Reborn as the Failed Lord with my Resource Gathering System.

(Valerie Dukedom)

"Unbelievable!!!"

A man with semi-long red hair smashed a golden cup against the wall angrily. He wore a lavishly embroidered velvet robe over a crisp linen shirt.

A heavy gold chain with an ornate pendant rested on his chest, and several rings, each with a precious stone, adorned his fingers.

Seated in the first chair at the dining table, the man, Valerie, one of the three dukes of Lumberg, faced the other workers under him, who were standing at the entrance of the room.

They all had a worried look on their faces; three were men, and two were women, ranging from military leaders to secretaries.

With his brows arched, Duke Valerie uttered with anger, "You're telling me Her Majesty wants to appoint a baron to be the next duke of this nation? What the hell is she thinking?" The Duke clenched his fist, barely hiding his frustration.

"Yes, Your Grace, we only just received the news from the royal capital. Apparently, the baron's name, soon to be duke's name, is Dorian Aurelian, the same man who was behind the success of the Monteli family and also the dragon ore production we were getting." The female worker reported, trying her best to keep her tone tame so as not to upset the Duke in any way.

The information was sensitive; his reaction already proved that.

All she needed to do was give the news as it was and make sure to do so with complete awareness.

The rest had already left the talking to her, so there was not much she could do.

It didn't help that the Duchess was seated at the table as well, although she had not said a word since the message was passed.

Duke Valerie suddenly lashed out.

"What? A baron was the one behind the dragon ore production? I thought the King was the one who did it and decided to keep it a secret from the rest of the nobles."

"You are not the only one who felt that way. It's still hard to believe a baron was the one who did all that. The production of the dragon ores completely boosted the nation's economy, and even all the inventions we had to halt due to the magic crystals being less than efficient."

The female worker paused.

"Then again, I guess it makes more sense why Her Majesty is choosing to give him this promotio-"

"What do the other dukes think of this? Are they also willing to let this happen?" Duke Valerie asked, interrupting the female worker.

"I-I don't know, but I reckon they feel the same way you do, Your Grace," the female worker responded, shaking in fear since the Duke's eyes were solely fixed on her.

The rest of the workers all turned their gazes to the side, trying as much as possible not to be the main focus of attention, not when the Duke was this angry.

"Tsk. Our King. I knew it was a bad choice to make an elf the king of this nation to begin with. Regardless of the number of wars we have won because of her leadership, she is still an amateur when it comes to ruling a nation."

Duke Valerie sighed, then turned his attention to his wife, seated at the dining chair to his right. "Tell me, Lilith, do you agree with this?" he asked.

Lilith, for the first time since the discussion began, slowly raised her head.

She had long, beautiful black hair pulled back in a bun and was dressed in a blue, pretty dress. Meeting her husband's gaze, she uttered,

"My opinion here means nothing. I do not know what the nobles do or how they operate, but if this baron is such a threat to the throne for you, why not just kill him?"

Duke Valerie considered it for a while but later realized that would cause more harm than good for him.

"A good idea, but there is no way it wouldn't come back to haunt me. Unless…" the Duke grinned. "We force the King to renounce this decision. I doubt that baron has the needed military strength to become a duke in the first place. One of you should do research and get back to me."

"Yes, Your Grace," they all responded at once, their heads bowed in respect. After hearing this, the Duke smiled, an idea already cooking in his mind.

…

A couple of days later…

A meeting was being held at the royal capital, where all three of the dukes were present.

First was the Duke of Selvaina, Duke Selvaina Ruai.

The second was the Duke of Gorgia, Duke Teriam Gorgia. And then the last was Duke Valerie himself.

The building where the meeting was being held was a large tower in a small town right in the royal capital.

It was enclosed and far from the public, a place where only the dukes would ever go, mainly because it was made solely for them.

Each of them sat at the round table, their guards standing at their backs, not just for protection alone, but also because it was a way they could flaunt their riches and power each time they met.

While Duke Gorgia was bald and fat, Duke Selvaina was more on the young side: manly and handsome, with black hair swayed to the side of his head.

"Looks like we are all here, so can we start already? I have a lot of things to attend to, and this meeting came up abruptly," Selvaina uttered, his face calm with every word he spoke.

He glanced at Duke Valerie, who was still fuming, and Duke Gorgia, who merely grunted in response.

"Indeed," Duke Gorgia finally spoke, his voice deep and gravelly. "I received the same perplexing news as the rest of you. A baron elevated to duke? It's unheard of. Our traditions are being trampled upon."

Duke Valerie slammed his hand on the table, making the other dukes flinch slightly. "Trampled upon is an understatement! This is an insult to our families, to our lineage! What right does this upstart have to sit among us?"

Selvaina raised an eyebrow. "While I understand your frustration, Valerie, perhaps there's more to this than we know. Her Majesty is not one to make such a drastic decision without considerable thought."

"Thought?" Valerie scoffed. "Her thought is clearly clouded by some new favorite. This 'Dorian Aurelian' must have charmed his way into her good graces. This dragon ore production... I still can't believe a baron was truly behind it."

"Believe it or not," Gorgia interjected, "the facts remain. The royal decree is set to be announced, and if we do nothing, this 'Baron' Dorian will become 'Duke' Dorian."

"And that," Valerie declared, leaning forward, "is precisely why we are here. We cannot allow this to stand. We must present a united front to the Queen. We must demand she reconsider this... preposterous appointment."

Selvaina leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "And what precisely do you propose, Valerie? Do we simply march in and demand she revoke her decision? That rarely ends well for those who challenge the monarch directly."

Valerie's grin returned, a sly glint in his eyes.

"Not directly, no. We will appeal to her sense of tradition, to the stability of the realm. We will present a petition, signed by all three of us, outlining the historical precedence and the potential instability this appointment could cause. We will question his suitability, his military backing, and his influence among the common folk."

Gorgia nodded slowly, a hint of agreement in his heavy features.

"A petition... that could work. It's formal, respectful, yet firm."

"And," Valerie continued, "we will hint at the dissatisfaction it would cause among the other noble houses, the ones who have always held true to the ancient ways. We will make it clear that this decision could fracture the very foundations of our society."

Selvaina sighed. "It's a risky move. But, if successful, it would certainly send a message. Very well, Valerie. I will lend my name to this petition, provided it is drafted with the utmost care and respect, focusing on the preservation of our traditions and the well-being of the kingdom, rather than personal grievances."

"Excellent!" Valerie exclaimed, a triumphant glint in his eyes. "Gorgia, you agree?"

Duke Gorgia let out a deep sigh. "Against my better judgment, perhaps. But if this upstart is truly as influential as they say, we must ensure our positions are not undermined. Draft the petition, Valerie. Let's see what kind of sway three dukes still hold."

A servant entered the room, carrying a tray with three steaming cups of a fragrant herbal tea. He placed one before each duke before retreating silently.

Valerie picked up his cup, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. "This will be a lesson for Her Majesty, a lesson on respecting the established order."

The three dukes sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their decision hanging in the air.

...

[A/N]

I just decided to give a hint at the dukes and what to slightly expect later on from here on out. We will be going to construction and the kingdom building 101 again. Also, Happy new month.