bookpower Chapter 197 : Chapter 197
Chapter 197 : Chapter 197
A while later.Roden officially declared that Lucrene was his territory.
At the same time, he ascended to the position of the first head of the new family himself.
The name of the new family was decided together with the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit, and several candidates were mentioned.
Among them, 'Wahrheit', which means 'truth', and 'Bausenkreif', which means 'creation', were candidates receiving strong support.
However, Roden finally chose the name 'Duaren', which means 'one inhabited by two souls'.
There was no other meaning.
Because he thought there was no name that could perfectly express his current state as much as this.
Since he was Roden and Ernst, and a mage and a knight at the same time.
Like that, Roden came to have the name 'Ernst Duaren'.
And among the citizens of Lucrene, there was not a single person dissatisfied with this.
Rather, they welcomed Roden becoming their lord and ruling Lucrene more than anyone else.
When a 10-star knight and a 10th-circle mage who saved the world stepped forward to become the lord first, who would refuse this.
Furthermore, what Roden had accomplished in Lucrene under the name of the Billem Caravan until now was not small.
Even externally, the atmosphere was welcoming the birth of the Duaren family.
The fact that numerous families sent congratulatory gifts to the Duaren family was the very proof.
Some families expressed their intention to visit formally and deliver congratulatory gifts, but Roden politely declined all of them.
Because it was burdensome, and it was not yet the appropriate time to hold a toast.
Nevertheless, the amount of gifts that poured in was tremendous.
If this was converted into money, it would be enough to not collect taxes in Lucrene for 30 years without any problem.
Roden scratched his cheek as if troubled while looking up at the treasures piled high in the recently completed Duaren Castle.
“Still, this is… too much even if it's a lot.”
Chevalier, who was standing next to him, received Roden's words.
“It means that many people have not forgotten that the Lord is the hero of this era.”
“That is burdensome in its own way.”
“It can't be helped. Because it is a fact that cannot be forgotten even if one wants to. Even because of what happened a while ago.”
“What happened a while ago?”
“Yes. You built this castle in just a few days with magic.”
“Ah.”
As Chevalier mentioned, Roden built Duaren Castle with magic.
With a single gesture, he carved a rocky mountain and piled up enough castle stones to build a castle with plenty left over, moved them to the castle site with another gesture, and firmly bound them with mortar mixed with magic power.
Since he used the dry construction method, which allowed maintaining the structure only by interlocking the castle stones, mortar was not necessarily needed.
However, he added such construction to add solidity and increase insulation performance.
Of course, Roden did not do all this work alone because he was deeply knowledgeable in architecture.
Naturally, he received blueprints from professional architects and also received construction supervision.
In conclusion, what Roden accomplished with magic was only the part requiring physical labor.
However, even with just this, those who watched this from the side were bound to be astounded, and Roden's fame was bound to rise once again.
In fact, this was the reason Roden did not hold a grand celebratory banquet even while establishing a new family.
After all, nobles held various banquets to show off their power, but this purpose was achieved just by the act of building the castle.
“In conclusion, the story is that all this is self-inflicted. Even if the purpose of saving labor was stronger than the purpose of showing off power.”
“Yes. So let's keep these gifts well and use them in a good place.”
“Then, since it has come to this, shall we lower the taxes of Lucrene?”
“More from here? Rather, just don't collect taxes at all.”
“That's not bad either.”
“…….”
Chevalier closed his mouth at Roden's unconventional proposal.
Thinking that if it was Roden, he might really exempt Lucrene's taxes completely.
Chevalier hurriedly changed the topic before it was too late.
“By the way, it seems that creating a new city center on the outskirts of Lucrene instead of building a new city was effective. The development of both sides is proceeding uniformly.”
“Really? That turned out well.”
As the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit joined, a new residential area was needed in Lucrene.
Because the number of people was substantial as not only soldiers but also their families migrated to Lucrene together.
Originally, he thought about building a new city for them next to Lucrene, but recalling that the status and assets of the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit were substantial, he changed the plan.
To place the old city center in the middle and create a new city center surrounding it.
Only then could the residential area of the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit naturally surround and protect the old city center.
At the same time, it could prevent the new city center from developing too quickly on its own.
If Duaren Castle had been in the new city center, uniform development would have been impossible.
However, Duaren Castle was built in the old city center where the Penitudo Mage Tower originally was.
Right on the spot where the Penitudo Mage Tower stood.
For that reason, the soldiers of the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit living in the new city center naturally had to pass through the old city center to commute to Duaren Castle.
That meant that compared to the fact that many people with high status and wealth lived in the new city center, economic revitalization inevitably progressed more in the old city center.
However, if asked whether the economic revitalization of the new city center was not going well, that was not the case either.
Because, after all, these people had to stay in the new city center on their days off.
Thanks to creating the city zones systematically like this, Lucrene could harmonize without a sense of incongruity even though many new faces joined and the scale of the city grew tremendously.
“You should continue to pay attention so that the Special Task Force Knight Order and the Heart Sword Knight Order, and their families, can live in Lucrene without problems.”
“Yes. I will do so.”
For reference, the Main Battalion was now called the Special Task Force Knight Order, and the New Recruit Unit was called the Heart Sword Knight Order.
Because they could not continue to use these titles forever.
Like that, the soldiers of the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit all obtained the status of knights and could become nobles.
Of course, among these, cases where heredity was possible were extremely few, but anyway, the fact that everyone ascended to the status of a noble remained unchanged.
“How about you? You are doing well too, right?”
“As for me, I am trying to adapt to the position of the Commander of the Special Task Force Knight Order.”
“What about as the head of the Eisenritter family? That is more important.”
“…There is nothing separate to adapt to for that. Since it doesn't feel real at all.”
Just as Roden obtained the surname Duaren, the knights of the Special Task Force Knight Order and the Heart Sword Knight Order each obtained a surname.
Of course, those who already had a surname had no reason to have another one, but in cases where they didn't, Roden bestowed surnames fitting each individual's characteristics.
Perhaps thinking the meaning of this was special, there were cases where even knights who already had surnames asked to be bestowed a surname.
Naturally, Roden readily granted all these requests.
However, Chevalier, who was of commoner origin, originally did not have a surname, so Roden bestowed the surname Eisenritter, which means Knight of Steel.
It was a surname made after Chevalier's nickname, Oath-keeper of Steel, which arose after the war.
“It's not just me. It seems other personnel also don't really feel it real that they came to have a surname.”
“Why?”
“Because they just have one surname, but regular training or guard duty proceeds the same way.”
“Well, that's true too.”
When they first arrived in Lucrene, they were very busy because they had to handle the work of the Billem Caravan as well, but now it was not so.
Because by actively hiring the citizens of Lucrene, they became able to solve the caravan's work with just them.
In the end, what the Special Task Force Knight Order and the Heart Sword Knight Order did was only receiving regular training and standing guard duty.
So although there was no work to go out on operations or fight big and small battles, it could be said that it was not much different from the work they used to do.
If there was a difference, it was the fact that they were living a much more leisurely life.
To the extent that almost no tension was felt.
“Originally, there is nothing as fortunate as a soldier being free. Or should I make new surcoats for the Special Task Force Knight Order and the Heart Sword Knight Order to give off a strong noble vibe? Very fancy ones?”
“No need. It's just that it doesn't feel real, not that I wanted to show it off. By the way, is there no particular news from that side?”
At Chevalier's question, Roden's expression, which had been smiling playfully, turned calm in an instant.
“Yeah. There hasn't been any separate contact from my brother yet.”
It was when Roden answered like this.
Suddenly, a blue hawk flew in through the open window and flew toward Roden.
When Roden extended his left arm as if waiting, the blue hawk sat on it carefully.
At the same time, the blue hawk turned into powder and scattered into the air, leaving a single note in its place.
Roden picked up the note with his hand and spoke.
“Speak of the devil and he shall appear. This arrived just in time.”
The blue hawk was a type of Imprinted Weapon Roden had given to Michael to contact him when urgent.
Since it could fly at the speed of sound, it could deliver news faster than not only carrier pigeons but also carrier hawks.
“Please read it quickly.”
When Roden nodded and unfolded the note, indeed Michael's handwriting was visible.
[Declaration of war scheduled soon.]
And a short but intense phrase was written on the note.
***
The Glockner family declared war on the Duaren family.
With the pretext that they had no intention of recognizing the Duaren family as a formal family and would arrest Roden who had tarnished the honor of the Glockner family.