Chapter 181 The Turbulent Dinner Party Iii
'Ah, Father's really angry.'
As the governor of Grandchester, Robert was furious with Edward, the next Marquis.
"What's going on in this territory? Do you have a clear understanding of what's happening? Why did the embezzlement occur? How much was embezzled? What about the cause of the previous riot, and how did you handle it? Do you really understand all of that?"
"I've heard the report and I understand. Even if you're my younger brother, you're still a subject, not some inferior being. You keep calling me names, saying I'm not worthy to be the next Lord!"
"I may be Father's subject, but I've never been yours. If someone like you becomes the Marquis, I'll hand over the governor position to Chris!"
"Enough, you two!"
As Edward and Robert continued to glare at each other, the Marquis scolded them from his seat.
"First, Edward, you still don't get it, do you? As a member of the ruling family, you need to think seriously about how to govern the territory. Being a noble isn't just about bloodlines!!"
"But, Father and Mother always said, 'As a member of the Grandchester family, don't live a life that brings shame to our name.' As the one who will inherit Grandchester, I need to be more noble than anyone else!"
"Is the 'nobility' you're talking about just about having influence in high society?"
"I understand that protecting the people of our territory is the lord's duty. However, that's the job of my father, the lord, not Rob as a governor! That's why I've been building connections with other noble families in the capital and getting close to the royal family. Isn't it all to increase the Grandchester family's influence? Of course, if I were to inherit the Marquis title, I'd govern the territory just like my father."
"You think you can govern the territory? What do you even know about it?"
The next moment, Sara fired another ice arrow, which pierced the flesh of 3 people.
"Father, I have a mouth, so I'll speak for myself. If you want to fight with your siblings, do it later. Grandfather is getting too emotional too."
Suddenly, Sara released the restraints on the Young Marquis's family.
"Uncle Edward, I don't think you're unaware of the situation in Grandchester territory."
"Hmph, I know, of course."
"Do you know what our territory's specialty is?"
"Wheat, I suppose."
"Was it a good harvest this year or a bad one?"
"I heard it was a good harvest."
"How much did we harvest? How much is stored away?"
"Ugh, annoying. Do you even understand these things?"
"Of course, I do!"
Sara smiled brightly.
"Ed, Sara is right. She can answer that. Even Father knows that."
"Absolutely."
Robert and the Marquis confirmed Sara's statement.
"Well, the exact numbers are in the report, so it's more accurate to look at that. And asking for numbers might be a bit too much. So, what other specialties do we have besides wheat?"
"There's definitely a demand for wood harvested regularly. The Aklar Mountains also have ore and magic stones that can be mined, but it's not an industry on the same scale as wheat, I suppose."
"That's true, isn't it? By the way, do you know what attributes the magic stones mined in Grandchester have?"
"Fire attributes, I suppose."
"Is that all?"
Edward was at a loss for an answer.
"I will be disappointed if the next lord is just that."
"Shut up!"
"But, I think it's not good to get angry when things don't go as planned. However, that's just a number reported by the bureaucrats, so it doesn't matter."
Sara turned around to face Robert and asked him a question.
"Father, do you know which member of the royal family will be attending the hunting tournament?"
"I, uh, no. We haven't received a letter from the royal family yet."
"It's Prince Andrew, the eldest son of the Crown Prince. He's coming with Roisen's Crown Prince Gerhart, so we'll need at least 2 guest rooms. I wonder if we should prepare the guest rooms in the same building or in a separate one. Which one should we prepare the highest-quality room for?"
"Uh, I...I don't know..."
"Did uncle know about this?"
"Of course. I've got information on the number of attendants and knights each of them will bring."
"Is this information correct?"
Sara pulled out a piece of paper from mid-air. It had information from Sedrick's followers written on it.
"Hmm...there are 3 unknown people in Prince Andrew's group."
"Who are they?"
"These people."
"Ah, that's the Academy's professor. The other day, someone from Grandchester submitted a paper to the Academy, and its content was so intriguing that they decided to hold an emergency meeting."
"Hmm. Can I get a summary of the paper at least?"
"I'll bring the manuscript later, but it's a groundbreaking discovery. We'll likely get a lot of inquiries about it soon."
The 3 professors from the Academy, who had devoured Alicia the Alchemist Girl's paper, had already grasped the situation and were now clinging to the prince.
"I see... but, Sara. How did you get this information? And didn't you just pull out documents from thin air?"
"Don't be so picky, okay? You'll go bald."
"There's no bald guy in Grandchester, right?"
"Come to think of it, everyone's hair was so fluffy in the portrait, too. His Majesty the King must be frustrated about it."
"You, that's disrespectful. I mean, His Majesty's wig is top-secret, you know."
'I think everyone's already figured it out, though. It's just the baldness, okay?'
Sara's brain was still a bit... lacking.
"Father, it is true that Uncle does not know the details of the territory, but he's highly sensitive to the movements of the royal family and other houses in the capital. As a noble, socializing is crucial, and you know that, too, Father. We shouldn't underestimate Uncle's work."
"That's true."
Robert nodded.
"But being a lord is a tough job that requires both governance and socializing. That's why we have bureaucrats and knights in the territory, and the Marquis's wife supports the social aspect in the capital."
"...But Mother's not here now."
"That's why Auntie would sacrifice her beloved children for Grandchester's sake. I think it's a bit too much, but..."
Then Sara turned to face the Marquis.
"Isn't it about time Grandfather realized his own problems? Grandfather, what do you think about the education of future lords? You can't seriously think that they can become lords without any proper training, can you?"
"No... that's..."
"Well, although you're saying things like 'you're just a kid,' Auntie keeps apologizing profusely because Uncle might be disliked by Grandfather and lose his position as Young Marquis."
"I understand that."
"Then why did you let things get this far? Don't you realize that everything is because of Grandfather's mistakes as the head of the house?"
"...... Sorry."
The Marquis hung his head in shame.
"When Nora left me and fell into a long sleep, I was so consumed by my own sorrow that I couldn't see anything around me. But the seasons passed, the social season arrived, and the lord's duties piled up. I just focused on my work and couldn't even care about my sons' well-being."
The two sons approached their father after hearing the Marquis's words.
"We understand your sorrow, Father. It couldn't be helped."
"But when I finally came to my senses, the situation had changed. Grandchester was no longer the one I knew. Edward was too focused on his noble blood and had become a man who only cared about social status and neglected his territory."
Edward's shoulders trembled slightly, and he took a step back from the Marquis.
"Edward, I may have done something cruel to you. After Nora gave birth to Arthur, her body weakened, and she spent more time in the territory. As the eldest son, you had to receive education at the royal capital, so the time we spent together was short. Moreover, I should have made an effort to spend more time with you, just like I did with Nora."
"It's true that I felt a bit lonely, but I never hated you two. I wanted to be a son who didn't shame you, and I think I made an effort."
"I understand."
However, Edward showed resentment towards Marquis.
"But, Father, you don't understand me at all. You say 'neglecting the territory,' but it's not like I'm capable of handling territorial management. You're the one who doesn't want me to get involved in it, aren't you? What do you expect from me, who lacks experience? If you had just said you're not interested in me, I wouldn't have suffered this much. Maybe it would have been better if I had just handed over the Young Marquis position to Robert! I didn't want to be the Young Marquis either."
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)