"Then first, we should send messengers to each region to see if there’s any information about the dark wizard."
At that, Baron Forman, who was already beside Hilbury, smiled and volunteered.
"Send me as the messenger to the central region."
The remaining four families were contacted to ask for “regional information.”
Sending a short note or an improper messenger would be considered rude. Usually, the main retainers of the family were sent.
"This is also to learn more about the new Marquis Sears."
There wasn’t much known about Alfious Sears.
A mercenary who grew up among commoners, with some maid blood in his veins.
The eldest son whom Marquis Sears had sought his whole life.
He had caught the eye of the Second Prince during the Northern War with his formidable skill.
Rumors said he was quite handsome.
‘Other than that, there’s not much information.’
For now, he had become Brisa’s protector.
How he would treat the twelve-year-old child with nowhere to go was unknown.
Hilbury chuckled.
"You said you were retiring?"
"The potatoes in that region are delicious. I’m going to eat some," Baron Forman replied gracefully, suppressing his worry.
Since the warp had started working, Alfious must have returned from the capital as well.
He had gone to collect war reparations, but the Second Prince was also absent from the palace. Naturally, he wouldn’t have gotten anything.
If he faced the lands that Brisa was sustaining…
‘He’ll definitely be cautious.’
Baron Forman thought in a very aristocratic way.
"Brisa Sears has been raised as the heir until now. She has influence in the central region, and the locals like her more because of this situation."
For Alfious, who was half commoner, that would be very burdensome.
But Alfious had military strength. The elite unit that left with him was as skilled as the royal knights.
If they took control of the land by force, Brisa would have no choice but to follow her brother’s orders.
‘The County of Yohain is the wealthiest in the central region. If we can arrange a marriage with the count’s son or at least get some grain…’
Even thinking about it made him remember the potatoes he had eaten a month and a half ago.
That was why he volunteered so quickly.
He planned to arrive around the same time as Alfious and observe the man’s character.
If he seemed unfit, he would bring him to the west…
‘If there’s no other way, I’ll at least make her my late adopted daughter.’
Of course, this was a secret from Leopold.
So Baron Forman hurriedly used the warp. Normally, he would have sent servants first, but there was no time.
‘If Miss Sears is trapped and mistreated, I’ll save her!’
In his imagination, Brisa became more pitiful. She looked too small and fragile.
Brisa, trapped in a room, eating only a piece of potato a day.
Being forced into a marriage with the Yohain count’s family.
All the maids driven out, and Alfious’s elite unit taking over the marquis residence.
Only the knights who followed her secretly delivered an egg each.
Imagining this, even the fish she ate a month ago came to mind.
When Baron Forman finally arrived at the marquis residence in a hurry, he saw:
"Ahahaha, is this okay? I’m really good, right? Peekaboo, look here, our Ice Princess!"
A young man was busily hoeing in the garden.
‘…Platinum blonde?’
A strikingly handsome young man was acting all excited.
"Peekaboo, look! Our little angel! Your honor, farmer of the day!"
Unlike the cool-looking Leopold, he had a pure, fresh beauty.
That build, those muscles, that face, those beautiful sky-blue eyes…
Baron Forman stopped in disbelief.
He looked up to see what the handsome man was so playful about.
Brisa was elegantly drinking tea on the second-floor terrace.
"Like the blazing sun, I’m giving my all, and I’ve already worked this far! My hoe reaches out like my heart toward my little sister!"
The handsome man winked while making a ridiculous comparison.
Brisa, watching from the piles of books, shuddered and said:
"Eye winks are forbidden."
She glared at his rising thumb and added:
"Also, making a ‘Hmph!’ sound while raising your thumb is forbidden."
The young man didn’t back down. He just raised his eyebrows and looked amused.
Then Brisa suddenly stood up, startled, and shouted:
"Forbidden! ‘Hehe, how cute…’ Absolutely forbidden!"
In the original story, Alfious would have had nowhere to go.
His uncle, who had swallowed all of the Sears Marquisate, coveted the title and wanted to kill Alfious.
‘But now, the uncle is locked in the Central Court prison.’
As soon as the warp started, we sued all three members of Baron Harwin’s family.
The court sentenced both Baron Harwin and his wife to prison. Dahlia, who actively participated in the crimes, could not escape punishment either.
"Minor Dahlia Harwin will spend her time in repentance at Offen Monastery until she reaches adulthood."
So currently, Alfious had no one to hate or seek revenge against.
His land was safe, and the Second Prince, his comrade, had returned safely to the palace. He was at peace.
Of course, I wasn’t peaceful. I was still constantly uneasy.
‘The empire’s prosperity is now a thing of the past.’
The warp wouldn’t be completely trouble-free like before.
‘Even if it works in the Mage Tower, the south keeps causing trouble.’
The south produced the second most grain after the west. But its supply network could cause problems repeatedly.
Moreover, the west’s good harvests were probably ending. So I had to make sure our land could be somewhat self-sufficient.
"People can’t go hungry… they’ll become desperate."
Sevon was watching me.
In the original story, my uncle would have handed me over, but if people starved, anyone could sell me for fifty sacks of wheat.
I couldn’t fully trust that Alfious, who I had just met, would protect me. My goal was clear:
"No matter who wants to hand me over, everyone around me must eat well."
So I had the elite unit work on farming.
At first, they were reluctant, but after tasting the dinner I prepared, they changed their minds.
"What do you think is missing here?" I asked.
Each of them answered:
"More variety of vegetables?"
"Meat… not chicken or fish."
"Better bread."
Wendy, narrowing her eyes, spoke sharply:
"Those who haven’t lifted a potato with their own strength sure have big mouths."
One of the elite unit asked:
"Have you done it?"
Wendy raised her eyebrows.
"If I hadn’t done it, not just my mouth, but even my stomach would have died. If you want to keep eating well, listen to the lady. Got it?"
Fortunately, everyone listened. Wendy wasn’t an easy opponent.
It made giving orders simple.
"Then let’s fill in what’s missing from now on."
However, there was a big variable.
Watching them farm, Alfious eventually picked up a hoe himself.
I panicked.
"Don’t! The Marquis doesn’t need to do this. The knights are enough."
"But they’re so slow, like worms! How long would it take to wait for them?"
"What? They’re all doing great."
"These guys?"
Alfious opened his eyes wide.
"Watch closely, Brisa. This is how you use your body and tools."
He couldn’t resist and worked with unbelievable speed and accuracy.
"Back on the battlefield, when we buried one person, the Marquis buried a hundred."
Langsi whispered to my shocked face:
"Seeds or corpses, isn’t it basically the same thing to bury in the ground?"
The knights weren’t surprised. Alfious was respected for always leading by example.
"He always does his share of the work. It’s natural."
"He became the leader because he stepped up when the mercenary unit was frustrated. It’s not surprising."
Picking up a shovel or hoe didn’t lower Alfious’s status. It even earned respect from everyone, including me.
"Y-yeah…"
The seed planting that would have taken ten days was finished in one day thanks to Alfious. There was no way to say, "A noble shouldn’t do this."
‘That skill… that talent…’
Even if Alfious had been farming melons as Mom suggested, he would never have been an ordinary farmer.
‘By now, he’d probably be a melon tycoon, throwing money in the air.’
Such labor power in farming was a miracle.
I finally gave in.
"Then let’s move. We need to plant the next seeds."
There was no choice. Not using Alfious just because he was the Marquis would be too inefficient. It would be a waste of resources.
So when Baron Forman arrived, Alfious was deeply engaged in farming.
‘I didn’t expect an outsider to visit again immediately after warping here.’
I was quite surprised.
Baron Forman’s visit and the news he brought were both unexpected.
