NOVEL NEXT chapter 27
27 – The Grand and Beautiful Tower (1)
“Impossible? Didn’t you say there are a few ways to become a duke?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Liana spread out her fingers.
“For one, Eruga is not of noble birth.”
As she said that, she folded one finger.
“They say you can receive a noble rank by achieving great feats, but in reality, it’s quite difficult.”
“Why? Do you think I’m incapable?”
“It’s not that. It’s an administrative issue.”
Riana rolled her eyes, pondering how to explain.
“Let’s say Ergha became a war hero. So now the country wants to grant him a title, but it turns out Ergha doesn’t exist.”
“Since he wasn’t born as a human, he doesn’t have a birth certificate or any way to prove his existence.”
“Exactly. That’s why the royal court is in a panic. What kind of person is this? Of course, there are many people who live without proper registration.”
Riana continued to elaborate.
“Ergha’s parents never filed a birth report or anything, and until now, he lived without any major inconveniences. But now there’s a big problem.”
“What is it?”
“No matter how much Ergha can fly, do you think there’s any land in the Verafche Kingdom that they can give him?”
I looked around for a moment.
There must be wide rolling hills, distant mountain ranges, and beyond that, vast lands that I couldn’t see.
Riana noticed my gaze and smiled.
“It looks like ownerless land, right? But every piece of land in the kingdom has an owner. The place we’re standing on right now is probably the Karabka Prefecture, I guess?”
“Explain it accurately.”
The kingdom’s land is divided into two main types.
The prefectures, which are the king’s land, and the territories, which belong to the nobles.
All the land is divided like that, and even the deep and treacherous places that people can’t reach have owners on the map, at least.
“Moreover, the Verafche Kingdom is the strongest and most stable country in the western part of the continent. What do you think that means?”
“There’s no room for interference. The territories are already established and have been passed down for generations.”
“That’s right. Unless we go crazy, we won’t split a perfectly good territory and give it to Eurga.”
“If that’s the logic, then it would be impossible to separate a territory from a direct order.”
“That’s right. All the taxes of the kingdom come from the direct orders, but they don’t give them away.”
So, in the end, becoming a lord is really impossible.
I thought it was a pretty good job, though.
I guess I’ll have to look for something else.
At that moment, Liana lightly poked the bridge of my nose with her finger, which she hadn’t touched yet.
“But it’s not like there’s absolutely no way, Eurga.”
“What is it?”
“What was the biggest reason they said you can’t become a lord in the Veravche Kingdom?”
“Because it’s stable.”
“That’s right. So, shall we think about it the other way around?”
“Hmm… Are you saying that there’s a way if we go to an unstable place?”
Liana chuckled and nodded her head.
“Just by mentioning the head, Eurga, you can guess everything from the body to the tail.”
“Is it okay for a supposed saint to use such language?”
“I’m not a real saint anyway, so what does it matter? Anyway, unstable situations actually offer more opportunities.”
That’s right.
In the midst of confusion, there will be many territories that will collapse or be plundered.
And being unstable also means there are many chances to build power.
“Is there a good place?”
“Well, I’m not sure. We’ll have to find out.”
Just then, the patrol officers finished their meal preparations and called us over.
We sat around the campfire and enjoyed the hot bean soup, blowing on it to cool it down.
I was so hungry that even though it was just a simple meal, it tasted delicious.
“Excuse me, Detective. Do you happen to know the current situation in the neighboring kingdoms?”
As we ate the soup, Liana asked, and Mera nodded her head.
“I have a rough idea.”
“Then, are there any countries recently in turmoil or facing civil war?”
“Well… there are a few.”
Mera explained to Liana the names of some kingdoms and their current situations.
After listening to the story, Liana asked about a specific kingdom.
“If it’s the Tarda Kingdom, it’s located east of our kingdom, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. They say the situation there is quite complicated.”
The Tarda Kingdom is traditionally known for having a weak monarchy and strong nobles.
They elect their king through the nobles’ meetings and votes, and if they’re not satisfied, they overthrow the king.
Recently, there’s been another attempt to overthrow the king, and it’s said that there’s a split between those who support the king and those who oppose him, leading to an imminent civil war.
“What do you think, Erga?”
“It’s fine. The fact that the power lies with the nobles rather than the king means that there’s no one to mediate their fights, and that means even if someone strong takes over the land, it won’t be a problem.”
“That’s right. So, why don’t you go there, Erga, and either seize a territory yourself or buy a territory on the verge of collapse? How does that sound?”
I often wonder if Rihanna is truly from a clergy background.
And is it true that she was expelled for having lewd thoughts upon seeing a well-endowed chest?
In my opinion, it’s more likely that she was expelled because she was too worldly and lacked the qualifications to be a clergy member.
Which saint in the world would so easily utter words like “seize the territory”?
Of course, that’s why I like Rihanna.
If Rihanna had been the kind of clergy member I’ve seen in books, someone boring and obsessed with appearances, she probably wouldn’t have made it this far.
Rihanna suits being a materialistic person.
“You’re right, Rihanna. Let’s go to the Kingdom of Tarda.”
“Sounds good. Our next destination is already decided.”
Mera, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, chimed in.
“You’re really going to the Kingdom of Tarda? To become a lord?”
“Yes. It seems exciting, doesn’t it?”
“Hmm… Having your own territory is a good thing, of course. But surviving as a lord in the Kingdom of Tarda won’t be easy.”
“Are you saying that the lords there are power-hungry and that there’s a lot of political maneuvering?”
“That’s right. Unlike our kingdom, where administration and law are well-established, it’s still a place ruled by the law of the jungle.”
Well, for an ordinary person, it would naturally be a great risk.
But I am not an ordinary human.
Returning to my dragon form comes with significant constraints, but the basic conditions themselves are exceptional.
And with Rihanna, who is both materialistic and quick-witted, I believe we can handle it.
“But, Eruga-sama, if you’re going to be a lord, you’ll need to gather a lot of people.”
“People to work?”
“No, those are the farmers. They are the ones who manage the land in the province.”
“But you’re here. You can do it.”
“How can I do it all by myself? Even if I start small, I still need at least a few people to help me with anything I do.”
The nobility…
So, you’re saying I should gather subordinates?
They are the key personnel who run the province, so we can’t just bring in anyone randomly. We need to recruit talented individuals with exceptional abilities.
The first person that came to mind was Mera, who was right in front of me.
She’s a diligent narcotics investigator, smart, proactive, and could be useful in many ways, right?
Mera, who understood the meaning behind my gaze, nodded.
“I can’t go, Lord Erga.”
“Oh my, Lady Erga. You’re a civil servant. You have a guaranteed pension. Why would you follow us, who have no place to call our own?”
“hahahaha. Lady Saint, if you hit the nail on the head like that, it’s embarrassing.”
* * * * *
After finishing our meal, Mera, Liana, and I went to bed.
We were exhausted from turning the province upside down all night.
The long-distance patrol members, who had enough rest while we were gone, were on constant alert.
Liana spread out a map and hummed a tune, lying on her stomach.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m looking at the route to the Tarda Kingdom. Trying to figure out the fastest and most efficient way to get there.”
“It’ll be quick if we fly.”
“Don’t say that. If we get caught by our families, we’ll all be in trouble. What will happen to me if Eurga is caught?”
“That’s true. You’re here.”
Riana, who was looking at the map, smiled at me mockingly.
“So be careful. Right now, to me, Eurga is everything.”
What a strange thing to hear. To Riana, there’s only me.
“Hmm… If we take a short break here and go the next day… We can make it this far…”
I fell asleep listening to Riana mumbling to herself.
* * * * *
The next day, as we arrived in Karabka, we bid farewell to Mera and the patrol members.
“Thank you for your help, Mr. Eurga. And Lady Saint.”
“It’s alright. We’ve taken care of everything, so it’s a win-win for both of us.”
Mera smiled and extended her hand.
“Goodbye, Mr. Eurga. I hope you become a lord.”
“May the investigator have success in all your endeavors.”
We shook hands with the long-distance patrol members and went our separate ways.
“Well, what do we do now, Riana?”
“I’ve already planned the route. First, we’ll buy what we need for the journey here, have a delicious lunch, and then leave.”
We went around the city buying what we needed.
Seasonings like salt, fresh meat and vegetables for the next day or two, and hardtack.
In my bag, I had Wyvern eggs, and since there wasn’t much space, most of the food went into Liana’s bag.
Liana, though small in stature, effortlessly swung the bag without much effort.
Anyway, it didn’t matter if the bag was a little heavy.
Once attached to the saddle brought from the Duchy of Toussenne, it was all good.
After finishing all the preparations and having a hearty meal at the restaurant, we rode north.
* * * * *
Guided by Liana, we went through various adventures and finally entered the territory of the Kingdom of Tarda.
“Here is the promised land where the legend of Erga begins, Tarda Kingdom.”
Liana said, touched by the moment.
But the Kingdom of Tarda didn’t let us indulge in our own fantasies.