Chapter 173

Two people. No, three people of guests came in a row.

A few days had passed.

Contrary to my worries, the status window sequentially displayed the choices I saw in the game, and I decided that I shouldn’t move too hastily yet. I limited my approach to this field.

After all, everything was already prepared.

As time flowed by,

When the first week had passed,

-Beep!

▶The first-week report meeting time has come.◀

▶Move to the conference hall.◀

▶If you do not move within the designated time, you may be given a penalty.◀

[Providing time details as a special benefit for clearing the hidden episode.]

[Remaining time: 48 minutes 15 seconds]

Now was the ripe time to accept the next episode.

I crossed my arms and alternated between two times.

“Hmm… It seems there’s a trigger activated when time drags on.”

The timer marked at 3 hours.

Another restriction time provided through the hidden episode, 48 minutes.

If other options pop up the moment it drags on, it would be best to block as many variables as possible. Although it’s earlier than the time I originally intended to act, it looks better to act now.

“Hey, Young Master!”

Just as I was about to step away, Ferdy appeared in front of me.

However, her expression didn’t look good.

‘I can guess what she’s thinking.’

She must be worried too. All I did in this one week was survey the field.

Let’s start by easing her worry.

“I told you to change your address. Ferdy.”

“…Oh.”

“I’m not the Young Master of the House of Bargrand now. Do you understand what that means?”

“Yes. Then… Brother.”

That’s right. Brother.

Without any affiliation or family name, calling me Young Master would be odd.

Only then did I nod slightly, giving her permission to ask.

“Young Master. Are you really okay? You’ve been just investigating the fields. Won’t anything big happen at the symposium?”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because… The Eastern Nobles’ Meeting is a test conducted by the royal family before the nobles’ meeting. I heard that if an unskillful lord misrules a territory, they could receive continuous criticism from the nobles and their grades might drop.”

She knows quite well.

As Arshien said,

Since it’s a meeting of nobles, it’s also a test by the royal family. I need to go through a ‘defense time,’ where I’ll be questioned by the nobles.

One week has passed.

This means the nobles who attended the meeting have been acting as temporary lords for a week and have also ruled the territory for a week.

Every week, they must attend the conference hall and answer questions about what they’ve done during this defense time.

As a temporary lord, I must prove what actions I took to improve the living standards of the citizens and develop the assigned territory. This judgment isn’t just made by the royal family but also involves criticisms from the nobles.

In other words, I must persuade them reasonably with solid evidence that the actions I took were high in development value among dozens of nobles.

Continuously working the fields… They might think it’s insufficient.

I asked while stroking her head.

“Do you really think I’ve just been working the fields? Damn.”

“…Did you do something else?”

“Why are you asking when you know? The biggest change in this territory happened here.”

Puzzled, she thought for a moment and suddenly exclaimed “Ah!” with wide eyes.

To such Ferdy, I raised my index finger to my lips.

“Shh. Got it?”

“Yeah… Yes!”

I didn’t waste my time on the fields.

So, there were clear things to say at the conference hall.

***

The conference hall was quiet.

They must know what will happen if they just waste this one week.

Therefore, there was a tense atmosphere unlike usual in the conference hall.

“Now, let’s begin the first-week meeting. I’ll pick the order, so the offspring of the called house come forward to report.”

Arshien announced the start of the reports.

Simultaneously, a heavy silence fell, and apart from the sound of swallowing saliva or dripping sweat due to nervousness, there was no other noise.

Soon after the reports started, they hurriedly tried to defend themselves against the claws of the noble beasts.

“Somehow, I understand your policies for contributing to development. However,”

-Wheezing.

“The policy ultimately leads to increasing the labor capacity of the empire’s citizens, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, that’s a misunderstanding. It’s merely to improve the conditions of the territory…”

“Of course, the environment of the territory will change for now. But if they cannot fill the labor capacity every time? Doesn’t it mean that the sweat and blood of the imperial citizens working in the mines will only flow once?”

The noble who couldn’t answer Arshien’s question lowered his head.

“Prepare for deductions. Next.”

This scene repeated itself like a broken record, regardless of how many times it happened or who it was.

The order was always: territory report, Arshien’s question, noble’s response, and Arshien’s critique. That’s where it ended.

No situation arose where other nobles’ critiques were worth listening to. She chopped down all the arguments presented by the nobles in front of her.

Although there were not a few who tried to turn the tables, all those who stood up had to retract their claims eventually.

Like this, one hour, two hours.

Time flowed, and it was my turn.

“Next, Carsein.”

-Beep!

▶The first-week report has started.◀

▶Your territory report sequence has arrived. The report for Shatren Territory starts now.◀

▶Choice rush follows. It can affect your symposium score!◀

Finally starting.

With a short deep breath, I descended from the lowest level and walked toward the podium.

“Even if I got thoroughly defeated by Her Highness the Princess… I won’t lose to him.”

“He must be thinking the same. How can he break through that?”

“There’s no point in looking. He probably didn’t bring proper proposals anyway.”

Eyes filled with contempt.

Voices filled with ridicule.

Three people’s eyes were also directed towards me in this scene.

“It feels exactly like a class meeting.”

It was a familiar sight.

I almost laughed out loud unintentionally.

But perhaps because I remembered my family watching…

I could become even calmer.

“I’ll start the report on the Shatren Territory.”

As soon as the report began, I immediately checked the status window.

[1. Talk about the story of the strawberry field you visited directly in the Shatren Territory.]

[2. Unfold the map of the territory and talk about the contents of Camila’s report…]

[3. Unfold the map of the territory and talk about the contents of Harnier’s report…]

…

The choice list that opened up along with the start of the Shatren Territory report.

Some of these choices emerged due to my actions, and some emerged because I held the reports.

However, the choices I picked in the game weren’t visible.

“Why aren’t those choices there?”

It was strange.

Though those choices should exist, they weren’t visible anywhere.

“Damn it. Has the condition changed, or couldn’t I meet the conditions…!”

A player’s small action can change the content of choices, and especially during the symposium, the area of influence expands further, increasing the number of variables.

If my chosen options in the game don’t appear, I can’t proceed according to the path I took in the game.

But.

“Even if it’s not there, I can’t say I can’t choose it.”

If the disappearance of choices in the game was due to variables, I needed to create variables on my side too.

Yes. I can’t deny the choice itself, but modifying part of the choice’s content and performing it is possible.

If I try to perform it as is…

“This is the only thing left!”

-Scratch.

Seeing it once, I understood.

The sensation wasn’t much different from a whiteboard and a marker.

This way, I could perform the choices I made in the game.

“What is this guy doing?”

“Is he here to draw a picture?”

“Isn’t he supposed to start the report…”

“Haha. Hahaha.”

Between whispers, the Princess’s hearty laughter echoed.

This caused the nobles’ laughter to grow louder.

“Foolish. Who would expect you to draw a map here yesterday?”

“Indeed, a commoner can only reach this limit.”

“It’s a waste of time, Your Highness. The others are the same.”

“It’s true. This precious meeting time must not be wasted by someone lacking talent.”

Criticism flew from those who pointed out he was drawing pictures and requested that the report be stopped.

However.

“Fools, truly foolish.”

Arshien answered with a heavily lowered tone.

“What does that mean?”

“Could it be… you’re not targeting us, are you?”

“No, it’s not us. Her Highness certainly speaks of Carsein’s…”

“If you can only see a simple drawing with those uncivilized eyes, then you are truly foolish. At least, compare it with what we do.”

Afterwards, no whispering could be heard.

Due to Arshien’s direct instruction to stop interfering, no one dared to speak.

I wasn’t particularly concerned with the voices criticizing me…

“Strange, it reminds me of the student council president.”

There’s a strange overlap with back then.

Taking a short deep breath, I drew the rest.

[12. Draw a map of the territory to explain the terrain.]

The status window that soon appeared.

I had no intention of explaining the terrain. Drawing the map of the territory was necessary.

However, seeing that a choice was selected, this seemed to be within the allowed range.

“So, what is that?”

When it was completed, Arshien asked with a smirk.

I ignored it and replied.

“It’s not a map of the territory, but a detailed internal map of the Shatren Territory.”

***

At first glance, it seemed strange.

With the territory map already present, why draw a map?

It would suffice to unfold the map using magical tools and give a brief introduction.

But, drawing such a map meant that I truly grasped the purpose of the symposium.

“Indeed. You are clearly different from these amateurs.”

In the first-week report, most nobles explained what policies they would implement based on the strengths of the land they investigated.

But Carsein did the opposite.

This explanation didn’t merely end with describing the structure of a single territory.

It was nothing more than informing about the Shatren territory item by item with the map unfolded.

Explanations about the policies he would implement took a long time to come.

Very slowly.

Deeply and broadly.

Unlike the thin and shallow explanations of the nobles, substantial information came with weight.

From this, I could tell.

What additional problems occurred in the Shatren Territory, which used to be royal land.

“So, what plans do you have for next week?”

Arshien asked with a meaningful smile.

“To plant the same crops using different soil.”

Carsein answered in response to this expectation.

Very simply.

-Bang!

Immediately, the sound of a hammer rang out.

“Good. There are no issues with your plan. Proceed as planned.”

The nobles began to murmur again.

They couldn’t understand how Carsein passed through Arshien’s inspection without any problems, whereas they themselves couldn’t pass through at once.

Proud as they were, they couldn’t accept it.

Soon, the nobles, as Arshien expected,

“Your Highness. I object. Open the defense time!”

The nobles requested the opening of the defense time to object to each other.

“That’s right. It makes no sense. If it’s as he says, he just came after working the fields a few times!”

“Considering the poor state of Shatren, I don’t see any future in this policy.”

“It’s a waste of time. Shouldn’t Shatren focus on restoring its past glory by improving the soil quality? How can this action improve the quality of the soil?”

“Even after much thought, I can’t understand. Please open the defense time to present reasonable evidence…”

*Sigh*

A sigh naturally escaped.

How could there be such dimwitted people?

Even showing such differences, they still aimed to find faults.

“And robbing Carsein of his time is truly a waste of time.”

Originally, a defense time would have been permitted, but Arshien activated a magic spell engraved on a chess piece without hesitation.

“…”

“Your Highness!”

“This is my answer.”

A magic spell that eliminates the defense time and grants authority to the temporary lord to enforce policies.

The privilege of Peselros, which can only be used three times, was activated for Carsein.