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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Kingmaker
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Back at the castle, I got examined by the doctor and received treatment.
For the first time, I felt my body and stamina recovering through the doctor's healing magic. It was an incredibly strange experience.
Once I was recovered...
Hart laid into me like a madman.
"What if something terrible had happened to you?!?!"
Hart was angrier than I'd ever seen him, even in Calix's memories.
We all cowered—me and the other retainers alike—as he yelled like he was scolding a troublemaking grandson.
"You are the last remaining heir of the Cron Family. Please, think about your health. For this old man's sake, if nothing else..."
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Grandfather Hart..."
Hart looked like he was about to burst into tears—no, he was crying as he shouted.
Feeling guilty, I naturally called him "Grandfather Hart," just like in Calix's childhood memories.
Come to think of it... even I knew I'd pushed myself too far.
Swimming through a typhoon with a kid on my back... thinking back, it was a miracle I survived.
How the hell did I make it back alive?
Anyway, because of that incident, I got a thorough health checkup and was confined to the castle for a week.
I received healing magic every day, and my only duties were getting simple reports from Hart and the other retainers.
And Noah started visiting frequently.
"I've come, my lord. Are you feeling better now?"
"I'm fine. My back hurts from all the rest. But Noah... you've been coming by a lot lately."
"Of course I have to. I'm your treasurer, after all."
Noah had recently become an official treasurer for our family.
More precisely, one of the treasurers, thanks to Hart's strong recommendation.
Hart had glared at me with bulging eyes and said,
'For the future and heirs of the Cron Family, we should appoint Lady Noah as an official treasurer, my lord.'
With such forceful insistence from Hart, I could only nod like a grandson getting scolded by his grandfather.
Thus, Noah started coming to the castle every day like it was her own home and worked incredibly hard.
I might be imagining it, but she seemed to work even harder than she did for her merchant guild.
And there's one lingering question that hasn't been resolved.
...What the heck does "heir" even mean?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Noah believed she had a good eye for people.
But this time, she had to admit she'd been wrong.
She'd thought Lord Calix was the kind of lord who would shake up the empire with a new storm.
A "slightly unconventional lord" whose goal was to expand his influence by targeting the common folk in ways no one expected.
'(I was completely off. To think I'd pegged Lord Calix as just that kind of lord...)'
While handling guild affairs, Noah had met countless lords and imperial royals.
They all talked a good game about the people and their subjects, but not one truly acted for the sake of the commoners.
They only thought of squeezing merchants and the masses dry. She swore there wasn't a single one who truly ruled benevolently for the people.
So Noah had given up.
She'd decided ideal rulers only existed in fairy tales.
But on the day of the storm, she saw it.
She witnessed the young lord diving into the raging waters for his people.
That was the image of the "ideal ruler" she'd always dreamed of.
Not words, but actions—proof that he could stake his life for the people. The very picture of a "true emperor."
It was a highly irreverent thought, but...
If someone asked her who among all the people she'd met was most suited to be emperor...
Noah wouldn't hesitate: only "Lord Calix."
Once she reached that conclusion, Noah's decision was swift.
If Calix was suited to be emperor, then she just had to make him one.
The empire's emperors were chosen by election.
Not just the emperor's descendants—any lord with territory had the right to run and vote. After the emperor's death, the royals and lords with votes gathered to elect the next one.
In theory, Lord Calix could become emperor too.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy right now.
The Cron Family's power was still minuscule, and the promising princes, princesses, and great lords had already built massive factions.
But... if she threw her full support behind the Cron Family...
Noah was certain that in about five years, the Cron Family could become a force mighty enough to contend with them.
And so, unbeknownst to anyone, Noah resolved to become Calix's kingmaker.
"That's why I'll serve you with all my heart from now on, Lord Calix."
"Mm... alright. Looking forward to it, Treasurer Noah."
A week later, as I returned to lordly duties, Noah smiled and said that to me.
I had no idea what had brought it on, but since a beautiful girl was smiling at me, I just accepted it.
But... what was that? Her smile was stunning, yet it gave me chills.
It felt like something big—something annoying I didn't know about—was unfolding behind the scenes.
Just my imagination?
"More importantly, anything happen in the territory while I was out?"
"Nothing special, my lord. Storm repairs are done, and the farms are back to normal. All thanks to our diligent subjects working without rest."
"I see..."
Hart's words made me happy yet sad.
I was glad the people stepped up on their own, but the money piling up again was giving me a headache.
Ha... where should I spend all that cash this time?
As I pondered, Hart continued.
"And one problem has arisen."
"Problem?"
Hart said it flatly.
Assuming it was minor, I asked...
"Immigration requests from free folk have more than tripled in our territory."
"More than tripled!?"
What do you mean nothing special? This is huge!!
I had a lot to say, but I couldn't snap at Grandfather Hart, so I focused on grasping the situation.
What I heard from Hart was even more head-aching than I'd imagined.
"Through the waves of the black tide, the lord threw himself in♬ He cleaved the dark sea, embraced a tiny life, burst through the furious waves♬ And returned that small life safe to land!! Ahh! O great Silver Dragon of Cron♪!"
To see the situation for myself, I left the castle for the first time in ages with Hart, Noah, and Rikain, who was escorting me.
Bards were singing everywhere outside the castle, and people were joining in.
Bards singing wasn't unusual in this era.
The problem was that their songs praised me and our territory—and they were spreading to neighboring lands at a insane speed.
"For the past few days, songs lauding you and our territory have spread to nearby regions via bards."
"To nearby regions!?"
"Yes. Word is it's already reached the Blackrose Family to the west."
No matter how good my deed was, were the songs spreading this fast?
That moment, my eyes met Noah's, and she just flashed a grin.
I always thought beautiful girls' smiles were bad for the heart.
"And that's why the free folk are flocking here after hearing the songs?"
"Yes, in droves."
I looked where Hart pointed—at the castle gate.
It was more crowded than when the merchants had swarmed last time, bursting at the seams.
"Get in line!!!! Please, just line up!!!!"
That gatekeeper's having a rough day again.
I should give him a bonus later.
"But can we handle this many free folk immigrating?"
"That's..."
With so many immigrants, there'd be tons to manage.
Housing, food, jobs—all needed.
Hart hesitated, like there was an issue, but Noah answered from beside him.
"If we invest all the profits from your tariff reform, we can manage, my lord."
Noah answered with a delightfully fresh smile, for some reason.
I understood why Hart looked so grim.
As steward, telling his lord they'd need to dip into family funds due to lack of money must've been hard to swallow.
Of course, for me, it was great news.
Spending on the people? Let's do it!!
"Will that really be enough?"
"Yes! The other treasurers and I calculated it. It's solid."
Pretending to relent, I was about to approve Noah's plan.
But as I moved to actually use family funds, Hart shouted in panic.
"But supporting immigrants with your personal funds like that will hit a limit fast!"
"It's fine. They're my subjects now that they've come here. If I can support them with my own money, I'll do it as much as needed."
"My lord..."
Hart switched to doting-grandfather mode, eyes welling up.
Then Noah cut in between us with a sweet smile.
"I think I have a solution for that. May I share it?"
"What solution, Treasurer Noah?"
At my words, Noah pointed toward the abandoned coastal land.
"Put the immigrants to work on land reclamation."
"On reclamation?"
Before I knew it, Noah had donned glasses and started explaining.
Where'd those glasses come from?
"Cron Territory is vast, but salty soil limits usable land."
As Noah said, our coastal territory wasn't ideal for farming.
It was like the undeveloped Jiangdong region of Wu in the Three Kingdoms era—we relied heavily on imports, trading salt for food.
"But what if we settle the immigrants there and have them reclaim the land?"
Noah rattled off complex policy details, but the core I grasped was this:
First, lend them land that could be usable but hadn't been reclaimed due to lack of people.
Second, once reclaimed, grant ownership for a period—give them all harvest proceeds minus taxes.
Third, once settled, recover the family's investment at low interest.
"This way, the Cron Family saves on construction costs, the free folk get land, and you save your personal funds, my lord."
Hart nodded approvingly at Noah's words, then looked to me.
"Seems like a solid plan, my lord."
"Y-yeah! Even I think it sounds good."
Honestly, economics wasn't my major, so I didn't get every detail.
But it sounded like those great policies from my past life's news or YouTube.
And so, bluffing understanding, I approved Noah's proposal.
This marked the start of what would become one of my greatest achievements:
Noah's Immigrant Reclamation Policy, which would transform Cron Territory into the south's greatest breadbasket.
"Alright, let's head back then."
"Yes, my lord."
"Hyah!"
I told Hart, Noah, and Rikain—who was guarding me—to head back.
As we turned our horses toward the castle...
"Kyaaah!!!"
"S-save me!!!!"
Screams echoed from the end of the immigrant line.