Chapter 48: The Gift

“I never expected my ordinary blind date to have such a reason behind it,” George said, his face turning a bit sour as he sighed.

Viscount Bolerum comforted him, “Don’t worry too much. His Grace the Duke is just trying his best to make things work. If you really don’t like her, there is no rule forcing you to choose her.”

“I hope that is true. Just having a choice is already good,” George replied, his mood lifting slightly, though he still felt unsure in his heart. After all, His Grace the Duke’s actions had very obvious political meaning, and it would be very difficult to completely refuse them.

Viscount Bolerum seemed confident as he said, “It’s fine. I am a Secretary of the Chamber of Council. His Grace the Duke would not force such matters.”

In this era, a Secretary and a clerk were completely different things. A Secretary of the Chamber of Council, as the name suggests, was the person who turned the King or the Grand Duke’s orders into legal documents or administrative commands. They were also the ones directly supervising the implementation of these documents. In the world George came from before his transmigration, this role was called “Prime Minister” in Britain and “Secretary of State” in America. It was closer to the role of a “Secretary” in Tianchao, a typical official with high status and great power.

George suddenly thought of something. “But I was thinking, if we really merge with the Vexi Territory, relying only on our own production might not be enough for food. We probably need to prepare for this early.”

“This is also the main reason why His Grace the Duke feels confident about us annexing the Vexi Territory,” Viscount Bolerum said, looking very open-minded about it.

George looked up at Viscount Bolerum and said, “It seems Father, you are very enthusiastic about the choice to annex the Vexi Territory.”

“Of course. If other conditions and impressions are similar, I still suggest you choose Miss Clematis. This is the best expansion opportunity for the Bolerum Territory in three hundred years,” Viscount Bolerum said, his eyes shining with unusual light, and his tone even rose a bit.

Then he realized his behavior might have been a bit too much, so he added, “If you really don’t like her, or if you like one of the girls from earlier, then forget it. I believe your choice will definitely be the one that best fits your needs.”

George began to feel that his voice in the marriage arrangement was gradually being eroded by Viscount Bolerum’s desire to expand the territory. However, George could understand his current mood. Just like he had described the situation of the Duchy to George before, the desire and pursuit of new territories seemed to be a common emotion spreading among all the Nobles in the Duchy.

“But I don’t think we are the only ones eyeing that territory. The competition might be very fierce. Even if we get it, we have to be careful that other envious Nobles will cause trouble for us from behind,” George thought about the key points and felt hesitant about the pros and cons of the matter.

Viscount Bolerum assured him that he could rest assured in this regard: “You don’t need to worry about these matters. The Duchy has its own effective unwritten rules. As long as no unconventional methods like coercion or hypnosis are used, no one will interfere afterwards. This is a matter decided by one game.”

“But the current situation is different from usual, Father. Under the instigation of foreign forces, some people are bound to be misled,” George said, his thoughts not as optimistic as Viscount Bolerum’s, influenced by his experiences on the journey. “Do you remember the attack on Greywood Town? Before that, the nearest Gothic Knights were moved to Karada because of the Autumn Hunt. But the real reason was the sudden injury of Sir Orff, who was originally in charge of this task. Although there is no direct evidence linking it to the attack, such coincidence makes people suspicious. I think it would be impossible to complete without the involvement of someone from inside our Duchy.”

Hearing George’s words, wrinkles appeared again on Viscount Bolerum’s forehead. “I will arrange for someone to investigate this clearly. You are right. Under this special background, we really should be extra careful. I actually failed to connect these two matters before, which was a bit of a miscalculation.”

“I think your mind, Father, has probably been focused on how to get the Vexi Territory, so your attention to other matters has naturally decreased,” George said, not sure if he was comforting Viscount Bolerum or making fun of him.

“Indeed, many things have happened in the past half year, making me feel physically and mentally exhausted. If I were not a Formal Knight, ordinary people would have collapsed long ago,” Viscount Bolerum complained a bit about recent events, seemingly not catching George’s hidden meaning.

Despite the complaint, George actually understood the pressure and tiredness Viscount Bolerum faced with his work. “Unfortunately, I can’t help you much in these aspects. After all, communication between the two places is too troublesome.”

“No! You don’t need to be like this. After all, you are still a child. Putting too heavy a burden on you is not beneficial,” Viscount Bolerum quickly advised. “Moreover, you have already helped a lot with this matter. As your father, I am truly very happy with your performance over these years. Your performance in internal affairs over the past four years makes even the harshest people say a good word. In the Duchy, I haven’t found anyone better than you in this regard.”

Hearing this, George thought to himself, ‘It’s just that I have more experience, and it is simply a difference in the direction of development between two civilizations. If the people of this world did not spend too much time improving their own strength, but instead spent time on management and scientific research, then my governance of the territory would not seem so backward.’

Viscount Bolerum was very satisfied seeing George lost in thought, so he immediately took the opportunity to say, “If your past actions only showed your talent in internal affairs, then even with that foundation, your performance in foreign affairs this time is truly moving and surprising! You have shown abilities in both aspects that most people cannot reach. Unfortunately, according to the Duchy’s tradition, people from the same family cannot serve as Secretary for consecutive terms. Otherwise, the choice for the next Secretary would not need much consideration, and you would definitely be more excellent than your father.”

“I have no thoughts about that position. Through your dedication over these years, the relationship between my family and His Grace the Duke has become very close. In the future, that position does not seem so important for the House Bolerum,” George said, looking down to think for a moment before continuing, “It’s like the bird ribs we eat when dining. There is little meat and many bones, making them troublesome to eat, but throwing them away feels like a waste. Giving up the desire for them early on might not be a bad thing. This way, I can focus on improving my own strength and building up the territory.”

Viscount Bolerum first paused, then seemed to understand something. A relieved expression appeared on his face as he said, “Your understanding of these matters is indeed much deeper than that of a father like me. At any time, ensuring one’s own strength is the true foundation. Without this, everything else is like the castle you built on the beach when you were young. It may look beautiful, but it cannot withstand wind and rain, let alone survive in the waves. You who can keep your reason and true self like this will surely walk a much farther path in the future.”

“I will definitely not fail your expectations, Father. Oh, and here is another gift I prepared for you in the territory.” Saying this, George reached into the bag hanging at his waist and handed a leather belt to Viscount Bolerum.

Viscount Bolerum picked up the belt and observed it carefully. The main body of the belt seemed to be made from the cured skin of a magic-shark. Because of the unique structure of the magic-shark’s skin, the cured surface was smooth without wrinkles, and it felt like it had small granular dots when touched. Green silk thread was wound back and forth around both sides of the belt. The belt buckle seemed to be made of Mithril, with special runes carved on it.

“This should be a Magic Item, right? Can you tell me what it does?” Viscount Bolerum looked at it from left to right but couldn’t figure out its exact purpose.

George explained, “This is a product that appeared after an accident during the creation of a ‘Healing Belt’ by someone. I call it a ‘Recovery Belt’. It has lost the ability to give better results when the wearer heals others. Instead, it can slowly provide the wearer with extra recovery of stamina and energy. Val Knight and Ahuatan Knight and I have all experimented with this, proving that it is not only effective for Knights but also has good results. I think this must be suitable for you, who are busy with official duties every day.”

Watching Viscount Bolerum playing with the belt with delight, George continued, “Also, it can provide three treatments for wounds each day for the wearer. These can be used separately or all together. It has quite good healing effects for general injuries. If all three are used together, it is equivalent to a Red Iron Apprentice Rank Priest using a Divine Arts spell to heal serious wounds. But I think you, Father, probably won’t need this point. Do you like this gift, Father?”

“I like it. I like whatever you give me. But wouldn’t a Magic Item be too expensive?” Viscount Bolerum said this, but his happy expression and hand movements betrayed his true feelings.

“I bought this with the profits from the Manor I own. It includes my thoughts of you, Father,” George said, surprisingly showing some emotion.