Raising the Grand Duke of the North as a Farmer Behind Dad’s Back - Chapter 27

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 27
The count continued speaking in a pitiful voice.
“I’m terribly sorry to bring this up, but you know the damage Your Highness caused to my lands.”
Damage?!
“Count. That’s overstepping.”
Just then, Camilla’s voice cut through.
“The destruction of farmland and homes in the count’s territory was unavoidable. Monsters appeared, after all.”
…….
“If His Highness hadn’t subjugated the monsters in the first place, the damage to the domain would have been far more…….”
“Now see here! How dare you butt into your betters’ conversation!”
Count Redermic bellowed roughly. Bang! He even struck the table.
“A street rat with no breeding, and you dare show it like this!”
A street rat with no breeding.
‘So this is what Count Redermic truly thinks of the Grand Duke.’
Just look at him now.
Shouting at the Grand Duke’s adjutant in front of him was, frankly, absurd.
But Basil was little better than a commoner—a mercenary by birth.
No matter how many great deeds he’d accomplished, his standing was exactly the sort nobles loved to look down upon. Of course, his martial prowess and dark reputation kept them from acting on it immediately.
“Your Highness, wasn’t this matter already judged years ago? And I’m different from the others, am I not? Until now, I’ve held my peace out of consideration for your circumstances.”
Count Redermic affected an air of dignity as he spoke.
“But our situation has become urgent. This year, I’ve decided to focus more on agriculture, you see—I’ve expanded my farmland.”
My eyes went wide.
The Eastern Region.
The new farmland.
‘So the farmland Luden was trying to borrow was Count Redermic’s after all.’
Luden probably didn’t know that Count Redermic was among the nobles requesting damage compensation. Since he hadn’t made payment demands until now.
‘Wow, I really dodged that mess!’
Count Redermic’s farmland was…….
Which meant the Eastern Region farmland this year…….
“So hand over the money?”
Then a quiet voice flowed forth.
“Ha ha. As it happens, the Northern Region has opened new commercial routes, hasn’t it? From what I can see…… it looks like you’ll have a harvest by autumn, so let’s wait until then.”
…….
“……Well, I suppose we can’t be sure if the first planting will yield a proper harvest. Ha ha ha! I’m only joking!”
I stood up at that point.
I’d sensed Camilla approaching the door.
I walked down the corridor, tap-tap-tap, turning thoughts over in my head.
‘I wondered where all the war compensation from slaying the Light Dragon went.’
It went to damage payments.
‘Ugh.’
A memory from my past life surfaced.
Information I’d read somewhere in a news sheet.
Right after becoming Grand Duke, Basil was flooded with damage compensation claims.
They arrived from lords of the territories where he’d campaigned as a mercenary—demands that he compensate for the losses his monster subjugation had inflicted on their lands.
‘How absurd……! They called upon him as Grand Duke precisely because the situation was so urgent…….’
Holy Knights use Holy Barriers to minimize damage to farmland and homes during combat. But that much caution comes at the cost of slower response times.
Basil was fast, and he was strong. He probably fought with all his might.
And yet what came back was a bill for damage compensation.
But the Emperor sided with the lords, and Basil took on an astronomical debt.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine how bewildered he must have felt.
‘This is really…… too much.’
Perhaps the reason he’d remained secluded in the Northern Region all this time was because of his disillusionment with the world.
“Argh!”
Now I was getting angry too.
What was I going to do about this?
‘If I’m not careful, I’ll end up giving the count the entire autumn harvest.’
Of course I wasn’t about to let that happen!
I left the manor.
My mind spinning, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. Then—smack!
“Oof!”
I collided with someone.
“Oof!”
Thud!
My backside throbbed, but I scrambled to my feet without thinking.
“Oh, I’m so sorry……! Are you all——”
“Owwwww, it huuuurts!”
Looking closer, I realized it was that boy—Lister, was it? I quickly thrust out my hand.
“Sorry! Are you okay?”
“You…… what are you doing!”
He slapped my hand away and jumped up, his face twisted in fury. Then he looked down at his clothes and began to wail.
“You idiot! You got dirt all over me!! Do you have any idea how much this costs!”
The fabric was unmistakably expensive—though not quite as fine as what I’d worn in my past life.
“Dust brushes off easily enough…… fabric like this especially. Let me help——”
“Don’t touch it!”
Smack!
“Ow.”
I rubbed my reddened knuckles.
Lister was ten years old, a full head taller than me. The boy glowered down at me, breathing hard.
“But…… why were you in there? You’re not a thief, are you?”
“No, I——”
“You are a thief! Commoner brats are always trying to steal from noble houses! What did you take? Hand it over!”
My head spun at this baseless accusation.
“No, I——”
“This is the Grand Duke’s warehouse! What did you steal!”
“It’s my home?”
It was the house I lived in too, for heaven’s sake!
‘Unbelievable.’
I clenched my fists and spoke with forced calm.
“I didn’t steal anything. And I’m sorry we collided. If you’re not hurt, would you please move? I’m in a hurry.”
“In a hurry? You dare glare at a noble like that!”
How on earth was Redermic raising his son?
Lister planted his hands on his hips and shouted.
“Who’s your father! My father’s a Count!”
Exhausted. That’s what I was.
“I’m the Count’s one and only heir, a true noble! Who are you! What’s your father! Huh!”
I had no desire to continue this childish argument.
So I simply turned away to leave.
“Wait—you don’t have a father, do you?”
Lister planted himself directly in my path, his voice dripping with mockery.
That was the moment my words dried up completely.
As I froze, Lister grew even bolder.
“That’s it, isn’t it—no father! That’s why you go around like this! Or maybe your father’s just as pathetic as you are——”
“That’s enough!”
I snapped.
Honestly—for a child with my experience, I should have known better.
But I couldn’t bear to hear my father mocked.
“I don’t have a father! I don’t have a mother either! So stop insulting them!”
“Pfft—so you really are from nothing——”
“But I have a house! And land!”
“What?”
Fine. Nothing left to lose.
“Do you have land? I get by just fine without parents!”
“I…… I’m also in the Count’s domain——”
“That’s your father’s, not yours.”
“It’ll be mine later! I was told so!”
I laughed softly.
“Really? Do you have a younger sibling?”
“I…… do.”
“Then it could end up being theirs instead. Mine’s already mine—right now.”
Lister’s face flushed crimson.
“Profit, from a commoner no less……!”
He lunged at me to shove me aside. I simply slipped to the side with a quick step.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa?”
Crash-bang-thud!
Seeing the boy sprawled flat on his face, my wits finally returned to me.
“Waaaaaaagh! Faaaather!”
“Oh? Young master!!”
Lister’s attendants came running from a distance.
‘What have I just done.’
Oh no. I’ve made a mess of things.
“Eh? What’s the matter…… Good grief, Lister! My son!”
The Count, who happened to be stepping outside, caught sight of Lister. Lister pointed at me while sniffling and wiping his tears and snot away.
“That one, that one……! That one pushed me!”
“You just tripped on your own…….”
I spoke, twisting my hands anxiously.
“What? You, you wretch! How dare you strike my son!”
“I didn’t hit him……!”
“You did! You pushed me! Waaaah! Father, there’s no mother…… Boo-hoo! Faaaather!”
“There, there. Stop crying now and tell me properly. Are you hurt? Hmm?”
Count Redermic gathered Lister into his arms and coaxed him.
‘Well, I actually…….’
I do have a father.
‘A really impressive Holy Knight, actually……!’
For some reason, I felt wronged and sorrowful. The Count’s hand patting Lister’s back kept catching my eye.
“Don’t cry. Let me see, my boy. Good heavens! Your hand is all scraped up!”
“Waaaah.”
The Count spun around to face me.
“You there! Why are you standing about like a fool! Apologize to my son at once!”
“That one’s a thief!”
“What?”
“She came out of the Grand Duke’s barn! Waaaah.”
“It’s a house, you dunce…….”
“No, this simply won’t do! Let me check your pockets!”
The Count seized my shoulder.
“Ow……!”
I twisted my body to escape that rough grip. In doing so, my foot tangled beneath me.
Just as I thought I was about to fall, a sharp sound — thwack!
Something solid braced me from behind.
It was someone’s large hand.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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