A month had passed since I was made a duke.
Far from getting easier, my life had become noticeably more hectic. One of the primary culprits was the mountain of correspondence currently occupying my desk from one end to the other.
There were letters congratulating me on my promotion, invitations to banquets, requests to establish inter-domain relations, and introductions to merchants. Lately, however, the number of marriage proposals had increased incessantly. Families who wouldn't have given House Razgrim a second look before were now sending letters accompanied by portraits of their daughters.
I opened one envelope and idly gazed at the portrait inside.
"...Actually, this one isn't half bad."
"I was wondering what you were looking at so intently, but of course, it's another marriage proposal. So, what’s 'not half bad' this time?"
Clarice, who was reviewing documents across from me, looked up with an exasperated expression.
"Look at her! She’s a beauty! At the very least, she’s worth meeting once. I’m not saying I’ll decide based on looks alone, you know. I’ll consider her personality and her house, too. But if I’m going to meet someone anyway, I’d much rather it be a beautiful woman."
"To think the man who turned down a marriage proposal from the queen herself would be saying that while ogling portraits of other noble ladies a month later... Honestly, the sheer gall is breathtaking."
Clarice let out a heavy sigh, but I didn't toss the portrait aside; I placed it carefully on the corner of the desk. As someone aiming for a life of decadence, I saw no reason to reject every offer now that the marriage proposals were finally rolling in.
The problem was that I had absolutely no time to actually meet anyone.
Piled in front of me were documents regarding road maintenance payments, tax reviews, personnel assignments for the newly acquired territories, warehouse expansions, the restoration of ruined villages, and even lumber estimates for new barracks. Lately, the paperwork regarding food expenses, equipment, and bedding for the soldiers had also seen a strange spike.
"Hey... haven't military-related expenses gone up?"
"Of course they have. Our personnel has increased, after all. It’s only natural."
"Well, I suppose it’s better to have too many hands than too few..."
At the time, I assumed the numbers had only grown by a small margin.
"...I thought having more money was supposed to make things easier for me."
"You’re the one who authorized all of it—improving the roads, expanding the warehouses, and building new barracks because the old ones were too small. Since you received those thousand gold coins, you decided to do everything at once. You were the one who kept making the calls."
"It's cheaper to fix things in bulk when there's money, isn't it? My workload increasing is a completely separate issue."
"It really isn't, which is exactly why things have turned out like this."
I had no comeback for that.
I glanced back at the portrait of the young lady. She really was lovely, but at this rate, it would take me days just to find the time to write a reply.
"...I thought that by becoming a duke, I would get a little closer to a life of decadence."
"A title isn't a license to slack off. On the contrary, you're a duke now, so you should be working harder than ever."
"I know that! That's why I'm so annoyed!"
Every time I cleared one document, two new ones seemed to take its place. Feeling like I was reliving a nightmare from my previous life, I finally stood up from my chair.
"I can't take it anymore! I really can't do this... I'm going out for a bit. Inspecting the domain is part of a lord's duty. This isn't running away, alright? It's a formal inspection."
"No one said you were running away... Well, as long as you don't abandon today's quota, do as you please."
With Clarice's suspicious gaze boring into my back, I retreated from the office.
◇
I headed for the training grounds located a short distance from the manor.
I’d left the soldiers’ training to Raisa and Lydia, who’d arrived recently. While I’d been keeping up with their reports, it had been a while since I'd checked in on them in person. I heard shouting and the rhythmic thud of many footsteps from afar, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the area beyond the fence.
"...Wait, hasn't the headcount increased significantly?"
Just glancing at the soldiers filling the training grounds, there were nearly five hundred of them. It was clearly more than the number in my memory, and there were many faces I didn't recognize at all.
When I looked toward Raisa, who was standing nearby, she simply shrugged.
"You said it yourself, didn't you, Master? 'If someone is out of work but willing to labor, hire them. Even bandits—if they're willing to work seriously after being caught, make them useful.' There are about five hundred men training here right now."
"I did say that... but I didn't say to increase the numbers to five hundred."
"Haha! That's just the ones training here, you know."
"...What?"
Raisa continued as if she were discussing the weather.
"Between the road patrols, village and warehouse security, deployments to the new territories, gate guards, and cargo escorts... if you include everyone out in the field, we’ve already cleared a thousand."
I instinctively scanned the training grounds again.
"You've got to be kidding... When did it grow that much!?"
"I'm telling you, it’s exactly as you ordered. Three meals a day, a place to sleep, and wages that are never late. On top of that, word spread that even former bandits can get hired if they're willing to work. Of course people are going to flock here."
I see... well, if they're useful... Still, were those guys always that massive?
Most of the faces in the ranks were ones I recognized. They were former bandits captured within the domain. Thanks to years of living in the mountains, they’d always had strong legs, but initially, many had been gaunt with spindly arms.
Now, however, they were transformed. Their shoulders had broadened, their arms had thickened, and their chests had become sturdy. Some had even switched to new armor, presumably because their old sets no longer fit.
As I approached, one of the soldiers noticed me.
"It's Lord Vain!"
The moment the shout went up, the soldiers stopped their drills and turned toward me as one. Even those who had looked exhausted a moment ago suddenly snapped to attention, their faces lighting up with genuine joy.
"Lord Vain! Thank you for your hard work today! There are no problems here, so please, do not worry!"
"...I'm not having you train just to greet me. I just came to take a look, so carry on."
When I waved them off, the soldiers returned to their drills with even more vigor than before. I couldn't fathom why my mere presence acted like a morale boost.
Raisa, who was standing a short distance away with her arms crossed, laughed with amusement.
"You're quite the popular man, aren't you, Master? Those guys' spirits visibly soar the moment you show your face."
"I haven't done anything special. More importantly, haven't they bulked up? They were much thinner before."
"Of course they have! They get three proper meals, a full night's sleep, and medical treatment if they’re injured. On top of that, they’re training this hard every day. They were just malnourished before."
Beside her, Lydia nodded while observing the formations.
"They've finally started developing the physiques necessary for soldiers. We're increasing the intensity of the training as well, so please do not even think about reducing their rations."
"I have no intention of doing that. It costs more money to treat them if they collapse from hunger, and they can't work while they're sick. If feeding them keeps them moving, then that's the better investment."
Watching the drills, I noticed even their movements were different. At Raisa's signal, they scattered in an instant; then, as soon as Lydia's command rang out, they regrouped at designated spots, forming lines with perfect discipline.
I didn't understand the finer points of military tactics. Even so, I could at least tell they were moving in sync much better than before.
"How should I put it... they've become quite soldierly, haven't they?"
Lydia slowly turned toward me, wearing an expression I couldn't quite read.
"After Raisa-dono and I have spent weeks honing them, is that really your only impression? Their formations and response times are incomparably better than when we started."
"That's why I told you not to ask me for a critique. I left it to you because I thought it was better to trust Raisa's combat experience and your education from House Eldran rather than have me interfere."
"...I will choose to take that as a sign of your trust."
She seemed slightly unsatisfied, but it was the truth. Their physiques had improved and their movements were synchronized, but at the end of the day, they were still former bandits. Compared to the private soldiers of famous noble houses who had been trained for years, they were likely still far behind.
I reached that conclusion and decided to check the barracks and warehouses—taking full advantage of my escape from the office—before finally returning to the manor.
On the way back, I suddenly remembered the letter that had arrived a month ago.
I hadn't seen Alecia once since the letter she sent after the Coronation Ceremony. She had gone out of her way to add a postscript saying her first provincial inspection would be the Razgrim domain.
"...If she's forgotten about it, that would be for the best."
Since she had just become Queen, she had to be busy. I hoped she would remain buried under work until the Founding Festival a month away and leave me as a low priority.
With those optimistic thoughts, I returned to the manor, blissfully unaware of the reality.
◇
The Royal Capital, the Royal Palace.
"Your Majesty, here are the tax reports from the three eastern domains. Here are the proposed security reinforcements for the Founding Festival and a summary regarding the visiting foreign envoys."
"I understand. Please leave them there. I will review the security documents first."
Alecia replied without lifting her gaze from her desk.
It had been a month since she ascended the throne. From morning until night, the stream of paperwork and visitors was endless. Appointments of officials, post-Royal Selection measures, petitions from the domains, finances, military affairs, and diplomatic relations. Furthermore, the Founding Festival was only a month away, and the preparations were piling up.
As the chamberlain exited, another man entered the room as if taking his place.
"Piled up as high as ever, I see... How does it feel to be Queen, Alecia?"
"Father... instead of just laughing, you could offer to help, you know. You handled this volume for years."
The former king, Alvert Valsein, laughed, entirely unfazed by his daughter’s resentful glare.
"I refuse! I’ve already abdicated. You are the Queen now, so work to your heart's content."
"If you only came here to tease me, please leave."
"What a cold daughter. Well, aside from that... I knew you wanted to make Duke Razgrim your husband, but I didn't think you would announce it so bluntly before the entire peerage during the Coronation Ceremony."
Alecia's pen stopped.
"...I knew if I spoke to him in private, he would find a way to run, so I decided to trap him in a place where he couldn't escape."
"So you cut off his retreat entirely, eh? Though what surprised me even more was the response from Duke Razgrim."
Alvert let out an amused sigh, then his expression grew a bit more serious.
"It's unthinkable by noble standards. You were the Queen who had just ascended the throne—the very person who had just promoted him from a count to a duke. Any ordinary noble, even if they loathed the idea, would have smiled and bowed their head. I’ve never seen a man turn down a queen so directly in front of the entire kingdom."
"...I must admit, I didn't expect to be refused quite so flatly either."
"You had a very rare look on your face at that moment. As your father, I consider it a precious memory."
"Father... if you continue this, I really will have you removed."
Even under her sharp gaze, Alvert seemed to be enjoying himself.
"Well, perhaps it takes a man of that caliber to stand by your side. A man who simply nods to everything just because you are royalty wouldn't last long as your husband."
Alecia remained silent for a moment, and eventually, the corners of her mouth relaxed into a faint smile.
"Yes. I’ve come to think so as well. That's why I won't force the issue next time. I will make him choose me of his own accord."
"The fact that 'giving up' isn't even an option is so typical of you... Whether it was my late wife or you sisters, once you've made up your minds, you never back down. I wonder who you took after..."
Alecia said nothing, staring intently at her father.
"...What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No reason... I suppose you'll never know, Father."
Seeing her father's bewildered face for the first time in a while, Alecia chuckled softly.
Just then, new documents were delivered. They concerned the Founding Festival, now only a month away. Specifically, they were about the Military Tournament—a major highlight where the private soldiers of various noble houses competed for glory.
Last year's winner had been House Eldran, with House Perkin as the runner-up.
As Alecia scanned the list of prospective entries for this year, her finger stopped at one name in particular.
—House Razgrim.
"Speaking of which... you haven't gone on your provincial inspection yet, have you? Didn't you mention the Razgrim domain would be your first stop?"
"Yes. I intend to head there once before the Founding Festival begins. I haven't completed the inspection, and I need to speak with him personally about the Military Tournament."
Alvert raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"...Is Duke Razgrim entering? Knowing him, he'd likely refuse, claiming it's too much trouble."
"If I leave it to him, he certainly won't enter. That's why I’m going to speak to him directly. And... there's one more thing I want to confirm with him."
In Alecia's mind, the image of the man who had boldly declared his desire to 'play around with women' in front of the entire court flashed vividly.
A month had passed since then.
Just how much had he enjoyed his long-awaited decadence?
Alecia closed the tournament documents and narrowed her eyes playfully.
"I will go to the Razgrim domain before the Founding Festival."
Looking at her expression, Alvert felt a small pang of sympathy for the Duke in his far-off domain.