Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Becoming a Lord (1)
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The very next morning, I headed straight to the study where the Baron was waiting.
"Baron Excellency, Siel von Kroitel has come as summoned."
A brief silence fell, and the Baron's voice came from beyond the door.
"Come in."
I opened the door and stepped inside. There sat the Baron at his wooden desk and chair.
Fortunately, he didn't greet me with an angry glare, which meant he at least didn't suspect me.
I'm safe. At least the death flag—like Joseon-era Crown Prince Sohyeon getting suspected by King Injo—was broken.
"This might take a while, so have a seat."
"Yes, Father."
I sat ramrod straight on the chair he indicated, like a job candidate in an interview.
The Baron put on a grave expression and spoke in a solemn tone.
"According to the messenger from the village... Bailiff Mars disobeyed my orders and embezzled vast sums under pretexts like death taxes, mill usage fees, and tool rentals."
"Yes, that's correct."
"And he even sold serf women who couldn't pay death taxes to mercenaries as whores. The children were sold to slave traders or worked to death. The girl he brought, Ella, was offered to bribe you—intended as your concubine."
"That's right. It was utterly revolting. Ella's younger brother Zack..."
The Baron cut me off with a raised hand and continued.
"My story isn't over, Siel von Kroitel. I never taught you to interrupt me."
"I'm sorry."
As I bowed my head in apology, he reined in his anger and resumed in an icy tone.
"Once you uncovered the situation, you should have reported it to me for a proper trial and execution. But killing the territory's administrator without reporting? Unacceptable, no matter the justification. Likewise, redistributing his embezzled wealth to the serfs? Incomprehensible. I never granted you that authority. Still, I'll give you a chance. Explain yourself."
By this point, I could tell.
The Baron definitely didn't suspect me.
If he did, he wouldn't have called me here alone to hear me out.
He wouldn't even admonish me like this.
He could've just scolded me publicly in front of the other nobles and slapped me with light house arrest to undermine me or weaken my position.
No—precisely because he cares for me, he's hearing my side despite the overreach.
"First off, the Bailiff abused the lord's exclusive tax rights and shirked his duty to protect the serfs. Fabricating taxes to sell off serf girls—and offering Ella to me as a bribe to buy my favor—was a direct insult to your honor, Father."
The Baron nodded in agreement.
"Thus, restoring your honor demanded setting everything right."
"You're correct. I only authorized him for crop taxes, marriage taxes, and extras during wartime. Arbitrarily wielding more power to sell serfs as slaves violates my duty to protect them."
"Yes. Exactly."
His expression softened slightly, and his voice grew more relaxed.
"Very well. Your actions were justified noble retribution, as you describe. I'm displeased you exercised 'life-and-death authority' over an administrator without permission. But you still haven't addressed arbitrarily distributing his property or failing to report his execution beforehand."
"Yes, I planned to report his crimes and seek punishment if at all possible. But I acted because he brought Ella to my room. Ella is a legitimate serf of this territory—not a whore or slave. Consider what it means for him to offer one of our serfs, the territory's heir, a plaything."
As I said, in this world, serfs are legally the 'property of the territory's lord'—unlike slaves, beggars, or paupers.
Even noble knights avoid killing them lightly without cause, opting for formal trials instead.
Otherwise, it challenges the lord's authority—treason punishable by beheading.
For that dead Bailiff to fabricate debts absurdly and expect me to claim such a girl?
Clear treason against the lord. The moment he suggested it, he became scum trying to taint my noble loyalty to you, Father.
Thus, my words formed the perfect excuse: I had no choice but to kill him to prove my loyalty.
It landed. After pondering my explanation at length, the Baron relaxed fully, regarding me without suspicion—though not with his usual smile.
Thank goodness the excuse worked. Even with my calculations, if he'd been unhinged, no plea would've saved me—I'd be on the path to the afterlife or purged.
"I see. As expected of my son. Well done."
No trace of reproach lingered in his voice.
"Thank you, Father."
"Still, you were rash. Had I not trusted you, I'd have raged at the arbitrary wealth distribution and suspected you."
Only then did it dawn on me.
Right—even famed righteous thieves like Hong Gil-dong stole thousands of seok of rice and goods from the rich, landlords, and yangban, then distributed it all.
The excuse was returning extorted wealth to the poor, but the real aim?
To win hearts for ongoing banditry.
And that banditry was treason against the king.
In short, while I merely restored the serfs' stolen property as heir, it could look like I was currying favor for a revolt.
Unfair, sure—but history brims with cases of gradual heart-winning sparking uprisings.
Damn, too rash on my part.
Seeing my face fall, the Baron chuckled.
"Getting it now? Haha. Territory governance isn't simple. That's why I wanted you at the Academy—to learn. Nobles there form factions and play politics."
"Hahaha, I see."
I'd forced a laugh earlier, but cold sweat trickled down my back.
Studying history, I'd scorned 'excess loyalty' fools who lost their heads—yet here I was, acting just like them.
A crisis where Father might suspect and execute me.
He laughed heartily for a moment, then met my eyes.
"Well, still—you did well. Honestly, when you insisted on inspecting the rural villages, I nearly abandoned sending you to the Academy if your resolve was that firm. A man with conviction, if right... we rural nobles can thrive without it."
His words stirred my chest.
Not my real father, but over ten years without a 'father' who believed and backed me like this.
His paternal affection hit deep.
"Father..."
"Good. No Academy, as you wished. Off you go. But we'll hold a formal trial for this—judge your errors and issue token punishment. Executing without report was wrong."
With his 'yes, approved' already voiced, any 'punishment' would be a slap on the wrist.
Even if a noble griped, 'Baron Excellency, too lenient for the heir?', my explanation would silence them.
Hell, I'd be lucky not to turn the tables on them.
"Yes, I'll take my leave."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A few days later, as Father predicted, I faced trial before several knights.
Some nobles, expecting my downfall, even approached my half-sibling.
But the outcome matched Father's hint: light punishment.
No—actually a win.
Fourteen days' house arrest: perfect excuse for sleeping in, scheming, and lounging.
Ah, and of course, use the inspection data to craft real plans.
Everything resolved perfectly.
I considered an orphanage for Ella, but Father ordered me to take responsibility, making her nominally my 'exclusive maid.'
The Baron said this when entrusting her to me:
"An orphanage at best turns her into some noble's concubine—and only because she's pretty, giving her a marginally better life. Most orphan girls end up as brothel whores."
I checked; he was right.
This world's orphanages—medieval-style—shelter orphans but in abysmal conditions.
Kids work adult hours, if lighter tasks.
Meals: one bowl of thin wheat or barley porridge and a bread slice daily.
Afterward? No jobs meant urban paupers—or whores for girls.
Pretty ones occasionally became maids or playthings.
Entrusting cute Ella there?
Worst case: the director snaps and abuses her.
Having chosen to live here, I couldn't discard the kid I saved like a stray dog or cat.
A bit rash.
So I kept her nominally as my exclusive maid.
Time passed; house arrest lifted. Father's order arrived.
[To Siel von Kroitel: Windheim region, formerly managed by Bailiff Mars, is hereby granted as your fief.] Receiving it, I thanked Father at once and set off for the village the Bailiff had managed.