The Returned Baron (1)
That night, it was impossible to say exactly what happened between the hero and the princess, but one thing was certain: nothing at all happened between the Grand Archmage and his beloved apprentice. For instance, there was absolutely nothing that would have made Margaret claw at her hair and throw a hysterical fit if she'd heard about it.
Jenis, who had been buzzing with excitement since the crack of dawn while enchanting the carriage, was so exhausted that she passed out inside the vehicle the moment the sun dipped below the horizon. As for Jeong-jae, it felt weird to climb into the carriage where Jenis lay sleeping soundly, so he simply leaned back against the coachman's seat and dozed off. The two slept peacefully, apart from each other, and woke with the sunrise.
"Yaaawn."
Jenis rubbed her eyes as she stirred in the carriage. Jeong-jae, who had woken a bit earlier than her, was using magic to check if anything unusual had happened to the carriage overnight.
"You're up early."
"It's a habit—waking at dawn. During the war, when crossing enemy territory, you couldn't afford long sleeps anyway."
"Nothing happened last night, right?"
"Yeah. Seems like it. The spells are all intact, and there's no damage or traces left behind."
"I see. Nothing at all, then."
Jenis spoke in a tone that carried a hint of disappointment. Perhaps she had even hoped to lure bandits into attacking their unguarded camp for a decisive takedown.
"Well, shall we get going?"
Jeong-jae said, taking hold of the reins. Jenis hurriedly stopped him.
"Hold on! I'm supposed to be heading to the lord's aide position, so I should hold the reins. Otherwise, it looks like the baron is escorting the count's daughter around."
"Fair point. Here, take over."
Jeong-jae stood and swapped places with her. The border of Harriet Territory was right ahead. Jenis swung the reins energetically, calling out for them to advance. Since they'd parked the carriage right there and spent the night, it took less than ten minutes to reach the territory line.
As the rare sight of a proper two-wheeled carriage appeared in the area, a tense guard rushed toward it.
"We'll need to inspect you briefly. Who might be riding in this carriage?"
The guard, spear in hand, eyed the vehicle. Spotting the "VR" emblem painted on it, his eyes widened, and he stepped back.
"My apologies! You're clear to pass, my lord baron!"
He'd recognized the Harriet family crest on the cloth and pieced together that this was no ordinary luxury carriage rarely seen around here. Jenis, accustomed to the strict inspections in Hacker County, frowned in discomfort but didn't chew out the guard from her coachman's perch—she simply passed through the village boundary.
"Should we get his name, my lord?"
Jenis asked with pointed meaning. Jeong-jae, sitting on the carriage, chuckled.
"Nah. It just means this place is far from the war and peaceful. I'll train them properly once I'm settled. Especially since a village like this won't have many guards anyway—no need to note names now; I'll learn them later."
"True. Better to drill it in thoroughly."
Jeong-jae mulled over his own words, then tilted his head, noticing something off.
"The border's that lax... because it's so peaceful?"
"It's near the border with the sea, after all. Hardly any chance of enemy raids."
"But didn't you say there were bandits?"
"Right. If bandits hit this territory often, leaving just one guard at that post earlier does seem pretty sloppy."
Jenis steered the carriage through the small village, her face thoughtful. Early in the morning, as villagers emerged from their shabby homes to start their day, murmurs rose at the sight of the carriage.
"Look at that emblem. Isn't it the same as the flag on the castle?"
"Does that mean the baron's finally back for us? Should we be happy about it...?"
"Nah, no way. If a noble was arriving, they'd have announced it ahead and ordered preparations..."
"Forget that—what about the one driving? No way... right? The count's daughter wouldn't be playing coachman."
"You're mixing up your delusions. You really think that makes sense?"
"But she looks exactly like the rumors say—I'm telling you!"
Listening quietly to the murmurs—mostly from the village women—Jeong-jae confirmed the draft had hit this place hard too. He instructed Jenis.
"Jenis, pass the word: Yes, it's the baron and the count's daughter, but no need for formal greetings or any big welcome fuss. Just a quick look around shows the population ratio's already wrecked. Getting a rowdy reception in a place like this wouldn't be cause for joy."
"Yes, my lord."
Turning back with a nod, Jenis cast an amplification spell on her throat and bellowed.
"The one riding in this carriage is your new lord, Baron Park Jeong-jae of Harriet! The coachman is Jenis Hacker, daughter of the Hacker Count—noble blood or not, she's just the baron's aide right now, so no greetings for her. The only change is the new master of Harriet Castle. Go about your day as usual!"
The village women, finally convinced of the carriage's identity, reacted with startled awkwardness. Some even dropped what they held and bowed clumsily. Jenis, seeing it, couldn't hide her fluster.
"Professor, I said no greetings needed—why are they doing that? Should I go stop them?"
"Getting closer would just make it worse. Let's pass through quick. We can teach them over time that skipping the formalities won't get them eaten."
At Jeong-jae's call, Jenis flicked the reins to urge the carriage on. With its speed enchantment, it didn't take long to cross the village and reach the castle.
Compared to the imposing Hacker Castle, the two-story Harriet Castle was downright modest—not much bigger than a common officetel back on Earth. Of course, amid the territory's mostly rundown farmhouses, its clean stone walls made it look grand enough. But next to Hacker Castle? Just small and cute.
Tucked at the territory's edge, the castle's rear abutted the sea—likely offering a direct view from the lord's office on the second floor. Handy for checking fishing conditions or storm risks firsthand, Jeong-jae thought as he hopped down from the carriage.
"Welcome to the territory, my lord baron!"
As Jeong-jae dismounted, the guard at the castle gate boomed a greeting. Jeong-jae wondered if the man would react the same even if he were just another servant, but glancing at his own clothes, he got it. Compared to the villagers' ragged, rough-spun garb, his blue coat-jacket—unflashy even among the capital's nobles—stood out sharply here. It screamed "top brass."
Feeling awkwardly conspicuous, Jeong-jae asked the guard,
"Don't you verify if I'm the real lord here?"
"Uh, w-well... Sorry! If you want confirmation, right now—!"
Thinking he'd been called out for slacking, the guard broke into a sweat. Jeong-jae had meant to point out the lax security, but not to punish.
"But my lord... how do we even confirm identity? We haven't been told the procedure. Sorry for the excuse!"
"Don't sweat it. Lucky for you, I am the real Baron Harriet this time."
Suddenly mindful that there'd been just one guard at the border and one here, Jeong-jae asked,
"How many guards does this territory have? Feels short-staffed."
"Including me, just three we could call soldiers! George's on border duty, Peter's patrolling the village, and I'm Sammy, guarding the castle!"
"Good work, Sammy."
Jeong-jae masked his shock. Three? For a village of three thousand? Proportional to population, it wasn't that absurd. But securing thirty thousand with thirty was easier than this—a whole barony on three men stretched credulity. He'd expected at least ten militia on standby. Shattered expectations.
And this castle guard didn't even know to ask for a crest or imperial appointment. He'd probably not understand it if shown.
"Heard there are bandits in the territory. Is security okay with that headcount?"
"B-bandits? Uh... Anyway, speak casually, milord! No need for a noble to honorific a lowly soldier!"
"Ah, right. Forget the bandits. Just something I heard."
"Got it!"
Jeong-jae yielded quickly. Back when he was shy, he'd felt burdened by superiors using polite speech on him too.
Moments later, Jenis finished stabling the horses and parking the carriage, trotting over. Waiting for her, Jeong-jae smiled softly at the guard and asked him to open the gate. Sammy pulled a key from his pocket and flung open the door—more like a grand front door than a proper gate.
Jenis asked Jeong-jae,
"You already handled the ID check while I was gone?"
"We'll talk procedures later, Jenis."
"Ah."
Jenis shot Sammy a look that said, 'He glossed over it 'cause they don't know how.' Called out twice now—once by the baron, once by the count's daughter—Sammy trembled with shame.
"Come on, let's head in."
Noticing Jenis's glare overwhelming the guard, Jeong-jae grabbed her shoulder and nudged her inside. Jenis glanced back, head tilted.
"Not like we're punishing him. A little glare's fine, right?"
"Look at the draft situation here. All able-bodied men are obviously gone. Even as guards, the ones left have their disqualifiers just for staying. Be grateful they seem teachable."
Jeong-jae's home planet's homeland was rabidly scooping up every usable man too—finding ways to employ even the rejects. This level of mobilization held up against that. The Audrich Empire's census and admin systems outstripped the era's image.
"Ugh, coasting on the status quo's one thing, but fixing this into a proper territory... we've got issues to solve."
Jenis shuddered. Jeong-jae nodded gravely.
"If I just wanted to maintain the mess, I wouldn't have taken the title. Let's see how far we can push it."