Chapter 257: I’m Going Independent (3)
Chapter 257: I’m Going Independent (3)
“I came and did as you asked for now, but do you really think His Majesty will accept this?”
“He has no choice. What would he even do if he didn’t?”
“What do you mean, what would he do…?”
“If he doesn’t recognize the establishment of the Duchy, the Royal Family will have to engage in an endless, pointless struggle with the Young Lord over the ownership of the occupied territories.”
“Didn’t you say it would be better to just give it away since it’s too difficult to manage?”
“That’s from the perspective of the Schneider estate, which lacks administrative power. It’s a different story for the Atronia Kingdom.”
“Mmm…”
“In the end, the King will accept. There’s plenty of justification for the public, and more than anything, once he clears his head, he’ll realize it. He’ll see that the picture created by accepting this proposal isn’t half bad.”
“A picture… What kind of picture?”
“If he accepts the conditions, at that moment, the Atronia Kingdom will take on the appearance of a great power that commands both the Harbor… Duchy and the Schneider Duchy simultaneously.”
“Oh? Like an Empire?”
“In practice, it would be more like the leading state of a federation. It might only be a justification for the outside world, but it’s certainly not a bad look.”
Until recently, the Atronia Kingdom had been one of the weakest nations on the continent.
If such a country suddenly took the form of commanding two duchies under its wing…
“It certainly isn’t bad.”
“Exactly. Plus, the timing is perfect. If he approves the independence of the Duchy to coincide with the wedding of the Young Lord and Princess Isabella…”
“It’ll look like he’s bestowing a reward.”
“Precisely.”
Alexander Krupa gave a thin smile.
Seeing Patrick understand the implications of his words as he spoke made him feel that things weren’t so bad.
It was a quality the previous King Darius had lacked.
“It’s definitely not bad. Not for my father-in-law the King, and not for you either, Uncle Alexander.”
“……”
“Two duchies under the Atronia Kingdom… If those two duchies ever decided to join forces and rebel, taking down the Atronia flag would be child’s play.”
“Ahem…”
“Then, naturally, it’ll be difficult for the Atronia Kingdom to make unreasonable demands or act recklessly toward the newly occupied Harbor Duchy.”
At Patrick’s words, Alexander Krupa couldn’t meet his eyes and lowered his head.
Patrick spoke to him.
“Is it loyalty? Or is it lingering affection?”
Alexander Krupa let out a sigh.
He had thought it was a good thing that Patrick was more thoughtful and quicker on the uptake than King Darius, but it seemed there were downsides to that as well.
After some agonizing thought, he sighed again.
He briefly considered what to say, but decided that in times like these, honesty was the best policy.
“I’m not sure myself.”
And that was his honest truth.
Patrick stared at Alexander Krupa for a moment before speaking.
“Well, I’ll let it slide this time. I’ll let it slide, but…”
“……”
“Before we discuss my position, let’s make sure your position is clear too. You know what I mean, right?”
“I will keep that in mind.”
At the warning that sent a chill down his spine, Alexander Krupa bowed his head.
* * *
Alexander Krupa’s prediction was spot on.
The King was initially furious, exploding with rage, but once he cooled down and thought about it calmly, he realized the truth.
Is there any way to refuse?
There wasn’t.
Antagonizing Patrick right now would bring absolutely no benefit to King Piesto. And…
Come to think of it, isn’t the Schneider estate already practically an independent nation?
It was.
The various rights Patrick had squeezed out of him through his past tantrums had already turned the Schneider estate into something close to an independent autonomous region.
They were exempt from taxes, had independent diplomatic authority, and above all, the demi-humans living in the Schneider estate weren’t even subjects of the Atronia Kingdom.
Formally granting independence felt a bit unpleasant, but realistically, it didn’t change much from the current situation.
Above all, if his daughter married Patrick and had children…
In the next generation, or perhaps even further in the future, I can bring them back into the fold.
Being connected by the same royal bloodline meant exactly that.
Well, the opposite could also happen, but the current King didn’t need to take responsibility for a future hundreds of years away.
Leaving the possibility open was enough.
And so…
“I shall accept my son-in-law’s conditions.”
“Thank you, Father-in-law.”
King Piesto stared at Patrick’s face for a long time before letting out a sigh.
“If I approve it as a Duchy, who will be the Grand Duke? You? Or Count Schneider?”
“My father will hold the title for the time being. That way, I can move around more freely.”
“I see. However, I will recognize the independence only after your marriage to Isabella. That way…”
“I know. It looks better that way.”
Patrick chuckled.
A young lord from a poor provincial noble family performs great deeds, is recognized by the King, receives a beautiful princess and territory, and becomes royalty.
It was the kind of heartwarming tale found in fairy-tale heroics, but something that rarely happened in reality. However…
“Appearances are important, after all.”
“Yes. I agree.”
The two men laughed simultaneously, and thanks to that, the atmosphere became quite harmonious.
“By the way, how many wives did you say you were taking at once?”
“Three. The Princess of the Elves, and another girl who has looked after me for a long time.”
“Right. I see. Three…”
The King slowly shook his head.
At that sight, Patrick felt a twinge of guilt. After all, wasn't he announcing that he was taking other concubines at the same time he was taking the King's precious daughter?
Well, there wasn't exactly a deep bond of affection between Princess Isabella and King Piesto, but it still weighed on his mind.
“Ahem, Senior—no, I mean… I will never neglect Isabella. I will love them all fairly and equally…”
“Pfft…”
Huh? What was that? What was that ‘pfft’ just now?
It was a ‘pfft’ that naturally carried the meaning of ‘What a naive brat who knows nothing of the world.’
Patrick looked at King Piesto with a sour expression and asked, “Is there a problem?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Listen here, son-in-law.”
“Yes?”
“Countless royals and high-ranking nobles in this world think the same thing when they take multiple wives. ‘I’ll love them fairly and equally, and I’ll rule my household with a firm hand.’ That kind of idealistic thought.”
“…What about it? Is it difficult?”
“The fact that you’re even asking that… Tsk, tsk, tsk. You poor thing.”
The King looked at Patrick as if he truly pitied him.
That gaze, full of sympathy and compassion, was entirely sincere. The King continued.
“Well, just try it. It might be fun for a fleeting moment while you’re young and have the stamina.”
“……”
He had a bad feeling.
A very bad feeling.
But there was no turning back now.
* * *
Return to the Schneider estate.
“Welcome back, Young Lord!”
“You’ve worked hard, Sir Kainel!”
“Knight A, wave your hand!”
“Gah! Stop calling me that!”
Though it might not have been as grand as the victory ceremony in the capital, the citizens of the Schneider estate also welcomed Patrick and his party.
There was no magnificent triumphal arch, no path of flowers, and no money being scattered in the streets, but the people’s smiles were genuine.
The expressions of the returning territorial army were also much brighter.
They had been treated as high-ranking heroes of the nation at the capital’s victory ceremony, but as they say, there’s no place like home.
Patrick chuckled as he watched the knights laughing comfortably while surrounded by the people.
Then, passing through the crowd, he reached his family.
Dismounting from his horse, Patrick bowed his head slightly.
“I’m back, Father.”
“Yes. Good work.”
Seeing his son return in one piece, Count Schneider let out a sigh of relief.
He had heard they won, but he couldn’t help but worry.
Only after seeing with his own eyes that his son was safe could he finally feel at ease.
Looking at the gaze in his father’s eyes, a corner of Patrick’s heart felt strangely sharp.
It was because his father’s gaze reminded him of his Master’s gaze from his previous life.
“Let’s go inside. I have much to tell you.”
“Don’t you need some rest first?”
“I’m fine. I should report first and then rest.”
“Alright. Let’s do that then.”
The father and son smiled warmly at each other and headed inside.
In the reception room, Chandler brewed some tea.
“I am glad you returned safely, Young Lord.”
“Well, it wasn’t that big a deal… More importantly, is there no alcohol instead of tea?”
Chandler gave a bitter smile.
He had become a great hero whose name echoed across the continent, but the Young Lord truly hadn’t changed.
He was exactly the same as when he had gone to the Parmas estate to sell the Saber Tiger hide.
“Drink the alcohol later. Tell me what happened first. I know the general situation, but I want to hear it directly from you.”
“Well, alright. First, as planned, after infiltrating the Harbor Kingdom, I made contact with the dwarves. And then…”
Patrick calmly continued his explanation.
Count Schneider nodded as he listened, sometimes sighing, and heard the explanation through to the end.
“And that’s how we won the war and came back with territory and reparations as spoils. As a bonus, I turned the Harbor Kingdom into a Duchy.”
“I see. So that’s what happened.”
Count Schneider nodded.
Come to think of it, I feel a bit bad for King Darius.
Just because he failed to raise his child properly, he lost a war and his kingdom was demoted to a duchy.
It wasn't just the status of the nation that had dropped.
Considering the migration of the dwarves and the lost territory, the Harbor Kingdom now had to step down from its position as one of the three central powers, the mid-sized powerhouses of the continent.
And in its place, the name of the victor of this war, the Atronia Kingdom, would quietly rise.
It seemed like too painful a price for failing to educate a child, but…
When I think about what that bastard tried to do to my wife, I don’t feel sorry for him at all.
Even if he was the self-proclaimed official pushover, Count Schneider, he couldn't find any sympathy for the man who had kidnapped his beloved wife.
Then, Patrick spoke as if it were no big deal.
“Oh, and on the way back, I met with His Majesty and talked about a few things.”
“Is that so? What did he say?”
Patrick spoke nonchalantly, as if it were truly nothing.
“I got him to promise to recognize our territory as an independent nation.”
“I see. That’s… what?”
But from the listener’s perspective, it was a statement that could never be ‘nothing.’
Regardless, Patrick took a sip of the tea he rarely drank and said, “It hasn’t been announced yet, but an official envoy will arrive soon.”
“No, son. Wait a moment…”
Count Schneider pressed his temples, trying to focus his mind.
“I think I misheard you just now. Say that again. What did you say?”
“We’re becoming an independent nation.”
“……”
“You will be the first Grand Duke of the Schneider Duchy.”
“……”
Right. He hadn’t misheard.
Hahaha. He really did say that.
Yes, he did.
Realizing the situation, Count Schneider jumped up from his seat and roared.
“You booooooy!”
“Ah, what nowwwwww?”
His son shouted back, refusing to back down.
Count Schneider spoke, spittle flying from his mouth.
“Our Schneider family is a family that has been loyal to the Royal Family for generations!”
“Don’t you think we’ve done enough of that by now?”
“Is that for you to decide? Did you think I’d be happy about this?”
“Yes. I thought you would be?”
“Patrick, you booooooy! You really need to be taught a lesson today…”
Just as Count Schneider’s rage reached its peak.
Patrick tossed out one more sentence.
“Oh, and I’m getting married.”
“How dare you get marr— Married?”
“Yes. Marriage. It’s about time for me, isn’t it?”
“……”
“Father?”
After a few seconds of silence.
“Hahaha. Is that so? I see.”
Count Schneider’s face turned incredibly gentle.
The father who had been armed with loyalty to the kingdom and was strictly scolding his son just a moment ago was nowhere to be found.
Wow… I expected it, but I didn’t think it would work this well.
Is my father bipolar?
Count Schneider spoke to Patrick.
“Marriage, yes. You and the Princess are certainly old enough now. Anyone else would have been married long ago and already given me a second grandchild. Hahahaha…”
“That sounds like a sarcastic jab…”
“No, no. This father wasn’t jealous at all.”
“……”
“Even though there were times when I had to keep my mouth shut while others my age bragged about their grandchildren, or when people occasionally suspected there was something wrong with my son…”
Hooo… So that happened?
I should kill them.
As Patrick thought this, Count Schneider wiped away a tear.
“Still, I knew a day like this would come.”
Is this something to cry about?
“Yes. Hahaha. This is wonderful. I’ll finally see my grandchildren. They’ll be cute because they’ll take after my daughter-in-law, right? They’ll be lovely because they’ll take after my daughter-in-law. They’ll be smart and beautiful because they’ll take after my daughter-in-law. Won’t they?”
“……”
Your son is getting hurt right in front of you.
Why is it all about the daughter-in-law?
Sigh… forget it. He’s so happy.
Though he hadn’t said it, it seemed he had been waiting for a long time.
After all, it was normal for heirs of noble families to marry and start a family between the ages of 16 and 17.
The nobles of the East were especially quick.
In the East, where fierce struggles with monsters were constant, even nobles never knew when something might happen to them.
In that light, Patrick was quite late.
Count Schneider was so overjoyed that his grin reached his ears, seemingly having completely forgotten about the independence of the Schneider territory.