Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 170

Only ten days had passed since they announced they needed administrators for McLane territory. The announcement was in every city.

Even before the month deadline, many people were gathered in front of McLane Town manor. They were all applicants.

“Line up! Line up, everyone!”

“Come on, people! Administrators should know how to wait their turn!”

“Hey! No cutting in line! You’ll get in trouble before you even start the interview!”

The announcement said they were hiring about thirty people, but today, there were over 300 applicants.

A dozen soldiers were sweating a lot as they tried to control the crowd.

Dwayne, Lufen, and Ferran, who had to do all the interviews and pick the best people, already looked half-dead.

Dwayne, Lufen, and Ferran, the three administrators of McLane manor, looked like they were losing weight from stress.

Eventually, Ferran, his cheeks now half their original size, threw down the documents he was holding.

“Oh, come on, how can there be so many! We can’t even do our actual jobs!”

“Shut up, Ferran. You’re not the only one having a hard time!”

“But, still…”

“Both. Of. You. Shut. Up.”

Dwayne felt a headache pounding behind his eyes. He hadn’t slept properly in days. ‘Just stop talking,’ he thought, his voice coming out rougher than he intended. Dwayne, with dark circles under his eyes reaching down to his chin, suppressed the commotion of his subordinates with a grim voice.

His hair and beard, which hadn’t been combed in days, were so tangled that it was hard to know where to start, making him look even more fearsome.

Lufen shrank back and resumed scanning the resumes.

‘Bloody hell. They’re all nobles.’

Among the applicants, there were many people who did not seem very qualified, but also quite a few with decent experience.

The problem was that most of those with seemingly good experience were nobles with titles.

Even if they were nobles without much power or lower nobles, he was still just a common person. If these people became administrators, it would only increase the number of people he had to serve.

‘I can understand the administrators from the Calia territory, but how did they from Douglas or Valterheim find out when we didn’t even post the announcement there? This is driving me crazy.’

For some reason, a large number of lower-level administrators from failed great territories had flocked here.

The problems inside the territory were already very bad.

Frankly, the stress from the conflict was worse than the fatigue from the work and interviews.

He couldn’t know what his superior, Dwayne, was thinking, but at least his colleague Ferran’s expression was similar to his own.

He sighed deeply, but nothing changed.

The final decision wasn’t theirs to make.

“Send all the administrators from the great territories to the second interview. The Lord will decide.”

“Dwayne, does that mean we’ll suddenly be serving our superiors…?”

“Enough. The territory’s affairs are more important than us.”

“Dwayne, no. Brother! Then we…!”

“Quiet. Everyone outside can hear you. And the Lord will take good care of us.”

Dwayne soothed him in a calm voice, but Lufen still looked dissatisfied.

“But, still…”

“The reward money we received after the war is enough to live on for the rest of our lives. Lufen, let’s not be greedy.”

“Ha… Brother, you’re truly a loyal subject. I’m just narrow-minded.”

“I’m hurting too, you idiot.”

“It’s fine. I’m the only bad guy. Only me.”

As Lufen grumbled, Ferran, who was next to him, chimed in.

“Stress makes you lose weight. Just sleep instead.”

“Shut up, Ferran! You pig! You’re eating again at a time like this…!”

“Oh, come on! Both of you, stop it!!”

Lufen and Ferran followed Dwayne’s lead, even as they bickered.

And the hairy financial administrator, who had worked in the McLane territory for 20 years, looked at the applicants waiting outside with bitter eyes.

‘It’s all thanks to our territory doing so well. Yes, let’s think positively.’

But for some reason, the sight wasn’t exactly joyful.

“How are the harvest preparations for Tesron Castle going?”

“I’ve put them on your desk, Administrator.”

“What about the town wall construction?”

“The documents are on the right side of your desk.”

“Next, um…”

“It was the agenda regarding the road construction from Tesron to Silvan and Bipros. It’s still being organized. I’ll make sure you receive it by tomorrow morning.”

“Take your time, Fabian… sir.”

“No, Dwayne. I need to show my abilities to the Lord who chose me.”

Dwayne could only nod at the words of Fabian, the young administrator who was skinny, unlike himself.

It was all true.

The documents he had organized in just a few days were immaculate, and his work processing speed was fast.

The content was also impeccable.

‘Wasn’t he from Douglas?’

He learned from Fabian that the announcement, which was only supposed to be circulated within the McLane territory, had been spread to the capital and the entire kingdom without the knowledge of the leadership.

Thanks to that, the McLane territory was able to easily secure the administrative personnel it needed, but Dwayne couldn’t fully welcome the situation.

The biggest reason was that the two people who received the highest evaluations among the applicants, Fabian in front of him and the middle-aged gentleman Lockman, were baronets with titles.

In other words.

‘Damn it. Now I have to speak to my workers with respect, like they are my superiors!’

The only fortunate thing was that they also spoke respectfully to him, but what made it even harder for him was…

“Ah, I’ve revised the documents you mentioned reviewing earlier, correcting a few errors. Please approve them.”

“Errors?”

“There was a small error in the budget calculation. If you check the numbers carefully…”

It was that they were capable people who easily talked about theories he didn’t even know well and applied them to practical work.

Their appearance made him feel self-conscious.

A sense of helplessness that had been going on for days.

After continuous deliberation, Dwayne finally came to a conclusion.

Bang!

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Dwayne?”

“Where are you going?!”

Dwayne’s steps, ignoring the voice calling from behind, were very fast, but strangely, they seemed very heavy.

Tap.

“Approval documents, Young Master.”

“Leave them there. You’re getting faster and faster?”

Logan, who had assessed the angle of the sun visible outside the window, smiled and looked up at Dwayne.

“Yes. Most of the newly hired administrators are doing their part. Especially Fabian and Lockman, they are better than me.”

“Oh? That good?”

Dwayne’s expression slightly hardened at Logan’s questioning look.

But he didn’t forget what he had to say.

His emotions and work were separate matters.

“Yes. They are definitely outstanding. We are continuing to hire administrators, so if a few more talents like them come in, the volume of documents going to you will be greatly reduced.”

“Oh, that’s good news. I need to normalize things quickly and make sure my hands are off it as much as possible. Good, good work. You can go now.”

“But, Young Master.”

“Hmm?”

Logan wore a puzzled expression at the sudden change in atmosphere.

“So, I’m telling you, well…”

Logan looked impatient. “What is it, Dwayne? You look like you have something big to say. Just tell me.”

“I… I wish to resign.”

“Ah? You have been working hard recently. Then take a few days off. A vacation….”

“Not a vacation, Your Grace, but retirement.”

“……What?”

Logan stared at Dwayne with a blank expression, taken aback by the unexpected words.

“Why are you suddenly like this? Have I done something to upset you?”

“No, Your Grace.”

“Then why?”

“I don’t think I need to be here anymore.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about it ever since I heard that Sir Heinkel was retiring. I wondered if I should step down with him.”

“That Sir Heinkel has gone to be a training advisor instead of retiring. You know that, right?”

“That’s not the point. I’ve simply reached my limit.”

“No, what limit?”

“The newly hired managers are doing a better job than I am. It wouldn’t be good for the organization’s efficiency to have a commoner like me as their superior.”

“Haa….”

Logan couldn’t immediately respond to those firm words.

Dwayne’s face was still etched with fatigue, but his eyes were firm, as if to prove that wasn’t the reason.

“Haa… this is driving me crazy.”

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry for not realizing you were thinking this way. Wait a minute, let’s think this through together.”

“Your Grace….”

Logan got up and paced, racking his brain for a solution to this sudden crisis.

After a long while, when the shadows on Dwayne’s tired face had deepened a little more, Logan paced back and forth, thinking hard. He stopped suddenly, his eyes wide. “I’ve got it! Then you shall become a noble! That should solve it!”

“……Pardon?”

Dwayne’s face, which had maintained a stoic expression, crumbled in disbelief.

Becoming a noble was something I could just do if I wanted to?

For a moment, even his common sense was thrown into chaos.

The Grand Duke before him was going even further.

“Now that I think about it, Father and I haven’t been thinking clearly. We forgot about people like you! War isn’t just fought by knights and soldiers; we haven’t even thought about giving out noble titles to the civil officials who steadfastly support us from behind. A grave mistake.”

Dwayne barely regained his senses at the words that sounded as if he could grant him a noble title right away.

“Excuse me, Your Grace? I believe you’ve already used all the title bestowal rights granted by His Majesty.”

“Ah, it’s alright. If I ask, surely a barony or so would be sufficient. Surely His Majesty wouldn’t refuse my request.”

“Your Grace? If you abuse your power like that….”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. I’ll just take some flak. I’d rather be a monarch who gets criticized than one who can’t take care of his loyal subjects.”

“It might not end with just criticism. What if your relationship with His Majesty deteriorates because of it….”

“This much is fine. If necessary, I’ll prostrate myself and beg His Majesty.”

Dwayne could only gape at the resolute tone, unable to stop him any further.

More than anything, to go that far for me….

Seeing Logan’s back as he rushed to the communication room, he felt a surge of emotion that threatened to bring him to tears.

Meanwhile, far away in the capital city, something else was happening that would also cause trouble for the King.

Around that time, in the capital, Gran, there was a major topic of conversation that shook the noble families.

The Count Kyrun Wolves, who had fled, had reappeared.

One of the Marchlords who had disappeared in the Battle of Maclane.

Kyrun Wolves, who had vanished in a situation where all the Marchlords were executed and even their families were either executed or wanted, had appeared in the capital, Gran.

“I will offer all the hidden wealth of the Wolves family. I beg forgiveness for my past wrongdoings. Please, just spare my life.”

Kyrun Wolves knelt in the dusty courtyard, his clothes torn and dirty. He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for days, and his face was pale and cracked. He was prostrating himself in the Royal Palace courtyard.

The soldiers guarded him, awaiting the King’s orders, but for more than three days, no orders came from the Royal Palace.

Kyrun Wolves, who was left unattended in the Royal Palace courtyard, was withering away without a drop of water.

It was a harsh situation, even considering that he was a mid-level Force User.

His Majesty wishes for Kyrun Wolves to wither away and die.

The rumor that a wanted traitor was not being killed but left unattended in the Royal Palace courtyard soon became accepted as fact, and the Sword Master, having heard the news belatedly, headed to the Royal Palace.

It wouldn’t be good to let ominous rumors circulate for long in the newly started nation.

Kyrun. He’s played his cards well.

The Sword Master recalled Kyrun Wolves’ parched face, which he had glimpsed before entering the Royal Palace.

A time when the war had ended and everything had been settled, yet, a time when not everything was stable.

In that situation, where the Royal Family desperately needed power and money, he was offering the hidden wealth of a family that had never fallen from the position of the kingdom’s top three merchant guilds for nearly 300 years, asking only to have his life spared?

It was a deal that the Royal Family couldn’t possibly refuse.

However, suspicion was unavoidable.

If he really had such wealth, he could simply defect to another country and live there….

Of course, he would have to worry about assassins from the kingdom for the rest of his life.

Had he chosen a life of impoverished freedom over a life of wealthy fear?

Or….

He must have other intentions. That’s why His Majesty has left him there.

Whatever the case, he just had to convey his opinion. Asking His Majesty what his intentions were in leaving the man unattended for three days.

“Sword Master, Felix Esperanza, approaches His Majesty.”

– Enter.

Creak!

As the door opened with the familiar voice, the King’s face came into view.

The King’s large office, where ministers and officials could all gather for a meeting.

The King was working at the head of the spacious room where ministers from each department could enter.

The Sword Master, who had been wearing a satisfied smile as he looked at it, stopped in surprise. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the bottle and the King’s red face. He had never seen the King like this before.

“Ah, Sword Master. Welcome.”

“……Yes, Your Majesty. But that liquor from the middle of the day…?”

“Ah, it’s the Sword Master! Here to tell me off again, are you? Haha! Don’t be so harsh. This is a kind of comfort drink.”

“A comfort drink…?”

“Should I call it a memorial for my brothers who died in vain, or a libation for my suffocating and frustrating past? I was always the younger brother, never as strong or as loved as them. Now they are gone, and I am King, but it doesn’t feel like winning.”

“Your Majesty….”

“Don’t look at me like that. It won’t last long. Well, why did the royal tutor come to see me first?”

“Ah, that’s….”

The Sword Master was about to bring up the matter, hiding his bewildered feelings, when.

– Your Majesty, I have brought what you ordered.

A loud voice that cut off his words was heard from outside the hall.