“It’s really cold, isn’t it?”
“Well, it is already December.”
A few days after the name of the capital was decided to be “Noeina” at the meeting, Noein was walking alongside Bart, who was heading to Retvik for shopping. Two residents had come along to help Bart, and Mathilda, Noein’s aide, was accompanying them as well.
The purpose of this trip was to show their faces to Viscount Arnold Keinitz and the merchants they were associated with before the winter set in and travel between the territories became difficult. In a way, it was a year-end greeting.
Although Noein was dressed in a relatively fine cloak, it was still cold. Having grown up in the warmer southern part of the kingdom, the cold of the north was particularly harsh for him.
Upon arriving in Retvik, the first place they headed to was Eliza’s shop.
“Oh, Noein-sama is here today as well.”
“It’s been a while, Eliza-san. And Marco-san too.”
Since he had not been doing the shopping himself lately, Noein had fewer opportunities to meet with them.
Leaving the food purchasing arrangements to Bart and Marco, Noein engaged in a brief conversation with Eliza.
“Is Anna working well?”
“Yes, she is very capable. The smooth running of the Arkuvist territory is thanks to her support behind the scenes.”
Without flattery, Noein truly assessed Anna’s work in such a manner. It was undoubtedly because of Anna that Noein was able to focus on his duties as lord and the development work using golems.
“It puts me at ease to hear you say that directly, Noein-sama. I’m glad I taught her desk work.”
Eliza seemed quite pleased to be praised for her daughter.
“By the way, the name of the residential area in the Arkuvist territory was decided recently.”
“Oh really? What name did it get?”
“Well… it’s ‘Noeina.’”
“Haha, so it’s named after you, Noein-sama.”
“I find it a bit embarrassing, but my vassals strongly insisted that it should be done that way…”
Explaining a village name that was nearly identical to his own name was quite embarrassing for Noein.
After that, they visited Miles Trading Company, the inn where they often stayed when coming to Retvik, and several other shops they were associated with, as well as a workshop where they frequently ordered agricultural tools and repairs.
The last stop was the Keinitz residence. Although Noein had sent letters of thanks for the introduction of an excellent mining engineer, this was the first time he had met the head, Arnold, since their encounter regarding the lapis lazuli raw stones.
…
As usual, he was shown to the reception room, where he exchanged greetings with Arnold, who entered the room a little late.
“So, what brings you here today? I’ve heard you have a year-end greeting and something you wish to convey.”
Arnold asked, sounding a bit on guard. It seemed he was wary that Noein might have come to negotiate something again.
“Yes. As a new lord having held a territory for a year, I have been indebted to you, Viscount Keinitz, many times. I wanted to come and express my gratitude directly before winter sets in… and I also came to report that a name has officially been decided for the first residential area in my territory.”
“…Is that all?”
“Yes, that is all.”
“Really, you just came to greet me?”
Arnold relaxed his shoulders, appearing somewhat surprised.
“Haha, you don’t need to be so cautious. I wish to be a good neighbor to you.”
“While you seem capable of sweeping the legs from under us if you choose, as the head of a noble family, I cannot afford to be careless.”
Arnold replied with a wry smile to Noein, who wore an expression that made him appear just a good young man at first glance.
Though he understood that Noein was unlikely to suddenly show his fangs again after their previous exchanges, he still could not fully trust him due to his position as a lord responsible for many subjects. Establishing friendship among nobles is a difficult task.
“So, what is the name of the village?”
“Well… it has become ‘Noeina.’”
Noein said this somewhat bashfully. It was rare to see him, who usually showed a confident smile, looking flustered, and Arnold thought to himself, “He can show expressions appropriate for his age.”
“I see. That is quite directly taken from your name.”
“Embarrassingly, my vassals and residents strongly wished for this name…”
“It seems you are well-loved by the residents. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
Normally, when a lord’s name is taken for a capital, there’s usually some twist to it. Retvik is a case in point. For the residents to desire nearly the same name, this young man must be very much loved by them, Arnold thought.
“It seems you have talent as a lord. I hope that Noeina will develop as a village and eventually as a town. I would like for it to have a good relationship with Retvik.”
“I’m honored to receive your praise. I also wish to deepen our friendship moving forward.”
Not wanting to take too much time on a mere year-end greeting, Noein soon took his leave from the Keinitz residence after a little small talk.
…
In this world, the system of “marriage” for commoners, at least, is quite simple, regardless of royalty and nobility.
When a man and a woman decide to become a couple, they simply need to notify the lord, the deputy, or the village chief, and live together in the same house for the marriage to be established.
Of course, a celebratory banquet is also held upon marriage. In urban areas, it is common to gather relatives and friends to celebrate at each household, while in villages with smaller populations, it is more common to prepare a celebratory gathering at the year-end when agricultural work has subsided, bringing together couples who married that year.
In the Arkuvist territory Noeina, such a banquet was about to be held. It was especially grand as it also commemorated the birth of the village name “Noeina.”
In the square, a fire was lit, and sumptuous dishes such as freshly roasted meat and warm soup were laid out.
Noein, the lord, also provided a large quantity of wine and a whole Plumpdeer that he had bought in Retvik for this day.
The Plumpdeer is known for its high fur value, but its meat is also famous as a luxury ingredient. Noein purchased the one hunted by his vassals while patrolling around the village and offered it as a treat from the lord to the residents.
Once the dishes were all served, Noein stood before all the gathered residents in the square.
As the residents buzzed before the banquet, Yuri, the captain of the vassals, called out loudly, “Be quiet. It’s the words of our lord, Noein Arkuvist!” and soon everyone stopped talking.
Receiving the residents’ gazes, Noein began to speak.
“Everyone, today is a celebratory day. It is the first wedding festival since this territory was established, a day to honor and celebrate those who are joined together in this land. And it is also a day to celebrate the naming of this village.”
The residents listened intently to Noein’s words.
“The name of this village has been decided to be ‘Noeina,’ taken from my name. My loyal servant Mathilda proposed this name, and my vassals pledged their loyalty and strongly agreed to it. I have also heard that you, the residents, have accepted this name. I wish to consider this as proof that I have earned your respect as your lord.”
As Noein spoke, the residents nodded in agreement.
Regarding the name “Noeina,” he had received reports from his vassals that the residents’ feedback was very positive, nearly unanimous in praise.
“About nine months ago, I entered the Bezel Great Forest with Mathilda and golems. We found a slightly open space in the empty forest, set up tents, and created a small field. Now it’s around where my mansion and the lord’s field are… From there, we gradually cut down trees, leveled the land, and expanded the fields.”
Putting it into words like this brought a deep sense of nostalgia.
“Eventually, I met Yuri and Edgar, and many people chose to become residents here. In a forest where nothing existed, now there is a village named Noeina. This is not only my territory, but also a new land for all of you, a place to begin new lives.”
The residents listened to Noein’s words, reflecting on them, some even shedding tears.
