Ch.316316. Have You Ever Imagined?

“Young Master, did you have a good trip to the Western Continent?”

As soon as I returned to Lake Estate and finished showering, I headed to the study, where—predictably—Federicks was waiting with a stack of reports piled on the desk.

I let out a deep sigh at the mountain of reports as I sat down in the chair.

“…That’s a lot of reports.”

“Of course there are many. Thanks to Young Master going off to play in the Western Continent for over a week, there’s much to report.”

“P-play? Did you say I went to play?”

“Well then, did you perhaps teach training at the Western Imperial Palace?”

Look at this…

Why are there so many people around me ready to lay out mats?

I tilted my head with a bewildered expression.

“How did you know?”

“What?! Who did you train…?”

“Members of the Western Imperial Knights.”

“Y-you trained members of the Western Imperial Knights?”

“Yeah, I thought I was going to die spending a week teaching them training.”

As I sighed, Federicks raised his voice in agitation.

“Young Master! Are you in your right mind?! The Western Imperial succession war is practically ongoing, so why did you get involved?!”

“Are you worried Prince Leonis might try to harm me?”

“Just hiding Princess Joanna is reason enough for them. Didn’t I repeatedly tell you to be especially careful when visiting the Western Continent?”

“That issue was resolved even before the training began.”

“…Pardon?”

I continued speaking with a peaceful expression, as if it were nothing, to Federicks who was blinking in confusion.

“I was taking a walk with Princess Joanna when suddenly the atmosphere turned cold.”

“Don’t tell me it was Prince Leonis’s forces…?”

“Yeah, when I came to my senses, we were already surrounded. What could I do?”

“What do you mean ‘what could you do’…?”

“I just blasted them with a couple of powerful spells.”

Federicks seemed shocked, placing his hand on his forehead and staggering. His empty expression was an added bonus.

“…Why would an intelligent young master like yourself make such a bad move?”

“I had no choice. The difference in numbers between the Imperial Knights accompanying us and Prince Leonis’s forces was enormous. If I had done nothing, we would have died.”

“Couldn’t you have used the transformation hide…”

“Even using the transformation hide would have been meaningless. There must still be Prince Leonis’s spies in the Imperial Palace.”

“S-spies?”

I looked at Federicks with pity as his eyes widened once again.

“Why are you so surprised? There were spies, that’s why we were discovered during our walk.”

“What did you do with the spy?”

“I dealt with them, of course, but that didn’t solve the problem.”

“…Because there must be other spies?”

“Exactly.”

“Then by now, Prince Leonis must know your identity?”

I scratched my head sheepishly with a bright smile.

“Haha, I’m becoming famous unintentionally.”

“A-are you laughing right now?! Prince Leonis’s forces could plant spies in Lake Estate at any time! Your life isn’t safe!”

“Don’t worry, there’s no one among Prince Leonis’s forces who can kill me.”

“Ha… But Young Master wouldn’t have taught the Imperial Knights training without a reason, right?”

As expected, Federicks was sharp.

It feels like we understand each other without words now.

“Of course I didn’t train them for free.”

“…That’s a relief. At least you got what you wanted.”

“Yeah, teaching the training was a bit tough, but it was rewarding in its own way.”

Federicks suddenly seemed to realize something and gulped nervously.

“Y-Young Master… why were you taking a walk with Princess Joanna? Don’t tell me…”

“Tsk, it’s as you suspect. Emperor Callian seems to be trying to match me with Princess Joanna.”

“…Let me ask once more, are you in your right mind?”

“Why, again?”

“At this rate, the Eastern and Western Continents might go to war because of you!”

“Then whose side should I take?”

“Y-Young Master!”

I waved my hand dismissively at the indignant Federicks and smirked.

“I’m joking.”

“…Please don’t make such jokes, even in jest. I’m afraid they might actually come true.”

Ending our light conversation, I turned my attention to the reports.

“Now give me your report.”

“What would you like to hear about first?”

“Is the Academy running well?”

“Yes, it’s running smoothly.”

“And the Miracle Forest?”

“It seems we no longer need to make any adjustments. Tourist numbers continue to increase steadily.”

I adjusted my posture while seated in the chair.

“What about the Knights, Mercenaries, and Guardians? Nothing unusual?”

“There seems to be some tension between them lately.”

“Tension?”

“I was going to mention this—originally Lake Estate only had Knights, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“And then we added the Mercenaries and Guardians.”

“So has some faction formed because the Mercenaries and Guardians were added later?”

As I furrowed my brow, Federicks straightened his back.

“No, it’s just that the training grounds are too small, causing friction.”

“…Huh?”

“There are many who want to train, but the training grounds can only accommodate a limited number of people, so they’re arguing over who should give up their space.”

Wow…

They’re competing over who gets to train more?

If the Western Imperial Knights heard this, they’d foam at the mouth.

I curled the corners of my mouth as I addressed Federicks.

“How’s the northern development coming along?”

“Most of the construction is complete.”

“Is there any remaining land there?”

“Yes, the north is quite spacious, so we have some left.”

“Then set up a large training ground in the north as well.”

“Understood. But it will take some time to build the training ground. Until then, may we open the underground arena?”

I nodded with satisfaction at Federicks’ suggestion.

“Alright. And if they still don’t have enough training space, tell them to hunt monsters in the Forest of Death.”

“Understood. Also, Lord Robert has requested to meet with you.”

“Is it about Lucien?”

“No, it seems to be about his daughter.”

Sigh…

Come to think of it, I need to educate Olivia as a bride too.

I pressed my throbbing temples and spoke.

“I can see Lord Robert a bit later. What is Jawil Wilson doing?”

“He’s alternating between sparring with Clara and Lady Olivia. He’s also not missing his personal training.”

“He’s doing well as instructed.”

“Lately, Knight Commander Rain Breaker has been praising Jawil Wilson quite a lot.”

“Is that so?”

“Knight Commander Rain Breaker is getting on in years and is thinking about retirement. It seems he wants to pass the Knight Commander position to Jawil Wilson as soon as possible.”

I shook my head firmly with a stern expression.

“No.”

“…Pardon?”

“Tell him to work longer. If he still wants to retire, increase his salary substantially so he can’t quit.”

“Is there a reason you want to keep Knight Commander Rain Breaker so badly?”

I let out a deep sigh before continuing.

“Federicks.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Have you ever imagined it?”

“Imagining Knight Commander Rain Breaker retiring?”

“No, imagining Jawil Wilson becoming the Knight Commander.”

At that, Federicks seemed at a loss for words for a moment, staring blankly into space before flinching.

“I-I just imagined it.”

“How was it?”

“…It was terrible.”

“While it’s true that Jawil Wilson’s skills have improved significantly, he’s not yet ready to lead the entire Knights.”

“Yes, I understand completely.”

However.

The day will come when Jawil Wilson must lead the Knights.

For that, he needs to gain more gravitas.

There are countless ways for an immature man to grow up.

Among them, marriage is probably the best option…

I wonder if there’s been any progress between him and Clara while I was in the Western Continent?

“Anything else to report?”

“Ah! Also, student Wilfred has requested to see you.”

“Wilfred? Is he adapting well at the Academy?”

“As you instructed before leaving for the Western Imperial Palace, I’ve been keeping an eye on him. The Academy professors say he has a natural talent for swordsmanship.”

“Oh? A natural talent for swordsmanship?”

“Yes, at first the professors were somewhat dissatisfied. After all, Wilfred was admitted as a special case.”

I crossed my arms heavily at Federicks’ words.

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“However, his speed in learning swordsmanship is so impressive that the professors’ complaints have completely disappeared.”

He certainly seemed sharp-minded, so I expected he wouldn’t be ordinary…

I hope he doesn’t get so absorbed in swordsmanship that he forgets to court Madeline.

“Anything else to report?”

“Well, I’ve covered the important matters. The rest you can check yourself in the reports.”

Federicks bowed slightly, preparing to leave the study.

I leaned back in my chair and nodded.

“Call Wilfred in first.”