Chapter 1: Prelude – 1
(Alexander's POV)
The smell of paper tickles my nose, and the noise of fire cracking as I flip the yellowed pages break the otherwise peaceful silence. Umm… it seems that the harvest this year was bountiful, compared to the last three years. Thanks to the new farming policies that were introduced by me, I presume.
I sign a few papers and stamp some more, before getting up from my table and walking to the window of my office, looking out to the city down below the hill, over the inner walls. The mantle of night has already fallen, and stars that I have become familiar with in these last years of my short second life shine down together with a beautiful full moon.
Yes, I have ben reincarnated 16 years ago with the memories from my previous lives. Shamefully, I had passed away early, at the age of 35. Fortunately, and unfortunately, I left behind no lovers or family. I was welcomed to my new family, a single father and the servants of his house.
Apparently, my mother passed away at my birth, and my father, being a noble and a knight, a Margrave, to be more specific. And two years ago, my father died in the service of the king containing a rebellion up north.
He was harsh, but a just and good father, as much as he could be. And he was also a knight, I may remark, since I could lift a wooden sword he made me swing it until my skin peeled, my hands bled and my bones cracked. It didn't help that I was good with it too, making him train me intensively.
I guess the habit rubbed off on me, even after he passed away two years ago, leaving me to manage the territory, I still get up before the sun raises and have the strong urge to swing the sword. Life has been peaceful, if not a bit boring, despite my situation.
I once worked as a mercenary due to my father in my previous life, and have seen my share of death here and there, so even if I have to risk my life here, I can do that. I even executed publicly a murderer last month, gaining a fair bit of popularity as a capable lord. After all, I was a fan of city building games and human interaction.
I managed to make a living after living as a mercenary because of this ability, and get quite a bit of money on some deals. I kicked back and relaxed playing games and having fun with women after I got to 24, so I can say I did good.
However, I passed away, so I guess nobody is immortal after all. Also, how I know this world is a fantasy one? Well, firstly, there is an order of mages under the king, and orcs seem to be a thing here. Not only that, I've read books about creatures, magical ones, that one can find in places of this world, although they seem familiar to me for some reason.
As I watch the silent and dark town, my own face reflected on the low quality glass. Green eyes, black, smooth hair growing to the shoulders and a serious, austere face. Handsome, if I may say so myself, as well. Not only that, I'm around 1,80 meters tall, and still growing, with a muscular but lean body.
At the moment, I'm dressed in simple, but good clothes that I usually wear at home, a white shirt, with black pants and brown boots of soft leather. Although my coat, a long brown coat with fur in the inner side rests on the hanger by the door, since the cold season is coming, the fire crackling on the fireplace keeping the room warm.
Ah, peaceful times. As I think if I should open a bottle of wine or not, someone knocks at my door. I sigh. It seems that the wine will have to wait.
- Come in. – I say out loud. The door creaks open, the temperature of the room dropping a bit as the warm air escapes the room. I turn around, seeing a beautiful blonde walking in. Bright blue eyes, long, blonde hair to her butt, wavy and golden.
Just a bit shorter than me, with a marvelous, curvaceous body and bountiful chest, her pretty face with no cuteness, instead having the beauty of a woman. Her semblance, however, seems distressed.
- What is it, Lucia? – I ask, trying to lighten the mood. – It may be late at night, but I'm not in my room for a night attack… - I tease, making her blush a little.
- Please, My Lord! I have something urgent for you! – she says as the door closes behind her, approaching me, giving me a letter. I take the letter, sealed with red ways with a crest that I do not like seeing. – It's from Lord Marduke…
I frown, taking the letter and breaking the seal immediately, reading the contents. Lucia, that is just two years older than me, daughter of a servant from the mansion and childhood friend of sorts, is anxiously waiting in front of my table, where the documents of my work are still waiting to be sent to the officers.
After a few minutes, I fold the letter, and approach the fireplace in silence, staring at the flames with a grave expression. This… is bad. after a moment of consideration, I throw the letter on the fire together with the envelope. As I watch it burn, Lucia approaches with caution.
- My Lord? – She asks worriedly.
- Send messengers immediately to the villages. Order all the peasants to come to the city and call all the warriors that we can. – I turn to her, speaking in a commanding tone. – When tell the farmers to bring all their crops into town and burn the fields and whatever they can't carry. – Lucia stiffens when she hears my command.
- So they'll finally… - She asks, fearfully, before refuting. – But they can't attack us! Even if the king is holed in the castle, his law still applies! He can't attack you!
- that's not it, Lucia. It isn't a declaration of attack. – Fucking Marduke and his piss drunk waste of skin spawn. – The "tribute" that the asked this year…
A bit of story, the king has holed himself in his castle, completely ignoring the administration of his castle for some unknown reason to me. Because of that, the territories under his rule have fallen into chaos. And that has been already ten years.
My father was killed in a rebellion against the king's faction, one of the most powerful noble factions that he supported. However, our territory is a border territory, that's why we're a margrave household, responsible for overseeing frontiers. And we are quite isolated from the other allied territories.
Because of that, instead of taking sides after his death, I have been a neutral noble so that I can keep a good relation with neighboring territories without partaking in any fights. My father was brave, but foolish, he got most of our army killed far away from home.
Therefore, I'm isolated with few soldiers in hostile territory. And Marduke is not one of the king's faction. Instead, he's a former baron, and for what I have been listening, he's been planning to crown himself Duke.
And he has the means to that. He already conquered two close territories under several poor pretenses, as the king's law doesn't allow nobles attacking each other unless there is a good reason, such as treason. Because of this rule, he claimed several betrayers of the crown and conquered them.
With that, he has been collecting tribute from weaker neighbors, including me. And recently, I noticed that I'm the next target. I was planning to keep neutrality for one more year before declaring support for the king for protection, but now…
- One thousand virgin young girls, three thousand young man and ten million gold coins. – I said the tribute to Lucia. She widened her eyes.
- We… can't pay that, even if we wanted to… - Her voice fails as she speaks.
- Yes, we can't. – I stare right through her, making her flinch. – Therefore, we prepare for war.
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