"I'm exhausted."
Theodore raised both arms and stretched. Having sat at his desk attending to work for a long time,
his waist ached as though it would snap. While rotating his stiff neck this way and that to loosen it, Theodore let out a bitter smile. It was because the stack of work piled on his desk showed no sign of diminishing.
"Just when in the world will all this work end……"
Inside the office, several administrators besides Theodore sat at their desks, absorbed in reviewing documents. Their task was to screen for deficiencies in the documents that required approval first. Having stayed up two full nights, fatigue hung over every single one of their faces without exception. Theodore shook his head back and forth after gauging the amount of paperwork that required his approval.
"The amount I've processed in the past month is probably greater than all the documents I've approved since becoming Consul."
The ones he had just finished approving were originally documents that Duke Pershutain should have handled. However, the Duke had been busy devising the invasion strategy for Truvenia, so Theodore had been forced to take them on instead.
At first, Duke Pershutain had entrusted him with only a few matters that weren't particularly important. But upon learning that Theodore's work was not only extremely neat but entirely without flaw, Duke Pershutain had dumped nearly all of his own workload on Theodore. Because of that, Theodore had to live buried under such overwhelming work.
But there was nothing to be done. In order for Duke Pershutain to devote himself to the subjugation preparations, Theodore had to handle the minor affairs in his stead.
"Sigh. I should at least finish half of it today……"
Theodore let out a long sigh and picked up another stack of documents. Just then, a guard's voice came from outside the door.
"Someone has come to see you, Consul……"
Without even turning his head toward the door, Theodore replied listlessly.
"Who is it?"
He intended to simply send them away if it wasn't anyone important. He had so much to do that he didn't even have time to receive visitors. But as the guard's explanation continued, Theodore couldn't help but put down the document he was reviewing.
"Baron Nersis has come in person and is waiting."
The corners of Theodore's eyes trembled. The name of the visitor held that much significance.
Baron Nersis. He had once been a high noble boasting power nearly equal to Duke Pershutain's, but was now an unfortunate figure who had been completely pushed out of the power struggle.
Once a duke, he had now become a worthless country noble left with only a tiny frontier estate. And as the lowest of nobles, a baron, at that……. The Nersis family was in a state of complete ruin. He had once harbored ambitions of using Theodore as a stepping stone to return to the central political sphere, but once crisis struck, he had severed his relationship with Theodore without the slightest hesitation.
Although it had happened under Duke Pershutain's coercion, had he not chosen the path of severing ties back then, Theodore would still have had to serve him as a father.
In exchange for severing ties with Theodore, Baron Nersis had barely managed to keep his life. Afterward, he had to spend the rest of his days in a rural estate that Duke Pershutain had tossed to him as if bestowing charity. And now, such a Baron Nersis had come to find Theodore. Theodore, lost in thought, slowly raised his head.
"Escort him to the reception room."
"As you command."
After briefly organizing his documents, Theodore rose from his seat. And he moved reluctant steps to meet the man who had once been his adoptive father.
"Oh. My son."
As Theodore entered, Baron Nersis sprang to his feet. Without a second thought, he approached and embraced Theodore. His face was so gaunt that one could tell he had suffered greatly. Still, his corpulent frame hadn't gone anywhere.
Theodore allowed himself to be held by Baron Nersis with an expressionless face. Though he was not a man toward whom Theodore felt any affection, he was still someone who had once been his adoptive father. Because without him, Theodore could not have become Consul; he greeted him with extreme formality.
"Have you been well? Baron Nersis."
A regretful expression settled on Baron Nersis's face.
"I've come to see you privately. Can't you call me 'Father' like you used to? Theodore von Nersis."
Theodore remained silent. In his heart, he wanted to snap back, asking if the man hadn't severed ties with him, but he could not bring himself to do so. After all, it was true that he owed him a debt. But he felt he had to make one thing clear: his restored surname.
"I am currently performing official duties. And my surname is no longer Nersis. I have reclaimed my original family name, so please call me Theodore von Brokenhart from now on."
At those words, Baron Nersis's complexion changed completely. It meant that Theodore no longer considered the Nersis family as having any connection to him. But since he was the one in dire straits, Baron Nersis began to plead in an earnest tone.
"Theodore. I was truly sorry about that time. But I had no choice in order to save my family's lives. One hundred Duke Knights broke into the mansion and killed countless guards. And they threatened that if I didn't cut ties with you, they wouldn't spare a single one. I had no choice to save my family….."
"……."
"Please understand. Your mother is still lying sick from the shock she suffered then."
Theodore kept quiet in silence. The words, "She's not my mother," surged to his throat, but Theodore could not bring himself to speak them.
The Baroness Nersis. She who had once been called the Duchess had never once spoken a warm word to Theodore. Openly despising him for his humble commoner origins was the least of it; she had also treated Theodore's mother and siblings like servants.
Naturally, Theodore's feelings toward her could not be good. The same was true of Baron Nersis's sons. Those typical scions of a noble house refused to acknowledge Theodore as a brother. Perhaps because of the deep-rooted pride characteristic of nobles, they hadn't even tried to exchange a single word with him.
Baron Nersis's voice continued to ring in Theodore's ears as he remained silent. Once he realized why the man had come, his head suddenly began to throb with pain.
"Help me, Theodore. Life in the countryside is too grueling. The manor is cramped to bursting, and there are only two servants in total. Must a father who was once a duke live like this?"
As if trying somehow to persuade Theodore, Baron Nersis continued speaking.
"Your poor sisters are helping with the housework. Your brothers chop wood and clean every single day—how does that make any sense? To think such a thing would happen to us…."
Baron Nersis held his head as if in great anguish.
"Help me. I simply cannot live in the countryside. We want to live in Feljentin. With your abilities as Consul, this shouldn't be so difficult, should it? Think about it. If not for our family, how could you have become Consul? You owe our family a great debt."
Just then, a low voice came from the direction of the door.
"If you ask me, it seems you are the one who owes the debt…."
Baron Nersis's head whipped toward the door as if he had been slapped. Immediately, a cry of shock burst out as if he couldn't breathe.
"D-Duke Pershutain…."
The baron's face instantly went deathly pale. He had come face-to-face with the person he most feared. At the doorway stood Duke Pershutain, arms crossed, glaring at Baron Nersis. Beside him, Krovitz gripped his sword hilt and smiled coldly. After a moment of fluster, Baron Nersis barely steadied his trembling body and offered a greeting.
"I greet Your Grace the Duke."
Duke Pershutain, who had glared at Baron Nersis for a long while, opened his mouth in a quiet tone.
"Baron Nersis. It seems your guts have spilled out past your belly. I warned you firmly not to set even one foot outside your territory if you wished to live…."
"Th-that's not…."
Duke Pershutain coldly cut off the baron's words.
"Since you ignored my warning, you must have prepared yourself for the consequences. Krovitz."
"Yes."
"Kill Baron Nersis."
At Duke Pershutain's command, Krovitz drew his sword without hesitation.
Srring.
Baron Nersis, his face drained of all color, collapsed onto the spot with a thud. As Krovitz strode forward and raised his sword, a sudden acrid stench wafted through the air. Terrified out of his wits, Baron Nersis had lost control of his bladder.
"How filthy…."
As Krovitz frowned and prepared to swing his sword, Theodore quickly stepped between the two.
"Please wait a moment."
"Stand down."
Having made Krovitz step back, Duke Pershutain frowned and looked at Theodore.
"What is it?"
"Please grant him one more chance. I beg you."
Watching Theodore continue speaking with his lips bitten tight, Duke Pershutain clicked his tongue.
"You're softer-hearted than I thought. A wretch like that is a man of no benefit even if spared. It would be best to cleanly dispose of him now…."
"Even so, he was once my adoptive father. Please have mercy…."
"Tsk, tsk. They say a man of high office must be ruthless."
Duke Pershutain shot a look of displeasure at Baron Nersis.
"If you continue to speak of debts owed to you by Consul Theodore from now on…."
"……."
"I will tear your tongue out by the roots. If not for him, you wouldn't even be alive right now."
"Y-yes…."
Terrified, Baron Nersis repeatedly bowed his head. Duke Pershutain continued with a sardonic smile.
"I never leave an enemy alive no matter what. If not for the Consul's plea, you and your household would have already died and vanished without a trace before even reaching Nersis territory. And yet you impudently speak of debt—it's so absurd I can barely find words."
Baron Nersis pressed his face against the floor, his complexion blue, unable to even breathe properly. Duke Pershutain's bone-chilling threat continued to ring in his ears.
"If you ever leave your territory again, I will never forgive you. Know that not only you but your entire family will not survive. Do you understand? You're a revolting sight, so get out of my sight at once."
"Y-yes."
Baron Nersis hurriedly raised himself. And without looking back, he broke into a run toward the door. It was a speed one would never expect from such a corpulent frame.
Bang.
After Baron Nersis disappeared, Duke Pershutain looked at Theodore with a grin.
"A man of high office must be boundlessly ruthless when he needs to be. Today's affair was not like you at all."
Theodore smiled bitterly.
"But if not for him, I would never have reached my current position."
"You are a man who thinks more deeply of gratitude than I realized. But sparing his life alone repays any debt you owed. Baron Nersis will no longer be able to trouble you. So don't give that wretch another thought."
"I intend not to."
Theodore nodded quietly. He had been burning to do so but had been unable to bring himself to; unexpectedly, thanks to Duke Pershutain's intervention, he had been able to resolve the matter cleanly. He couldn't help but feel grateful.
"But are the subjugation preparations going well?"
At Theodore's question, Duke Pershutain furrowed his brow.
"It is not so easy. I've roughly drawn up the organization of the subjugation army and each division's operational strategies, but the problem is logistics. Because it's an army of over one million, the required supplies are enormous."
"Didn't the various kingdoms agree to support a certain amount of supplies?"
Duke Pershutain shook his head as if that wasn't it.
"Well, great powers like Penslot or Tezeros can procure sufficient supplies, but the circumstances of the minor kingdoms are not so favorable. The situation is especially dire for kingdoms that dispatched troops beyond their capacity because they lost their princesses. Furthermore, there isn't even a suitable person to take charge of managing such vast supplies…."
Duke Pershutain looked at Theodore with a bitter smile.
"The truth is, I came here to foist the supply management upon you. But seeing your situation, you appear to be in no state to take it on."
Seeing Theodore turn pale at merely having the topic broached, Duke Pershutain shook his head.
"I suppose I'll have to look for a suitable person elsewhere. That aside, has Knight Commander Williams departed for Terbia?"
"Yes. He should be conducting negotiations with Rosimus I around now."
"Huhu. That Rosimus I. His complexion must be entertaining to see about now. An envoy who is his polar opposite has arrived, after all…. I sent him a little gift, did I not?"
A look of puzzlement spread to Theodore's eyes.
"A gift, you say?"
"You don't need to know. In any case, only if the troops Terbia dispatches fall short of expectations."
A strange light glinted in Duke Pershutain's eyes.
"I'm thinking of sweeping Terbia clean before we even depart. So that wretch Rosimus I can't stir up trouble in the rear with hidden troops. He's more than capable of such a thing."
"……."
Theodore felt a chill run down his spine. Duke Pershutain, who could speak of wiping out an entire nation so casually without the slightest hesitation, suddenly seemed terrifying.