2

The next day.

“Young Lord Louis, here is the letter of appointment.”

The winner had been announced. Louis received the letter of appointment from Boromir—Governor of Proia.

Boromir, along with the mercenaries and farmers, became equally excited. However, no one dared to open their mouths.

When the long silence ended, Louis finally spoke.

“Phew… everyone has worked hard.”

Louis was sincere. It was the first taste of victory he had ever experienced as a manager.

‘I return.’

It was a new beginning.

When Louis had first been entrusted with Proia, his lack of ability had been the main reason. But now it was the opposite. He was entrusted with Proia because Duke Remitri acknowledged him.

‘Becoming governor of Proia now is crucial….’

Timing was the issue. Now could only be the right time. Since Atila had plundered a massive amount of grain, it was obvious he would soon wage war. If Louis were given the city later, once war broke out, he would not only lose the time to grow but also be forced to devote all his strength to the war.

‘But I gained it.’

He had obtained the Civilization System, and now that he grasped how it worked, the city of Freia was a golden opportunity.

‘Now, the ones who will obstruct my growth in Freia… are my second brother and first brother.’

Currently, Freia was being managed temporarily by Fred’s adjutant, Dekal. Food and daily necessities were being supplied from Jaksen, Pierre’s city. This meant that even if Louis returned as governor of Freia, ruling it would not be easy. As he thanked the farmers one by one, his mind was already preparing for the political struggle awaiting him in Freia.

‘As expected… I did well.’

Boromir admired his lord as he looked at him. Louis’s growth was his own growth as well.

He had always blamed the world for his bad luck, but at that moment, it felt as though the goddess of fortune was finally shining her face on him.

From that day when he had been overwhelmed by Military Charisma and captivated by Louis, the very moment he swore loyalty to him…!

‘They called me a traitor often enough… I’ll surely be hounded even more once we return to Freia.’

From the centurions he had served with to the ordinary soldiers, everyone pointed fingers at Boromir for his sudden defection.

‘I’ve changed too.’

Boromir had even quit the drink that he had always kept at his lips and returned to harsh training. Just as his lord grew, he too had to grow. This time, he did not want to let the rising wind pass him by.

While Louis pondered the challenges awaiting him in Proia, Boromir steeled his own resolve.

‘I’ve even fixed the weakness against low strikes….’

No one knew one’s own weakness better than oneself. He could now easily deflect sword strikes from below, and the stamina he had lost to drink was nearly restored.

He now had confidence that he could stand against any centurion and prevail.

‘I will follow Young Lord Louis.’

‘Will Dekal truly step aside?’

Louis thought about Fred’s adjutant, Dekal. Running a city was not a one-man show. Power, after all, was… the struggle between people. Likewise, the core of city administration was the middle managers. One had to plan the entire operation centered on them. Where to focus? Even in domestic policy, there were seven fields.

He had to think based on the Civilization System. The Civilization System’s social policies were divided into several branches: Tradition, which emphasized food production; Liberty, which aided rapid expansion; Honor, which collected military traits; Faith, which empowered religious strength; Patronage, which expanded influence through diplomatic alliances; Aesthetics, which fostered cultural growth; and lastly Commerce, tied to wealth.

Depending on which trait one emphasized, the city’s growth could look vastly different.

Dekal was one of the adjutants Fred took pride in, representing his legion. Fred’s legion had fought more than a hundred battles against barbarians. Dekal too was a highly seasoned man. Even Pierre once tried to scout him.

When the moment came, his charges shook enemy lines. He was a commander with great talent for military assaults.

That did not mean he was inept in administration. While campaigning with the legion, he had never once hindered supply. Though not perfect, he was never lacking—adequate enough. A commander with both military and administrative ability was rare.

Such a commander ranked among the top ten within House Pontina. Of course, only within the house itself. Louis began to wonder what Dekal’s stats would be. There was no way to check them now. He would have to see directly….

Last year had seen an unusual number of barbarian invasions. Yet even in those battles, Dekal had never once been injured. If he had scars, Louis might find it easier to deal with him. Unfortunately, he had none, and personally, Dekal was also an exceptional swordsman.

That was because he never skipped his own training.

‘His official record said Sword Expert.’

That too would need personal confirmation.

If there was a flaw, it was… his womanizing. His marriage was unstable, with constant rumors of affairs.

Strangely enough, though, despite being that vigorous with women, none of his other abilities seemed to falter….

‘The important point is that he cannot afford a divorce under the current circumstances.’

Louis had only two managers. Boromir, and the mercenary Kalbang. While Kalbang’s managerial ability was not high, at least he met the minimum. The others were too low, especially in education….

‘I need talent… someone who can focus more on administration….’

The biggest issue was that their positions overlapped. He needed a way to secure middle managers.

Even if not prodigies, he needed people. At the very least, people who could be trusted.

Thanks to the Civilization System, Louis could confirm certain information and recruit more boldly.

Though it did not fully reveal whether someone was a spy, the miscellaneous details—especially Satisfaction—were immensely helpful for distinguishing.

‘But more immediately, tomorrow.’

Tomorrow, he would depart from Pontina’s direct territory.

Louis thought that when he returned, things would surely be different.

Hansen frowned as he read the letter that had come to him. The content was long but simple: Louis sought his allegiance. Hansen technically belonged to Fred. Now he stood at a crossroads. Should he betray Fred and join Louis, or report Louis’s attempt to Fred?

Of course, neither was favorable. Unless he had won Freia outright, Fred had already lost interest in Hansen.

From the moment Hansen was defeated by Louis, he had become a discarded piece.

That he even thought of reporting showed the depth of his dilemma. But attaching himself to Louis was not an easy choice either.

Even if Louis had beaten him, he still lacked true power. In fact, even now Hansen had more followers than Louis.

Over several days, Hansen had analyzed the reason for his loss. The answer eluded him—until he saw the Monument Louis had erected. There was such a thing as instinct.

His instinct whispered that this Monument was the problem.

Naturally, Hansen had been shaken. That Monument he had ridiculed as useless had, when he saw it in person, carried meaning.

Perhaps the difference was between himself, who tried to command with mere money, and Louis, who sought to imbue meaning.

‘If only I had been three years earlier….’

‘At this time, joining Young Lord Louis is dangerous… but there is something there.’

Hansen was drawn by that something. After long deliberation, he rolled the dice.

‘I will join him—for now. But I will leak information.’

Duplicity. He decided to make the most of this situation. If Louis proved better than expected, he would stay. If not, he would send Louis’s information to Fred and destroy him….

It was the first time Hansen saw Louis in person. He had only ever watched him from afar or judged him through reports. But when he faced Louis directly, his thoughts froze.

‘His… capacity is different.’

In Hansen’s judgment, Louis was superior to his two brothers combined. In charisma alone, Louis outweighed them both.

That a man with such presence had been so unappreciated was almost absurd….

“Thank you greatly for accepting. Welcome.”

Louis looked at Hansen through the Civilization System. Hansen’s Satisfaction was Dissatisfied (1). That meant he had not come with pure motives. But considering that he had been Louis’s rival until recently, it made sense that he would not be satisfied at their first meeting.

‘For now, I must watch him.’

Louis extended his hand. Hansen clasped it. Unlike Louis’s light handshake, Hansen trembled with awe.

Weight. The vessel of a lord was clearly present in Louis.