Chapter 131

The time spent in the training hall had already passed by several days.

Inside the duke’s mansion where I couldn’t go out, I had no choice but to sweat it out with other knights, clashing swords and building strength.

Thanks to this, my stats.

Lv. 41

▶Your SP will automatically be used on a ??? stat!◀

▶Strength 5.58

▶Agility 6.92

▶Endurance 7.03

▶Health 5.02

▶Immunity 1.45

▶??? 41%

With the four basic stats surpassing five, I could handle most things.

At this rate, I was already among the stronger ones even compared to regular people. Actually, I didn’t feel much strain when cleaning up the lesser monsters directly, so the range of activities I could do with Carlton within the division expanded significantly from before.

Of course, compared to other knights, I was still at an average level or slightly lacking.

The three guys who used to block Rusmaier’s path were easy to handle, but compared to the true warriors of the Marquis House of Aiferos, I was still far behind.

Honestly, I’m not ready yet. I need to reach their level to fully protect myself after leaving the Duke House…

But it wasn’t bad. I was satisfied with the increase in movement radius due to higher action power and health. At least, I won’t collapse during the next episode.

And while my stats were rising, a letter arrived.

It was from Village Chief Barak.

“Oh?”

In Rusmaier, the events I anticipated were unfolding as expected.

“Firstly, the nobles raised objections about the ownership rights of Mount Waglew.”

This tunnel runs through Mount Waglew and spans its entirety.

That’s why they brought this up. Parts of Mount Waglew fall within the nobles’ territories, and the previous hiking trails on Mount Waglew belonged to nearby noble territories.

Their claim wasn’t entirely wrong.

“But that went too far. They demanded half the passage be given to them. Moreover, there were issues with sudden fights between bandits and mercenaries causing security problems.”

The nobles criticized the incapable lord for failing to manage the tunnel’s security.

Since the lord wasn’t present, they must have been furious.

“They even questioned why Yarikin were here. These people came here for trade…”

In short, they tried to create an incident to block the tunnel and failed to manage it properly, blaming me for the issue and trying to take over the passage.

They even used the presence of Yarikin to escalate the problem.

But looking at the bottom of the letter, it seems there isn’t much of an issue.

“At last, two knights have arrived. They’re from the First Knight Order of the Duke House of Bargrand—”

Territory issues? No problem. 95% of Mount Waglew belongs to Rusmaier, and when they mentioned past treaties regarding the mountain’s ownership, they shut up.

Those who deliberately caused trouble to block the tunnel?

I ignored them and ordered Radiel and Mark to draw their swords. As knights of the Duke House of Bargrand, if anyone dared touch my lord’s territory, I commanded them to aim their swords without hesitation. Making a list of prohibited entries was just an extra.

The Marquis House of Aiferos claimed they came for stone trading, and since they couldn’t carry all the stones at once, some stay was necessary.

Moreover, I had warned Pollux beforehand that the Yarikin should not react harshly, so everything went smoothly without any issues.

Lastly, they complained about whether the order came from the lord…

“The Baroness showed her cufflinks and said, ‘Dare you ignore my master’s orders?’ The nobles broke out in cold sweat! When I threatened to raise their tolls, they were completely relieved. Hahaha.”

“Sounds exciting.”

Village Chief Barak seemed quite excited hearing these instructions and executing them.

The residents, relieved, slept soundly that night.

The Yarikin secretly gave the departing nobles the middle finger.

The faces of those who deliberately caused trouble were unforgettable.

“Well resolved.”

This development was not much different from what happened in the game.

No one would dare mess with Rusmaier anymore.

Although occasionally encountering monsters, I can handle them. With the protection of the Duke House of Bargrand, Rusmaier will continue to be my cash cow.

But it’s still insufficient.

Even if I wait forever, the money from Rusmaier alone wouldn’t be enough to repay what I owe to the Duke House.

Living expenses, accommodation, debts, and pocket money—all added up would amount to astronomical figures.

Especially in such times, the amounts would skyrocket.

Rusmaier alone has its limits.

Just like how impossible it was to pay off debts with just a convenience store part-time job.

▶Sub Episode. Late Return Event is ongoing.◀

▶Choose the day to return to the Duke’s House.◀

[1. Today.]

[2. Tomorrow.]

[3. In two days.]

This sub-episode is about telling when to return based on a conversation with Claire.

Ideally, to avoid friction with family, the return date should be postponed. But naturally, as issues in Rusmaier arise, the return is set for the last day.

And, of course, another late return event popped up.

But I’m not particularly worried.

Since meeting Claire, only one letter has arrived at the Duke’s Mansion, with no other contact.

That letter was from Isabella, asking for a return soon.

“It’s about time to head back to the Duke’s House.”

The next episode is approaching.

***

-Ding!

As soon as I stepped into the Duke House, the alarm sounded as usual.

This alarm definitely signals the start of the return event.

Without much concern, I entered.

Passing through the main gate, I arrived at the entrance of the mansion.

-Thud.

A book fell to the floor.

“…!”

The owner of the book was a blonde girl.

“This late return event starts with Flora, huh?”

Not only the late return event, but also the外出 and外宿 events overlap, so multiple penalties will apply.

If I mess up the initial conversation with Flora, the later parts could get messy, so despite the hassle, I should fulfill one of her requests to smoothly proceed.

First, I should pick up the book and hand it to her.

“Can… Can I pick it up…!”

As I bent down to pick up the book, Flora widened her eyes and quickly grabbed her book.

What? You shouldn’t touch my book?

Then Flora suddenly remembered something, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me.

“Um… Could you help me with my studies?”

“Studies?”

“Yeah… Sheidin said math is essential for precise calculations, but I don’t know this…”

“Huh?”

I thought I was going to face a penalty from the late return event, but suddenly she asks for help with studies.

I couldn’t believe it, so I let out a bewildered sound.

“You can’t…?”

Flora asked with a gloomy voice.

Though it’s puzzling, Flora is bringing up a request for the late return event.

While it might be considered a penalty, it’s better to agree for now.

“I can solve a few problems quickly.”

“Really?!”

Considering Flora and the third sibling share similar personalities, she might just pretend to listen.

But even if she pretends to listen, it doesn’t matter from my perspective.

Flora opened her book and pointed to a problem, which turned out to be a relatively simple middle school math problem for someone preparing for college exams.

Teaching her wasn’t difficult.

I don’t know if she understood it correctly, but I didn’t give her a wrong solution.

This should clear the first penalty.

“Hmm. You’re good at math, aren’t you?”

Suddenly, someone approached from behind and interrupted our conversation.

With her red ponytail fluttering, she walked alone. It was Ariana, the eldest sister.

Since I had finished teaching, I wanted to leave quickly.

“Could you teach her a bit more? It’s nice to see you helping your younger sister with her studies.”

“I didn’t come back to tell you to teach Flora again.”

“Tsk. What’s the rush? Alright, let’s go upstairs.”

Ariana clicked her tongue and went ahead.

As I followed Ariana up the stairs, my sleeve was gently caught.

Looking back, Flora was holding onto my sleeve.

“Did… Did I upset you?”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing!”

I wondered what she meant and looked back, but she had already let go of my sleeve and ran away.

“Why does she act like that? I don’t understand.”

Well, it doesn’t matter.

After all, the first penalty is resolved.

***

Following Ariana to Isabella’s office, I sat on the sofa as instructed.

Isabella placed the frame she was fiddling with back and sat beside Ariana, asking,

“Why didn’t you mention that the expenditure was used to purchase Rusmaier?”

-Ding!

▶Sub Episode. The Late Return Event is cleared.◀

▶Based on your choice, the main episode will branch out.◀

▶Isabella asks about Rusmaier. How will you respond?

[1. (Casually) I didn’t think it needed to be reported.]

[2. (Indifferently) I doubt they would care anyway.]

[3. (Bow your head) I thought it might be useful somehow. Since it was urgent, I couldn’t report it. Sorry.]

Finally, the main episode will be decided after this choice.

If I answer too negatively, I’ll seem to admit my mistakes, reducing branching options. If I answer too positively, it might lead to a longer timeline.

Since I need to adjust my schedule, it’s best to strike a balance in my response.

Option [1] seems the best.

“I didn’t think it needed to be reported.”

“Why not? I might not have scolded you. It wasn’t done with bad intentions.”

“Still, spending money is spending money. Whether it’s personal or not, it remains the same.”

Ariana sighed deeply.

“You’re being too strict. I could have understood if you had explained it.”

“As written in the royal certificate, Rusmaier is not part of the Duke House of Bargrand, but part of Carsein Bargrand’s territory.”

“So what?”

“As a member of the Duke House of Bargrand, I took a personal action, not a public one. That fact hasn’t changed. So, it’s right to receive criticism.”

Yes, I need to stick to this line.

Private funds, not public ones.

For now, sticking to this boundary is the best.

Ariana noticed Isabella’s stern expression and gave me a hint.

Then she changed the topic.

“Mother. Let’s drop this discussion. I didn’t intend to say anything harsh.”

“Alright, let’s move on.”

Isabella smiled faintly and continued.

“I heard from Princess Arshien that you’ll participate smoothly in the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting this time.”

“Of course. Rusmaier’s prosperity alone deserves reevaluation. By supplying the scarce stone and increasing efficiency with new methods, we’ve suppressed the nobles’ arrogance, so there’s no reason to doubt my capability.”

“Well done, Carsein.”

Even though I heard such praise, I didn’t feel particularly happy.

Silence was the obvious choice, so I remained quiet.

“So, for the upcoming symposium, we should celebrate Carsein, right?”

Following the explanation about the rest period during the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting from Pollux, we decided to go on a family outing to enjoy the cherry blossoms and hire an artist to replace an old family portrait.

“How about it, Carsein? This sounds fine, doesn’t it?”

-Ding!

[1. Yes. I’m okay with it.]

[2. No. I’d rather spend time alone.]

[3. I couldn’t fully enjoy the snow festival. I want to play this time.]

Option [3] means having fun.

This raises Carsein’s maximum action power and maintains family affinity.

For example, visiting hot springs, the sea, or attending a ball. You can experience various activities and choose what you want.

Choosing [2] decreases family affinity slightly but grants free action time.

You can prepare for the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting, but it doesn’t provide significant benefits.

Such as buying necessary items in advance or executing specific sub-episodes to prepare for main episode choices.

None of these options yielded good results.

Extremely, refusing the rest period and returning to the training hall wasn’t satisfying either.

So, option [1].

I responded with a moderate positive, agreeing to the family outing.

After all, the second penalty will come up soon.

“Decided. Since Carsein agrees, let’s go on a family outing.”

“When should we go?”

“Carsein, when do you prefer? Since we aim to adjust your condition for this meeting, choose a suitable time.”

“…”

“Carsein?”

Why can’t I speak?

Clearly, the next line would trigger the second penalty.

“Didn’t Claire decide earlier?”

“Oh, that.”

Ariana chuckled.

“Claire said it would upset you, so she suggested letting you choose. She didn’t explain further.”

“I heard the same.”

…What?

I quickly checked my status window, and the message wasn’t about the return penalty but something else.

▶Assistance from supporter Claire allows you to set the spring outing date.