The Banfield family's spaceport.

Ellen's ship, a super-dreadnought class battleship, was docked.

As I came to see off the departure of the more than three-thousand-meter-long battleship, Ellen performed a knight's salute to me.

"Well then, Master, I shall be on my way."

"Yeah, go on. And I'll leave the decision regarding the viscount's house to you."

Ellen had returned temporarily to settle the matter of the Issen-ryu school.

As a minor bonus, she consulted with me about her current mission.

The planet Ellen is in charge of has apparently lost its head, and the family members are in the midst of a bitter struggle, vying for the position.

It's truly foolish of them to be fighting amongst themselves when a threat like me is approaching.

Perhaps Ellen was thinking the same thing, as she furrowed her brow slightly when the topic of the viscount's house came up.

"Is it alright to destroy them? It will be a burden on the Banfield family, though."

It's not as simple as just destroying the viscount's house and being done with it.

Afterwards, there is the responsibility of governing the planet we've taken.

Naturally, it would be necessary to dispatch troops and bureaucrats from the Banfield family.

"Do as you please. I gave you that authority for a reason."

I've had them call themselves the Knight Numbers and all, but it's impossible for me to govern this ever-expanding territory alone.

In the end, I have no choice but to entrust it to someone, just like the Empire does.

I'd rather just leave it to an artificial intelligence, but Amagi is so strongly against it that I've given up on the idea.

Ellen offered a smile, just enough not to break her dignified composure in front of her subordinates.

"Please await good news."

Seeing Ellen's confident expression, I felt a sense of satisfaction.

It's gratifying that the swordswoman I raised with my own hands has also become a first-rate knight.

Though it's hard to call this the behavior of a corrupt lord.

"I'll be waiting."

If I kept watching Ellen, I wouldn't be able to maintain my dignity as a corrupt lord, so I turned my back.

I felt a pride like a child leaving the nest—and a sense of loneliness.

◇

The office in the mansion.

While feeling lonely, I was processing the ever-increasing amount of work.

"She still has some unreliable aspects, but Ellen has grown into a fine adult. Is it about time to think about a second or third apprentice?"

A swordsman of the Issen-ryu school must raise three apprentices.

Since I've raised a splendid swordswoman in Ellen, my quota is now down to two.

I had muttered to myself out of loneliness, but Amagi was also in the office.

She was assisting me with my work.

In the past, our positions were reversed.

Amagi handled the territory's affairs, and I learned various things by her side while helping out.

I feel that I've grown since I was a child, but I feel nostalgic.

—Somehow, I've been reminiscing about the past a lot lately.

Amagi stated her opinion on my remark.

"I understand you're lonely now that Lady Ellen has become independent, but you do not have the time to train an apprentice right now, Master."

With the battle against the Empire looming, I have no time to be raising an apprentice.

Amagi is right.

"That's true. Besides, it seems like it would be a pain to find a talented child in the first place."

My meeting with Ellen was a coincidence.

It was when I was observing the state of my territory, looking for the right timing to act like a corrupt lord.

In the end, I couldn't act like a corrupt lord that time.

There were idiots running rampant in my territory, so I couldn't commit any proper evil deeds befitting a corrupt lord.

As I decided to postpone training an apprentice, Amagi turned her face toward me.

It seemed she had discovered some data that caught her attention.

"Master, the investigation report on Lord Edward's recreational facility has been compiled. I have already reviewed it, and I believe you should look it over as well."

"Ed's recreational facility? It seemed like a bunch of rich people were gathering there, so he must have been making a decent profit. I'm looking forward to Ed's growth—huh?"

It was Ed's facility, the one who said he'd aim to be a corrupt lord, so I naturally believed he was raking in the cash.

My chest had swelled with anticipation for my son's efforts, but after reading the report, I was left speechless for several tens of seconds by its terrible contents.

As I trembled, Amagi calmly explained the contents beside me.

"Upon investigating Lord Edward's subordinates, it seems he was hiring people who had drifted in from outside the territory. That in itself is not a problem, but it appears several spies had infiltrated."

Many of those hired were of suspicious origin.

"Suspicious" here doesn't refer to their social status or anything like that.

It's the fact that their home planets and their reasons for being in the Banfield territory are unknown.

If they were well-trained spies, I could accept that they had managed to infiltrate.

However, many were just common ruffians.

They were people from the underworld—the kind of people I hate.

"I wasn't told that people of suspicious origin had free entry."

The worst part was that such small-fry had easily infiltrated my home planet.

To resolve my question, Amagi reported the details.

"It seems the person who gathered the people used Lord Edward's name."

So even if their origins were suspicious, they were able to get in because Edward's backing—in this case, the Banfield family—guaranteed their status.

"What about the guy who gathered the staff?"

"We have already captured and interrogated him, but no connection to the Empire has been confirmed. The possibility of him being an agent also seems low."

"Someone from the underworld? How did he get in contact with Ed?"

"It was reportedly through an introduction from a friend at the recreational facility. I'll bring up the data."

Looking at the screen projected before me, the face of a man who had committed crimes on other planets was displayed.

It seems he came to the recreational facility Ed had set up, and his sponsor at the time was someone related to a vassal house.

That person was the son-in-law of the heir to a baronial house that relies on the Banfield family.

"—Even if a noble is the sponsor, I want thorough background checks from now on."

"We had been doing so, but this time it seems the male sponsor was threatening the staff behind the scenes."

"He's really underestimated me."

Someone related to a vassal I'm looking after, acting as they please in my territory—I will absolutely not forgive that!

"Tell the baron to deal with him. If he tries to protect him, destroy the baronial house as well."

As I trembled with anger, Amagi stared intently at my face.

"What is it?"

"I had predicted that, in your current state, you would prioritize your relationship with the baronial house and handle this matter internally. Your judgment in these matters hasn't changed since you were a child."

From Amagi's perspective, my decision is probably inefficient.

There's no need to go out of my way to pick a fight with a baronial house just to dispose of one person related to a vassal.

In terms of effort, my judgment is wrong.

"It doesn't matter. I'll crush anyone who looks down on me! —That's all there is to it."

"Very well, I will proceed as you have instructed, Master."

"Do so. That aside—summon Ed!"

That idiot son of mine. What's this about aiming to be a corrupt lord!

I expected he wouldn't be running it properly, but I didn't expect it to be this bad.

He betrayed my expectations!!

◇

Summoned to Liam's office, Edward held complex feelings toward his father.

(My master is in love with Father—what am I supposed to do about this?!)

More than he himself had realized, Edward was in love with Ellen.

She was his master who had always been by his side, a sister figure, and his first love.

He had been made to realize that such a person was in love with his own father.

Not much time had passed, and Edward, summoned by Liam before he could sort out his feelings, cried inwardly.

He even considered consulting Liam about Ellen's situation.

Wouldn't Liam support his son's love life? He had such a faint hope, but he also thought that if he did that, Ellen might come to hate him.

He had been spending his days stewing in his own thoughts—but today, Liam was angry.

"What is this?"

"This? Oh, ah, is it the balance sheet for the recreational facility? It ended up in the red because you destroyed it, Father."

(Is he talking about profits? I was in the wrong, sure, but he could have at least let it turn a profit before destroying it.)

The recreational facility he had gone to the trouble of setting up had been smashed to pieces before it could generate any profit.

He had predicted that Liam was angry about the loss, but it seemed he was wrong.

Liam slammed his fist on the desk, making a loud thud!

"I don't care about the deficit! You look at this balance sheet and notice nothing?!"

Even being told that, Edward couldn't understand what Liam was angry about.

"Even if you say that..."

As Edward was at a complete loss, Liam looked at Amagi and gave a small nod.

Amagi projected a screen in front of Edward, and an animation began to play.

It showed the flow of money in the recreational facility.

Amagi explained calmly.

"Regarding your recreational facility, Lord Edward, an intermediary who provided the staff was involved. The majority of the profits were flowing to them, leaving your own profits, Lord Edward, to be quite meager."

The majority of the profits were being siphoned off, and after that, he was paying the maintenance costs for the facility.

The profit Edward received was small.

Liam was irritated by this fact.

"You were being unfairly deprived of the profits you should have been making. —And yet, you were blissfully unaware, just living your life."

Edward finally understood what Liam was trying to say.

He understood, but from Edward's perspective, he wanted to tilt his head and ask, "Is that all?"

In the first place, he had never even considered making a profit from the recreational facility.

"It's a facility I set up as a hobby. It's obvious that profit wasn't a consideration. Besides, with my allowance, I could have maintained it just fine even without any profit."

The expression vanished from Liam's face.

"So you were relying on the Banfield family's profits? Is that why you didn't feel a thing even when the profits from your own facility were stolen?"

Edward was bewildered by Liam's reaction.

"N-no, not to that extent. But even if I did make a profit, it would be a trivial amount."

Considering the amount of money the Banfield family dealt with, Edward's recreational facility was just pocket change.

But Liam would not forgive this.

"And you call yourself an heir?!"

"Eek!?"

As Edward cowered, clutching his head with both hands, Liam stood up from his seat and gestured wildly as he passionately made his case.

"Listen up and remember this. Those who have slighted you once to gain an unjust profit will do the same thing again and again. They'll get carried away and pursue their own interests to no end. By the time you realize it, it might already be too late."

"N-no, the only thing I had free rein over was the recreational facility."

"From there, they could potentially worm their way into the Banfield family."

"Surely they aren't that stupid."

(They must be aware that they'll be killed if they mess with us.)

However, Liam's gaze remained stern.

"Is that all you can grasp? Do you have no intention of succeeding me?"

Edward took this as being questioned on his resolve as a lord.

"I-I do!"

When he replied, Liam gave him a skeptical look.

"I wonder about that. From where I stand, you lack both ability and resolve. It seems I've been spoiling you too much. From now on, you will assist me."

"What?! No, um, I'm still studying."

He said that managing a territory was impossible for him, but Liam seemed to have no intention of changing his mind.

"This is a chance to learn on the job. Ellen has gone to seize the viscount's planet. It's a perfect opportunity, so I'm leaving it to you. Try governing it by giving orders from this mansion."

Told that it was being left to him, Edward shouted.

"That's impossible!"

"No."

"In the first place, if a half-wit like me governs, it will cause trouble for the viscount's people, won't it? You hate that sort of thing, don't you, Father?"

He thought that if he said this to Liam, who was known as a wise lord, he would back down.

However, Liam just snorted.

"That's perfectly fine. As long as you grow from it, it doesn't matter if the people suffer."

"You can't do that!"

(A wise lord can't say something like that!!)

This was different from the reactions he had heard about Liam.

It seemed Liam didn't care about the people at all.

"Do you hate the idea of the people suffering that much?"

"Y-yes, I do."

Liam directed a scrutinizing gaze at the hesitating Edward.

"I can't say I believe those words come from the heart—but in that case, you'd better do your best to govern. Let's see just how far you can go."

Once the conversation was over, Liam, as if having lost interest, quickly returned to his work.

Edward, having been given an unreasonable task, had tears in his eyes.

(Everything is just a complete mess!!)

Edward had no idea how to face the suddenly strict Liam.