Chapter 08
** It’s Not That I Didn’t Trust You, It’s That I Trusted You**
**Bonus Reward Provided.**
—
*- You have acquired a Territory Skill Level Increase Coupon.*
—
He could raise one more skill.
And as the Territory Level increased, he could also raise one more category level.
—
**[Elimeas Territory (Lv. 2)]**
**[Economy (Lv. 1)] [Military (Lv. 0)]**
**[Culture (Lv. 0)] [Environment (Lv. 0)]**
**[Mana (Lv. 0)] [Special (Lv. 0)]**
**[Diplomacy (Lv. 0)] [Education (Lv. 0)]**
**[Remaining Points: 1]**
—
*‘What to do next…’*
The food situation could be somewhat resolved for five years.
Since there weren’t that many commoners to begin with, the economy had been sufficiently raised.
So, Cliff turned his attention elsewhere.
—
**[Military (Lv. 1)]**
—
From now on, he needed to strengthen the territory’s military power.
There was a reason for this choice.
Until now, the Elimeas territory had nothing. Since everyone was poor, there hadn’t even been any thieves.
But now, the territory’s storehouse was filled with immense wealth.
*‘It’s about time to think about security. It’s already precarious because people haven’t been able to eat properly for so long.’*
The territory had reached a point where a guard force was needed.
As the category level increased, 3 skill points were granted.
Cliff examined the skills.
—
– **Physical Training (Lv. 0):** Increases the efficiency of soldiers’ physical training.
– **Maintain Morale (Lv. 0):** Soldiers do not lose hope even in difficult and precarious environments.
– **Will to Fight (Lv. 0):** Soldiers do not fear or avoid combat.
– **Will to Protect (Lv. 0):** Increases soldiers’ sense of responsibility during guard and escort missions.
—
He looked through them one by one.
*‘It’s not like we’re going to war with another territory immediately…’*
Nor was he trying to prepare for grand battles by calling them soldiers.
So, what he chose this time was **Will to Protect**.
Although expressed as ‘Will to Protect,’ reading its content makes it clear. It is related to loyalty and a sense of belonging to the territory.
*‘Right now, I need this more than anything else.’*
—
– **Physical Training (Lv. 0)**
– **Maintain Morale (Lv. 1)**
– **Will to Fight (Lv. 0)**
– **Will to Protect (Lv. 2)**
—
This was the final result he chose.
A sense of responsibility and a hopeful mindset.
If one’s own situation is precarious, even a person with a strong sense of responsibility can change their mind. So maintaining morale was also an essential part.
He used the points one by one like that, and the last remaining thing was the 1 Skill Level Increase Coupon.
*‘Let’s put this here.’*
—
– **Seed of Life (Lv. 1):** Increases the probability of seeds germinating and increases survival rates even in harsh environments.
—
He would probably only be able to see the results of this next year.
So, he had originally planned to raise it later, but…
*‘There’s no guarantee I can level up again anytime soon.’*
And so, he had just finished selecting all the skills.
That was when Nigel came to find Cliff.
“……Acting Lord, Tom’s trading company has just finished putting all the goods into the storehouse and is heading to their lodgings. They say they will depart tomorrow morning.”
“Good work, old man.”
“How on earth…… did you get the goods from them?”
At first, Nigel had been surprised and impressed by Cliff.
But now, he was actually worried.
*‘If our still-inexperienced lord forcibly took the goods from the merchants…’*
And if this news spread outside the territory…
*‘Our territory will receive nothing more and will inevitably crumble.’*
Nigel’s heart was heavy.
Cliff’s simple answer only deepened his worry.
“They gave them as a gift. To celebrate my marriage to Priscilla and my acquisition of the territory.”
Bringing that much quantity from outside as a congratulatory gift.
Naturally, Nigel did not take those words at face value. Nigel’s expression hardened.
“Acting Lord! Even now, you must return those goods!”
“Return them? Our territory isn’t prosperous enough to return gifts we’ve barely received. And the commoners are absolutely convinced that the merchants who came this time are the support sent from the capital. What do you think would happen if they found out that wasn’t true?”
“Acting Lord, even this old man acknowledges that we need those supplies right now. But receiving goods without paying a fair price will inevitably become a problem later.”
Cliff listened to Nigel’s words and fell into thought.
*‘The old man sickness has struck.’*
Here come the ‘must nots’.
Of course, this was a misunderstanding on Nigel’s part.
So he was conflicted.
*‘Should I correct him here, or not…?’*
The dilemma was short-lived.
“I will not be returning the goods. More than that, old man. Now that we have provisions that can be used as currency in the storehouse, we need to use them to train the territory’s soldiers.”
“Acting Lord!”
“It’s alright, it’s alright. No problem will arise. They will visit our territory again next year and the year after.”
Hearing Cliff’s words, Nigel felt despair.
Roughly speaking, he was thinking the same thing Tom had thought when he met Cliff.
*‘The Acting Lord has put a noose around his neck. But that noose can be easily lifted.’*
If the territory lacked power, that noose wouldn’t be secure.
Cliff, lacking experience, clearly didn’t know this. Above all, Cliff had grown up in the Ducal family and would have learned accordingly.
So he had learned schemes using authoritative nooses. But that was possible because he was in the Ducal family.
*‘Our Elimeas territory doesn’t have that kind of power.’*
Whether the lord knew that or not, he talked about building up military force.
That was a necessary task. Nigel answered him half-heartedly and came outside.
A sigh escaped him.
“……The Acting Lord is indeed brilliant, but lacking experience, he is making a grave mistake.”
A lament flowed from Nigel’s lips.
It was regrettable.
Cliff was a challenging and resourceful lord.
It was also true that he was using this to reform the Elimeas territory right now. The direction even seemed positive.
*‘But it’s too precarious. He’s building a sandcastle that could collapse at any moment.’*
Nigel took a step.
The place he headed was Tom’s lodging.
Coincidentally, the trading company executive who had spoken with Nigel was there, having a conversation with Tom about this matter.
“What on earth did that young noble do that we should just hand over our goods?”
The executive’s voice was audible.
Anger was evident in his tone.
*Flinch.*
Nigel was startled.
*‘Discontent is already arising.’*
The embers of the problem were growing.
With a heavy heart, Nigel made his presence known.
At the sound, the inside, which seemed to have been arguing, went quiet.
And then Nigel was able to enter the room where Tom and the executive were.
“I have no words for this matter, Head of the trading company.”
Nigel bowed his head with a dark expression.
When he bowed his head, the executive became even more emboldened.
“Is this something that can be resolved with mere words? Even just the cost of the grain and 50 geese we brought is several hundred gold. And how much more for the distribution costs of securing that much quantity and bringing it here? We visited this territory out of goodwill, and this is how we are repaid?”
“I have no excuse. I am sorry.”
Nigel couldn’t speak even if he had ten mouths.
But Tom tilted his head at Nigel’s attitude.
“Sir Nigel, have you not been informed by the Acting Lord?”
“……Heh heh. I’ve heard the gist. I think I understand what the Acting Lord was thinking. That only makes me more sorry. I have no other recourse, but I do have a few nobles in the capital who I owe favors to. If I write letters to them, would you let this matter go with that?”
He absolutely had to prevent bad rumors about the Elimeas territory from spreading.
Tom showed interest at Nigel’s words.
“Hoh. Letters to nobles in the capital?”
“They’re not great nobles, even if I call them central nobles. Still, they should be able to vouch for my family’s name to some extent. You won’t suffer additional damage…”
“Heh heh heh. Sir Nigel, you haven’t heard the truth from the Acting Lord.”
Tom, who had seemed puzzled at first.
He soon noticed Nigel’s misunderstanding.
*‘Well, I had the same misunderstanding when I met the Acting Lord too…’*
So he easily guessed Nigel’s misconception.
“It’s all a misunderstanding, Sir Nigel. The Acting Lord has already paid the full price for the gift.”
“……?”
“We have received a letter of introduction to the Ducal family.”
To be precise, it wasn’t a letter of introduction, but Cliff’s personal letter conveying his well-being.
But the fact that Tom and his group could visit the Ducal family with that – that in itself was as good as a letter of introduction.
“And we have also been entrusted with a very precious gift.”
Cliff had also given them a gift.
Perhaps what Cliff said was true, but if this gift truly reached the Duke’s hands as he said…
*‘It’s an opportunity to meet His Grace the Duke himself.’*
That value was difficult to measure in mere hundreds or thousands of gold.
For some, it might be less, and for those with ability, they could earn more than that.
Tom intended to be the latter.
“A letter of introduction to the Ducal family…?”
At Tom’s words, Nigel looked as if he had been struck on the back of the head.
*‘I see. Why didn’t I think of that?’*
He knew Cliff was from the Ducal family.
He could have written a simple letter of introduction. Just as he had just offered to write letters to central nobles for Tom.
Even if Cliff’s connection to the Ducal family was severed, it was the same.
At the very least, one of the Duke’s retainers would come out. Since it was a letter written personally by a noble, even if it wasn’t the Duke, someone had to come out to receive it.
*‘With that level… it could certainly cover the cost of the grain that came this time.’*
Nigel swallowed dryly.
He had firmly misunderstood.
“Heh heh……”
A hollow laugh escaped him.
Tom, chuckling as he looked at him, spoke.
“Your Acting Lord is a truly remarkable and excellent person. Surely, in the next generation, his name will be known throughout the kingdom. Perhaps even sooner than expected.”
Young, but a respectable person.
That’s how Tom felt about Cliff.
That respect was conveyed to Nigel as well.
*‘Acting Lord…’*
A person who sometimes continued to break his common sense.
But Tom’s words made him think differently. This feeling grew stronger when he visited Cliff again.
“This old man has misunderstood you, Acting Lord. Please, give me your punishment.”
“It is natural that the wisdom of the high cannot be measured by the low. Not knowing is not a sin, old man.”
Words that might have pricked Nigel’s pride.
But Nigel didn’t feel his pride wounded at all.
Because it was true.
At least for now, Cliff was a far wiser man than him.
However, he did feel somewhat resentful about another part.
“Why did you not clear up my misunderstanding when I had it, my lord? Did you perhaps not trust this old man?”
“Hmm.”
At those words, Cliff leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.
It didn’t look arrogant, but rather as if he was thinking for a moment. Cliff’s mouth opened.
“If I had told you it was a misunderstanding, would you have believed me then, old man?”
“Eh?”
“Of course, if I calmly explained well, the misunderstanding would have eventually been cleared up. But once suspicion has set in, people don’t easily take off those tinted glasses. Misunderstandings are cleared up much faster when explained by a third party than by the person themselves. See? You came to apologize right away, didn’t you?”
Cliff spoke nonchalantly.
His eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“It’s not that I didn’t trust you. It’s that I trusted you. I thought you would go to the Head of the trading company for me and the territory. And I believed that once your misunderstanding was resolved, you would overcome your shame and come to apologize to me immediately. That’s a difficult thing, but you are the kind of person who does what is right, even if it’s difficult.”
It’s not that I didn’t trust you, it’s that I trusted you.
Nigel’s eyes widened.
A feeling he had never experienced before filled his heart.
Why did his nose suddenly feel so stingingly warm?
