warehouse Magic full of glucose biscuits and other provisions.
The faces of Dvil and the knights heading toward Viscount Potashu Territory were brimming with overwhelming emotion.
'So this is the hometown where Lieutenant Colonel Marshall was born....'
'Everything truly is abundant here.'
Fields full of grain stretched out endlessly.
In the vast fenced pastures, cattle, sheep, and horses grazed freely.
"Astonishing. This is a sight unimaginable in the North."
"Lieutenant Colonel Marshall gave off the air of a nobly raised young lord from the very first time we saw him, and sure enough...."
Looking at the grain and livestock.
Everyone's whole body itched with the urge to invoke a local cooperation order in the name of the Noble Council.
'We must endure. That's not our mission — it's the Penal Unit's mission.'
Dvil recalled Piel's instructions.
'Show them that we northern knights have tempers that are by no means mild and are, in fact, extremely rough. In return, however, prove that when it comes to battle alone, we are absolutely reliable.'
Piel had given them detailed rules of conduct.
And he emphasized the first action they should take upon meeting the commander of the subjugation main force.
"Sir, welcome to the County of Anbelrum."
"Is this the County of Anbelrum? Not Viscount Potashu Territory?"
"Since it is a fief entrusted to the count family's jurisdiction, strictly speaking, it is indeed the County of Anbelrum."
The lower-ranking noble who came out to greet them merely groveled at the sight of the war machines he had only ever heard rumors about.
'Incredible Mana Muscle. How can they maintain physiques like that?'
'Just look at those murderous glares.'
'But why are their swords so short? If a sword is too long, is it disadvantageous for fighting the Ancient Tree Legion?'
Dvil and several commanders entered the barracks, boldly meeting the murmuring gazes of the knights and soldiers head-on.
There, a female knight stood out, as conspicuous as a flower blooming solitary and noble in a mud puddle.
Features in perfect harmony, reminiscent of Hildea.
Blonde hair neatly tied into a single tail from her white nape.
She was a tremendous beauty who seemed better suited to a royal palace social gathering than a rough battlefield.
'So that female knight is Elenoa. Lieutenant Colonel Marshall's half-sister....'
Piel had said she was no ordinary person, so Dvil intended to keep his wits sharp.
"I am Colonel Dvil, of the Ainshuvan 3rd Army under the command of Her Excellency Count Hildea Valkenhart."
"It is an honor. I am Elenoa Anvelrum."
"We are weary from marching a long way. I would first like to enjoy the hospitality of the prosperous central region."
"Pardon? Lord Deville, the situation is urgent and every second counts...."
Boom!
Dvil drew his machete and struck the table.
Because he deliberately exploded his Aura, the table didn't just split cleanly — it was crushed as if it had burst apart.
This, too, was one of Piel's instructions.
"Bring gold bars and women!"
All of the knights and priests, except Dvil, were unmarried. This composition, too, was Piel's intent.
'There are many beautiful women in the County. Let's use this opportunity to get everyone married. Lord Deville, how about taking a second wife yourself?'
'I-I'm fine. I love my wife.'
'What a shame. A military talent like Lord Deville should be popping out children left and right to boost the population....'
***
Elenoa was flustered.
'This is not the time for this.'
She had heard that northern knights were rough.
She understood, given that they were people who lived with war constantly.
But eighty percent of Viscount Potashu Territory was already devastated, and yet here they were, demanding a banquet the moment they arrived.
In the process, a minor quarrel nearly broke out, but everyone quieted down before the show of force Dvil displayed.
When he threw his Aura Machete, a huge boulder had shattered into pieces.
"I intend to pair my subordinates with the young ladies of the vassals here. The North is short on everything, including brides, haha!"
Thus, the daughters of lower-ranking nobles and knights, dragged in semi-forcibly, suddenly found themselves in arranged matchmaking sessions with the northern knights.
The faces of the young ladies, now fated to marry off to the barren North, were darkening as if dying, but still, they all accepted it.
This was simply the future of daughters born to lower-ranking noble families.
"Since the vassals' young ladies have dedicated their futures for their lord, surely you ought to provide the dowries in their stead, wouldn't you agree?"
"...We shall prepare enough gold to leave you fully satisfied."
Elenoa sighed inwardly and gave the order to prepare the gold to be paid to them.
***
"Lieutenant Colonel Marshall was right. He said the count's vassals' daughters were all beauties."
"But is it really okay for us to do this? Isn't this basically marriage by abduction, marriage by plunder?"
"Don't the central nobles all get married like this? I hear there are many cases where they see their spouse's face for the first time on the wedding day."
"That's more barbaric than I thought. Do the marriage partners have no human rights?"
A group banquet of young ladies and young knights.
The young ladies' fathers were shedding tears of resignation, imagining their daughters being gang-raped in turns by the rough, savage northern knights....
"I-I choose young lady number 13!"
"Excellent. Young lady number 13, will you accept the heart of knight number 35?"
"I-I will...."
Young lady number 13 shyly indicated her consent with her face flushed red.
Knight number 35 leaped in joy as if springing into the air, rushed over, swept young lady number 13 into his arms, and lifted her high up.
Following the 'Program Host Guidebook' that Piel had given him, Dvil said what he was supposed to say in this situation.
"Thus, the fifth pair of lovers has been born. Everyone, let's congratulate them with a round of applause."
Clap clap clap. Clap clap clap clap.
The young ladies, who had thought they would be mercilessly passed around and violated by the rough northern knights before living out their entire lives as a concubine to one of them,
utterly melted into the dopamine rush provided by a comprehensive matchmaking program loaded with all manner of thrilling romantic push-and-pull.
In this way, every couple was formed.
And Dvil gave the order.
"Now, each of you, go pay your respects to your fathers-in-law and come back having collected a generous dowry."
"Understood!"
The young ladies, now blissfully clinging to their future husbands, began guiding the knights — in order to pull up the very roots of their own family homes.
***
Dvil faithfully followed Piel's instructions.
No matter how much the count's retainers begged, urged, and clung to him, he threw banquets every single day and ate and drank his fill.
'He said the heavier we keep our asses planted, the heavier our pockets will keep growing. Lieutenant Colonel Marshall was right.'
The longer they stayed holed up and sitting tight, the more gold coins the count family offered multiplied.
'We need to buy time here so that the Penal Unit can complete maximum plunder in the rear... no, I mean, the safe evacuation operations for the local residents.'
He felt not a single pang of conscience.
Because this was truly for the good of the domain's people.
'The Plant Legion can continue to infiltrate the rear via Ivory Whales. This place is no longer safe.'
The North, with its hardened elites and unlimited supply capabilities, had now become the safest territory in the entire kingdom.
So the domain residents that Luna was sweeping up, too, were actually in a favorable situation — as were the young ladies marrying into the North.
'Right now it's only the Plant Legion, but Golems and Wyverns, Wolves and Fire Bears will eventually all come riding down on Ivory Whales as well.'
Since Ainshuvan was such an iron fortress, the enemy must also be switching up their strategy.
Dvil intently glared at the large map of the kingdom.
The war data provided by the Anvelrum army, meticulously recording every single infiltration route of the landed Ancient Tree Legion.
'Lieutenant Colonel Marshall did say we needed to grasp the macroscopic movement route of the Plant Legion.'
While everyone else was solely focused on blocking the Elf army's offensives, Piel alone had been looking elsewhere.
'We must figure out exactly what the Elves are after.'
'Couldn't it just be that humans are a nuisance to them, so they're attacking? Just like how monsters raiding livestock and people doesn't necessarily have some grand reason.'
'Even that could be the Elves' war objective. That's precisely why we need to confirm it for certain.'
He drew an arrow from Ainshuvan toward the south.
When he overlaid it with the movement route of the Ancient Tree Legion observed in Viscount Potashu Territory.
The two lines intersected at some point on the map.
Dvil, who had been tracing the lines with his finger, faltered.
They hadn't even intersected yet, and the two lines had already run off the edge of the map.
The intersection point was far further south.
Beyond the map.
"Farther south than even our Leodis Kingdom? Is the Elves' war objective in the Nelssmill Empire?"
***
I decided to go out personally to greet the refugees migrating northward.
Hildea and Rebecca worried about my stamina.
"Lieutenant Colonel Piel is so frail that I'm worried. Wouldn't it be better to just rest comfortably in the new Official Residence?"
A new, larger, and better Official Residence had been completed not long ago, and Hildea and I had moved in.
Rebecca might move in before long as well.
"These are the people who will become my domain residents. If the lord doesn't even show his face, they will feel anxious about the governance to come."
First impressions are always what matter most.
I plan to show off to the residents to my heart's content just how merciful and generous a lord I am.
"Piel, but going all the way out past the Dwein River to greet them is too far. Won't it be hard on you?"
"I'm riding in a palanquin, so how would I have a hard time? The soldiers will be the ones having a hard time."
I had actually intended to ride a horse or a carriage.
But the palanquin soldiers actively dissuaded me, saying it would drain my stamina.
Unlike a horse or carriage, the palanquin — a Western-style litter carried by four soldiers front and back — is comfortable and free of shaking thanks to its human suspension.
"Still, because they're worried you might get dizzy, they can't even run fast, so it'll take several days just to get there. Lying down all day in that cramped palanquin is stifling and miserable too."
Hildea worriedly stroked my cheek.
In her eyes full of concern, I was suddenly reminded of this body's mother, who had passed away long ago.
Those sorrowful eyes, apologizing for leaving me all alone and going ahead first....
Just then, Duty Officer Rebecca requested permission, entered, and reported something.
Rebecca's face brightened and she clapped her hands together.
"Piel's march problem — I think I can solve it. The new palanquin is finished."
"Excuse me?"
"Surprised, right? Actually, last time, when I saw you tossing and turning, frustrated in that cramped palanquin, I had a new palanquin made in preparation for long-distance marches."
"Commander Rebecca?"
"I didn't say anything on purpose because I wanted to surprise you, and they say it's just been finished and is being brought over now."
I'm genuinely touched.
I absolutely must never discriminate against her compared to Hildea and must feed them equally from now on.
"Now, let's hurry and go out to see it."
"Marquis Carlton! Don't you dare grab my duty officer's hand without permission!"
"Hurry, hurry!"
Rebecca's hand was remarkably fine and soft.
Just as Hildea's hands didn't seem like those of a knight, hers didn't seem like the hands of an archer at all.
It was exactly the soft hand of a nobly raised aristocratic young lady.
Anyway, we stepped outside the Official Residence.
And upon seeing the 'giant palanquin' approaching from afar, I nearly lost the strength in my legs.
"That... is a palanquin?"
"Yeah. Do you like it?"
The palanquin was absurdly massive.
A gigantic fortress in the shape of a pyramid, roughly 100 meters in length and width and about 50 meters in height, was moving.
How on earth is that moving... Ah!
Only then did I see the countless soldiers carrying the giant palanquin — no, the fortress — on their shoulders.
Rebecca smirked and poked me in the side.
"The interior is equipped with a cozy bedroom, a study, an office, and even a bathroom.
The exterior watchtower at the highest central peak is spacious enough for the three of us to enjoy a samgyeopsal party together. So, Piel? Do you like it?"
I'm going to ride that thing — carried on the backs of the army — to greet my new domain residents?
I'm worried whether they'll see me as generous or as a tyrant.