Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Benefit
Neonidas had been occupied for several days with organizing and changing the city and lands governed by Marquis Alexsaz as he saw fit. Some vacant positions needed to be filled, and as far as Neonidas could remember, one of the barons attached to the Marquise Alexsaz was quite talented and would later play a small role in the story . After some research, he found this young baron. The baron was the lord of a village established around a lake, a little outside the city. After sending him several letters, Neonidas demanded that he serve him in exchange for an elevation of his noble title.

A response arrived quickly, and the baron agreed to the offer. Therefore, Neonidas sent a recommendation letter to the imperial palace, requesting that Baron Tluran be elevated to the rank of count. The imperial palace responded promptly, informing him that the request had been accepted, but that the case of Marquis Alexsaz must first be concluded. The quick exchange of messages was, of course, because of the use of teleportation portals.

In fact, these teleportation portals, which didn’t even exist in Neonidas’ former world, were truly more valuable than even the most powerful spells. The only thing theoretically needed to operate these portals was Mana, and generally, Mana stones were used for this purpose. Because of the empire’s demand for Mana stones, the empire would annually purchase a certain percentage of Mana stones from dukes who owned special Mana stone mines. This was why Mana stone mines made a duke incredibly powerful. Of course, since two Mana stone mines existed on lands owned by the emperor, it was difficult to impose pressure or influence through these Mana stone.

However, the value of Mana stones was still priceless, and soon, Neonidas received good news. The researchers he had assigned had officially discovered a Mana stone mine, and it was estimated that the area indeed contained vast deposits of Mana stones. Therefore, when Neonidas returned to the Duchy, he planned to host a feast and announce the new discovery before all the nobles.

Additionally, he would announce the establishment of a new magic center, but for now, these were plans for the days ahead. For now, Neonidas patiently awaited the results of the Imperial High Court’s investigation. The imperial judges had arrived in the city late last night and conducted their investigation throughout the day, reviewing the evidence provided by Neonidas. Neonidas had given them all the privacy and resources they needed, not disturbing them in any way, but with every passing second, his anxiety grew. If the Imperial High Court caused him any trouble, he would certainly be in great danger, but for now, he had no choice but to wait.

Meanwhile, in the past few days, Neonidas had spent some time with Yuanna and realized that making her fall in love with him was nearly impossible. After all, she had lost all her family members except her mother, and Yuanna was an emotional woman. She would likely hate him for a long time, and if Neonidas did not take any action, this hatred could last a lifetime. Neonidas was trying to win her mind by telling her about her father’s betrayal and the plots he had set against himself, and although he was slowly succeeding, it still wasn’t enough.

Aside from all this, one of the things that has been bothering Neonidas the most lately is Soren’s disappearance. Soren had left a brief letter saying he was safe and would return soon, but his whereabouts were a mystery. Considering Soren’s power as a mage, the chances of him being harmed were very low. Still, Neonidas didn’t want to lose his most trusted ally, who also had the greatest potential.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Neonidas sat up straight in his chair. “Enter!”

Of the three people who entered Neonidas’ room, one was an elderly man, the head judge of the Imperial High Court. With his graying hair and stern gaze, he exuded authority. Alongside him were two guards dressed in black armor: one holding a bundle of documents and the other carefully scanning the surroundings.

The judge gave a brief greeting before speaking in a serious tone: “Lord Neonidas, we are here to present the results of our investigation and inquiry. If you allow, I would like to get straight to the point.” His tone was neutral. Although Neonidas was a duke, the judge did not show the respect expected, as the Imperial High Court was a high-ranking body directly under the emperor’s command.

Neonidas gave a subtle nod and, without breaking eye contact with the judge, silently listened. The judge gestured to one of the guards, and the documents were opened.

“The crimes of Marquis Alexsaz have been confirmed through both the evidence you provided and our independent investigation. According to imperial law, his titles and wealth have been seized due to his treason and actions that harmed the people. These titles have temporarily been transferred to you. Additionally, he would have been executed for his crimes, but you have already carried out this action. This decision has been sent to the capital for implementation with the emperor’s approval.”

This news brought a wave of relief to Neonidas, though his expression remained unchanged. He simply nodded gravely and said, “Justice has been served.” He then added, “What about the accomplices of Marquis Alexsaz? Has a decision been made regarding them?”

The judge glanced at one of the documents and responded, “Some individuals around Marquis Alexsaz have also been found guilty and arrested. However, as they were not among the major culprits, their punishments will be lighter. A detailed list from the Imperial Palace will be sent to you shortly.”

Neonidas understood the situation. Once the judge finished speaking, he stood up with a formal posture and thanked the high court delegation. However, in the back of his mind, suspicions began to arise that there were deeper intrigues at play behind the scenes of this process.

The judge handed Neonidas a letter, saying, “This is the official decision. On behalf of the Emperor, I also thank you for your contributions to the Empire.” Then, as Neonidas moved closer, the judge leaned in and whispered in his ear.

“I know what you’re doing, boy. The only reason I’m overlooking it is for the benefit of the Empire… Don’t be so stupid as to confuse me with the other toys you play with.” he said in a low voice, before stepping back and giving Neonidas a broad, friendly smile. He playfully patted Neonidas on the shoulder.

“Take care of yourself, son of the esteemed Duke Leonardo.”

Neonidas instinctively wanted to smile when he heard what the judge had whispered in his ear, but his stern expression didn’t shift. After the judge’s playful pat on the shoulder, he watched the guards leave the room with him. When the door closed, Neonidas let out a deep breath and sat back down in his chair.

“Boy, huh?” he muttered to himself. His eyes briefly flickered with a gleam; the judge’s words echoed in his mind. This man had figured him out, or at least understood how dangerous a figure he was. But Neonidas didn’t interpret these kinds of warnings as threats. On the contrary, he felt the same excitement a chess player feels when they realize their opponent is making good moves.

“The Empire’s interests…” he repeated. The judge’s words had planted the seeds for new strategies in Neonidas’ mind. It turned out this man, who was an incredibly powerful mage in the original story, was even more dangerous than Neonidas had anticipated. Of course, this was to be expected, considering he held one of the highest and most powerful positions in the Empire.

After stretching and raising his arms in the air for a long while, Neonidas returned to his desk and resumed his work. Now, he needed to plan the organization of the city, especially the necessary arrangements for a trade city. He would need to focus on details, such as expanding the port and constructing larger ships. Additionally, just as he had done in the Duchy’s central city, he would need to make purchases to set up blacksmith forges and brothels under his own brand in this city as well.

It seemed like Neonidas would not be lifting his head from the desk for hours. Fortunately, he was good with numbers, so he was at least saving time, and with the help of his steward, he aimed to finish the work today.

Neonidas spent the rest of the day reviewing documents and planning the city’s infrastructure. While reviewing maps for the port expansion project, he was also preparing a list of new trade routes and potential commercial partnerships. He aimed to increase the spice trade from the southern kingdoms and the ore trade from the north. However, to make these projects a reality, more labor and resources would be needed, which led Neonidas to consider ways of increasing the city’s population.

When night fell and he had nearly completed his work, Neonidas stepped outside his office to stretch his body and shake off the fatigue. As he walked through the corridors, he whistled a familiar tune that seemed to be stuck to his lips. When he finally reached his bedroom, he heard a sound from inside, and upon opening the door, he saw a woman in a seductive nightgown, sitting on a chair in a corner and watching the moon through the window. It was none other than Yuanna.