The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 101

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 101

Chapter Title: Three Years of Prosperity

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Kiril's words left Nina pondering what story to tell.

"A fun story, huh. Ah, I got a confession from the prince."

"What?"

What? What's that story?

Instantly intrigued, Kiril's eyes sparkled.

"So, here's what happened."

Nina began her story, and the day quickly darkened.

Three days later, the group arrived.

Adrian held a grand meeting with the plans he had drawn up in the meantime.

All those in important positions attended the meeting.

"For the next two years, we'll pour everything into building our foundation."

The plan that began with those words culminated years later with the Rubaenu Ducal Family at the pinnacle of the empire.

Adrian said,

"The empire's greatest sword is in our territory. We can't let anything else lag behind."

"Of course."

Chief Steward Lui replied with a smile. Rorokomo also answered, "We'll do our utmost."

Deputy Chief Steward Gerahim's eyes gleamed, and so did Nina's.

Jack showed up as the intelligence officer, his face completely different from usual, which Nina found fascinating but didn't let on.

Now that the roots had spread and waited long enough, it was time to rapidly grow the stems and make them visible to others all at once.

They had waited to grow so fast that their opponents wouldn't have time to block them.

Adrian tapped the desk lightly with his finger.

"We'll start with the provincial officials."

The following six months were a whirlwind. The Ebony Knight Order had to handle battles with neighboring territories alongside the Belak outbreaks.

When pressure came from territories demanding repayment of debts, they paid back the principal plus interest one by one, but the creditors didn't just accept it.

They demanded even more interest or compensation.

Nina resolved all such issues through duels.

They had already paid exorbitant rates of 40% or 50% annually, so it was absurd for them to now demand things not in the contracts.

Once word spread that the Ebony Knight Order was truly formidable, such incidents ceased.

The first autumn harvest was staggering.

Normally, sowing one grain of wheat yielded 10 to 12 grains.

But the Rubaenu Duke's wheat yielded at least 30 grains per seed.

With minimum yields now double or triple what they used to be, earnings naturally multiplied accordingly.

During tax season, the accountants wandered around with hollow eyes, but they said nothing upon realizing the duke was working the hardest.

Nina eventually had to force him to rest.

Lui and Jin grumbled with reluctant faces, "Only Lady Nina could get away with this."

Fortuitously, other territories suffered below-average harvests.

Territories and kingdoms reached out, eager for the Rubaenu Ducal Family's wheat.

Rorokomo and Miminaga's [Romi Trading Company] ballooned in size alongside the wheat trade, extending their reach not just across the Ebensel Empire but to kingdoms as well.

In the second year, when Lui declared, "We could probably handle three or four dragons bathing in gold coins," construction on the manor began.

From the northern Barun Island to the southern Arakil, the [Romi Trading Company] gathered the finest materials, and Silver Lake Castle was reborn as Silver Lake Manor.

Nina demanded aqueducts and sewers, and the architects tore their hair out trying to meet her requests.

Such concepts were entirely new to them.

In the end, Silver Lake Manor was equipped with aqueducts and sewers.

That year, the capital townhouse was rebuilt too, becoming a major spectacle for the city dwellers.

"My goodness, that's Akara Mountain marble. Truly beautiful."

"I heard the Silver Lake Manor in the territory is all Akara Mountain marble too?"

"I've never seen such huge glass before! Are they putting glass windows on the entire manor?"

"Heard that white sandalwood from Kilrai is used there."

The assembled architects showcased their utmost skills and spent the budget like water, yet the ducal family's coffers showed no signs of emptying—in fact, they only grew fuller.

With money overflowing, people began flocking in. There was more than enough work even for non-farmers.

They dug canals, managed waterways, and built new roads.

The ducal territory was paved and landscaped. Major roads were all bricked and lined with trees.

Laying stones on roads outside the city and planting trees along them was unprecedented in the Ebensel Empire, so nobles sent spies to verify the rumors.

Thanks to that, Jack was endlessly busy, baring his teeth and growling, "Can't those bastards be any less obvious about it?"

Grand planned cities were also established, including one Randell had specifically chosen.

He aimed to create a new stronghold there for mages.

Adrian's discerning aesthetic sense became renowned, so architects and artists vied to be selected by the Rubaenu Duke.

Inns were even built to accommodate those arriving with recommendation letters to request audiences.

Rumors circulated among the people that "even the dogs in Rubaenu territory wear silver necklaces."

The number of soldiers increased, and training was brutal.

Soldiers were issued Rengshi steel weapons mixed in, with uniforms tailored to their duties.

The fact that they had the funds for such provisions highlighted the Rubaenu territory's immense wealth.

As Rorokomo walked through a splendid hallway, he ran into Nina.

"Captain."

"Merchant Lord."

They exchanged formal greetings, then lifted their heads and smiled lightly.

"Is the construction wrapping up?"

Nina nodded at Rorokomo's question.

The massive project spanning over three years was now in its final stages.

Silver Lake Castle had been completely renovated to match its new name, Silver Lake Manor.

Akara Mountain marble, golden faucets from the Rengshi Kingdom.

The ornate fountains and gardens crafted by the continent's top artisans rivaled the imperial palace.

No—some even said they surpassed it.

The Kota family's horse stables expanded rapidly.

The now three-year-old Rubaenu breed foals had small, translucent horns unlike the One-Horned Horses.

Though inferior to One-Horned Horses, they were unmatched by any ordinary steed.

In races against other horses, they quickly left opponents in the dust. As warhorses, they were fearless, highly intelligent, and excellent.

Requests to purchase Rubaenu breed horses poured in, but they refused until every Ebony Knight Order member had one.

The Ebony Knight Order's black uniforms had undergone repeated improvements.

In collaboration with Randell, they added flame resistance, cold resistance, and even self-repair functions that fixed minor scratches on their own.

Maintaining a constant temperature even in midsummer or midwinter was another great feature.

Requests to buy the fabric for those uniforms flooded in through Rorokomo, but they were all rejected as family secrets.

New Ebony Knight Order recruits were trained, and they had now shed their rookie status.

The number of elites grew as well.

The servants who had moved from the Chara Viscount family fully settled into the Rubaenu Ducal Family, establishing structure even within the free-spirited household atmosphere.

Adrian spared no expense in bringing in experts from every field—the maids they rigorously trained underwent etiquette lessons from Vivian, and so on.

Custom uniforms and brooches were made for the Rubaenu Ducal Family.

When off duty, the servants proudly pinned those brooches to their chests.

For commoners in the Rubaenu duchy, working at the manor was the greatest advancement.

Black Shield Castle was renovated too. Adrian regretted erasing Nina's interior touches, but she brushed it off, saying, "Hurry up and redo it properly."

It was development so rapid it left everyone bewildered.

Word that no recommendation was needed to work drew con artists and ill-intentioned folk en masse to the territory.

But they were mercilessly weeded out in interviews by Lui, Randell, and Kiril.

High-grade Belak appearances in the duchy became frequent, but not a single one went unrepelled.

"Three years feels incredibly short in the moment, but looking back, it was so long."

Rorokomo smiled.

His [Romi Trading Company] had now become one of the top three merchant groups not just in the empire, but across the entire continent.

"Right? It all flew by in a blur."

Nina smiled brightly.