Chapter 82

Shirley's nighttime visit incident became the catalyst for Baron Elardin to surrender and submit to Raidor's army.

Having relinquished his position as a lord and no longer a noble, Elardin entrusted his former territory to a steward and moved to Ulfine, where Raidor was located. Although he had failed to stop his daughter's reckless behavior, Elardin had never harbored any hostility toward Raidor. He had merely been thinking of his own self-preservation. Since he had not attempted to resist actively with force like Viscount Ulfart, it was decided that he would not be punished.

After being detained as a prisoner, Elardin was made to work under Raidor's command.

"Baron, here are the documents..."

"Have the responsible person sign them and send them to the finance department."

"Baron, the soldiers' food supplies are running low..."

"The shortage of rations has already been ordered from the Moltan Trading Company. The delivery will be in three days, so please instruct the warehouse to be prepared."

In the administrative office created in the former Ulfart Viscount's residence, Baron Elardin was giving instructions to his subordinates and efficiently handling his desk work.

Those working there were Elardin and the new civil servants he had gathered. To address the shortage of civil servants in Raidor's army, Elardin had approached the trading companies based in Ulfine and Ectura to provide personnel.

Originally, Elardin had inherited the baronial family due to his brother's sudden death, but he had always aspired to leave the nobility and become a merchant. Therefore, he had maintained a good relationship with the trading companies in the eastern border region and was able to secure their cooperation through his connections. The trading companies, facing financial difficulties due to the war and the loss of trade with other towns, were forced to reduce their workforce, so providing new employment opportunities for their employees was a welcome solution.

As a result, a group of bureaucrats centered around Elardin was formed, and the shortage of civil servants in Raidor's army was resolved.

"Baron... or rather, Elardin, is quite a hard worker. Despite losing his noble status, he works so enthusiastically."

Watching Elardin give instructions and work diligently from a distance, Raidor muttered to himself while lounging on a sofa in the corner of the administrative office. Raidor, who used to be overwhelmed with desk work every day, was now relieved of most of his duties thanks to Elardin. Now, he only needed to sign off on documents that had already been processed and give instructions on important matters. Thanks to this, he had enough time to relax on the sofa and drink tea between tasks.

"Father never thought of his position as a noble as anything but a burden."

Sitting on the opposite sofa, Shirley replied, sipping her tea with graceful movements. Though she was a young girl, about as tall as Raidor's waist, she was wearing a provocative dress with slits in the legs. She occasionally crossed her legs provocatively and glanced at Raidor, probably trying to seduce him, but Raidor, who had no interest in young girls, ignored her and continued to drink his tea.

"When he served the kingdom, he was always afraid of when the empire would attack, and after defecting to the empire, he was always afraid of when the kingdom would send assassins... Now that he is no longer a noble, he is finally free from the fear and responsibility of being a lord. This might be the peak of his life."

"...Not everyone desires status and power. It seems that for Elardin, an inappropriate position was nothing but a source of pain."

When Elardin first arrived in the town, he was trembling with fear, but since he started working as a civil servant, he has been working with a bright and cheerful face, as if he had been given a new lease on life. It seems that being a civil servant was Elardin's true calling and his ideal self. Sven, sitting next to Shirley, nodded in agreement with Raidor's words.

"Anyway, it's great that the shortage of civil servants has been resolved. Now I can focus on my role as a military strategist."

"Oh, can Sven really handle being a military strategist?"

"Of course, I'll do a better job than your honey trap."

"Ugh... You're making fun of me!"

Sven puffed out his chest proudly, smirking at the pouting Shirley. It was a heartwarming scene, like that of real siblings. Raidor, munching on a snack, smiled.

"Now that we have the civil servants, we need military officers. We need more people who can command on the battlefield besides Daren."

"I've appointed ten capable new soldiers as squad leaders, but it's hard to find someone who can command a hundred or a thousand soldiers."

Sven scratched his chin, frowning. Training excellent military officers is even harder than training civil servants. No matter how much one studies books, without practical combat experience, they won't be of much use. Someone with experience commanding hundreds or thousands of soldiers and who is not already serving another lord—such a person is rare.

"There is one person who is experienced in combat, intelligent, and skilled... but there is only one such person..."

"You have someone in mind?"

"Yes... He's a noble from the east like me, but he's a bit difficult..."

Sven hesitated, furrowing his brow. Raidor, curious about the young strategist's reaction, was about to ask about the person, but Daren entered the office before he could.

"Excuse me, Prince Raidor."

"Hmm? What's the matter?"

"It seems that a messenger from Viscount Oygist has come to see you, Your Highness."

"Oygist... one of the nobles who defected, right?"

Raidor confirmed, and Daren nodded, looking slightly tense. Across the desk, Sven was strangely silent, looking dazed.

"I briefly spoke with the messenger... It seems to be a matter of some concern..."

"Hmm?"

Daren handed a sealed letter to Raidor, who took it casually and immediately frowned.

"A challenge...?"

The envelope was marked with large letters. Flipping it over, he saw the name of the sender.

"The sender is... Justy Oygist?"

"Ah...!"

Sven covered his face with his right hand and let out a sigh.

"That's the kind of person. Brilliant, but in the end, he can only reach conclusions through physical strength. A brainy musclehead...!"

"Could it be... the person you mentioned earlier...?"

"Yes, Your Highness...!"

Sven sighed deeply, looking as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"One of the strongest warriors in the eastern part of the kingdom, on par with the 'Massacre Princess' Ilkas—'The Lion of the East' Justy Oygist. A muscle-bound glasses-wearing lover of spears and battlefields."

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