Volume 2: The Grand Duke Reigns, Creeping Shadows

Chapter 28: The Road to a New World

　Sanderica is a territory under the direct control of the imperial family that spreads along the coast of the empire. It is one of the few territories that face the sea among the territories directly under the Imperial Household, and the city of Sanderica, which gave the territory its name, is a large port town famous for its abundant marine products. Seafood caught from Sanderica is delivered to the entire empire through various channels. It is, so to speak, the “kitchen of the sea” in the empire, and one of the most important sources of revenue for the imperial household.

　The coastal city of Sanderica and its surrounding area. The area of the territory is about the size of a viscount’s house, but in terms of economic power, it is one of the key areas in the empire comparable to that of a count’s house. This was the territory given to Liselotte, and it was the land that was to be newly called the “Gascoigne territory”.

“Once again, to hand over one of your financial resources. That’s very bold, indeed.”

“That’s how important my husband is to us.”

　Lute and Liselotte talk in the carriage heading to Sanderica.

“Lieselotte, you’re the head of the family. Then it is you who is more important than I am.

“Well, let’s just leave it at that.”

　Seeing Liselotte smiling gracefully, Lute let out a bitter sigh. At first glance, the exchanges make one feel the difference between the two actors, but in reality, Lute is in a higher position than Liselotte. After all, Liselotte’s line that Lute is important and that is why she is being honored is undeniably true.

  Lute has no intention of managing the territory. The reason why the Empire made Liselotte the head of the family was because they understood Lute’s feelings. The Empire then arranged for a large amount of money to flow into Lute’s pockets. The fact that the fiancee, or rather the de facto wife, was enriched, her husband Lute would inevitably be enriched as well. ……The reality is that of a husband who relies on his wife’s income and has no problem with that.

“Oh no. I can’t believe that I, the new demi-god, is a rogue who is nurtured by a twelve year old girl. It’s so pathetic, it brings tears to my eyes.”

“Oh, my. In that case, would you like to do some work, my lord?”

“No thanks. I don’t want to try causing unnecessary confusion by doing something I’m not used to doing just for the sake of such external appearances. It’s just too pathetic to cry over.”

　He doesn’t get involved in things he’s not used to. He doesn’t get involved because he’s not prepared for it. Whether he is crowned a grand duke or is called a bastard for spending his fiancée’s money, Lute’s stance on the management of his fiefdom will never change.

“I’m sure you, my husband, will make a fine lord, don’t you think?”

“Ha. You’re overestimating. I’m just a little bit clever in that direction. All I can do is to freeze the whole area. I may be revered as a demi-god, but at the end of the day, I’m nothing more than a force to be reckoned with. I’m nothing more, nothing less, and I have no intention of becoming anything else.”

“…I guess you’re right. It may seem a little wasteful, but I will respect my husband’s will.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just that the right person is in the right place at the right time.”

　Lute’s current position in the empire was granted only because of his power as a demi-god. If not for that, he would not have been considered as a partner of 

a small country that is only a little bit smart, or even a prince at the end of an enemy country. The country was led by Axia, who was able to successfully turn the country around in a way that did not cause Lute’s displeasure. He thinks that compared to them, he is still inexperienced, and it would not be a good thing if he jumped into such an underworld.

　This is why he cannot make the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lute is a super power, and he will not deviate from his assigned role unless there is something wrong. It would be less troublesome if he were a martyr to his role.

“……Well, even if we don’t have to deal with things like war potential, at the very least I would like to work for the benefit of the territory. I have no intention of meddling in Liselotte’s territory, but that being said, it’s hard to be completely non-interfering when you’re getting paid.”

“Oh, my. I appreciate that, but is it okay?”

“It’s the little bit of pride that a man has. I called myself a “rogue” earlier in the conversation, but I’m not so shameless that I’m really going to do that. If I am willing to be completely nurtured by a younger princess, then I have fallen to the lowest point of male depravity.”

　If it is Lute’s will as a grand duke and demigod to basically stay out of the political field, this is his will as a “man”. Depending on the situation, even though Lute has no hesitation in taking advantage of his merits over his honor depending on the situation, he is reluctant to be completely financially dependent on Liselotte, who is below him in terms of position, power, and age. Well.……Perhaps it is because he has a commoner’s temperament and is often ridiculed as a “delinquent” that he values his reputation in that area more than one might think.

　After a brainstorming between his will as a man and his will as a person of status, he decided to be useful to the minimum extent that would not interfere with Liselotte’s territory.

“I’m going to do two things. One, my idiots. I’ll lend you the command and you can use them as you like. Now is a busy time of year. We need all the manpower we can get, don’t you think?”

“…my lord’s vassals? Aren’t they the ones you call your greatest treasure?”

“I’m just lending them to you. Sanderica is not going to have much to do under me in the first place. I’m sure they don’t want to spend all their spare time getting dull.”

　Unlike Lute, who is lazy by nature, all of them are soldiers who have fought in many battles and are diligent to the extent that they have reached that level. If you don’t assign them work, it is certain that they will have too much free time on their hands, and they may even take the initiative to help out somewhere else. In that case, it would be better to talk to Liselotte first and assign them some work…Above all, Lute could not allow his loyal subjects, who were the gems of the past wars, to rust away in vain.

“So use them as you like. As long as you don’t make them do anything shady, I’ll usually allow it. Liselotte, the idiots will be more likely to obey if they are dealing with my fiancée. I will send Heinrich to you later, so you can discuss the details with him and decide.”

“Thank you.”

　Liselotte bowed her head, saying that although Friedrich had provided her with adequate manpower, she was still thankful for the increase in highly skilled military officers. At the same time, Liselotte also put together in her mind the details of her meeting with Heinrich, who is now in a position to organize Lute’s subjects.

“And secondly. The reason the Empire placed me here in the first place is to give you all you want.”

“You know it, my lord?”

“Oh. A coastal city with a specialty in fresh food and a demi-god of ice. Put them all together and it’s pretty obvious what the empire wants, isn’t it?”

　When it comes to dealing with living things, especially fast-moving marine products, no matter what you do, you run into the problem of freshness. And Lute has the means to solve this problem to some extent.

“If you tell me, I will make you ice, ice that will never melt. I will prepare the materials for you, and you can use them as you like.”

“… !!!”

　At Lute’s words, Liselotte’s eyes widened unexpectedly and she was at a loss for words.

　But that was inevitable. After all, she was told that he would casually prepare a fairy tale-like product that would be revolutionary in distribution, and that would be terrifyingly valuable on its own.

“… Are you sure, my lord? That’s beyond the minimum, no, on the contrary, I think it is the realm of politics that Danna-sama avoids…”

“It’s not inexhaustible. It is finite. It’s just a small amount. Above all, all I have to do is prepare it. You, Liselotte, can decide what to do with it. You can put it on the negotiating table and handle it well. On the other hand, if you do something wrong and lose money, I won’t make it up for you. That’s what it means to not be involved.”

　Yes. Lute only prepares the items. Even if it was an illusionary object that could rank among national treasures, it was Liselotte who handled it. Depending on her choice, God’s grace can be either medicine or poison. No, it may be neither. In a sense, only she knows what the future holds, and there is only one thing that other people can know. The only thing the rest of us can know is that “God’s grace” is a rare occurrence.

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m not going to support you completely. To put it bluntly, I’ll leave the cashing to you, so I can take out my allowance from here. This is the story of a married couple that can be found anywhere.”

“I pride myself on my worldly ignorance, but I can confidently say ‘no’ on this one.”

　Lieselotte let out a small sigh, wondering where in the world a husband would pay a fairy tale in exchange for an allowance.

“…However, I understand that I have certainly received your kindness. I will make good use of it so as not to disappoint your expectations.”

“As I have said many times, do as you please. This is Liselotte’s territory.”

　Saying that, Lute shifted his gaze from inside the carriage to the scenery outside.

　──The coastal city of Sanderica, the heart of Gascoigne’s territory, where Lute and his team would soon be settled, was just around the corner.

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