Chapter 04Ā
** Hope, Spelled M-I-S-T-A-K-E**
*Murmur, murmur.*
*Whisper, whisper.*
“So why exactly did he tell us to gather?”
“Well, I don’t know either.”
“Haah. I wish he’d at least reduce the taxesā¦”
The Elimeas territory.
Most of the Yusta Peninsula was underdeveloped, but this place was considered the worst among them.
Yet, even so, the lord of Elimeas had diligently collected taxes every year.
*’I heard a new person became the lordā¦’*
Please, let him not be a greedy man.
The gathered commoners earnestly wished for that one thing.
And so, all the villagers around the lord’s mansion had assembled.
“There sure are a lot of people.”
Cliff, who had ordered the gathering, looked at the bustling crowd.
Three hundred residents.
And about a dozen soldiers to control them.
Naturally, the soldiers’ equipment was also shabby. This was quite regrettable.
Because it seemed difficult to project the lord’s dignity with them.
*’If I had known this would happen, I would have paid a bit more attention. Well, even so, you make the best of what you have. There are other ways.’*
Cliff’s eyes sparkled.
He then extended his hand to the side.
“Shall we go, my lady?”
“Trulyā¦ I am to go as well?”
Priscilla’s eyes widened.
What she had learned was that politics was men’s work. Appearing before the common people was also men’s work.
Showing oneself in front of strange men was not the mark of a cultured noble lady.
She had been taught that by Nigel.
“Of course. Your place is by my side.”
Again today, Cliff showed an attitude contrary to her common sense.
Upon his confirmation, Priscilla placed her hand on top of Cliff’s extended one.
Even holding a man’s hand like this was unfamiliar to her.
*’It’s big. And warm.’*
That was the sentiment she felt.
Cliff, too, wore a strange expression upon actually holding her hand.
*’Softerā¦ than I thought.’*
So this was how soft a woman’s hand could be.
It wasn’t the first time he had held her hand, but this moment felt awkward and ticklish again.
An unfamiliar but pleasant sensation.
Cliff began to walk with her just like that.
“Huh?”
The voices of the murmuring crowd gradually died down.
Everyone’s attention focused on the couple, Cliff and Priscilla.
*’This is it.’*
Cliff wore a pleased expression.
Today, Cliff deliberately wore his most splendid outfit, prepared in advance.
It was natural that he stood out.
He had also dressed Priscilla in the most beautiful of her clothes.
Even without that, Priscilla shone on her own.
*’Of course, the doll princess is always pretty.’*
So today, he decided to use her appearance as well.
A trophy that made him shine.
No matter who looked, he was clearly different from them. The image of a splendid, successful nobleman.
“Gulp.”
The people looked at him with various emotions.
Everything was going as expected.
As expected, in this era, you need to be appropriately splendid.
There’s no need to hesitate to show off while cosplaying as a kind lord. Commoners can’t really envy nobles anyway.
Thoughts like ‘We’re poor, but that guy lives in luxury with the taxes he exploits from us?’ are things people who are relatively comfortable can afford to think.
*’Even aside from that, the people of this world are fundamentally innocent.’*
Back on Earth, people would have been full of venom.
Thus, Cliff climbed the prepared platform with Priscilla.
“Ladies and gentlemen.”
He opened his mouth.
First, he had always wanted to say this line.
It simply meant ladies and gentlemen.
“I wish to make a momentous announcement to you all.”
He decided to hold back on the principal’s speech.
“My name is Cliff. I am a direct descendant of the prestigious Aiderun Ducal family, counted among the finest in the homeland, and as the husband of Priscilla here, I am the man who will rule this territory.”
Self-introduction.
It was full of bragging.
“The Aiderun family, where I was born and raised, has not only ruled vast and prosperous territories for generations but has also led the political world of the kingdom. All nobles of the kingdom look up to us and yearn for even a single glance from our main family. The family has plenty of knights and warhorses, and our storehouses are piled high with grain and gold coins.”
Straight to family boasting.
I am a person from such a great family.
Naturally, it was embarrassing for him to say, and the listeners probably felt even more embarrassed.
However, Cliff believed that a politician should be like this in the first place.
*’A politician needs to know how to be shameless.’*
Agitation is essential for politics.
And to agitate, you need this level of shamelessness.
What good is it that his family is great?
He’s only speaking the truth, but he himself has nothing in that family. But who cares? The people here don’t know those details anyway.
So he could say things like this.
“I, the descendant of the great and prestigious Aiderun family and the son of the kingdom’s Prime Minister, have come here. I am very pleased to have come here.”
He didn’t tell them the truth about being driven out.
Nor did he mention that his relationship with the Prime Minister was that of a father and a bastard son who could never be acknowledged.
Seven parts truth, three parts falsehood.
Hiding a few lies within multiple truths is a politician’s basic skill. He hadn’t told a single lie yet.
“Because I have obtained such a beautiful girl as my wife.”
And he was genuinely satisfied with this part.
“Since I, who will be your lord along with her from now on, am pleased and satisfied, you should also share in your lord’s joy. My marriage is something to be blessed by all spirits and gods, thusā¦”
The endless self-praise continued.
And the main point came at this moment.
“To commemorate this day, I will exempt this year’s harvest tax.”
Cliff declared there would be no tax. Upon hearing this, the commoners’ expressions changed.
Cliff opened his mouth again.
“That’s not all. Some of you may have seen the knights who came escorting me. Why do you think they have left? Because I, the son of the kingdom’s Prime Minister, have become the lord of this territory. Do you think the outside world will continue to ignore us as they have until now?”
As Cliff poured out his words, the people’s expressions changed.
First, when he promised tax exemption, there was relief at surviving. Then, with Cliff’s following words, a certain hopeā¦ appeared.
A powerful ally from the outside!
And the illusion that perhaps the kingdom would support them.
Yes, an illusion.
*’But this territory needs something like this.’*
Hope, spelled m-i-s-t-a-k-e.
Cliff looked around at everyone with a smile.
“I promise you. While I rule, this territory will change.”
He wanted to give them hope.
No, he had to.
Because they were desperate people, this was a necessary task to make use of them.
At Cliff’s promise, they too held onto hope.
*’Support promised by a high-ranking noble from the kingdomā¦’*
*’Just not having to pay taxes this year aloneā¦’*
They welcomed it.
Cliff furrowed his brow.
“Rejoice. You may express your joy. Cheer and be ecstatic. Swear loyalty to me. Kneel in homage to your new lord’s inauguration, and celebrate and rejoice that your lord has obtained the most beautiful girl as his wife!”
“Waaaah!”
“Wow! Long live the new lord!”
“Long live the lady of the manor!”
They’re saved!
That kind of emotion spread in all directions.
Some even shed tears.
—
– Loyalty of 100 or more commoners (39/100)
– Loyalty of 100 or more commoners (57/100)
– Loyalty of 100 or more commoners (88/100)
—
The gauge filled terrifyingly fast.
And at some pointā¦
—
– Loyalty of 100 or more commoners (100/100)
—
All numbers were filled.
The corner of Cliff’s mouth turned up.
*’Done!’*
The payoff for his cringeworthy acting had arrived.
He himself had almost melted from the cheesy, buttery lines.
Still, he didn’t entirely dislike it.
After a certain point, he too had become exalted along with them and poured out such words.
“Return to your daily lives. I will call you again soon. I will see if you are loyal to me, and I will reward those who prove their loyalty!”
*Waaaah!*
“Loyalty to the Lord!”
This much response from the crowd was enough.
Cliff took Priscilla’s hand and descended from the platform.
Priscilla was looking at him with curious eyes.
She, too, was slightly flushed.
“How was it?”
āā¦ā¦It was magnificent.ā
Praise from the most beautiful princess, saying it was magnificent.
It was a sweeter reward than any other. But the overwhelming reward wasn’t just this.
*’The real reward is the status window.’*
He felt good.
Everything had worked out as he thought.
Ah, someone who has only seen this far might think: What if the lies are found out later? To that, he would say this:
*’Just don’t get caught, that’s all. Just don’t get caught.’*
He was confident.
He wouldn’t get caught. This show wasn’t a spontaneous plan made just for the quest.
He had thought about it long before. He had made preparations accordingly.
—
*- I will take responsibility for your escort and travel expenses on the way.*
—
When the Duke said that.
*’Just saying.’*
That was done for now. Now he had to attend to the other reward.
He was simply too curious to see if he had truly obtained the famous status window from his past life.
—
*- You have obtained the Territory Status Window.*
*- You have obtained the Lord Status Window.*
—
He had already confirmed the message that the rewards were given.
Back at the mansion, leaning back in the chair in his office, Cliff closed his eyes.
āā¦ā¦Status window.ā
The moment he closed his eyes and blocked his vision, he saw it.
On the pitch-black darkness of his vision, three windows appeared on either side.
It was the perfect system he had only dreamed of.
*’A real status window!’*
