Proofread by Thomas F
"Nightingale Barony," said Zela as my carriage passed through it. "It's Mosswood Barony," I corrected.
It had been a week since Baron Nightingale died, and since then, a lot of things had changed; the names foremost. The new Baroness is adamant about changing the names.
Her's and baronies.
A week is very short for imperial bureaucracy, but I secured interim permission to use the new names. It will be at least three months before it becomes official.
I looked out the window and saw a lot of farmland, a lot more than the last time I had been here.
It isn't just here, but everywhere.
They are creating farms, and a lot of them. This is just the beginning; there are going to be a lot more farms in the Nakar, and it's going to transform Nakar.
As the farms will not only help the barons and farmers but also many others.
Blacksmiths, carpenters, healers, alchemists, and many others. It will develop their economies, create jobs, and make them rich, which benefits the dominion through taxes and trade.
I watched people pass by and felt envious when I saw people riding by.
I wanted to ride, but my security was not in favour of that, so I took the carriage. Well, at least I was able to look into the suggestions of Miss Dawnstar.
Most of them are quite good.
My idea is based on the clubs on the earth, while hers are rooted in this world. I had mixed some of this world's, but I wasn't able to do that deeply.
I understood that, and that's the reason I had chosen her to lead the project.
She has the experience and the capability. It is why I had chosen her to lead it.
It is going to be one of the most important parts of the Velvet Garden, and given what it is and the risks involved, I want to be very careful with myself.
Many had advised me not to do that, Valentina, Robin, and many of the madams, but I know I have to do it.
It is part of my vision; I wanted it before I even took over the Velvet Garden. I understand the risk, but I can't let it go. If I do that, I will go against my vision.
I will not, no matter the risk!
"We have arrived," informed Zela, bringing me out of my thoughts. I realised that the carriage had stopped, and the door had opened for me.
I nodded and stepped out of the carriage.
"Welcome to Mosswood, Lord Silver," welcomed the woman, whose eyes were still red.
"Baroness Arim, my condolences," I replied to the woman and nodded at Lola, who was standing beside her.
The new baroness smiled politely and led me ahead into a small valley, where there was a small lake. It looked enchanting, bathed in the morning light.
"It's quite beautiful," I said, and it is. "It's my father's favourite place; he wanted to be buried," she replied with a genuine smile appearing on her face.
As we reached near the lake, I could see a group of people.
All barons are present, including Leila, and there are not just the barons of my side, but also of the south. Of the twenty on Grimvale's side, eighteen had come here.
Lockridge didn't come, but he had sent his representative. So, had Baron Belrose, who is out of the region.
Grimvale had also sent his representatives, so have Velaniel, Baron Haldraven, Summerfield, and Zanav. Blackwell, too, had sent his representative, his mother.
He wanted to come, but Harrods is here. He needs to be at the fortress.
Nightingale might not have been the most powerful or important, but he was noble of the region and the first one to die in peacetime.
This is also an important time, and I am sure everybody is looking to see how I deal with it.
I kept my expression confident, but sombre. Though inside, I am nervous as hell.
I have shown them what I will do if any of them die. Even so, they will need to hear from me. I would rather avoid that. It will cement it as policy, which will affect things.
Vagueness would have benefited us all, but it is past that.
Now it will affect everyone. Baronies, them and me. Even Grimvale will not be spared from this.
I am sure it must be giving Grimvale quite a headache.
"Lord Silver," they greeted. "Everyone," I replied and turned toward the priest. He is standing beside the large urn; he had already been cremated, and now that urn will be buried.
The priest began the ceremony, his voice steady and resonant.
"God gave us life, and now the soul will return to him through the heavens." His words echoed solemnly over the gathering, marking the passage of the departed from this world back to the divine.
Those present bowed their heads in respect, acknowledging the sacred transition as the funeral rite continued.
"May the soul of Baron Arim be welcomed into the embrace of the heavens, free from worldly burdens, and may his memory guide and inspire those he leaves behind." The words carried a sense of closure, offering solace to those grieving and marking the final farewell to the baron.
I also noticed he used Baron Arim, not Arim Nightingale. Lola had told me she had asked the priest to use Arim instead of Nightingale.
The new baroness had changed her name, taking her father's name as the name of her house. It is now House Arim; it was the name of Baron Nightingale.
She had changed the name of the barony as well. From Nightingale to Mosswood.
That was the name Baron Nightingale had in mind originally, but his family forced him to use the name of their house as the name of the barony, and he had no choice but to accept it.
As he finished, the urn was placed inside the ground, and glowing earth enveloped it through the priest's skills.
We left the grave, walking toward my carriage. I talked to my barons, and I could see the look they were giving me. There is hope, but also nervousness and fear.
I returned to my carriage, and it moved toward Mosswood Keep.
I leaned back and closed my eyes, thinking about what I was going to say to the barons.
This will not be good in the short or even medium term, but it will be helpful in the long term, as it will remove the uncertainty.
Soon, the keep comes into view, and the town surrounding it. It's big with nearly five thousand residents, and its population is growing every month as I send more people.
As the carriage moved into the town, I could see it, and I have to say, I am impressed.
It is well-planned. Also, I could see the similarities it has with Lauryl. I heard they had used my blueprint for Lauryl as the base design for the town.
As time passes, it will get bigger, not only this town but also the towns around other barons' keeps.
Some might even turn into cities. Though that will not be easy.
Numbers needed for the city, but also ways to sustain it. That is a real challenge these barons will face; now I am giving as many people as they need.
Here, I advised barons to focus on building the network of villages, rather than building cities.
Farming is the chief trade of most baronies.
The network of villages is more sustainable for exploiting this fertile land than building cities, which will happen naturally as the economy of the barony grows.
Most of them are listening to me, but not all of them.
"The barons are eager to listen to you," said Lola, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I am not," I replied.
If Nightingale hadn't died, it would have been best. For him, but also for me and the other baronies, as it wouldn't have brought cascading consequences.
They have already begun.
"It might be good for development, but it is good for loyalty. The chances of them betraying you now are much smaller," she said, and seemed happy about it.
I shuddered seeing the zeal in her eyes; she is not happy about the death of Baron Nightingale, but about the changes it brought.
"I believe it is a good thing for the dominion," she added. "It is, but I wish it hadn't happened," I replied. Soon, the carriages entered through the gates of the keep and stopped.
Once more, Baroness Arim welcomed me.
We stepped inside the keep and a minute later entered her office. As we did, everyone left, not even the hidden guards remaining in the room.
"Thank you for everything you have done, Lord Silver. I will eternally be grateful to you," said Baroness Arim, her eyes still filled with grief.
"It is such a regret that I could not save your father, Baroness," I replied and sighed.
"It's not your fault; you did more than any lord would have done; besides, father knew the risks." She said. He did; he himself had said, there is a high possibility that he will die.
For a few moments, there was silence before she opened her mouth.
"I hope you will keep the guards you have here for a few more weeks, until I organise my forces," she said. She is talking about the bodyguards.
There is also a company of the army and a group from the intelligence department led by Rayna.
They are rooting out the people that House Nightingale had placed here. The Baroness had already expelled all these people from her territory.
She is not keeping even a single one, despite only a minority of them working for the House Nightingale.
I can't blame her for that after what happened.
Those people formed the backbone not only of the armed forces but also of the household staff. Now, she will have to reorganise it all and hire new people she can trust.
"Of course," I replied, with a smile.
Half an hour later, I stepped out of her office and walked toward the conference room, where the barons were waiting for me.
"Were you able to get me a meeting with the eastern barons, alone?" I asked, and she shook his head. "No, Dasir will be present in those," she replied.
I wanted to address them alone, but Grimvale will not give me an opportunity.
We might have signed the deal, but we have not stopped. We are still planning to get the rest of the baronies. Currently, I am satisfied with what I have and would settle for it, but that's not how the world works.
The open and covert conflict will continue until either of us gets the whole barony. That would not be easy for both of us.
Soon, I reached the conference room and stepped inside. There, all my barons are sitting.
Baroness Arim had also taken her place among them.
They all got up and greeted, with the eyes of everyone filled with the same question. Even my sister and Harrods are looking at me with those emotions.
Their position is safest, but things happening in the barony affect them, too.
"The death of Baron Arim caused irrevocable grief to the baronies. It left a hole that could never be filled," I said, with many in front of me nodding.
"We will always remember him and the light he had brought, and support the barony he had dedicated his life to, and Baroness Arim, who will now bear the torch for the hopes and dreams he had for it."
The barons turned to her and smiled while she wiped the tears that came to her eyes.
"I supported Baron Arim, and I support you all. It is you who are my barons, not the people sitting miles away."
"As the new laws started, my responsibility is to you, your heirs, and your people, and I will do my best to do good to them," I stated, and could see the relief appearing on their faces, along with great joy.
It is what they wanted to hear. That I will support them, not their families.
Now, I just hope they will not break relations with their families. Instead of working with them, find a middle path because they need their support.
Already, many of their families have paused or lessened the support.
That is not something I want to see; the baronies are growing rapidly, and the biggest reason for that is money coming from their families.
If that money is cut off, they will not starve as they would have in the past, but growth would be slower.
"This is not a reason to take extreme steps. Instead, think carefully, as every decision you make will affect the baronies you lead and the dominion," I cautioned.
Seeing the look on their faces, they understood what I was trying to say.
I am with them, but that doesn't mean they should cut relations with their families. It would be great if they could work together with them.
Without the help of their families, the development would slow down considerably.
"Thank you for the clarification, my lord. It had wiped all the doubts from our hearts," said Homer. These words wouldn't have been enough, but I have proved them with my actions.
As Lola had said, if nothing much. I had gotten their loyalty from this.
Ironblood Lord of Radiant Dreams Lv. 46