Chapter 272

Chapter 272

“As you heard at dinner last night, if we have the help of our friends, we won’t have to be dragged around by the merchant guilds. After all, guilds are entities that move based on money. If there’s money, they’ll bow their heads to us first. So don’t worry too much, as there are other sources of income besides the help of friends.”

It was early in the morning. I asked my friends for permission and was taking care of some business. I knew it wasn’t good to leave guests unattended, but as the lord of the territory after a long absence, it was unavoidable. Even though Uncle Gilbert had handled many of the big and small matters, the territory, which had been vacant for over ten years, had a lot of accumulated work.

Of course, I will have to leave again soon to subjugate the Demon King, but it’s important to sort things out beforehand to nip any potential problems in the bud.

“Also, let’s increase the budget for donations to the Church a bit. Until now, due to our financial situation, we could only afford minimal donations, but if we show our sincerity first, the Church will reciprocate even more.”

“Yes, I understand. I will formally draft a letter and send it.”

There’s a reason why the Church would naturally do so. This is the territory where the Goddess’s only warrior resides as the lord, so how could they remain indifferent? To expand the Church’s influence, they have no choice but to promote me, the hero, and naturally, they have to take special care of my territory as well.

While I was active quietly, the Church didn’t make a big deal out of it. But if I extend my hand first like this, the Church will surely grasp it with open arms.

In the empire, the Church’s influence is considerable, though not as much as the Emperor’s. Especially now that the Demon King has been resurrected, it’s immeasurable.

After all, the existence of priests who can use holy magic is indispensable for nobles and commoners alike.

Furthermore, wealthy temples often operate orphanages or provide education for children, taking on welfare responsibilities that should ideally be handled by the territory.

Therefore, unless the financial situation is extremely dire, donating a little more money to support an additional priest is a profitable endeavor.

If anyone knew my true intentions, they might point fingers and call me worldly, but as a lord, these are considerations I must naturally make. These things, one by one, will make the territory stronger. Only then can we prevent the territory from being destroyed by external attacks again.

And anyway, if there were to be an issue, the Goddess Serena would have raised it first, but since she’s been so quiet, it seems the Goddess doesn’t mind much either.

In addition, I handled various other important matters that I hadn’t been able to attend to. I’m not trying to clear all the backlog of ten years, so I’m focusing on matters that are truly urgent or that would be better handled sooner.

After hastily eating sandwiches for both lunch and dinner, I finally had a moment to catch my breath, and looking out the window, I saw that the evening sun had already set, and it had become dark.

“I wonder what the kids are doing…”

The first thought that came to mind was, of course, my friends. Even though I had asked for their understanding, I didn’t expect to be confined to the study all day. Of course, even without me, Gilbert or the other butler and maids would have taken care of them without any inconvenience, but I couldn’t help but worry.

“Shall I go check on them?”

“No. I’ll go for a walk and find them myself.”

I stretched lightly and stood up from my seat.

“I’ve handled all the important matters, so please have Gilbert proceed with the rest according to my wishes.”

“Understood.”

“I know it’s shameless to ask again when you’ve already worked so hard, but this is my last request.”

“This is my job, so please don’t worry about it. Rather, I am overjoyed that you trust me and entrust me with this.”

Thanks to dedicating the entire day, I was able to complete the work without any issues. With this, I can leave to subjugate the Demon King with peace of mind.

“Ah! Also, some people from the capital will be coming to the territory with letters of recommendation. They are carefully selected talents, so they will surely be helpful.”

Furthermore, the request for talented individuals to Ferrent also yielded results, and they had already completed their scouting and were just waiting for the day to come to our territory. Although it’s difficult for them to come right away as they need to sort out their current jobs.

“You worked very hard today. Uncle Gilbert, please don’t worry about anything else tonight and get some good rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You worked hard as well, young lady.”

I left the room first, leaving Gilbert behind. I didn’t know where my friends were, but I figured I’d run into them if I walked around a bit.

“

I ran into my friends right in front of my room.

To be precise, it wasn’t ‘Elysia’s’ room, but ‘Zeno’s’ room. It seemed they hadn’t just passed by coincidentally, but had come here intentionally.

“Sorry. It’s because I said I wanted to see you…”

Yuri said hesitantly, observing my expression. The other friends were also glancing at me.

Perhaps they were worried that I might be upset, thinking that they had carelessly entered the room of a friend’s deceased younger sibling, as far as they knew.

However, there was no reason for me to be upset at all. After all, I am Zeno.

In fact, there is no place in my mansion that they cannot go. Not only do I trust them unconditionally, but there are no particularly important places in this mansion anyway.

The study and the library, which should have been careful about the entry of outsiders and contained sensitive records of the Frentz family’s affairs, had burned down long ago, transforming into spaces that looked grand on the outside but were empty on the inside.

“Hey, why are you worrying about something like that? If it were a problem, I would have told you beforehand.”

And I can roughly guess why Yuri wanted to come to Zeno’s room. Yuri was not only ‘Elysia’s’ childhood friend but also ‘Zeno’s’ childhood friend.

It must have been quite painful for her to visit Zeno’s room. I was even grateful that she had come despite that.

As I entered the room, saying that I was truly fine, my friends, relieved, followed me into ‘Zeno’s’ room.

Looking around, this room, like the others, had been recreated to closely resemble its past appearance. Of course, the toys and furniture that should have been worn with use were all new and untouched by human hands.

Honestly, I would be much more comfortable in my actual room here than in the room my sister is currently staying in, but I can’t just switch rooms.

Unlike me, who was casually looking around the room, my friends, who knew my situation well, all had solemn expressions as they entered.

Even Mariel closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, offering a small prayer.

I suspect she was praying for the repose of Zeno Frentz… As the person for whom she was praying, I felt awkward, embarrassed, and apologetic as I stared blankly, unable to reveal the truth.

As I awkwardly turned my head, my eyes met Yuri’s. As her childhood friend, she seemed more sensitive than the others, and she gave me an awkward smile when our eyes met.

I feel a pang of guilt.

I know very well that I should reveal the truth: that I am Zeno, that I am not a woman but a man, and that the identity of Elysia I am currently assuming is actually my sister. This deception must end someday.

However, with the subjugation of the Demon King so close, it was not easy to reveal a secret that could shake the foundation of the party.

Some might call it an overinflated ego, but one way or another, my friends have gathered around me. Without me as a focal point, it wouldn’t be strange if they scattered.

If my friends were to be disappointed and leave me, not only would it make subjugating the Demon King difficult, but I probably wouldn’t be able to bear it. That’s how deeply my friends have settled within me.

In fact, the three years I spent apart from some friends, including Celian, after the academy attack incident were times I could hardly recall.

Lindy helped me a lot during that time, but if I had been truly alone without her, I probably would have collapsed mentally long ago.

So, just a little… just a little longer, let’s keep this secret buried. I know I have to reveal it someday, but just a little longer…