Episode 2: Territory Inspection

“Well then…”

After sending Fine back to the countryside, I moved from my private chambers to the study. This room, too, was as lavish as my own, no less extravagant. A massive desk, probably worth tens of millions of yen if converted to Japanese currency, and a chair inlaid with gemstones. The portraits of past family heads hanging on the walls were framed in gold.

“Since I’ve become the villain, I should act the part and revel in it… but where to begin?”

I’m not exactly an expert on this world… Bazerant Continental Chronicles. I played the game once and made it to the end, but my knowledge of the details is spotty at best.

“In that case, should I start by getting a grasp of the current situation…?”

As I mulled this over, a knock came at the study door.

“Enter.”

“Pardon the intrusion.”

The figure who appeared was an elderly man dressed in butler attire. His hair was entirely white, but his posture was ramrod straight, his movements precise and proper. If I recall correctly, this old gentleman is—

“Evan, isn’t it?”

Evan Easton. The butler who serves the Kreving earldom… in other words, this household.

“What’s the matter?”

“Yes, sir… I’ve come to inquire about your thoughts regarding an inspection of the territory, Lord Siegfried.”

“An inspection of the territory, huh…”

“Indeed. It has been two months since you inherited the headship of the family from the previous lord. I thought it might be time to conduct a tour of the lands…”

“Hmm.”

I called up Siegfried’s memories.

According to my recollections… about two months ago, the former head of the Kreving earldom, Zigrat von Kreving, died suddenly of a heart attack. Zigrat’s wife had already passed, and I was his only child. Naturally, I inherited the position of family head… or so it seems.

I see. It’s only been two months since I became the head of the earldom.

“You’re right. I’ve already completed the formalities of greeting the royal family regarding the succession. It’s about time I set out to inspect the territory. Make the arrangements at once, Evan.”

“Uh… a-are you certain, my lord?”

For some reason, Evan looked surprised.

“Why the shock? You’re the one who suggested the inspection.”

“N-no, my apologies… It’s just that…”

“Don’t beat around the bush. Spit it out.”

“Yes…! I had assumed, my lord, that you would refuse the inspection.”

“Oh…?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“I see. So you thought the foolish new head, who’s always been frittering away his time with play, would never bother with something as tedious as a territory inspection.”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant…!”

It seems I hit the nail on the head, as Evan lowered his face apologetically. Well, it’s not unreasonable for him to think that.

In truth, before I regained my past-life memories, Siegfried—me—was the epitome of a useless noble, neglecting his duties to indulge in frivolities while harboring an inflated sense of pride. No… that’s not quite right. Even now, with my past-life memories restored, I haven’t changed much. Because…

“Evan, you’re correct.”

“Pardon…?”

“I am, without a doubt, a foolish lord who wastes his time on pleasures. And that hasn’t changed. The only difference is… I’ve just remembered a far more entertaining game than before.”

“A more entertaining game… than before?”

Wine, women, gambling… this world is filled with plenty of alluring pastimes. But having regained my past-life memories, I know of something far, far more interesting than any of those.

“Listen, Evan. I’m planning to conquer this continent—nay, this entire world.”

“Wha…?”

Evan stood there, dumbfounded, clearly struggling to process what I’d just said. And who could blame him? The Bazerant continent encompasses most of this world’s landmass, yet it’s divided among numerous nations. I’m merely one noble among many. There are likely hundreds of others with status equal to or greater than mine across the world.

Even the king of a great nation would find world conquest nearly impossible. For a mere regional noble to entertain such ambitions is nothing short of madness.

Of course, my true goal is to become the ideal villain. World conquest is just a convenient way to express that ambition.

“L-Lord Siegfried, even as a jest, such words are best left unsaid…”

“Oh? You think I’m joking?”

“I-Is it not…?”

“Heh… Who’s to say? Let’s get back to the matter at hand. I’ll begin the territory inspection soon. You’ll accompany me, so prepare accordingly, Evan.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

◇

Three days after declaring the start of the inspection, I was riding in a carriage with Evan, the butler, as we traveled through the territory.

“Now, I shall provide an overview of the Markt region, which we are about to inspect.”

Evan began reading from his documents.

“The Markt region is located in the western part of our territory. It is home to about four scattered farming villages. The region is governed by a magistrate named Gessler Ges. Gessler’s magistrate residence is located down a side road from this highway, through one of the villages.”

“What about tax revenue in recent years?”

“Tax revenue has been increasing year by year.”

“Which means agricultural productivity has been rising as well.”

“Yes. The annual reports submitted by Gessler to the Kreving family state as much.”

“Heh… Written in the reports, huh…”

I muttered to myself, gazing out at the scenery through the window. We were already in the Markt region. The surrounding area was a granary, with wheat stalks swaying in the breeze.

It’s early summer now. If I recall, wheat is harvested in the summer, so it should be about time for the reaping. Yet, despite that, the villages seemed to lack vitality. The villagers I occasionally spotted along the highway had no trace of smiles on their faces.

“Well then… it’s about time.”

I snapped my fingers inside the carriage. In an instant, my aristocratic attire transformed into a crude shirt and trousers made of hemp, with a burlap sack slung over my shoulder—a typical peasant’s outfit.

“L-Lord Siegfried… w-what are you doing…?”

“I used magic. A spell to swap my current clothes with a set I had prepared.”

“S-Such magic… when did you…?”

Mastering clothing-swap magic requires a certain level of talent. But for someone like me, gifted in the magical arts, acquiring it wasn’t particularly difficult.

“A-And why are you dressed like that…?”

“Preparation for the inspection. This outfit will make it easier to gather information. Alright, stop the carriage here.”

I ordered the coachman and opened the carriage door.

“I’m off to inspect.”

“L-Lord Siegfried! Please, wait!”

“Evan, wait here for about three hours, then head to Gessler’s magistrate residence.”

“B-But…”

“That’s an order.”

“U-Understood…!”

Leaving Evan and the carriage behind, I began walking toward Gessler’s magistrate residence.

 

◇

 

“This village is in quite a sorry state.”

The village leading to Gessler’s residence was noticeably dilapidated. Houses with crumbling walls dotted the area, and the roads were uneven and poorly maintained. Most of the villagers were likely out working in the fields, as the village itself was eerily quiet. Amid this stillness, I encountered a young girl walking unsteadily through the village. She looked no older than ten, with flaxen hair grown long, and an air of sharp intelligence about her.

“You there. What’s your name? And what are you doing here?”

I called out to the girl.

“I’m Sarah. Um, I was hungry, so I went to the forest to pick some berries. But I couldn’t find any… Hey, who’re you, mister?”

Sarah tilted her head, peering up at my face.

“I’ve never seen you before. You’re not from this village, are you?”

“Correct. I came here because there’s something I want to know.”

“Something you want to know?”

“Yes. How’s life in this village? Do you have enough food?”

“Food?”

“I’m asking if you have enough to eat.”

“…No.”

Sarah shook her head.

“Me, my dad, and my mom… we’re always hungry.”

“Why’s that? I heard the wheat yield around here is good.”

“I don’t know. But my dad says even though we grow wheat, something called ‘land tax’ keeps going up every year, and the magistrate takes it all, so we barely have anything left.”

Land tax—essentially, the tax imposed on farmland. I see. So the trick behind the rising tax revenue is the increasing land tax.

“And the magistrate’s residence is straight down this road, correct?”

“Yup.”

“Got it.”

Alright, I’ve gathered the information I needed. Time to head to the magistrate’s residence… I started to step forward but paused. Turning back, I reached into the burlap sack slung over my shoulder and pulled out a biscuit wrapped in paper. It was part of the portable food I’d prepared for myself.

“You said you were hungry. Eat this.”

“Can I really?”

Sarah’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the biscuit.

“No.”

“…?”

“It’s not ‘can you.’ You must eat it.”

“Um… what do you mean?”

The girl looked up at me, bewildered.

“I am the lord of this land… the ruler. And you, who are ruled by me, have a duty to live healthily.”

“A… duty?”

“Exactly. If you, my subjects, are healthy, the productivity of my territory increases. And that, in turn, strengthens me as its lord—”

“???”

The girl’s expression shifted from ‘bewildered’ to ‘utterly baffled.’ Perhaps it was too complicated for her.

“In any case, stay healthy. For my sake.”

I handed the biscuit to the girl and began walking toward the magistrate’s residence.

“Of course, I don’t intend to stop at a mere biscuit. Soon, I’ll make sure you can eat your fill.”

And—live a healthy life, and work diligently. All to increase the power of this villainous lord, me.