Chapter 71: Nothing to Hide

I spoke about the things I had planned and the things I wanted without holding anything back.

“There are too many enemies in the territory. Not to mention those outside, the inside is crawling with parasites.”

“……I know.”

“If we only look outside, a disaster will occur. You can see that even now, can’t you?”

“Was that not a fake Viscount Baxien?”

“Before he was a fake, the real Viscount Baxien was also a man who preyed on the territory.”

“So, what is it you want to do?”

“I want to completely clean the interior of the territory. And if possible, I will take charge of its development as well.”

“Hmm……”

“There are many ways.”

I had been thinking about plans to develop the territory since before I was appointed as the Administrative Officer.

‘It’s just a matter of reading history.’

Between Kim Seonggeon’s past memories and Jegal Sa’s experiences, there were many achievements that could be produced by combining them. I explained those plans one by one.

My father listened to every single plan. He continued to listen as if he didn’t want to miss a single word I said.

“You’ve thought of things beyond my imagination. For my part, I could only maintain the status quo and never thought that far. You are remarkable.”

“It might be because I obtained the Dragon’s Relic.”

I tried to change the subject out of bashfulness, but my father shook his head at my words. He simply continued to praise me.

“No. This must all be your own thinking. It’s incredible. I truly never thought of it that way. Change through development. And centralization……”

“If we set it up properly, those who prey on us won’t even be able to set foot here.”

“Indeed. I believe you.”

He even gave me his absolute trust.

‘……I wasn’t trying to gain more expectations, but…… Ahem.’

Father’s expectation was a sincere one. Since I could feel his sincerity, there was no reason to dislike it. It wasn’t a bad feeling. I continued the conversation while feeling satisfied.

‘I have to organize the Iron Fist for the development of the territory right away. There’s a lot of work to do.’

I couldn’t do everything myself. I had to persuade my father to step up as well.

“Is there anything I should do in all this?”

“I would like you to establish the relic and spread its lower-tier versions.”

“……That is a dangerous thought. There haven’t been many good cases when an Aura training method was spread carelessly.”

Regarding the public disclosure of an Aura training method, even my father expressed reluctance. An Aura training method was a weapon for a family. It was everything that sustained a Noble Family.

Because it was power.

The mere idea of spreading it was a dangerous thing. However.

‘I’m not stupid enough to just think about spreading it blindly.’

This was strictly for the sake of the entire territory. I had no intention of dragging down our family’s foundations just to build up the territory.

“Among the relics I obtained, there are lower-tier ones. If what our family possesses is A-rank, what we spread would be around D-rank.”

In terms of Mugong, it would be second-rate martial arts. But even if it was second-rate, it was a much more advanced method than what existed in this world. It was by no means weak.

“Hmm.”

Only after hearing that did my father drop his reluctance. Then, he asked.

“Was the Aura training method your vassals reportedly obtained from the relic with you also D-rank? It seems you are teaching them with your own hands.”

“……So you knew I was teaching them.”

I hadn’t expected this. It seemed my father hadn’t closed his ears to the world even while he was in secluded meditation.

‘He was out searching for important things. Did the Crows find it? Hmm…… He’s capable.’

Therefore, he would know that I was personally teaching Mugong to the vassals, including Gajei. It was impossible to know just how much my father knew about what I was doing.

“You’re teaching them so loudly; how could I not know?”

“I apologize, but what the vassals have learned is more powerful than that.”

“Hmm…… They are your vassals, so you may do as you please. But you are teaching them something quite dangerous. Obtaining a relic together and teaching it in earnest are two different things. Can you take responsibility for this?”

“……Yes.”

“Then that’s enough. I trust you…… so I won’t ask any further.”

As expected.

My father might have known more than I anticipated.

‘Did I leave too long a trail? No, the stage has just grown too large now.’

At first, I moved alone, but that was no longer the case. I had the vassals, Reton’s organization, and even the Iron Fist. I tried to be as careful as possible, but my trail had grown long in many ways. It was only natural that my father would notice a few things, no matter how much I tried to hide them.

My father was no different from a king here. Even if he was incompetent in administration, he was capable when it came to protecting the territory.

“Rayrn.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t care what form you take. Whatever you do, I believe it is for the sake of the family. Isn’t that enough?”

*Thump.* It felt as if a heavy stone had been placed on my chest for no reason.

“……I’m sorry.”

Even in this situation, I couldn’t reveal everything about myself. Knowing about a past life. The fact that those memories were mixed. Only I should be the one to know such things. Even so, I had no intention of betraying my father’s trust.

“I am who I am. I am the son, Rayrn, whom you know. I move and think for the sake of the family.”

“That is answer enough. This father feels the same. Your mother, your brother, and your sister. They all would too.”

The conversation stopped for a moment. We simply looked at each other. I didn’t have a hobby for filming melodramas, but knowing there was someone who believed in me, no matter what happened or how I changed—

*Tingle.*

A certain indescribable emotion vibrated in a corner of my chest.

“……Ahem. The conversation strayed for a moment. Rayrn. Anyway, I’ve heard your thoughts clearly. Go ahead and try to implement them.”

“Yes!”

“And the training method…… This father will first take a look at the knights. Starting with the veterans would be best.”

“If it’s that level, our military power will increase significantly right away. I will take the lead in the beginning.”

“Good. Let’s get moving.”

I would handle the internal affairs of the territory. Having received full authority, I planned to organize and change everything. And my father would move in sync with me in terms of military force. He would do so as someone who trusted me for whatever reason.

‘How reassuring.’

Feeling bolstered, I moved toward the next step.

***

“No! This is a family heirloom!”

“Ugh. You can’t!”

Several cries of lamentation erupted within Ophern Castle. It wasn’t the Outercity where such cries often occurred. This time, it was the Inner City, where the few lived.

“……A family heirloom is useless when the house is being disbanded. Take it. Drag this fellow out.”

“Yes!”

Having received full authority from my father, I began to clear out the Noble Families in short order. It was difficult to touch the hereditary nobles within the Earl’s Territory. However, it was easy to handle the single-generation nobles—especially those who had committed corruption.

‘There’s plenty of evidence.’

The evidence found at Viscount Baxien’s mansion became the noose that tightened around their necks. Before he was a fake, the real Viscount Baxien had been very cautious during his life. He was also suspicious.

He committed all sorts of corruption and, to cover it up, he involved other nobles. In doing so, he kept evidence of the money he handed over to them.

‘He probably intended to use it as a weakness whenever he needed.’

It was evidence collected like a cunning snake. That evidence was used not for Viscount Baxien, but for me.

‘It’s not just useful; it’s meticulously detailed.’

The dead Viscount could never have imagined that the evidence he collected over a lifetime would be used in this way.

“Aaaaaah!”

“Seize them!”

Quite a few of the single-generation nobles were rounded up. The assets of the fallen families were confiscated, and many were demoted to commoner status and kicked out to the Outercity.

Not all of them were trash. Among them…

“……I’ve handled it all. I feel completely refreshed.”

“You’re a single-generation noble too; are you okay with this? You must have seen them often since you were young.”

“I am perfectly fine!”

I was able to salvage decent people like Baron Polling. They were the ones on the opposite side of Viscount Baxien. They were nobles who didn’t stir up trouble behind the scenes.

‘I just had to follow those who weren’t involved with Viscount Baxien. It was easier than I thought.’

Setting aside their abilities, quite a few of them were upright people. Especially young ones like Baron Polling, who were less tainted by the ways of the world.

‘Since they were raised with an education, I can just cultivate their abilities myself.’

Since I had started this massive project, I needed at least a few people. To me, such individuals were like a welcome rain.

“Then let’s move on to the next one immediately. Next is the house of Baron Odard. He’s your neighbor, isn’t he?”

“Oh! I’ve wanted to raid that place at least once.”

“Look at your nerve. Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

I led them.

“Esty. You raid the house next to that.”

“I will carry out your orders.”

Useful people. All of them were focused on dealing with the rotten nobles within Ophern Castle.

“Ugh…… What should we do?”

“……Is there any other way? Just endure it. We have no choice but to keep our heads as low as possible.”

The cleanup was finished in an instant. The noble factions within the castle were reduced. To say that the power of local influencers—those who held positions and exerted influence—had weakened meant one thing.

“Now it’s finally comfortable.”

“I feel like a ten-year-old case of indigestion has completely vanished.”

It meant that my power as the Territory Administrator had been solidified. There was no one to stop me! At least not within this territory!

‘Now that I’ve cleared the trash and set the foundation, I have to build on top of it.’

There was no need to use my own money to execute the plans. Looking at it now, our territory was severely poor. After distributing the earned taxes to necessary places, it was so poor that it was hard to even afford luxuries.

‘No wonder my father, despite being a Count, paid special attention when he gave me a mid-grade Healing Potion. *Sniff*……’

There were still many things to fix, but that was for later. I intended to spend money lavishly with the profits I gained this time.

“You know the things we obtained from the Noble Families this time?”

“You mean the plundered goods.”

“What do you mean ‘plundered’? It’s money that was supposed to come here in the first place.”

“Should I store it in the territory’s warehouse?”

“What are you talking about? Collect everything and calculate it. Sell what needs to be sold. We have to organize the harvest.”

“Ugh…… All of it?”

“Yes!”

Esty and Polling, who were exhausted from the endless confiscation of noble properties, wore long faces. The two, who worked well together, had helped clear out all the involved nobles even without my orders.

‘They’re good labo—no, subordinates.’

In any organization, capable people are supposed to be given more work.

“Then go, quickly!”

“……Yes.”

“I shall do as ordered. Sigh…… How did I end up like this……”

Moving with long faces, they finished the organization in a remarkably short time. Would you believe it if I said they processed all the hidden slush funds of the Noble Families—which had likely been accumulated over decades or even several generations—and even made a list in just one week?

‘I certainly have an eye for people.’

They had processed it neatly using the forms I taught them.

“Oh…… This is insane.”

The slush funds were substantial. It was enough to easily surpass our territory’s annual budget.

“Wow. They weren’t fleas; they were goddamn bandits.”

It made me think that the ones currently doing forced labor—those bastards who preyed on the territory—deserved even harsher punishment.

“Anyway, with this, our war chest is secured.”

“I, I barely managed to organize it. Of course, there might be a bit more left.”

“……I organized it with the determination to die. So, please, a rest……”

Their contribution to gathering this money was great. And together with these capable men…

“Then let’s get moving together again!”

“Ugh……”

“……Yes.”

I planned to achieve another feat.