The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 27

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 27

Chapter Title: A Week's Vacation

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It was a story she hadn't told anyone yet. Nina did have plans.

Knowing the future, she had laid them out step by step. When she offered her body to the spirits, she thought her future had completely vanished, but actually returning to find two years had passed left her anxious.

"Recovering those lost two years... it seems like it's taking a toll."

"Nina, you haven't lost anything."

"Sure, my swordsmanship has improved, but that's not enough..."

She could manage her own survival somehow, but thinking of the Young Master and the ducal family made it daunting.

"Why are you worrying about that? I'm the duke."

"That's true, but..."

Still, shouldn't I do something since I know the future?

As Nina mumbled without giving a proper answer, Adrian tapped the bed with his fingers.

"What do you want?"

At Adrian's question, Nina thought deeply.

'What I want.'

"To live happily together, all smiling...?"

Becoming wealthy, the territory prospering, defeating the heretics...

Those were just the steps.

"Got it. You're on vacation for a week."

"Huh? Suddenly?"

"I'll tell them not to assign you any tasks for a week. No—stay by my side. I'll monitor if you're actually resting."

"But I have so much work... And the exchange match is in two weeks!"

"Rest."

Adrian said it firmly and pulled her head back to his shoulder.

"Sleep."

It was a resolute smile.

Nina let out a groan but had no thought of resisting the Young Master.

A whole week.

A whole week!!

A holiday!

In this busy time!

She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. As his hand began stroking her hair, Nina chuckled.

Perhaps due to her exhaustion, sleep overtook her quickly again.

'A whole week...'

With that final thought, Nina drifted off into a deep slumber.

"A whole week off!"

Nina rolled around on the sofa.

Vacation was amazing?

It had already been three days of rest.

Thinking back, she'd worked nonstop since returning that day. Only now, while resting, did she realize she'd been too anxious to properly look around.

Stepping back and leisurely watching things unfold, the ducal family's situation wasn't as bad as she'd thought. It was running smoothly enough without her desperately pushing.

"Young Master, Young Master."

Lying on the sofa, she called to Adrian, who was writing a letter without even turning around. "What?"

"The One-Horned Horse. We sent it to the Gota family, right? What did they say?"

"They're coming right away."

The family raised hunting dogs, falcons, and horses for the ducal family.

After the internal strife, the Gota family had no real duties, so entrusting them with the One-Horned Horse out of the blue would make them rush over.

"Of course they would. Oh, and I went down to the castle town. There's a rumor going around."

"What?"

"That the One-Horned Horse appearing means you're the rightful heir! The new duke of the ducal family is blessed by the heavens!"

"Not bad."

"You spread it, didn't you?"

"I ordered it."

Nina propped her chin and grinned.

"It's good. Winning over the public can't hurt."

Many had actually witnessed the One-Horned Horse, so this would be solid proof of Adrian's legitimacy.

How hard had rulers throughout history worked to prove their right to rule?

'And we even have forces that can wage a media war.'

"Young Master, are we stronger than I thought?"

It was blunt, but Adrian didn't scold her. He pondered for a moment before replying.

"I need to know what you thought first to answer that."

"A crumbling ducal family?"

"We let it look that way."

"Ah, so we really are stronger than I expected."

"We're still lacking."

Adrian set down his pen. As he waited for the ink to dry, Nina got up and approached him.

"Now I get what you meant. I really haven't lost anything."

There were things Nina could do and things she couldn't.

Solidifying the family internally, expanding the intelligence network, deceiving prying eyes, weeding out disloyal elements.

Those weren't her domain.

But without them in place first, her own efforts wouldn't run smoothly.

In short, all the groundwork was done. Now they just needed to build on it.

Nina hugged Adrian from behind, resting her chin lightly on his shoulder.

"Sorry. For acting like I had to do everything alone."

Adrian turned to look at her. They were so close their breaths nearly touched.

He chuckled softly.

"Still not letting you off. A week's vacation is a week."

"Fine."

Nina pouted playfully and straightened up.

Anyway, Vice-Captain Jin had sent out notices everywhere about recruiting for the Ebony Knight Order.

They planned to select around thirty, so she hoped for lots of applicants.

The existing knights were excited about new recruits too, especially hoping elites would be chosen.

They'd start proper evaluations after the exchange match.

'Sir Lui said he's sorting merchant guild leader candidates too. I've organized the people from the novel.'

No need to move herself—people were handling things on their own. Convenient.

This must be why you raise subordinates.

Nina picked up the letter instead of Adrian, folding it neatly and sealing it.

"So how does the exchange match work?"

"Teams of ten. Winners keep fighting."

"Oh."

As Nina melted wax onto the envelope, Adrian stamped it.

"Then we'll win for sure. I was a bit worried."

Nina smiled brightly.

"Where do we meet?"

"In our territory that they're using."

"Can't wait."

Adrian smiled at her.

"Me too."

The Ila Great Plains were the most productive land in the duchy.

Standing in the middle of the plain, with horizons in every direction—this was what made the ducal family what it was.

"The exchange match is finally back on."

"Two years just skipped."

"Taking it without a fight was nice. It's our land anyway."

The gathered Laba Count family knights tossed comments back and forth.

Six years of consecutive victories had made them arrogant. Besides, the Rubaenu Ducal Family grew weaker by the day, eventually becoming not just boring but pitiful.

"Did they gather the peasants again this year? Feels like we don't need to anymore."

"No. Those idiots won't get it unless we show them properly."

Everyone burst into laughter at that.

By imperial law, nobles couldn't tax their own territory's people more than 60%.

The Laba Count thought:

What about taxing other territories' people?

They'd only leased the usage rights to the Ila Great Plains—the owners were still the Rubaenu Duke. The farmers living there weren't Laba Count family subjects.

The Laba Count raised taxes to 90%.

Resistance was fierce, of course, but the knights crushed it ruthlessly. Besides, without the Eagle Knight Order, no one would protect them from the Belak monsters.

Every year before the exchange match, the farmers hoped.

To crush that hope, the Laba Count built an arena and forced village representatives to attend.

For years, those representatives watched the ducal family's guard knights get brutally defeated and went home.

This year too, hopeless-faced farmers filled the arena. They hadn't come empty-handed.

After the knights' victory, they had to offer tribute for food and drink.

One knight slyly said,

"So in two years, we become the ducal family?"

No one answered the knight's question, but anticipation swelled instantly.