The Duty of a Lord
The refugees who had fled from Rabin Territory wore grim expressions. “Why did they gather us…?” “Are they planning to drive us out now?” “That must be it.” “So it’s come to this… Haa…”
Though Aiden had ordered them to assemble in the clearing, they could already guess why Elena had summoned them. She’s going to abandon us. Everyone was thinking the same thing, and the atmosphere had grown heavy with despair. The thought of being sent back to that hell made their minds go blank.
“Sorry for the wait.”
Elena arrived. They all recognized her face—she had shown it when they signed the contracts. “Ah, no need to stand. Just stay as you are. The reason I called you all here is…”
“Are you going to cast us aside, my lady?”
One man gathered his courage and asked carefully. Elena tilted her head. “What are you talking about…?”
“We heard that Viscount Vess Rabin has arrived.”
“You intend to hand us over, don’t you?”
“We knew this would happen.”
Only then did Elena understand why they looked so despondent. Their distrust of nobles ran deep. She knew how other nobles treated their people. How terrible must it have been for them to abandon their homes and walk for over a week to reach this place…
It must have been agonizing. Even though leaving one’s home was never an easy choice, they had fled anyway—that alone spoke of their desperation. What they needed most right now was trust.
Brother was right. Using casual speech instead of formal language was the correct choice.
Elena normally maintained proper etiquette. Even with commoners, she would begin with formal speech if they were older. But this time, Albert had stopped her.
When speaking to your people, use casual speech, not formal.
Why? They’re still my subjects…
Even in a company, if the chairman speaks formally to you, it feels burdensome—no matter how young you are.
What do you mean…?
If someone higher-ranking than you speaks formally, it creates distance. To truly earn their trust, speak casually. Make it clear.
Make what clear?
Albert had gently patted her head. That you are a lord they can believe in. A reliable, powerful lord who will protect them.
Elena trusted Albert. He sometimes did strange things and spouted nonsense, but when it came to matters like this, he was always right. And this time was no different.
As expected of my brother.
A smile full of trust curved her lips.
“I have no intention of abandoning you.”
“What? But…”
“Viscount Vess Rabin has already returned to his territory. He won’t be coming after you again.”
The refugees stirred, their reactions filled with disbelief. It made sense—Vess was greedy and persistent. The fact that he had chased the refugees all the way here proved he wasn’t the type to give up easily.
“Is that… really true?”
“How… There’s no way that man would back down so easily…”
“It’s simple. We fought a proxy duel with him, and we won. So there’s no need to worry about him anymore.”
“A proxy duel…”
“Then… does that mean we’re free from Viscount Vess Rabin?”
“Yes.”
Elena nodded firmly, reassuring them. The people’s expressions brightened slightly. The burden on their shoulders felt lighter at the thought that they wouldn’t have to return to that hell. They had been certain they would be dragged back to him, yet now they would never have to see his face again. It was an immense relief.
“Thank goodness…”
“We don’t have to go back there…”
“Haa…”
Once everyone had let out sighs of relief and the mood had eased, Elena explained why she had gathered them—starting with taxes and moving on to the distribution of houses. The refugees were stunned.
“You’re really giving us houses for free?”
“And you won’t collect taxes until we’re fully settled?”
“That’s right. In exchange, you’ll have to provide labor. There’s plenty of work to be done in our territory—farming, construction, clearing land.”
Legrian Territory was always short on manpower. The dwarves were working hard for now, but they couldn’t keep using such skilled craftsmen for basic construction forever. Proper allocation of resources was crucial.
“This can’t be real…”
“Any other lord would be trying to squeeze us dry…”
“Really… these houses are for us?”
The refugees looked at the brick houses they would be living in. They had half-expected to be given some rundown shack, but—
“These are new?”
“They were just built!”
“What the…”
They were brand-new houses. Freshly constructed, still warm from the builders’ hands.
Tap, tap.
“They’re not shoddy, are they?”
“It happens sometimes—people plant something weird inside the walls.”
“Remember that architect guild that embezzled funds and used cheap materials? The building collapsed the moment someone touched it.”
“Don’t tell me these are the same…”
“What!? Those damn bastards! Shoddy construction!?”
Just then, a refugee who had been inspecting a house for defects had his head smacked by Hot, who even jumped to reach him.
“Ack! W-what the!?”
“You bastards! How dare you suspect shoddy work on a house I built? Have you lost your minds!?”
“H-huh!? W-what!?”
“What! Never seen a dwarf before!? Why are your eyes so wide!? Want me to gouge them out!?”
“……I’ve never seen one before, actually.”
Ordinary people never got the chance to see dwarves. They only heard about them through fairy tales or plays. Seeing one in person was a first.
“That so?”
“Yes……”
“Anyway! This house was built by me! Got a problem with that!?”
Hot, looking slightly embarrassed, raised his voice and steered the conversation back on track.
“You mean you built this house, sir dwarf?”
“Yeah! And you’re accusing my house of shoddy work!? Have you gone mad!? Want a taste of my hammer and nails!?”
“Aigoo! I’m sorry! It was a mistake!”
“Enough! The crime of doubting my house! Come with me!”
“H-huh!? Where are you taking me!?”
“If you want to see whether I do shoddy work or not, just use your eyes! Follow me and carry bricks! We’ve got a mountain of work to do!”
“A-aaaaah! Save me, my lady!!!”
The man desperately called out to Elena for help, but she was already looking elsewhere. He felt a crushing sense of betrayal. He had believed this lord would protect him, yet that faith had shattered within seconds.
“You bastard! You’re a grown man—why are you screaming!? Just go over there and carry bricks! Stack them! That’s all you have to do!!”
Hot skillfully extracted labor from the man—specifically, the most physically fit one.
He’s been circling around since earlier…… So this was his plan.
It was obvious he had been waiting for the right moment. Needing manpower, he had seized the opportunity the moment it presented itself.
Hot really is starting to resemble Brother after spending time with him……
“Haa……”
“Um…… Will he be all right?”
“Ah, he’ll be fine. Hot works for our territory.”
“A territory where dwarves work…… I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
There were still many surprises left for them. Did they know that the black-haired man who had brought them here was a dragon? They might faint if they found out.
“Ahem. Back to the topic—houses will be provided free of charge. Jobs will also be provided here. If you have a business you’d like to start, submit a proposal and we’ll offer support as well.”
Elena looked at the still-dazed refugees.
“There are many benefits to working in the territory. You can buy soap at a discount, and you’ll receive discounts when using the shops.”
“……That’s……”
At this point, the burden became overwhelming. Back in their old territory, they had only ever been exploited by nobles. Receiving so much without giving anything in return was a first.
“Why…… Why are you doing so much for us……?”
One woman voiced the question born from her heavy sense of obligation. To them, nobles were absolute superiors who only took, never gave. So—
“What’s your real motive?”
“Are you…… planning to sell us as slaves?”
They couldn’t help but suspect ulterior motives. The nobles’ repeated misdeeds had planted deep roots of distrust and suspicion. Even if they wanted to believe, it wasn’t easy. Their anxious, uneasy eyes resembled those of the dark elves Elena had seen before.
Elena smiled faintly.
“Because you are now my people.”
Her voice was warm yet carried a powerful strength. Like spring sunlight melting the ice that had frozen their hearts—the cold wind of distrust that chilled to the bone in midwinter. At first, the ice hadn’t moved at all, but—
“As Elena Legrian, head of the Legrian family and lord of this territory, I have a duty to protect my people. I am simply fulfilling that duty.”
A warm breeze blew.
“So you can rest easy now.”
Her voice seeped into the refugees’ ears, slowly melting the deep-seated distrust in their hearts. It pried open the ice of suspicion and thawed it from within.
“From now on, I will protect you. So live here in peace, working comfortably.”
“……”
They had sworn never to trust a noble again. They had lost family. Lost friends. In the end, they had been forced to flee, abandoning even their homes. They hated nobles and had resolved never to trust them again. But—
Ah…… So this is what a noble can be.
Noblesse oblige. At first, they had thought it was nothing but empty, ridiculous words. But—
She’s different.
Looking into Elena’s unwavering, conviction-filled eyes, they knew she was a true noble. A noble unlike any they had met before. If it was her…… maybe they could believe.
“Rosen, though unworthy, greets Lord Elena.”
Starting with Rosen, the people slowly knelt and bowed their heads. In the past, Elena would have been flustered and tried to stop them. But she didn’t waver now. She stood firm so they could believe in her, so they could rely on her—chest proudly raised, as if to show them.
In response, the refugees spoke once more.
“We greet Lord Elena.”
“We greet you, my lady.”
They chose to believe—not in nobles, but in Elena. She smiled gently.
“Welcome to Legrian Territory as its people. I look forward to working with you.”
* * *
“Haa…… That went well.”
Back at the mansion, Elena let out a small breath. She had been so nervous—though the others hadn’t noticed, her palms were drenched in sweat.
“Good work.”
“Brother!”
“You worked hard. Not bad.”
“I did well, right!?”
“Yeah.”
It seems you did very well.
You’re definitely different from before?
Of course. Whose sister do you think she is? This much is nothing.
Good grief, you’re hopeless.
This is why giving praise is scary.
“But did it really end well? Viscount Vess Rabin…… He left, but he doesn’t seem like the type to back down easily.”
Elena was uneasy. The Vess she had met was persistent and greedy. From what she had heard, the atrocities he had committed were beyond words.
“He’s the kind of man who created something as insane as the jus primae noctis…… Will it really be okay?”
What if he tried to retaliate? Men like him might appear to accept defeat on the surface while plotting something behind the scenes. Especially in noble society, such things were common. He would surely attack the territory again by any means necessary.
“We should prepare some countermeasures……”
“Ah, that’s fine.”
“What?”
“I’ve already taken care of everything~”
“Taken care of…… What do you mean…… Wait a second……”
Then, suddenly, Elena recalled how Albert had disappeared in the middle of things. Thinking back on everything he had done so far, she could roughly guess where he had gone.
“Brother…… Did you…… kill him?”
“……I’m not some pleasure-killing psychopath. Why do you always assume I kill everyone I meet?”
Given his track record, that conclusion is only natural, isn’t it?
It’s karma.
The distrust born from the karma he’s accumulated……
“……Then what did you do?”
“I just threatened him a bit and that was it. So he’ll never be able to touch our territory again.”
Albert grinned.
“Brother.”
“Yeah?”
“There’s blood on your clothes.”
“Whoops, must’ve splattered. Tsk…… I’ll have to wash it.”
She didn’t bother asking whose blood it was. She could already guess.
He beat him up. And badly enough to draw blood. It was obvious what had happened to Vess without needing to see it. Elena seemed to have grown quite desensitized to Albert’s impulsive actions by now.
Then I should have the Flower Merchant Group spread some rumors. That there’s a noble who created something as deranged as jus primae noctis, and that people should be careful. A law even other nobles couldn’t comprehend. If this became known, Vess would be treated as a madman even among the nobility. Everyone would cut ties with him.
I’ll crush him so thoroughly that he can never rise again……
Elena was steadily becoming more like Albert. In the worst possible way.
* * *
“Hehehe……”
In front of the Rabin mansion, a robed mage stood with a triumphant laugh.
“Viscount Vess Rabin is said to be extremely greedy, isn’t he? If it’s him, he’ll accept my proposal.”
The mage in the robe pulled back his hood, revealing his face. It was Hansen. He still hadn’t given up on his revenge against Albert. His obsession was extraordinary. Most people would have given up by now, but Hansen had been searching for someone who could help him get revenge. And the one he had chosen was Viscount Vess Rabin.
The rumors say he’s quite the villain. If he’s that greedy……
“If I tell him there’s a hidden gold mine or something in Legrian Territory, he’ll stir up trouble on his own.”
Though only a viscount, Vess had invested heavily in knights and had even recruited a mid-rank Expert three years ago. Albert might be a monster, but he wouldn’t stand a chance against numbers!!
“Albert Legrian…… Did you think I’d give up so easily? I will…… have my revenge……”
With renewed resolve, he stepped into the mansion. Since he had made an appointment in advance, the knights didn’t stop him. And ten minutes after entering—
He was thrown out, beaten to a pulp. Rolling on the ground in front of the mansion, covered in dust, he gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into the dirt.
“Why! Why the hell!? He’s supposed to be greedy! I even offered him money! Why!!”
The furious voice of Vess echoed in his ears from moments ago.
Beat this bastard up and throw him out! What!? Albert Legrian!? Kill that guy!? Have you lost your mind!? You must be an assassin! Obviously! Otherwise, why would you say that!? Fine! Let’s both die today!!
Why! Why was this happening!? Why did everyone he met drive him away like this? Why did he always have to be beaten and thrown out? The question of why wouldn’t leave his mind.
“Someone! Please, just give me an answer!!”
His desperate wail echoed through the territory, but no one gave him the answer he sought.