Chapter 22

"Currently, in this Baumeister knightly domain, the unease and distrust among the people are quietly growing."

In the morning, as I was about to teleport to Breichburg as usual, I sensed multiple human presences around me and decided to cancel the teleportation.

Disliking the feeling of being watched, I shouted to the direction where I sensed the presence, making it clear that I was aware of their presence. Then, the village headman who governed the nearby village, his daughter, the father's concubine, and my half-siblings appeared.

I asked about their business, but the words that came from the headman Klaus were a shocking bombshell.

"Act as if you didn't hear it."

I could only say that much.

Father is still alive, and he has already announced both internally and externally that he will make his eldest son Kurt the successor.

Moreover, four years ago, he married and even had a child.

Furthermore, that child is a boy.

If you think about it normally, it is clear to anyone that the order of succession for the Baumeister knightly domain is Kurt, then his son, and so on.

"But, Master Wendelin—"

"This request is so out of the blue, it's not even worth talking about."

Indeed, I was at a loss to know what to do when suddenly confronted with such a request.

What could he possibly be thinking, trying to incite an eleven-year-old, the eighth son, to take over the domain in such a situation?

"The current head is Father, and Father has already announced that he will make his eldest son Kurt, who has a child, the successor. Moreover, there are still three older brothers with higher succession rights above me. What else can I call Klaus's proposal but absurd?"

The current succession order in the Baumeister knightly domain is: 1st, eldest brother Kurt; 2nd, Kurt's eldest son Karl; 3rd, third brother Paul; 4th, fourth brother Helmut; 5th, fifth brother Ehrich; and finally, 6th, me.

By the way, the second brother Helmut, who is the head of a branch family, has already renounced his succession rights, and my older brother Ehrich, who is currently working as a low-ranking official in the capital, is about to become a son-in-law in his superior's family, so he is also planning to renounce his succession rights soon.

As a result, my succession rights will move up to 5th, but it would be too unnatural to make me the next head.

Most importantly, without even being able to persuade Father, what does it mean to want me to be the head?

Perhaps Klaus is being asked by someone to make me the main culprit in a family dispute and have me punished.

Such conspiracy theories even crossed my mind.

"Perhaps I overestimated Klaus's sense of reason?"

"Hey! You!"

"Hold it! Walter!"

"But, Father!"

"You are Master Wendelin's brother, but your status is different! Hold it!"

My statement enraged the sixth brother Walter, but he was quickly restrained by Klaus.

In my previous life, I never would have thought about it, but indeed, the status difference between the children of the main wife and the concubine is complicated.

Walter is eight years older than me, but he must never act like an older brother to me.

"I am aware that what I am saying is absurd. However, if we do not take action here, the Baumeister knightly domain will surely decline in the future."

"Decline?"

I couldn't understand why the Baumeister knightly domain would decline.

There is vast undeveloped land that could generate enormous wealth if developed, and if even a part of the Demon Forest could be opened, it would be possible to access the sea.

"Yes, the future would be bright if we could develop it. However, that is impossible under the current circumstances. If things continue as they are, the population of the Baumeister knightly domain will gradually decrease and become depopulated."

Klaus began to explain the inside story of the failed expedition to the Demon Forest eleven years ago, including his vision of the future of the Baumeister knightly domain.

"The expedition eleven years ago was a painful failure."

"I know. I couldn't understand why we rushed to open the distant Demon Forest when such vast undeveloped land was right in front of us. I thought they must have wanted the sea so badly. But it was clear that the Margrave of Breichrader was expecting results from the territory inhabited by monsters."

"The current head also joined in. He sent troops to guide the way. Think about it. Even within the same domain, we don't know the geography of the undeveloped land or the Demon Forest. It was clear that they were counting on us as military forces."

The Margrave of Breichrader can apparently mobilize over 30,000 troops if he wants to.

However, maintaining internal security and dealing with territorial disputes with neighboring nobles, as well as more realistic budget and logistics issues, are also factors.

Even if logistics were handled by my master, who had a magic bag, marching an army of tens of thousands over a mountain range as high as Mount Fuji would be reckless.

Even if they were foster children, the people of the Baumeister knightly domain would only feel uneasy about a much larger military force from another domain.

"So, it was a force of about 2,000?"

"The hundred men the head sent were also appreciated. And the true purpose of the Margrave of Breichrader was..."

The previous Margrave of Breichrader had two sons.

The eldest son Daniel and the second son Amadeus. The previous Margrave of Breichrader doted on his intelligent eldest son Daniel and expected him to be the successor.

"However, he was afflicted with an incurable disease."

The Margrave of Breichrader tried everything, but his death was imminent.

And there was a faint hope that he might be cured.

That hope was a magical elixir made from the blood of the ancient dragon, a legendary monster.

"There was a possibility that the ancient dragon lived in the Demon Forest."

It had not been found in the monster territories where other adventurers had entered.

So, he had hoped for the unknown territory of the Demon Forest.

"Why didn't they ask the adventurers?"

"Please, there are no such reckless people."

First, they would have to make a long journey to the Baumeister knightly domain, then cross hundreds of kilometers of uninhabited undeveloped land.

Only then would they reach the Demon Forest and try to defeat the ancient dragon.

Indeed, such a request would be refused no matter how much they were paid.

"The result was as you know. The army of the previous Margrave of Breichrader was annihilated. Only about a hundred people returned unharmed. The same was true for our Baumeister knightly domain. Only twenty-three survivors remained."

The Margrave of Breichrader, who lost his head, was succeeded by the second son Amadeus, not the eldest son Daniel, who died shortly after hearing of his father's death.

He was suddenly made the successor, despite not being expected to be, and started with the loss of one-tenth of his entire military force and his excellent magicians.

It must have felt like a terrible punishment game.

The failure of a great noble's military action would make the nobles fighting over territorial disputes look down on them.

It's not hard to imagine that the current Margrave of Breichrader had a very difficult start.

"That's why. The new Margrave of Breichrader gave better condolence money to the Baumeister knightly domain's war dead than the market rate. Although the head took a significant cut."

It was an unpleasant revelation from the man who controlled the Baumeister family's finances.

After all, no matter how much the condolence money was colored, it wouldn't be enough to make the surviving families live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Moreover, the condition for receiving the increased condolence money was that Father had to accept a foolish request.

He wanted it to be said that the expedition was because Father wanted to develop the Demon Forest and had pleaded with the previous Margrave of Breichrader, who reluctantly accepted the request of his foster child.

I don't think doing such a thing would improve the situation, but it seems to be a kind of pride for the great nobles.

"Rebuilding the lost army was also a factor. At the time, the population was slightly increasing, and a new development plan was about to be implemented. The head must have wanted funds."

However, what was lost was not just money and supplies.

The loss of workers also had a significant impact. The result of forcibly extracting workers for new development and irrigation projects was the daily diet of black bread and salted vegetable soup for dinner.

Without the development, there would have been time for the men to go hunting between farm work.

"In this strongly closed rural village, the dissatisfaction is almost at the point of explosion, but it can't be allowed to burst."

Furthermore, Klaus continued.

"Many people are dissatisfied with the head."

First, the families who lost their breadwinners or promising young people eleven years ago.

Moreover, Father not only took a cut of the condolence money given by the new Margrave of Breichrader but also passed it on to them.

If he were loved, the people would have to be quite masochistic.

Next, the relatives and servants of the branch family head, the great-uncle, who led the reinforcements and died in battle.

The second son Helmut is the current head of this family, but he is in a difficult position.

If you look at it cynically, Helmut could be seen as a spy sent to the branch family to strengthen the main family's influence.

"Helman seems to feel a sense of crisis. Since he has cut ties with the main family through his marriage, he has now openly declared his opposition to the main family. In fact, he has even agreed to make Master Wendelin the next head."

"Hey..."

I hadn't paid much attention to it since I was leaving the family, but it seems the current Baumeister family is in a very precarious state.

"And this may be the most serious issue."

The new development plan had finally been completed, but it would naturally be planned again as the population increased.

"However, the development work led by the head and the young master has a bad reputation."

It's not that they beat the farmers.

They lead the work themselves and don't take better food than the others.

However, Father, being physically strong and able to work hard, unconsciously imposes the same on others.

Moreover, he lacks the ability to command efficiently, such as taking appropriate breaks or directing efficient construction, and the reputation among the people is not good.

"Kurt has a bad reputation as well because he can't say anything to the head, who is the number one."

Being number two, he can't give advice to number one and only does the same work as a regular worker.

It's only natural that he is disliked.

"If the population increases and the unpleasant development work resumes, the people are worried..."

During the development, the food becomes poor, so they have started to act to prevent the population from increasing.

"Second sons and younger have started to leave the Baumeister domain."

They often leave home by accompanying the merchant caravans that visit the nearest city, Breichburg, every few months.

Once they arrive in Breichburg, they look for jobs or apply for new development projects being recruited by other lords.

"Moreover, recently even the girls..."

Except for the eldest sons who will inherit the fields and the girls who will marry them, even the girls have started to leave the Baumeister domain.

At this point, it's impossible to stop the population outflow.

If the eldest sons can't find wives, it will be the first step towards depopulation.

"Furthermore, the news about Master Wendelin's magic has leaked."

It's a valuable magic.

If it were used for the development of the Baumeister domain, it would be beneficial, but Father has tried to keep me from interacting with the people to maintain the order of succession.

If he truly wanted the domain to develop, he should have made me the successor and worked for the domain.

Sometimes, such a ruthless decision is necessary for those called nobles.

"The people have given up. They think that as long as the head can act as a noble in this remote rural village and the family can continue without causing trouble, nothing else is needed."

If they have given up to that extent, it might be difficult.

Humans are creatures with desires.

Excessive desire is bad, but moderate desire is necessary.

The desire to improve their lives a little is essential for humans.

"It's important to feed the minimum number of people. However, the head stops there. Of course, that is important, but don't you think it's also necessary for a ruler to make efforts to show a better future?"

Klaus sighed after saying this.

If the population of the Baumeister domain continues to decline, there will be various worries.

"I understand Klaus's feelings, but what good would it do for me to declare that I want to be the next head? It would only cause more trouble."

No matter how you look at it, no one in the main family would support me.

If Father doesn't make me the successor, nothing will change, and if the succession dispute reaches the central government, the bureaucrats might order a reduction or confiscation of the domain.

"Complaining is just a waste. Rather, it's bad to complain. The only way is to persuade Father and increase the number of new settlers or promote efficient development."

"But, if Master Wendelin's magic is used..."

"What if I use my magic to do something here, what will happen if I die?"

"That's..."

The talent for magic is not hereditary.

If it were, the royal family and nobles would be full of magicians.

That's why the royal family and nobles spend a lot of money to hire excellent magicians.

If I use my magic to enrich the Baumeister domain here, what will happen after I die?

It might lead to a more terrifying decline than gradual depopulation.

"Moreover, if I forcefully become the head, there will definitely be conflicts."

Klaus and others may be dissatisfied with Father, but there are people in the domain who are not dissatisfied with Father or my brothers.

If they resent me after I become the head, it would be meaningless.

"So, I will pretend I didn't hear this."

I said this and quickly ran into the forest, then disappeared using the teleportation magic.

Klaus and the others watched in shock.

"(What am I supposed to do...?)"

I can somewhat understand Klaus's feelings, but the order is wrong.

Before trying to persuade me, there should be someone to bring the story to.

First, Father must be persuaded, or talking to me is just a waste.

"(But, this is bad...)"

It's unclear how much Father and Kurt understand Klaus's true intentions.

If they mishandle it, I might be suspected of rebellion.

If that happens, it will be very troublesome.

Even if I am leaving the family, if I don't renounce my succession rights peacefully and leave, I might be seen as a troublemaker who disrupted the succession order and be looked down upon by society.

Carrying such a bad reputation would make my future life very difficult.

On the other hand, consulting Father about this is also a concern.

What if he uses it to target me?

The more I think about it, the more confused I become.

"Damn! There's no point in thinking about it! Ignore Klaus! Ignore!"

I released a large-scale explosion spell on the undeveloped plain where I had moved.

A large hole was created.

"Even if it's for stress relief, it's environmental destruction."

I reflected on it a bit more calmly, but I never imagined that this large hole would be used as an artificial lake by future generations.