Chapter 162: My humblest apologies once again!

“My sincerest apologies!!!”

Viscount Frenco shouted so as he jumped in the air and then immediately prostrated himself upon landing.

Huh, I’ve seen this scene before, haven’t I?

“Ahm, much like with Viscount Dolz, I don’t really get why you’re apologizing, but…”

“I believe that, much like me, Viscount Dolz apologized to you and to everyone for being such a selfish, egocentric lord.”

“Yes, exactly. My humblest apologies once again!”

Like always, the immediate and drastic reform of people were quite frightening.

But then again, wouldn’t our rehabilitation facilities make the world become a peaceful place…?

“I’ve seen the error of my ways, and from this point on, I want to do my absolute best for the territory and the people! I’ve of course made peace with Viscount Dolz. We plan to deepen our friendship while helping one another in developing our territories. Isn’t that right, Viscount Dolz?”

“Most definitely. Let’s do our best together, Viscount Frenco!”

The two seemed to now have a better relationship.

“Be that as it may, I wonder why I hated you so much? I can’t quite understand it now. If we maybe tried back then to talk properly, we might have seen we had lots of things in common. Who knows, we might have become great friends…”

“Now that you mention it, even though we attended the academy at the same time, we’ve never really tried to get to know another.”

“…I guess if there’s anything to blame, it was my envy of you, Viscount Dolz.”

“Your envy of me?”

“You were so good in the martial arts that I’ve never once been able to beat you. Moreover, your physique was so manly. You were so popular among the female students back then, you know.”

“I was manly…? B-but if you say that, I must mention how you eclipsed me in terms of studies. Moreover, you looked so refined. So, if anyone’s envious, it’s me.”

“I looked refined? No, for men, it’s better if we looked like you…if I was a girl, I’ve no doubt…”

“No, no, if I was a girl, a man like you is…”

“…Viscount Dolz”

“Viscount Frenco…”

Huh? What’s happening?

The two of them just stood there and looked at each other with watery eyes.

“A-anyway… Good luck to the two of you. If there’s anything you need, I’ll do my best to help.”

At that moment, the two of them prostrated themselves once more.

“We’d like to ask your help in building a city almost as magnificent as yours in our territories.”

“We beg you!”

Aren’t you asking for too much so soon? I mean, I did say I’ll do my best to help, but what happened to that resolve of yours earlier?

“Don’t get us wrong, we will still try our best. It’s just that we know for a fact that no matter what we do, we still couldn’t build a city as marvelous as yours. Given that, it’s understandable that people wouldn’t want to live in our territories. Before long, it’s possible there wouldn’t be anybody left.”

“The same, of course, applies to our Frenco territory. However, we’ve heard of a rumor. That you, Luke-sama, have built a new city in the northern region of the Albert territory, and that that city could rival your first one. So, we thought that if you could do the same for our territories, perhaps then we can somehow defend against the dwindling of our population.”

Rather than say I built a new one, it would be more accurate to say I rebuilt it.

““But then again, I wouldn’t mind if you took over my territory, Luke-sama!””

“Wait, seriously, what happened to that resolve you had earlier!?”

“Our resolve was to make our territories a better place. As long as that happens, I have no problem at all if I’m not in control anymore.”

“It’s as Viscount Dolz says.”

The two of them have reached the realm of complete selflessness…

“It’ll complicate things for me, so I’ll have to decline…”

If I suddenly become the ruler of two territories, my father would have something to say, to put it mildly.

That thing with the Albert territory’s North was somehow fine because it was a behind-closed-doors kind of thing.

“But I don’t mind agreeing to rebuilding some cities. It comes with some conditions though.”

“Conditions…?”

“Firstly, your territories will be incorporated into my village. Next, your citizens would be registered as my villagers. Don’t worry though, it’s just for my Gift to work. On the surface level, nothing will change at all.”