The Chronicles of a Lost Man in His Forties Founding a Nation ~Commonsense is Hindering Me From Becoming TUEE~ Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Starting with Wei

The morning of the next day, we began the actual work of moving in.

First was cleaning the interior of the castle from corner to corner, and mending all the damaged areas. After that was placing all the furniture, household goods, everyday necessities, and foodstuffs in their respective locations.

The figure of Irudo rapidly delegating tasks and roles to the servants, adventurers, trainee boys, and even the dark elves fully earned my admiration.

Last time during the Shadow Demon subjugation operation, the Carbanera knights only stayed here, so there wasn’t much damage. Zek’s skill as a carpenter was also better than I had expected, so the repairing went along smoothly.

The cleaning squad was commanded by Mora. She, with the dark elf sisters who kept on calling her ‘Ojou-sama’ and a few of the trainees, polished the castle up until it was positively gleaming.

Sedam and the other adventurers also played a very active role, being called on for anything ranging from heavy lifting to detailed tasks like mending curtains.

I turn my back on the courtyard from where the lively sounds of teamwork is resonating. Claura and I both let out a groan from the respective sides of the table at which we are seated at.

“For now, can we just put all the children together in the largest room?” (Claura)

“There are 10 of them at the moment. Since 7 of them will eventually be going to the Order, we can let them stay together until then.” (Gio)

“Since Sam and Anna are a couple, we can put them together into one servant room. Then how about Mora and Fijika together in the next room?” (Claura)

“Good idea.” (Gio)

On top of the table is a rough sketch of Jiiteias Castle that Sedam had drawn for us. And right now, Claura and I are discussing the room distribution.

Or so I say, but the large majority of what’s going on here is Claura giving out her opinions and me nodding to them, so maybe it’s only Claura who’s actually working here.

“This room for attendants just happens to be for 5 people, which makes it appropriate to a.s.sign to the dark elves.”

“There’s no need, Okugata-sama. We have no need of a room.”

“ “............” ”

(T/N: Okugata means ‘wife of a n.o.bleman.’ I can’t just use ‘my Lady’ because that’s how ojou is also to be translated, but the latter carries the connotation of being an unmarried, younger lady of the family. To keep the distinction, both will be transliterated only.)

Once again, this needs not be said, but Leiha is currently positioned beside me.

I was under the impression that I had already resolved the misunderstanding that Claura is my wife, but for some reason Leiha’s method of addressing hasn’t changed.

However, it seems that Claura’s already given up trying to correct them, so I’m just treating it as the dark elves’ own unique t.i.tle, just like the way they call Mora ‘Ojou-sama.’

Rather, what gave us pause was how low the dark elves’ view of themselves are…… to be frank, it’s to the point of being demeaning.

Even though everyone has already gotten used to the dark elves these past few days, they themselves have still yet to drop the att.i.tude and behavior of a slave.

“Ah…&hel

lip; Leiha……”

“Leiha.n.a.luka-san? If you truly intend to call yourselves this person’s attendant — his s.h.i.+ — then you must not do things that would tarnish your Lord’s authority.”

Before I manage to find what words to say, Claura speaks up with the tone of educating a child.

“Wh-, what do you mean by that……”

“‘The wizard Margils is incapable of even giving his attendants a proper livelihood’…… what would you do if someone scorning him says something like that?”

“......!? Tha-, that’s……”

“‘By looking at the subordinates, one can know the master. And by looking at the master, one can know the standard of the subordinates.’ That maxim is common sense in the world of n.o.bility. If you are truly proud of following this person, then proudly accept the treatment befitting of your station.”

“Okugata-sama……”

Ohhh, as expected of the daughter of a Count. What an impressive logical exposition. It’s a way of thinking that I, who had been taught since young that everyone is equal, would never have arrived at.

“Guh?!”

As I am gazing at Leiha, who is looking downwards with hand pressed to mouth in amazement, I got a kick under the table, right in my s.h.i.+n.

Of course, it was in a position that Leiha couldn’t see.

“......! ……!!”

Claura seems to be urging something from me while indicating Leiha with her eyes.

…… This is……

“Ye-, yea, she’s right. Leiha. From here on, I am going to need you dark elves to play a very active role. With that in mind, can I also also trouble you all to accept this treatment that befits such a role? After all, there might be other talented people who would come wanting to follow me due to seeing how I treat you all.”

I think I was able to put to words something appropriate with the idiom “starting with Wei” in mind (though I think the current generation has a slightly different interpretation). After all, it is true that I want to treat them well.

(C/N: Finally get to explain this chapter’s t.i.tle. It is a j.a.panese idiom derived from a cla.s.sical story from the Chinese Warring States period. King Zhao of Yan asked Guo Wei how he can attract wise men to join his court, to which Guo Wei replied, “First treat mediocre people like your subject here with favor. Then wise men will gather on their own accord.”)

“My Lord…… Okugata-sama…… I shall accept, though this is too great an honor for this self……!”

Even though we were just talking about not lowering yourself so much…… oh well, I guess we can take it one step at a time.

♥♦♣♠

With this and that, the room distribution was finally finished.

The following was written onto the rough map of the castle.

Main Tower

3rd Floor: Margils

Residential Hall

Room for knights: Sedam / Claura / Irudo

Small room for attendants (x2): the 5 dark elves /

Torad & Ted & Jilk & Zek

Room for servants: Sam & Anna / Fijika & Mora

Large room for soldiers: all 10 of the former magic soldier trainees

To be honest, I wanted to give everybody their own room, but of course I wasn’t unreasonable enough to press for it.

Thankfully, there were no particular complaints.

♥♦♣♠

“Fuoo……”

After the afternoon work and dinner, I was relaxing in the bath.

This world also has the custom of using baths (though not to the degree of using it everyday like in modern j.a.pan), so there was already a bathtub in Jiiteias Castle. However, there’s no gas heater nor water service, so the tub has to be filled with hot water every single time.

I meant to prepare it myself, as it’s just a personal enjoyment, but……

“Gio-san, is the hot water enough?”

“Ye-, yea, it’s perfect.”

I got found out by Mora when I was carrying the bathtub, who then wrested all the preparatory work away from me.

All 5 dark elf sisters made a bucket relay carrying hot water up, so the bath really is hot and feels absolutely great, but……

“Having girls do heavy labor for the sake of my own bath…… I think it might be better if I just used a spell or two……”

“This isn’t heavy labor at all~ From now on, Gio-san is officially my Go-, Goshujin-sama after all. Please allow us to be of more use to you!”

(T/N: Fun fact. Just like danna, goshujin can mean either ‘master’ or ‘husband.’)

“Muu……”

I just realized that this is the flip side of what Claura said earlier.

Since they truly want to work for me, then I should gladly accept their feelings.

“...... By the way, I want to get out now though.”

“Understood! I’ll wipe you down then!”

Un. Sorry, but that I can’t accept.

♥♦♣♠

“Margils-sama, please take a look at this.”

The next morning, Irudo and Sedam showed me a sheet of paper, On it was a point form list of the things that I need to do.

Here they are, all 4 of them:

Repairing the road to the castle

Procuring soldiers to guard the castle and road

Taking control over the villages in the domain

Procuring a steady source of funds

“First of all, you’ve got it make it possible for people to get in and out of the castle even without the help of your wizardry.”

Sedam began his explanation. It’s true that only having the shortcut is inconvenient, and it was me who destroyed the mountain road in the first place.

“Next, and I’ve already mentioned it last night, but you need soldiers. When you’re here, we have almost nothing to fear when it comes to fighting, but the responsibility to maintain public order on the mountain road and the nearby territory has now fallen on you. You can’t very well wander here and there and everywhere everyday, right?”

“We would need at least 30 soldiers at our current state.”

Maintaining public order, huh. I think I remember the Carbanera Grand Cross mentioning something to that effect when he ceded the castle to me. To be honest, I’m a bit reluctant to hire 30 more people on top of our current number, but…… I guess I’ve got to learn to stop reacting so much to ‘merely’ 30 people, huh.

“...... That’s fine, then. But ‘villages in the domain’? What’s that? I thought there’s only Yuule Village around here.”

“Oi oi, the Knight Order guys said that there are 3 villages of hunters and lumberjacks inside the forest, didn’t they?”

“...... Did they? And this ‘domain’ thing…… does that mean that those villages are part of our domain?”

“Please say ‘my,’ not ‘our.’ But yes, they are. You can collect taxes and labor from them, but on the other side, you also have the duty to give them protection.”

“Wait, wait, wait. The Knight Order only gave me this castle, you know. There was no mention of any villages……”

A cold sweat accompanied my contention, but Sedam and Irudo merely looked at each other. What is with those puzzled faces.

“Margils-sama, castles are built for the purpose of defending land. So it naturally follows that the area around the castle would also belong to the lord of the castle.”

“Didn’t Lelis already proclaim that they’ve ceded ‘all territorial rights of Jiiteias Castle and its environs’ to you? So there’s no problem at all.”

“More like, that in itself is a problem……”

Mu mu……

I feel like I can no longer just say “I don’t really want the territorial rights~” by this point in time.

The amount of responsibility seems to have gotten a ton heavier all of a sudden……

“My Lord!”

Though it needs not be said, Leiha is stationed beside me. It is extremely rare for her to proactively join a conversation not related to her.

“What is it, Leiha?”

“Please pardon my forwardness. However, it is this one’s humble opinion that every single person blessed with the privilege of living inside the domain of the Great Wizard whose greatness can be hidden by neither heaven nor earth would feel naught but sheer delight for the fact.”

“......”

I think that Leiha speaking out her opinion like this is her way of processing what she was told yesterday.

…… Saying all that about me, is she trying to imply that I should also stop lowering myself?

More like, isn’t this “the person who said it should do it first,” the modern interpretation of “starting with Wei”?

“Oh alright. Then in the near future, I’ll give each of those villages a visit, tell them that they can be relieved about having a new feudal lord.”

At that moment, I did not yet realize it.

Actually, no, maybe I was just trying to not see it.

The fact that it was the first step towards the task of ‘founding a nation.