Chapter 1005
Chapter 1005
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 1005
Chapter Title: Reborn in a Count's Family as the Plum Blossom Sword Master
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The world of Reborn in a Count's Family as the Plum Blossom Sword Master was in the midst of a full-scale war.
A great war that had started in the north and spread across the entire continent.
It was an event from the original story, but things weren't unfolding as they had in the original.
In the original, Princess Eileen of the Rapelli Kingdom seized an opportunity amid the crisis to spark a civil war. She purged useless nobles, unnecessary nobles, and incompetent nobles, then ascended as queen to rule the Rapelli Kingdom.
Prince Aiden's downfall was inevitable—provided I wasn't backing him.
The Helbritt Duke family was behind Prince Aiden.
In the original story, around this time, the Helbritt Duke family was massacred by the Dark Emperor. That was Yuria's nickname. She made her presence known by wiping out an entire duke family.
They call the current Yuria the Dark Emperor... but not many know her true identity.
Yuria was currently my maid. A maid who had lost her memories due to the trial of the relic. To regain them, she needed to reach the master realm once more, and she was training diligently for that.
I snapped out of my brief reverie and lifted my head, my gaze shifting to the map hanging on one wall of the study. It was a map of the entire continent, marked with lines and symbols in various colors. Two women sat beside me.
One was Scarlett Bunclo. A woman with short crimson hair and sharp eyes. Her crimson irises were like a finely honed blade. Originally under Kyle's command, she now wore an officer's uniform as she glared at the map. She was the general leading the soldiers under my direct command.
The other was my maid, Melissa, who also led the AM unit. She stroked her long, dark blue hair while studying the map, her usual playful demeanor replaced by utmost seriousness.
Melissa and Scarlett. Excluding Yuria, they were the most tactically capable women in the estate.
"The Rapelli Kingdom is winning. They're steadily expanding their territory. The war isn't over yet, but we predict their lands will more than double once it ends."
Scarlett said. The situation was better than in the original. Not surprising. The Rapelli Kingdom had its protagonist, Kyle—and me.
On top of that, for some reason, Kyle was performing even better than in the original. He charged forward, cutting down enemies and expanding territory. Kyle was already hailed as the Rapelli Kingdom's hero. Princess Eileen must have pulled some strings from behind the scenes.
"So what are we supposed to do?"
"Nothing at all, my lord. You're already supporting various nobles with your wealth. No one is unaware of your contributions, so even if the war ends like this, there won't be any backlash or reprimands."
Scarlett replied. I turned my gaze to the side.
"If that's what the master wants, then so be it. But isn't the master's goal to become Count Prucker? If we do nothing, Kyle Prucker will snatch the position of family head."
Kyle was racking up merits like a madman. Victories poured in every week. He was probably the closest to becoming Count Prucker right now.
"My lord, you don't need to aim for the Prucker count title specifically. If you wish, you could claim a marquisate or higher. And considering your influence, even dukes wouldn't dare ignore you."
Scarlett was right.
I'd been wielding influence over the Rapelli Kingdom for a while now. Through the Korea Merchant Guild, I'd funneled in money, and Yuria had reinvested it strategically. Right before the war broke out, following Yuria's advice, I'd invested in various nobles and knights. Over eighty percent had hit it big. A total jackpot, as they say.
Yuria claims she used her original story knowledge for investments... but I still have no clue what was what.
Anyway, thanks to that, I'd amassed influence surpassing that of great nobles.
The Prucker family title no longer held much appeal; the board had grown too vast.
"This is a matter of pride. Lose the successor battle to some punk like Kyle? Just imagining it pisses me off."
"Knew you'd say that. Our master's personality is rotten, after all."
Melissa smirked as she spoke.
Cheeky maid. To straight-up call her master's personality rotten to his face. Outrageous. I flipped up Melissa's skirt and shoved my hand inside. My fingers plunged right between her thighs.
"Eek!"
Melissa let out a sharp squeal. She was the type who went mostly panty-less around the estate, claiming underwear was a hassle.
I prodded her pussy a few times with my fingers before pulling my hand out. Melissa slumped over the desk, breathing raggedly, while my hand glistened with her clear fluids.
"My lord."
Scarlett called to me. She showed no reaction to the whole scene, not even a twitch of her eyebrow.
"If your goal is inheriting the Prucker title... you'll need even greater achievements."
Scarlett rose and approached the map. She pointed to a kingdom north of the Rapelli Kingdom.
"We should target the north. We'll conquer the northern Bishul Kingdom in your name, my lord."
I tilted my head. This world grew harsher the farther north you went, more bountiful to the south.
"Wouldn't conquering a southern kingdom be better? More gains there."
Kyle was advancing south too. Logistically, pushing south made more sense than north.
"Kyle Prucker is on a roll now, but he'll hit a wall soon."
"...The Cobalt Kingdom."
Melissa's voice. She straightened her disheveled hair and glared at the map. The Cobalt Kingdom in the central continent was another nation on a winning streak, like Rapelli. And it was Melissa's homeland. Her Arhen family was one of the storied duke houses there.
"Master, the Cobalt Kingdom has changed. Crown Prince Dulibad has returned, claimed the throne, and is racking up victories as he pushes north. His target is probably the Rapelli Kingdom."
"Aiming for you?"
"...Who knows. Is Dulibad that obsessed with me?"
"Or maybe it's me he's after."
I'd fucked his fiancée Melissa right in front of Dulibad. His despairing face still sent thrills through me. He had every reason to want me dead.
"My lord, we must decide quickly. We need to crush the Bishul Kingdom while the momentum is on our side."
Scarlett said gravely. I nodded.
"Fine. I permit the advance."
"We'll need 30,000 troops and the power of the Golden Rose Knight Order."
That was most of my current forces. The Golden Rose Knight Order, led by Aura Master Floyd, was a female knight order rumored to be among the kingdom's finest.
"Granted. When do you deploy?"
"As soon as preparations are ready. Three days at best, a week at latest."
"And supplies?"
This wasn't a game. You couldn't just stockpile units and ignore them. To field proper soldiers, they needed gear and food. Armies were money pits.
"Don't you have that covered, my lord? If you move personally, logistics won't be an issue."
"Sheesh. Aren't you working your lord too hard?"
"It's necessary. And occasionally show your face on the battlefield. It boosts morale and builds fame."
"Yeah, yeah. Not a big deal."
I had convenient spatial movement scrolls.
"Gonna need a hefty budget."
I muttered quietly. No worries, though. My fortune could handle it with room to spare. I'd milked the war boom for all it was worth. I was still secretly selling war materials to other nations, raking in cash. Plus, over half my soldiers were slave troops. No labor costs.
"Master, about the budget... we need to increase the estate's operating funds."
"Didn't we bump the estate management budget by 20% two weeks ago?"
"That was then. This is now."
"Short on staff?"
"The opposite. Too many maids. Know how many we've added in the past week?"
"..."
I shut my mouth. I didn't.
"94. We're gaining 100 maids a week. Need me to explain how insane that is? Simply put, 20 maids clean the first-floor hallway. Takes under 15 minutes. Then their workday's done. This estate has 1,751 maids now."
I hadn't realized it was that many. Of course, all 1,751 were beauties. Only women above a certain beauty threshold could work as maids in my estate.
That many? Well, I have been deflowering 30 virgins a night lately.
Another war byproduct.
War's fallout meant more women sold into slavery, including nobles. As planned, I'd bought up every beauty among them.
And not a few villages conquered for their beauties, turned into slaves.
I owned eight slave villages total. We cherry-picked beauties from there for the estate too.
"Got it. I'll add 30% more to the budget."
"That's a 30% increase. Good, but you know this isn't a real fix, right Master?"
"Hm..."
"Food's no issue with your abilities or items like Hevil’s Accelerator for instant harvests. The real problem is housing. No empty rooms left. New maids are in tents. Treatment's great, so no complaints yet... but they will come."
"My precious maids in tents? I'll have those dwarf slave brats rebuild the estate immediately."
"Already ordered it. But that's no long-term solution. Best to stop recruiting maids here, but..."
I put on a stern, dignified, serious expression.
"Impossible."
"Figured. So here's my proposal. To manage all these maids, we need a sturdier system. New maid training is essential too. How about founding a Maid Academy?"
"Maid Academy? My dick's twitching just hearing it. Okay, let's do it."
"...Shouldn't you at least pretend to think it over?"
"Good is good. Where to build the Maid Academy? Behind the estate?"
"No, an academy is a place of learning. Better off away from the estate. So, how about selecting one of your islands and building it there?"
Among the spoils from crushing the pirate alliance were islands. Most sat unused.
"Lairase Island sounds good."
Lairase Island housed my villa. The most Maldives-like, beautiful among my islands. I still used it occasionally.
"...Lairase is sizable enough, but isn't that your villa island?"
"Use it as villa and Maid Academy."
"Understood. I'll proceed. With the dwarves and slaves... we can finish the academy building in a month. For dean... Fatima would be perfect."
"Fatima's approved."
Fatima was one of the maids I'd bought at the slave market. A veteran among veterans. Back then, she was married and now trained young maids. Her skills were reliable.
She's around retirement age now.
Fatima looked young thanks to good care, but the wrinkles on her face were undeniable. I wasn't a granny chaser, so I didn't fancy older women. But letting go of my maid was a waste. Making her academy dean solved the retirement issue.
Time to plan maid retirements too.
Retirement from the estate, that is. Once a maid, always my maid till death.
Beyond the academy, a Maid Hospital, Maid Nursery, etc., and retired maids can live comfortably.
Having sorted my thoughts roughly, I stood.
"Meeting adjourned. Back to work. Work."
Scarlett and Melissa rose. Scarlett bowed and left promptly. Melissa pouted.
"Master doesn't work but sure loves ordering it."
"Such insolence!"
Smack!
Melissa sighed as she rubbed her smacked ass and headed out.
Before leaving, I glanced at the map.
Some nations were weaker than expected, others stronger.
The Devil Society must be meddling.
The great war would drag on longer than in the original.