Chapter 260: Can I Do Well? (2)
Chapter 260: Can I Do Well? (2)
Chirp, chirp... Chirp...
Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, accompanied by the gentle twittering of birds.
At the sound, Patrick slowly opened his eyes.
"Ugh... That was a good sleep."
It was Patrick Schneider, currently enjoying the sweet bliss of his honeymoon, one week after the wedding.
With a refreshed expression, Patrick turned to his lovely wife, Isabella, who was lying beside him.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Did I... sleep well?"
"..."
"Before you ask something like that..."
Isabella struggled to push herself up, her eyes flashing as she glared at Patrick.
"Shouldn't you have the conscience to actually let me sleep first?"
"..."
Well, he had no excuse for that.
The past week had been a series of frantic nights.
April on the first day.
Isabella on the second.
Elione on the third.
Patrick Schneider had spent an enchanting, dream-like time with his beautiful wives. However, the joys of the honeymoon had only just begun.
On the fourth day...
"So, who's it going to be today...?"
Before Patrick could even finish his sentence, April spoke up.
"The Princess! The Princess said she’d do it."
Isabella hurriedly interjected.
"Wait, when did I ever say that?"
"Well..."
"If we're following the rotation, isn't it your turn again, April?"
"No, no! I'm fine. Really, I am."
"Then Elione..."
"Impossible. Impossible. Absolutely impossible."
Elione spoke with a dazed, hollow look in her eyes.
"If I go through that again... I'll end up like one of those Elves captured by Orcs in the stories."
Their reactions were quite fresh.
In truth, though they couldn't have known, Patrick Schneider wasn't just skilled with a sword. He was a true master of the night.
Why? The reason could be found in his wife from his previous life—a woman from the Sichuan Tang Clan.
The Saintess, Tang Su-yeon.
In the Martial World, the Sichuan Tang Clan had been famous for three things since ancient times: poisons, hidden weapons, and the beautiful women of the Tang family.
A woman of the Tang Clan possessed both poison and thorns, yet they were lethally beautiful and fragrant. If a man could remove those thorns and endure the poison, he would possess the most beautiful flower in the world.
The reason such a saying existed was that the daughters of the Sichuan Tang Clan were rigorously educated from a young age for the sake of political marriages. They were trained in the family's secret Zhuan’an Technique and Bedroom Arts that surpassed even those of the Emperor's concubines.
Why?
Because for the Tang Clan to reign as the rulers of Sichuan, they had to maintain strong ties through marriage. To achieve that, it wasn't enough to simply get married; the married life that followed was equally crucial.
As the saying goes, if a man loves his wife, he’ll even bow to the hitching post at his in-laws' house. In Sichuan, men would practically line up to bow to the Tang Clan's hitching posts. That was how many men were utterly captivated by the women of the Tang family.
And Patrick had married the precious pearl of that Sichuan Tang Clan, sharing a bed and skin-to-skin intimacy with her for years. His experience level was on a completely different plane compared to these fresh young brides.
"April, come now. This is the time to show your bravery as a knight."
"No, Princess, aren't you the top graduate of the Academy's Knight Department?"
"I can't compare to you, who has reached the Supreme Realm."
"Then... then Elione. You like the Young Master the most..."
"I can't. If I get subjected to that again... I'll be corrupted. I'll fall into the darkness of pleasure."
While they were hesitating, Patrick placed a hand on April's shoulder.
"April, you're it."
"Yo—Young Master."
"If you really don't want to, it's fine, but..."
"It's not that I don't want to. It's just..."
"Then it's settled."
Before any other excuses could be made, Patrick took April's hand and led her away. April was pulled into the bedroom, stammering in confusion, and a short while later...
"## ## ####."
Just what did he do to make a female knight who had reached the Supreme Realm let out such sounds?
And so, a frantic week passed by.
* * *
After a week of spending time solely with his wives without any interruptions, Patrick headed to the dining hall to have a meal with his family for the first time in a while.
Waiting for him there were the Schneiders—the Baron and his wife, or rather, the now Grand Duke and Grand Duchess.
"Ahem, come... in."
"Did you... sleep well? It's been a while."
Wow, this was awkward.
Seeing his parents hesitating, clearly wanting to ask something but too embarrassed to do so openly, Patrick let out a sigh.
"The girls will be up later."
Or they might already be awake.
At Patrick's words, the Grand Duke and his wife laughed awkwardly.
"Right. Let them rest well."
"Yes, they should rest. Of course, of course."
Could they be any more awkward?
Looking at their eyes avoiding his, contrasted with their lips twitching as if they were dying to tease him, Patrick couldn't help but sigh again.
‘Come to think of it, it was like this in my past life too, wasn't it?’
[Ahem... Why don't you go back and sleep some more?]
[Why are you up so early, Eldest Brother? I thought you'd be up much later.]
[Hehehe... What? Oh, what? I was just laughing—Agh! Don't hit me!]
Those bastards...
The Master was one thing, but his junior brothers and nephews deserved a beating for teasing their "heaven-like" Eldest Brother.
To escape this awkward and annoying atmosphere...
"How do you plan to manage the state affairs from now on?"
Talking about work was the best solution.
At Patrick's question, Grand Duke Schneider paused for a moment before speaking.
"To be honest, I'm not quite sure myself. Even if we've become a Grand Duchy, the territory I rule hasn't expanded, nor has the population increased..."
The Grand Duke continued with a bitter expression.
"For now, I think it's best to maintain the status quo and change things gradually."
The Grand Duke felt he might be sounding too passive even as he said it. However, hearing this, Patrick actually nodded.
"I think that's a good idea."
It was a somewhat passive approach, but it was far better than recklessly starting projects while intoxicated by sudden power and status.
‘Then again, Father isn't the type to do that.’
However, since the framework had changed from a territory to a nation, change was inevitable. And if his father couldn't lead that change personally, he just needed to attach a competent person to handle it.
Patrick spoke while eating the salad in front of him.
"Actually, I don't have a detailed plan either. But usually, in cases like this, they say 'personnel is everything.'"
"...What does that mean?"
"It means it's better for you to place the right people in the right positions rather than trying to take care of every little thing yourself."
"Then I should grant titles to the vassals and have them manage divided tasks."
"Yes. And there's someone I'd like to introduce to you, Father."
"An introduction?"
"Yes. I'll bring him in a moment."
After the meal.
Patrick introduced a middle-aged man to Grand Duke Schneider.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I am Alexander Krupa."
"Ah, then you are the..."
The Grand Duke was momentarily flustered.
The renowned Chancellor of the Harbor Kingdom, Duke Alexander Krupa. Just as the names of skilled knights spread among warriors, Duke Krupa was an object of admiration for someone like Grand Duke Schneider, who had once aspired to be a legal scholar.
"It is a pleasure to meet... you, Duke."
"I am no longer a Duke."
"Hahaha..."
The Grand Duke just laughed. After all, the primary reason this man was no longer a Duke was his own son.
Alexander Krupa spoke to the Grand Duke.
"Even if I still held the status of a Duke, Your Grace is now in a position where you must no longer bow your head so easily."
His voice was calm yet strict and firm.
Grand Duke Schneider nodded readily.
"I'm not used to it yet, so I ask for your understanding."
"..."
Alexander Krupa nodded slowly. But as he did, he glanced at Patrick out of the corner of his eye. Then, looking back at the Grand Duke in front of him, he thought to himself:
‘He doesn't seem like a particularly outstanding individual.’
He had left the Harbor Kingdom because he recognized Patrick as a superior ruler. Of course, Patrick's current status was that of the heir, and the official head of the Schneider family was the Grand Duke.
But even so...
‘I didn't have high expectations, but this is a bit...’
Having already been disappointed by the dependent attitude of his former lord, King Darius, he couldn't help but hesitate.
Even though Alexander Krupa's face showed blatant disappointment, Grand Duke Schneider said nothing.
"Hey, old man."
It was then.
Patrick's crooked voice rang out.
Turning his head, Krupa saw Patrick standing there with his arms crossed.
"Watch your eyes, will you?"
"Uh... Yes. Ah..."
"I usually respect people who use their heads."
[When did you ever do that, you punk!]
It felt like he could hear the voice of a certain ugly someone, but he ignored it.
He continued.
"But you see, there's a line. Everything in the world has a line, right?"
"..."
"If you cross that line..."
"..."
"You're gone."
The sentence lacked a direct object, but the meaning was clear enough. The intelligent Alexander Krupa immediately bowed his head and apologized to the Grand Duke.
"My apologies, Your Grace. I was disrespectful."
"Ahem, it's quite alright. We're just not familiar with each other yet."
"Ah... yes."
"Let's take our time getting used to one another."
Looking at the Grand Duke, who spoke with a kind smile, Alexander Krupa realized something.
‘The father and son are certainly very different.’
Indeed, a smart person is quick on the uptake.
A short while later, Alexander Krupa explained his circumstances and expressed his desire to join the Schneider territory.
"So, you're saying you wish to officially take a position in our Schneider Grand Duchy?"
"Yes. That is correct, Your Grace."
The Grand Duke's heart raced. Alexander Krupa was a brilliant administrator who had built a powerful centralized system in the Harbor Kingdom, which had been fragmented by the rise of military nobles. He was exactly the kind of talent the Schneider Grand Duchy needed as it tried to establish itself as a nation.
"If you are willing, I would like to appoint you as the Chancellor of our Schneider Grand Duchy."
"If you entrust it to me, I will do my absolute best."
Alexander Krupa. The man once called the Great Chancellor of the Harbor Kingdom began his new career in the Schneider Grand Duchy.
* * *
A short while later.
It was officially announced that Alexander Krupa had been granted the title of Count in the Schneider Grand Duchy and appointed as the Chancellor in charge of internal affairs.
Whether this should be called a "parachute appointment" or "preferential hiring of experienced staff" was ambiguous... but what was clear was that he was an outsider who had just rolled in.
‘First, I must establish my position.’
Alexander Krupa knew. The most important thing for him now was how well he could embed himself in his new role.
Should he approach others warmly and blend in? Or should he push out the existing figures and seize their positions?
Count Krupa was confident either way. However...
"Have you arrived, Count?"
"Ah... A pleasure to meet you, Baron."
"The honor is mine. Shall we proceed with the handover of duties immediately?"
"Of course."
"First, here are the documents regarding the territory's finances. And this side contains the transaction records with the Elvador Merchant Group, and this is the expenditure and salaries for the knights, and..."
What was this? Why was he being so cooperative?
Chandler, who had been serving as both the territory's administrator and the butler of the Schneider mansion and had recently been promoted to Baron, obediently provided all the materials.
No, it wasn't just obedience...
"Truly, thank you so, so much for coming to our country, Count."
After handing over all the documents, Chandler grabbed Count Krupa's hand, his eyes welling with tears. Count Krupa was actually flustered by the overwhelming display.
"Ahem... Now see here, Baron."
"Finally... finally, I can sleep more than four hours a day. I will truly never forget this kindness for the rest of my life."
"..."
"Well then, I'll be going..."
Watching Chandler practically flee the room, Count Krupa felt a chilling sensation. It took less than three days for him to realize the true nature of that feeling.
* * *
Three days later.
Patrick was working the knights, soldiers, and Orc warriors at the territory's training ground.
"Are your feet invisible, you bastards? Is that running? That's walking!"
"Aaaaaagh!"
"Please just go back to the Demon World, Young Master!"
"I'm the Grand Duke's Son now."
"Just get lost already!"
"Or die!"
Hearing the screams of spite, Patrick smiled contentedly. It had been a while since he'd overseen the kids' training. Hearing the sounds of mourning echoing through every corner of the training ground...
"Ah, this is healing."
Truly a demon.
A gaunt, haggard figure approached Patrick.
"Young Lord."
"Huh? Oh... Old man. Why are you here? Aren't you busy?"
At Patrick's words, the skeleton—no, the middle-aged man—gritted his teeth. It was Count Krupa, who had been in office as the Chancellor of the Schneider Grand Duchy for only three days.
"I have something to say."
"What is it? Go ahead."
"Please hire more people for the administration!"
"Huh? Why?"
At Patrick's question, Count Krupa ground his teeth and said, "Either hire more people, accept my resignation, or just kill me instead."
"Come on, you've only just started. Don't be such a drama queen."
"A drama queen?"
At that moment, for the first time in his life, Count Krupa felt the urge to throw a punch at someone's face.
For the past three days, he had lived buried under a mountain of paperwork. He handled work while eating, and even took documents with him to the bathroom. But no matter how much he processed, the rate at which work piled up was far faster than the rate he could finish it.
It wasn't that he was incompetent or slow. The problem was that there were simply too few people in the Schneider territory capable of doing clerical work. And compared to the small workforce, the work methods were incredibly inefficient.
"Look at this."
"What is it?"
Count Krupa opened a document and read it aloud.
"A friend borrowed 5 silver at a pub and hasn't paid it back for a month, so please do something about it?"
"What a bad guy."
"That's not the point!"
Wow, he had quite a pair of lungs. For a second, Patrick thought it was a Lion's Roar.
Count Krupa glared at Patrick with bloodshot eyes.
"Why is a petition like this making its way all the way up to the Chancellor of a nation?"
"Now, now. One must work hard on both small and large matters. Isn't that what a true official does?"
"..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is all because you lack love for the people and a spirit of service. Honestly, you've gone soft..."
Count Krupa's jaw dropped.
And, a bit late, he came to the same realization that most people who met Patrick Schneider eventually did.
‘What kind of human is this?’
Yes. This was the normal reaction.