Chapter 134 – 134. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated Into The Baek Family
134. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated into the Baek Family
Clunk. Clunk.
Having finished our trip to the Huge Snow Mountains, we were on our way back to the Prucus County. I stared blankly out the carriage window. The rapidly changing scenery was a bit novel at first, but now it was just plain boring.
‘The biggest drawback of this world is that there’s not much to do for fun.’
I looked around the carriage.
Yuria, sitting next to me, was sitting still in a proper posture. Lucy was asleep, leaning against the carriage wall, and Kyle was deep in thought about something.
‘I shouldn’t have brought Kyle. I should have come alone with Yuria.’
If I had, I could have spent a pleasant time teasing Yuria in the carriage.
“Yeah. I’ve decided.”
Kyle suddenly spoke. I looked at him, tilting my head.
“Kyle, what are you talking about all of a sudden? What did you decide?”
“I realized something on this trip. I want to learn about this world. I want to see and feel various things with my own eyes.”
“You’re going to become a traveler?”
“Yeah… Youjin isn’t surprised by what I’m saying. I thought you’d be really shocked to hear this.”
I shrugged once.
“I expected it. I thought you might do something like that, Kyle.”
It was simply unfolding as in the original story. It was just that Kyle had made up his mind a little faster than I had anticipated. It seemed that this trip to the Huge Snow Mountains had been the trigger.
“Do you have a plan?”
“…For now, I’m going to live as an adventurer. Adventurers who travel are relatively common, right?”
Kyle would wander around the continent and eventually head to the labyrinth city of Laviter. There, he would reunite with Claudia, one of the heroines, and they would work together as companions before returning to the Prucus County.
‘Having matured a lot.’
I had no intention of just leaving Kyle alone. If I didn’t intervene at all and left him to his own devices, Kyle would become a monster that would be hard to control.
I needed to at least delay him from becoming an Aura Master. If he became an Aura Master like in the original story and returned to the county, the title of Count would be his.
‘In the original story, Zent schemes to take the position of successor from Kyle, who has become an Aura Master, but things go wrong and he dies.’
I had to prevent Kyle from becoming an Aura Master.
‘Become an Aura Master after I become the Count of Prucus.’
Given Kyle’s personality, he would never betray me. He would also become a valuable tactical weapon, a vassal who would move according to my will.
“My first destination is the Kingdom of Cuto. I want to see the Sky Plains there with my own eyes.”
It was one of the kingdoms located south of the Kingdom of Cuto.
The Sky Plains, as the name suggests, were plains as vast as the sky. The plains were said to be so vast that they overwhelmed anyone who saw them.
“Your journey… Okay. That’s all fine, but how are you going to convince Mother?”
“……”
Kyle shut his mouth.
Elaine was a rational woman. If there was a valid reason, she would allow Kyle’s journey.
‘The problem is that there is no valid reason.’
If he were the son of an ordinary noble, Elaine might have allowed his journey. However, Kyle was the second son of the Prucus family. The son of a great lord. And the family’s successor had not yet been decided.
‘The reason I was allowed to go on this trip to the Huge Snow Mountains was because I was also becoming the lord of Thebra, but also because there was a clear schedule and I didn’t stray from Elaine’s control.’
Kyle’s journey was one with no end in sight. Moreover, he would be traveling alone as an adventurer. There was no way Elaine would allow it.
“H-how… Is there no way?”
Kyle asked me, flustered.
“I don’t know. There isn’t. The one thing that’s certain is that you can’t convince Mother with words.”
Kyle wasn’t good at talking. On the other hand, Elaine was an intermediate-level mage and had been in charge of the family’s internal affairs. With mediocre logic, he would only be refuted.
“Is there really no way?”
“At least in my opinion, there’s no way.”
“Ugh…”
In the end, it was obvious that Kyle would run away secretly as in the original story.
Elaine wouldn’t dispatch knights or soldiers to catch Kyle, who had even resorted to running away. That alone would tarnish the family’s reputation. However, she would secretly assign people to keep a constant watch on him.
“Anyway, I respect your opinion. If you need my help during your travels, don’t hesitate to tell me. I’ll be there to help you.”
“Youjin…! Thank you.”
“What for? We’re brothers, aren’t we? Even if we’re only half-brothers by blood.”
“Youjin. Don’t say that. We’re not half-brothers, we’re brothers by blood. You’re my one and only brother.”
“You’ll help me if I’m in danger too, right?”
“Of course. Just say the word. I’ll help you right away!”
I smiled.
In my head, I was imagining a future where I would use the sucker in front of me.
•••
The investiture ceremony was held in a simple manner.
It was the ceremony to bestow the title of Baron, the lowest of the five peerage ranks of Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, and Baron.
No matter how much I was the son of a great lord, I couldn’t hold a banquet for receiving just a Baron title. It would be embarrassing.
‘Ention is being helpful this time.’
Elaine had insisted that a banquet should still be held, but Ention, as the head of the family, had refused, saying that it was not appropriate to hold a banquet for such a small matter.
Therefore, the investiture ceremony was held with only the direct family members of the Prucus family and some vassals in attendance.
Wearing ceremonial robes, I knelt before Ention, looking up at him. I had already gone through all the tedious rituals. Now was the final part of the ceremony.
“Youjin Prucus. Are you prepared to dedicate all of yourself to the kingdom?”
“Yes. As a noble of the Rapelli Kingdom, I pledge all my loyalty and respect to His Majesty the King of Rapelli. I will not neglect the duties given to me, and I swear that my soul will willingly work for the Rapelli Kingdom.”
My words contained 0% sincerity.
I had made oaths five times today. This was the last oath, and I had no intention of keeping it at all. It was just a ritual in the name of an oath.
“Youjin Prucus. On behalf of His Majesty the King of Rapelli, in the name of the Count of Prucus, I bestow upon you the title of Baron and the territory.”
Ention handed me a ring. I carefully received the ring he handed me and put it on the index finger of my left hand.
It was a ring that signified that I was the lord of Thebra.
‘Well, this is symbolic, and I need to get the official documents from Elaine later.’
The documents were much more important than this ring.
“With this, the investiture ceremony is concluded.”
With Ention’s solemn declaration, the vassals began to applaud.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
I saw Zent standing among the applauding vassals. He was sneering at me and clapping weakly.
I had to resist the urge to punch that annoying face.
‘I’ll… definitely remember this.’
I stroked the ring on my left index finger and repeated it to myself.
I would be leaving this mansion tomorrow.
•••
As always, Kyle was walking towards the private training grounds when he encountered Yuria in the hallway.
Kyle felt his body tense up and was flustered. It was just that they had encountered each other alone in the hallway. But why was he so nervous?
‘Have I been this conscious of Yuria?’
Come to think of it, this was the first time they were alone together. Whenever he met Yuria, there was almost always someone else nearby.
Yuria bowed her head in greeting. She was just a servant. He could just accept her greeting and pass by. However, Kyle couldn’t take his eyes off Yuria and opened his mouth to ask.
“Yuria. What are you doing?”
What are you doing? Even he thought it was a pathetic thing to say.
“I was checking the luggage loaded onto the carriage and was on my way back to my room.”
“Ah. You’re leaving for Thebra with Youjin tomorrow, right?”
“Yes. We are scheduled to depart right after breakfast.”
“Yuria, you don’t necessarily have to go, do you? Hasent, the head butler who is your relative, is also staying at the mansion.”
Kyle was surprised by his own question. Yuria was his younger brother’s exclusive maid. It wasn’t his place to tell her what to do.
“No. I am Young Master Youjin’s exclusive maid. Since Young Master Youjin is going to Thebra, it is natural for me to go with him.”
“……I see.”
Kyle barely managed to answer. It might have been his imagination, but Yuria’s eyes were sparkling when she said Youjin’s name.
‘For a moment, I almost hated Youjin. Is this… jealousy? Do I like Yuria?’
But Kyle soon shook his head.
‘…That can’t be.’
He and Yuria weren’t that close. They just greeted each other when they happened to meet. Love at first sight? Kyle didn’t believe in such things.
“That brooch… I’ve always thought it was very beautiful. May I take a closer look?”
“Ah. This brooch?”
It was a golden plum blossom-shaped brooch that he had received from Youjin sometime ago. Kyle, who liked plum blossoms, almost always wore this brooch on his collar.
“Sure. Here.”
Kyle took off the brooch and handed it to Yuria. In the process, their hands touched. Kyle’s face flushed slightly. He looked away for no reason.
“It’s even more beautiful up close. It’s also well-maintained.”
“It’s a gift from Youjin, so I cherish it.”
“I see.”
It was when Yuria was looking at the brooch from side to side. A white handkerchief fell from her pocket. Kyle unconsciously bent down and reached out for the handkerchief.
“Ah. There’s no need for you to do that, Young Master Kyle…”
“No. It’s okay. It’s nothing.”
Unlike her flustered voice, Yuria’s face was expressionless. Her hand moved quickly. She opened the hidden back of the golden brooch and replaced a small battery.
By the time Kyle looked up, she had already perfectly replaced the battery.
“Here. Here’s the handkerchief.”
“……I’m sorry. I made you bend down, Young Master Kyle…”
“It’s nothing, so don’t worry about it. If you don’t have anything to do later, would you like to have tea together? I heard from Lucy that some good tea came in recently.”
“I’m sorry. I have to prepare Young Master Youjin’s tea time later…”
“If you have a schedule, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Here’s the brooch back.”
Kyle received the brooch. Yuria bowed to him and began to return to her room. Kyle watched her calmly walking away and sighed.
‘Let’s have tea together… Why did I say that?’
It was an impulsive suggestion. Kyle scratched his head for no reason and headed to the private training grounds.
‘It’s probably because I won’t be able to see Yuria for a while. It doesn’t mean anything.’
•••
Having become a Baron and arrived in Thebra, I felt overwhelmed.
I had visited Thebra several times before. It was necessary to check on the work of the Frost Hammer Tribe dwarf slaves, who were building my mansion, and the work of the Korea Trading Company.
‘This hopeless territory is my territory….’
I couldn’t just do nothing. I hadn’t given up on the position of successor to the Prucus County, so I had to show Ention and the vassals that I was as capable as possible.
And the only way to prove my competence was to make this territory shine.
‘I can do it. I can definitely do it. Developing this kind of territory is a piece of cake.’
I could bring things from the modern era. I also had 88 dwarf slaves.
‘Let’s think positively. I’m the king here. I don’t have to worry about what other people think.’
That didn’t mean I could act like a thug. My every move was likely being watched by Ention or Elaine.
‘That Zent bastard must have planted someone.’
Still, the fact that I was the boss here was a big advantage.
I headed to the mansion where I would be staying with Yuria.
But the mansion wasn’t finished. Even though I had given them a whole two weeks, it was only about 70% complete.
“These, these dwarf bastards…!”
There were 88 dwarves, who were called the race of artisans. With 88 people, men and women of all ages, working on one mansion, shouldn’t they have finished it in a week?!
I called out to Fersus, who was giving instructions to the dwarves with a fierce look.
“Fersus!”
“H-huh! Master!”
“Don’t call me Master. Your raspy voice makes my ears rot!”
“T-then what should I call you?”
“Call me Youjin-nim.”
“Yes. Youjin-nim! You’ve arrived! I heard you were coming today, but I didn’t expect you to be here already…”
I kicked the slave dwarf, knocking him over.
“Stand up straight, Fersus.”
“…Yes. Youjin-nim.”
Fersus, who had jumped up, stood at attention.
“Why isn’t the mansion finished yet?”
“W-well, the mansion that needs to be built is too big. It has to be five stories high and have an underground space… There are over 100 rooms in total, so it’s bigger than most mansions… And because the material called concrete is unfamiliar…”
I started kicking Fersus repeatedly. This bastard was the slave manager, but he wasn’t doing his job properly.
“You dwarves talk too much! If you hadn’t been slacking off, the mansion would be much more complete by now!”
