The road to Feuzen, passing through Rosenheim, went smoothly.

I sent Anton ahead with one squad to announce that we’d nearly reached Feuzen. Would August and the villagers be eagerly awaiting their lord’s arrival? Well, given the lord’s high reputation, they’d surely welcome me.

The cavalry’s greatest strength is mobility, making them perfect for scouting and pathfinding roles. I sent Fiel and Viktor in turns to thoroughly check areas beyond the Commander Scouter’s range.

Our party wasn’t just soldiers. There was a large mix of civilians, including my excited bride who had never set foot outside Breisburg, my retainers, and the laborers transporting our supplies, so caution was only natural.

Hilda seemed to be venting all her pent-up stress, riding Schatten as far as my line of sight would allow, fully demonstrating her Valkyrie-like grandeur and leaving the order’s men in shock and awe.

They probably assumed that no matter how well a noble lady might ride, it couldn’t be that impressive. But our lady of the estate rides better than I do. I’ve never seen a Mongol horseman, but I’m confident she could go head-to-head with one and hold her own.

"This feels wonderful. It’s the first time I’ve ever come this far from Breisburg."

"Really? It’s a fief right next to the capital, but I suppose that’s a long distance for you?"

"Of course. The farthest I’ve ever been is the headquarters of the order you run, Wolf."

The royal ranch and the tournament grounds were a bit removed from Breisburg too, but the order’s headquarters was about an hour’s ride away, so I could see why she’d say that. It had taken half a day to get this far.

So this was practically Hilda’s first real adventure. Telling Hilda, who had been born with a temperament far removed from that of a sheltered noble lady, to remain quietly cooped up in the city was no different from torture.

On top of that, with her husband’s reputation rising lately, she’d been ambushed with social invitations from the noble ladies, and the stress had been piling up. She never let on, so I hadn’t realized.

In particular, she’d been dragged around to gatherings hosted by the vain Princess Evangeline. Next time I had an audience with the crown prince, I’d have to tell him to rein his sister in.

"My lord, a report!"

Anton, whom I’d sent ahead, had returned.

"Sir Einbeck and the villagers are eagerly awaiting your arrival, my lord!"

"Good work."

August would be preparing the welcome ceremony to coincide with my arrival in Feuzen. It would be unthinkable for the lord to visit without a welcome ceremony. That’s why I’d come loaded with supplies.

A lord earns his standing by hosting feasts for his villagers. I’d spent five hundred silver coins. Compared to the days when I trembled over a few silver coins, my spending had grown enormous.

It was clear that costs rose along with reputation and status. If a mere lord knight routinely spent hundreds of silver coins, then for a prince, the units must shift to gold coins. Just thinking about it made me dizzy.

"Wolf, is that Feuzen over there?"

In the distance, a small palisaded village was slowly coming into view above the horizon. I had fought the bandits made up of vagrants who fled north and the Besançon reinforcements on those very plains. It hadn’t been long ago, but it already felt like ancient history.

"There are mountains and forests around it, and a river running through. Cattle and sheep are grazing on those wide plains. Could there be a more beautiful place?"

"It is beautiful."

"What an uninspired response. I thought you’d share my excitement."

"It’s beautiful and peaceful, like a paradise flowing with milk and honey."

"Wolf, that’s an exaggeration."

To be honest, scenery like that was familiar to me. I’d seen similar landscapes countless times elsewhere. Besides, I’m a city person, so I’m not particularly fond of the countryside. I only liked it because it was my fief.

"Shall we go on ahead? Yah!"

"I’m coming with you!"

When Hilda and I suddenly took off, the order’s members were caught off guard, but Fiel led a squad and followed behind us. With Feuzen in sight, there was no need to stay with the supply convoy. So we rode at full speed.

"Welcome back to Feuzen, my lord."

August, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, looked considerably gaunt. The estate managers I’d seen up to now had been plump and well-fed. Unlike those pigs, August seemed to have governed the village with genuine diligence.

The villagers, moved by the appearance of their lord after five years, paid their respects with joy. They said that back when the Lord of Rosenheim had also been Baron Constance, Rosenheim itself had undergone explosive development.

After the baron’s death, the estate managers governed it so poorly that it began a slow decline. Though their experience was limited to Feuzen, the villagers seemed to miss the days under the Lord of Rosenheim.

The estate managers, after all, were literally just administrators dispatched by the Administrative Department, not lords, so they had no reason to invest in the village’s development. Maintaining the status quo was about the best one could hope for.

But why were all the estate managers I’d met so uniformly incompetent and greedy? Was it because the Administrative Department lacked talent? They were selected in order of how many bribes they offered. Surprisingly enough.

So the cycle of greed continued, with each manager trying to recoup his investment. That’s the reality of the estate managers under Breisburg’s Administrative Department. The root issue was that the Grand Duke had no real interest in the royal demesnes to begin with.

That’s how I came to receive temporary judicial authority for broad-area investigations. As for August, since he was acting as my representative and Feuzen was his hometown, he was a case of someone pouring his heart and soul into the work.

"You’ve worked hard, Sir Einbeck. Your efforts will be rewarded." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Thank you. I have merely served as your representative, my lord."

Ah, such humility! It seemed I had a knack for finding good vassal knights. While I was praising August, Hilda was distracted, taking in her surroundings. Even though it was a typical Germanic farmhouse, she seemed fascinated.

A Germanic farmhouse refers to a home that combines the bedroom, kitchen, and livestock pen all under one roof. In other words, the family lives with their animals. Especially in Feuzen, where livestock farming was the main industry, the animals were practically the family’s wealth.

It must have been a sight unimaginable in Breisburg. But Hilda, who took everything in stride with a positive attitude, was already an excellent lady of the manor. She held no prejudice toward the people of Feuzen.

"This way, please. Until the supply convoy arrives, allow me to escort you to the manor, my lord."

"Hilda! Let’s at least look around our home first! Hello? My lady? Can you not hear me?"

Hilda was already mingling with the villagers’ wives, getting acquainted and chatting away. The women seemed both flattered and pleased by the noble lady’s warm interest in them.

"The lady has no prejudice. To be honest, I worried she might be disappointed by my hometown."

"Because she’s a lady who’s never left Breisburg?"

"Yes. But it seems I was the one with the prejudice."

"Hilda is a wonderful woman who breaks down prejudices. Befitting of the Lady of Feuzen, wouldn’t you say?"

Noble society had reversed its assessment, now saying Hilda had married well, but I still believe I’m the one who married well. More than swordsmanship skill or commanding ability, my wife is what I’m proudest of.

"The manor’s bigger than I expected. About the same size as Rosengarden?"

"In terms of area, it’s twice the size of Rosengarden. Only there’s no rose garden."

"We can cultivate one and create a second rose garden."

Since this was a small village, only the manor was a mix of stone and timber, while most of the villagers’ homes were made of wood. They weren’t packed tightly together like in Breisburg.

Still, a fire would be dangerous, wouldn’t it? There were also villagers’ homes and fields outside the palisade, and the villagers let their livestock graze in the pastures. It was a primitive form of livestock farming.

Most of the children served essentially as shepherds.

And there was a small church.

"By the Lord’s grace, thank you for guiding us to a meeting such as this today. I am Andreas, the priest of Feuzen Church."

I greeted the priest of Feuzen Church as well.

The name Andreas was fairly common.

The late Deputy Inspector General Rüdiger had been named Andreas too.

But what suddenly came to mind was that the priest Joseph had spoken of with such reverence when declining my offer was also named Andreas. So I asked, just on the off chance.

"That young man was a former student of mine. The Lord has joyfully blessed our meeting today and forged this special bond between us. Alleluia."

"How did you come to Feuzen?"

"During the last war, the previous priest of Feuzen passed on to the Lord’s side, and so I came."

So that’s how it was. Hmm, it would be nice if Joseph, who was well-learned and exceptional at teaching, could come to Feuzen—and perhaps Andreas might be able to make that happen.