The Flower on the Cliff
There are gatherings among the nobles. Social circles, social clubs. The words don't exactly evoke pleasant feelings, but in this world they're quite common. Gatherings of nobles who share the same hobbies are essential for building connections, and social clubs are also perfect places for young men and women of a certain age to meet. Titled nobles may be bound by strict conventions, yet they don't avoid such gatherings entirely. In fact, untitled nobles often attend events hosted by titled ones. The Boran family is especially known for this.
They're a family that moves actively in high society, and their city offers countless venues for social events. From riding grounds and hunting fields to outdoor meals, tea parties, concert halls, and even places where one can perform music themselves. They host gatherings frequently and attend those organized elsewhere just as often, whether by direct or collateral lines. Rumors even claim there are months when the lord is rarely seen in his own castle because of how active they are. And their reach supposedly extends not only east and north but even abroad…
"They really are impressive."
Recalling that mischievous smile and the way she once patted my back, I couldn't help but laugh. She's a good person, but I can't afford to let my guard down.
"Lord Leoric."
"You're here?"
Clip-clop!
While waiting on horseback, I'd been idly gazing at the sky out of boredom when Irina Boran suddenly crossed my mind. The fact that the thought drifted in at a moment like this probably meant I was quite bored indeed. At the sound of my name, I turned my head to find Chloe, also draped in a robe like mine. We were both wearing them as a simple disguise, just in case. Chloe might be fine, but if anything went wrong, my golden hair and golden eyes were far too recognizable.
"How does it look?"
"Nothing unusual to report."
At Chloe's words, I turned my gaze forward. The vast sky stretched out as we rode, and below it the land. Beyond the green plains loomed the Great Mountain Range, so impossibly massive that it seemed to break all sense of perspective.
"The Great Mountain Range, huh."
Even when I reinforced my eyes with magic, I couldn't sense what lay inside. It felt completely different from the one I'd seen near the adventurer city. That place had been only partially part of the range, so there'd been no rejection response, but here it felt as though the mountains were a living creature, cutting off every external reaction.
"If they're planning something, this would be the place… but."
Judging by the movements of the Red Blood, and especially the Purple faction, I'd expected terrorism against villages or attempts to lure monsters out of the Great Mountain Range, yet there was no sign of activity.
"Perhaps it's because we attacked all their branches?"
"Could be."
Chloe wasn't wrong. After I'd raided every branch in Müller, the rumors had begun spreading to other territories as well. According to the letters from Franz, it seemed everyone had started investigating the Red Blood to some degree.
"……"
Investigations, huh. Then I should check the opposite as well—whether there are any territories that aren't investigating. I'll mention it to Isabel when I get back. Unless they're complete idiots, they'd at least pretend to look into it.
"Lord Leoric."
"Hm?"
At the sudden call, I looked at Chloe.
"What will you do now?"
"Good question."
I glanced around at her words. This was the first time I'd properly explored the land since arriving here. I'd already mapped out the area around the capital Müller, and I knew the general layout of the territory from maps, but seeing it with my own eyes was different. Still, for a medieval-era map, the accuracy was surprisingly high—probably thanks to the heightened perception that came with magic power.
Since we'd come all this way, I might as well look around a bit more.
"Wasn't the river running through Müller flowing toward the Great Mountain Range?"
"Yes. It's one of the tributaries leading to Lake Rainia."
There was no real owner for the land nearby. Being close to the Great Mountain Range, and with a fair number of monsters flowing out along the river, most of the territory above Müller had effectively been abandoned. The danger of large monsters aside, even dealing with the smaller ones was troublesome enough.
"……Hmm."
I slowly surveyed the surroundings while unfolding the map.
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The Franz domain lay to the right of Mount Gulan, which jutted out from the Great Mountain Range, pressed right up against it. Müller's domain sat to the left, separated from the range by a noticeable distance. As the map showed, there was quite a bit of space between Müller and the Great Mountain Range. Precise maps of other regions were hard to come by, but even rough ones revealed that many places were as far or farther from the range than Müller. Strictly speaking, the upper part of Müller could still be considered part of the domain, but in practice it had been given up on. The threat of large monsters aside, even handling the smaller ones was work enough.
Compared to other territories, Müller was actually quite close.
"Looking at it like this, Franz really is abnormal."
"It's the strength of the Franz domain."
I smiled at Chloe's face, filled with pride. She wasn't wrong. A domain whose strength rested on a single powerful lord had its limits. Franz was different—its soldiers and knights' strength was the domain's strength. That was why development was necessary.
"Still, this land beneath the Great Mountain Range… I wonder if there's any way to make use of it."
Being this close, the soil itself seemed fertile—good enough for farming. There was a river nearby too, so diverting water wouldn't be a problem. If we could make use of the river's flow, trade by boat might even be possible. It wouldn't be bad to build a city here, not just farm. But if we considered livestock, the monsters that would come hunting the animals… well, the same went for fields. Maybe it needed a different purpose altogether?
"Uuuuugh."
Just thinking this far made it feel like I was actually playing a game. In any case, seeing this empty land that couldn't be touched right away brought all sorts of plans to mind, but Müller's current resources were insufficient. It wasn't just about me getting stronger—my subordinates needed strengthening too.
"Well, this is normal, I suppose."
It wasn't a game. Soldiers didn't appear or buildings finish construction the moment a turn ended. Everything took time, people, and money.
"This is life~"
"What are you saying?"
At Chloe's expression after hearing my humming, I folded the map and tucked it away.
"I've looked around, but this land really is a waste."
"But to do anything here, we lack soldiers above all else."
"It's not something we need to solve immediately. Let's look into it slowly from now on."
After all, this land was mine. And people…
Piiiiiiiiii!
A flute's sound came from afar, and I looked up at the sky. The sun had reached its peak. Not having a watch was inconvenient. Either way, it was already this late.
"Chloe, let's go."
"Yes, understood. Hya!"
Neigh!
The appointed time had come. With the sound of hooves, the horse began to walk slowly.
* * *
Enoch Tatra. Second son of the Tatra viscount family. He held a title but no domain. One needed to achieve merit or succeed in war, but that was never easy. Born into such a family, Enoch had received the family's expectations at a glance from a young age because his magic power and its quality surpassed even his elder brother's.
"Enoch. With your talent, becoming a baron isn't just a dream."
"Yes, Father."
Perhaps because of the gazes around him, Enoch himself believed that if it was him, he could surpass the wall of magic power that was a title and rise to a high position. Thinking this inwardly, he never stopped training his magic. A young man's pride soared endlessly, and it was only natural that he felt arrogant superiority over other boys his age who lacked his abilities.
And when had that dream collapsed?
"Irina Boran. She may not be the heir to the Boran family, but her bloodline is exceptionally noble. You must win her favor. Understood?"
"Yes. Leave it to me."
The city of Boran held countless gatherings. Networking events were held constantly, regardless of season. The most popular ones were naturally those hosted by the Boran count family, the lords of the domain. Enoch swept his gaze around. There were people he'd seen or heard rumors about. That one was the eldest son of some family, that one was the child of someone from such-and-such region… But among them all, the one doing the best was clearly himself. That baseless confidence existed within Enoch, so he stood there with more assurance than anyone.
And then she appeared.
"I'm Irina, Irina Boran! Please take care of me, everyone!"
A smile far too bright for a noble lady. Greeting everyone while smiling softly and proudly puffing out her chest, she was so beautiful that Enoch's heart began to pound.
"H-hello. I'm Enoch Tatra, second son of the Tatra viscount family."
"Oh my. I've attended events at the Tatra family a few times. I'll be in your care from now on!"
When their eyes met and they shook hands, it felt like his heart would burst. It was embarrassing, but from the outside, anyone could tell how red-faced Enoch felt. He thought so too. But looking at the other men around, they were all the same. Their confident expressions had vanished somewhere; standing before her, they all stammered like Enoch and blushed. She had enchanted every man in the room with nothing but a smile.
After that, everyone else—and Enoch too—were all the same. True to her Boran bloodline… no, even more so, Irina Boran hosted an overwhelming number of gatherings. Art, music, literature, horseback riding… sometimes she even ventured into dangerous areas under the name of hunting, so lively and energetic was she. Enoch was exhausted just keeping up. Eventually, the others reached an unspoken agreement and divided the gatherings among themselves so their schedules wouldn't overlap, attending only the ones that suited them.
Therefore, Enoch couldn't meet her. Among her gatherings was a small academic salon that discussed scholarly topics and only a very few people attended. Since even the number of attendances was low and it wasn't popular, it often fell through due to insufficient numbers. At that gathering, there was one person who attended. And that person attended only that gathering.
At Irina Boran's coming-of-age ceremony—when she was recognized as a proper adult, and rumors began circulating in high society that the free-spirited Boran family would let Irina marry someone of her own choosing, sending every man's heart aflutter—there was Leoric Franz. The second son of the Franz family, who had become the lord of the Müller domain. The rumor that he would hold the ceremony in his own domain came at exactly that timing.