Arena

“The Duke of Cornwall, the current king of Arend, Alsefon the 3rd’s, younger sibling by a different mother, has a lot of ambition and is still looking to take his brothers throne. And Count Sendels, the general in charge of protecting the Arend kingdom’s northern region, seems reluctant to let his life end on the frontier.”

Dana had summoned an item backpack and from within it he pulled out a map.

“This is the city of Laman, and the areas that Count Sendels has under his jurisdiction is over here. Close, aren’t they? I think that the person exchanging secret letters with Consul Rumad is Count Sendels.”

Sure enough, his knowledge as a former Second Advent’s high priest was shining through.

On the spot, Dana pointed out the who’s who in the countries.

“Oh my, then we just need to investigate that bastard to clear the mission.”

Rejoiced Yoo Ji-soo as she clapped her hands.

“I’m almost positive but we can’t be 100% sure so don’t go digging quite yet. Start with a preparatory investigation.”

“That much is no problem. Thank you!”

Delighted, Yoo Ji-soo looked at me while her mouth kept going off.

“Hey, looks like we won’t need up to your help. It’s not the Aman Kingdom or anything so we’ll be fine going on our own.”

“You sure you’ll be alright?”

“It’s not as dangerous as the Aman kingdom. They have a guilty conscience so they can’t act out in the open.”

Anyway I figured the two people’s problem of the mission was roughly taken care of.

The two of them said they’ll stay here a short while longer before departing.

“I am glad I was able to help.”

Dana, smiling a friendly smile.

“Seriously. You really must have been a high priest.”

“That wasn’t a lie.”

“Anyway, since you’ll be helping us while you stay here, thank you, sincerely.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ve already cleared the mission so I’m just passing time. I might be able to get an additional karma prize for being of help to you all. Since my mission was to kill Aprit and obstruct the revival ceremony.”

Dana was making a rather logical conclusion.

His mission was Aprit’s murder, and delaying the revival.

Helping me might be the path to delaying the ceremony.

On top of that he has to earn our trust so that the deal the Maglun family wants can come to fruition.

“But there is one thing that’s strange.”

Cha Ji-hye raised an objection.

“Let’s say the Second Advent’s goal was reached and the third Sultan Kajad Pun Aman was revived. With the unnatural method of dark magic reviving the Sultan from hundreds of years ago, will he be able to rise to power?”

“No matter how great the ruler, hundreds of years have passed, you’re asking if he will be acknowledged as sovereign?”

“Yes.”

Dana grinned as he said.

“Then let me ask you this. When you were given this territory and became Baron, how was that acknowledged? For the people in this land, a person they didn’t know suddenly appeared with nothing but an ID and said he was the Baron, did they accept that?”

Then I said.

“That was possible because I had the ID with the Baron seal that I proved it……Ah!”

I realized it as I was saying the answer.

Dana explained.

“The Qin Emperor of China unified the whole Country then conquered Do Ryang Hyung* and created the groundwork for continental China to become one nation. Sultan Kajad is similar. With magical abilities he paved the way for a safe sovereign foundation.”

(TLN: I have no idea what this is or if it’s right. It was written in Chinese.) 𝘧𝘳𝐞𝚎𝑤ℯ𝘣𝗻𝘰ѵℯl.c𝐨𝚖

He went on to explain that the process of when I came to this territory and used magic to prove my Baron seal was legit was actually first introduced by Kajad Pun Aman.

“In order to govern such a large conquered territory, a systematic system like that was needed. Thanks to that, instances of nobility impersonation disappeared and the ruling system became stronger. But do you think that was the only reason?”

“No way……”

“It was all calculated. He had even anticipated the fact that he would not be revived for a long period of time, hundreds of years. At that time, even if his political footing was no longer there, he made a system where he could rise again to the throne.”

“……”

A strategy that looked hundreds of years ahead.

When he had revived, using that magic tool, he would have a system to automatically return to the throne!

He gave me goosebumps.

“Do you know what is even scarier?”

Said Dana.

“It isn’t just the Aman Kingdom. Other country’s systems copied the technique that Sultan Kajad left behind. He planted a system in a unified continent, so of course they would use the existing system that was already in place.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“No one has caught on that the technique that will let the revived Sultan Kajad rise back to power is hidden in the Aman kingdom’s magic system. So what about another country that copied it?”

“Perhaps other nations’ systems will automatically recognize Sultan Kajad’s sovereignty?”

“It may not be that easy, but already occupied territories will very easily fall to the ruling system. That an occupied territory could easily be taken over so easily is actually a scary thing.”

That’s like one country’s computer systems being hacked and taken over by another.

The idea made my hair stand and bones shudder in horror.

A person indeed worthy to be the goal of the final exam.

***

Having taken on Dana as a dependent, full blown territory work began.

…. Is what could be said but in reality I wasn’t doing much.

Cha Ji-hye got work reports from the territory’s steward, Edward, and looked like she was getting a better understanding of the inner workings.

Just sitting still and listening and learning, she slowly started to ask this and that and in no time was giving orders.

I could only wonder how it is that she worked so well.

In the army, there was the type that works better than the average senior member as soon as he gets his advanced individual training, she’s exactly that type.

Anyway, with Cha Ji-hye taking care of all the work, everything was going according to plan but I couldn’t help but just feel like a useless extra.

I didn’t really have anything else to do so I loitered around here and there and then took my notebook out the virtual space and played games……

I haven’t felt this in such a long time! This pathetic feeling from when I was preparing for the civil exam.

I was feeling this couldn’t go on. Or at least that I shouldn’t let it.

Just in time, Cha Ji-hye brought some tens of files and showed them to me.

“Please stamp these.”

Because only I could use the Baron’s seal was why she was personally asking me.

“And what are these?”

Unlike any other times, I asked her about the contents of the files.

It’s about time I listened to the explanations and discussed and worked together.

“I have already reviewed these so you just need to stamp them.”

“Ah…… oh…yeah?”

“I will tell you the contents slowly later at night so first please hurry and stamp them.”

“Uh, okay.”

I did as I was told and stamped the bottoms of the files.

Interestingly, every time I stamped, a round sentence lit up. A magic effect that only appeared every time the Baron’s seal was stamped.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

Cha Ji-hye spoke as if comforting a child.

“Soon there will be many things you will have to see to. Until then, just leave this stuff to me.”

“Okay, understood.”

Eventually I didn’t pay attention to the territory’s business and began to go about looking for work.

The first thing I thought of was the idea I had before the mission, teaching the rake eagles to hunt.

First I had someone bring over the blacksmith.

“You called, Baron sir.”

An old man blacksmith with a thin frame bowed his head.

I showed the old blacksmith the first rake eagle.

“Can you make armor to fit his body?”

“Oh my! He’s very big.”

The old blacksmiths eyes went wide and hesitantly and carefully approached number one.

Checking out the eagle, the old blacksmith inspected its body and then sighed and said.

“It’s not that it can’t be made but it will take too much money and time, Baron. It would be cheaper to completely outfit a knight.”

“It’s that expensive?”

“Yes, indeed. In all my life I’ve never seen such a big bird, to make a suit of armor to fit this large body, you would need an enormous amount of iron alone.”

“Hm, then maybe not a suit of armor, how about a helmet? Anyway, I want from seen far away these eagles not to be dangerous wild beasts but recognized as animals I’ve raised.”

“That much is possible, Baron. Light and splendid in shape, I’ll make it so it will be recognizable from afar.”

“Then make them so, ten of them. How much time will it take?”

“I already have the helmets. To improve them and make to fit the eagles…it can be finished quickly.”

“Good, do so.”

Having received his order, the old blacksmith made and brought me 10 helmets with straps.

I stamped the Barons seal on the forehead of the helmets and the round Heinz territory symbol appeared on it.

The Baron’s stamp was imbued with magic so no matter where it was stamped it would be applied perfectly to that surface and shine bright so would be easy to spot and be recognized from a distance.

I already had two 100-karma item bags so I hung them on number one and number two.

“Alright, go around this area and hunt monsters. Do not ever harm a person or their livestock. And gather the majeong in this bag and bring it to me. Got it?”

“Beek!”

“Beek!”

Having understood me, the eagles screeched loudly and nodded their heads.

“Good, now go! Do you best to not alarm humans, fly up high.”

“Baaaeeek!”

A total of ten grand rake eagles took off in flight at once. It was a great spectacle.

I took the precaution of letting people in my territory know that a group of ten rake eagles moving together are animals I raised so not be alarmed or attack them. 𝒇𝙧𝚎𝐞𝙬𝒆𝑏𝑛𝑜v𝚎𝒍.c𝑜m

As soon as house steward Edward got my order, he sent official letters to every village in the territory.

As the rake eagles started hunting, the peoples’ response was positive.

“I have heard that the appearance of monsters has dropped drastically. The people are singing your praise, Baron.”

Reported house steward Edward.

“Is that so? So it is having an effect.”

Because the eagles have such a good appetite, it seems as they went around hunting they’ve also been eating all the monsters here and there.

“Not only that, after the territory was returned to the throne, there were hardly any monster expeditions so the monsters were starting to increasingly propagate. You actions were quite timely Baron and public sentiment is good.”

“Why weren’t there any all that time? While it belonged to the throne, was it not you who managed the territory?”

“I was in charge of the territory’s work but militarist aspects were not well managed so that couldn’t be helped. That kind of military power would never be bestowed to a house steward.”

“I see, that makes sense. Anyway, I am glad it is being of help to the territory.”

Killing two birds with one stone.

The rake eagles returned every few days and the amount of majeong they brought back was rather significant.

Actually, Cha Ji-hye, while taking care of territory business, said we needed too much money.

Selling the majeong to boost our income will be good.