112 – Saemaeul Movement in the Middle Ages (3)

As soon as I left the cathedral, Frost came out to greet me.

“You worked hard, Your Excellency. But the face… ”

“It’s nothing, it seems like it’s because I haven’t been able to rest for a day since the recent war ended.”

“Is that so? Chris, what’s Your Excellency’s schedule tomorrow?”

Chris, who was near Frost, heard that and spoke with me.

“Yes, Major. Currently, His Excellency does not have a very important schedule.”

“Okay. Sir, you’ve been overdoing it up until now. Should His Excellency ever become ill at this rate, the Earl of Creutel will suffer an irreversible blow. So why don’t you get some rest?”

Normally, I would have waved my hand and said it was okay, but I was very tired, and at this timing, I heard the shocking news of the construction of a cathedral in Romania, so my physical condition is really bad.

If I push myself a little more, I think I might collapse.

“Okay, then I’ll let you rest for a few days. In the meantime, military affairs were to be paid by Baron Balt, and administrative affairs were to be paid by Baron Lorraine. Please do not call me except for war or visiting ambassadors of the count level or higher.”

At that, Chris and Frost both bowed their heads in response.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Although I’ve shown the maximum potential of humans in this world, I’m a human too…

You can stop plotting evil for a while and spend some time with Ella.

Anyway, there’s nothing urgent right now, and I’ve done everything I can.

“Chris, go ahead and call Ella.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

**

On the floor of white and black marble in a lattice pattern, oriental pottery placed in between, various portraits and paintings of unknown who painted them were hung on the walls.

Some of the paintings were blatantly depicting the beauty of the goddess, probably Schwein’s taste, and the pillars of the mansion were adorned with swords that symbolized our family’s might.

Although I only glanced at it from afar, the flashing light suggests that even if it’s just for decoration, I’m thoroughly managing it.

After entering the front door and walking for five minutes, I arrived at my bedroom door, where Ella was waiting.

After knocking on the door three times, I heard Ella’s voice.

“Come in, master.”

After hearing that, I opened the door and went in. Usually, when I called, she greeted me wearing lingerie or pajamas, but today, unusually, she greeted me wearing a maid outfit.

I thought it was a little strange, but it was still light outside…

Rather than doing that, he probably wanted to talk to me comfortably, because Ella would have missed me just as I missed her.

So I hugged Ella who must have been waiting for me for a long time and said.

“I’m back.”

“Master, you said you came back after you came back from the war.”

“I just wanted to say hello myself. So, how is Ella?”

“Yes, master. Rain and Alice were put under me so I didn’t get bored. And above all… I’m glad the master returned safely.”

Ella said that, but she must have been very lonely while I was gone.

Nevertheless, I would have said that in order not to burden myself after returning from the war.

Such a heart felt both admirable and pitiful.

“yes? thank you for saying it like that. But why are you wearing a maid outfit? There are many other dresses and pretty clothes.”

“Ah, that’s it… Actually, it’s because Mr. Balt will be coming soon. When Chris told me that the owner was coming, the owner said that he was having a hard time mentally… I called it because I thought it would make the owner feel better if I talked about the past while eating something delicious like before.”

Well, now that Balt is under my direct control, I can come if I call.

And after almost 10 years, I can play with Baltrang Ella like I did in Windheim…

At my age here, I am only in my late 20s, but now that I am reminiscing, I feel like a grandfather in my 50s and 60s.

And Ella whispered in my ear.

“Again, Master, I… actually… ”

Read at noblemtl.com

Just as Ella was about to say something important, I heard Balt’s voice along with a knock on the door to my room.

“I have come at your invitation.”

He’s a real master at getting rid of that man, I’ll give him a job that I can take care of later, so I’ll make him suffer…

“Come in, Balt.”

When I finished, Balt came in with a bottle of wine in his right hand and a basket of cheese in his left.

“I am happy to be able to spend a good time with His Excellency and Ella-sama after 10 years. I bought wine from Architel and fine cheese for you two! Let’s eat together!”

“Achitel wine and cheese, you must have spent a lot of money?”

“Now I don’t have a manor, do I? Spending this much is nothing! Rather, I’m going to have a drink with His Excellency, but I’m worried that I brought something too shabby.”

I said pointing to an empty chair.

“Sit down, and the wine and cheese from Architel are pitiful… Don’t even say that, did that alone cost 5 gold coins?”

“Still, I feel a little shabby for His Excellency, who is said to be the richest person in the world. Even so, please take a drink.”

“After becoming a baron, he is already formal… OK, then a drink please. Even Ella.”

At those words, Ella waved her arms as if it were burdensome, but Balt and Ella were already almost on the same level in terms of status, so… Just pouring a glass of wine is not a problem at all.

However, Ella ultimately refused.

Balt then poured the wine out of his glass and put the cheese on it.

“This is the mozzarella cheese I ate at Windheim 10 years ago. Back then, we didn’t have money either, so we ate cheap mozzarella cheese. ”

“The mozzarella cheese made by the villagers certainly wasn’t expensive, but it didn’t mean it was of poor quality.”

“But now, neither I nor His Excellency eat anything like this anymore. No, His Excellency, I heard that one meal every day costs 10 gold coins… ”

“If I don’t eat like that, other nobles will notice. I can’t help it… And as a count of the wealthiest estate, you have to wear clothes worth hundreds of gold coins and armor worth thousands of gold coins. Otherwise, the merchants would not be able to eat and live. But I don’t build a golden room for Ella or myself like kings do.”

Then Balt looked at me and said playfully.

“In that sense, Your Excellency, give the poor baron some money for the wedding… ”

“This is your wedding fee, so you have to pay it, by the way, Windheim… Would you like to go back someday after you retire? Now there are countless sugar beet farms and various factories that have already completed farming, and there will be no traces of the old days left.”

“Aren’t the lands that His Excellency bestowed on me near Lansburg Castle and Windheim? By the way, Windheim has already become a city where thousands of people live. Lintel, who was the village chief when we were there, became a member of the city council this year.”

I’ve seen almost all the information about Windheim, a key sugar beet producing area, so I knew there was a city there, but…

To think that Rintel, who was once a village chief, went up to the rank of city council member, you really don’t know how the world will change.

“And the Zacri guy we met on our first civil inspection tour said he had to support his child, so he joined my army last year. I didn’t know it, but I was awarded the Knight’s Sword Medal of the 1st class for my achievements at the Rotringen Games.”

In order to receive the 1st class Knight’s Sword Medal, it must be at least a level that can be obtained by making the greatest feat in the platoon or company to which you belong…

To think that Zacri, who was engaged in farming, would make such a feat…

“But the injury is so bad that I don’t think I can hold a spear anymore. It must be stopped by a deep cut on the left shoulder… However, it is not a level where you have to be forced to be discharged, so I’m going to have a training center instructor in moderation.”

Come to think of it, the only real serfs around me are Ella, and she’s a woman and has been protected by me since she was a child, so I don’t really know that.

But Zacri was a serf only a year ago, so he knows what a serf needs.

Since it would be a waste to discharge a recipient of the 1st class Knight’s Sword Medal for being injured, it would be a good idea to employ that experience and achievement as a low-level official.

“Then, hand over Zacri to me. Because I think it will be useful to me someday.”

“All right.”

That’s how we continued to talk about funny stories from the days in Windheim and difficult times, and play the old card game for several hours.

Curiously, Balt played the same pattern as before and now, and Ella deliberately lost to Balt several times.

I also lost a lot to Balt, so I lost a few times…

Balt That guy didn’t know that until the end, and took the fight very seriously.

And when night fell, Balt left the room where Ella and I were, and I approached Ella to quench my burning desire for the first time in a while…

Ella, on rare occasions, refused my invitation and spoke cautiously to me.

“Ella doesn’t know what kind of troubles the master has, but… Lately, I’m worried because the owner always seems to be running too hard alone.”

“But, if I don’t work hard… ”

At that, Ella smiled and replied.

“It was like that in Windheim, but the master is the same then and now. Master, you can rest a little. No, please take a break. Ella would be sad if Master worked too hard and collapsed, but with no one to replace him, Kreutel might collapse soon.”

“That, how did Ella… ?”

“Actually, this is the story that the Viscount asked me to tell him when he passed away after finishing his non-work trip. If the master collapses after overdoing it, he can’t handle it because no one can replace him. The Kreutel family is over, so he said please let him rest.”

Hearing those words, the process of Kreutel’s destruction was clearly pictured in my head.

If I die first, the Emperor of the North will give up Count Vladimir and Mainz and retreat.

Then, Maxburg and Franchi form an alliance and come up to share the Baronship of Creutel and the Countess of Hellsmann.

The Duke of Brussels, who heard about it, will come and play Nantes at this time.

Because to them, our current territory would seem to be barely maintained by an outstanding lord. They must be aiming at us as if they were killing and eating a fat pig.

In that case, no matter how strong the soldiers are, they will not be able to stop the invasion from three directions and our territory will fall.

And in return, Ella, as well as all the nobles and vassals, or, if you’re not lucky, the serfs, could all be sold into slavery or killed.

Read at noblemtl.com

Just thinking about it makes me scared and nervous.

Perhaps noticing that I was so nervous, Ella hugged me and stroked my back.

“Calm down, Master… ”

And I took a deep breath and said.

“As Ella said, if… If I die… ”

“His Excellency the Viscount asked me to convey these words again. If you die, no one can take your place, but for a few days, the subordinates below can do anything, so take a break.”

Well, it’s been a war since I entered the fortress, and I couldn’t even rest because I was playing with fire in the Duchy of Maxburg…

“Okay, then I’ll rest well for the next week. By the way, Ella.”

“Yes, Master.”

“What if something happens while I’m on break?”

Hearing those words, Ella must have thought that I was still not trying to rest, and said with a very angry expression.

“Other nobles or the village will take care of it. If you’re really worried, why don’t we let everyone live like the people of Windheim after we’ve rested? master… And if you don’t rest, Ella might cry.”

… The real Ella might cry if I said I wasn’t resting anymore, and I’m already in a bad mood because my wife is coming back soon… If I touch Ella’s feelings more here…

“Okay, I’ll really rest for a while. therefore… ”

And just as I naturally reached for Ella’s chest, Ella gently pushed my hand and opened her mouth cautiously.

However, those words did not reach my ears.

No, what the hell am I going to say, that Ella refuses my hand… ?

Around the time she was surrounded by such doubts, Ella looked me in the eyes seriously as if she had made up her mind and put my hand on her belly.

When I put my hand on it and touched it, it seemed that my stomach was slightly protruding, unlike usual. Could it be that I am fat?

When I had such thoughts and mixed emotions, Ella told me.

“I think I’m pregnant with the owner’s child. The next month after the owner went out, the day didn’t come and I asked the doctor… I’m pregnant… ”

“… yes?”

“Yes, it is now 4 months. master… ”

The expression on Ella’s face as she said that showed both the joy of having my child and at the same time the anxiety of having a child before my wife.

But anyway, Ella and his wife won’t fight just because of their children…

Neither Ella nor I have any thoughts of passing the title to Ella’s children, or of putting my heir in a position that could threaten them…

Ella has no connections, and is a humble child who is often rude to other nobles.

And if you fight, I won’t stand still.

So I stroked Ella’s hair and said,

“What does that matter? It’s not like I don’t have land to share with Ella’s child. And I don’t know who will be my wife, but don’t worry, I’ll convince you well.”

Ella seemed satisfied with my heartfelt words and said with a smile.

“If Ella gives birth to a son, she wants to give birth to a child who will be useful to the master’s successor. You don’t have to give me a territory, so you can join the army like Sir Frost and make some achievements… No, as expected, I don’t like getting hurt, so I want to send him to university so that he can help you while he’s busy.”

Then I turned off the lights and went to sleep in the same bed as Ella.

After that, I spent a week relaxing with Ella without really paying attention to any work.

Thanks to that, my physical condition and mental condition were completely restored.

And now I started preparing to carry out the plan to completely overhaul the real countryside.

Since ancient times, it has been said that rural development must be carried out together for successful economic development…

From now on, Creutel will start the Saemaul Undong.