Chapter 20: Dragonrose Earldom (Part 1)

It was late in the evening when Leo made it to the first village of the new Dragonrose Earldom. From what he understood from his previous incognito recon, for every slightly bigger town there was about twenty villages. As for the inhabitans, about eighty percent were humans with the remaining twenty percent being demihumans of various tribes. The most nummerous were the Ramfolk, who were basically sheep on two legs commonly found in mountainous areas of Netrose Dukedom to. Then there were Foxfolk, Wolfkin, Arachnoids and in smallest numbers Wererats.

While Foxfolks, Wolfkins and Wererats are rather self explenatory, the Arachnoids are little troubling. Unlike Spiderfolk who have human-like bodies and only four eyes, the Arachnoids have more spider-like bodies. For starters it's not uncommon for them to be born with six arms and have tough exoskeleton covering them, also their heads look more spider-like then their cousins the Spiderfolk. In the past they were persecuted by many human, and demihuman tribes as well, in belief that they were related to simmilar looking monster called Drider. This monster have upper body of a human (mostly female but male variants were also seen, mainly durning demonic invasions) and lower of a spider. When Leo first saw it, even he was confused by it's simmilarity to his previous worlds Arachnés.

"Well, let's get to work «Overseer», «Satelite», «Earth search»…...... ...It seems like those mercenaries have a base in the mountains next to Zainrose city. It seems like they have captives too... well I'll be exterminating them anyway," Leo just shrugged his shoulders and teleported to the closest village.

"Keh-keh! Do your job you maggots! The taxes were risen so fess up all you have!" one rather crude looking mercenary yelled in the centre of the village. There was about fifteen mercenaries in total and around thirty villagers plus several hidden children and teens in hidden rooms of the buildings.

"If you don't…" a slender man with snake like eyes grabbed a girl by her wrist and pulled her to him, "we will have to take you as slaves."

"N-Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!" the girl shrieked, but the other villagers could do noting against their more powerfull oponents.

Seeing this, I snaped my fingers, instantly teleporting the girl to my side. "You okay?"

"Y-yes… thank you," the girl blushed and run away to one house.

"Who are ye, kiddo? We are collecting a tax here!"

"You seem more like maggots then tax collectors."

"What daya said?!"

"You heard me. There is no tax this steep and not to mention that taking slaves is illegal. Though I'm sure you already know that."

"Just get lost kid and we will let you live."

"Hahahaaah, this… aahahahahaaaaah! Let me live?" Ĺeo laughed so hard it actually hurt a little and activated his spells. In the next second one of the men's head went flying, "It's me who's letting you live. Sadly for you, I run out of patience. Kabalero mercenary group is hereby proclaimed guilty of banditry and illegal slave dealing. Due to severity of your crimes you are sentenced to death. Those are words of the Earl Dragonrose."

After killing eight people, Leo collected the remaining seven and imprisoned them in his subdimensional space.

"S-sorry, sir… but…"

"You are chief of this village?"

"Ah, yes…"

"Do not worry, my name is Leonard Hirano Dragonrose. I was ordered by his majesty the king to take over this earldom."

"I-I see! You are our new lord!" the old man instantly went to his knees and the rest of the villagers followed suit.

"It's fine, it's fine. You can stand up everyone, I'm not one to stay on ceremonies too much. Anyway. I came here to plant something here in the centre of the village so make some space."

"U-understood, my lord," the old man moved to side, still bowed low.

He probably had hard time with nobles in the past… Leo thought as he smiled bitterly.

As the villagers moved to sides, Leo extended his hand a magic circle appeared on the ground. In next moment an obelisk shot out from the ground. It was five meters tall with pyramid structure on top, which was made from a blue crystal, from which several lines extended towards the ground. This crystal was made from liquidized magic stone that had cast purification spell on it as it was hardened once again. Though once the crystal hardened, it was inscribed with barrier spells.

"Alright, listen up! This thing is a Barrier post. It creates barrier around the village. With it's size even your fields are protected. But you need to remember that this only works on monsters! If bandits appear, you need to touch this blue crystal here and stress call will be transmitted to my control centre and troops will be immediately deployed!"

"Sir?"

Yeah, that was too complicated for them to follow, they are just villagers, after all.

"If bandits come push the blue crystal and my soldiers will come," I patted the elders shoulder, "as the lord here I will make sure my subjects have easier lives."

"Th-thank you… thank youuuuu!" the people started sobbing.

"Get some rest now. I still have to look for the remaining mercenaries."

"But, my lord, it's dangerous to go to the woods in the dark! There are many powerful monsters."

"Yeah, it sure is, to those who cross my path, that is," Leo smiled and patted the old man reassuringly before teleporting away.

Standing in mid air, Leo let out a map where he highlighted villages and the towns. Once that was done, he looked for the mercenaries. As he already found their hideout, he just had to pick up stagglers outside off it. Seeing however that there was around ten thousand people in the mercenary band, Leo had his work cut out before him.

Hm? This presence… seems like there is a dragon sleeping near their base… I didn't expected those people to be so low leveled conscidered the number of monsters to slew here… maybe it's becouse of the numbers? Anyway I need to look into this little more. The documents didn't talk about such high numbers of monsters. I know this place is at borders with Barren lands, but this is still too ridiculous. If one of those slightly stronger monsters goes on rampage now this entire earldom will fall apart!

As Leo muttered to himself about how bad the state of affairs here were, he couldn't help but smile about how high his rewards will be if he shaped it up.

"Well, that's it for Brachburg and Gilgadia, now only pick up those in Zainrose and only their base will be left, uwaaaah!" Leo yawned as it was already past midnight when he got to this point.

"Should I use energy potion? Nah, that thing is still too adictive… Alright now, let's get the ball rolling, show me what you can do, mercenaries," Leo looked at a vial with green bubbly liquid inside it in his hand and stored it once again. This was Energy potion he made in likeliness of energy drinks of earth, but unlike those, these energy potion he made were crafted like regular health potions and were slightly addictive. On the flip side though, they had power to purify body of need to consume other addictive substances and even somewhat heal their aftermath. Truth being told, this potion was the best way to get rid of any kind of addiction.

This too, was researched thoroughly on bandits and other criminals.

***

Almond Tetra Kabalero lived life of absolute bliss, being born son of marquis under duke Orchidee he could do pretty much anything he wanted. While he could not inherit the title of marquis himself due to being sixth in line, he recieved aid from the duke himself. He and several talented knights went to the Zainred earldom as a relieve aid after monster rampage and named themselves protectors of the land, the Kabalero Mercenaries. While they were assassinating soldiers and talented knights, making it look like monster attacks left and right, their influence over the land grew, they could rise the taxes as they saw fit thanks to having leverage on the lords, not even the king knew about.

"Aaah, this helped a lot~" Almond yawned as he raised his body from bed which he shared with a girl he took on his way to one village. The girl was half beaten to death and could no longer even speak coherent words. Her bones were broken, skin ripped in several places and made addict to a drug called Starfall, also known as Slow death.

"Wait here, little one, I'll be back," Almond smiled to himself as he left the room only parted from others by thick curtain.

This entire underground complex was carved by earth magic users that served duke Orchidee. Even though they were gone now, the work still continued as Almond could hear pickaxes hitting the rocks deep down.

"I hope you burn in hell."

The one who said those words was a daughter of local lord and sister of Misha named Carla Cupruina Noman, just like her sister she sported a beautiful figure and her long blonde hairs were tied in two pigtails.

"Oh, don't be like that, little missy," Almond looked at the girl through the bars, "Soon enough you will beg me to put it inside you too."

"I would rather die then do that."

"Oh, you as may do that, you have a sister, after all, right? She may be little young for me, but she'll do too," Almond let a fiendish smile show on his face as he licked the bars between them.

"Don't you dare touch her!!!" Carla flung to the bars, but her chained hands made her unable to do so. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill YOUUUUU!!!!!"

"Yes, show me how you will kill me with those chains! Maybe you want to follow your oh, so dear friends?"

Upon being captured, Carla's knights were made to consume drugs and raped, some even right before her. The girl in the room, Carla's childhood friend Nora, was one of them.

"Boss! We got problem!"

"What is it?"

"There's an intruder. He already massacred some of our guys."

"How many are there?"

"Just one, but strong."

"One?! Are you pulling my leg? We know the layout of these cave better then anyone, so we can assaut him any time we want."

"Oh, can you?" a cheerful voice cut off his words.

Looking to the side the voice came from, they saw a boy around twelve-or-so years of age simply walking up to them. He didn't hold sword, even though he had one hanging at his hip. And although he was smiling, the sight of him covered in blood creeped out even Almond who was used to seeing such things.

"Who the hell are you brat? If you leave now, we might be merciful."

"Much appriciated, but I won't be showing mercy," the boy haven't stop smiling as he declared his intention to kill everyone.

"Do you really think you can defeat us?"

"I already did. I came here just to take of the rest of you. I mean, there was only ten thousand of you and none of you are above level thirty, this all felt just too easy," the boy shrugged and shivers spread over Almond's back, but he could not hold back now.

At the same time Almond attacked and delivered a slash at his oponents neck, however as he thought the slash connected, the boy disappeared.

"Are you okay?" the boy appeared behind them picking up the girl while cassualy destroying her chains with bare hands.

Those are high class magic sealing chains that can restrain even wyverns! How can someone just rip them apart?! That thing should hold down a frickin wyvern!!! Why is this kid ripping them off so cassually?!!

"Th-thank you…"

"Who the hell are you kid?!"

"The name is Leonard Hirano Dragonrose and I'm the new Earl of Zainred Earldom."

"You are an earl, then that should make it easy. We are protectors of this land."

"You are a nuisance. By my decree, Kabalero mercenary group is charged with banditary and illegal slave trade. Capture them."

"Sir!"

Shadows around the place vibrated and several people in black clothes jumped out, supressing Almond and his lackeys instantly. Wh-where did I go wrong? I just listen to my orders… screw you duke! If I'm going down, then I'm taking you with me!!!

***

Once Leo took out the rest of the mercenaries and had them escorted to his Dimension home, he started tending to the captives. Most of them were young women between eighteen and twenty five years of age.

"Ew, what a gruesome scene," Leo's nose scrumbled when he saw a horrid scene before him. A lump of mean and blood (apparently a female knight) lay on a bed, crying. "«Space restore»"

Leo used his only healing spell and the girl's body restored itself to it's previous state instantly.

"W-wow, such an amazing spell, are you a great wizard, lord Dragonrose?" the girl standing next to Leo in her tattered uniform of local knights said with a look of honest relieve.

"Have her drink this, sadly it's addictive, but it doesn't have bad side effects and can errase her need for the drug they used on her. Baado."

"Yes sir!" a pair of bunny ears appeared from Leo's shadow followed shortly by a black clothed rabbitgirl.

"Take these and administer them to the remaining victims. I will heal whoever had it worst."

"Understood sir… pardon me, I just recieved a message they found some weird ice sculptures in a deepest part of the cave, what shall we do?"

"The victims take priority. Make sure our healers get to them."

"Understood sir."

"La…dy… Car…la…" the girl on the bed woke up.

"Nora! I'm so glad you are awake!"

"No… ple…ase es…cape without… me," the girl, Nora, started crying.

"That won't do, young miss knight."

"Who… you?" her moistened eyes turned to me.

"My name is Leo, I came to rescue you all."

"I'm… not worthy…"

"Sorry, but that's not for you to decide. Arsen, make sure they recieve proper medicinal treatment and is looked after them."

"Sir!" a young dragonfolk man took Nora from her bed, covered with new clean blanket provided by Leo and took her away.

"Thank you, sir Dragonrose."

"You are Carla, right? Sister of Misha, correct?"

"Y-yes, how do you know of my sister?"

"We go to the same school. I took a break sooner to tend to my new territory. Anyway let's get you back home, your father must be worried sick," Leo smiled and grabbed Carla's hand. In the next moment Leo snaped his fingers and their surroundings turned blackish purple before changing to familiar looking city.

"W-wow! We instantly moved to Zainrose?! Sir Dragonrose are you a space magic user?"

"Indeed I am. One of only two space magic users in this kingdom actually."

"I don't know what to say… space magic is suprisingly convenient isn't it? I thought there were only three spells."

"There were only three when I and princess Victina started researching it. Now we have about fourty," Leo smiled as they walked towards the palace in centre of the city.

"F-fourty..." Carla was speachless. Usually it took at least four years to create one spell. And this twelve year old boy, Leo, said he created fourty of them with the princess... the world started to turn on it's head for miss knight, but she wouldn't be alone for long.

Given there were no soldiers to guard it, they moved all the way to the mansion, but even that was empty.

"Where… is everyone?"

"There currently is only one person in this mansion."

"Huh?"

"Before coming to the main base, I took out everyone affiliated with Kabalero mercenaries. Be them members or collaborators."

"Ah, I see… so even the maids have betrayed us for money…"

"Seems like it," Leo nodded somberly.

The two walked to the room where the only living person was sitting behind mountains of papers. Looking closely Leo realized they were all related to monster appearence over the entire earldom.

"Father!"

"Huh?" the man looked up, his tiny glasses jumped up on his nose as his eyes went wide and moistened with relieve, "Carla! You're back!"

The man jumped from behind the table and hugged his daughter. "I-I thought I lost you forever! I never wanted to face your mother if anything bad happened to you…" the man started sobbing more and more, not realizing Leo was standing there all the time.

"I'm fine father, I was saved by this gentleman."

"Ah, thank you, thank— Lord Dragonrose?!" the man instantly bowed his head all the way to the ground. "T-to think our new lord would personally save my daughter… I am so grateful!"

[Subject Willfred Bobro Noman's loyalty level rose to 6.]

Confirming this, Leo smiled at the viscount and placed his hand on his shoulder, "No need to worry. I came here to check on state of affairs and introduce myself to the masses. Well, exterminating those mercenaries came as a bonus free of charge."

"Y-you already took care of them?!"

"They were suprisingly weak."

"Sir, a report," a pair of bunny ears appeared from Leo's shadow once more and handed a stack of papers held together like a book to him.

"Thanks…" Leo looked over the documents and smiled to himself, "this is good. Continue collecting informations on this subject and make sure the dogs are returned to their owner, okay?"

"Understood," the rabbitman smiled wickedly in the shadow and disappear.

"Wh-what was that?"

"Oh, just a unit of my assa— ahem, information collectors. Well, look at the time, I guess it's time. «Quick change», «TV News»"

Leo used two spells, one to change his cassual clothes to millitary-esque uniform, and the second to start a live transmission over the entire earldom.

"Ladies and gentleman, I am Earl Leonard Hirano Dragonrose and by order of his majesty the king Satou Aurelius Terra Ostillian, I became lord of Zainred Earldom, from now on known as Dragonrose Earldom. You might be wondering about these hexagons flying above you and mysterious white pillars that appeared in every village and bigger city with sunrise. These pillars are known as Barrier posts and they cast «Monster isolation barrier» spell over your homes and fields. If you are ever attacked by bandits, touch the blue crystal and subjugation force will be dispached from the closest knight barracks. Finally, I promise you fair treatment and radical change in tax system. This is all for today, I look forward to working with you," Leo ended his speach with a little nod, which could be conscidered a breach of etiquette, but there was no one who could reprimand him.

"A-are you sure you can do that?"

"Of course. So far we have one Barrier post for every village, but within next three months we will be able to make more of those. As the barriers are rather wide, they actually cover even the fields so harvest getting ruined by monsters should be a thing of the past. Of course if we have more Barrier posts surrounding the villages and towns, we will be able to make the barriers smaller and more powerful at the same time. Not to mention enlarging the fields."

In that moment the glowing orb disappeared.

"Thanks for your worried words, sir viscount. I belive your words helped the people at least a little."

"Huh? They heard me? But how?!"

"Through this spell I used, well, let's get going now," Leo opened a gate to separated space and several people walk through. All of them wore black suits one might see on salarymen or politicians.

"Let me introduce to you, these are my highly trained managers some of which run my shop in the capital."

A woman with brownish black hairs, black eyes and two giant and majestic horns stepped up and bowed to me and the viscount. She was a member of Caprifolk, a capricorn type demihuman, "A pleasure to meet you lord Viscount. I'm second in command of the Dragonwork company, my name is Calpy Camera. His lordship sir Dragonrose asked me to help this earldom back on it's feet."

"A— Yes, I look forward to our future work too," the viscount took her hand and gently shook it.

"Alright, now that that's done, I will go prepare housing for our army."

"Will you be selecting a part of the city?"

"Oh, no. We will expand the city by aproximately two kilometers in each side and partion a part of the new land. I don't want regular civilians get hurt on accident."

***

"Lord Dragonrose… is suprisingly nice."

"He's the ideal man I never found…" Calpy blushed slightly and her squad of bureaucrats nodded behind her all in firm agreement.

"How did you even met, miss Camera?"

"Oh, don't be so polite with me, I was only picked up by lord Dragonrose when I was unjustly turned to slave."

"You were a slave?"

"I was one not so long ago. Lord Dragonrose however decided that after working off two and a half of our buying price, we would be set free. Most of us however remained by his side, continuing to working for him."

"I mean, the wages are decent. We are provided with place to sleep and even have enough food to feed our kids!" another bureaucrat started rantling.

"That's what the only married guy here says!"

That's not something any noble would usually do… I see, he build up his trust with them and they gave him their loyalty back. I wonder if I could do something like that when I was young… nah, let's not get my dreams too high. What's done is done, Viscount smiled to himself and patted his daughter's head.

"I can feel it… everything's going to turn for better now."

"I know right?"