Normalizing the Countship
Three days was nowhere near enough time to fix a territory that had gone completely to shit. At least, by any normal standard of common sense.
But my party had an insanely talented and overpowered mage. Her name was Elena von Weisswald.
“Elena, what about the collapsed western rampart?”
“I reinforced the foundation using an application of Earth Wall and hardened it with Rock Solid. Unless they drag in a trebuchet operated by a mage, it won’t collapse.”
“And the sewage backup in the slums?”
“I used Water Crash to flush the filth outside the territory, then deployed Clean magic over a wide area to disinfect everything. There is no risk of epidemic.”
Elena sat at the office desk with an indifferent expression, her quill dancing across documents as she answered. Behind her, four translucent hands made of mana floated in the air, sorting through mountains of ledgers and stamping approvals.
Once you introduced magic into administration, it was basically a human macro. The sight of her handling all the civil engineering, waterworks, and administrative work required for territory restoration with a single spell was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
“You really are competent. Are you sure you shouldn’t have joined the imperial administration instead of the hero’s party?”
“The essence of magic is efficiency and calculation. This level of multi-casting is basic.”
Elena pushed up her glasses and gave a small, nonchalant smile.
“By the way, did you look into that name? Greta Klein.”
“Yes. I have gathered all her personal information and organized it into a document.”
She pulled a single sheet from a drawer and held it out to me. I read through it.
Greta Klein
Age: 15. Serf from Ackenhof Village in the Heinrich Barony, the southernmost territory of the Breitenfeld Countship.
Born as the second of three siblings to father Johan Klein and mother Marta Klein.
Elder brother Hans Klein is 18. Younger brother Thomas Klein is 10.
Special notes: Signs of extraordinary holy power observed. Recently became lost in the forest but returned safely after beating a pack of wolves to death with a single tree branch.
Currently raising seven chickens at home. Yesterday’s dinner menu: boiled potatoes and salt.
This was the personal information of Greta Klein, the original story’s protagonist.
“……Elena, how the hell did you find all this out?”
Not only her family relationships, but even the number of livestock they raised and what they ate for dinner last night were all written down.
When I stared at her in disbelief, Elena pushed up her glasses and answered with an air of superiority.
“Information gathering is the foundation of administration.”
“Yeah, I know that part.”
“By applying auditory synchronization through a lesser wind spirit, basic long-range clairvoyance magic, and a bit of cross-verification, figuring out how many spoons a peasant at the edge of the empire owns is child’s play.”
“You’re terrifying…”
“I will take that as a compliment.”
I was once again grateful that this girl was my ally and subordinate rather than my enemy. Her work ethic was truly phenomenal.
More than that, my eyes were drawn to the age. Greta Klein was fifteen? In the original story she was definitely twenty. My head suddenly spun into chaos.
Did that mean the current time wasn’t the same point in the original story’s timeline? Was this five years before the original?
No wonder Lucas was an idiot, Elizabeth was still a baby, and Elena wasn’t an archmage yet. But if that was the case, then what about the Demon King’s army…?
“Is something wrong, Lord Goshugir?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Elena must have noticed my eyes trembling as I read the document, because she asked.
“More importantly, why are you inquiring about such a young girl?”
“I just have some interest in her. Don’t worry about it.”
“If Lord Goshugir says so, then there must be a reason. Understood.”
Now that I had Greta Klein’s information, I needed to quickly find someone to manage my territory—in other words, a Count Deputy. Only then could I leave.
“Elena.”
“Yes, Lord Goshugir.”
“Have you found a suitable person for the Count Deputy position?”
At my question, Elena immediately floated another document in front of me as if she had been waiting.
“Yes. Baron Heinrich, who governs the southernmost part of the countship, is the perfect candidate.”
“What kind of guy is he?”
“He is an inflexible man who collects the absolute minimum in taxes from his people, to the point that his own castle leaks when it rains and he eats nothing but stale rye bread and thin soup every day.”
A baron eating tasteless rye bread and tasteless soup? My favorability toward him shot through the roof.
“And the lives of his people?”
“Beyond abundant. The news that even a mere serf eats better than the baron himself has spread not only throughout the entire Breitenfeld Countship but even to the neighboring Leipzig Countship, drawing immigrants from all over.”
“That much, huh……”
Elena pushed up her glasses once more and continued.
“While the nobility mock him as a fool, every single one of the people under his rule sings his praises.”
“Okay. Let’s go see him right away.”
“We could also summon him here.”
I waved Greta Klein’s document and said,
“She’s a serf from the Heinrich Barony too, right? Then going in person will be faster.”
“Indeed it would.”
“Grab some money. We’re heading to that barony.”
When I stood up, Elena lifted several heavy sacks filled with platinum and gold coins into the air with magic.
“I shall escort you to the Heinrich Barony.”
When we opened the office door and came out to the castle gate, there were Yellowy, Bucephalus, and Elizabeth’s carriage. Elizabeth was sitting in the coachman’s seat waving happily at me, while Anastasia… true to her dog-like nature, was sprawled out in the luggage compartment.
Our destination was the Heinrich Barony at the southern tip of the countship—the place where both the future Count Deputy and Greta Klein lived. We headed there in our usual fashion.
* * *
The Heinrich Barony we arrived at looked less like a noble’s domain and more like a slightly larger serf village. Especially that castle. Cracks ran all over the walls. It looked less like a fortress built for defense and more like a rundown mansion where the lord happened to live.
But the expressions on the faces of the people walking the streets were on a completely different level from those in the Breitenfeld Countship where I had stayed. Unlike the starving, skin-and-bones residents there, the people here had plump, full cheeks, and laughter never ceased in the streets.
Just how well had he been managing this place?
“This… is the baron’s castle…?”
Elizabeth spoke in astonishment at something too embarrassing to even call a castle.
“Well, I guess he figures that if his people are full, he’s full too. Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Elena spoke calmly and knocked on the castle gate. There wasn’t even a guard, so we could just walk up and knock.
Knock knock—
The door opened to reveal a white-haired old man in shabby clothes. Wearing an old butler’s uniform, he scanned us with wary eyes, taking in Anastasia lying in the luggage compartment and our armed appearance.
“May I ask who……”
“I am the Count of Breitenfeld. Where is the baron?”
The old man jumped in surprise at my announcement.
“C-Count? But I heard the new Count only arrived in the territory a few days ago……”
“That’s right. That’s me. Guide us, quickly.”
Whether the rumor about me slaughtering three knight orders had reached even here, the butler hurriedly ran inside. We followed after him.
The interior of the castle was even more wretched than it looked from outside. It smelled of mold, and the fireplace gave off such a chill that it was impossible to tell if it had ever been lit. Elizabeth was shocked again.
“This is how nobles live?!”
“It is. That’s why we came.”
The butler soon reappeared and led us to what appeared to be the dining hall. Inside, a middle-aged man sat at a worn wooden table, eating.
“Are you Baron Heinrich?”
“Yes. I am Baron Heinrich. Are you the Count of Breitenfeld?”
“That’s right.”
Just as Elena’s information had said, Heinrich was dipping hard rye bread into soup that was practically just water. I had been worried it might be false information, but it was real. What a relief.
Heinrich spoke calmly.
“To what do I owe the honor of your visit to this humble one’s territory?”
“Elena.”
At my call, she placed the sacks of money she had been floating in the air down in front of Heinrich.
“Open them.”
“……Yes.”
Heinrich set down the rye bread he was holding and opened the sack. His eyes widened in shock.
“……!! This is……?”
“It’s three years’ worth of territory management funds. I’m appointing you as Count Deputy.”
“But I already struggle to manage even a single barony!”
“Which is exactly why immigrants are flocking here from even the neighboring countship, right?”
“……You already know everything.”
I crossed my arms and smiled.
“I’m going to make our Breitenfeld Countship completely tax-free for three years! So I was looking for someone to manage this enormous sum of money and the territory, and you, Baron Heinrich, seemed like the perfect man for the job.”
Hesitantly, Heinrich replied,
“However… the amount is far too large… Just how many platinum coins are in here?”
“The job is to turn the countship into something like your own territory. Don’t think you can handle it?”
“It feels like I’m dreaming.”
“You can do it, right?”
“If you entrust it to me……”
Heinrich showed me a look of firm resolve. Good. Passed.
“Elena.”
Elena handed something over to Heinrich through the air. It was the lord’s seal and ring prepared in advance, the oath of appointment as Count Deputy, a letter of full financial authority, the key to the territory vault, the military seal, and the staff symbolizing the Count of Breitenfeld.
“I’ll give you plenty of time. We won’t be leaving this place for another four days anyway. Use that time to properly say your farewells to the people and then head to the countship.”
“Thank you, My Lord……”
“What are you saying? I’m the one who should be thanking you. By the way.”
“Yes?”
I pulled out a single sheet of paper and held it out to him.
“How do I get to Ackenhof Village?”