Chapter 1

"Your Grace, the Duke of Roudel. You mentioned that you aim to reign without governing. Has your thinking changed on this matter?"

On the red carpet, the saintly woman, dressed in pure white robes, bowed and asked me this. Her face, as finely crafted as glass, appeared cold and showed no expression. Behind her stood the Grand Knight, who looked at her with pleading eyes, and the Cardinal, a powerful figure standing beside the saint. The Cardinal, in stark contrast to the Grand Knight, looked up at me without moving a single eyebrow.

"That thinking has not changed. Originally, the gods should not be involved in the politics of the people."

"Is that so..."

The saint's long, blue eyes closed and then opened calmly. She stood up straight and solemnly declared,

"Following the 'Oracle,' the Duke of Roudel, Joshua Roudel, is hereby sentenced to exile."

"Wha..."

I let out a soundless cry, rising from the luxurious chair, and stared straight into the saint's eyes. However, her blue eyes no longer seemed to reflect me.

"Politics are to be conducted by the Duke, who is the spokesperson of the gods. If the Duke cannot serve as the spokesperson of the gods, then I, who serves the gods, will take on that role."

"The Principality will be governed by the Saint."

"Yes. The 'Oracle' and the 'Prophecy' have declared this. The truth of my 'Oracle' and the Cardinal's 'Prophecy' is confirmed by the Grand Knight's 'Lie Detection.'"

The Cardinal slightly bowed his head, and the Grand Knight, with a pained expression, deeply nodded in response. "What is this?" one might think. However, the power of the Oracle and Prophecy is absolute. Throughout history, numerous plots have been carried out using the Oracle and Prophecy.

"Grand Knight, is it true?"

"...Yes. I still cannot believe it... that the Duke of Roudel is unfit... You have made the country so prosperous..."

The Grand Knight's words came out in a broken, strained manner, clearly without any deceit. So, I was not fit to govern the principality, was I? Born as the son of the Duke of Roudel with the memories of my previous life, I used every means possible to revive a country that was on the brink of death... No, now it doesn't matter.

"I understand. I will follow the Oracle. I will not resist. This is the last duty I can perform as a Duke."

"Your grace in this moment is truly remarkable. As expected of the wise Duke Roudel, whose name resounded across the continent."

The Cardinal, seemingly impressed, formed a diamond shape with his right fingertips. Oh, I have one more question. I turned my gaze back to the Saint and asked,

"Is it really exile and not execution? Is my destination already decided?"

"Yes. It will be the southeastern land of 'Cumberland.'"

"Really?"

It's outside the principality's territory. Cumberland is a land without a country, a barren wilderness where several attempts at colonization have failed to take root.

"Please escort the Duke... no, Mr. Joshua."

"...Understood."

Thus, I was exiled to the borderland of Cumberland with a few attendants and some funds.

◇◇◇

--- Three days later.

"Then, Mr. Joshua, please rest well."

"Thanks for the long journey. Tell everyone to rest well too."

"Understood."

The maid, with her long, lustrous black hair flowing, placed her hands on her stomach and bowed deeply before leaving the room. The door closed with a soft thud, and I was finally alone.

My lips naturally curved into a smile. Oh, with someone always around, I couldn't even relax properly.

"I'm free!"

I dove onto the bed and rolled around. Oh, I really pushed myself to the limit. I worked so hard that I almost died from overwork. In my previous life, I was a salaryman in Japan, working in a series of grueling jobs until I lost consciousness in front of my computer and woke up as a baby. I thought, "I'm the Duke's son! Awesome! Lucky me!" until I was three. The country I was born into, the Principality of Roudel, was in such a dire state that it was beyond the point of no return. I thought, "This is bad. If things continue like this, we'll either starve to death or be impaled in a rebellion."

So, from a young age, I advised my father and ministers, using modern knowledge and trial and error to try to rebuild the country. Fortunately, they praised me without fear or suspicion, likely because of the "Gift" ability in this world. The Gift is a power bestowed by the gods, a natural ability one is born with. I was thought to have a gift for knowledge, which wasn't wrong but slightly different. However, that's not particularly important.

So, while they listened to me, more and more work was concentrated on me, and after my father fell ill and I became Duke, it became even more intense... The dream of a noble's leisurely life was far from reality. Now, the Saint is taking over the country. When I was declared exiled, I almost shouted, "Awesome!" I confirmed that it wasn't execution, and I couldn't stop smiling. However, I couldn't show my joy in front of everyone, which led to this moment.

"The principality is on the right track. As long as nothing major goes wrong, it should be fine."

I folded my hands under my pillow and sprawled out, muttering to myself. The Saint provided me with money, possessions, and even a house to live in. Oh, this is what it means to be well-prepared. Thinking about this, I was able to sleep soundly that night. This day...

The next morning—

After breakfast, an incident occurred. I was idly watching the two maids clearing the dishes when I was stopped by the middle-aged butler. He was the perfect image of a butler, with all-white hair, a mustache, and a suit that suited him well.

"Lunberg, what's the matter?"

"Mr. Joshua, I have something to tell you."

"Is it okay here, or would you prefer a different room?"

"Whichever you prefer."

Hmm. So, it's okay if the maids hear this. I've known him for a while, and he's quite sharp. I've heard he was a former civil servant and a capable administrator.

"Then, here. What's the matter?"

"There is a concern that our food supplies may run short."

What do you mean?

We have plenty of food, and we can live off the small garden in the yard, right?

"Are you worried about the barren land?"

"Yes, with due respect."

"It's fine. If it doesn't grow, we can go shopping."

"I fear that will be difficult."

Huh?

This doesn't make sense. Wait, could it be... My face drained of color. It's been a while!

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