The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character-Chapter 55: Servant Cedric (21). Claudia’s Goal

One week.

After Cedric’s departure, everyone had to work harder to fill the void he left behind.

The kitchen staff had to begin preparing meals a little earlier, the maids had to move a little faster, and the guards had to stay a bit more alert while monitoring the surroundings.

In other words, with just a bit of extra effort from everyone, Cedric’s absence could be compensated for.

Because he had his hands in so many areas, Cedric’s role in any single department wasn’t as overwhelming as one might expect. It was also due to Cedric himself, who had carefully moderated his involvement to prevent people from becoming overly dependent on him.

Some even marveled at how flawless his departure had been. But Claudia, the one who had benefited the most, felt conflicted.

She had known—had sensed—that Cedric was preparing for “after he left.” But knowing it in theory and experiencing the reality of it were two entirely different things.

Of course, just because his absence was manageable didn’t mean his influence had been small.

“Dorve, Lufopo, and the Paras territories have successfully integrated the blood beasts. Regardless of whether it’s petty thieves or major criminals, people are too wary of the blood beasts to act up. The acting lords of each region are expressing great satisfaction, saying public order has never been this stable.”

“By stationing blood beasts along the roads connecting Eched to allied territories, detecting and dealing with monsters and bandits has become surprisingly easy. Mid- and small-sized merchants, who can’t afford large escorts, are especially pleased.”

“Territories with ties to Young Master Armin remain silent, but those connected to Young Master Ervin and Lady Mira seem eager to align with us. Some have already reached out quietly.”

“The empty lands scattered throughout Eched are rapidly filling with migrants. Since all land remains under domain ownership and is only leased out—with the option to buy at a low price after cultivating it for a certain period—response has been very positive.”

Eched’s growth rate wasn’t a gentle climb up a staircase—it resembled more of a cliffside ascent. Normally, such rapid development came with a wide range of side effects.

Especially in administration. If one responded by suddenly hiring people without proper vetting, there was no doubt it would have turned into a mafia game of spies infiltrating from rival factions.

In fact, people like Armin Redvell had already tried to send spies. But to their disappointment, Claudia’s hiring process was meticulous and extremely gradual.

Thanks to the new administrative system Cedric left behind, which was far more efficient than the previous one, the territory could be managed without desperately increasing staff.

Of course, even with careful screening, it was impossible to eliminate spies entirely. But once inside, those spies found themselves severely limited in action.

After all, the estate, the domain, and even the forests were crawling with blood beasts, their eyes glinting from every shadow.

To be fair, this surveillance wasn’t absolute.

Claudia could receive general impressions from the beasts, but the enhanced blood beasts she used were only marginally smarter than the animals they originated from—unlike pure-blood beasts, which gained intelligence as they became more refined.

A blood beast might be able to convey “Servant A met someone suspicious,” but wouldn’t be able to report what was actually said.

Still, only Claudia knew that.

Spies had no way of knowing how much the beasts could understand and report. So they instinctively acted with caution, again and again.

—Woof! Woof woof!

“The blood beasts used to be kinda scary, but now, aside from their red fur, they’re honestly just cute! I want to take one home and raise it!”

“Sure, I don’t mind. But wouldn’t having one around get in the way of your personal life?”

“Oh, please. It’s not like I’d bring it into the bath. And if someone tries to harm me, I bet they'd freeze just thinking about the lady watching through the beast’s eyes!”

“That’s actually a good point. Maybe we should distribute them to volunteers?”

If they had known this would eventually lead to blood beasts becoming status symbols—proof that someone had “nothing to hide” and that “the lady cares for me”—the spies would’ve either fled or quietly switched sides.

In the past, switching from Armin’s faction to Claudia’s would’ve been an act of suicidal stupidity, unless one had a taste for hardship.

But now that Claudia was rising so fast, switching sides was becoming a valid option.

Still, that didn’t mean there were no problems.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“My lady, Baron Bazeth has once again requested we send more blood beasts to his territory.”

“Tell him no. That man’s been taking bribes from criminals in his domain and ignored the blood beasts’ warnings. Why would I help someone like that?”

There were always those who wanted the benefit of blood beasts but didn’t care about improving public welfare.

“Blood beasts we dispatched toward the capital and the western regions are being killed off rapidly. It appears to be the work of the Sarnos house.”

“Those bastards really want a fight? It’s not even their territory—we sent them to neutral regions! What’s their problem!?”

“The Sarnos family always claimed to be ‘the sword protecting the kingdom.’ It seems they’re trying to assert their dominance in public safety as well.”

Blatant pressure and interference from rival factions.

“My lady, administration and clerical duties are under control, but the field teams—especially the guard units—are struggling. It’s manageable to keep order within Eched, but monster extermination in nearby areas is pushing them too far.”

“Didn’t we hire a bunch of people for that? I heard we recruited a lot of idle migrants.”

“We have the numbers, yes. But the problem is quality. We have very few actual capable fighters. I suggest postponing large-scale extermination missions for now.”

“No. Even if we clean out internal criminals, there’s a limit if we leave monsters roaming just outside our borders.”

But above all else, Claudia’s greatest concern...

Was a lack of military strength.

She had recruited extensively, equipped everyone well, and enforced group action wherever possible. But improving the quality of a fighting force wasn’t something that could be solved through effort alone.

Even the mighty Marquess of Redvell, who dominated in nearly every field, wasn’t considered the undisputed number two in the kingdom—simply because he fell short in military power compared to the Sarnos house.

Swordsmanship systems, magic refinement techniques, talented warriors—everything related to “military might” was gathered with obsessive fervor by the Sarnos family.

In the Birka Kingdom, military force was something money alone could not buy.

“Ugh... Hmm?”

As Claudia groaned in frustration, a memory flickered in her mind.

A meaningless bit of banter she once shared with Cedric.

“...Adventurers.”

“Pardon?”

"Then let's hire some adventurers. They're basically military force you can rent with money, right?"

At Claudia’s suggestion, her retainers wore troubled expressions.

“My lady, it’s true they’re quite skilled, but at the same time, they’re filled with resentment toward the nobility.”

“At least nobles like us, who are based near the capital, aren’t the worst. They say the others are not just trash, but incompetent trash. Isn’t it only natural they hate us?”

“They may act rudely toward you.”

“Would they be worse than Cedric?”

“Cough! Ahem. And, they recently lost their guild master in an overreaching extermination mission. Without that central figure, the guild is reportedly in chaos. Even if you summon them, they may not respond.”

“Still, summon them anyway. Whatever they’re like with people, they’re professionals when it comes to monsters, right?”

Her retainers fell silent.

While Claudia no longer hurled violence and verbal abuse like she once did, her intense nature and ironclad will hadn’t vanished.

Once she set her mind on something, those beneath her had no choice but to follow—no matter their doubts.

A few days later—

An adventurer party arrived before Claudia.

“We are Firefly, a 4th-rank adventurer party. I’m the leader, Blanca.”

A woman with sky-blue hair and matching eyes.

Her outfit—a brown cloak and a sword strapped at her hip—was clearly meant for field work. But her slim build and her refined yet calm tone lent her a surprising air of elegance rather than brutish savagery.

If she changed into a clean formal outfit and sat behind a desk, she wouldn’t look out of place doing clerical work.

But Claudia instinctively sensed it.

“This woman... she’s no pushover.”

Even while standing before Claudia—daughter of the Redvell family, one of the most powerful houses in the Birka Kingdom—this Blanca woman looked at her with calm, evaluative eyes, unshaken by fear or envy.

In contrast, the other party members behind her were clearly trying to hide their anxiety or fear behind false bravado or stoicism.

“I’ve heard of Firefly. You’re the ones who took down a lich, right?”

“I wasn’t alone. I simply shared the credit with someone far more heroic and devoted than I.”

“Is that so? Well, I don’t care about reputation. I’m more interested in skill. You saw the request, right? I want your party to operate around Eched and regularly eliminate monsters in the surrounding wilds. The contract lasts six months initially, with possible extensions. There are bonuses for exceeding kill quotas or defeating special targets not covered in the base contract. Any objections?”

“There’s no issue with the contract itself. I just have one personal question, if you’ll allow it.”

“A personal question?”

Claudia tilted her head briefly, then gave a nod.

“Sure. Ask.”

“What’s the purpose of this request?”

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Blanca looked directly at Claudia with her signature composed gaze.

“I saw the state of Eched on the way here. A lot of people were smiling. It must mean this is already a good place to live. So why spend a fortune to aim for even more? Why not settle for the way things are?”

Claudia didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Because ‘a good place to live’ isn’t enough. I want the best domain. And one day, I’m going to make the entire Birka Kingdom like that.”

“A noble of Birka saying that? Nobles like you don’t usually care how the people live, do you?”

The tone was provocative, and the color drained from the adventurers’ faces. Meanwhile, Claudia’s retainers turned red with anger.

Just as the knights of Eched were about to step forward, Claudia raised her hand and held them back. Then she answered.

“Yeah, I didn’t care before. And to be honest, even now I just care more than before—not like I’m head-over-heels for the people or anything.”

“Then why?”

“Because the one who saved me wanted a country like that.”

At those words, Blanca’s breath caught.

Her hand—clenched in a fist bearing a ring—briefly tensed, then relaxed.

Then, Blanca bowed her head.

“...I understand. I apologize for the rude question.”

“Forget it. So? Will you work with me?”

“I may walk a slightly different path than you, my lady, but I also have a purpose I must follow. And I think that purpose isn’t too far from the one you’ve set for yourself.”

“Hm.”

Claudia made a small sound through her nose.

She wasn’t known for being especially generous, but for some reason, she felt like she and this adventurer might get along.

“You said your name was Blanca, right? I’ll be counting on you.”

“And I look forward to working with you, Lady ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Claudia.”

The two exchanged a gentle smile.

***

Meanwhile, in the Golden Cloud Palace—

“...I think I’ve been behaving too modestly until now.”

At the Crown Prince’s words, Lucidra choked on her laughter.