Chapter 92

A Boring Day

“I’m not asking to become a vassal. I want an independent fief.”

“Do you mean you wish to branch off from the family?”

“Yes.”

A crease formed between the Count’s brows.
Recently, Isaac’s actions had gone far beyond his expectations.

The child who once despaired over his unusual constitution was nowhere to be found.
In his place stood a boy who was not only intelligent, but cunning.

That boy had overcome his own limitations and gone even further—protecting Vinfelt and contributing to the normalization of Bern City.
He recognized a maid’s talent and raised her into a mage, and even led Jonas to form a spirit contract.

Isaac was not the type to make such a request without reason.
And yet, the Count found it hard to accept.

“Do you even understand what you’re saying?”

“I do. I wish to become the Baron of Vinfelt.”

“If you become an independent lord, it means you completely distance yourself from Goethe’s succession. Do you understand that?”

“I do.”

“If you become collateral rather than a vassal, it means you will be outside my protection. Do you understand that as well?”

“I do.”

Isaac nodded as if it were obvious.

“As I told you before, the successor is Jonas. There are no other options. Now that Jonas has made a strong impression on the vassals, this is the right time.”

The Count muttered as he packed dried tobacco into his pipe.
Goethe, a barren land of the north.

And among it, the harshest territory—Vinfelt.

To grant that land and name the eldest son as its baron…

The Goethe family followed the principle of primogeniture—the blessing of the eldest.
Granting an independent fief and title to the firstborn effectively meant excluding him from succession.

The Count’s excitement from watching Jonas’s performance quickly faded.

Isaac was right—every word of it.

The moment Isaac, who had inherited the same rare constitution as Sieg von Goethe, was acknowledged as the legitimate heir, chaos would only deepen.
The vassals would lose trust, and the collateral branches would look for openings.

Conflict over succession was not limited to royal families.

“There is no better path than this.”

Isaac spoke again, calmly—despite declaring he would give up everything he had and everything he was meant to receive.

“At times like this, you really do resemble Adele.”

“Do I?”

“Stubborn, taking everything upon yourself, never avoiding hardship. I heard from the newly appointed mayor—you shut down Bern City’s black market and are bringing the economy above ground. They say your contribution is significant.”

“You’ve already achieved things I couldn’t at your age. I think it would be fine if you inherited the family.”

Isaac looked directly at the Count.
It was the first time the Count had expressed his thoughts so openly.

But Isaac’s answer was already decided.

“Father—”

“Don’t answer. I’m simply stating my thoughts.”

The Count cut him off, as if he had anticipated his response.

Mana explosion.
A rare constitution like Sieg von Goethe’s from a century ago.
The royal family’s scrutiny and restraint.

For Isaac to become the heir would be nothing short of a disaster for Goethe.

“So you truly intend to walk that path?”

It meant abandoning the family name and living as an outsider.

“Vinfelt is not a good land.”

“I intend to make it one.”

“There is still time before Jonas is officially named heir.”

“There’s no need to delay, is there?”

“It will be a harsh road.”

“I know.”

“…The baronial investiture will be after the closing ceremony of the tournament.”

The Count spoke as if sighing.
Smoke thickly poured from his pipe.

***

The competition consisted of three main parts: a magic demonstration, an academic conference, and a tournament.

The academic conference was where new magical theories and research were presented, while the tournament was, quite literally, a contest of combat magic.

Neither particularly interested Isaac.

When it came to magical studies, he already had decades’ worth of knowledge in his head.
And the tournament felt far too basic from his perspective.

Helping Enette with her magic training or spending time with Jonas wasn’t feasible either—both were constantly surrounded by visitors.
It was an important time for them to leave impressions on influential figures. He couldn’t interfere.

Hans, despite grumbling, diligently trained with the guards.
He kept challenging attendants from various vassal houses to duels and getting beaten in all sorts of ways—but he never gave up.

As a result, Isaac found himself spending the entire competition alone.

Having once been confined underground for over fifty years, solitude had never bothered him.
Even now, loneliness still felt familiar—but unlike before, it was no longer entirely welcome.

Isaac, who had been meditating, slowly opened his eyes.

Outside was noisy, but sitting alone in a silent room for too long felt suffocating.
With rumors already spreading about his “strange constitution,” “mana explosions,” and reckless behavior, wandering around freely wasn’t ideal either.

“It should be ready by now.”

He quickly dressed, pulled his cloak over his head, and left his quarters.
His steps naturally led him to the guest rooms of the annex.

“Violet.”

He knocked lightly and called her name.

Violet appeared, her long hair loosely tied, her expression drowsy—she must have been napping.

“Young master?”

She blinked in surprise at the unexpected visit.

“Come.”

Without further explanation, Isaac led her toward Pallich’s room.

“Pallich.”

When he knocked, it wasn’t Pallich who appeared first.

“Y-young master…”

A maid bowed hurriedly, flustered.
Her disheveled clothes made it obvious what had been happening inside.

“You may go.”

At Isaac’s permission, she quickly disappeared.

“Young master? And even the doctor?”

Pallich scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just… she said she’d help clean my room.”

“At least wipe your mouth before you say that.”

Violet responded as if it were nothing new.

“You both have time today, right?”

“Well… I had something planned, but thanks to you, it’s gone now.”

Violet and Pallich answered.

“Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Bern City.”

“Why there?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“Haah… I thought I’d finally get some rest.”

Despite complaining, Pallich drove the carriage.
With the mansion bustling inside and out, no one paid attention to a single carriage leaving.

“But, young master… why Bern City all of a sudden?”

“Because I’m bored.”

Isaac replied from inside the carriage.

Outside, barren fields stretched endlessly.
The leaves had already withered to yellow, swaying in the harsh wind.
The streams were beginning to freeze, and thick smoke rose from farmhouse chimneys.

After that, the three fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts as they watched the bleak scenery.

***

Bern City was in the midst of preparing for winter.

Grain, salted meat, dried fruits, and beer were being stored.
Countless carts loaded with firewood passed by.
Each house covered its windows with oiled cloth or wooden shutters.

Even the passersby were dressed more heavily.

“Have you checked the flour warehouses?”

The short and stout Venders hurried around busily.
He was fully occupied managing supplies entering the various storage facilities of the city council building.

“The grain purchased last autumn has been stored as planned, but… with the crackdown on illegal distribution this year, the supply of essential resources has dropped significantly.”

“Is it difficult to compensate through official channels?”

“We’ve already pushed official trade to its limits. With increased customs inspections, existing merchants are hesitant to trade. We may need to consider lowering tariffs or granting monopolies to certain guilds to stimulate commerce.”

“What does the Old Church say?”

“They’re giving a lukewarm response. It seems additional support will be difficult.”

Two clerks followed behind Venders’ hunched back, diligently answering his questions.

“Damn it. Even if we have to dip into the city treasury, purchase the necessary food supplies. No matter what happens this year, the rations for the poor relief centers must not decrease. Those damn religious types… they only care about lining their own pockets.”

Venders grumbled, cursing under his breath.

“Looks like you’re busy.”

Isaac strolled into the garden of the city council building, accompanied by Pallich and Violet.
Venders immediately frowned.

“I believe I told you that the Azeran iron ore would take some time.”

“How much longer?”

“At least another week. No matter how much you pressure me, it won’t change anything. It’s already been delayed by over a month beyond the original deadline. We’ve taken massive losses!”

“Hmm. Now that you’re the mayor, are you eating worse?”

Isaac scratched his cheek awkwardly at Venders’ sharp response.
Maybe he had pushed too hard.

Venders had lost a lot of weight since the last time they met.
With his already short stature and hunched back, he now looked even more frail.
If not for his luxurious velvet and fur clothing, one might have mistaken him for a beggar from the slums.

“I don’t even have time to eat and die. And for your information, I was always rich.”

Venders grumbled, then shifted his gaze to Violet and Pallich.

“Vivi, Pallich.”

“Uncle.”

“So…”

“What is this? The young master, the former gang leader, and the boss of the city’s last gang. Quite an odd combination.”

“Ben, it’s been a while. Don’t you think you’re being a bit prickly?”

Pallich scratched his mustache at Venders’ reaction.

“You try working like this, in a position like mine, at my age. Then you’ll understand.”

“Tch. Young master? Why are we here?”

Avoiding Venders’ resentful glare, Pallich turned to Isaac.

“To collect the certificates.”

“You came all the way here personally for that?”

“I thought it’d make a good show. And while I’m at it, I wanted to check on the city.”

“…Haah.”

Venders slumped his shoulders, as if too tired to even be angry.

“Finish your inspections and take a short break. Let’s go.”

After giving orders to the two clerks, Venders headed inside the building.
Isaac followed, with Violet and Pallich trailing behind in confusion.

“You should still make sure to eat properly.”

“Seems like you’re the only one who looks after me, Vivi.”

As they climbed the stairs to the mayor’s office, Violet asked Venders about his well-being.
His voice, now gentle, was completely different from before.
The two chatting together truly looked like a father and daughter.

“He treats people so differently.”

Pallich muttered, while Isaac simply smiled.

“We’re planning to prepare housing soon for refugees from the Republic.”

“That’s possible?”

“Someone made it possible.”

Venders glanced briefly at Isaac as he spoke.

“Now where did I put it…”

The mayor’s office was a mess.
Even more chaotic than the last time Isaac had visited.
Documents related to administrative, legal, and commercial matters were scattered everywhere.

Yet somehow, Venders quickly found the papers he needed from the piles.

“Here. These are the certificates for you.”

“Certificates?”

“What kind of certificates?”

Pallich and Violet tilted their heads in confusion.

“You’re not illiterate. Read them.”

Venders grinned, casting a meaningful glance at Isaac.

“This is…”

At the bottom of the document, written in the common tongue, were two seals.
One belonged to the mayor of Bern City, and the other to the Count of Goethe.

In other words, a certificate guaranteed by both the city and the lord.

It certified that Violet de la Fleur was granted the rights and protection of a citizen of Bern City and a free subject of the Count of Goethe’s territory.

The same applied to Pallich.

And the stack of documents Venders handed over was no different—
they were certificates bearing the names of other Weissmans.

“I tried not to miss anyone, but check just in case. Things have been hectic lately, so someone might’ve been left out.”

Venders said proudly, hands on his hips.

“This is… truly remarkable.”

Pallich examined the documents with a dazed expression, while Violet stared at her own certificate, speechless.

“Why are you so surprised? This was the agreement from the start. Help make Venders the mayor and bring the black market into the open, and in return, citizenship would be guaranteed.”

“Few people keep their promises, young master. Especially when it comes to refugees.”

Pallich smiled bitterly at Isaac’s words.

With citizenship, one receives protection from the lord and the city’s laws.
They can access administrative systems and have their private property recognized.

In other words, even without powerful backing, they could live freely within the territory.

It also meant they could protect moderate refugees from the Republic without relying on anyone else.

It was something Violet had long wished for—something she had repeatedly begged the Marquis for, only to be denied.

A chance to finally have a place to belong.

“….”

Violet’s throat tightened.

Years had passed since Count Fleur was executed and she fled the Republic.
All that time, she had felt like drifting dust—
unable to settle anywhere, like a speck without a home.

But not anymore.

“Thank… you.”

Violet bowed deeply in gratitude.
Pallich did the same.