IHBWAT 04

Chapter 4

Hope Written as Misunderstanding

Murmur, murmur.
Whisper, whisper.

“So why exactly did he tell us to gather here?”
“How would I know?”
“Honestly… it would be nice if he at least lowered our taxes….”

Elimis Territory.

Most of the Yusta Peninsula was underdeveloped, but among them, this place was considered the worst.

And yet, the lord of Elimis had been faithfully collecting taxes every year.

‘They say someone new has become lord…’

Please, let him not be a greedy man.

That was the only thing the gathered territory people prayed for.

Thus, the villagers around the lord’s residence all assembled.

“Wow, there are a lot of people.”

Cliff, the one who had ordered them to gather, said this as he looked over the teeming crowd.

Three hundred residents.

And just over ten soldiers controlling them.

Naturally, even the soldiers’ equipment was pathetic. That was a rather disappointing point.

With men like these, it would be hard to display a lord’s authority.

‘If I’d known, I should’ve prepared a little more. Well, a phoenix in place of a chicken—there are other ways.’

Cliff’s eyes sparkled.

Then he extended his hand to the side.

“Shall we go, Lady?”

“R-really… I’m going too?”

Priscilla’s eyes widened.

As far as she knew, politics was men’s work. Standing before the people was the same.

Showing herself before unrelated men was not what a noble lady did.

That was what she had learned from Nigel.

“Of course. Your place is beside me.”

Cliff, as always, showed a view completely different from her common sense.

At his confirmation, Priscilla placed her hand on his outstretched one.

Holding a man’s hand like this was unfamiliar to her as well.

‘It’s big. And warm.’

That was her impression.

Cliff, too, after actually taking her hand, wore a peculiar expression.

‘It’s softer than I expected.’

So that was how soft a woman’s hand was.

It wasn’t the first time he had held her hand, but this moment still felt awkward and ticklish.

An unfamiliar but pleasant sensation.

Cliff began walking with her.

“Hm?”

The people who had been murmuring gradually grew quieter.

All eyes turned toward Cliff and Priscilla, the couple.

‘That’s more like it.’

Cliff wore a satisfied expression.

Today he had deliberately dressed in the flashiest clothes he owned.

Naturally, he stood out.

Priscilla was also dressed in the most beautiful outfit she had.

Even if she had not, Priscilla herself shone.

‘Well, the doll princess is always pretty.’

So today, he decided to use her looks too.

A trophy that made him shine.

To anyone looking, he was clearly different from them. A flashy, successful noble.

Gulp.

The people looked at him with a mix of emotions.

Everything was as expected.

As thought, in this age one had to be appropriately flashy.

There was no need to hesitate about playing the good lord and showing himself off. In any case, commoners could not truly envy nobles.

We can’t afford to live, but that guy is living off the taxes he extorted from us? That kind of thinking was something only people who had enough to survive could have.

‘Even aside from that, people in this world are basically innocent.’

If this had been Earth, people would have been far more twisted.

With that, Cliff led Priscilla up onto the prepared platform.

“Ladies and gentlemen.”

He opened his mouth.

He had always wanted to say that line once.

In full, it would be “ladies and gentlemen.”

“I have an important announcement for you.”

He resisted the urge to launch into a school principal’s speech.

“My name is Cliff. I am a direct descendant of the noble Adrun ducal house, among the foremost noble families in the kingdom, and as Priscilla’s husband, I am the man who will rule this territory.”

A self-introduction.

It was filled with pride.

“The Adrun House, where I was born and raised, has ruled vast and prosperous territory and, for generations, has played a leading role in the kingdom’s politics. All the nobles in the kingdom look up to us and long to even catch a glimpse of the main house. Our estate is full of knights and warhorses, and the warehouses are piled high with grain and gold coins.”

He was boasting about his family.

I am a person from such an amazing family.

Naturally, would it not be embarrassing both to say it and to hear it?

But Cliff thought that this was how a politician should be.

‘A politician has to be shameless.’

In politics, agitation was essential.

And to agitate people, one had to have a certain amount of shamelessness.

What did it matter if his family was great?

He was telling only the truth, but none of it was actually his own. Still, who cared? The people here knew nothing of such details anyway.

So he could say things like this.

“As a descendant of the great Adrun noble house, and as the son of the kingdom’s prime minister, I have come here. And I am very pleased to have come.”

He did not tell them the truth that he had been cast out.

He did not tell them that his relationship with the chancellor was not that of a father and son, but of a bastard who could never be recognized as such.

Seventy percent truth, thirty percent fabrication.

Hiding a few falsehoods inside several truths is basic political etiquette. Up to now, I have not told a single lie.

“It is because I have obtained such a beautiful girl as my wife.”

And this part was sincerely satisfying.

“Since I am happy and content to have her as my wife and your future master, you too should share in your lord’s joy. My marriage is a blessing from all spirits and gods….”

The self-praise continued endlessly.

And then came the main point.

“In honor of this day, I will exempt this year’s harvest taxes.”

Cliff declared that there would be no tax.

The commoners’ expressions changed the moment they heard it.

Cliff continued again.

“And that is not all. Some of you may have seen the knights who escorted me here. Why do you think they returned? Because I, the son of the kingdom’s chancellor, have become the master of this territory. Do you think the kingdom will continue to ignore us as it always has?”

At Cliff’s words, the people’s expressions changed again.

When he first promised tax exemption, they felt relief that they had survived. And with his continued words came hope…

A powerful external backer!

And perhaps support from the kingdom itself.

That misunderstanding—yes, it was a misunderstanding.

‘But this territory needs exactly that.’

Hope written as misunderstanding.

Cliff looked around at everyone with a smile.

“I promise you this. While I rule, this territory will change.”

He wanted to give them hope.

No, he had to.

Since they were people who had been living in despair, this was a necessary step if he wanted to use them.

At Cliff’s promise, they too began to feel hope.

‘Support promised by a high noble of the kingdom…’

‘If only this year’s taxes disappear…’

They welcomed it.

Cliff frowned.

“Rejoice. You may express your joy. Cheer and celebrate. Swear your loyalty to me. Pay homage to your new lord’s inauguration and congratulate him on having obtained the most beautiful girl as his wife.”

“Waaaaah!”

“Long live the new lord!”

“Long live the lady of the manor!”

We survived!

That kind of emotion spread everywhere.

Some even burst into 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 was rising terrifyingly fast.

And then, at some point…

• Loyalty of 100 or more commoners (100/100)

All the numbers were filled.

Cliff’s lips curled upward.

‘It worked!’

The result of his creepy performance was finally here.

He had nearly melted from his own syrupy butter-like lines.

Still, he did not dislike it entirely.

At some point, he too had become excited along with them and had started pouring out such words.

“Return to your daily lives. Soon I will call you again. I will see whether you are loyal to me, and I will reward those who prove their loyalty!”

Waaaaah!

“Loyalty to the lord!”

That level of audience response was enough.

Cliff held Priscilla’s hand and stepped down from the platform.

Priscilla was looking at him with curious eyes.

She too seemed a little flushed.

“How was it?”

“…It was wonderful.”

A compliment from the most beautiful princess that he was wonderful.

It was a sweeter reward than any other.

But that was not the only rewarding part.

‘The real reward is the status window.’

He felt good.

Everything had gone exactly as planned.

Ah, but someone who had only seen this much might wonder what would happen when the lie was exposed later.

To that, Cliff would say:

‘It’s fine if I don’t get caught. As long as I don’t get caught.’

He was confident.

He would not be caught.

From the start, this performance had not been a spur-of-the-moment plan made just for the quest.

He had thought of it long ago.

And prepared for it too.

‘Going there, I’ll take care of your escort and travel expenses.’

When the Duke had said that.

‘That aside, let’s take care of the other reward first.’

He was too curious whether he had really obtained the famous status window from his previous life.

• Territory Status Window obtained.

• Lord Status Window obtained.

He had already confirmed that the reward message was given.

Back in the manor, leaning against the chair in his office, Cliff closed his eyes.

“…Status window.”

The moment he closed his eyes and cut off his visual field, he saw it.

In the pitch-black darkness, three windows appeared on both sides.

The perfect system he had only ever imagined.

‘It’s the real status window!’