Chapter 64 Baron Romero’s Trouble (1)
Time has passed.
It’s already been a month since the war with Barco ended.
At the Dmitri family’s regular meeting, the family’s vassals reported what had happened one by one.
“With the fall of the Barko family, there is no longer any force to hold Dmitri in check. Due to the absence of an anti-horse, pro-Barko factions expressed their desire for an alliance with Dmitry saying that a day was far away, and some of them said they would pay the price. However, as the lord ordered last time, the forces that had been excessively hostile to Barko refused to engage in dialogue. How will we handle it in the future? Right now, Dmitri will take his place as a powerful force in the northeast, but the forces driven to the brink have the potential to grow into a second Barko.”
The fall of Barco.
It was truly fisherman’s geography.
Even though the power of the family was not greatly involved, Dmitri, who was not a party to the war, benefited the most.
As the vassal said.
All the families in the northeast area clung to Dmitri.
In particular, the trumpeters who raised their voices on Barko’s side sought Dmitri every day with a guilty conscience, but Dmitri’s people knew that it was not true.
Obviously, if a new opponent like Barko appeared, they would betray Dmitri and cling to it.
said Baron Romero.
“Even if new hostile forces emerge, we do not have to embrace everything. It is not tolerance, but arrogance, that holds hands with the forces that have given us unforgettable scars. Never allow cooperation with them. They will give an example of what it means to turn your back on us.”
“All right.”
“I will tell you the next item.”
Second topic.
It was an expansion of troops.
Dmitri had the best military power in the Northeast, but this incident alarmed them.
“Barco showed what kind of variables can be created in a war by borrowing external power. What if Dmitri was with Barko? Variables like Flare and Homer would have been a huge threat to us too. That’s why I hope you have enough magic weapons to expand your troops and prepare for the variables. Dmitri can no longer be dismissed as a fringe family. Since we have become a solid powerhouse in the Northeast, we need that much strength to firmly hold our place.”
military power.
There is no safety device as sure as that.
Baron Romero’s thoughts were no different, and he decided to invest a considerable budget in military power with this incident as an opportunity.
furthermore.
Just in time, Dmitri had a good fortune.
“Master Roman was right. An astronomical amount of money was spent to place artifacts throughout the mines, but in a short period of time, the production of iron mines increased by 30%. We have not yet massively expanded the number of workers, so at this rate of growth, we can expect more than 100% production.”
“What is the financial cost of artifacts?”
“No problem. The rapid increase in production alone is enough to cover the financial consumption of that level.”
Roman was right.
A virtuous cycle of investment.
By investing first, the safety problem was solved, and the workers were equipped with an environment where they could focus on their work comfortably.
It was a great decision.
Looking only at the results, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it right away, but in fact, it was not easy to anticipate results that have not yet been realized and invest a large amount.
Roman made that a reality.
He volunteered to work in an iron mine without being told to do so, experienced first-hand what kind of problems arose, and came up with the most ideal way to solve problems with wise judgment.
From process to result.
It was perfect.
Roman’s reputation, which had been rapidly changing both inside and outside, came to a complete end with this incident.
A vassal said.
“Younglord. What do you plan to do with the succession issue in the future?”
succession problem.
It was a remark that proved the changed reputation.
People thought that the Dmitri family hadn’t decided on a successor yet.
however.
That’s not true.
It was not officially announced, but in an internal meeting, a successor had already been secretly chosen.
the vassal said
“Already three years ago, we nominated Master Rodwell as the next family head. Even at that time, Master Roman’s actions did not suit the position of family head, and the youngest son, due to his weak personality, decided that he could not be entrusted with important responsibilities. But now things are different. Look at Master Roman’s move. In the war with Barco, he defeated Homer, a ranker, and this time solved the iron mine safety problem in the most ideal way. Master Roman, who clearly judged that he did not have the qualities of a head of household, is now showing his dignity as a leader.”
“you’re right.”
“We are of the same opinion.”
Everyone nodded.
Roman’s actions.
It was shockingly great.
I couldn’t understand how Roman Dmitri, who still couldn’t properly wield a sword, had grown into an aura swordsman, but one thing was for sure: he was developing visibly fast.
In addition to the mighty force, even the ability to solve Dmitri’s problems. The hearts of the vassals could not help but be shaken.
Rodwell Dmitri was also called a genius, but Roman’s move went beyond the realm of genius.
and.
“The selection of a successor has not yet been officially confirmed. In order to prevent confusion within the family, we dropped Master Rodwell in advance, but as Master Roman proves his worth, I think a fair competition is necessary.”
Dmitri, who was calm.
There was a stir.
In a situation where the succession structure, which had been definitive, was turning into a mess, Baron Romero could not make a hasty decision.
‘Roman and Rodwell.’
two sons.
They had different tendencies.
While Roman, who experienced his days as a commoner, collapsed rapidly due to the gap in his social status, Rodwell worked hard to overcome the limitations of his social status.
Rodwell’s greed was great.
He showed such strong aspirations for the heir position that he did not consider his eldest son a competitor, and was likely to be out of favor with the family’s decision to induce a rivalry.
anyways
I was afraid that a bone-and-skin battle would break out.
If Roman was moderately outstanding, he would have followed his previous decision, but now he couldn’t ignore the immediate results.
said Baron Romero.
“… There is still a lot of time. For now, let’s watch the situation and consider what kind of decision we will make.”
“All right.”
meeting of the day.
It was the moment when Baron Romero’s worries deepened in earnest.
after the meeting
Baron Romero called for Hans.
Hans is Roman’s closest aide.
Since he had served Roman since the days when he was called Dmitri’s jerk, he thought it would help with the issue of the successor.
“Meet the lord.”
Hans lowered his head.
Baron Romero skipped the details and went straight to the point.
“Hans. What do you think of Roman Dmitri?”
“What do you mean by that… .”
“I am asking if Roman Dmitri is suitable as the heir to the Dmitri family.”
In a straight-forward statement.
Silence lingered for a while.
Hans looked worried, then looked up at Baron Romero and said honestly.
“If you had asked me the same question three months ago, I would have said that it doesn’t suit me. Master Roman may have a good heart, but he behaved inappropriately as a successor, and that is a fact that anyone can ask, not just me. However, it’s different if it’s Master Roman. I’m not simply talking about recent achievements, but the young master who watched from the side has grown into a person worthy of a successor.”
“Tell me in detail.”
“At the time of the Blood Fang incident. Master Roman personally killed the evil group that was persecuting Dmitri’s people. I still vividly remember what happened then. He asked Dmitri’s law to the wicked who disturbed Dmitri, and went to Lawrence and completely destroyed them. The incident was a blessing to Dmitry’s citizens. People who suffered from usury broke the cycle of evil, and hope was finally born in life.”
first case.
The justification was simple.
Baron Romero ordered Blood Fang to be dealt with, and Roman was moved, so he stained his hands with blood.
however.
From Hans’ point of view, it was different.
He arbitrarily (?) interpreted Roman’s actions.
“You can tell just by looking at the incident at the iron mine. Master Roman said that he worked in the iron mine to understand the reality of the people of Dmitri. It’s not something anyone forced. Bocchan himself lowered his head to understand the hearts of the locals and faced Dmitri’s reality by putting his body together with the workers. And in the collapse that occurred, they risked their lives. Because it is their own territory. As someone who bears the name of Dmitri, he considers it a natural duty to take risks.”
What Hans said.
It was as if he was explaining the hero’s steps.
It had to be.
As someone who fell within Roman’s enclosure, Hans knew how valuable it was to have that protection.
“i get it. Go away.”
“yes.”
Hans lowered his head and moved on.
and.
Baron Romero was in even greater trouble.
I thought Hans’ experience would be helpful, but the blindly praising comments only added to the confusion.
‘Rodwell has already confirmed that he is Dmitri’s successor. But is it really right to form a competitive system between the two now? Roman quickly proved his worth, but from a young age Rodwell took on all the duties that Dmitri’s heir had to bear. I devoted myself to studying swordsmanship, tactics, and politics, and whenever I had time, I also learned how to handle iron at the smithy.’
still.
I wasn’t sure.
Above all, Roman had no interest in blacksmithing.
It was a different part from Rodwell Demitri, and because of that, Baron Romero couldn’t make hasty decisions.
at last.
The successor issue required the consent of key figures.
vassals.
Iron mine master.
Finally, Master Blacksmith Hendrick.
Only when at least three factions agree, can Baron Romero set up a contest, even risking chaos.
Baron Romero called for a servant.
“Tell the master of the iron mine right now that you have something to ask about the incident that occurred at the iron mine.”
second gateway.
This time it was Jacob’s turn to listen.
Not long after.
A servant’s voice came from outside the door.
“Younglord. The iron mine master has arrived.”
“Let them in.”
Sigh.
The door is open.
however.
There was not one guest.
There was another man behind Jacob, and when he showed a questioning look, Jacob said cautiously.
“I heard that the servant wanted to hear about the incident at the iron mine. So I decided that the person who talked with Master Roman directly on the spot was more suitable than me.”
Glance.
Jacob noticed.
OK.
The man took a step forward and bowed his head politely.
“This is Morkan from the Iron Mine.”
Morcan.
He was the spokesperson for the iron mine.
