Chapter 755: Disillusioned Fonterra Townsfolk
CH755 Disillusioned Fonterra Townsfolk
***
Alex turned towards Eleanore and Zora.
"How are the books?" he asked.
The expressions of both women immediately darkened.
"Terrible," Eleanore said. "The magistrate’s finances are a complete mess. There’s little doubt that Ralf Hahn embezzled a portion of the Imperial funds entrusted to him."
"That’s not even the worst part," Zora added. "He essentially turned the magistrate’s office into a proxy domain for the Frontier Stronghold. On top of that, he left a serious cancer festering within the territory for us to deal with."
Her expression hardened.
"If not for your instructions to leave him alone and allow him to depart peacefully, I would have ordered someone to drag him back and hang him."
"We expected as much, didn’t we?" Alex replied calmly. "There’s no need to get worked up over it. We simply need to fix the problems."
He gestured towards the documents.
"Please prepare a summary for me. I’ll begin considering solutions while reviewing everything."
After a brief pause, he continued.
"In the meantime, there’s something more important we need to address."
Turning towards Milton, he asked, "Do the people know about my arrival and assumption of control over the territory?"
"Word has spread, sir," Milton replied with a nod.
"Do they care?" Alex asked, his gaze sharpening.
Milton hesitated.
"Don’t worry. Speak freely," Alex said. "I already have a fairly good idea of what you’re thinking. I simply want to hear you say it."
Unfortunately, that only eased the old man’s hesitation slightly.
"Before I answer, may I ask you something frankly, my lord?" Milton asked.
"Go ahead."
"If I may ask... what are your intentions for this territory?"
Alex smiled knowingly.
"You want to know whether I’m like every other noble who has come here before. Another exile sent to the frontier against his will."
Milton neither confirmed nor denied the accusation.
"Well, I chose to come here," Alex said. "I am a pioneer knight. The border is where I belong. Expanding the Empire’s territory is part of my duty."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"For now, the only intention I can openly share is that I intend to reclaim the lands lost to the Great Berserk Beast Forest."
"As for my other intentions, they won’t mean much even if I tell you now. You’ll have to form your own impression of me first."
His gaze shifted towards the window overlooking the town.
"Just as everyone else in this settlement will have to as well."
Alex did not bother telling Milton that he intended to build a territory unlike any the continent had ever seen, nor that he wished to create a better future for its people.
Such promises were likely rhetoric the experienced old man had heard countless times before, only to be disappointed by the reality that followed.
After enough disappointments, even the most inspiring words lost their meaning.
Milton had probably grown numb to such declarations—much like many of the town’s residents.
Rather than spout lofty ideals that would be dismissed as empty lip service, Alex chose to give an answer that was more in line with what Milton would expect from a noble.
With time, once he had built a positive reputation amongst the townsfolk, those seemingly unbelievable ambitions would carry far greater weight.
Milton studied Alex intently.
To be honest, he had been deeply disappointed in the Empire when he first learned of Alex’s appointment.
On one hand, he was pleased that the tumour known as Ralf Hahn was finally gone. But on the other, he feared the Empire had simply replaced him with someone even worse.
To Milton, it had seemed as though the Empire had completely abandoned the territory.
After all, how else was he supposed to interpret the decision to send a youth who had only recently come of age to assume the position of domain lord?
What could a child possibly accomplish?
However, after speaking with the young man in person, Milton realised that, beyond the obvious difference in age compared to the nobles and magistrates previously sent by the Empire, Alex was remarkably different.
As he looked into the youth’s eyes, something strange happened.
For reasons he could not explain, Milton felt something stir within him.
A feeling he had abandoned many years ago—
Hope.
It made little sense to him.
Alex had not yet said anything extraordinary, nor had he accomplished anything noteworthy.
Yet it was as though his aura—his very presence—carried something that awakened the long-buried hope within the old man.
"To answer your question, my lord..." Milton began.
"The citizens have seen many nobles and magistrates come and go over the years. As a result, they are largely indifferent to your arrival."
He paused before continuing.
"They believe you are merely here to build your reputation and accumulate merit. Once you have achieved enough to secure a better posting, they expect you to leave as well."
"As expected."
Alex nodded with a wry smile.
The reaction surprised Milton.
The old man had half expected Alex to throw a tantrum—at least, anything other than simply accepting the situation.
He had seen other nobles lose their tempers over far less.
"Well, in that case, we’ll just have to make it difficult for them to remain indifferent to me," Alex said.
"I thought you’d say that." Zora nodded knowingly. "I’ve already ordered a town gathering for this evening. You can address the people then."
"You know me well."
Alex smiled.
"Of course."
Zora returned the smile.
"My lord, I do not think a mere speech is going to convince the people. They—" Milton began hurriedly.
However, Alex cut him off.
"I know. I have no intention of convincing them with just one speech."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I’ll simply be announcing my arrival. That’s all..."
He paused briefly.
"...for now." He added.
--
Later that evening, most of the adults in town gathered in the main square.
While they might have been indifferent towards the arrival of a new noble, they were not foolish enough to risk offending him by failing to attend.
Alex looked out over the assembled crowd and felt a trace of nervousness.
This would be his first public appearance as the domain lord of the Frontier March.
Knowing that, he forced down his nerves.
"The turnout is better than I expected," Eleanore remarked.
"Do you know what you’re going to say to them?" Zora asked.
"I don’t," Alex admitted honestly. "I’ll just come up with something on the spot while gauging their reactions."
The people who knew him best—Eleanore, Zora, Mogal, Kavakan, and Saul—accepted his seemingly reckless attitude without much reaction.
Milton, however, was another matter entirely.
His doubts only grew.
For a brief moment, he even considered cancelling the gathering altogether before Alex could further disappoint the already sceptical townsfolk.
Fortunately, reason prevailed.
Attempting to undermine a noble in such a public setting would only create greater problems.
Stepping forward, Milton addressed the crowd first, calming the restless murmurs that had begun spreading through the square.
Once the gathering had settled down, he turned towards Alex.
Alex nodded back, signalling for him to continue.
"People of Fonterra," Milton announced, his voice carrying across the square.
"By the will of the Emperor, I present to you your new lord—Count Skywalker, Alex Fury."
***