96. Crumpled Report Card (1)
Several days had passed since I visited Rusmayer.
From going out without a word to staying out overnight, Claire stopped me, but that was it.
Claire, not to mention Arina and Isabella, didn’t visit my room as they were preparing for the Eastern Nobles’ Conference that they would be attending soon.
It was a busy time for everyone.
As nobles and as Vagrants.
However, I was in a situation where I had a fire under my feet.
The fact that Carsein would be getting a territory this quarter only appeared as a message, and after choosing the options, there were no detailed management methods.
I didn’t bother with it since it was just a matter of doing some calculations in my head from a window with a few buttons.
In other words, this scene doesn’t appear in the game.
Even managing the territory is something I’m facing in reality, not in the game, so it was a time when variables could arise at any moment.
“Whew. To think I have to take care of all this myself.”
My mind is preoccupied as I check and confirm the documents one by one.
Episode III. Proof as a Lord can only be cleared by satisfying a total of four conditions.
The first is to defeat the knights of Count Modric and let the residents know of their tyranny.
The second is to free the territory’s people from the threats of the neighboring nobles.
The above two have already been resolved.
But the rest of it was problematic.
[ 3. Connect the Rusmeyer Territory to another territory to ensure sufficient trade. ]
Isolated Rusmeyer must seek out other trade partners, and naturally it opts not for the nearby territory, but rather for the one across the Waglu Mountains.
So this condition is the project of building a road through the Waglu Mountains.
In any case, so long as a road is paved over that mountain, trade with other territories will become possible.
However, unlike back then when I was able to get away with just pressing buttons, now I’m the one who has to carry out that project.
Furthermore,
[ 4. Revive the Rusmeyer Territory as its lord by the time of the Eastern Lords’ Assembly. ]
Condition number 4, which I could have essentially ignored, has become all the more pressing.
[ Progress: 9% ]
[ Subjects’ Ability to Carry Out: 67% ]
[ Subjects’ Dissatisfaction: 0% ]
…
…
All sorts of numbers were displayed and occupied space in the status window.
And at the very bottom.
[ Comprehensive Achievement Rate: 3% ]
The comprehensive achievement rate that would determine whether or not I satisfied this condition was indicated with a single digit.
In short, in order to satisfy conditions 3 and 4, I have to make this project a success.
I have to carry out this grave project of reviving the Rusmeyer Territory with my own two hands.
Common sense dictates that it’s impossible.
How could Karsein, who’s never even taken a proper lesson from a noble family, possibly revive a territory that’s on the verge of collapse?
I’ve never learned, and I’ve never had the chance to learn.
I’ve brandished a sword, but I’ve only ever had one chance to govern a territory. And even that ended up as Shattern’s shame and the worst possible outcome for a noble governing a territory.
And yet, that Karsein is supposed to revive a territory?
By the time of the Eastern Lords’ Assembly, no less?
That’s just ridiculous.
For the time being, I have no idea how I managed it.
I have no idea what happened in the game.
But it says I succeeded, so what can I say?
However.
If it’s a country with plenty of modern knowledge, I can at least give it a shot.
“Lord Karsein.”
Camilla had arrived at just the right time.
“Come in.”
“Pardon the intrusion.”
She’s not only the person who burdens me the least in the Rusmeyer Territory, but also the one who knows the most about Rusmeyer.
And now she’s also a maid who carries out the tasks I give her.
‘I can tell just by looking at her face.’
I don’t even have to ask her how it went.
My guess was spot on.
Otherwise, Camilla, who had been managing Rusmayer for a long time, would not have made such an expression.
“As the lord said, Mount Wagle is a large structure with one large bedrock protruding, so the territory of the demons does not extend to the deep places.”
“As expected.”
“As a result of the investigation, the demons were mostly located in the outskirts. In other words, they were located in places that circled our village. It seems that if we put up a fence, we can use it as a passage.”
“You investigated that much, so it means that the exploration was carried out, so you must have made the drawings I mentioned?”
“Yes. The residents who conducted the exploration made it very carefully.”
She handed me three drawings.
Each drawing showed the strength of Mount Wagle, divided by the front and side.
The moment I saw it.
I smirked.
“Camilla. We’re scrapping the existing road construction project. Tell the residents to stop as well.”
“Yes, yes?”
It was not strange for Camilla to make such a sound.
The project of paving a road on Mount Wagle was shared only with Camilla.
She asked with concern.
“Lord. I’m sorry, but I’d like to ask the reason. Even if we proceed with this project right now and conduct transactions with other territories, it will be late… The reason you canceled it…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but I knew what she wanted to say.
“I understand that you’re worried. Even if you proceed as it is, there won’t be enough, so you must have wondered what you were thinking about when you canceled it. However, I’m not trying to withdraw that project without thinking. I have no intention of giving up Rusmayer.”
“Then… I dare to ask, even though it’s a bit too much. Why did you cancel it?”
“We’re running out of time.”
“Time?”
“The reason I became the lord of that territory is to gain the authority to participate in the Easternnoble Conference. If we proceed with that project, it will be very late.”
If we cancel this project, the Rusmayer territory will be ruined.
Not only that, it might become the second Shatran territory.
Moreover, there is a possibility that this notoriety will be placed entirely on Carsein, and an irreversible situation will occur.
But what’s more urgent than that is time.
‘If you lose the authority to attend that meeting, it’s a bad ending right away.’
The Shatran territory is growing increasingly hostile towards Carsein.
You never know when, where, or how you might die.
In the game, there was even a bad ending where you were left alone for too long and ended up getting killed by the villagers.
So, we need to shorten the time.
No matter what it takes.
“Well… I didn’t intend to reveal it now, but it’s okay if it’s just you, Camilla.”
“Yes?”
I drew a line on the drawing as if it were nothing.
And I handed her the document next to it as if it were nothing.
Camilla, who was looking at the two, gasped at that moment.
“Shh. You understand?”
There was no need to explain further.
***
‘My goodness…’
Camilla, who came out of Carsein’s room with her head hung low, still felt as if a large hammer had struck her head.
Considering the situation that Ruthmayer was in, the plan to make a road by cutting down Mount Waglu and going over to the territory was not something that could be attempted easily.
It was a choice that could only be made after thoroughly studying Ruthmayer’s territory and not missing any blind spots.
However, withdrawing it was not something that could be attempted even more.
Because if he made a mistake, Ruthmayer would clearly become the second Shatran and attack Carsein.
Nevertheless, Carsein did not bend this decision.
By presenting reasonable grounds for it.
By producing a formula from a completely unexpected direction.
He came up with the answer to this difficult task, which included reducing it to two conditions and a time limit.
Walking blankly through the hallway, Camilla recalled that conversation over and over again.
Then, suddenly, a voice pulled Camilla’s attention, which had become hazy, back sharply.
-Snap!
Tasya clapped her hands in front of Camilla, who was walking blankly, and roused her senses.
“Camilla. Your mind is elsewhere.”
“…!”
It was her mother, Tasya.
However, she was not a mother now, but a head maid.
Tasya raised her voice and scolded Camilla loudly.
“I don’t know what kind of conversation you had with the Lord, but you are Lord Carsein’s exclusive maid. If you are absent-minded like this, what will you do?”
She was my daughter, but because of that, I had to scold her even more, not take her into my arms.
Only then did Camilla come to her senses and lower her head.
“I apologize. I will conduct myself properly.”
“Yes. Do not do anything that would displease the Lord. Camilla.”
“I will keep that in mind. Head maid.”
Thanks to that, Camilla, whose mind had become clear, immediately set out to carry out Carsein’s orders.
On the contrary to Camilla, Tasya had no choice but to take steps towards Carsein’s room with a heart full of worry.
Knocking on Carsein’s door, Tasya said.
“Lord Carsein. I know that it is a busy time, but the Lord has called for me.”
***
Not long after Camilla had left, I received a summons from the head maid, Tasya.
In fact, I had been waiting for her to come at some point.
▶Event occurred!◀
▶The event ‘Luxury is Prohibited’ has occurred.◀
▶You must move to the designated location and complete the choices with a specific character.◀
[ Designated location: Arina’s office ]
As you can see from the name of the event, ‘Luxury is Prohibited’, it is because of money.
It is not necessarily just Ruthmayer, but after clearing Chapter 1, Carsein receives a considerable amount of money every month.
However, entering Chapter 2, no matter which main episode is played, this money disappears, which causes this event to occur.
The system can be seen as a restriction to notify the player that a penalty will be triggered even if a large sum of money comes in to the player.
‘How contradictory. I wish I could freely spend money as a noble, but even that is blocked.’
Well, anyway, I should go without complaining.
I can’t just ignore this event, and I have to proceed with the event to check the penalty I will receive when I spend a certain amount of money through the tooltip.
I got dressed and told Tascha, who was waiting for me, that I was leaving now.
“My Lord? Where are you going?”
“Didn’t Arina call me?”
“No, My Lord. Not Miss Arina, but Madam called for you.”
“…Mother?”
I tilted my head.
In the existing scenario, Arina calls, not Isabella.
If I spend the Duke’s money, Arina, who is in charge of the finance, will surely notice it, and in terms of the game, it is perfect for presenting the option along with the development pointing out Carsein’s extravagance.
But here, Isabella’s call…
Well, whatever. Let’s think after getting out of the event first.
“Where should I go?”
“She said to meet in the backyard. What should be done with the maids or servants who follow you?”
“Leave them all behind.”
You never know. If other family members hear about Carsein’s extravagance, they will take it negatively.
It was better to tell Tascha, who was friendly to Carsein, to keep the line.
Tascha dismissed all the maids and servants as I instructed, and I went to see Isabella alone.
And soon after, a shiny object appeared on the way to the backyard.
“A memorial in such a place…?”
I don’t know what kind of memorial it is.
However, it will be necessary. In any way.
-Ting!
▶You have obtained a crumpled report card memorial!◀
My eyes flashed.
The location has not changed.
The backyard where I was originally standing. There, a woman was spraying water on the plants she was raising as a hobby.
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It was Isabella.
She was younger than now.
***
“Moooom!”
A girl runs to her mother with her hair fluttering.
“Flora. I told you, you will get hurt if you run like that.”
“hehehe. I won’t get hurt!”
Anyway, Isabella stroked her youngest daughter’s blonde hair with arched eyebrows, as if she couldn’t stop her.
Then, Flora stepped back slightly and showed it to her mother.
“Ta-da! Mom. Look at this? I got a lot of them right?”
“Hoho. You studied hard?”
“Yes! So I brought it to show Mom!”
Flora, who still had some baby teeth missing and couldn’t pronounce words properly, was showing off her report card, looking adorable.
Isabella smiled and gave her youngest a light kiss on the forehead.
“You’ll do well next time too, right?”
“Yes! hehehe.”
In the meantime, the two older sisters approached.
The two sisters were just as young as Isabella was youthful.
“Oh my. It seems like our youngest is better at bragging to Mom than to her sisters?”
“That’s right. Claire said she wanted to brag too.”
“What, what?!”
-Bam!
“Gasp! Ah, Sister!”
“Claire has been diligently attending Mrs. Dorothy’s class this time, and she got these grades.”
“That’s impressive. Mrs. Dorothy’s class must be quite difficult.”
“Gosh, really. I didn’t bring it to show this…”
Claire crossed her arms petulantly and looked away.
Arina and Isabella smiled faintly at the sight.
“Arina. What about you?”
“Yes?”
“You’ve been studying hard too. It’s only fair that you get praised equally.”
Arina also presented her report card, seemingly reluctantly.
As she was the oldest, she had noticeably fewer incorrect answers.
“Big Sister has almost no mistakes!”
“Wow. You took out only my report card to show off? That’s just mean, Sister.”
“No, it’s not. At this point, you shouldn’t have any mistakes at all. You’re lacking.”
“It’s good to be humble, but you should acknowledge your hard work, Arina.”
“Yes. I’ll improve even more in the future, Mother.”
Arina also gave a short, satisfied reply to those words.
The atmosphere was cheerful.
The sight of the whole family gathered together, each showing off their report cards, was as warm as the sunlight.
To that extent, a cozy and affectionate warmth flowed throughout the mansion.
However, if there is light, there must also be shadow.
In a shaded spot, a young boy who couldn’t join them quietly got up from his seat.
To a place where he wouldn’t be seen.
To a shadowy place where no one knew.
He furtively began to dig the ground.
As the boy released the strength he had been tightly gripping in his hand to dig the ground, an object fell powerlessly.
The thing he had been clutching tightly was also a piece of paper, just like the sisters’.