Back in Astrantia

We were almost back at the lakeshore, our home in this world.

After breakfast, we packed up the house and tents and headed for the next city—Akimenes.

We were going there to greet Viscount Tumbergia, who ruled the area.

He seemed to have been making trouble for the Eupatorium Viscounty, where Astrantia was located, so I did not particularly want to become friends with him, but this was part of my job.

Akira and I refueled the vehicles with biodiesel.

It should have been enough to get us to Astrantia, but it was better to be prepared.

Once we finished fueling, everyone climbed into the vehicles one after another.

I called out to Julius, the herald traveling with us.

"Julius, how was sleeping in the tent?"

"It was quite comfortable."

"Really? We'll be living in tents until the estate and houses are built, you know. If you really can't get used to it, you could stay in nearby Astrantia."

"No, that would prevent me from properly serving you as your herald, Kenichi-sama."

"If you notice anything that could be improved, tell me. I'll listen."

"You are quite an unusual man, my lord."

"I hear that a lot."

I was an otherworlder who had come from a world with values different from those of this one, so I supposed it could not be helped.

I radioed Akira, who was driving the Pr○do.

"Akira! We're setting out!"

'All right! Sounds good!'

The vehicles proceeded along the mostly straight road without incident, reaching the city of Akimenes after about an hour.

"Huh?! We really made it to Akimenes?!"

"It would appear so."

Popo the bard and Julius were looking outside through the microbus windows.

"This is definitely the city of Akimenes."

Primula's explanation astonished not only Popo but the maids as well.

"It would take several weeks to come here by carriage..." "Yeah." "And we did it in just one day."

"So this is how fast the margrave's iron summoned beast can race across the land. It's perfect material for a song, and the audience will eat it up."

I felt uneasy hearing their conversation from behind us. Hey, don't spread too many strange stories.

Not that saying something like that would do any good in a world with so little entertainment.

While I was feeling somewhat anxious about the bard, we entered the city of Akimenes.

As expected, it had not changed since the last time I came.

The layout of this city was quite similar to Astrantia's.

A main street ran north to south, with an upscale residential district on the eastern side.

The viscount's residence stood at the very back of that district.

While enduring the curious gazes directed at the iron summoned beast traveling through the streets, I contacted the vehicle behind us.

"Akira, we're going to stop by the viscount's residence. Turn left at the main street."

'Got it.'

When we turned left at the intersection in the center of the city, more and more fine houses appeared around us.

The viscount's residence stood at the very back: a magnificent white stone building surrounded by iron fencing decorated with black ornaments.

It looked considerably grander than the viscount's residence in Astrantia.

The Eupatorium Viscounty, where Astrantia was located, had been on the verge of collapse because its viscount had little interest in governing, and he apparently had not been lining his own pockets either.

I had met Viscount Tumbergia at the completion ceremony for the irrigation canal I had helped build with heavy machinery, and he had struck me as quite the sly old fox.

It seemed he had been plotting to take over the Eupatorium Viscounty whenever the opportunity arose.

We reached the front gate, got out, and spoke with the guard in silver armor.

"I am Kenichi Hamada, Margrave of the Frontier. I have no appointment, but I happened to be passing nearby and wished to pay my respects. Please inform the viscount that I wish to see him."

"M-Margrave-sama? Please wait a moment!"

The guard hurried inside the residence. Well, I had come without an appointment, so I could hardly complain if they turned me away.

After we waited by the gate for a while, the guard returned with a gentleman dressed in black.

He had distinguished silver-gray hair and a white beard, and looked every inch a butler.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Margrave-sama. My name is Gaura, and I am the head butler of this residence."

"Forgive my sudden visit. I happened to be passing nearby and thought I would greet the viscount. You have probably never heard of the Margrave of Hamada, but I was granted my title and fief only about a week ago."

Since a margrave ranked considerably higher than a viscount, I did not need to use honorific language with him.

I showed him the document bearing the royal seal that confirmed my title and fief.

"T-this is unmistakably proof of a royal command from His Majesty the King. Please forgive my rudeness."

The bearded gentleman bowed deeply.

"And the Viscount Tumbergia?"

"I regret to inform you, but my lord is currently away on a tour outside the territory..."

"That is unfortunate. Then tell him that a Hamada margraviate is being established near Astrantia, and—this is a gift, so please give it to the viscount."

I handed him a one-ounce platinum coin in a box I had bought from Shangri-La and showed him its contents.

"What is this?"

"It is a platinum coin."

"What?! A platinum coin?!"

I picked up the coin and infused it with power, making it glow faintly.

"Good heavens, it is genuine!"

"It is a gift for the viscount. Why would it be a fake?"

"Please forgive me!"

"Then please give my regards to the viscount."

"Yes, my lord!"

There was nothing I could do if the viscount was away. Perhaps he was pretending not to be home. I did not particularly want to meet him either.

He would probably try to involve me in some unpleasant scheme.

I had Akira turn his SUV around, then climbed back into the microbus.

According to Julius, lower-ranking nobles did not employ heralds, and butlers like the one we had just met acted in their place.

Apparently, only nobles of about marquis rank or higher employed heralds.

Their salaries were not especially high, but capable heralds were taken by royalty and high-ranking nobles, so few were left for the lower nobility.

We returned the microbus to the main street and left the city of Tumbergia.

"Do you suppose he pretended not to be home?"

"It is possible, Lilith. But he was not someone I particularly wanted to meet anyway."

"I see."

I explained to Lilith what seemed to be a dispute between the two viscounties.

"There certainly was irrigation work going on around here."

"Amaranthus may know more about it."

I called Amaranthus to the driver's seat.

"Indeed, Holy Knight-sama, as you say. The Viscount Tumbergia sent several letters."

"What did they say?"

"They said that the Viscount of Eupatorium lacked the ability to complete the state project decreed by His Majesty..."

"Something like, 'Even if you merge the neighboring viscounty with mine, I can rule it, so please make me a count'?"

"That was essentially what he wrote. And if the Viscount of Eupatorium's ability to govern had been called into question, that really might have happened."

The viscount must have been summoned to the castle despite his busy schedule to confirm those facts.

"So I turned the whole thing upside down all by myself...?"

"Yes! A unique power that does not exist in this world! I thought that surely the person worthy of becoming the Holy Knight-sama had finally appeared!"

I had summoned an iron magical beast and completed construction that otherwise would never have been finished in time.

Hearing it from Amaranthus herself, I could understand why she saw it that way.

I now understood what had happened behind the scenes, and it made it virtually certain that Viscount Tumbergia had been targeting the Eupatorium territory.

There was even less chance of my becoming friends with Viscount Tumbergia now.

As our convoy traveled along the nearly straight highway, it gradually began to curve to the right, and glimpses of a deep forest appeared.

After a while, Kazura Lake, the source of the irrigation canal, came into view on our left.

"This is Kazura Lake. It is the source of the irrigation canal."

"I see. It was included in the construction plans I saw at the castle."

Amaranthus gazed out the window at the lake's glittering surface.

"Do members of the royal family ever come to inspect places in person?"

"Not unless something extremely serious has happened."

So they did not. I supposed they left reports to tell them what was happening in the actual provinces.

That meant it was possible to claim that construction had been completed and pocket the money even if no construction had taken place.

Of course, if they were caught, they would probably lose their heads—literally.

"Secret inspectors are sent from the castle, so I believe that would be difficult."

Lilith said that, but were they something like the covert agents of old?

"So regardless of what the nobles report, the inspectors send in regular reports of their own?"

"Yes."

Otherwise, people could lie and slander others with impunity.

I see. So inspectors had been reporting on me too... That meant there was probably one of those covert agents in the Astrantia viscount's residence as well.

"If that is true, then the fact that the Eupatorium Viscounty declined economically and the Marlowe Trading Company became involved in its administration..."

"Of course I know. I have not ruled this land for several hundred years for nothing."

Amaranthus snapped open a folding fan she had taken from her Item Box.

The younger Lilith had apparently not known that much, but the information had reached Amaranthus.

As we continued along the gentle right-hand curve, highlands came into view on our right.

"Lilith, all the land atop those highlands will become my territory too."

"How do you intend to use such a vast, undeveloped land?"

"For now, I will survey it and determine its size."

Trees and grass grew there, so perhaps it could be turned into farmland. Would that really be impossible?

"Has no one truly ever entered that place?"

"There were shrines, so it seems a few eccentrics did. Perhaps one or two people have been there."

On the far side of the highlands, the irrigation canal I had dug flowed along our left. Settlers had moved into the open area and were beginning to make fields.

I could see tall green plants growing in rows.

"Are those corn plants? They've already planted it?"

I had given the viscount some corn seeds, and it seemed they had planted them right away.

From what I could see, they appeared to be growing without any problems.

I contacted the vehicle behind us.

"Akira, they have started growing corn in the fields here."

'Did you give the viscount the seeds?'

"Yeah. The viscount here begged me for them."

They probably would not thin the plants to make the ears sweeter, so the flavor might be mediocre.

Besides, was it safe to collect seeds from the ones I had bought in Shangri-La and plant them again?

They might revert to their original traits...

"Akira—the highlands I mentioned are on the right."

'It really does look like Table Mountain and the Guiana Highlands.'

"They are not nearly as high, so it does not seem to have developed a different biosphere or anything like that."

'Huh.'

We continued driving for about two hours. Gradually, the forest became denser, and the city of Astrantia came into view.

The sun was still high; it was around midday.

"We've arrived in Astrantia."

The familiar cityscape welcomed me. A warm feeling slowly welled up from the depths of my heart—the feeling of having finally come home.

"What?!" "We've already reached Astrantia?!" "From the royal capital to Astrantia in just two days..."

"As expected of you, Master."

I could hear Mairen's catchphrase, but was she going to say it every time? It was a little embarrassing, so I wished she would stop.

"This really does look like Astrantia..."

"Kaldon told me that you used unbelievable magic, Kenichi-sama, but I never imagined anything like this..."

Popo and Julius were astonished, but as they said, we had traveled at an impossible speed by this world's standards.

Anemone came over near the driver's seat.

"We're back!"

"Yeah, Anemone. I just thought of something. If I made a flat golem out of earth and rode on top of it, couldn't it move faster?"

"What?! That sounds fun! I'll try it next time!"

Akira had said that he used golem technology to spread oil.

If we could move water with golem technology, perhaps we could make ships move faster too.

I picked up the microphone of the radio.

"Akira, if you can move oil with golem technology, that means you can move water too, right?"

'Yeah, I think it should work.'

"If we controlled water with a golem, couldn't we make a floating ship move at high speed?"

'Like riding a surfboard?'

"Something like that."

'Hmm... That sounds interesting. I'll ask Sensei about it.'

Apparently, Akira had never tried it either.

"You really do think up the most outrageous things, don't you?"

"Amaranthus, have you ever heard of water golems or golems like slimes?"

"No. Golems have always been considered more advanced and revered the closer they come to a humanoid form."

I see. Their technology had become specialized in making humanoid forms and imitating people.

"If all you want is for them to do work, there is no need to make them humanoid."

"If the great magi of the royal capital learned how golems could be used like that, they would fall out of their chairs. Hohoho."

Amaranthus fanned herself lightly.

"Or they might turn bright red and denounce it as heresy. It could go either way."

Lilith had a point.

Even in my original world, robots had evolved by imitating the human form. Making them resemble people was an advanced technology in itself, but a humanoid shape was unnecessary if all you wanted was to have them perform a specific job.

Industrial robots consisting of nothing but an arm were a good example.

When we entered the city, we headed for the viscount's residence to pay our respects.

We proceeded down the street and turned left at the major intersection. Just like in Akimenes, the Eupatorium Viscount's residence stood at the end of the upscale residential district.

After seeing the magnificent estates in the royal capital and elsewhere, the viscount's residence here seemed rather modest.

I got out of the microbus and spoke to the guard at the front gate.

"Hello. I don't have an appointment, but I would like to see the viscount. Tell him Kenichi is here."

I was acquainted with the guard here, so I slipped him a few copper coins, and he immediately went to the residence.

It was probably better not to mention that I was a margrave. It would likely only cause confusion.

The guard soon came running back from the residence.

"He will see you."

"Good."

We were told that we could drive the vehicles inside, so we did so.

I contacted Akira behind us.

"Akira, follow us inside."

'Got it!'

The viscount and his wife already knew about my summoned beasts, after all.

We drove the vehicles into the estate's garden and pulled up beside the entrance.

"Lilith and Amaranthus, come with me."

"Understood."

"As the Holy Knight-sama wishes."

After getting out, I went over to Akira.

"It'll probably take half an hour to an hour, so wait here."

"Sure thing."

We opened the grand black entrance doors and entered the residence together.

The viscount and his wife immediately came out, but...

"Yes, my lord!"

The viscount and his wife prostrated themselves before the two former royals who had suddenly appeared in front of them.

The two former royals beside me had once belonged to the royal family, but there was no way the viscount and his wife, living in this remote region, could have known what had happened at the castle.

I had come to inform them that the land around the lake, which had once belonged to their viscounty, was now mine.

I read aloud the letter granted by His Majesty the King.

'The land along Lake Astilbe and the highlands attached thereto are hereby ceded to Kenichi Hamada, Margrave of the Frontier. King of the Kingdom of Kadan—Ranan Culas Kadan.'

I also told them that a Hamada margraviate had been established along the lakeshore and that I would rule it.

"Yes, my lord!"

"Well, we're neighbors now, so let's get along."

"E-excuse me... I understand that completely, but why are the queen and princess here?"

The viscount's wife nervously asked the former queen.

"I am no longer the queen. I am the Holy Knight-sama's slave."

"What? Huh? A slave...? There is certainly a slave mark on your neck, but what on earth...?"

"It would take a while to explain. The princess left the royal family on the condition that she become the margrave's principal wife."

"W-why would she do that?"

Lilith looked displeased at the viscount's wife's question.

"Do you object to my becoming the margrave's principal wife?"

"N-no! I would never dare! But... that means I will no longer be able to visit Kenichi-sama..."

"You can come visit, Kanan."

"Really?!"

"Kenichi? Have you been involved with the viscount's wife too?"

"Cut it out, Lilith. Don't say something like that in front of the viscount. Nothing happened."

I tried to explain, but the viscount, who had heard me, said something outrageous.

"Um, Margrave-sama... If possible, would you take Kanan as your wife as well?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

According to the viscount, just like the royal family, they had no children and were having trouble with succession.

To solve that problem, he wanted to make his mistress his principal wife, but demoting his wife to a secondary wife seemed to be somewhat problematic.

"Kanan seems to want to leave the viscounty as well."

"He says that woman should be his principal wife and that I should become a secondary wife! Do you really think I can endure that?"

"Kanan, stop speaking ill of her. She is a wonderful woman."

The viscount's preference was not for beautiful women like his wife, but for plump women—in other words, he was a fat fetishist.

He had married his wife according to noble custom, but now he wanted to put an end to it.

Furthermore, it seemed that the viscount's heart had completely left his wife.

This must have been terribly painful for her.

"Oh, so that is what the viscount really thinks of me!"

The viscount's wife began to cry and threw her arms around me.

"You have a family home to return to, don't you?"

"If I told them about this, my family would disown me!"

Come to think of it, she had said that her parents were desperate to marry their daughter into a good noble family.

"I won't be greedy, and I won't ask you to sleep with me! Just let me stay in some corner of your household!"

The earnest look in the tearful woman's eyes overwhelmed me.

I did not trust the tears of women over twenty, but I supposed this was an exception... She really did not seem to have anywhere else to go.

"Good grief... All right. I suppose I'll take you in."

"Really?!"

The viscount's wife's face lit up, but Amaranthus, who had been watching, made a sarcastic remark.

"Holy Knight-sama—if you find a woman in trouble, are you planning to save every last one of them?"

"Not every one, but... I do know her, after all."

Lilith and Amaranthus looked exasperated, but would it not be cruel to turn away someone who had nowhere to go?

"And, Margrave-sama..."

"What is it?"

"If you wish, I would be willing to hand over the administration of this viscounty as well."

"What? Are you serious?"

"I have lost all interest in governing my territory."

This viscount dreamed of becoming a writer. He probably wanted to abandon a task that did not suit his temperament and devote himself to creative work.

"I am not opposed to the idea, but... I have no idea what will happen to my margraviate."

"No, I believe you would manage it without difficulty."

Lilith, Amaranthus, and the viscount's wife all nodded, but I had intended to leave the finances entirely to the Marlowe Trading Company and Primula.

Of course, he probably meant that this included the fact that I had such people available.

Afterward, I tried to give him a platinum coin as a gift, but he firmly refused, saying he was not in a position to accept it.

He probably could not accept it because he might abandon the territory.

The development had been somewhat unexpected, but our discussion was over for the time being.

When the beastfolk saw Kanan, the viscount's wife, leaving the residence with me, they shouted.

"Hey, Miss! Looks like the numbers are still going up. Are you sure about this?"

"Hohoho... I-I have room to spare."

Primula's laugh sounded strained, which made me fear what was to come later.

"This is quite a lineup now, nya."

We had Kanan's belongings packed up, and she would return later to collect them.

She was astonished when she saw the microbus.

"Is this one of your summoned beasts too, Kenichi-sama?"

"You can just call me Kenichi."

"But with royalty present..."

"Neither of them is royalty anymore."

"Then may I call you Kenichi?"

"Yeah."

Before setting out, I went over to Akira.

"Akira, what are you going to do? There really is nothing where I'm headed, so you can stay in Astrantia until the territory is up and running. I'll leave the vehicle with you too."

While I had been inside the viscount's residence, Akira and his family had apparently discussed the matter.

"Kenichi... Sorry, but the women in my household really seem to prefer the city. Could you leave the vehicle with me?"

"Sure. I may ask you to transport people back and forth, though."

"Okay! It's not like I have anything else to do."

The Pr○do could fit inside his Item Box, so he would not need a parking space.

I gave him two plastic tanks filled with biodiesel fuel.

"Thanks. I really owe you one."

When I returned to the microbus, Primula came over to the driver's seat.

"Kenichi, please stop by the Marlowe Trading Company."

"All right."

I picked up the microphone and contacted the vehicle behind us.

"Hey, Akira. We're heading to the Marlowe Trading Company branch in this city. You can discuss accommodations and everything else there."

'Got it!'

I led Akira and the others out of the viscount's residence and headed for the Astrantia branch of the Marlowe Trading Company.