Chapter 818

According to Shane’s explanation, the Chief Administrator… that is, Lambert Sigel, was he called?

That man was the sole survivor of the Sigel Barony, one of the collateral branches of the Berenger family, the Twelve Knights.

In the past, there were other collateral branches, but due to conflicts among nobles and wars with Ka`har, they gradually died off, leaving only him.

The Sigel Barony also fell due to conflicts with other nobles, and by the time Lambert was born, it was no different from a commoner’s household.

Feeling pity for this, Ludwig took him under his wing and cared for him…

While the public reason was sympathy for his fallen state, the truth was that Ludwig wanted to keep him as insurance for the Berenger bloodline.

To ensure that after Ludwig’s death, the Berengeiria Wall and Landenburg’s territory could continue through the Berenger bloodline, in place of the severed Landenburg family.

In short, he planned to raise a distant, unknown relative and, if he showed promise, adopt him as his heir.

The problem was, a few years later, a new option crossed the wall and came in person.

That would be me.

Unlike Lambert, who is competent in administration but lacks military talent, I possess overwhelming combat skills as a direct descendant of Median.

At first, Ludwig was skeptical of my abilities… but after witnessing the remarkable achievements I had built in just a year since my exile to the Empire, he decided to pass Landenburg to me instead of Lambert.

He thought that in these turbulent times, a transcendent warrior would be more suited to rule the territory than an excellent administrator.

However, it would be a waste to discard Lambert, whom he had raised with care, so he appointed him as my proxy to fill in my shortcomings.

If I were to die without leaving an heir, Lambert, as a Berenger descendant, would naturally inherit Landenburg.

“Hmm…”

Listening to the explanation, it didn’t seem like a bad plan.

Contrary to Ludwig’s expectations, Landenburg became a kingdom instead of a mere marquisate, and Lambert, now tasked with managing a kingdom, fled fearing I might kill him.

—

“If you can relay a message to that Lambert, tell him this: I know who he is, and it won’t be hard to find him. If he doesn’t want to be dragged back in chains, he should return on his own.”

“…Is it really necessary to eliminate him? He chose to flee rather than face you, so leaving him be wouldn’t harm you…”

Shane hesitated before answering.

Judging from his tone, it seemed he had a close relationship with Lambert.

He had kept Lambert’s identity a secret until I pressed him, and now he was worried I might harm him, asking unnecessary questions.

“What are you talking about? I already swore I wouldn’t harm him. I’m not planning to kill or imprison him. Quite the opposite.”

“The opposite…?”

“Ludwig raised him to be his heir, right? We can’t let such talent go to waste. I want to assess his abilities, and if he’s as competent as expected, I’ll give him a significant role.”

If he proves more capable than expected, it wouldn’t be bad to hand over Landenburg’s rule to him later.

I have no intention of marrying and having children, so when I grow old and die, the succession rights to Hestela will be left hanging.

Whether Hestela can continue as a nation or be divided and reabsorbed by the Empire is uncertain…

But at least, it would be right to pass Landenburg’s territory to Ludwig’s distant relative.

“Uh… is that so…?”

“Yes, so I’d like to meet him as soon as possible. If it takes too long, I might get a bit annoyed.”

And Freide once joked that my “annoyance” is akin to a natural disaster for others.

“…Understood.”

Shane nodded with a stiff expression.

—

After that, various work instructions followed.

The lord’s bedroom—that is, Ludwig’s former bedroom—was to be redecorated to my taste, with Freide strictly barred from interfering.

The private army of the Median family, the Rose Cross Knight Order, would be arriving in Landenburg, so accommodations needed to be prepared for them.

And, to deal with Ferne’s drunken antics, the half-black, half-fairy Hestela was to be summoned.

Shane bowed his head in acknowledgment and left the office, while I leaned back in my chair, legs on the desk, waiting for Hestela to arrive, filling the office with the scent of peppermint.

“Ha, Has-hal-leur, Master. Did you call for me?”

It was around the time I was lighting my third cigarette.

Hestela, a half-fairy born from the forbidden union of a black slave and a fairy, knocked on the office door.

“Yes, come in.”

“Nep!”

With a creak, the wooden door opened. Hestela cautiously entered, immediately kneeling on the floor and bowing her head in greeting.

The sweat on her exposed neck showed she had rushed here in a panic upon hearing my call.

“So, what is it…?”

“There’s something I need you to do. You’ve been resting and eating well, so it’s time to get back to work, right?”

I straightened my posture and looked down at the trembling Hestela, explaining the task she needed to perform.

“To watch over Lady Eleonora and her maid?”

“Yes. I took them in at Leopold’s request, but something feels off. They seem harmless, but every time I see them, I feel an urge to punch them.”

“…Isn’t that just a personality clash?”

Hestela tilted her head, misunderstanding my expression of wanting to punch them as mere annoyance.

For me, wanting to punch someone means wanting to obliterate their upper body.

I needed to clarify.

“Hestela, imagine this: if I were to strike your chest with this hand, what do you think would happen? What would become of your body?”

I smiled faintly, explaining the true meaning of “wanting to punch someone.”

“Ye, yes…?”

“Wouldn’t you turn into chunks of meat? Scattered pieces of flesh that even the Ogamhui wouldn’t recognize if they came back to life. Right?”

By now, she should have understood—

“Eeek! Please, Master, spare me! I won’t talk back again! I, a lowly sinner, overstepped! Please forgive me just this once!”

…She didn’t get it at all.

Taking my explanation as a threat, Hestela prostrated herself, trembling like a broken electric massager.

If I stood up, she might wet herself in fear.

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

I sighed deeply, exasperated and pitiful, and had to explain more carefully to prevent the office floor from smelling of ammonia.

Ignoring the faint stench of urine wafting to my nose.

—

After a lengthy explanation, Hestela, who finally fully understood my orders, left the office, walking unsteadily with her thighs tightly clenched.

I was relieved to see the floor where she had been lying was dry, and I opened the window wide to let out the strange mix of urine and peppermint scent.

“Sigh…”

My head ached as if I had a hangover, even though I hadn’t drunk anything.

[Surveillance… the judgment itself seems sound, but can you really trust that girl?]

‘Hestela? She should be fine. She’s so good at hiding in the shadows that even I would have trouble finding her. No need to worry about her being caught.’

Perhaps inherited from her father, Hestela had a natural talent for stealth, theft, and escape.

In a fair fight, she couldn’t stand against a master, but her stealth skills could deceive even heroic knights—like Milia, Persval, or Joshua.

Moreover, her fairy heritage made her incredibly light, allowing her to move swiftly. There was no better candidate for a spy, assassin, or watcher.

So, no need to worry.

‘With Nigel, Leonor, and the Rose Cross Knight Order assigned as escorts to restrict their movements, and Hestela quietly observing from the shadows… they’ll reveal their true intentions eventually.’

If they remain quiet until the original story’s ending, then the suspicion I felt was just my imagination.

—

As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. Once a decision is made, the wisest choice is to push forward without delay.

After sending Hestela out of the office, I extinguished my cigarette in the ashtray and went to Eleonora’s guest room to inform her that her role had slightly changed.

Instead of just being an advisor, she would now oversee Hestela’s administrative tasks until that Lambert fellow returned.

And, since someone entrusted with such a heavy responsibility couldn’t be left without guards, I would assign reliable knights to escort her.

“Uh… this is a bit awkward. If my identity gets revealed, wouldn’t that be problematic?”

As expected, Eleonora tried to refuse, saying it would be troublesome.

“Just keep your face covered, and it’ll be fine. You’ve been living abroad for over ten years; how many people would recognize Her Highness the Princess just by her voice and demeanor?”

Of course, her refusal was refused.

Here, my word was law, unlike in the Imperial Palace of the Capital.