Chapter 343 – The Future of the Marquisate

The Sirius passed through Gartner County and continued onward toward the Marquisate of Broderick.

While the scenery wasn’t particularly familiar to me, we were traveling along the main road, and Malcolm appeared relaxed as he watched the landscape flowing by on the crystal panel, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

“…My, my. Things certainly have changed. The Countess left quite a different impression compared to before,” Malcolm remarked thoughtfully after taking a sip of tea and catching his breath. He seemed to be in good spirits, perhaps because of what happened with Kathryn.

“She’s been through quite a lot herself.”

“As her brother, I can’t help but wonder if there was more I could have done…” he said with a distant look in his eyes. It seemed he had some regrets about how he’d interacted with Kathryn… but Malcolm had apparently been disliked by the previous Marquis Broderick.

The previous Marquis seemed to have kept Malcolm away from territorial affairs despite his willingness to offer counsel, which was why he had been kept in the capital.

Under those circumstances, Malcolm probably couldn’t have done much for Kathryn, who remained in the territory.

“Though there were many twists and turns, the situation has stabilized now. I believe your feelings as Marquis must be reaching her by this point.”

“I hope so,” Malcolm replied with a slightly troubled smile.

“How have things been with the territory recently?”

“Thanks to the assistance of His Majesty and the Count, we’re making progress. The most critical period for anything is getting it on track, but worthwhile work is always rewarding.”

Hmm. Given the excesses of the previous Marquis and the second son, it probably hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing… but that’s precisely what makes it worthwhile, I suppose. King Melvin seemed to trust Malcolm, and I get the sense he’s handling his duties steadily.

“I owe my ability to work like this to you as well, Ambassador. Recently, my stomach has been better, and thanks to the medicinal incense, both my sleep and waking have been refreshing.”

“Now that you mention it, you do seem to have better color than before.”

“Perhaps so. I’ve been feeling that way myself lately.”

“That’s excellent to hear.”

“I’m also interested in the medicinal incense Theo-kun was making,” Alfred joined the conversation as I was talking with Malcolm.

Somehow… I can’t help but feel that Alfred and Malcolm would get along well, whether in terms of topics or temperament.

“Shall I bring some to your place later, Al?”

“Yes. I’d like to try it once. I use hot springs and magic tools to prevent fatigue buildup, though.”

“Managing one’s health is important. I neglected my own body for far too long.”

“Indeed. Marquis, shall I give you one of my magic tools? I brought one engraved with a Vitality recovery spell formula.”

“Oh? How generous. But wouldn’t you need it yourself, Lord Alfred?”

“I can make more when I return to Termwills, so please don’t hesitate.”

And so they went on, hitting it off in an oddly specific way and getting quite animated.

“Speaking of which… since the Fire Spirit Hot Spring was completed, Father and the Prime Minister seem particularly healthy.”

“Both Verdgar and Silvatoria are stable. That’s good,” Princess Stephania closed her eyes and nodded, while Princess Adriana chimed in.

Like King Melvin, King Eberhart has recovered from Miasma Erosion and can now visit the hot springs in Marquis Zilbolt’s territory for recuperation, so it’s safe to say his health has improved significantly. In any case, having stable political conditions is a good thing.

“In that regard, Theodore has his Magical Power Circulation.”

“I heard Lady Ashley’s health improved with Circulating Ki as well.”

“Yes. Thanks to Lord Theodore,” Ashley smiled at me in response to Old Sigmund and Malcolm’s words.

Eventually, the Sirius arrived at the Marquisate of Broderick. With its history of mining and developed metallurgy, both the outer walls and the townscape were quite impressive.

The mountains towering near the territory—those must be some of the several mines in the Marquisate. In the distance, I could see what looked like worksites with exposed rock faces, as if the mountainsides had been carved away, along with post towns nearby.

While the current financial situation might be tight in some aspects, what was built in the past remains robust. At least regarding the Marquis’s direct domain and its surroundings, viewing from the sky doesn’t give the impression of such difficulties.

This background probably explains why the previous Marquis, proud of his prestigious house, put on appearances for outsiders.

The soldiers standing on the outer walls seemed wide-eyed at the sight of the Sirius, but having received notice, they saluted and saw us off as we passed through.

Looking at the town through the crystal panel at the helm… there seem to be quite a number of Dwarves.

“There are many Dwarves here. I suppose it’s because this is a mining town?” Rosemary said, and Malcolm nodded.

“Although mining production has been declining, leading to some outflow of personnel, the Dwarves are old-fashioned and deeply loyal. They apparently didn’t consider leaving the Marquisate an option.”

“So they stand out relatively, then.”

“Exactly. The fact that the Marquisate has endured until today is thanks to them making effective use of the diminished resources. I’m deeply indebted to the Dwarves. With cooperation from Count Gartner as well… this arrangement is truly beneficial for our territory. It seems we’ll finally be able to repay our debt to the Dwarves.”

“I see…”

So it’s thanks to the Dwarves’ efforts. All the more reason why the previous Marquis’s wastefulness and Norman’s corruption must have been particularly galling from Malcolm’s perspective, but he showed no sign of such inner feelings, instead laughing with a somewhat joking tone.

And with Father having discovered mines in the County as well… the Count’s family and the Marquis’s family each possess the expertise the other needs. Maintaining a cooperative relationship is desirable, and it should also benefit job creation.

Daryl, who will likely become the next head of the Count’s family, has probably been informed of the importance of these matters, and he’s also related by blood to House Broderick. It seems the future will remain stable.

“Regarding mine development, it’s either through migrant work from the Marquisate or cooperation in developing the County’s mines, so the Dwarves seem satisfied with the arrangement.”

“I hope it goes well.”

“Indeed. And that is the seat of House Broderick,” Malcolm said, pointing toward the castle fortress towering at the town’s center. The castle itself was quite practical and impressive.

“By the way, Ambassador, you mentioned you had business at the Temple. The Temple is to the right of the castle—over there.”

I followed the direction Malcolm indicated. The Moon Temple was visible not far from the town center.

When I glanced at Claudia, she nodded back at me. Probably indicating that the scale is sufficient for teleportation purposes.

“Then… I’ll take care of my business immediately upon arrival.”

“Understood. I’ll ensure the Temple is notified properly later, so please leave that to me.”

“Thank you.”

We docked the Sirius at the training grounds near the castle and immediately headed to the Temple by carriage. Lavigne, Ignis, and Alpha were handling the Sirius’s security. Princess Stephania, Princess Adriana, along with Alfred, Old Sigmund, the workshop group, the Demon-Slaying Knight Order, and Caduceus went ahead to the castle with Malcolm as their escort.

From the carriage window along the main street, I could see the state of the Marquisate of Broderick. Marlene smiled as she watched children running through the streets with cheerful expressions.

“You can see smiles on the townspeople’s faces too,” Ashley said happily, narrowing her eyes at Marlene’s demeanor. Yeah. There’s more vitality than I imagined. Though the number of Dwarves does stand out.

“The widely disliked previous Marquis and second son fell from power, and the honest eldest son became Marquis, right? With a steady policy of cooperating with the Count’s family and a lord who seems trustworthy, the citizens must be quite relieved.”

“Lord Henry is beloved by his people as well… I think the people of the Marquisate of Broderick must find it reassuring,” Grace nodded in agreement with Rosemary’s words.

While chatting and observing the town, the carriage arrived at the Temple.

“Shall we take care of this quickly, then?”

I disembarked from the carriage with Claudia. As a Magic Circle glowed at her feet, a wave of light raced along the boundary separating the Temple grounds from the outside.

Well then… This means we’ve established an environment enabling teleportation to the main bases in the north and east. One of this journey’s objectives has been accomplished.