Hachinan tte, Sore wa Nai Deshou! - Chapter 69.2

『Work related to the usual governing of the territory, work related to reclamation and the work related to occupying territory with the feudal army. Earl Baumeister, isn’t there some spell to create a doppelganger of me or such?』 (Breithilde)

When Margrave Breithilde came to ask me that seriously while having shadows below his eyes, I didn’t know what would be a good answer. [Owned by Infinite Novel Translations]

『Earl Baumeister, please lend Thomas-san and his unit to me.』 (Breithilde)

They will apparently tag along to the cities and noble territories, which were declared as occupied, as assistants of the military officials.
Given that they are men from the east to begin with, there are many among them who know this area well. There were also the circumstances that a lot of work would be generated for the military officials who were scheduled to be placed there afterwards.

『Since all of them ended up as your group’s prisoners, Earl Baumeister, it seems they are short of hands to govern the areas.』 (Breithilde)

It was an unexpected by-product.
With us capturing the family heads and their retainers in the previous conflict concerning the concession disputes, people to govern the areas are now missing.

『Since all’s fine in a state of occupation, they will be send to help with the governing work as it’s a military administration.』 (Breithilde)

『I just thought of it now, but we are also keeping the soldiers in custody, right? Is that alright?』 (Wendelin)

If one looks at the Baumeister household, one will understand that there are many ordinary farmers serving as soldiers in the feudal armies.
Having already finished the harvest, they have now entered a period of time where farmers can take a bit leisure, but even so the absence of the main provider of a family is a big deal. If the war continued into spring just like that, it would have caused an insufficiency of manpower for the farm work.
The territories of the nobles, who participated in this time’s dispute for the eastern camp, were in danger of their ruling systems breaking down.

『It can’t be helped…』 (Wendelin)

I have decided to send them all back to their territories.
The family heads, the retainers, the soldiers and the seized arms, goods and money.
All of it belonged to Katharina and me, including the ransom, but after they accepted the calculated standard price of Viscount Knappstein, we came to an agreement with them.
Also, we gave them the conditions to return the taken concessions and the splitting ratio of the territories to the pre-war state and to pay an compensation to the noble households who were their opponents in the dispute. [Owned by Infinite Novel Translations]
We have entrusted calculation of that to Viscount Knappstein as well since our time is too valuable by now.
Because he is the type of noble who is a diligent bureaucrat, we had him calculate the sum of the reconciliation money using the vast amount of precedents in the past as standard.

『How about these conditions?』 (Knappstein)

『I have no particular objections.』 (Breithilde)

『Me neither.』 (Wendelin)

With me, Margrave Breithilde and Viscount Knappstein being present, we carried out the negotiations after inviting the nobles, whose retainers and soldier had been turned into prisoners, and the nobles, who had become prisoners themselves, both parties didn’t have any objections.
The nobles of the Browig side were disappointed of their patron for not showing up in this crisis at all. Even the nobles of Margrave Breithilde might have ended up destroying themselves with things like measures for refugees and such, if the war continued like that and the ruling systems of the neighbouring territories collapsed.
Judging that they don’t have the leeway to negotiate in a stingy manner regarding the reconciliation money, they accepted the compromise settlement from our side.

『Because of that, we’d like to ask for a splitting of the ransom and reconciliation money, but…』

The nobles of Browig’s side, who accepted the reconciliation, have pleaded with tear-stained faces for being allowed to pay the ransom and reconciliation in instalments.
Well, I guess that’s only natural.
They aren’t able to pay it all in one batch to begin with. Even if it’s split up, they will lead lives of being deeply in debt for several decades.
Moreover, they haven’t received any kind of follow-up by the essential Margrave Browig at such time. Having said that, if the negotiations get complicated and they remain as prisoners as is, problems will start to appear in the ruling systems of their territories.
If they consider the circumstances from now on, it can’t be helped for them to become teary-eyed.

『As there was a possibility that it would turn out like this, we dispatched skilful soldiers.』

『It’s because we had this.』

The nobles of Browig’s camp show parchments with a written contract, which were sent from their territories, to the astonished Margrave Breithilde.
On that parchment was written that they will be compensated by the Browig household in the unlikely event when they incurred damage in this dispute.

『Is this legally valid?』 (Wendelin)

『It is.』 (Breithilde)

Margrave Breithilde affirmed its validity.

『It’s not the handwriting of Margrave Browig, but it has the signatures of the eldest son, Philip-dono, that of Christoph-dono and several of the chief retainers have entered their names as well. At times when the family head can’t sign himself due to sickness, such joint signatures become valid.』 (Breithilde)

Such document will become invalid if the family head hasn’t signed it although he is able to do so, but if the family head has a condition which makes him unable to sign it, a joint signature becomes effective.

『With this it will officially confirm that Margrave Browig is in a state that makes him unable to even place his signature on documents.』

Once the Margrave Browig household formally admits the illness of their family head, this document will become valid. [Owned by Infinite Novel Translations] 
Otherwise the nobles of Browig’s side probably wouldn’t have sent soldiers and gone as far as breaking the customs.

『I have a feeling something like that at this point in time is…』

『Um, may I say one thing?』

The anxiety of the nobles of Browig’s camp, who were present at the negotiation, is their financial affairs falling into a critical state due to the repayment of their debts, even if those are split up.
According to the contract it seems that the Browig household will shoulder those, but with the current state of affairs the fulfilment of that will be difficult.
They are appealing their wish for us to wait a bit with the payment.

『They are saying that they want it to be split it in 200 yearly instalments?』 (Wendelin)

『No, master. Since their losses will be compensated by the Margrave Browig household according to the contract…』 (Klaus)

Klaus whispers quietly with a small voice in my ear.
In short, they apparently want to request us and Margrave Breithilde to subrogate the ransom and reconciliation money and demand it from the Browig household’s side.

『Such a selfish suggestion… Although…』 (Wendelin)

The difficulty for the vassal to refuse their patron’s request is obvious if I look at my home in my childhood.
If an enormous sum of reconciliation money comes into existence after we conclude the arbitration between us and the Browig household later after this, the Browig household, whose financial affairs would have deteriorated, will give priority to repaying their own debts and might not be able to compensate the other nobles for their losses.

『Even Margrave Breithilde won’t likely accept it. Such suggestion.』 (Wendelin)

It was natural to take it in consideration if it’s his own vassal, but they are the vassals of the Browig household.
As there’s also the possibility that we won’t be able to collect the debt from the Browig household in the worst case, he absolutely won’t do something like shouldering their debts.

『In other words they are saying that they will change their patron.』 (Klaus)

『I can’t say that’s absolutely impossible, but…』  (Wendelin)

『It doesn’t happen that often, but this time the situation is as it is.』 (Klaus)

There is occasionally a change of patrons due to things like affinity between the family heads. Patron substitution of nobles at the border due to their involvements in conflicts like this time can be explained with precedents in the past. [Owned by Infinite Novel Translations] 
The nobles, who were until now under the influence of the Margrave Browig household, which controls the east, or who were its vassals, will enter under the influence of the southern Margrave Breithilde household and become its vassals.

『Aren’t they completely disagreeing over things like mining rights and the usage of woods with their neighbours?』 (Wendelin)

『Even between fellow southern nobles those are causes for bad blood and if those things change hands, they will also carry out one-on-one battles.』 (Klaus)

The worsening of the disputes at the border is also because the bosses of each side are different.
Although they won’t borrow the authority of the tiger (T/N: the Margraves in this case), both sides will take a stubborn attitude by all means.
At the time when fellow nobles of the same patron quarrel with each other they will apparently hold back accordingly.

『Their fortune is declining due to the reconciliation money and ransom after an utter defeat and in the end they had an occupation forced on them due to stubbornly violating the customs. Next Browig’s main army was defeated as well. And if I have to say any more, then there’s also the fact that the Browig household hasn’t even sent a messenger in this situation. They were abandoned without having anyone to deserving to rely on.』 (Klaus)

『Additionally, won’t they be able to participate in the development rights if they change their loyalty to the south?』 (Wendelin)

『There’s that, too.』 (Klaus)

They want to escape from paying the debts by passing them to Margrave Breithilde and me including their rights to claim the losses in the disputes from the Browig household.
Since there’s also the possibility that we won’t be able to collect them according to the details of the arbitration, it’s a request that’s only beneficial for the other party while being totally disadvantageous for us, but if you turn it around, it’s like them telling that they will voluntarily declare their joining the southern area in a state similar to being indebted to us.

『Will the southern domain grow?』 (Wendelin)

Around 40 households, which were under the control of the Margrave Browig household until now, will change their affiliation to the Margrave Breithilde household.
As patron there isn’t much gain as it’s difficult to look after them as visible from this time’s concession disputes, but his evaluation in society will rise drastically.
It’s not an era where you can gain new territory in wars, but since there are more than 40 households who changed their affiliation by themselves, this will result in the Margrave Breithilde’s household’s evaluation to grow and this will also connect to benefits if you look at the long term.

『This is why the evaluation of a mafia boss goes up by increasing their henchmen. If the fortune becomes large, they will reach the point of being able to earn money with gangster business methods*.』 (Wendelin) (T/N: shinogi or シノギ, includes jobs in the entertainment industry and harbour business at the front and gambling, prostitution, bouncing, drugs etc. in the back)

『The example is extreme, but well, nobles and the mafia aren’t that different in regards to their contents.』 (Klaus) (T/N: Busted, he is a reincarnator after all!)

Klaus adds his words without rebuking me or particularly changing his expression due to my remark.
Since it’s just a private conversation to the bitter end, he doesn’t seem to mind.

『The Margrave Breithilde household will be marked by the royal family.』 (Wendelin)

『The current Margrave Breithilde-sama is sensitive to such looks from the central government. He will probably at least consult with them beforehand.』 (Klaus)

“Since he possesses a magic hand-held communication device, it will probably be taken care of after consulting with the cabinet ministers of the central government”, Klaus predicted.

『Once some time passes, the Earl Baumeister household will hold more than or comparative authority to the Margrave Breithilde household. Once this happens, it will naturally turn into both sides restraining each other.』 (Klaus)

It’s very likely that this comes true once some time passes as the family heads will be different at time, too.
That’s why I accepted my legal wife from the Hohenheim household, which works in an important office of the church in the capital. Maybe that trend will continue even after the next generation.
If it naturally reaches the point of both parties matching as restraint for each other, the danger will decrease from the point of view of the royal family.

『Being a noble, that’s really troublesome.』 (Wendelin)

『It can’t be helped since it’s something like an occupational trait.』 (Klaus)

It was troublesome to consider such future matters, but we released all of the people, who became prisoners, except those of the Browig household after various happenings like this.
We returned everything like arms, money and goods we seized at the same time, however it’s not like they were given for free.
Since Viscount Knappstein had assessed all of its monetary worth, everything became their debts for form’s sake.
However, all of those claims will just be carried out by Margrave Breithilde and me on basis of the aforementioned contract. [Owned by Infinite Novel Translations] 

『Won’t we have to confiscate it by marching up to the mansion of the Browig household in the worst case?』 (Wendelin)

Two hundred years after the ceasefire with the Holy Empire Urquhart it’s the first time for a conflict between fellow nobles of the same country to have gone this far. Margrave Breithilde seems to be troubled by this unprecedented part, too.
Managing close to 10.000 prisoners, holding the eastern part of the Eschago Grasslands, the field encampment of the Browig main army and the food storage facilities in the rear and sending occupation declarations to the cities and villages around this area, we are waiting for the resumption of the arbitration, even if it’s only one day earlier.

『Isn’t that too excessive?』

『The royal palace is baffled as well. Although they understood that Margrave Browig is seriously ill, there’s also the problem of which of his sons will participate in the negotiations.』

Also, if only one side signs the arbitration draft, the other side will call it invalid. That will happen since a legal next family head hasn’t been officially decided yet.
If they don’t decide on the next Margrave Browig first, there won’t be any meaning in starting an arbitration.

『What are those two sons doing?』 (Wendelin)

『It’s also possible that the night attack was arbitrarily decided by the one in charge on-site. They might be panicking after having heard the reports.』 (Klaus)

It was also possible that both of them are quarrelling whose at fault at the bedside of the currently comatose Margrave Browig.
If they are really doing that, I wonder if it’s only me who will consider it as problematic for either of them to become the successor?

『The troublesome aspect of this problem is that the Margrave Browig household can’t be crushed.』 (Klaus)

Even if they are demoted in rank, it will become a question what to do with the remains then.
They have reigned for more than 1.000 years in the east. If the Margrave Browig household, which is a large noble household, vanishes, the ruling system of the east will become unstable.
I don’t believe that the former retainers and inhabitants will obey that easily even if a new noble manages to set in.
If something like a rebellion is unskilfully triggered, that alone will cause burdens to the economy and public order of the south and the centre.