The Lord Just Wants to Have Fun

Time passed, winter faded, and spring arrived.

Unlike the northern regions, Baron Brandel’s territory, located in the southern part of the Laterranian continent, did not experience particularly harsh winters.
Perhaps because of this, the lord’s castle was already bustling with activity early in the morning.

The most striking sound echoing across the grounds came from the training yard attached to the Knight’s Tower—gunfire.

Bang! Bang!

“That Andy guy sure is enthusiastic this morning.”

On his way back from the royal capital, Philip had gifted Andy a flintlock musket equipped with a sniper scope, knowing how much he wanted to learn marksmanship.

He had also taught him sniper techniques he had learned in the military.
Given Andy’s natural talent with the bow, he picked it up with remarkable speed.

Furthermore, he had diligently practiced his shooting skills throughout the winter.
Now, he had surpassed even Philip’s marksmanship.

“At this rate, he might become a sniper greater than Simo Häyhä.”

Häyhä, the legendary sniper of the Winter War, had 542 confirmed kills, making him the most lethal sniper in human history.

With his aura-enhanced abilities, Andy could very well surpass him.

Thinking this, Philip turned his attention to the letters stacked on his desk and began reading through them.

How much time had passed?

As he was carefully reviewing the documents, the door to his office opened, and Helen entered.

“My lord, it’s time to visit the ironworks.”

“Is it that late already?”

Philip lifted his head to glance at the hourglass.
An hour had already passed.

“What were you looking at?” Helen asked.

“A report from the Mercury Trading Company’s Aras branch.”

“And what does it say?”

“They’ve successfully delivered the Damascus steel weapons to the royal family.”

Previously, when Philip had met Karl at the Water Temple, he had politely declined his recruitment offer. Instead, he proposed selling Damascus steel weapons to the royal court.

As a result, the first batch—hundreds of swords, shields, and suits of armor for the royal guard—had been delivered.

The recipient was reportedly very satisfied with the quality.

“That’s great news,” Helen said.

“Yeah, it’s good for us, too. We’re making a lot of money.
And it seems like there aren’t any major issues in the royal capital.”

“The two factions are still fighting?”

“Yep. Meanwhile, the royalist nobles are just sitting back and enjoying the show.”

Following Philip’s advice, Karl had summoned Duke Volzard and Princess Amelia to the capital.
Now, the two were locked in a fierce power struggle, constantly undermining each other.

At every official meeting, they picked at each other’s flaws to remove members of the opposing faction.
They even engaged in opposition for the sake of opposition—sometimes to the extent that they unintentionally strengthened the royalist faction.

Initially, some feared that these two factions might unite and stage a coup.
However, their relentless infighting had reassured those who had been worried.

“That’s a relief. I was concerned they might deliberately sabotage governance to weaken His Majesty’s rule.”

“They wouldn’t dare.
After all, they were the ones who pushed the narrative that the young king was incapable of ruling,
so they needed to take charge themselves.

If they mess up while holding positions of power, they’ll only prove their own incompetence—
and give their opponents the perfect opportunity to attack.”

Duke Volzard had been appointed Prime Minister, while Amelia had been made Regent.

If they failed despite having such authority, the blame would fall squarely on them.

Meanwhile, if they performed well, King Karl would be praised for his wise appointments.

“One way or another, Karl is the one who benefits the most.”

From Philip’s perspective, it was best for the central government to remain stable while Karl solidified his power.
That way, business would thrive, and his territory would remain secure.

“Most importantly, I can relax and enjoy my hobbies.”

A civil war was absolutely out of the question.

The Viscounty of Mirabeau and the County of Palamos had aligned with Duke Volzard’s faction.
If war broke out, Philip might be forced to clash with them again.

“Not that I think I’d lose, but… it’d be a hassle.”

Even winning would be problematic.

If he became too famous, ambitious politicians and nobles would swarm like vultures.
They would try to exploit his reputation or scheme to acquire his gunpowder and muskets.

“My lord,” Helen spoke again, “Representatives from several trading companies are clamoring for an audience.
Will you meet them?”

Over the past winter, the products Philip had developed were selling like wildfire through the Mercury Trading Company.

They had been popular even before, but once Mercury took over as the exclusive distributor, demand skyrocketed to the point where supply couldn’t keep up.

Among the items, crystal glass—despite its lengthy production process—was a huge hit.
However, the real surprise was the explosive popularity of soap.

Not only was it beneficial for beauty and hygiene, but its fragrant scent made it highly desirable.
Noblewomen eagerly competed to purchase it, desperate to get their hands on the luxurious bars.

“Some have even started carrying high-end scented soaps in their sachets, or displaying stacks of them in their parlors to impress guests.”

Naturally, numerous trading companies—both large and small—clamored for a chance to distribute Brandel’s goods, especially the soap.

Some even attempted to negotiate for the manufacturing rights.

“No, I won’t meet them.”

“If you’re too busy, you could have Treasurer Buchini handle the meetings….”

“There’s no need. They’ll just spout the usual nonsense and try to lowball the price.”

Philip had entertained a few merchants out of curiosity in the beginning,
but all of them had offered pitifully low sums.

It was clear they had no understanding of the partnership and investments between Brandel and Callisto Trading Company.

“The most ridiculous was the guy who offered a mere 100,000 dalants for the crystal glass formula.”

A merchant from the Florentine Trading Company, which was based in the city-state alliance, had smugly presented that offer—
as if he were doing Philip a favor.

He had tried to use his company’s status as one of the top five trading firms on the Laterranian continent to strong-arm Philip.

Philip didn’t even bother negotiating. He had the man thrown out immediately.

“Francesca invested 10 million dalants into our territory without any conditions, just because she believed in our future.
And these guys think they can get a free ride? Ridiculous!”

Of course, those merchants wouldn’t give up so easily.

They would undoubtedly attempt reverse engineering to replicate Brandel’s products.
In fact, they might already be trying.

“They’ll probably manage to copy things like the Zippo lighter or the handheld fan to some extent.”

But could they match the quality and price of a Made in Brandel product?

Absolutely not.

Brandel’s goods were made using high-quality, mass-produced steel from the reverberatory furnace,
making them both affordable and superior in quality.

At best, those merchants would end up producing overpriced knockoffs.

“Besides, they won’t even be able to manufacture scented soap or crystal glass without knowing the core ingredients and processes.”

That left only one possible method:

They would attempt to steal the technology.

But that wouldn’t be easy either.

Only the master craftsmen in each workshop knew the key aspects of the production methods,
and they were fiercely loyal to Brandel, having lived in the territory for generations.

“My lord, are you sure this is fine? Some of those trading companies have strong ties with the great lords. If we offend them…”

“It’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Philip was confident.

Those great lords?

He was working directly with the king himself.

“Let them try something if they dare.”

“Oh, right—where’s Terry?”

“He’s already waiting by the entrance with the carriage.”

After his duel with Count Markel, Terry had been obsessively training his swordsmanship.

At some point, he must have gained an epiphany because he had ascended to the rank of a high-tier Aura Expert.

To put it in perspective—Carpenter and Siria wouldn’t even stand a chance against him if they fought together.

Carpenter had jokingly remarked that it might be time for him to retire as the head knight of the territory.

Yet despite his growth, Terry remained dedicated to his duty as Philip’s personal guard, insisting that his role was still more important.

“But he still hasn’t made up his mind?”

“…Huh?”

“Between you and Siria. He still hasn’t chosen who to marry?”

“W-Well… I… I don’t know!”

Helen’s face turned bright red, and she bolted out of the office in a panic.

Despite the persistent efforts of both Siria and Helen, Terry remained unmoved.

His sole focus was on improving his swordsmanship to better protect the territory and Philip.

It had even reached the point where Siria had once come to Philip,
begging him to order Terry to marry her.

“Those two really have it tough.”

Philip chuckled to himself and stepped out of his office.

*****

Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

As Philip rode in the carriage toward the ironworks, his eyes caught sight of the well-grown barley fields.

Unlike during the autumn harvest, where only certain fields had been well-maintained, now it seemed that every field was evenly and carefully managed.

On one side, farmers were constructing irrigation canals and reservoirs in preparation for the summer.

“Hey, not there! Dig over here!”
“Be careful! If that stone collapses on you, it could cause a serious accident!”
“Pile up the excavated soil and rocks to reinforce the embankment!”

Agricultural Minister Boris and First-Class Secretary Jude were walking around the construction site, giving instructions to the workers.

Seeing this, a satisfied smile appeared on Philip’s lips.

“They’re managing things well on their own, even without my direct orders.”

Experienced administrative officials, supported by talented young aides—
With their synergy, the territory functioned smoothly without Philip having to personally intervene in every detail.

The northern fortress in Romu Forest had been completed a few days ago, and the territorial army was already training nearby.
The ironworks had finished construction and was scheduled for a trial operation today.

“And during the past winter, the rumors of our success attracted many new settlers, who have now settled in well.”

As a result, five new villages had been established, pushing the total population of the territory past 30,000.

Considering that the population had only been 20,000 when Philip first arrived, the growth was significant.

“At this rate, we’re stronger than most viscountcies.”

With the land taken from the Viscounty of Mirabeau, a growing population, booming commerce, and increased military strength, Philip was confident that his territory had already surpassed the level of a mere viscounty.

Mau’s remark came as Philip had been spending more time in his personal research lab than in his office.

“What? Nonsense! I’m working hard to spread Eldir’s name far and wide!”

Philip flinched.

Avoiding Mau’s gaze, he shamelessly pointed at the children skating on the road.

“Look at them! They’re using it as a convenient mode of transport. I didn’t make it just to play around!”

The “wooden board with wheels” crafted by the lord himself had become an instant sensation—not just among children, but among adults as well.

For people who previously had nothing but stilts or hoop rolling as entertainment, it was a revolutionary invention.

Moreover, skilled riders found it faster and more convenient than walking.

Some handy individuals had even started making their own skateboards and riding them around.

“That’s too difficult. Bicycles require precise engineering.”

Even Leonardo da Vinci had conceptualized a near-modern bicycle, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that they became widespread.

Bicycles were high-tech inventions requiring lightweight, durable components and advanced materials like rubber.

As a result, they were often regarded as a milestone in technological development.

“Damn you, you meddling little angel!”

Just as Philip was about to scold Mau—

“Waaah!”

A child, riding a skateboard, tripped over a stone and fell, bursting into tears.

His knee was badly scraped, with blood trickling down his leg.

Philip instinctively called for the carriage to stop—

But someone else had already rushed to the child’s side.

Recognizing the familiar figure, Philip’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Liberta?”