Chapter 159 : Chapter 159
Chapter 159. The Third Empress’s Villa Party (1)
“Your Highness, please sign here as well.”
Chariot handed Radel a stack of documents.
They were construction permits for the various roads, villas, and other new buildings being erected in Ravidel.
Scratch.
Seated at his desk, Radel began signing the papers with practiced ease.
The lord’s office in the manor had changed a great deal compared to before.
A high-quality desk, chairs, and decorations crafted by Ravidel’s artisans had completely transformed the atmosphere of the room.
“Once you’ve finished signing those, please take care of this set too.”
Chariot himself had also changed a lot.
The most noticeable thing was the shadow beneath his eyes.
Though his work was flawless, his fatigue was impossible to hide.
As Radel continued signing, he asked,
“How has your training been going lately?”
Chariot was flustered by the question.
He thought he had hidden it well, but his exhaustion must have shown.
Recently, Chariot had begun mana training for the first time in his life.
Becoming a great spirit’s contractor required many things. Even if he couldn’t use magic, maintaining a contract with a spirit demanded a large amount of mana.
But Chariot had never received any magical education.
He didn’t know how to handle mana, nor how to increase it.
So Armendi, the most skilled mage in the domain, had been teaching Chariot separately every day.
Chariot let out a small sigh and replied,
“My teacher says I’m not completely talentless, but from my perspective, I’m still very lacking.”
Radel had heard about Chariot from Armendi before.
“For someone who knew absolutely nothing, he’s at a decent level.”
“Really?”
“If he’d lived in a city instead of this countryside, his profession might have been different.”
For a pure mage like Armendi to say that meant Chariot had considerable talent.
Though it wasn’t enough to draw out the great spirit’s full power, the spirit’s will to maintain the contract was firm, so Armendi had added that the lacking mana could be gradually supplemented through training to keep the contract intact.
Radel relayed Armendi’s words to Chariot.
“He said that if you’d lived in a city, your job might have been different.”
“…And even if I could’ve had another profession, I think I still would’ve wanted to live in Ravidel.”
After speaking so earnestly, Chariot seemed embarrassed and cleared his throat for no reason.
“Ahem. Well, it wouldn’t have happened anyway.”
Radel smiled at him.
He recalled what Chariot had said to him after the battle with the great spirit.
“…Your Highness truly is the one who came to save Ravidel.”
But Radel didn’t think so.
The one who saved Ravidel was Chariot.
The contract with the great spirit,wasn’t that miracle born from the heart of someone who loved this domain more than anyone else?
Thinking that he was truly fortunate to have such an acting lord who cherished the land, Radel hummed softly to himself.
***
“Let’s take a look around the domain.”
Radel toured Ravidel together with Chariot.
The place was brimming with vitality.
“How much is this?”
“Excuse me, could you tell me the way?”
The first thing that caught their eye were the streets and shops bustling with tourists.
It was obvious that the number of visitors had increased dramatically since the new road had opened.
Next, they visited the artisans’ village.
The experience courses Radel had proposed were proving popular.
“Three experiences for just 1 gold!”
“Materials are charged separately!”
Tourists who came to shop were also enjoying workshop experiences, happily spending money.
A satisfied smile formed on Radel’s lips.
There were many reasons why travel could be frustrating, but one of them was having nowhere to spend money.
You came to spend, but there was nothing to do?
“That’s the worst situation for a tourist destination.”
It was important to provide suitable activities at reasonable prices.
Blending into the crowd as he looked around, Radel entered a jewelry shop.
There was an item he had ordered a few days ago.
As Radel retrieved the item and stepped outside, people seemed to recognize him and began whispering.
“So the lord of Ravidel really is the Eighth Prince!”
“Looks like His Highness shops here often too!”
Before a crowd could gather, Radel left the area.
Just showing his face briefly would make tourists visit more often.
The next place Radel headed to was the lake.
It was also the area that had changed the most in the domain.
Many things that hadn’t existed before had appeared around Ravidel Lake.
First, ferries now floated on the water. People boarded them, marveling at the submerged village below.
“So this is the village from the legend!”
“The one that made a contract with a great spirit through a wager?”
Even though it was only a legend, having visible proof made it all the more exciting.
“They say the great spirit still lives in the lake.”
“No way! Look at that village. It’s incredible.”
After tourists finished touring the lake by boat, stalls waited nearby.
Domain residents were selling light refreshments and souvenirs there. Handicrafts and candies modeled after the great spirit were especially popular.
“Thanks to you, Your Highness, the griffin doesn’t come here anymore.”
“It does appear in the sky occasionally, but it doesn’t attack people.”
Listening to the locals chatting as they worked, Radel nodded.
He had promised the griffin more meat in exchange for not bothering people visiting the lake.
Since nothing lived in the lake to begin with, the griffin wasn’t losing any prey by giving it up.
Radel popped a candy given to him by a local into his mouth.
“This candy is good. What other flavors do you have?”
“Just this one for now.”
“It would be better to increase the variety. Try different colors too.”
A diverse selection of food was an important part of any tourist attraction.
Tourists spending money meant increased income for the locals, which ultimately led to higher taxes for the domain.
Thinking about the future tax revenue made Radel feel even better.
“Human lord! What are you grinning about like that?”
At that moment, some Lizardmen who recognized Radel approached.
“Was it that obvious? I’m just in a good mood today.”
“And why are you in a good mood?”
“Hmm, just because?”
At Radel’s answer, the Lizardmen whispered among themselves.
“Brother, I think the human lord’s head might be strange.”
“Seems so. Being happy for no reason,doesn’t that mean he’s crazy?”
Then they suddenly dashed off toward something suspicious.
“Hey! Don’t litter!”
“If you’re caught throwing trash into the lake, that’s a fine of 10 silver!”
The Lizardmen were patrolling with armbands that read ‘Environmental Cleanup.’
With the increase in tourists, proper lake management was essential.
Yet people didn’t feel offended even when the Lizardmen warned them.
Seeing Lizardmen patrol around was itself a novel sight.
These days, the Lizardmen’s days were packed with farming, hunting, environmental cleanup, and more.
Watching such diligent laborers, Radel’s satisfied smile deepened.
“They say fines have been collected well since the Lizardmen started environmental cleanup.”
“I see. That’s excellent.”
At Chariot’s words, Radel nodded.
Having Lizardman warriors maintaining order made things all the more reassuring.
Ravidel had now fully transformed into a new tourist destination.
The Third Empress’s villa played a big role in that.
A picturesque villa overlooking the beautiful lake,tourists often admired it while riding ferries on the water.
Completed in time for the lake’s opening, the villa showed off its splendid appearance.
“Shall we go now?”
The destination Radel and Chariot headed to was that very villa.
“I still can’t believe it. To think the Third Empress is really coming to our domain.”
Chariot whispered excitedly, careful not to be overheard.
The Third Empress had arrived in Ravidel just the night before.
That such a renowned figure of the Empire would personally come all the way to this small countryside!
And even extend a personal invitation!
Understanding his excitement, Radel patted Chariot’s back as they headed for the villa.
A party was scheduled to be held there that evening.
***
“Welcome!”
“It’s been a while, Radel. I’m glad to see you.”
As Radel entered the villa, Inette and the Third Empress herself came out to greet him.
True to the work of the capital’s most famous architect, the villa was far more splendid and dazzling than most mansions in the capital.
“Thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty. As the lord, I should have come to greet you earlier, but I was late.”
At Radel’s courteous greeting, Celiana, the Third Empress, smiled gently.
“It was I who came in such a hurry without sending word.”
Inette pouted beside her.
“That’s right. You really surprised me, Mom. If you were coming, you should’ve said so!”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
Celiana smiled gracefully and covered her mouth with her fan.
“You were surprised, weren’t you, Inette?”
“What?”
“But you’re happy your mother came, right?”
At Celiana’s words, Inette trembled.
She’d been caught off guard more than once by her mother, who seemed to live for teasing her.
Radel stepped in just in time, before Inette could explode.
“Your Majesty, this is a small gift I’ve prepared.”
“Oh my, I wonder what it is.”
Celiana accepted Radel’s gift.
It was the item he had picked up earlier from the artisans’ village.
He had specially commissioned it from the finest gem craftsman in the domain.
When Celiana opened the box, a pearl necklace lay inside.
“It’s beautiful. Such a unique color.”
The golden-hued pearls captured Celiana’s gaze.
“They’re pearls from an emperor clam. I thought they would suit you, so I had them prepared.”
Radel explained.
While hunting monsters at sea, emperor clams occasionally turned up, and the pearls found inside them had been gathered to make the necklace.
Beside him, Inette puffed up proudly for no reason.
“I told you this domain has everything, in its own way.”
Without realizing it, Inette had grown attached to Radel’s domain as well.
As evening fell, a small party was held.
Radel and Chariot, along with those who had received invitations, arrived one by one.
Gusto, of course, as well as Shartea, Isan Rau, Armendi, Perenzo, and others staying in the domain,mostly guests connected to Radel as the lord.
“Your Majesty, thank you for the invitation.”
“Welcome, Shartea. I’m glad to see you here.”
When Shartea arrived, Inette whispered to Radel,
“Why did you invite the Third Princess? I told you to take her off the list.”
She still seemed uncomfortable with Shartea.
But despite her words, she didn’t show the same open hostility as before.
“You’ve arrived, Senior.”
“I was sparring freely and ended up a bit late.”
While Radel and Shartea exchanged greetings, a commotion arose at the entrance.
“I heard my little sister is here, so I came!”
A loud voice rang out.
“Tea! Where are you? Your big brother has arrived!”
It was a voice Radel recognized.
An uninvited guest,without a doubt, the Second Prince.