Chapter 90 – Good news and Shamia’s report

During the day, discussions revolved around internal affairs, military preparations and long-term plans. Those who showed competence were actively given positions to work.

In the evenings, they devoted themselves to making children with their wives. It was during such a life that had continued for several months.

“Oh… Is it true?”

“Yeah.”

“Hehe… Actually, it’s been a while since I’ve had my monthly visitor.”

Rina and Mayo, both were found to be pregnant, almost simultaneously.

“Oh…! H-How wonderful…! R-Right…! We need to prepare the room and furniture for the child…! Oh, clothes! Clothes too! And then, a tutor…”

“W-Wait a minute, Vyril!?”

“Well… it’s still early. The children will grow within us for the next few months.”

Both of them gave me a slightly exasperated look. It seems I’m the only one getting carried away.

“Vilgard-sama…! Congratulations.”

“So Vyril finally has a child too…time flies by so quickly…”

Rhoban and Master also seemed pleased.

Rhoban is Rina’s father and the Master has had a relationship with me since before my mother got married. Both of them must be deeply moved.

“Your Highness. I will proceed with the preparations for your ladies’ chambers.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Almana, who usually takes care of my schedule as my secretary, took on the meticulous arrangements. It’s very much appreciated.

I also arranged for a dedicated physician to closely monitor the two women’s health. It will still be a while before the children are born but I can’t help but look forward to that day.

“Increase the number of attendants for both of them. Make sure not to overwork them. And also, starting today, their meals…”

“My Lord…”

“Vyril. You’re being a bit overprotective.”

“Hahaha. Vilgard-sama seems to be bewildered by his first child.”

I also arranged for comfortable clothes for them as their bellies grew bigger. Finally, I have children too…!

‘But Mayo’s child will become the next emperor. Now that she’s carrying my child, I must reclaim the empire as soon as possible…!’

Concerned about the health of the two women, I left the room and continued the conversation with Rhoban while walking down the hallway.

“How about the empire?”

“Yes. As instructed, we have planted several seeds. It will still be a while before we receive reports including the current situation.”

“I see… Well, it can’t be helped. The distance is quite significant…”

There’s a lot to be done in this deadlock. Gathering information from various sources and engaging in covert activities is one of them.

I had sent several spies into the empire, moving them southward from the grasslands.

To reach the empire, there were two routes. Crossing the imperial territory or heading south through the grasslands. And if one were to infiltrate spies, the grassland route was more appropriate.

The empire must have noticed this route itself, especially after Mayo’s survival.

However, it was not a route where they could send in troops, nor could they afford to be on high alert for invaders from the grasslands with a large army.

There were concerns about the condition of the bridges, but the spies…the Utt tribe seemed to have infiltrated successfully.

“Your Majesty!”

Kud is coming towards me from the front. Seems like he has some report.

“Shamia has returned!”

“…!”

Shamia, who had been searching the west for a long time, has returned…! This information was also eagerly awaited.

I immediately instructed Shamia to come to the conference room. We were just about to hold a military council.

“This is perfect timing. The key members are all here now. It will save us the trouble of relaying Shamia’s information again.”

“Yes. Let us also head there.”

■

The main members had gathered in the conference room. At the centre was Shamia, who had returned from the western part of the empire.

“Shamia, your long undercover work must have been tough.”

“It was awesome! The missions were so exciting!”

“I’m sorry to ask right after your return, but I’d like to hear your report immediately.”

Shamia, who had been conducting solo undercover investigations, detailed what she had observed in the west.

“So, various regions in the western part are ruled by families…?”

“Yeah. There’s the Leopard family, the Lyle family, and so on.”

As I had heard from my master before, the western region attracts criminals and bandits from all over the continent. Naturally, there are many hot-tempered individuals.

However, these individuals seem to belong to groups called 『families』, each led by a specific person.

“For example, in the Leopard family, the leader is a person named Leopard. The members of that family are like his obedient subordinates.”

The western region is not ruled by nobles but rather managed by these families, each with its own territory. However, there are also many conflicts between these families.

“There are territorial disputes. Families that are crushed might surrender to the enemy, have their assets seized, or even be killed.”

“It’s dangerous…But isn’t that just internal strife from Caesarck’s perspective?”

Although it might be in a formal sense, the mercenary warlord Seazack is supposed to be the one overseeing the western region. At least, that’s my understanding.

From Seazack’s perspective, wouldn’t it seem like his comrades are killing each other in struggles for power?

“As a matter of fact, Seazack himself acknowledges the conflicts between the families.”

“… Is that even possible?”

“Yeah. Seazack plays around with the criminals who gather every day in various ways.”

It seems that as the conflicts between families escalate, stronger families emerge.

For example, if you crush a neighbouring family, you can take control of their territory, personnel and assets. By repeating this process, you can quickly gather powerful manpower and assets, further strengthening your family.

“But if you grow too big, you might lose territories that are too far for you to control to emerging families. So, it seems difficult to keep growing smoothly. Right now, there are two particularly strong families, while the rest are competing against each other… That’s the gist of it, I guess?”

And apparently, Seazack holds regular 『events』.”

There are several types of events, and those who achieve outstanding results among the participants receive appropriate rewards.

“What kind of events are there specifically?”

“Well, I haven’t grasped all of them, but for example, they make a group with a few people from each family. Then, they send that group to raid other territories or to abduct nobles while hiding for a while… Depending on the results, Seazack rewards the particularly outstanding families or individuals with women or wealth.”

“…………….”

The atmosphere in the conference room became tense.

Not only were the people from the grasslands present, but also many nobles from the northern empire. These individuals also displayed discomfort on their faces.

“All the women are ranked. They’re evaluated based on their appearance and figure, and high-ranking women are treated as rewards. There were even places where they engaged in activities openly during the day. It was like the epitome of lawlessness.”

Moreover, women in the high-ranking tiers mostly resembled nobles.

Apparently, many children had been born in the past ten years and these children had already been ranked and gathered in one place.

“I can’t believe… they do that to children…”

“Well, I didn’t witness scenes like that myself. But the low-ranking children are sent to…well, facilities resembling brothels, to work there.”

It’s worse than I imagined…Elfilia was fortunate to have escaped.

If the Diltac soldiers hadn’t rescued her, she would have lived a miserable life.

“Every day, it’s like a territory where killings are happening somewhere. But there are some ironclad rules that cross between families.”

“Ironclad rules…?”

“Yeah. First, if an external enemy comes, they stop the conflicts and unite to repel them. And absolute obedience to Seazack’s orders.”

The Brenark Kingdom still occasionally sends troops for reconnaissance. It’s merely reconnaissance, as there hasn’t been a full-scale invasion for several years.

However, when such occasions arise, Seazack holds emergency events.

They can do whatever they want with captured soldiers and acquired weapons. It’s a jackpot if they capture a noble with a mark. That’s the level of intensity.

“…This is insane.”

“Yeah. But in reality, many families have quite a few skilled individuals.”

Considering that hot-headed criminals from all over the continent are gathering, it’s no wonder.

Currently, the head of the largest family in the western region used to be a knight commander in some countries. He’s strong with the power of the mark and his command is precise and formidable.

“Doesn’t Seazack himself have his own family?”

“Well… Seazack doesn’t have one.”

“What? Then what’s Seazack’s position? Isn’t he the one organising the events?”

He undoubtedly holds the most significant influence. I had assumed he had a family centred around a mercenary group…

“Seazack and his entourage have absolute authority over the families. And what makes that possible… is simply Seazack’s overwhelming force.”