Chapter 20

“Well, it looks like everyone is here.”

Gathered in a separate room were my father, my older brother Josef, my older brother Josef, and me. Only family members were present; no nobles or knights from any faction, not even a maid, was in sight.

“Long time no see, Ainzich!”

Josef, my older brother, threw his arm around my shoulder as he said this. Although he maintained a serious demeanor during the earlier meeting, he has a bright and lively personality.

Despite appearances, he’s a skilled swordsman, rumored to soon become a master of the Aura Sword.

“Brother Josef, you’re heavy.”

When I brushed his hand away, he laughed and said, “Maybe I’ve put on a bit of weight.” But in his case, it’s probably just muscle.

Our father cleared his throat.

We hurriedly took our seats as if being urged.

“Indeed. Well done, everyone.”

With those words, our father praised us, then brought over wine and glasses that had been set aside in the corner of the room. He poured wine into each of our glasses, filling four cups.

“Glory to the House of the Count.”

“Glory to the House of the Count,” we all echoed and drained our glasses.

Wait, I hadn’t realized, but this is really good wine… The kind that’s nearly impossible to come by in these war-torn times.

“It’s good, isn’t it? A 32-year vintage from the Nordens’ Viscounty.”

In this era of war, it’s common for farmland to be destroyed. Lately, the wine from the Nordens’ Viscounty had gained some fame, but I hadn’t heard of any being circulated.

“I borrowed it from the Duke’s treasury.”

Father had that usual mischievous smile on his face.

Ah, I see. I thought our own treasury was empty, but I guess it was in there…

“Now then… Josef, we’re short on manpower, so I’ll continue to rely on you as the next head of the family.”

“You got it!”

“Josef… well, as long as you handle the work, you can do as you like.”

“Of course, leave it to me, Father.”

Is leaving things up to others a habit of yours, Father? Well, Josef is the free-spirited type, after all.

“And Ainzich, I’ve heard various reports about you, and it seems you’re doing quite well.”

“Yes, I’m doing my best, despite my inexperience.”

Well, I’ve submitted reports myself, and perhaps the old man has submitted some as well. Father probably wants an objective assessment of me from the old man’s perspective.

“I heard you started something called a three-field system?”

“Well, only in some areas…”

Father seemed interested, so I explained the basics of the three-field system once more.

“Hmm… I see. Let’s wait for the results before considering implementing it here. Keep me updated regularly.”

“Yes, Father.”

It felt a bit like giving a presentation to some high-ranking officials… Not that I’ve ever done that in my past life.

“Hey, Ainzich. I’ve heard you’re training peasant soldiers. How’s that going?”

“Huh? Ah, well, it’s going smoothly… I think?”

Well, if you call them peasant soldiers, most of them do come from farming backgrounds. It’s unusual for the House of the Count to train peasant soldiers. They guard buildings, patrol the territory, and engage in various labor tasks. They’re not full-time soldiers; most are peasants who have been assigned to labor due to their inability to pay taxes.

“Just the other day, one of them managed to block the old man’s strike with a shield—just once, though.”

“Oh!”

“In that case, perhaps I should test them myself sometime.”

“Father, anyone who takes a hit from you would surely die, please spare them.”

My father asked me in detail about the various activities I’d been involved in. My brother Josef was curious about the ice project I’d worked on.

Moments like these, when the whole family gathers to chat, almost make me forget that we’re living in a time of war.