My father-in-law had strongly insisted that an estate should be granted based on my achievements, and the Finance Minister had fiercely opposed it. The Administrative Minister, who oversees the royal demesne estate managers, backed the Finance Minister, but the Crown Prince had put the Administrative Minister on the defensive by denouncing Rosenheim’s estate manager.

The wavering Judicial Minister sided with my father-in-law, and ultimately the Grand Duke concluded that an estate should be granted. The problem came after that. Views diverged sharply the moment it came to selecting which estate to grant. My father-in-law advocated for Rosenheim, close to Breisburg, but all the other ministers opposed it.

"I recommended it thinking it was close so you could see Hilda often, but those damn minister bastards opposed, so I had no choice but to give up."

"...You recommended it because it’s close?"

"Not just that. There’s no better condition for expanding the War Minister family’s influence. Rosenheim is rich in potential, a transportation hub, and the optimal estate for building military power."

Anyway, after Rosenheim fell through, Feuzen was selected as the most suitable estate, since it’s a region that could make the best use of me, the man who would lead the newly established knightly order, given its proximity to the border. As expected, the intention was to shore up the frontier against Burgundy’s threat.

"If you keep on as you have, you’ll be able to receive Rosenheim someday. But if you push yourself too hard and make Hilda a widow, know that you’ll die by my hand before meeting Resurrection Day."

"Father! What on earth are you saying!"

"Ahem, I was just having a candid conversation with my son-in-law, daughter."

My father-in-law fled from the fuming Hilda.

Michael chuckled as if he’d expected as much.

"Wolf. It’s so sudden I don’t know how to take it all in."

"I’m just as flustered. To think confident Hilda would wear this kind of expression."

"Then hold my hand. If it’s your hand, I think my anxious heart will settle."

When I gently took Hilda’s hand, she returned to her usual serene self, as if I’d administered a sedative. Seeing that, my sister-in-law seemed genuinely envious. I’m a man who’s gentle and warm only to my woman. Michael grumbled, asking me to please not make him look bad by comparison.

"How about becoming a warm man yourself while you’re at it?"

"Even so, I can’t be like my brother-in-law. I’ll head to the banquet hall first, so deal with the guests appropriately."

Guests? When Michael jerked his chin, I noticed Adelbert from the Finance Minister’s side approaching. The Finance Minister still wore a sour expression, with his subordinate nobles busily fawning over him. His political rival, the War Minister’s family, had grown more powerful, so he had reason to be upset.

"Congratulations, Sir Streit. No, I should call you Lord of Feuzen now."

Adelbert, the Finance Minister’s heir and Finance Department Inspector General, conveyed his congratulations with courtesy. What a contrast from before. I remembered when I’d first met him. Having overcome the past when I was tossed around like a ragdoll by the Finance Minister’s family, I’d now risen to equal footing with him.

"It’s been a while. But is it all right for you to greet me?"

"Haha, even I should become friendly with a lord, shouldn’t I? Since I’m the only channel."

The only channel. Well, that was true. Unlike his father, who prized power above all, Adelbert had the disposition to shake hands with anyone when the profit was clear. Someone you can communicate with is precious. Especially if they’re a key figure in a hostile faction. That must be why the Finance Minister tolerated it too.

The reluctant expression on Deputy Inspector Mort’s face behind Adelbert was a sight to behold.

"Assist Lord Adelbert well, Deputy."

"...Yes."

Just a few months ago, we’d been competing for the Elsheimer son-in-law position. Of course, I hadn’t had the slightest intention of becoming a son-in-law there, and because I hadn’t, I could become the current lord of Feuzen. My choice at that time had been the right one after all.

And the feeling of patting the shoulder of Mort, who’d once treated me as inferior, was immensely satisfying. Mort accepted it meekly, as if resigned. Adelbert chuckled at the sight.

"Though I’m at odds with the Finance Department, there’ll be room for various discussions with Lord Adelbert."

"I think so too. A shame we can’t talk longer. Well then, excuse me."

Being in opposing factions, talking at length on such an official occasion would invite suspicion. What the Finance Minister permitted was probably just greetings. Ignoring each other completely would have been rude too. Adelbert returned to the Finance Minister’s camp with Mort.

The Finance Minister led his subordinate nobles and was the first to leave the hall. Among the nobles on the Finance Minister’s side, Adelbert was the only one who conveyed congratulations to me. Anyway, they’re a bunch of spoilsports. If they try to control the Military Department with the budget from now on, I won’t stand for it. Let’s have it out.

"Congratulations. Though the royal family granting an estate to a knight has been quite rare lately, your excellent military achievements made it possible. Don’t forget this old man supported the War Minister’s opinion."

"Thank you, Judicial Minister. If you need my help, please ask anytime."

"Hehe, it was worth supporting. I’ll send someone over properly later."

The Judicial Minister had deliberately come to me and boasted about supporting my father-in-law because he had a favor to ask. Being hostile to Finance and not particularly friendly with Administration, I needed to bring Judicial to my side to balance the scales in various ways. So I couldn’t afford to ignore the Judicial Department’s request.

And I wanted to ask in detail how the fencing case had ended. I’d had to give up investigative authority due to deployment while in the middle of tracking down and investigating Rafel’s executive, so I was curious about the investigation results. They’d probably wrapped it up sloppily. Though it was obvious, I wanted to know the full inside story. So I could use it later.

Plus, Judicial is a legal institution that can dig into Administration’s and Finance’s corruption. A Judicial and Military collaboration is very powerful—even the Finance Minister had nearly been thoroughly shaken down. That old man had sent me out to stall things under the pretext of the Crown Prince’s deployment, but in the end he’d done me a favor.

Thank you, Finance Minister. May you be blessed.

Thanks to you, I became lord of Feuzen.

If I said such things to his face, wouldn’t war break out?

Hmm, should I try it just once?

Setting aside idle thoughts, I moved to the banquet hall with Hilda. Many nobles were already gathered in small groups chatting there.

The banquet hall’s other name is the social battlefield. Naturally, besides noblewomen, lower noble children of marriageable age were busily circulating in search of partners. Those young ladies who had rejected me at the Mainhof banquet—weren’t they regretting it tremendously now? Though none of them particularly impressed me.

"Brother-in-law, will you move your residence to Feuzen?"

"Well, there’s nothing prepared yet for me to reside in Feuzen."

"Hmm, then you’ll dispatch a manager first."

Actually, though I’d become lord of Feuzen, it wasn’t a city-level town like Rosenheim, and hastily moving my living base there would come with all sorts of difficulties. Nothing was prepared at all. So what I was thinking was dispatching August, whose hometown was Feuzen, as manager.

August would manage the town with all his heart and soul.

To think the optimal person happened to be my own knight. Quite the coincidence.

Though Rosenheim fell through, if I accomplished great feats in the large-scale Burgundian invasion that would come someday, then I’d truly be able to receive Rosenheim. Of course, on the condition that no rival accomplished as much as I did. Though Rosenheim was a regrettable loss, there would be plenty of opportunities.

As long as the transcendent helper called the System existed.

"Commander, I’m quite looking forward to the tournament."

"I won’t be participating."

"...You’re joking, right? You’re not participating?"

I saw Fiel’s shocked expression for the first time—Fiel, who never lost his composure or gentleness even in crisis situations. Same with Michael. No, what tournament, when I can’t even handle a cavalry lance? The cavalry commander had also insisted I must attend. Could this be some kind of rite of passage?

"Listen, brother-in-law. You’re going to disappoint the expectations of countless spectators cheering for the Gale Knight and lord of Feuzen? The shouts of spectators cheering for you!"

"Disappointment or not, I’ve never handled a cavalry lance."

"Huh? Really? Then how did you command cavalry?"

"That’s why Fiel always took the vanguard. He’s an excellent vanguard commander."

Michael couldn’t continue, as if the thought had never crossed his mind.

"Anyway, the tournament is in two weeks, so I’ll teach you the cavalry lance until then."

"Fiel, I hope you prepare hard and take the victory."

Having become a lord, I didn’t really want to participate in a tournament.

I was more interested in having fun watching it with Hilda.

Because I wanted to give myself a vacation, having run without rest up to becoming a lord.

Well, though I was only the lord of a small town, I’d accomplished my primary goal anyway.

"Please be sure to attend the gathering I’m hosting."

"Oh my, the lady of the estate agreed to come to our gathering! Don’t cut in line, will you?"

"Hohoho, lady of the estate. Come this way."

I checked on Hilda—she was being hassled by noblewomen.

Even the strong woman called Valkyrie seemed to have no way to withstand the noblewomen’s physical offensive.

"You saved me by coming to get me. I never thought noblewomen would invite me to gatherings so persistently. I wonder if they’re the same people who used to treat me like a tomboy."

"You’ve become a beautiful lady of the estate, so now the noblewomen will want to build friendships with you too."

When I led her away while kissing her hand, Hilda finally regained her smile. We left the banquet hall and headed out to the garden. The royal palace garden was on an entirely different scale from the start. Long hedge walls formed a maze. So we went to a moderately quiet lawn area and relaxed.

I lay down with my head resting on Hilda’s lap.

We played around touching each other’s hair, and then suddenly Hilda asked:

"Wolf, will you participate in the tournament?"

"No. I want to rest leisurely, so I have no intention of attending."

"Really? Hmm..."

She seemed to be pondering something. She deliberated, her red lips moving, then spoke to me as if she’d made up her mind. I didn’t know what story required such nervousness.

"I’ve had a small wish I’ve dreamed of since childhood."

A small wish.

What kind of wish made her hesitate so long to bring it up?

Could it be that she wanted a tournament champion for a husband? If so, I’d naturally grant lovely Hilda’s wish, learn the cavalry lance from Fiel, and clear mounted combat stage 1 by any means necessary. I’d need to be about that level to compete in a tournament.

However, Hilda’s wish was completely different from what I’d imagined.

"Participating in the tournament was my wish."