Chapter 270
My Villains Episode 270
interlude. his lovers(2)
Even in her own judgment, Dionea was far from an extrovert..
‘Even during her days as 'Dionea of Bennet', she enjoyed staying in a corner of the mansion and spinning the potter's wheel rather than learning how to speak to make others happy..
Perhaps it was because of his habit of contrasting with his loud-talking cousins, but I often heard that he was virtuous since childhood..
Even after she became 'Dionea of Agnig', nothing much changed..
To be honest, it wasn't that difficult for her to support her husband, who was dreaming of a comeback while hiding in the residence..
Because the 'attitude of a noble lady' of quietly staying in her place was exactly what suited her personality..
But recently things have changed a bit. This is because she could not serve as a lord with only the virtues required of a noble lady..
Dionea knew this well, but she couldn't change her personality overnight. 18 years as a count's wife and 5 years as a noble lord's wife were long enough years..
Thus, Dionea's transformation into the lord was a bit gradual..
Comforting the soldiers undergoing training, touring the outer wall construction site, and meeting and negotiating with landowners and merchants were all left to the vassals..
Even when discussing major affairs of her fiefdom, only three key vassals who were close to her were called to her office, and she rarely left the fiefdom..
On the contrary, when I was a noblewoman, I often hung out with the ladies of the estate, but I don't do that anymore..
Of course, few people found this strange. It wasn't that uncommon for a ruler to be behind the curtain, and Dionea was even pregnant..
Among the retainers gathered in the office after being summoned, not a single one expressed any doubts..
“There's an interesting rumor coming from the capital, madam..”
Among the retainers, the first to speak was Veldin the scribe..
The reason he, a young man, was able to speak out before other retainers was because of the justification that he was carrying out his duties as emblem on behalf of the aging Tolummy..
“If it's an interesting rumor?”
““It’s a rumor related to the Dawn Council, and it says that all twelve delegates have been convened.” Dionea was leaning on a chair with a shiny maroon color and caressing her stomach. Even though I was wearing a rich blio, it was obvious that my stomach was a bit full..
“All twelve delegates... … . Isn't it rare??”
“16It is said that it has been a year. I don't know the details, but it doesn't seem like it's normal.,”
Veldin glanced at the office where only Dionea and her retainers were present, then lowered his voice..
“After the meeting ended, four delegates disappeared..”
“Disappear?”
“yes. Well, it's not a big surprise that high-ranking wizards are showing up and coming back. There are many people who don't think it's a big deal. But doesn't it make you suspicious that four of them disappeared at once??”
“ O ugh......”
—.
Dionea rested her chin, half-closed her eyes, and stroked her stomach. This is what I see when I'm worried, it's a habit I developed recently..
“Will it affect our work??”
“If you say it's work……
“A wizard.”
Master Castrite, Longville's only territory wizard, died after being crushed by a collapsed gatehouse while fighting Prince Doyle's army..
Dionea, who was close to her, was very sad and went to tease the gods, saying that they needed to find a new sorceress as soon as possible..
The young scribe, no, Acting Heraldry Veldin, shrugged his shoulders..
“Uh, probably not a good thing. Since four delegates have disappeared, the organizations under their command will be cracked down on, and it will be difficult to appease those who leave. If you ask me, yes.”
“If you have to ask me, yes?”
“yes. Um, that's... … . I'm sorry, but with the current situation in Longville, it's close to impossible to find a magician for the Order of Dawn..”
The Council of Dawn is considered a renowned magic family throughout the kingdom and is an organization closely related to the royal family. It was very unlikely that a magician in the Council of Dawn would commit himself to a small baronial territory..
“Still, you never know, so keep your ears open. If you can find a good wizard, you can spend as much money as you want. The same goes for chivalry. If there is a driver without an owner, somehow capture him and bring him back..”
Veldin bowed his head and stepped away, and the next person in line was Steward Edita..
“Mining volume at the mine jumped significantly, with copper production almost doubling..”
“That's a good thing. Did saving the alchemists help??”
“Of course, ma'am. Although the increase in quantity is only in quantity, profits have increased significantly due to the improved quality..”
‘Despite the name 'alchemy', most alchemists cannot create gold..
However, he showed excellent ability in extracting useful ores from dirt and stones, so it was common sense to hire an alchemist when developing a mine..
Edita put down the parchment document in front of Dionea and gave a wrinkled smile..
“It made me feel sick to my stomach because they gave me five gold coins a week, but now I think that's reasonable.
When Edita, a middle-aged woman, muttered, ‘I shouldn’t be this loose,’ Dionea smiled softly and looked at the document..
From the end of October to now, the profit from the gold mine in a little less than two months is a whopping 700 gold coins. Of course, if you deduct a huge amount of down payment and even taxes in addition to various labor and equipment costs, less than half of what will be left will be left..
However, even that amount is an enormous amount of money for a small barony..
Dionea's dark green eyes turned to Amias..
“What is the on-site situation at the mine? I'm worried about the weather. Is it okay to continue operating??”
“The supervisor says the miners are fine, but the workers carrying water and food must be having a hard time. Alchemists use so much water in their workshops that they have to send carts out eight times a day..”
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Dionea looked at the document carefully again and opened her mouth..
“When it snows, reduce pension water supply by half. The work speed of alchemists is appropriately adjusted on site..”
“Would you mind? profit,”
“Mine development is just beginning. There's still a long way to go, so there's no need to rush things without risking people getting hurt..”
Dionea put down the document and leaned back..
“How are the negotiations with the slave traders going??”
“They say they will save 100 young men and women by next month. I decided to buy it for fifteen silver coins per head..”
If you give the priest four or five silver coins, even the sickest child will be baptized with divine power and survive..
Thanks to this, despite numerous wars and rampant monsters, people were everywhere in the kingdom..
It was thanks to such circumstances that a slave could be purchased for only fifteen silver coins..
“Did I also tell you that I would only accept healthy and obedient slaves??”
“Of course. However, since they are all descendants of heretics or traitors, it will not be easy to deal with them no matter how many times you select them and buy them..”
“That can't be helped. I can only hope that the landowners will be appeased..”
Dionea paid generous wages to the miners, so most of those who had been working as tenants on the estate flocked to the gold mines..
Thanks to this, the landowners who had used their land expressed their dissatisfaction, and Dionea planned to purchase slaves and rent them out to the landowners at a low price..
“The gatekeeper must select troops in advance to manage the slaves. You don't need to be that elite, so you can just recruit from the security forces..”
“Yes, ma'am. however……
Amias hesitated for a moment and glanced to the side, and then training leader Chester caught his gaze and opened his mouth..
“Madam, how about selecting some strong men from among the slaves and using them as soldiers??”
“That's not possible.”
Dionea shook her head in an uncharacteristically stern manner..
“Slaves can't be warriors.”
“Madam, I agree, but our medical history is too short. If you don't want to set up a scarecrow on the castle wall, then hurry up and replenish your troops.,”
“It is better to leave the walls empty for a while than to pollute me, my children, and the army that will protect my territory..”
Chester fell silent. Even though he is a longtime member of the family, he sometimes forgets, but Dionea was born into the Bennet family, one of the families that protect the northern frontier..
The northern region is not even included in the legend of a brave knight single-handedly killing twenty barbarians. As Dionea, who was born in such a place, she could not accept the idea of giving weapons to slaves to recruit troops..
In her common sense, being a good soldier meant selecting the right talent and training them to be one hundred warriors, not gathering a ragtag group of soldiers..
In that case, Daionea thought it would be better to hire mercenaries or use conscripts..
“Don't worry too much, training leader. As soon as spring comes, we will send recruiters to surrounding cities..”
Next to Chester, who bowed his head, Steward Edita narrowed her eyes..
“But madam, more than 40% of the budget is being spent on repairing the castle walls and maintaining the military..”
“4will do? Not even halfway there yet? I need to hurry up and find a driver or recruit troops sooner..”
“yes? no… … Including the guards, the standing army already has over 250 men, so they are increasing the number of troops even further. Where is the barony with so many troops, madam?.”
“Even though it was just a baronial territory, there was a lot to protect. There needs to be more people to protect..”
“Yes, you are correct. However, the development of a territory must inherently be balanced.,”
“no.”
Dionea smiled faintly and cut off Edita's words..
““I have no intention of stopping until we have an army of a similar level to the Mullin family.” "ma'am••••••
“Edita, you are not anxious.‘?”
“yes? what is that,”
The faint smile slowly disappeared.
“When Doyle showed up at the gates with an army of over a thousand men, everyone here should have been dead, enslaved, or imprisoned. Why didn't that happen??”
Steward Edita kept her mouth shut. Dionea stroked her stomach for a moment and spoke softly..
“It was thanks to Lord Phoenics..”
“But now he is not here. There are no red bears breaking rocks, no fire witches flying through the sky and setting everything on fire..”
“But, ma'am.”
The person who mustered up the courage to step forward was Veldin, the Deputy Herald..
“A family and territory cannot be protected only with a spear knife. Harmony through diplomacy is,”
“Conversation is with someone you respect, and respect equals fear..”
Dionea quenched her thirst with wine that had been boiled for a long time with all kinds of herbs and all the alcohol had been completely removed..
“Does anyone talk to ants that can be killed by simply pressing them with a finger??”
“Building windmills, building bridges, filling pastures, widening roads? Of course it's important. But what value would they have if everything was taken away in one fell swoop by the High Lord??”
She slowly looked around at the silent retainers and then leaned back..
“If you have nothing more to report, everyone please go back. Oh, the sluice gate remains..”
As the vassals left the office, Daionea motioned to Amias..
As Amias carefully sat down on the chair, Selma, the butler who had been standing silently in the corner, came out and filled the glass in front of him. Like Dionea's, it was a wine with a herbal scent instead of an alcoholic scent..
“Did you pick someone??”
Dionea had given special instructions to Amias about a month ago..
Instructions to destroy Daionea's property, which was secretly stolen from the gold mine, and to train pro-soldiers who will only follow the lord's orders..
“yes. We selected people with a certain level of power, and since they all have their wives and children in their territory, there will be no need to worry about betrayal..”
Despite her confident attitude, Dionea stood up instead of speaking..
“Cultivate loyalty first. I have to do something important..”
“I'll keep that in mind, ma'am..”
“And, I'll give you your first mission..”
She walked over to the armored coat hanger in the corner of the office. Hanging there was the Anig family's heirloom and magical armor, 'Rufus'..
“Already??”
“It's urgent, but it won't be that difficult. Selma?”
While the old woman Selma handed Amias a note, Dionea slowly admired the armor..
The wolf fur on Rufus' shoulders, neck, and waist was charred black..
I heard that it became like this because it was struck by lightning summoned by a powerful wizard, but Dionea liked it better the way it looked now. The armor is a sign of protecting its owner, so there's no way it wouldn't be beautiful..
“……What is this, ma'am??”
Amias asked as he glanced at the note filled with writing, and Dionea, who had closed her eyes before she knew it, opened her mouth, following the faint scent that remained between the scales and barbs..
“These are locations chosen by Veldin by gathering various rumors. These are places where there is a rumor that a magician without a hand is hiding..”
A wizard is a being who draws on the second-dimensional energy spread throughout nature..
Perhaps because of this, the concept that every time someone uses magic, various other dimensions are gradually drawn to Middle Earth was spread like a common belief..
Some wizards say that's not true, but most of the people they talked to had a negative opinion of wizards. They are treated as selfish beings who bring about the destruction of the world for their own greed..
Of course, wizards who work for those in power, belong to powerful organizations, or study at traditional schools are excluded from this treatment. Only magicians who lacked skills or connections lived by hiding their identities and avoiding the public eye..
“Madam, why are you doing this to me?.”
“Bring everyone..”
Amias looked blank for a moment, then narrowed his eyes..
“Do you really plan on gathering wandering wizards??”
“that's right.”
“It's too dangerous!”
“Don't worry. I don't plan on doing it openly..”
Dionea still had her eyes closed. Thin fingertips slowly swept Rufus' neck, shoulders, and chest..
“Tell them you will keep it a secret and protect them. There are definitely people who want a well-equipped laboratory and a comfortable home..”
“I don't know what your wife is thinking. If you are discovered by another wizard, noble, or church,……
“I told you not to worry..”
Dionea came close to burying her nose in the armor rack's shoulder and carefully stretched out both hands. When she closed her eyes, the texture in her imagination was hard and warm..
“Everyone needs a secret weapon..”
“……Okay, ma'am..”
In fact, the feel of the fingertips was harsh and cold to the point of harshness. Daionea was afraid that the imagination that was slowly taking shape would collapse, so she quickly withdrew her hand..
“sluice gate.”
“yes please say.”
“I heard about Jenessa. congratulation.”
When his lord brought up the story of his recently pregnant wife, Amias quickly bowed his head in gratitude..
“Soon even the gatekeeper will understand me..”
“which••••••
“There is no parent in the world who wants to raise their child with the fear that they could lose their home tomorrow. “I want to raise my children safely.” She walked slowly and sat down on the maroon chair and leaned back..
“I would rather give up everything and go back to my hometown than stay in my position worrying that someone will covet my territory at some point..”
“ma'am.”
“But if that happens, my child will live the rest of his life as a fallen nobleman.……
Dionea sipped her wine and smiled softly..
“Ha, what should I do? I don't like that either.”
“sluice gate.”
“yes ma'am.”
“What kind of person and lord will my child grow up to be??”
Dionena asked Amias, who was puzzled, while glaring..
“You guessed it, right? I saw him up close.”
“yes… … yes?”
As Amias gaped, Daionea naturally spoke..
“I will hand over this territory, its well-trained army, its overflowing treasury, and its unrivaled authority to my child. No matter what grandiose dream you have, we hope that it will serve as a foundation for achieving it..”
Amias wiped away the cold sweat and blinked quickly. It's because of the cold sweat running down her eyebrows and her eyes that softly shine like a lingering fire..
“The child will grow up to be a hero like his father. Then, Gatekeeper, you and your child will be honored together by his side..”
“So, be loyal.” These were not the eyes of an innocent noblewoman. It wasn't even that of a country lord..
“To the point of sacrificing your life, without any doubts.”
Amias swallowed his saliva as he looked into the eyes of a wild beast carrying a cub. Having no intention, method or reason to refuse, he nodded vigorously..
“great.”
Dionea smiled brightly..
“I need to take a nap soon..”
Amias, who had been sitting blankly for a moment as she greeted the guests, quickly bowed and left the office..
Dionea stood up and took out a piece of parchment from the drawer. And I sat down on the velvet couch that was tilted at an angle..
“oh. There's a new story?”
Dionea glanced at the parchment containing news from somewhere in the far northwest, patted her stomach and whispered in a kind voice..
“ego… … . This is the story of defeating ruthless bounty hunters, barbarians, and a terrifying demon from hell..”
Dionea settled down near the fireplace and whispered heroic tales until she fell asleep..
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