Civil Servant in a Romance Fantasy

943 – Exchange is Thorough – 3

I threw the dart pins appropriately and got my hands on one barony.

It’s a sad feeling. A nobleman’s acquisition of a fief is an event that will be remembered for a long time in the family’s history, but I solved that event with a dart. It’s an event that is too embarrassing to even record in history.

Hiding history is a terrible atrocity, but it is even more terrible to have the dishonor of the Barony of Dart be passed down to my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren for generations. For the sake of my descendants, I must avoid that. As an ancestor, I cannot bring shame on my descendants.

“I was the one who selected the candidates, but the final choice was made by Heaven. To commemorate this, I would like to name a relic in this estate. What do you think, Count?”

“Your Majesty, let it be done as you wish.”

“Good. Then I will rename it to the Baronial Territory of Lepildoria, after Lepildoria Pölren, the first relic discovered and the father of all relics. Although the relics are in Wiridia, it is a name that is not lacking as it is a territory that was obtained thanks to the relics.”

And fortunately, the emperor personally changed the name of the territory, raising awareness that ‘this territory is a reward for being designated as a cultural special zone.’

If this is the case, the Barondom of Lepildoria will be called the Barondom of Ruins, but will never be called the Barondom of Dart. Even if the truth is revealed in the future, once established, the perception will not change.

Yeah, the Ruins Barony (without ruins) is much better than the Dart Barony. The lord seems like an intelligent and polite gentleman.

‘The worst has been avoided.’

I sighed in relief without realizing it. It was bitter to receive unwanted real estate, but it was still understandable considering the results that shook up the continent’s history and archaeology communities.

It’s not a countship, nor are there several baronies. Let’s say you pass by a barony and get scratched by a tree branch.

“Yes, Count.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Go ahead.”

“Once the excavation is over, let the Crown Princess take a look. The Crown Princess was surprised that her godfather was not at the mansion.”

I was a little touched by those words. Our goddaughter was looking for this godfather.

Unfortunately, I am currently staying in Wiridia due to an issue with the Cultural Ministry’s top brass, so even if the Crown Princess comes to visit the mansion, she will not be able to see me. Of course, there are other women, children, and pets in the mansion besides me, so it is not a big problem. To be honest, she spends more time playing with the children and pets than playing with me.

Nevertheless, the Crown Princess looked for her godfather. Noticing his absence, she asked the Emperor where he was.

‘You really take after your mother.’

As time goes by, I become more and more convinced. The Crown Princess must have the benevolent and gentle nature of an empress, unlike the Emperor, who is a mere human being.

If you resemble the Emperor, you can never have such innocence, purity, and affection. It is clear that you are related to the bloodline of Jeon Seung-gong and the Empress, of course.

“Of course, Your Majesty. Everything in this land belongs to the noble Livnoman. The ruins that appeared in Wiridia also belong to Livnoman. Then it would be right to show Her Highness the new history.”

“I am satisfied that the Count cares for the Crown Princess as if he were his own daughter, not a goddaughter. However, the Crown Princess is very unfamiliar with relics and artifacts. I hope you will understand if she throws a tantrum while viewing them.”

It was such a valid point that I nodded my head in agreement.

No matter how smart and kind the Crown Princess is, she is still a six-year-old. A six-year-old child realizes the value of the relics and looks at them seriously? That is strange in its own way.

Moreover, the Crown Princess has never even come into contact with the ‘ㅇ’ of the ruins, except for Croita, the capital of the Trika Empire. Even her visit to Croita was not to see the ruin city of Croita, but to see the Behemoths and beast friends that inhabited it.

‘I have to make something that will catch the attention of the Crown Princess.’

That’s why I thought about it seriously.

Objectively speaking, the ruins are something that only adults who are interested in history or archaeology can be fascinated by. What means should be used to make such a space interesting to children? How should the Wiridia ruins be decorated to make it a family travel destination beyond a scholarly mecca?

…

‘ah.’

A good idea occurred to me.

***

Designation of a cultural specialization district within the County of Wiridia. As a reward, the Count is granted the Baronship of Repildoria.

These two bills passed without much objection. I was a little worried because there were 100 members of the House of Representatives, but I think my worries were for nothing.

‘The longer the discussion goes on, the stranger things become.’

If you think about it, it’s only natural. The Emperor and the Imperial Counts personally created the framework, but even among the high-ranking nobles, there is no one brave enough to raise an objection to that framework.

And what I was worried about was that 130 people would speak at the same time and the discussion would be prolonged, not that the agenda itself would be stranded. Isn’t this an agenda that can’t be broken even if variables intervene?

‘I would have agreed even if a foreigner, not an imperial citizen, had participated.’

Who could object to this amazing event? It is a bill that draws attention to the relics discovered after a long time and consoles the lord who suddenly lost a significant portion of his territory. Although some may say that the compensation is somewhat excessive, there is no reason to oppose the bill itself.

Even the lord who will receive the compensation is the count. Shouting that the compensation that will go into the count’s pocket should be reduced is basically shouting that you do not want to live in the empire any longer.

That is why I immediately informed the Count of the news of the passage of the bill.

‘Hoo.’

A reply arrived as if it had been waiting.

As the lord of Wiridia, how will you manage the cultural district and what measures will you take to facilitate smooth excavation and increase tourism revenue? – This is the gist of the reply.

[ Creating a space to experience the lives of residents who lived in the ruins in the past. A small village resembling houses and roads of the time was created near the ruins, and it was thoroughly utilized as a space for experience. ]

[ Animals that were domesticated at the time, or animals that were attempted to be domesticated, were raised on the outskirts of the village. To create a more realistic atmosphere of the time.]

[ Place assistants who act as the natives of the time in the village. They will also wear clothing appropriate to the time period. ]

However, the content was pretty good enough to just pass over as a passing remark.

If we approach it not simply from an academic perspective, but also through experience and play, then the interest of not only scholars but also the general public will increase. The region that is already receiving attention from the continental archaeological community will soar even higher.

‘Anyway, the inside is transparent.’

Besides, I thought I knew why the Count had adopted this unique method.

When the excavation is completed and the Crown Princess visits the ruins, it will be the Count’s own plan to make the visit an enjoyable experience rather than a boring one.

He’s so cheerful. He used to have such a gloomy expression when he was throwing dart pins, but now that the Crown Princess is involved, he becomes so passionate. Isn’t he just carrying out his role as a godfather too faithfully?

‘…hmm?’

As I was looking at the communication port with such a happy heart, a strange sentence caught my eye.

[ We will erect a symbolic monument for His Majesty the Emperor, the rightful ruler of this land and ruins. ]

‘What is this?’

A sentence that I just couldn’t pass over caught my eye.

A legitimate ruler? A symbolic statue for the emperor? What on earth are you trying to accomplish by using these words?

I am anxious. The Count would never honor me with a pure heart. And why did he hide this sentence in the middle of a long reply instead of at the beginning? That means there is something more he is after.

Saying that your intentions are transparent is a retraction. How dare you use such an incomprehensible trick to the Emperor. Shouldn’t you have given him a countship instead of just a barony?

‘Let’s stop it for now.’

But what’s important now is not the feeling of betrayal towards the Count. It’s about stopping the Count’s atrocities, which are completely incomprehensible.

My instincts are screaming at me. If I don’t stop him now, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.

***

Due to the designation of a cultural specialization district, some parts of Wiridia became restricted areas for development. Although a reasonable amount of money would have been sufficient to compensate for this, the Emperor gave them a barony instead.

This is an excessive reward beyond the usual figure. It is a merciful act of giving 20 or 30 when I should have received 10.

In that case, I should repay the emperor for the excess. For a proper and healthy relationship between a ruler and his subjects, there should be a thorough exchange, not one in which one person gains unilaterally.

“This place would be nice.”

So as soon as I arrived in Wiridia, I looked for a suitable place.

For tourists or scholars visiting the cultural district, the first place to set foot is the Taecho Village. It is a transportation hub that allows you to arrive at any historic site you choose.

“A statue of Your Majesty will be erected here. The fact that such a celebration took place during Your Majesty’s reign means that Your Majesty’s virtues reached the heavens. Also, since the historic sites were combined into one and designated as a cultural district, shouldn’t we say that this is a space that Your Majesty created?”

“Your Majesty, what you say is correct.”

The butler bowed his head and answered my words.

I believed that the butler would understand my feelings. My decision was not wrong.

‘Build it to landmark level.’

Finally, looking at the still-empty plains, I made a resolution. I would build a very splendid and huge statue here.

The emperor’s yellow hair is decorated with gold, and the clothes he wears most of the time are painted with platinum. It would be appropriate to use light-colored ivory for his skin.

And the pupils…

‘The Scales of Atellius.’

It doesn’t matter if the scales are black. You can just change the color by dyeing it.

I’ll compromise and make the height about a few dozen meters. I’d like to make it over 100 meters, but I think that would delay the completion too much.

“I am doing it, Your Majesty.”

“But why?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to bring a spare communication device even now?”

At those words, he lowered his gaze to the floor.

As soon as I submitted my report to the Emperor, I happened to see a communications port that had been accidentally dropped on the floor and trampled.

“It’s okay. How many people are there looking for someone on vacation?”

If there is one, he must be a wicked and evil person.