Chapter 89

"Hmm..."

The rebellion that occurred in the Baumeister Knight's territory was successfully suppressed without any casualties.

Although Klaus, the ringleader, managed to skillfully avoid the noose and the outcome seemed to align with his plans, there might also be a sense of relief.

After all, no one truly wants to witness an execution.

"Vell, you have complicated feelings for Klaus, don't you?"

The rebellion was successfully suppressed, and everyone was working hard on the aftermath, but I was lying on the grass at the edge of the territory, looking up at the sky.

Eina was my only guard, but she wasn't much help since I had asked her to use her lap as a pillow, leaving her unable to move.

There weren't many wild animals around here, so it wasn't much of a problem. Since I had this status, a few soldiers were guarding me from a distance.

Becoming a noble is quite a challenging task.

"I want to make him say 'Gah.'"

"Gah... You're not a child anymore."

After we stormed the manor's dining hall to rescue Brother Hermann and others, I asked Klaus, "Do you really hate the noose that much?"

I asked this from a Japanese perspective, thinking he wouldn't truly desire the noose, but I thought it might unsettle him.

However, the result was that he saw through my bluff.

"By the time you reach Klaus's level, hiding your emotions should be easy. I think it's difficult."

Still, I believe he must have his own worries, surprises, and frustrations inside.

"I think he's sighing at the foolishness of those grandchildren."

Currently, he is under house arrest, but he is scheduled to be sent to a new village construction site starting tomorrow.

The group consists of Walter and Karl, the young vassals who participated in the rebellion, along with their wives and children, totaling twenty-two people.

They are to build their own homes first and then cultivate the land on their own.

Their previous fields and homes have been confiscated, and the materials for building new homes will be provided by Brother Hermann.

They were allowed to keep the furniture, clothes, and cash in their previous homes, as without them, they wouldn't be able to buy food.

There are also head taxes and taxes on the crops they cultivate, but these have been exempted for three years.

However, even if they pay taxes for three years, they need to cultivate enough land to feed themselves, so Klaus will have to work part-time to send money.

After all, his previous home and fields have been confiscated.

Regarding his financial assets, when I asked Klaus, he didn't have much.

Just about average for a typical village head.

If he had been embezzling taxes since his father's time, he might have faced the noose again, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

It's a bit disappointing, but I thought Klaus wouldn't make such a mistake.

Klaus didn't have much cash on him when he followed me, just a bag with a few changes of clothes and personal items.

"At over sixty, working in the outside world is quite exciting."

Moreover, he seems to be genuinely enjoying the current situation, so Klaus must have a lot of courage.

"Klaus has achieved his goal."

If left as is, there was a possibility that Walter and Karl would go on a rampage after Klaus's death, so I took measures to prevent that from happening.

That was the purpose of the rebellion.

Although Walter and Karl will have a hard time starting from scratch, it's their own fault, so there's nothing to be done about it.

"Difficult development, with eyes watching."

They can buy necessary items from the store, but Rainer, who is running a new store, has been ordered by Brother Hermann not to sell too cheaply or too expensively.

Also, there will be personnel on watch in shifts, twenty-four hours a day.

"If you plan something again, I'll take responsibility for dealing with it. I can't let Vell suppress it twice. This is my territory."

After this exchange, they seemed to accept their punishment quietly.

Some might say that not being hanged is too lenient, but since they have to cultivate the land on their own in the middle of an empty field, it's a punishment that's arguably harsher than the noose.

Escape is impossible.

There are still many dangerous wild animals around the field they will cultivate, and with only bows, Walter and Karl can't escape.

"So, we'll leave that to Brother Hermann, and we'll focus on the war."

"You've become more like a noble, Vell."

"Does Eina act more like a wife?"

"I'm not sure..."

"It's good that not everyone is the same. I appreciate that I can talk to Eina normally."

Elise is a bit formal, Louise is interesting but can be strange at times, Verma can be sarcastic, and Katharina is a bit off.

So, I value Eina, who I can talk to normally.

"Since that's the case, let's continue the pillow on my knee like a normal fiancé."

"Is my leg stiff?"

"Not really. It's not stiff at all."

"That's good to hear."

I fell into a light sleep on Eina's lap for about an hour.

"Lord Baumeister, I have come to pick you up."

"Thank you for your hard work. Indeed, a small magic airship is quite convenient for such occasions."

The day after the rebellion was suppressed and the aftermath was handled, a small magic airship arrived to pick us up.

To deal a blow to the Broi Margrave, who had been causing trouble in the east, and because he was also sending a large force to the southern border, a request for military assistance had come from the Brechleider Margrave.

It's right to support the patron and receive corresponding favors in return.

Since retaliation is necessary, I decided to use a small magic airship for the army's movement, which I rented from Henrik, the second son of Master Armstrong.

I temporarily signed a charter contract.

"It's a busy time, so I'm sorry."

"No, no, we're making plenty of profit. So, the number of people is as planned?"

The participants include us, Blantac, and the Baumeister Margrave's army led by Moritz.

"Damn it! I wanted to send some troops too!"

Brother Hermann wanted to send a few troops, but since the internal conflict had just ended and he was busy, he told me with a regretful expression that he wouldn't be participating.

"The only one participating is Klaus."

"Is that guy planning everything?"

"I don't really understand him lately either."

In addition to Klaus, who had retired as a village head and was now a freelancer, there were also the Broi side soldiers who had been captured after the failed rebellion.

"Is it okay to have them on board?"

"Klaus did a great job of persuading them."

"But he was the ringleader of the rebellion, right?"

Henrik, who is a sensible person unlike his father, was still surprised, but it was true that Klaus had turned them around.

"Is the lord planning to use them as pawns?"

Immediately after Klaus's temporary employment was decided, he asked about the use of the captured rebels.

"I plan to, but first, I'll ask the Brechleider Margrave."

"Without a doubt, the Brechleider Margrave will grant permission without saying anything. Because you captured them, you have the right to decide what to do with them."

Even in a patron-client relationship, the Brechleider Margrave and the Baumeister Margrave are separate families, so they won't interfere with the treatment of prisoners or the distribution of spoils, as Klaus explained.

"So, it's best to persuade them early. I'll try to persuade them."

"Klaus? You'll probably get a lot of boos for being a traitor."

"That's where the wisdom of an old man comes in."

With permission, we headed to the vacant house where they were being held, and as expected, a loud booing greeted us as soon as we opened the door.

"Traitor!"

"You sold us out!"

Klaus, the ringleader, was with me, and their anger was justified, to the point where I wanted to cheer them on.

"To avoid any misunderstandings, I did my best to support the rebellion."

Klaus explained that he was the reason they managed to capture the lord's manor so brilliantly, but unfortunately, the suppressors were too skilled.

I think Klaus has a good personality for being able to say he fully supported the rebellion in front of me.

"Lord Baumeister, Mr. Blantac of the Brechleider Margrave, and the Storm of the West. With the three of you, the area would be suppressed... I swear I didn't collude, and I don't think Lord Baumeister needs such a thing."

As Klaus explained, the booing gradually subsided.

"Then, what do you want with us, who are captured?"

A man in his early thirties, who seemed to be their leader, asked Klaus.

"It's about getting you positions."

"Us, who are going to be hanged? What kind of joke is this?"

"It's not a joke."

Klaus continued.

"The Baumeister Margrave's family has been built by Vendelin's personal talents. It's wonderful, but they lack manpower. Normally, Thomas, your crime would warrant hanging, but it would be a waste to kill people recklessly."

"There are plenty of people. Go to the slums in the capital."

"Not just any settlers, but educated people who can serve as military or civil officials are needed. People like Thomas, who have been trained and educated in the Broi Margrave's territory."

At Klaus's words, Thomas and the others averted their eyes.

They had been told not to reveal their origins even if they were executed by the Broi Margrave.

"At this point, there's no need to hide your origins. Didn't you tell me before?"

Klaus, being experienced, probably got them to talk.

He might have skillfully elicited their sympathy by talking about his daughter being a concubine and the misfortunes of his grandchildren.

Indeed, this guy is something else.

"I understand that you don't want to cause trouble for your family. But who used you as disposable pawns? You were sent on a rear disruption mission in the middle of enemy territory, without being included in the current military forces. I think you have the ability to serve if you have the right connections."

"The world isn't that kind."

Thomas, the leader, started to speak.

Being the third son of a minor vassal family, being used as a disposable pawn was better than nothing.

Geniuses might get help from above, but not someone like them.

Only the eldest sons or well-connected vassals' children would be picked up.

"Even if we're better than those people, unless we're complete idiots, connections come first."

Since the governance of the territory is somewhat systematized, even a 'Poppo' level idiot can manage.

Therefore, connections are prioritized above all.

"I know about the development boom under the Baumeister Margrave. But the eastern nobles, starting with the Broi Margrave, are hated by the Brechleider Margrave. Even if we seek positions, we won't even get to the entrance to be rejected."

The animosity between the two families is real.

Moreover, it has intensified over the past two generations.

The Brechleider Margrave is not giving any privileges to the east and is completely cutting off the recruitment of eastern-born people.

"Then, this is an opportunity."

"An opportunity? What are you thinking?"

"Meeting in the context of suppressing a rebellion is the worst, but it's a connection. You met the head of the margrave