117 – Wedding (1)

Since the beginning of human writing and civilization, marriage has been celebrated as a once-in-a-lifetime important event.

And gradually, as the meaning grew, the leadership began to exclude the feelings of sexual and spiritual favor and love between individuals in marriage.

As a result, those who had even a little bit of vested interest in society used it as evidence of a combination of forces rather than a love-centered marriage.

In the process, a wedding ceremony has become a ceremony that declares the conclusion of a solid alliance between two great powers, rather than a simple union between people.

And since these ceremonies are usually supervised by the church, which governs human life and the afterlife, the Archbishop, who has become a loyal servant of our family, is supposed to manage everything…

As I continued idly in my thoughts, the Archbishop in front of me coughed and started talking.

“Your Excellency Count, so… When you spend your first night, you must spread your veil in front of His Excellency Count Vladimir and the guests who will come to assist His Excellency’s parents and the Princess. This is a beautiful custom of the Deus religion… ”

To that I replied bluntly.

“Archbishop, I don’t want to show my wife-to-be naked in front of them. So, please find another way.”

There is that, and as I have memories as a modern Korean, I have no intention of doing a public yasu in front of everyone.

Also, as usual, I would not be able to treat the archbishop in this way, who is of the same status as the count and oversees religious ceremonies such as marriage.

Because, even if the archbishop thinks his authority has been violated and secretly spills this, I have a reputation for ignoring the church acting on behalf of Deus.

However, since the current archbishop and I are in fact in a relationship between lord and vassal…

The archbishop put on a slightly annoyed expression, expressing his displeasure at my words, and spoke in a disgruntled voice.

“It is difficult to completely omit this ceremony because it is a sacred ceremony in which those who have sworn marriage in front of Deus prove their love in front of the guests. but… An arranged marriage is not something you do after you become an adult like your Excellency. And in that case, it usually ends with a conversation on the bed while the guests are present.”

“Then you don’t have to have sex in public when you’re having a wedding ceremony. I think something else might come out of this, but how can I do that?”

At that, the archbishop shook his head and said.

“In fact, there was a lot of talk about this custom even when I was a theology doctor 14 years ago… No matter how much it is a ceremony to receive a marriage blessing, there was an opinion that having sex in front of all the guests is an obscene act. Therefore, I think you should purify your consciousness based on this.”

Recruiting the archbishop with 20,000 gold coins is also effective here, so it’s very convenient and nice.

After all, money is the best, it’s always thrilling.

So we talked about the wedding ceremony for an hour, and in general I was able to make adjustments the way I wanted.

And when the Archbishop stepped down, this time Lieutenant Short came and said:

“Your Excellency, Your Excellency Count Vladimir has arrived.”

No, there’s still a week left before the wedding delegation arrives, but Count Vladimir is already coming… ?

It’s common to talk about future plans naturally while preparing for a wedding…

That said, we can’t keep the special envoy from our VIP, the father-in-law of the Northern Alliance, waiting.

“Okay, take me to the drawing room.”

Short, who heard that, said with a puzzled face.

“He said he didn’t want to let the servants know about this place because he came first on a completely unofficial schedule… I’m sorry, but they asked me to come to Orvo Village.”

During the last war, someone like a baron rode a horse through enemy lines and acted as an emissary.

What, do you think you’ve become a cicada that has shed the skin of an envoy?

“Go now, call out a platoon under Mark’s second lieutenant.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

**

I took Lieutenant Mark and some of his platoon members and immediately went to the remote house in Orvo where he had asked me to come.

There was a house at the place I visited, and as I got closer, I saw that there was a cobweb on the eaves under the roof.

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Maybe Count Vladimir is staying in such a shabby place with the intention of not being discovered at all that he came here…

And when I opened the door and entered, the house was full of dust and musty smell of mold.

The platoon members under Mark smelled it and started coughing.

Even a fairly poor serf in our territory would no longer live in a house like this… Can Count Vladimir, who has lived in a nice house all his life, survive?

With that thought in mind, I went into a corner of the house and there I saw a man who was already looking like a half-beggar.

“Count Vladimir, why are you suddenly here and staying in a place like this… ”

Hearing that, the count laughed at my story and said,

“Ah, Your Excellency Count Kreutel!! Thank you for coming so quickly. Seeing how I am now, please forgive me for not being able to treat you well.”

“No, but where is the escort? Even if you came alone… ”

“We’re going to have an important conversation, so I paid them moderately and ordered them to come and play.”

It’s a piece of shit to come and play, since he now has a reason to come here, he must have given money to his subordinates and ordered them to investigate the situation in our territory.

If I am deceived by this, I will change my name to Schwein.

“Oh, you have been through a lot. Please wait a moment.”

Then I called Mark who was standing behind me and said.

“Only you remain, and order the rest of the men to buy food and wine for the Count to eat.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

At the same time, Mark’s men quickly left the house.

“Thank you, Your Excellency Count… ”

“Isn’t it the same Count now? Just feel free to call me.”

“no. His Majesty the King ordered us to treat Count Kreutel respectfully as we would treat a duke in our country, even though his title is Count. Also, my territory is too small compared to my title, but I have no intention of standing shoulder to shoulder with a magnate like Your Excellency who has more than a title.”

“I understand, Count.”

He was terrible even when he was a baron, but even after becoming a count, he is not vigilant.

No, it’s not even giving them a chance to induce their vigilance.

This type is tricky because they don’t move the way I want even if I provoke them or insult them…

“By the way, why are you here? I’m not even ready to greet the delegation yet.”

“Actually, our Emperor, no, His Majesty the King, is now worried that the Duchy of Maxburg has become too devastated.”

Well, even in the report I received, there was a guy who was dying because he had collected enough turnips for everyone in the village to eat…

If this happens, even after the emperor occupies the territory, it will cost a lot to rebuild, so I’m worried.

“I’m worried about that too, Count. That’s why we are sending 300 priests from our territory to help them.”

“I know… However, this would make the dukedom itself uninhabitable. If so… .”

It’s obvious, when this happens, I don’t see why we should have a marriage alliance.

“It means that we may have to cancel the marriage alliance. However, don’t worry. I have already ordered my superiors to change the common weeds in Maxburg to enough wheat to keep them from starving to death.”

“Then the matter will soon be resolved, but still… ”

“And this is the document I received after bribing the butler under Maxburg. Read this and talk about it, Count. You will definitely like it.”

I then delivered the documents to Count Vladimir.

After reading it, the Count suddenly spoke with his mouth hanging in his ears like a madman.

“The Duke of Maxburg ordered the nobles under his command to pay indemnity in order to pay the indemnity ordered by His Excellency the Count… even… oops… ..”

“Just smile. You can laugh.”

“hahahahaha, to say that 30% of the taxes collected by nobles were ordered to be used to overcome the crisis… It’s good enough, but… Now, when the priests see their serfs withering away and object… Sooner or later, the brides will be on their backs, and all kinds of people will rise up.”

Although we are laughing like this, the solution taken by Maxburg is not wrong.

For if I had been in the same situation as Maxburg, I would have ordered the nobles to pay reparations and paid taxes.

However, there is one fatal weakness in the plans of our cute little tucked-in duke.

Right away, if you collect 30% more tax on nobles… To make up for that money, nobles would collect at least twice that money from merchants and serfs.

Then, there are guys who have collected too much food with taxes and die of starvation because there is nothing left after harvesting a lot of turnips.

If this accumulates, a large-scale riot will occur, not ours.

At first the bailiffs, then the inspectors overseeing the bailiffs, and finally the nobles who hold the estates will realize that they will be stabbed to death with bamboo spears under Maxburg’s command like this.

If that happens, then when you start playing with fire… The emperor of the north and I can eat all the empty land.

Knowing that, just thinking about Maxburg makes me smile.

“I don’t think I need to explain any further.”

“Yes, thank you. And while you’re here… no.”

“What were you trying to say?”

“I was going to talk about Her Highness, but His Majesty the King ordered me not to talk about it because I would know if I met her in person. I can’t say anything. In return, we will give you paperwork in advance regarding the things we brought as dowry to this wedding and the things we brought for the ceremony.”

“thank you. Count. Then I’ll be gone, if I’m away too long… ”

“Is it possible? Please go in.”

With that said, I walked out of the musty house and back into the castle.

As I went around, a worry that had nothing to do with the wedding began to arise in a corner of my mind.

“The northern aristocrat I will be dealing with the most is Count Vladimir, and if that nobleman goes wild like that… there is no answer.”