—Inside the Royal Palace.
Summoned there, Clark and Norma stood frozen, staring at the documents in their hands.
Norma protested to the minister.
"What is this? Being demoted after making an achievement!"
The minister replied.
"Demoted? That's rather unkind, isn't it? Granting territory to a knight who has accomplished a feat has long been recognized as a reward. Consider it... you will now have income exceeding your current salary and position allowances."
Even with the oily-faced minister's explanation, Norma wasn't convinced.
She had worked hard as a royal knight.
She couldn't accept being told to become a Landed Nobility.
Even if it was called territory, it was an isolated location where even a dispatched administrator struggled to find people.
The population was less than two hundred.
Clark asked the minister.
"Bu-but, Minister. I am a Ten-Rider Captain—"
"We appreciate your diligent service. You've worked hard for over ten years as a knight. This makes you a titled noble now."
He was granted the rank of Knight Baron and recognized as a lord.
Moreover, it was an isolated territory close to Norma's.
"…Isn't this just a demotion!"
Being a Hundred Knight Captain in the Royal Palace was indeed less lucrative than being a Landed Nobility.
However, life in the Royal Capital was different from life in the countryside.
Managing a fief was hard work.
Living in the Royal Capital was easier for Norma.
"I told you to watch your mouth. The only reason you're being treated this well is because you're a hero. The knights who advanced in rank, the newcomers who just became knights… Where do you think the pensions to pay all of them come from? You should be grateful you were given a fief at all."
Clark thought to himself.
(They just gave me some troublesome exclave to manage, that's all!)
Clark's situation wasn't much different.
His was a settlement of about a hundred and twenty people.
"Well, your court rank remains unchanged for now. A Knight Baron household is still a fine noble house, you know."
Landed Nobility didn't pay taxes to the Royal Palace, but at the same time, even with a court rank, they received no pension.
Clark knew this, and the thought of having survived and brought back his exploits only to become Landed Nobility troubled him.
Looking at Norma, she truly looked pale.
"This is a reward from His Majesty. Surely you wouldn't refuse?"
When he glanced at the minister's face, the man wore a knowing smile, as if he understood everything.
Then his expression turned serious.
"An important guest will be visiting Central. Until that matter is settled, we can't afford to be troubled with trivialities. Now then, hurry back and get the paperwork started."
Clark and Norma were ushered out of the minister's room as though being chased out—
—House Cerclie.
Ralph was slamming his fist against the desk.
The Hippogriff that had been purchased after being deceived by Lyle had fallen apart once the ice melted.
"It was a Hippogriff felled by your daughter—"
"Thank you for your purchase!"
There were even signs like that posted up.
According to the rumors, there were two Hippogriffs and one Griffon involved.
When the expedition team returned, they confirmed that two Hippogriffs had indeed been brought in.
Just when they were feeling relieved, they caught wind of a rumor that a merchant had purchased a Griffon.
"That brat..."
Straining his voice, Ralph stared at the documents spread across his desk.
He had been hoping the expedition team would be annihilated — or at least suffer devastating losses.
But when that hope fell through and the expedition team returned having earned great deeds, the Royal Palace scrambled to raise funds in a panic.
It was nearly a hundred promotions.
Though he seethed with bitterness, denying them their advancement and reducing their rewards here would reflect terribly on the palace.
The plans that had been arranged within the Royal Palace were scrapped, and they were left scrambling to respond.
And House Cerclie was deeply embroiled in that very problem.
They had sent commanders like Norma and Clark out to their territories to deal with the fallout, but Ralph — as one of those responsible — was no exception.
They used the Hippogriff being forced on him as a pretext, pinning the blame squarely on him.
His noble rank: demoted by one grade.
His official position: also demoted.
House Cerclie had been downgraded to a baron house.
Everyone around him recognized that he was on the decline, so his social connections would only continue to dwindle from here on.
"How much hardship has the clan endured to maintain this position..."
Ralph looked frustrated, but after a deep breath, his expression returned to normal.
He shifted his thinking.
"I'll have to let some of the servants go. Bread will be striking out on his own after this..."
Having already decided to cut Bread loose first, Ralph found himself thinking about Marcus, who had risen one rank in his court position.
"...Better than Bread, I suppose? But that alone won't be enough to sustain House Cerclie. Whether I arrange a marriage or not, I'll pin my hopes on the grandchildren."
Ralph stood up and began thinking about his two remaining daughters.
His second daughter, Doris, whom he had spoiled because Miranda was always around, and his third daughter, Lucy.
He would send the two of them away somewhere—off to train under a Landed Noble.
He decided to send them out to train under a Landed Noble.
"I'll pick the harshest place I can find. That way, it'll also be an opportunity for them to learn about the real world. Maybe I should keep them away from Central for a while."
With House Walt coming to Central, Ralph was on high alert.
"...Actually, that might not be a bad idea. Maybe I'll play the part of the non-mainstream faction for a while."
Worried about the state of Central recently, Ralph considered using this opportunity to distance himself from those around him.
And then—
"...What a waste with Miranda. But having a capable man like that is probably safer. Shannon should be fine too."
Wearing a fatherly expression for a moment, Ralph quickly returned to his serious face.
"I'll accept defeat this time. So young, yet so calculating... He'll never make a proper adult."
Cursing himself for having no room to talk, Ralph walked down the corridor of the estate—.
"...That was underwhelming."
I visited the casino in Central, but after spending a single gold coin, I ended up walking out with one gold coin and one silver coin.
I tried cards, coins, and various other things, but nothing really clicked.
"What should I do... This isn't fun at all."
When I said that, the Sixth Generation spoke up.
"Lyle, do you hate gambling? Don't you feel any excitement when you place a bet?"
I rolled the Jewel between my fingertips and shook my head, and the Fifth Generation's voice came through.
"What's so fun about gambling? They take sixty percent and return forty percent, right? You'd make more money running the casino yourself. It's a waste of time."
A typically efficiency-minded opinion from the Fifth Generation.
But then—
"No, but managing it is important too, you know. In practical terms, if you don't regulate it, people start running illegal gambling operations. That's why the Barden family was overseeing things during my time too."
Hearing that, all the ancestors except the Third Generation spoke up in order, starting with the Fourth Generation.
"Excuse me... what exactly is that?"
"Wait, don't tell me the head of the underground organization was..."
"So that's how they stayed hidden... The Barden family, was it... those ungrateful wretches!!"
"So they put on loyal faces while secretly laughing at our efforts to crack down? Do you have any idea how much trouble those people caused us..."
(Oh, now that you mention it, I think there was an organization like that in the territory...)
While I was recalling the underground organization that ran the ruffians in Bisen's domain, my ancestors began making a fuss about having dealt with similar problems in the past.
The Third Generation spoke up with a laugh.
"Ah, I never told you about that. Sorry, sorry. I mean, I died in battle, after all."
(When you say that, there's really nothing I can say back...)
The Fourth Generation spoke.
"That's what happened! An underground organization got set up and we went through a whole load of trouble over here… Aaaargh!!"
The Barden family.
Hearing that, I recalled my senior disciple — the next head of the House Barden.
When I'd been learning swordsmanship, he'd trained alongside me as my senior.
(Alfred.)
He was the one who had sworn loyalty to my sister Ceres, and who had called me a good-for-nothing from House Walt.
Up until then, he'd been a kind sort of big-brother figure, but now he was anything but a pleasant memory.
Leaving the casino entrance, I walked through a crowded area while listening to the voices resonating from within the Jewel.
I used my Skills to keep my distance from pickpockets targeting me, all while following the conversation.
"Of course she'd refuse if you tried to marry her off! Did they think we were suspicious? Damn it…"
The Fifth Generation was reliving the past, seething with anger toward the Barden family.
The Sixth Generation too.
"They never intended to be hostile. They were just trying to parasitize us… No wonder my Skills never reacted to them!"
He sounded bitter. Bitterly frustrated.
And the Seventh Generation.
"You wretched Barden family… You've been sapping our strength all this time while laughing behind our backs!"
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
(Could I beat Alfred now?)
During our training days, I'd never managed to win against him in the end. Part of it was the age gap, but toward the latter stages, he'd been swinging his saber at me without holding back.
I could feel killing intent,
I had frozen.
That's what I recall.
And then—
"Oh, Mr. Hero!"
That sudden voice almost made me spit out my drink. Looking around, I spotted Eva waving at me—she was wearing a loose top and skin-tight short shorts.
She looked a bit tired.
"Eva? ...Miss?"
"What's with that? You're different from before today. That's interesting—I kind of wanted to talk to the you from back then one more time."
She flashed me a mischievous grin, and I scratched my head, my face reddening.
"So, what can I do for you, Eva... miss?"
"Just Eva is fine. I wanted to thank you for last time, you know. You helped me make quite a nice profit."
At Eva's words, I—
"Glad to hear you did well. So, what's this thank-you about?"
"Lunch?"
I thought about it for a moment.
"Then I'll treat you to the meal—just leave dessert to you. I won a little at the casino."
When I said that, Eva asked—
"Really? That doesn't seem like your style at all. So how much did you put in, and how much did you win?"
"I put in one gold coin and walked away with one silver coin."
Eva's expression turned somewhat awkward.
"I-I see... The amount was so large it caught me off guard. One gold coin for one silver coin... Is that, um, underwhelming? In that case, leave the meal to me, and I'll bring dessert myself. You must be hungry."
It was a little past noon.
I was about to take Eva to some reasonably priced place, but she suggested a restaurant of her own.
"There's a spot I've been told about since coming to Central that I can show you. Follow me."
Following her lead, the shop turned out to be located off the main street.
Stepping inside, it was a cozy little place that had been meticulously cleaned.
Looking around at the other patrons, I noticed that elves made up a large share of the clientele.
"Is it alright for me to come in?"
"Of course it is. As long as you're paying, you're a customer."
With that, Eva took a seat at the counter, and I sat down beside her.
As I listened to her talk about how today's earnings were the best she'd had since arriving in Central, the elven shopkeeper came over to our seats.
"So you're Eva's boyfriend? And here you were singing about some song being your lover... The young ones are going to be heartbroken."
The one laughing as he said this was a young-looking elf.
However, Eva—
"Don't say that, Uncle! Ah, this guy here is Lyle, my information provider! Give him a discount, won't you?"
Surprised that she called him "Uncle," I looked at the shopkeeper's face, and he seemed to understand my confusion as he explained.
"Elves age more slowly than other races. Living long lives, this is what we end up looking like. Well then, if you're an important customer, I'll make sure to hook you up. Regulars are what keep a place going."
I left the ordering to Eva, and she placed our order.
As the shopkeeper headed back toward the kitchen, an elven server hurried over to us.
"I-I brought you some water."
"You... I already placed the order with the owner."
As Eva spoke in exasperation, the young elven girl drooped in disappointment.
"Huh? The owner's daughter?"
When I said that, Eva shook her head.
"She's a little older than me, but she's his wife. Don't go flirting with her."
"...What kind of person do you take me for?"
Then a voice came from the Jewel.
It was the Fourth Generation.
*'I know you think there's nothing to be done, but think back over the past few days and try objecting. Go on!'*
At the Fourth Generation's cheerful tone, I found myself thinking back over the past few days.
The harder I tried to forget, the more vividly the memories came flooding back.
*(No. The me back then wasn't the real me!)*
The Fifth Generation spoke.
*'Normally, the more times it happens, the better you can control it, but in your case... if you were an ordinary person who had your Skills, you would have probably experienced growth five or more times by now. Growth requires a massive amount of experience points, and because it happens so suddenly, it's hard to keep a handle on it mentally, I think.'*
I couldn't accept that even if they told me!
As my mood darkened, Eva tried to console me.
"Hey, hey, hey! That's not funny. Besides, you're walking around with all those beautiful women — why is your mental fortitude so weak?"
I said to Eva.
"Memories I'd rather forget keep coming back. You must have a past like that too, right?"
At that, Eva shook her head.
"After we finish growing up, our mood might go up and lyrics just come to mind, that's all. We hear all sorts of other things too... but we don't experience changes as sudden as humans do."
I found myself envious of elves.
"You had fun, so what's the problem? Now you've got material for teasing, so why not just own it?"
"I don't want that!"
At that moment, the bewildered shopkeeper tried to put a stop to our argument.
After finishing my meal with Eva, I was thinking about how to spend the holiday when I spotted Clark looking busy.
He had stopped by a shop that dealt in farming tools and seemed to be negotiating something.
The shopkeeper was declining with a troubled expression, and upon hearing that, Clark's shoulders slumped too.
I couldn't imagine why Clark, a court knight, would be purchasing farming tools, so I decided to call out to see if something was going on.
"Clark!"
"Oh, Lyle."
The two of us sat down on a bench on a nearby street, and as I listened to what had happened, the Third Generation spoke.
*'A settlement with a population of around one hundred and twenty, huh...'"*
I didn't know what to say to Clark, who was apparently about to become a landed lord.
"You're becoming a lord all of a sudden?"
"I'm surprised too, but I have to follow the decision. Still, even if I try to get things moving, I have no idea what I ought to do..."
Norma was apparently becoming a lord as well, but she didn't seem very happy about it.
The Fourth Generation spoke.
*'Settlements come in all shapes and sizes. Without any craftsmen, you'd need to cooperate with neighboring areas, which could be tough for nobles and knights from the royal palace.'"*
Then the Fifth Generation.
"The lord of a settlement, huh? Well, it can be profitable depending on the circumstances, but basically, it's pretty barren, isn't it?"
That was the Sixth Generation.
"For us, managing a settlement is mostly just paperwork."
The Seventh Generation.
"I believe it would be wise to contact your patron as soon as possible. Also, you won't be able to act effectively without a detailed understanding of the situation."
Hearing these opinions, the Third Generation laughed.
"Ahahahaha, what are you all talking about? It's not like there's anything you *can* do."
I squeezed the Jewel, demanding an explanation.
Seeing Clark's exhausted expression, I wanted to offer some advice.
(*Tell me some good way to help!*)
Then, the Third Generation, who seemed to grasp the situation, spoke.
"You see, even if the lord arrives all of a sudden, they're basically an outsider. You have to live there for a year or two, learn the local rules, and then you can do anything. The royal palace might be a swamp, but even in a small settlement, there are all kinds of human relationships. You need to understand that before deciding on the direction for the territory."
The Fourth Generation said.
"...If there's a steward, it might be good to meet with them. Depending on the case, if they have estates, you'd want to settle things while you're in the Royal Capital, or it could become troublesome."
The Third Generation said.
"Just buy the estate. While you're at it, ask about the current situation and you'll come out ahead. If the hero who slew the Griffon asks for information, they'll gladly tell you, you know!"
Wasn't that somewhat threatening?
As I was thinking that, the Third Generation offered advice.
"Basically, listen to the opinions of the prominent figures and adjust accordingly. If a problem arises, mediate. Even if you're called the lord, you don't have to do absolutely everything. Maintain a certain distance and interact with them like that. If you do what needs to be done and they don't bother you too much, they'll think you're a good lord. Well, there's a way that's right for each specific land, after all."
Was that enough? That's what I thought.
But the Fourth Generation was there.
"Right. I should ask Clark if there's an heir. I suppose you could also file various applications at the Royal Palace. My knowledge from my era might be outdated, so I'm not certain, though."
The Third Generation spoke to me.
"Lyle, basically, read the person. There are methods that worked for Clark-san, so simple advice is fine."
I was the one giving advice to Clark-san.
"Um..."
"Hm?"
To the dejected Clark-san, I passed on my ancestors' advice.
—Clark had gone to the Royal Palace to file for the generational transfer.
"Father, even if it's just in form, becoming the head of the house at fifteen is too young."
A boy, slightly taller than Clark, looked bewildered inside the Royal Palace.
To his son, Clark said:
"Becoming the lord here, even if it's just in form, isn't bad. If you go over there and then try to apply from here, it'll take time. Right now, we can be a bit more flexible."
"Because you're the hero who slew the Griffon? Father, you're serious, but I still can't believe you actually slew it."
Thinking his son was rather perceptive despite being his own, Clark moved around the Royal Palace.
He visited the homes of the knights stationed as deputies, asked about the territories, and told anyone who held a manor that he would buy it.
Most of the deputies held manors; it seemed to be a common side income.
(Even dust piles up... What a grim situation.)
In preparation for his life over there, he was also gathering the necessary items by asking the former deputies what they needed.
Clark's son appeared exhausted from the succession procedures and everything else.
"So we can head home now, right?"
"Sorry… but you'll have to stay for the matchmaking."
"Huh?"
Clark apologized, saying he'd forgotten to tell his son.
"Over there, it seems finding a wife is quite difficult, apparently. They also said it'd be good to maintain ties with us."
"I—I never heard about this!"
To his flustered son, Clark explained that things had been so hectic he'd simply forgotten to mention it.
"Sorry! But things are chaotic on our end too. We've arranged to introduce second and third sons of craftsmen to the other side, so I'll need to go over there as well… Besides, right now my name still carries weight as the hero who slew the Griffon. Now or never."
"…This is exactly why we should never have gone and slain that Griffon."
"…Don't say that."
His son only knew the surface-level story, so Clark couldn't bring himself to get angry.
(Still, there's so much to do.)
Not knowing what to do would've been worse, but the sheer busyness was making Clark dizzy. On top of that, he was also planning to bring settlers over from Central.
If he did that, the Royal Capital would provide subsidies, since it was already overflowing with people.
(Next, I need someone reliable as an adjutant… This really goes to show how valuable it was to learn so much from young Lyle. There's no way I could've gotten this far on my own.)
Clark felt grateful, though he had no idea that Lyle's knowledge ultimately came from the Jewel and his ancestors——.