Chapter 407 9th Birthday IV
To follow Sara, who was surrounded by adults, the fairy Sedrick was secretly gathering information about the palace and noble families. He whispered the names and jobs of the adults around Sara into her ear.
'Ugh... The top bureaucrat of this country, the head of the academy, and the lords of the big noble families!?'
Seeing this, Marquis Grandchester and Robert quickly stepped in to rescue Sara. Marquis Grandchester came up from behind, scooped Sara up, and Robert helped Alfred, who'd been escorting until now, sit in a nearby chair. He then told a staff member to bring tea and snacks.
"Thank you for celebrating my granddaughter's birthday today."
"Marquis Grandchester, your granddaughter is truly wonderful. She's so smart and beautiful."
"She still has a bit of childhood left in her. Even today, she can't let go of such a toy."
Hearing her grandfather's words, Sara immediately hugged Musashi tightly. A faint "ggh" sound escaped it, but it seemed no one noticed.
"What a cute toy. Is it modeled after a wild bear?"
Robert answered this question.
"That's right. It's quite deformed, though. This is a gift from the Sophia Merchant Guild."
"Oh, a new product from the Sophia Merchant Guild. It must be something special."
As the adults around them stared closely at Musashi, he shifted uncomfortably in Sara's arms. Before Musashi could no longer handle the situation, Sara spoke up.
"Yes, this is a toy for kids released by the Sophia Merchant Guild. It doesn't have a product name yet, so they call it a 'stuffed toy,' but it can talk and move!"
"Oh, really?"
Sara gently whispered in Musashi's ear.
"You can talk as long as it doesn't seem suspicious. Just don't say anything too rude, okay?"
Musashi silently nodded and slowly tilted his head to address the surrounding guests.
"Hello. I'm Musashi."
'Heyyyy! Who is it? What a cute voice!'
Sara couldn't help but mentally comment on how adorable Musashi sounded as he waved his hands and charmed everyone.
"Oh, this is amazing!"
"I want to give this to my grandchild, but when will it be released?"
"It seems that hasn't been decided yet. Even though it's a toy, it's also a magical tool with a magic stone inside."
"I see. So, they can't mass-produce it?"
"I don't think they will mass-produce it. The magic stone causes differences in functionality, so it should be completely custom-made."
"If it has more features, it will be expensive, right?"
"That seems unavoidable."
"Can it be adapted for gifts to influential people in other countries, like in their languages?"
"While I think they can manage it with some time, it's hard to give an immediate answer. They'll probably need to start by arranging a teacher for the training."
As Sara got a bit carried away and started giving a false explanation about Musashi, the adults around her exchanged glances.
"Hey, Will. It looks like Lady Sara needs a bit more education."
"Yeah, she's showing her hand too soon."
Among the adults surrounding Sara was Marquis Lansfield, an old friend of Marquis Grandchester. He also had a long-standing relationship with Count Piane, who was at the top of the bureaucracy. Marquis Grandchester held Sara with his right hand while shaking his head with his left hand on his chin.
"Sara, you're as careless as ever. You're so easily led..."
"Could it be that I've been set up?"
Then, the Academy's head, Former Count Minton, spoke to Sara with a slightly mischievous grin.
"That's a bad way to put it. I honestly don't think Lady Sara is trying to hide anything at all. If you wanted to keep it a secret, you shouldn't have included your name in the paper."
"Do you read all the papers yourself?"
"No, I hurried to read it after hearing that McKellen and the others were causing a fuss. My specialty isn't alchemy, you know. I'm more interested in the textbook on double-entry bookkeeping sold by the Sophia Merchant Guild."
"Oh, you mean Mister Thomas's book!"
"That's right. I was Thomas Tyler's supervising professor. Double-entry bookkeeping is a fantastic invention! I wanted to make it a required class at the academy next year, but Thomas didn't agree to come back. I hope to properly evaluate my former student and see him in the spotlight again."
"Do you want him to teach at the academy?"
"I wanted that, but he wrote in a letter that after he helps his current students pass the academy, he wants to work in Grandchester."
'Mister Thomas has no intention of returning to the capital, huh?'
After giving Alfred a break, Robert also chimes in. As the governor of Grandchester, he wants to avoid having talented people return to the capital.
"Does that mean Grandchester is a place where the sun shines? Considering the incidents he was involved in in the past, it's only natural he wouldn't want to return to the capital. Mr. Thomas Tyler is thriving in Grandchester."
"Indeed. I can't believe we couldn't protect such an outstanding man..."
Former Count Minton sighs and grumbles, while Count Piane looks apologetic.
"That's due to my own shortcomings as head of the academy. I never imagined that just because the man was handsome, it would lead to such a commotion. By the time he expressed his intention to resign, the situation had become too complicated to fix."
"Well, it can't be helped. Besides, in Grandchester, the people are probably used to good-looking folks anyway."
Then, Marquis Lansfield, who was surrounding Sara, teased his friend Marquis Grandchester.
"That's true. I've heard the ladies crying over Robert paying his taxes are like a mountain. I often see women clinging to Edward saying, 'I don't mind being a mistress.' But that doesn't last long. Even old Will, who's nearly gone, is super popular. Those handsome Grandchester guys are really annoying."
"Is grandfather popular?"
"Very popular. I wish I could have a bit of that."
"Eh, but Your Excellency has a wife, right?"
"That's a separate stomach, ouch!"
Marquis Grandchester mercilessly hit his overly excited friend on the head.
"Don't say such shameless things in front of a child. You fool!"
"O-okay, sorry, sorry. But when we talk, she doesn't seem like she's 9 years old."
"Everyone here seems to doubt it, but I really am 9 years old..."
"I know, but Lady Sara is just so unusual."
Count Piane started talking to Sara, making eye contact.
"Am I really that careless to be talked about like this?"
"I won't deny it. However, even if Lady Sara had acted more carefully, it would have only been a matter of time before someone noticed."
"Is that so?"
"We've been aware of the problems happening in the Grandchester territory for the past few years. Of course, His Majesty the King was also aware of it, and it was treated as a matter to be handled privately."
Marquis Grandchester and Robert flinched at this remark. They thought they were being careful not to let anyone notice, but it seemed that news had spread throughout the capital.
"So you noticed after all."
"Well, if you had settled things earlier, I might not have noticed. But as time goes on, people start to see the oddities. It's hard to make careless remarks about a place as important as Grandchester. Without solid evidence, it could look like you're interfering in the internal affairs, and that might even lead to civil war."
"It seems we have caused you concern. I am truly sorry."
Marquis Grandchester bowed his head sincerely to Count Piane. Of course, Sara had no choice but to agree with Count Piane's words.
"Thank you, Count Piane."
"Lady Sara, it may be too early to say thank you. I say this knowing it might upset Marquis Grandchester and Sir Robert, but we've started our investigation into the Grandchester territory. We've seen many bureaucrats leaving their jobs since the start of this year."
"Well, it can't be hidden."
Robert made a face as if he had bitten into a sour bug.
"I can honestly praise the work of Sir Robert and the other bureaucrats, but I wish they had consulted with us before things got this bad."
"Well, it's not like we could just go to the palace for advice."
"From the perspective of a lord or governor, that is true. But please understand that we were not at ease either. You know how important the Grandchester territory is to Avalon, right?"
"I can only feel shame as a lord."
"I'm truly sorry."
The lord of Grandchester and the governor both apologized together.
"No, no, His Majesty the King appreciated that you solved it on your own before it became a big deal."
Hearing the King's praise from Count Piane, Sara couldn't help but glance at Musashi, who also met her gaze and nodded slightly.
'It seems like it's true. The king I know had a bad vibe, but if Musashi didn't interfere, he must be a wise king.'
Whether Musashi understood Sara's inner thoughts or not, he quietly looked away from her.
"Anyway, I was surprised by the sudden change in the administration of Grandchester. The movements of the bureaucrats in Grandchester changed all of a sudden. Because of that, we had to strengthen our surveillance over Grandchester even more."
'I wonder if there are spies among the bureaucrats?'
Sara didn't want to suspect her acquaintances among the bureaucrats, but she couldn't help feeling anxious. Noticing Sara's expression, Count Piane spoke to her.
"Lady Sara, you can relax. There are no spies among the bureaucrats or castle staff that you have connections with."
"I'm sorry. Did it show on my face?"
"Hahaha. I guess that's just part of your age. Well, we can get information from the merchants without going that far. Administrative information is not something you can keep hidden."
"I see."
"After being stagnant for several years, suddenly the paperwork started moving smoothly, and various procedures are no longer delayed. While the improvement in governance is great, if it's due to interference from other countries, we'll need to take action."
"I understand your concerns."
"Hmm... Can a 9-year-old really understand this? My grandchild entered the academy last year at 10 years old. People often whisper that they are a genius, but they can't compare to Lady Sara. Lord Grandchester, what kind of education raises a child like this?"
"Until we sent her to Grandchester, she didn't even have a governess. It's thanks to my son and his wife, and Sophia."
"I see... So it's Sophia again. She's truly a mysterious beauty. Isn't it about time to reveal her true identity? Well, it's clear from her looks that she's related to Lady Sara."
The adults surrounding Sara all turned their gazes toward the golem, Sophia. Sophia was surrounded by noblewomen, holding a container of cosmetics in her hand. She was probably being questioned about beauty products.
"It seems she's quite the businesswoman. Well, that's how merchants are."
"It looks difficult to take Sophia away from the women."
"If we're not careful, our wives and daughters might hold a grudge against us."
Then, Count Piane suddenly smiled. No, it even looked like he sneered.
"But you know, I can't shake the feeling that even Sophia is just a cover for Lady Sara."
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