15 Sigmarzeit
We located my townhouse in short order. It was...it had seen better days. Nothing that a big purse of gold and hard labor can't fix. I have the gold, two hundred crowns I gave to my wife and bade her set our house in order. The vagrants occupying my property provided the labor. It was that or go before the magistrate. Those who didn't manage to run away chose the former. I'm pretty sure they intended to flee during the night, so I had them locked in the basement. Work will set them free, so to speak. Not their usual lowlife shenanigans.
The evening I spent in the company of my liege, Graf Gregor. He was holding court of sorts in the part of the ducal compound reserved for the lord of Lady's Vale. It later turned out he's the lord of Widow's Vale, and this caused some confusion until it was revealed that the von Jungfreunds had all but abdicated and were hiding up in the mountains. So Graf Gregor, my liege, was graciously looking after their lands and their castle. With the Emperor's blessings, of course.
Lord Gregor was a most agreeable sort, much more so than his guards, and especially their Captain, Herr Jendrick. Yokels and ruffians the lot of them. The graf promised to look into my claim - my irrefutable claim I hasten to add - and get back to me shortly. A mere formality I was assured.
16 Sigmarzeit
Rode out to have a look at the Liberungen lands. Half a day's easy ride south of Übersreik on the road to Huperberg there is a fork in the road. Easy to miss as it's hardly more than an overgrown rut. Not much traffic. The land was suitable for farming but had lain fallow for years. A village, mostly abandoned, we found on the east bank of the Verfelfluss. Had a chat with their leader, if he can be called such. A farmer by the name of Hubert. Told him the good news: a new lord has come and all will be well.
The manor was less of a run than the townhouse and less of a run than the village, but thoroughly stripped of anything of value and showing the signs of years of neglect. The other buildings were in less fine shape and may require tearing down or at the very least some extensive redecoration. Old Liberung may have died only five years ago, but the rot set in long before that. But the walls were still standing and the roof (mostly) keeping the rains out, so there is that. A chest of gold and all will be in good order. I need my 20.000 gold from the inheritance and the 10.000 I'm owed in Bögenhafen. And my part of what Josef sells downriver.
17-33 Sigmarzeit
The rest of the month went by so fast!
I hardly had time to sleep. I worked hard all day from around noonish well into the evening. So many things to plan, so many things to set in motion. A townhouse, a village, and a manor. I want it all done tomorrow. Tools and building materials. Supplies for the workers. Soldiers to be hired and equipped. Hubert coming into town to look for men and women with farming experience. Brunda came to have a look at the fief and reluctantly (what a sourpuss) agreed to go back home and bring some dwarf friends. Emmaretta installed herself at the manor and took to the hills. The evenings were filled with song and wine, the nights with all Wigmar's lovely women.
Strange how labor for one's own gain feels hardly like work at all. And when you are amply rewarded with women and wine every night, why then suddenly the dreamlands are less pleasant than the world of the waking.
My life has truly been blessed by Sigmar. Or Ranald maybe. Who knows. Blessed anyway.
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