Perhaps concerned about the future of the fortress city of Murcia, Panamera and Targa both gazed at Murcia's bowed head, their expressions difficult to read.
I cleared my throat, catching Targa's attention.
"Next, I have a request for you, Targa."
"Yes! Please, feel free to ask anything!"
At my call, Targa quickly switched gears and responded energetically. As expected from a true knight.
"I would like you, Targa, to eventually govern the town as the deputy. I know it may be difficult, considering your status as head of the baronial family, but please work alongside Espada to develop new talent. Through that, I want you to learn Espada’s knowledge of land management."
Upon hearing this, Panamera chuckled.
"In the end, doesn't this mean you're asking him to become one of Espada’s disciples?"
"Ugh...! But it's absolutely necessary for becoming a deputy!"
Panamera had pointed out something I was reluctant to say, and I found myself almost on the verge of tears, trying to explain myself. Targa gave me a wry smile and shook his head.
"No, it’s fine. I don’t think of myself as having become a baron yet... But..."
"...But?"
I caught a hint of hesitation in Targa’s words, prompting me to ask. He then opened his mouth with a determined expression.
"If possible, I would like to learn the duties of a lord from your side, Van-sama."
"Huh? From my side?"
I was so shocked by his words that I repeated part of his sentence in disbelief. He nodded deeply in agreement.
Espada closed his eyes, seeming to consider the matter carefully.
"...That might be a good idea. Eventually, I’ll leave the smaller matters to subordinates. If you learn the basic knowledge needed as a lord, you could learn the philosophies and foresight from Van-sama, which would surely benefit future alliances."
Even Espada started saying strange things.
"Eh? There's nothing for me to teach!"
I said, wondering what they were both talking about, but both of them shook their heads in unison.
"No, there is."
"Van-sama has gathered allies such as the Apkallu and Dwarves, who are impossible to subdue under normal circumstances. He has also gained the favor of His Majesty, and was granted independence and a noble title earlier than anyone else. In fact, even upper nobles might want to learn from Van-sama."
"Ugh, I’m completely misunderstood here..."
I couldn’t help but mutter that under my breath at their reactions. But Till and Kamshin quickly shook their heads in response.
"That’s not true!"
"Van-sama is the greatest lord there is!"
"Ahahaha, thank you."
The over-the-top praise from the two made me smile naturally. Arte, sitting next to me, also smiled gently.
"If you observe the people living in Ceat Village, anyone would feel the same."
At Arte’s words, Panamera grinned slyly.
"...Oh?"
"Wha—what is that smile?" I asked, slightly embarrassed. Panamera shrugged, glancing back and forth between Arte and me.
"I was born with this face. I won’t apologize for it. Anyway, I’ll observe a bit more of Ceat Village before heading to the territory. I’ll use it as a reference for my own land management."
Panamera murmured, then leaned back in his chair, stretching lightly. With a resigned smile, Targa looked over at me.
"...I’m serious about wanting to learn under Van-sama."
"Targa? Are you implying I’m not serious?" I teased, and laughed dryly at the sudden shift in conversation. I sighed as the expectations seemed to skyrocket.
"...Alright, I get it. We’ll go with that. By the way, Panamera, how do you plan to manage your territory? The town is still largely governed by the citizens of the Yellenetta Kingdom, right? And it's a town with a population of over five thousand."
It was a mid-sized town that had been part of an enemy nation until recently. It housed a fortress that served as a strategic defensive point and was one of several in the region. The education on the Scuderia Kingdom was likely based on the premise of defending against enemies, but now, even though they'd lost and became a vassal state, the hostile mentality wouldn’t just disappear.
And now, Panamera, who had never governed a land before, was planning to bring a few hundred personal knights. If things went wrong, there was a real risk of rebellion.
Worried, I asked the question, but Panamera waved it off as if it was no big deal.
"First, I’ll educate the current deputy and bureaucrats. Then, if the town has its own knight order, I’ll make them submit by force."
"Yeah, sounds about right."
Well, if anyone could handle that, it would be Panamera. In a few years, the town that used to belong to the Yellenetta Kingdom would surely transform into Panamera’s fortress city, Cayyenne.
"...Is one month enough? If you’re planning on restructuring the town, wouldn’t it be better to gather the land managers and knights first?"
Murcia, looking concerned, asked this, but Panamera squinted his eyes in irritation.
"There shouldn’t be any problems. In a week, I’ll have met everyone and ensured they won’t even think of rebelling."
"Is that so... I apologize for my overstep."
Murcia bowed apologetically. At that, Dee let out a loud laugh.
"Ha-ha-ha! Indeed, as expected of Lord Panamera! She’s a reliable ally, Van-sama!"
"Yeah, really..."
I silently added to myself, thankful that she wasn’t our enemy.
And so, the future course of action for the Viscount Van House, the Count Panamera House, and the Targa Baron House was decided. Before I knew it, our lands and allies were growing, and I felt ever more secure. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were turning a bit too militant.
Well, as Ceat Village’s population continued to grow, we were becoming increasingly self-sufficient, not only in primary industries like agriculture, forestry, and hunting, but also in secondary and tertiary industries. Soon, I’d be able to enjoy a leisurely, decadent noble life as the innocent genius boy, Van.
Now, let’s keep pushing forward.
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