NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21
That night, I can’t say for certain what transpired between the Hero and the Princess, but I can assert that nothing happened between the Grand Mage and his apprentice.
For instance, there was absolutely no reason for Margaret to pull her hair out and jump around in a fit after hearing about it. Jenis, who had cast a spell on the carriage early in the morning, was so exhausted that she fell asleep as soon as the sun set.
As for Jeongjae, it was suspicious that he insisted on entering the carriage where Jenis was soundly sleeping, so he simply leaned against the driver’s seat and dozed off.
The two of them slept peacefully, apart from each other, and woke up simultaneously with the rising sun.
“Yawn.”
Rubbing her eyes, Jenis got out of the carriage. Jeongjae, who had woken up a little earlier, was checking the carriage with magic to ensure nothing unusual had happened overnight.
“You’re up early.”
“It’s become a habit to wake up when dawn breaks. You can’t really sleep long when crossing enemy territories during a war.”
“Nothing happened last night, right?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t seem like anything happened. The spells are fine, and there’s no sign of any residual damage.”
“I see. So nothing did happen.”
Jenis spoke with a tone that hinted at some disappointment. Perhaps she had planned to lure an attack from bandits while being off-guard.
“Well then, shall we set off?”
Jeongjae grabbed the reins as he spoke. Jenis hurriedly stopped him.
“Wait a moment! Since I’m the Lord’s assistant, I should hold the reins. If you do it like this, it looks like the Baron is escorting the Countess!”
“That’s true. In that case, I’ll leave it to you.”
Jeongjae got up and swapped places with Jenis. Right at the boundary of Harriet’s Territory, Jenis swung the reins energetically and shouted to move forward.
Since they had stopped the carriage right nearby and spent the night, it took them less than ten minutes to reach the boundary of the territory. As a well-maintained two-wheeled carriage that was hard to come by in this area appeared, a vigilant guard ran towards them, looking tense.
“Excuse me, we need to check. May I ask who is in this carriage?”
The guard, holding a spear in one hand, examined the carriage and, upon seeing the ‘VR’ emblem on it, widened his eyes and stepped back.
“My apologies! You may pass, Baron!”
The guard recognized the emblem of the Harriet family, deducing that this carriage was of high quality, which was rarely seen around here.
Having grown accustomed to the strict checks in Harker territory, Jenis frowned at the inconvenience but chose not to reprimand the guard and let them pass through the village boundary.
“Shall we take note of the name, Baron?”
Jenis asked with an enigmatic expression. Jeongjae, who was sitting in the carriage, chuckled.
“Forget it. The fact that this place feels so far removed from all the chaos must mean that it’s peaceful here. Once I’ve settled in, I’ll make sure to educate them properly. Especially since there probably aren’t many guards in a village like this, we can always find out the details later.”
“That’s true. It’s better to train them a bit more thoroughly.”
Jeongjae pondered his own words before tilting his head in confusion.
“Did they really live in such peace that the guards are this relaxed?”
“Well, we are near the border. Being by the sea almost eliminates the chance of enemy comings and goings.”
“Weren’t there rumors of bandit attacks?”
“That’s right. If the bandits were frequently raiding this territory, then having just one guard standing watch at the boundary is pretty lax.”
As Jenis drove the carriage, she frowned as she looked around the small village. Early in the morning, smartly dressed villagers began to emerge from shabby houses, whispering as they saw the carriage.
“Look at that emblem. Doesn’t it look just like the flag hanging at the castle?”
“Is it finally time for our Baron to return? Is this something to be happy about…”
“Come on, no way. If a noble were to enter, they’d have already made a fuss about it and prepared a welcome…”
“More than that, the person driving the carriage couldn’t be… No, couldn’t be, right? Surely, the Countess wouldn’t be the one driving the carriage?”
“You’d be surprised how confused you can get there. Do you really think that makes sense?”
“No, but still, the resemblance to what I heard in rumors is uncanny!”
Listening to the murmurs, Jeongjae gestured to Jenis. Confirming most of the chatter was coming from the village women, Jeongjae realized that this village had not escaped the effects of conscription.
“Jenis, send a word. Yes, it is true that the Baron and Countess are here, but there’s no need for formality or a boisterous welcome. Just looking around, it seems that the population ratio was already a disaster.”
“Yes, Baron.”
Turning back, Jenis nodded and cast an amplification spell on her voice before shouting.
“To those riding in this carriage, I present to you your new lord, Baron Jeongjae Harriet. The driver of this carriage is Jenis Harker, the daughter of the local family, who possesses noble blood but is currently serving merely as the Baron’s assistant, so do not expect any greetings. The only thing that has changed is the master of Harriet Castle; you need not worry about how to spend your day today.”
Upon hearing Jenis’s proclamation, the village women first confirmed the identity of the carriage before suddenly becoming startled and freezing in place. Some even dropped the items they were holding and began to bow, which Jenis couldn’t hide her embarrassment at seeing.
“Professor, they were told not to greet, so why are they acting like this? Should I go and stop them?”
“If you get closer, they’ll panic even more. Let’s just pass through quickly. They’ll learn over time that you won’t be eaten if you don’t maintain the highest forms of courtesy.”
With Jeongjae’s judgment, Jenis flicked the reins and urged the carriage forward. Thanks to the speed enchantment on the carriage, it didn’t take too long to reach the castle after passing through the village.
The Harriet Castle was noticeably modest compared to Harker Castle; standing only two stories high, it couldn’t even be considered that large when compared to an ordinary office building.
Of course, considering that most buildings in this territory were close to ramshackle farms, the clean stone walls made it look sufficiently large and magnificent, but by the standard of Harker Castle, it could only be described as rather cute.
At the edge of the territory, the back of the castle met the sea, and Jeongjae imagined that the lord’s office, which probably sat on the second floor, would overlook the sea directly.
From that vantage point, it would be great to observe the fishing situation and risks from rough waves, Jeongjae thought as he jumped down from the carriage.
“Greetings, Baron! Welcome to your territory!”
As Jeongjae stepped out of the carriage, a guard standing at the castle gate saluted with a booming voice. Jeongjae wondered what he would think if he were not the lord himself but just another attendant of the lord, but upon checking his attire, he understood the reason.
Compared to the shabby, tattered clothes most commoners wore, Jeongjae’s blue coat jacket, even if it wasn’t particularly ornate among nobility, was definitely a standout piece.
Set here, it was the kind of attire that left no doubt about him being ‘a very important person’.
Jeongjae felt a twinge of embarrassment and asked the guard.
“Don’t you check if I’m the real lord around here?”
“U-uh, well, um… I’m so sorry! If you’d like, I can check right now!”
The guard suddenly broke into a sweat upon being pointed out for his lax security. While Jeongjae had no intention of chastising him for that lapse, he also hadn’t meant to inquire to punish him either.
“But, Baron… how exactly should we confirm your identity? We just haven’t heard anything and don’t know how. I apologize for the excuse!”
“Well, don’t worry about it. Thankfully, I really am the true Baron Harriet this time around.”
Suddenly conscious that there was only one guard at the boundary and one at the castle gate, Jeongjae asked the guard.
“How many guards are there in this territory? I can’t shake the feeling that you’re a bit short on manpower.”
“There are only three of us who can really be called soldiers, including me! George is guarding the boundary, Peter is patrolling the village, and then there’s me, Sammy, keeping the castle secure!”
“Good job, Sammy.”
Jeongjae tried hard to hide his surprise. Three? Only three armed guards in a village with three thousand residents?
When judged by the population ratio, that might not be ridiculously low, but having thirty guards maintain order in a place with thirty thousand residents would be far easier than having just three maintain one Baron’s territory—that was beyond common sense.
That was when Jeongjae’s expectation of having at least ten militia members as a standing army was completely shattered.
Furthermore, the guard keeping the castle didn’t even know to ask, ‘May I see your insignia or the royal appointment letter?’ At a glance, it was certain he wouldn’t understand even if shown.
“Isn’t it said there are enemies in the territory? Is security alright with only that number?”
“Uh, you’re talking about bandits? Well… um… please, just speak comfortably! Nobles don’t need to use honorifics with a mere soldier!”
“Ah, then forget that. Uh, don’t mind the bandit talk. It’s just something I heard.”
“Yes, understood!”
Jeongjae quickly nodded in agreement. In the past, Jeongjae, who used to be shy, would feel burdened if a higher-up started using honorifics against him.
A short while later, after putting the horses in the stable and parking the carriage, Jenis walked towards the castle gate. Jeongjae, waiting for her to return, smiled warmly at the guard and asked him to open the door.
The guard quickly took out a key and opened a door that was closer in size to a room than a castle gate. Jenis turned to Jeongjae.
“Have you finished confirming your identity in the meantime?”
“Let’s talk about that later, Jenis.”
“Ah, I see.”
Jenis shot a glance at the guard, Sammy, with a look that suggested ‘he didn’t know how to handle such procedures and just clumsily brushed it off.’ Realizing he had been chided both by the Baron and the Countess for the lackadaisical security, Sammy began to tremble in nervousness.
“Let’s go in. Let’s go in.”
Seeing that Jenis’s gaze placed an undue burden on the guard, Jeongjae caught her shoulder and gently nudged her inside. Jenis turned back, tilting her head.
“It’s not like I’m going to punish him. Isn’t it fine to give a little pointed look?”
“Look at the conscription situation in this village. Every capable man has probably been taken away. Even if they’re guards, simply being left in this village might indicate some disqualifications. Let’s be grateful that we don’t seem to have those too hard to teach.”
Jeongjae’s home planet was one that was crazed for capable men; a rigorous drafting policy ensured that all competent males were taken. Even men deemed unsuitable for soldiering would still scurry for any role they could find…
In comparison, this operation was thorough enough not to fall behind. The capabilities of the Audrich Empire regarding census and administrative structure were unquestionably beyond the visible era’s appearances.
“Ugh, if they were just going to maintain the status quo blindly, it wouldn’t be a problem, but if we truly want to fix this territory, there are quite a few issues we need to tackle.”
Jenis trembled slightly as she spoke. Jeongjae nodded, his expression firm.
“If I were just going to maintain the status quo, I wouldn’t have even taken the title in the first place. Let’s see how far we can take this.”