Chapter 4 (1/2)

Chapter 4

“Fuu …”

Julian puts down the doc.u.ment in his hands, rubbing his forehead in a newfound sense of fatigue.

Even though he had been aware after absorbing this body’s memories that the youth was embroiled in a troublesome situation, he did not quite expect the annoyance to be quite this obtuse.

A detailed report of Sunset Town’s affairs sits before Julian; its conclusions are the cause of his slight headache.

The root cause comes back to the nature of his fiefdom. Though the doc.u.ments given to the Felix youth by certain prominent aristocrats were genuine, they were not complete fools; if their prey had found out he was being sent as a victim, and acted with intent to solely cause chaos, then they would have to clean up the mess he left behind when he inevitably died, in particular the dual tasks of rebuilding and stabilization. Naturally, it was not a consideration that had escaped their minds. Therefore, the land that they had given the young Felix was a holding granted by a n.o.ble overlord. [1]

Upon this continent, there are two types of land tenures. One is tenancy in capite, [2] wherein land is bestowed directly from the crown to others by direct royal order. Of course, those that receive such an honor are usually significant past contributors to the monarchy’s cause, or are related by blood to the royal family. Accordingly, the granted land is s.p.a.cious enough for the most part to maintain their elevated status and reputation, and are comparatively resource-rich. The other is tenancy through enfiefment, a process through which a tenant-in-chief is able to carve out fiefs within his holdings to followers of his own. Compared to the land tenures granted to tenants-in-chief, fiefdoms rarely have their borders clearly demarcated, and are also difficult to develop, since the lord in question generally only designates one or several towns or forts to be managed by his va.s.sal. For example, Julian’s fiefdom nominally envelops the entirety of the Sunset Mountains, but he is only ent.i.tled to collect taxes from Sunset Town; though there are other towns and villages in the outer reaches of the mountains, Julian has no managerial power over them.

As a town cut off from the rest of the world, Sunset Town has few means of producing goods. Having resided here for generations, its residents rely only on their cultivated farmlands and the beasts they are able to hunt within the forest, having little else as a source of wealth. Thus, the amount of taxation receivable monthly amounts to barely more than a hundred gold. [3]

A hundred gold is not a small sum for an ordinary commoner, but a negligible amount for an aristocrat. Evidently, the doc.u.ment’s specification that Julian is able to supervise and tax Sunset Town alone is a limitation of his development. Though there is little need to worry about a near-dead man, it is best to alleviate the possibility of overly violent death throes. Ultimately, Sunset Town is both small and austere; its population barely numbers in the hundreds, and it has no economic power. Even if Julian wanted to start a revolt, the resources available would be insufficient, so he could be left to his own devices.

The only benefit is, on the merit that he was not long for this world, the n.o.blemen did not further contest the terms of their relations.h.i.+p, and moreover very “generously” waived a year of taxation. Therefore, Sunset Castle would not be taxed in the next year by those n.o.blemen in question – the only piece of good news for Julian, since

otherwise half of the hundred-odd gold would disappear into their hands. Under that kind of circ.u.mstance, Julian would be forced to abandon his position and abode even if he were omnipotent.

Sunset Castle is not a small castle. In Julian’s time, it was situated on the border of the kingdom, and, backed by the mountains, was easy to defend and hard to attack. The Sunset Mountains are rugged and complex, and the castle is situated on the only flat expanse. Interconnected with the town beneath, it offers reciprocal support and aid. Under the protection of the castle, the town is unlikely to be a.s.saulted, and the latter is able to reinforce the former with supplies. Adding on its constant supply of mountaintop spring water, it can be said to be an unconquerable castle.

In the past, an alliance of troops laid siege to the castle for half a year. Even though the enemy far outnumbered the defending troops within the keep, the alliance was nevertheless forced to retreat after the siege cost them over ten thousand men. According to legend, it is because of the countless dead that the forest is as lush as it is today.

Relying on the strength of the fortress allowed the kingdom to expand its borders by a third, and because of this, the former military stronghold no longer had a use. However, the positioning of Sunset Castle meant that it could not transform into a major hub for commerce or transportation. Consequently, the once-glorious citadel has completely fallen, and so too the a.s.sociated town, becoming a place with no further reason for existence.

Like warriors, their lives cease to have purpose when they are needed no longer.

Shaking his head to cast away the pointless musings, Julian redoubles his concentration upon the information in front of him. There still exists a great heap of things undone, and though he can leave the cleaning and reorganization of the castle to the wandering spirits, he cannot say the same for its management. Julian has no intention of living out the rest of his natural years here – he has his own plans, as well as the numerous things required to set them into motion.

Julian is not unfamiliar with such a situation. In his own world, he too began from nothing to achieve a remarkable career. If not for the vagaries of fate, he would not have chosen to leave his own world to come to a land of fantasticality and mystique. Regardless, Julian pursued a pinnacle of achievement as before, according to his heart’s desire; even then, he had made contingencies and preparations for a number of possible future outcomes. [4]

But presently, even starting from scratch may be a luxury.

No matter how capable Julian is, he only has two hands and ten fingers; it is inconceivable for him to oversee every facet of affairs. As a result, finding appropriate and talented subordinates is a necessity – though perhaps a pipe dream at this juncture.

“Anyhow, I can only rely on myself for now.”

Letting out a sigh of resignation, Julian gathers together the doc.u.ments in front of him again; a cold breeze flutters by, sending the papers fluttering into the air before coming to rest on a nearby bookshelf. Though the castle had not been inhabited for almost thirty years, the prior residents had been afraid of carrying the ‘demonic curse’ away with them, so Julian did not have to concern himself with furnis.h.i.+ngs – theirs had been left behind. Furthermore, because of the presence of the wandering souls, ordinary insects and wildlife dared not approach the castle, removing the possibility of especial damage to the furniture; the majority was still in usable condition.

The chilly air carries with it the faint sound of laughter, echoing throughout the s.p.a.cious gloom of the castle. It would naturally evoke feelings of fear and unease, but for Julian, it is merely a sign of spiritual caprice – a practice he isn’t too much against. Originally, he had planned to sleep on his thoughts before making a further decision, but the quiet whispers within those souls gives him pause.

Julian feels a clear change in the tone of the ensouled wind – its gentleness had suddenly transitioned to a fierce puzzlement. He concentrates, listening to the wandering spirits’ reports, then raises an eyebrow.

“There’s something like that, hmm?”