TLN: Several reincarnated individuals have had their names corrected, in light of the Death Mage manga's release clarifying some of their names. Konoe Kyuuji is now Konoe Miyaji, Rikudou Akira is now Rikudou Hajiri and Akaki Akiko is now Akaki Shouko.

A handsome man with a shapely nose fell to his knees with a nervous expression on his face.

Ahead of him was a statue, which had been hastily restored by a craftsman, depicting Vida, the goddess of life and love, as well as the archbishop of the Church of Vida who had been dispatched from the Orbaume Kingdom, who was wearing a gentle smile.

And several nobles and knights were watching them, making sure not to miss this historical moment.

"I, Rudel Sauron, hereby swear to join the twelve rulers and wield my sword for the benefit of the people," the man said.

The archbishop nodded and took a crown from a nearby priest. "I hereby acknowledge thee as Duke Sauron. May the goddess's blessings be upon you," he said in a solemn voice.

And Rudel received the crown... the symbol that could only be worn by one of the twelve dukes with the right to rule. He rose to his feet, and the nobles let out a cheer.

"Long live Duke Rudel Sauron! Long live the Sauron Duchy!"

"Glory to His Excellency, Duke Rudel!"

Some praised Rudel, and others were crying tears of emotion. Many of them were nobles, knights and those serving them; they had fought against the Amid Empire when their invasion came.

They had remained in obscurity and waited for this moment for many years. The coronation ceremony of Rudel, son of the late duke, was a symbol of the return of the prosperity that the duchy had before the invasion, and a great event that marked the end of the war.

"I have caused everyone much suffering, but I thank you for believing in me and following me this far. I hope that you will support me just as you supported my father," said Rudel, giving a composed nod.

Overcome with emotion again, the nobles cheered even louder. The duke himself had acknowledged their deeds and declared that he anticipated more from them in the future. Their revival and further advancements had been guaranteed.

On the other hand, there were also those who remained calm, watching the ceremony with insincere smiles on their faces.

"Congratulations, Duke Rudel."

"But what comes next is the crucial point. Because you must rule the lands that have been laid waste to by the empire."

"Of course, my master has asked me to inform you that he offers his full support."

"Let us join forces and work towards the kingdom's prosperity together."

These were the messengers sent by the dukes and other prominent noblemen from other duchies that supported Rudel.

They were also happy that Rudel, the one they had supported, had won the power struggle and become Duke Sauron without incident. But the important events for them and their masters were yet to come.

Under-the-table payoffs from the project to restore the Sauron Duchy and implementing a new defense policy. Preferential treatment for their later-born children becoming government workers and rights when it came to trade.

They were anticipating all kinds of benefits for themselves.

"Of course," said Rudel. "I am young and inexperienced, but please tell them to take good care of me from now on."

He still needed the masters of these messengers to give him their support.

There was no such thing as too much money for the restoration of the region, the new defense policy and the restructuring of the duchy's army. And although the Amid Empire had withdrawn, there were not enough soldiers to defend the border between the nations.

Rudel could not go on without support.

Compared to those, this was a small problem, but it was likely that he would later feel the effects of having lost almost all the family members he could trust by winning the power struggle.

His father and his older brother, the duke's first son, had died in the war, and his older sister and younger sister had married into families of other duchies. He had defeated the third and fourth sons in the power struggle, and his relationship with the fifth son, with whom he had fought until the very end, was in a particularly terrible state.

His youngest sister had been defeated as well, but she could be of considerable use. Rudel could marry her into a family of considerable status if she asked him to, but it seemed that she had a strange pride preventing her from doing so. Illegitimate children were problematic after all.

Come to think of it, I had one other illegitimate sibling, but he died as well. Well, more importantly, I need to work hard for a while. To think that I would learn from Chichi-ue's example like this... Adopted children aren't very effective, after all.

Rudel had completely forgotten about the now-deceased Raymond Paris, leader of the Reborn Sauron Duchy Army. He felt unpleasant emotions upon realizing that he needed to regrow his family, which had grown smaller due to many of his own generation having been lost.

The fact that he had too many siblings had been the cause of the conflict to succeed the family, but too few and the family's rule would become unstable. If something were to happen to the current head of the family, the government system that had only just been regained would weaken once more.

In fact, it was possible that the siblings who had lost the power struggle were plotting to assassinate Rudel. As Rudel didn't have any children now, if something were to happen to him, they would be able to take the position of duke for themselves.

"Now then, Your Excellency, please present yourself to the people," said the archbishop.

Concealing his feelings of anxiety, Rudel stepped out towards the balcony to wave and show himself to the people who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the new Duke Sauron.

------------------------------------------------------

Rudel sunk into the seat of the office that was now his in the retaken castle and exhaled as if letting out every last breath of air in his lungs.

"Maybe because the crown and overcoat are so resplendent, they're heavier than they look. It's no wonder my shoulders are stiff," he grumbled.

There were two other people in the room.

"You only feel that way because your body was stiff with nerves. You will be accustomed to it after half a year," said one of them, a man with thinning hair and deep laugh-lines on his face who was visibly skilled in offering flattery. If there were a fierce-looking man and a woman wearing an extravagant dress standing next to him, he would have looked like a jester.

His name was Fatherick Dolmad. He was an honorary marquis from the center of the Orbaume Kingdom and the current marshal.

"I am so accustomed to it that I often forget my vestment and the robe that has my family crest on it," he said.

"I think that's unpleasant in itself. You were mistaken for a mere civil official by a soldier just a little while ago," said the other person in the room in a damp tone.

It was an Elf man that was joining in on this conversation between two important noblemen. However, he was far from the stereotypical dainty, elegant Elf.

He had a well-featured face, but it had a gloomy expression on it, and although he was tall, he seemed cat-like as he sat in his chair, making him appear to be of average height. His hair was hanging loosely down to his shoulders and there was a stubble on his jaw. His body was lean but well-trained. He was wearing the kind of leather armor that a new adventurer might wear, and his belt was holding several knives that were the kind that would be sold in bulk at weapon stores.

If it weren't for his long ears, he would look like nothing more than a worn-out, middle-aged mercenary. At the very least, his appearance made it questionable as to whether he was of a status that would allow him to be in this office.

Despite this, the man continued complaining to Marshal Dolmad, still staring at the guest table in front of him. "Just by walking around in public, you're mistaken as a worthless civil official despite being a marquis who is an important supporter of the new Duke Sauron. Do you intend to have all of the soldiers and servants of the castle thrown out for disrespecting a nobleman?"

"'Worthless civil official' – What a terrible way to put it. And despite saying that, I believe that you have a similar appearance, Randolf 'the True'-dono," said Marshal Dolmad.

The Elf man... one of the Orbaume Kingdom's S-class adventurers, Randolf 'the True,' snorted. "You've learned to speak your mind, Fatherick-boy."

Rudel felt as if the temperature of the room had sharply dropped as Randolf spoke these words.This is no ordinary man...

Rudel had been planning to become the general of the Sauron Duchy's army if his older brother hadn't been slain by the Amid Empire. Thus, he was more competent in combat than ordinary noblemen, and he had experienced real battlefields, not just messy power struggles.

Despite that, he hadn't been able to tell how strong Randolf was at all when Marshal Dolmad introduced them to each other.

But no matter how he tried to resist against this man, he would never defeat him. He was absolutely certain of this.

Randolf, who gained the title of S-class over a hundred years ago, praised by everyone as a 'true adventurer.' I suppose it means that he's a cut above the 'Blue-flamed Sword' Heinz, even though they're both S-class adventurers.

Perhaps unaware of Rudel's fearful inner thoughts, Randolf didn't look offended at all, just like Dolmad. As if nothing had happened at all, he took a small bottle of alcohol from his pocket and swigged its contents.

"I'll confirm it before I accept the request. There's no dress code and the only thing I'm lending is my name. Other than the very unlikely case where something happens, I just need to be here. That's right, isn't it?" Randolf asked Dolmad, who was his employer.

The truth was that Randolf had retired as an adventurer long ago. Or to be more precise, he had declared his retirement as an S-class adventurer.

One day, he had told the Guild Master of an Adventurers' Guild branch that he was close to, "I'm not going to accept any requests anymore; I'm just going to go into Devil's Nests on my own and hunt enough to not have any problems feeding myself," and tried to hand in his Guild Card.

If he stopped being an adventurer, he wouldn't be able to have the Adventurers' Guild buy materials or other goods from Devil's Nests or Dungeons, such as the proof of having exterminated the monsters. He would have to sell them to merchants individually or sell them personally.

But Randolf was an S-class adventurer, even though he was technically a former one. Even without his certification as an adventurer and his position in society, he still had the same abilities and experience. As long as he had those, any merchant would want to do business with him.

And Randolf had never had an interest in luxuries. Because he was proficient in the ways of living in forests like many Elves, he could support himself without ever going into a city.

He was a man who would be satisfied hunting suitable prey, making clothes out of fiber taken from plants and beast fur and making alcohol from fruit.

He had acquired the status of honorary nobleman in the kingdom, but he had said, "I don't need it, and I don't need a pension, either."

It was not only the Guild Master, but all of the high-ranking officials of the Orbaume Kingdom at the time that were shaken by these words.

Randolf, an adventurer who represented the nation, would retire despite still possessing power. It would have been a serious affair if the Amid Empire were to recruit him.

The greatest problem of them all was that there was no way of stopping him. That was why they had met Randolf's requests to the greatest extent possible and pleaded for him to act in a way that made it known that Randolf 'the True' was still alive and active, just no longer fighting on the frontlines of battlefields.

Despite all of this, he had just named conditions for his own employment moments earlier.

"I understand," said Dolmad. "And at present, that 'very unlikely case' will not happen. It seems that your name has had an effect."

The Amid Empire, who had retreated, were now just quietly observing across the Mirg shield-nation's border. There were no signs of any empire spies within the Sauron region, nor any signs that anything significant would happen.

Marshal Dolmad had an optimistic view, seeing this situation to be a most favorable one.

And like him, Rudel's wariness was focused on the political wars against the other dukes, as well as the political war against Dolmad who was present here. They were important supporters, but he had no intention of becoming their puppet.

But Randolf apparently had a different opinion.

"Fatherick-boy, are you sure about the resistance guys? And you, young one, what do you intend to do with the former Scylla territory?" he asked, turning to Rudel.

Rudel's face twitched a little upon being referred to this way.

But Dolmad gave a gentle smile. "There is nothing to worry about. We are more than capable of dealing with it," he said.

Using the kingdom's information network, Dolmad and Rudel had sent numerous spies into the Sauron region, and they had been gathering information for a long time.

Among the information was a report that a broken pillar of light and a fierce explosion had been observed on the day that the 'Light-speed Sword' Rickert was defeated.

And then there was the chaos in Duke Marme's army and the information announced by the empire. And the resistance's movements after that... After analyzing them, Dolmad and Rudel had concluded that at present, the resistance organization known as the Sauron Liberation Front had been almost completely wiped out, and the few survivors were making contact with their families.

No, Dolmad had doubted whether the Sauron Liberation Front existed at all for a long time.

His investigation had concluded that their leader, the Liberating Princess Knight, was likely to be Iris, the only daughter of the Bearheart family of knights. However, from a certain point onwards, the entire resistance, including the Liberating Princess Knight herself, had changed too much.

That change could not be explained by the combination of the remnants of the Reborn Sauron Duchy Army alone.

First, they had been drastically more successful in battle than before. And these were not victories using advanced information warfare and strategy; they were piling up victories using pure fighting strength alone. They had become strong within a short period of time, as if they were different people altogether.

On top of that, the amount of goods they were consuming had clearly decreased. Dolmad had investigated and analyzed those thought to be supporters of the resistance, the damage the occupying army sustained and the goods that had been stolen from them, but things clearly didn't add up.

The main body of Iris's resistance were taking almost no medical supplies including potions, arms or food.

There were other strange details as well, such as how more of the resistance members were wearing the holy symbol of Vida and how the Liberating Princess Knight no longer recited the proverbs of Alda as she once did.

Based on these facts, Dolmad had guessed that the core members of the Sauron Liberation Front had been replaced, and that they were in a state where they had no need for external support or the capture of enemy supplies.

In other words, he suspected that the Sauron Liberation Front had been destroyed by the Amid Empire's occupying army at the same time as the Reborn Sauron Duchy Army, and imposters had taken their place.

They were likely a diversion, created to find and gather all of the rebellious people within the Sauron region in one place, and they were actually receiving supplies from the occupying army, creating no need for their own.

It was likely that the Scylla had been killed by the occupying army as well or forced deep into the Boundary Mountain Range.

They had conducted this large-scale masquerade with the final goal of luring the Orbaume Kingdom's army into a trap. The dispatch of the Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords was undoubtedly some kind of plot as well.

But they had then met their destruction at the hands of the powerful Undead that had crossed the Boundary Mountain Range with exceptional timing.

"It seems that there is still contact, but those will surely be the last few who were fortunate enough to survive. They are too insignificant to have any influence. We currently have plans to trace them back to their roots and capture them. If we announce them as dead, then take members that know nothing and turn them into celebrities and knights in the villages and towns, that will be the end of it," said Dolmad.

"That's quite a convenient... dirty way of thinking," Randolf snorted. "Do you not think things are exactly as they said?"

"I do not," Dolmad replied immediately. "I cannot imagine that the resistance escaped unscathed after being caught up in a battle where a powerful Undead defeated the Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords, a group of warriors that are equivalent to A-class adventurers."

They had learned that there were fearsome explosions and two blinding flashes of light that could be seen even from the bottom of the mountain. The Scylla territory was considerably large, but it was impossible to imagine that the resistance could have avoided getting caught up in it.

"That's not what I asked. I'm asking what you'll do if the resistance is innocent," said Randolf, continuing to press Dolmad.

But Rudel interrupted, a stiff expression on his face. "Randolf-dono, that is the kind of political talk that you dislike. I shall refrain from engaging in it," he said.

As Eleanora and Miles had suspected, Rudel had already decided that land would be given to the later-born children of his supporters and the vassals that had served him. At the same time, he knew that Iris and her companions were very likely to be an obstacle to his rule in the future.

He would likely gather the support of many if he were to take Iris as his wife, but it was difficult to imagine that she would accept the other members of the resistance being ignored.

With that being the case, it was better to pretend that they were dead heroes that he could make use of.

Rudel hadn't told Randolf this, but several of the letters sent from the resistance members to their families had been confirmed as authentic via their handwriting. Whether they were truly members of the resistance or traitors that had joined the occupying army didn't matter.

There was already a plan in place to lure them out, strangle them, make them cough up the information they had and then have them disappear. All that was left was to execute it. An investigation of the Scylla territory was planned to take place after that.

If the supporters and lower-ranking members of the resistance wanted to make noise, they would be dealt with appropriately as well.

But Randolf had likely guessed this.

"I see. Everything is used as the Orbaume Kingdom's shield and weapon; everything is for the stability of the Sauron Duchy and the kingdom's