Reincarnation of a Hunter

 

A few days later.

 

The administrator of the Rhône-Alpes walked into his office.

 

But somehow a familiar person was waiting for him.

 “Administrator, please help me!” “Who are…?” “Oh my, are you acting like you don’t know me?” 

He tried to remember where he’d seen him before, but couldn’t.

 “No, no, I really don’t remember.” “I’m Henry Bron. I’m Marseille’s acting administrator.” 

It hit him. Surely he wouldn’t remember seeing him, not since almost ten years ago.

 “Oh, it’s been a while, what brings you here?” “The new lord kicked me out.” 

‘Already? Viscount Eric Marcel must have incredibly fast hands. Impressive!’

 

The magistrate of Rhône-Alpes was genuinely surprised and impressed.

 

A purge on arrival at Marcel?

 

‘They’ve already changed the administration and changed the Knights.’

 

Eric, the new lord of Marseille, was a competent man, as reported by the squires planted in Westphalia.

 “Why are you here anyway? And what business do you have with me?” 

Henry looked very frustrated.

 “All my property was taken away, and I was driven out. My family has ended up on the streets, so please help me. Didn’t you promise something?” “What promise? With me?” “The former chief executive promised, that if I do my job well, he will give me a position,”

said Henry.

 

Rhône-Alpes’s administrator, who had been listening, frowned. It has already been three years since the previous official died.

 “The former administrator passed away a long time ago! Did you not attend the funeral?” “He didn’t call me, so how can I be there?” 

Both of them sighed.

 

In any case, we have to give Henry a place.

 

Even if it’s a promise made by someone else, it’s a promise made by a nobleman, and Henry has performed his duties well.

 

If we dismiss him now, it may spread like wildfire that a dedicated official of the House of  Rhône-Alpes has been thrown out on the street.

 

In a society of honor, this would be highly embarrassing.

 

‘Should we just call in the knights and have him and his family wiped out? No. When the knights find out, they’ll be furious, and they’ll bite the head off the administration and me. Crap, there’s no way out!’

 

An administrator suffering from a headache asked Henry.

 “Is there any position you would like?” “I don’t expect much, but the Lord Administrator has promised me a liaison to another province.” “The only place left for a liaison is in the Palatinate of the German Empire.” “Please send me there.” 

When a liaison has been appointed to a province as large as the Palatinate, one’s job involves attending all the parties in the vicinity.

 

There’s usually nothing else to do.

 

Official correspondence would be delivered by mail or emissary, and most information would be solicited by the lord and reported in his accounts.

 

After all, it’s a honey job to collect taxes and spend money, so it’s usually done by the lord’s children.

 

‘What a piece of crap, how utterly lucrative. Why did Viscount Eric Marseille let this piece of dirt live, did he not foresee this coming? He’s a terrible ma

n!’

 

Appalled, he shook his fist at the air.

 

Viscount Eric Marseille seemed unspeakably cunning in his eyes.

 “Okay. I will send you to the Palatinate as a liaison officer.” “Oh my, thank you.” 

Sighing again, the administrator of Rhône-Alpes continued,

“I know this is not the right time, but do you have any information?” 

As Henry searched his memory, his hand clapped as if he remembered something.

 “Yes, I have! The House of Westphalia has decided to give Viscount Marseille a big push.” “Oh, is that so? Why?” 

So why the delay?

 

It was only when the former Count of Rhône-Alpes began working on Marseille’s estate that the House of Westphalia abandoned the city. He also had his eye on the harbor.

 “Viscount Marseille was drunk, so I didn’t hear the details, but he said he was preparing something big, some kind of military secret.” “Drunk?” “Yeah. He said that because he was drunk.” “It’s top secret. No way…” 

A thought struck the administrator, and he immediately realized that a meeting of the governing council was needed.

  

A moment later.

 

A meeting of the Lords was held at the Rhône-Alpes’s residence.

 

Some officials began to criticize the House of Westphalia.

 “To come now and appoint a viscount, after all these years of gnawing on our requests!” “They made a bastard a Viscount, as well! Oho~ The authority of the nobility has fallen to the ground.” 

Some people seek authority when they’re not even nobles themselves

 “Let’s just declare war and invade regardless of authorities!” “Pfft, we need a reason to invade. Do you think the Royal Family will stand for it?” 

Even those who are rude and sarcastic.

 “You can’t just make things up!” “What are you going to make of it, an insult?” “No, you prick!” 

Eventually, a fight broke out.

 

As the two officials rolled on the floor, clawing at each other’s heads, Count Rhône-Alpes drew his sword.

 Ching—! “Shut up, all of you!” 

The room instantly quieted.

 “Don’t pull your hair like the girls do if you want to fight! Pull your swords!” “…” “If you don’t want to, sit down!” 

The Count of Rhône-Alpes was officially the only Swordmaster in the southeastern part of France.

 

When he shouts, there was no one who would not obey.

 

The Count clicked his tongue at the two officials as they sat back down, then looked at the administrator and spoke.

 “Hey, did you call this meeting so we can just watch them fight?” 

The administrator pulled out the notes and reports he had prepared in advance and spoke up.

 “No, my Lord. I think Westphalia is up to something.” “What do you think?” 

First, the administrator, handed over the reports to the three officials.

 “Yes, sir. According to those I have planted in Westphalia, the appointment of Viscount Eric Marseille was done in secret, not even Viscount Marseille himself knew about it.” “What secret?” 

The Count of Rhône-Alpes answered without even looking at the report.

 “That they ignored our offer to buy the Marseille, and put forward Viscount Marseille for another reason, the conviction that they could get more profit out of it than they could sell it.” “What profit?” 

They handed him the note from the Treasurer, but the Count still didn’t read it.

 

The behavior was too much for the officials.

 “I suspect that… they’re trying to use Marseille as a cover to do some underground operations.” “What kind of operation?” 

Frustration bubbled up inside the administrator.

 

This ignorant Count of Rhône-Alpes was all brawn and no brains. A lord of a fiefdom should have at least a vague idea of what he was talking about.

 

He suddenly missed the previous Count of Rhône-Alpes.

 “Hmph. I’ve been informed that the House of Westphalia is plotting something great in Marseille. And they say it’s military classified.” “What’s the big deal?” 

At last, the administrator’s blood pressure rose, and he gaped.

 “…” “Why did you stop talking?” 

Replacing the red-faced administrator, the Countess stepped forward.

 

Karin of Rhône-Alpes was a newlywed Countess, and she often attended the Lords’ meetings to help the Count understand the situation.

 “My lord, the administrator says that the House of Westphalia is planning to attack us, the Rhone-Alps.” “How? That’s a long way from here.” 

The Count of Rhône-Alpes remains clueless.

 

We’ve been talking about Marseille.

 “I mean… Marseille has a harbor, and it borders our territory of Rhône-Alpes.” “They’ll have to come by boat up the coast? The mudflats won’t let them?” 

Countess Karin had a tantrum of her own, but she held it together.

 “They’re coming by land, not by… ship.” “Oh, nay. Marseille is so poor, it would take hundreds or thousands of ships to supply them.” 

Finally, when the Count offered what he called a

‘reasonable opinion,’

the sobered administrator interjected.

 “My squires report that Viscount Eric Marseille is a wizard who can pull money out of thin air.” “A wizard?” 

‘You stupid bastard, that’s a figure of speech!’

 

The administrator suppressed an inner shout and continued,

“No… that means he’s capable. He will quickly get Marseille back on track and turn it into a prosperous estate.” “You’re a wizard. A wizard’s sword is his medicine.” “…” 

Countess Karin spoke up on behalf of the Administrator, who again lost his cool and remained silent.

 “Anyway, the point is that our estates are in danger if we leave Marseille alone.” 

This was the piece of crap Eric threw at the Rhône-Alpes.

 

Because of Eric, both the administrator and the Countess were under absurd illusions.

 

In truth, the House of Westphalia didn’t even care about the Rhône-Alpes, let alone the war.

 

It was a delusion of their own self-interest.

 

They were so intent on eating the Port of Marseille that they were sensitive to the slightest provocation.

 “We just need to win the war.” “During that war, the Rhône-Alpes will be devastated, since most of the lords are wheat farmers and shepherds.” “Then what shall we do, set fire to Port Marseille right away?” 

Set fire and burn it.

 

They wanted to use the harbor and facilities of Marseille, but they would set fire to the harbor.

 

Countess Karin blanched like the Administrator.

 “No…, you won’t be able to use the harbor, and you’ll be identified as part of the House of Frances. There is an easier and more convenient way.” “What is that.” “Let’s send our daughter, Anna, to Marseille, and make a marriage alliance.” 

The Countess calls her

‘our daughter,’

even though she’s the same age as her stepdaughter.

 “Oh, no. Anna is a knight, he can’t possibly like her, and what if he breaks the marriage alliance?” “What does it matter if he likes her or not, it’s a marriage alliance, and a marriage is a beginning, and after that, we’re going to cement the ties between Rhône-Alpes and Marseille even more, so that Westphalia can’t push a single ship into Marseille’s harbor.” 

In Countess Karin’s opinion, the military power of the Rhône-Alpes and Westphalia was similar.

 

If only Marseille could be drawn into the Rhône-Alpes, she reasoned, Westphalia would not be able to overrun it easily.

 “Hmm… it’s better to have a close in-law than a distant family.” 

Quoting a strange proverb, the Count of Rhône-Alpes crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

 

For nearly a decade, we’ve been working on Operation Undermine Marseille, led by the former Count.

 

Not to overturn it, but it does change his relationship with Marseille.

 

‘I don’t like this at all. Why should I be befriending a bunch of weaklings now that they’re allies…?’

 

Even the most ignorant Count of Rhône-Alpes felt a twinge of irritation.

 

The closest person to the correct answer here was him.

 

But he has no choice but to defer to the Countess’s opinion. She had never failed him before.

 

‘Eh, I don’t know. Karin is smarter than me, so I’ll just listen to her.’

 

After much deliberation, the Count spoke in a low voice.

 “I will accept your opinion.” 

The officials’ faces eased. After all, it was a quick decision. They shuddered to think of the days without Countess Karin.