Chapter 160: The Lord
As I accompanied Rishu on hunts with the Konkon Staff EX, crafted what we needed, and planted trees on the island, summer arrived in the blink of an eye.
“Rishu, I opened the Water Gate, so it’s cooler over here, you know?”
I called out to Rishu, who was nestled in the corner of the room where sunlight couldn’t reach.
On this dry, clear day with no humidity, I found it quite comfortable, but it seemed hot for Rishu. Not to the point of exhaustion, but he sprawled out, enjoying the coolness of the floor, his belly pressed flat against it.
After finishing the inspection of the waterway beneath the room, I opened the Water Gate in the morning. It took a bit of time due to the thick stone, but it was starting to feel cooler than other places.
To avoid the heat, Rishu’s walk times were getting earlier and earlier. It was fine since I could take a nap.
Now, today was the day to finish the second floor of Kanum’s House. The items placed there could easily be moved with [Storage], making things convenient, but my lack of planning had me anxiously building and demolishing walls.
The heat was in the order of the island, my House, and then Kanum’s House. Kanum’s House was rather cold, so aside from the area around the Fireplace, it was all wooden flooring. The third floor was unoccupied and tiled due to the Fireplace, which made cleaning up after work easier.
The original Fireplace was wide and deep for cooking, modified to allow for burning at waist height. Across from the Fireplace was a workbench, and the space between the Fireplace and the workbench was tiled for easy cleaning.
The small Fireplace I added later for the guest room remained as it was, just enough to boil tea. Surely, this area would become the Butler’s designated spot.
I placed a wine barrel with a thud and a beer barrel with a thud on their dedicated stands. A bench was set against the wall, and a table was arranged with chairs facing it. —I thought about how I wanted a water supply while setting up a large water jug. I planned to make the firewood storage spacious and stock up when prices dropped.
I decorated the shelves with dishes moved from the first floor. I had intended to transfer things that shouldn’t be seen from the first floor, but it ended up looking completely like a dining hall. What should I do about the dinner party with Ash? Honestly, I preferred the atmosphere of the original first floor. The attic was entirely a playroom, and it even connected to the bedroom.
I considered remodeling the bedroom on the second floor across the Courtyard, or perhaps the room on the third floor above it. Since we were entering a season with little rain, it was time to work on the Forest’s sanctuary. We had plenty of materials!
Now, I had a rough idea of the house I wanted to build in the Forest. I should head to the island to gather materials.
Speaking of the island…
Silver and Gold had brought me a rather absurd proposal.
“Buy land and the people on it?”
“It seems we are currently in a state of borrowing, yes?”
Well, I couldn’t deny that.
“So, you mean to become independent by acquiring land and subjects from the lord here?”
“In six months, your son will be getting married, and there are four young ladies below.”
“…Money, huh?”
Gold and Silver nodded.
We were at the end of a transitional period where the concept of nations was emerging. Most lords were incorporated into the framework of nobility within a nation.
In the area around Naruadeid, where free trade was promoted, merchants held more power, so the lordship still remained. In a way, it could be called a commercial nation, but lords unrelated to trade were seen as unnecessary, perhaps?
Of course, there were exceptions for lords with sharp eyes who owned ports or ships, but the lord who held this island couldn’t create ports elsewhere, as coastal lands had been taken by other lords, making him somewhat of a nuisance or easily ignored.
Even as a Free Knight, I was part of this ragtag group of lords.
“The trading house has collapsed, and several ships are up for sale. It seems they desperately want them.”
“What? I thought they would just funnel that into wedding funds.”
I felt like that lord wasn’t cut out for business.
“If they have ships, that would be sufficient as assets, and if they play their cards right, they could profit while paying off the ship loans.”
“I don’t know if they have the business acumen, but for that family, ports and ships are a long-held dream.”
Having such a conversation in the dimly lit Barn made me feel like we were plotting something nefarious. Gold and Silver seemed rather dubious as well.
“At first, they demanded the full price of the ships, which was ridiculous, but when we ignored them, the price dropped to just enough for a down payment.”
“If that place collapses and another lord takes over, it could lead to disputes. I don’t think remaining independent is a bad idea.”
“Ah. There aren’t any wars around here, but that lord seems like they might fail in business.”
“It would be cheaper to help them out now than later,” Silver said. As he pointed out, negotiating with a new lord would be a hassle, and I’d likely end up providing financial support to keep them afloat.
By the time negotiations with a new lord came around, this island would have changed significantly, and if they found value in it and tried to haggle, it would be troublesome.
“Alright, provide the funds.”
More expenses again!!!
I’ve been gradually stockpiling indigo gems, and while I’m confident I won’t go into the red, unexpected expenses make my haphazard plans stand out, so I wish they’d stop.
Being unplanned is fine for the house alone. No, I guess this is part of the house too.
“Yes, my lord.”
“At your discretion.”
Gold and Silver bowed their heads.
“Wait. Am I the lord?”
“It seems it automatically falls to you.”
Gold smiled brightly, still hunched over with his hand on his shoulder.
“What part of that conversation were you listening to?”
Silver shot back coldly.
The treatment was terrible.